Today, Marcus reviews the Craft Ears Omnium, which is the latest flat, dynamic tribrid universal in-ear monitor with BA driver from the Polish company. Its price is €2,499.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no links or affiliate status. I appreciate Handmade ears for this opportunity.
Click here to read about Handmade ears products we have previously reviewed at Headfonics.
Please note that this review follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read in more detail here.
Craft Ears Omnium Review
Summary
The Craft Ears Omnium clearly belongs on the high-end IEM table.
This is a performance rich in detail, neutral in tone and delightfully immersive in its presentation. And boy, the lows scale beautifully with quality power running through them.
Advantages
Spacious, high-resolution sound presentation
Premium Case Design
The interchangeable jack system means more connection options.
Cons
Materials prone to fingerprints and scratches
It's been a few years since we last reviewed Craft Ears IEMs with the 6 and the 4 custom versions in 2021 and 2020. Since then, the product line has matured with custom and universal lines that have expanded significantly with some of the latest driver technologies on display.
The Omnium launched in late 2023 and is the company's flagship in-ear monitor with options for custom and universal formats. Our example here is the universal version.
It sells for €2,499, so it's by no means the most expensive high-end monitor in 2024, but it's a serious purchase nonetheless.
In what must be a Polish penchant for uniqueness, this is the second IEM this year from the country that I have reviewed that includes a flat midrange driver instead of the usual set of BA drivers. It is also notable for its lack of electrostatic drivers, a high-end love for several years.
As a result, you get a lot of articulate speed in the Omnium mids, but if you've read my reviews of Craft Ear IEMs a few years ago, you'll remember how much attention is paid to the quality of bass performance. The same goes for tuning flagship monitors as well.
Characteristics
Craft Ears Omnium is a universal (or custom) 'tribrid' in-ear monitor with a combination of dynamic, BA and planar drivers using a 6-way crossover design.
The precise setup is a single 9.2mm LSR dynamic driver for the bass, a 10mm planar driver for the mids, a single BA for the mid/treble, dual BA for the treble, and a pair of BA tweeters for the bass. ultra-acute.
LSR or Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) frames are an increasingly popular choice today for dynamic driver designs as they allow the driver to operate at very low THD.
Similar examples and 9.2mm driver sizes are used in high-end models like the Vision ears EXT and popular low-end models like the Elysian PILGRIM Acoustic Laboratories.
The Omnium's internal acoustic space is a mix of tubeless combined with Craft Ears' latest SES 3.0 (Space Expanse System) that I first encountered on the Craft 6 model back in 2021.
SES involves pushing the high-frequency tweeter towards the mouthpiece to maximize its presence and building a specific chamber around it to control its response in relation to the rest of the drivers' tuning.
The Omnium has a nominal impedance of 12 Ω, but note that, similar to Custom Art and 64 Audio, Craft Ears uses a flat impedance technology called True Load. That means there should be no impedance bias with high output impedance amplifiers like the ones recently reviewed. ONIX Mystic XP1.
Design
The Omnium aesthetic is high-impact with a mirror-like 18K gold plated edge and logo detailing. Below, we have a polished piano black main casing and above, a set of carbon fiber patterned faceplates that vary in intensity depending on the angle from which they are viewed.
The 3D printed shells have a smooth, rather than aggressive, contour, with a slight angle to a long but elegantly designed mouthpiece. Heck, even the recessed 2-pin connectors look wonderfully clean and polished. Visually, the Omnium will stand out quite a bit from the crowd and yes, it does look high-end.
It also has a fairly strong and sturdy construction and is not your usual lightweight resin mold. In hand, the Omnium headphones feel substantial with a slightly larger than average set of dimensions.
I was hoping the Omnium would be a fingerprint magnet with that glossy finish, but that hasn't been the case so far. I might temper that with a word of caution to treat those gold fenders with a little care, as I could see the possibility of scuff marks when I was looking at the pixel image files.
Comfort and isolation
Despite its heavier build and soft contours, the Omnium fits my ears well. There are no uncomfortable bumps or uneven pressure points and the smooth resin finish provides a nearly frictionless insertion.
Passive isolation isn't bad for a dynamic driver model, but I had a hard time finding ventilation ports on the outside of the cases. I think the design has a very thin hidden vent between the plates and the main case, so it's a smart move and keeps the aesthetic clean.
Listed passive isolation is -26 dB, which is above average considering 64 Audio's Apex filter hybrids with a maximum of -20 dB. I found the performance on par with the VE10 and Annihilator 2023 for low frequency isolation and a shadow behind it for higher pitched background noise.
Tips
The slightly stiff molding lines will mean it is a little less forgiving of individual ear shapes than customs and some of the more aggressively designed resin shapes on the market today.
Therefore, the supplied tips will play an important role in the sealing and performance of the Omnium. You get two types of tips as stock; Both are silicone, one with a narrow diameter translucent single flange and the second with a wide black front double flange.
Both have pros and cons. I found that the wide double-flanged bore seals more and slightly increases penetration depth, creating a more secure fit.
With the narrow diameter single flange tips, the seal was almost as good, although I had to push in and then pull out slightly to achieve the best balance between depth and passive insulation.
The advantages of narrow bore tips are in their performance. If you prefer a thicker tone with better bass weight and greater tonal contrast, these will give you that. Double flange tips sound darker and smoother in the mids and highs, but can produce a more subdued bass weight.
common wire
There isn't a huge amount of information about the standard Omnium cable supplied, except that it is an OCC silver plated copper 4-wire geometry with a translucent PVC jacket and that it measures 1.5m instead of the usual 1.2m in deference to the setting. artist requirements.
I'm also going to assume that the cable uses a Litz-type geometry to avoid the “green” rust effect that non-Litz constructions can suffer from over time.
I suspect users will be more interested in the interchangeable plug system applied to the original cable. This will allow you to change the connector type to suit whatever connection you will be using.
Craft Ears has supplied 2 plugs with Omnium; a 3.5mm single-ended TRS type and a 4.4mm Pentaconn termination. Both plugs are finished in a matching polished black and gold accent that complements the housing designs very well.
However, the threaded locking mechanism has a simpler aluminum finish that contrasts a bit with the black and gold of the sockets when in place. I'd love to see that changed, along with the same black and gold finish for the splitter and connectors to complete the look.
Otherwise, the original Omnium cable is nice and light, with a nice knurled finish with grip on the splitter and webbing, low microphones, and memory retention, making it a very easy cable to handle.
There is an elastic memory layer over the silicone-formed connector barrels, but it is soft enough that you won't feel any discomfort in your ear when in use.
Packaging and accessories
The black Omnium Compact Retail Box is a bit low profile for a flagship offering, although I have to give Craft Ears a lot of credit for designing a carrying case rich in functionality and protection.
The Omnium case is loosely based on the classic Pelican 1010 case format, which I prefer to the new leather-finished puck style in terms of protection.
However, this version has a zippered pouch attached to the bottom of the lid, which is a cool thing and not something I've seen before. I'm used to seeing a mesh upper, so this zippered bag offers more stability and protection from things rolling around when I carry it.
Unfortunately, there isn't much more room beyond the cable and Omnium housings, so this is strictly a single IEM container. Other than that, you get your tips and jacks in a plastic bag and a small sealed tip tray, all safely stored in that zippered bag.
Click on page 2 below to see my sound impressions and recommended combinations.
Click on page 3 below to see my selected comparisons.
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