AVG. Rating
4.0
IEM AIEM B
VS
AVG. Rating
6.1

Gatevs.Project Meta

Sound & Specs Comparison

Change Focus:

10%
Gate
Absolute Score: 47.8%
90%
Project Meta
Absolute Score: 63.6%

Total categories compared: 29

Winner:Project Meta

( leads by 167.2% in direct comparison by points delta )

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 InfoGateProject Meta
BrandTruthearCrinEar
CountryChina
IEM DescriptionA debut IEM by Crinacle's CrinEar: a compact, full-aluminum flag­ship tuned to a “tilted Diffuse Field + bass boost” curve. Delivers vibrant mids, warm sub-bass, and clear treble—crafted for musical accuracy and comfort.
Price Level< 100100 – 500
Housing & Driver
Driver ConfigSingle Dyn. Driver
Driver TypesDynamic Driver
Shell Material
Cable
Technical
Freq Range
Impedance (Ω)
Sensitivity (dB)
Crossover
Platform Info
Comments10
Visit Count3196
External Reviews01

Meta Ratings

Project Meta reveals microdetails and transient responses with materially better articulation, helping listeners uncover nuances often missed with Gate. For comfort fit, Gate performs noticeably better (7.5 vs 6.5). Project Meta shows readably superior build quality than Gate (6.5 vs 5.5), indicating better materials, construction precision, and overall durability. The stock cable of It is significantly higher in quality (6.5 vs 5), offering improvements in flexibility, tactile feedback, and resistance to microphonics. Accessory-wise, It includes distinctly more practical and high-quality items, enhancing both protection and usability.

Sound
Comfort Fit
Build Quality
Stock Cable
Accessories
GateProject Meta
Sound
4.0
7.0
Comfort Fit
7.5
6.5
Build Quality
5.5
6.5
Stock Cable
5.0
6.5
Accessories
4.5
6.0

Sound Characteristics

Project Meta delivers a tighter sub-bass response, controlling low-end rumble with more precision than Gate (6 vs 4.5). It enhances basslines with a more energy and grip, giving them a livelier feel compared to Gate (6 vs 5). It adds a more body and slam to bass hits, which makes it feel more physical than Gate (6.5 vs 4.5). Male vocals and lower instruments sound m richer and better defined on It, unlike Gate which can seem hollow (6.5 vs 5). In the upper mids, Gate sounds a clearer and more articulate, highlighting vocals and lead instruments better than Project Meta (6 vs 5.5). Project Meta offers a greater shimmer and nuance in the lower treble, revealing micro-details that Gate misses (7.5 vs 5.5). The upper treble of It extends m further, offering more sparkle and openness than Gate (6.5 vs 5). It paints a a broader sonic landscape, offering better instrument positioning across the stage (6 vs 5). It extracts low-level details a more effectively, helping subtle nuances emerge clearer than on Gate (6 vs 4.5). In complex arrangements, It separates layers a more distinctly, preventing overlap that Gate occasionally suffers (6.5 vs 4.5). It shows a better control of masking effects, maintaining clarity across frequency ranges better than Gate (5.5 vs 4.5). It adds a more body and density to musical notes, enriching the overall texture compared to Gate (6 vs 5). Percussion and quick attacks feel m more physical and punchy on It, adding excitement over Gate (6 vs 4). Listeners may experience a fewer sharp edges in 'S' and 'T' sounds with It, whereas Gate can get fatiguing (6.5 vs 3.5). Timbre on It sounds a more realistic and natural, whereas Gate feels slightly more artificial or colored (6 vs 4). Across the frequency range, It stays a more consistent in tonal balance, resulting in a smoother listen than Gate (6 vs 3.5). It renders texture m more precisely, making instrument surfaces and vocal grain more palpable than Gate (5.5 vs 3.5).

GateProject Meta
Sub Bass
4.5
6.0
Bass
5.0
6.0
Bass Feel
4.5
6.5
Lower Mids
5.0
6.5
Upper Mids
6.0
5.5
Lower Treble
5.5
7.5
Upper Treble
5.0
6.5
Sound Stage Width
5.0
6.0
Detail
4.5
6.0
Layering
4.5
6.5
Masking
4.5
5.5
Note Weight
5.0
6.0
Slam
4.0
6.0
Sibilance
3.5
6.5
Timbre Color
4.0
6.0
Tonality
3.5
6.0
Texture
3.5
5.5

Tonal Signature

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