AirPods 4vs.x Crinacle DUSK
Sound & Specs Comparison
Information
Both IEMs are widely regarded in the audiophile community. See how they differ in terms of sub-bass response, upper mids, clarity, and overall tonality. Spider charts and rating breakdowns included.
Objective Comparison
Facts, details, stuff.
| General Info | AirPods 4 | x Crinacle DUSK |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Apple | Moondrop |
| Country | USA | China |
| IEM Description | – | MoonDrop × Crinacle DUSK is a highly acclaimed hybrid in-ear monitor co-developed with tuning expert Crinacle. It features a precise, neutral-bright tuning with a slight sub-bass lift, offering exceptional clarity, detail retrieval, and tonal balance. Known for its reference-grade performance, the DUSK is often considered one of the best IEMs under $1,000 and a benchmark in the audiophile community. |
| Price Level | n/a | 100 – 500 |
| Housing & Driver | ||
|---|---|---|
| Driver Config | – | Tribrid |
| Driver Types | – | Planar Magnetic Driver + Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature |
| Shell Material | – | Resin |
| Cable | – | – |
| Technical | ||
|---|---|---|
| Freq Range | – | 10Hz- 24kHz |
| Impedance (Ω) | – | 14.5 |
| Sensitivity (dB) | – | 119 |
| Crossover | – | – |
| Platform Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comments | 0 | 0 |
| Visit Count | 36 | 99 |
| External Reviews | 0 | 1 |
Meta Ratings
In terms of overall sound impression, x Crinacle DUSK clearly outperforms AirPods 4. It presents music with substantially greater accuracy, air, and stereo separation (7.5 vs 5). For comfort fit, It performs notably better (8 vs 5). The tactile feel and solidity of It suggest barely greater robustness and longevity compared to the more fragile impression left by AirPods 4. Compared to AirPods 4, the overall accessory offering from It is vastly more aligned with the expectations of discerning audiophiles.
| AirPods 4 | x Crinacle DUSK | |
|---|---|---|
| Sound | 5.0 | 7.5 |
| Comfort Fit | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| Build Quality | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| Stock Cable | – | 8.0 |
| Accessories | 1.5 | 8.0 |
Sound Characteristics
x Crinacle DUSK delivers a tighter sub-bass response, controlling low-end rumble with more precision than AirPods 4 (5.3 vs 4.5). The low-end on AirPods 4 is a more controlled and rhythmic, offering better definition than x Crinacle DUSK (5.5 vs 5). In the upper mids, x Crinacle DUSK sounds a clearer and more articulate, highlighting vocals and lead instruments better than AirPods 4 (6.5 vs 6). It offers a greater shimmer and nuance in the lower treble, revealing micro-details that AirPods 4 misses (7.3 vs 6.5). It captures ambient cues and reverbs a more precisely through its upper treble, enhancing spatial perception over AirPods 4 (8.8 vs 6.5). It paints a b broader sonic landscape, offering better instrument positioning across the stage (6.8 vs 6). With m higher resolution, It allows finer textures and room ambiance to shine more than AirPods 4 (7 vs 5). In complex arrangements, It separates layers a more distinctly, preventing overlap that AirPods 4 occasionally suffers (7.3 vs 5). It shows e better control of masking effects, maintaining clarity across frequency ranges better than AirPods 4 (6.3 vs 5). The note presentation is m fuller and more tactile on It, giving instruments a stronger physical presence than AirPods 4 (6.5 vs 5). It delivers m stronger slam and physicality, making drums and transients hit harder than AirPods 4 (6.8 vs 5). The upper range of vocals is s cleaner and more forgiving on It, helping it avoid sibilant harshness that AirPods 4 shows (8.3 vs 6.5). It presents instrument timbre with a more natural coloration, giving a realistic tone that AirPods 4 lacks (8.5 vs 5.5). It achieves a better tonal neutrality, avoiding colorations present in AirPods 4 (8.5 vs 5). Subtle ridges and granularity are conveyed a more clearly on It, adding life that AirPods 4 doesn’t quite match (8.3 vs 4.5).
| AirPods 4 | x Crinacle DUSK | |
|---|---|---|
| Sub Bass | 4.5 | 5.3 |
| Bass | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| Bass Feel | 5.0 | 5.3 |
| Lower Mids | 5.5 | 5.8 |
| Upper Mids | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| Lower Treble | 6.5 | 7.3 |
| Upper Treble | 6.5 | 8.8 |
| Sound Stage Width | 6.0 | 6.8 |
| Detail | 5.0 | 7.0 |
| Layering | 5.0 | 7.3 |
| Masking | 5.0 | 6.3 |
| Note Weight | 5.0 | 6.5 |
| Slam | 5.0 | 6.8 |
| Sibilance | 6.5 | 8.3 |
| Timbre Color | 5.5 | 8.5 |
| Tonality | 5.0 | 8.5 |
| Texture | 4.5 | 8.3 |
Tonal Signature
// Nothing to compare yet.