Overview

See Audio is a Chinese In-Ear Monitor (IEM) specialized manufacturer established around 2020. The company designs and sells high-end IEMs in both custom-fit and universal-fit configurations, developed by an experienced audio engineering team. Their main products include Yume (169 USD), Neo (1,099 USD), Kaguya (1,399 USD), and the latest model Kaguya 2 (1,599 USD) featuring a 9-driver hybrid configuration. The company is particularly recognized for its frequency response tuning technology, implementing sound adjustments based on the Harman target curve.

Scientific Validity

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While See Audio’s products boast excellent frequency response tuning, they suffer from a serious issue with THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise). Many of their products exhibit THD+N values reaching 1-2%, which significantly exceeds the problematic level for IEMs (0.5% or higher). This high distortion clearly compromises sound resolution and detail reproduction, making it a significant negative factor from a high-fidelity perspective. Even considering their near-transparent performance in the crucial metric of frequency response, the fact that another key metric, distortion, is severely lacking brings the overall scientific validity well below average.

Technology Level

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The company adopts modern technologies including hybrid driver configurations, electrostatic drivers, and liquid silicone diaphragms. The Kaguya series incorporates 4 Sonion electrostatic drivers and 4 balanced armature drivers, while the latest Kaguya 2 achieves a 9-driver configuration (1DD+4BA+2EST+2BC). Technical approaches including CNC-machined high-precision aluminum alloy housings and proprietary liquid silicone diaphragms exceed the industry average. However, these technology investments do not directly translate to measurable improvements in basic performance, such as THD+N, limiting the technology level evaluation to moderate. While design originality is recognized, there is significant room for improvement in implementation optimization.

Cost-Performance

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The cost-performance of this company’s products is extremely low in the current market. The evaluation is based on a price comparison with the world’s most affordable products that have equivalent or superior measured performance (e.g., frequency response, distortion), regardless of internal driver configuration. For instance, the flagship model Kaguya (1,399 USD) can be compared to the Truthear NOVA (149 USD), which boasts superior measured performance (excellent frequency response and far lower distortion). In this case, the CP is 149 ÷ 1,399 = 0.11, resulting in a score of 0.1. The Yume (169 USD) also has a CP of around 0.5 when compared to the cheaper and better-performing Moondrop Aria (79 USD). Across the entire product lineup, alternatives with superior measured performance are available for a fraction of the price, leading to an unavoidably poor cost-performance rating.

Reliability & Support

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See Audio is an emerging company established around 2020, lacking long-term reliability data. Public information regarding product failure rates and MTBF values is limited, with warranty periods and repair systems presumed to be at industry-standard levels. As an emerging manufacturer with a limited track record, there is uncertainty about future support continuity. Since this is not a product category requiring firmware updates, evaluation in this aspect is not applicable. Currently judged to provide industry-average support levels, but long-term reliability requires future performance accumulation. Considering the company’s size and history, a conservative evaluation is appropriate.

Rationality of Design Philosophy

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The company adopts a scientific tuning approach based on the Harman target curve, which is rational. However, in its overall design philosophy, there is a tendency to prioritize subjective “musicality” over technical performance, with insufficient commitment to measurable performance improvements. The fact that the fatal-level THD+N values remain unimproved in new models, while prices are increasing, is irrational. While the adoption of advanced technologies like electrostatic drivers is technically progressive, the rationality of the design philosophy is questionable as it does not translate to audible sound quality improvements like lower distortion. There is a tendency to prioritize marketing differentiation over achieving transparent-level sound quality based on measurement data.

Advice

When considering See Audio products, it is necessary to fully understand both the company’s strength in excellent tuning technology and its serious challenges in technical performance, such as high distortion. If your sound preferences strongly depend on frequency characteristics and you do not prioritize resolution or detail reproduction, they could be an option. However, you must recognize that numerous comprehensively superior alternatives exist in the same price range. High-end models like the Kaguya are particularly not recommended from a cost-performance perspective, as products with far superior measured performance are available for about a tenth of the price. Choosing a See Audio product is only wise if you find its specific tuning justifies the significant trade-offs in performance and price.

(2025.8.2)