EarAcoustic VSA-PM Crown
Every once in a while, a sub-$1000 IEM comes along that doesn’t try to impress with phat bass but tries to compete above its weight level. The EarAcoustic VSA-PM Crown, a single planar driver IEM priced at $849 and available from the fine folks at Penon Audio, is one of those rare creations. It’s elegant, confident, and clearly designed by a tuner who loves music more than measuring graphs. Thanks to @Penon and EarAcoustic for sending this tour IEM to the Audio Geek USA tour!!
Design and Fit
The Crown, like the Silver Angel before it, carries a rather blingy but luxurious aesthetic with clear faceplates inlaid with the branding. The shells are smoothly contoured and medium-sized—an easy, secure fit even for longer sessions. Build quality feels reassuringly solid without unnecessary bulk, and comfort is excellent. With the stock cable, the tonality already feels right; I never felt the urge to start cable-rolling, which says a lot at this price point.
Overall Signature
At its core, the Crown is tastefully balanced—a mid-forward W-shaped tuning that manages to sound both lively and natural. It walks a fine line between neutrality and warmth: bass provides weight, mids sit gloriously upfront, and treble opens the space with just enough sparkle. What stands out immediately is its coherence—everything connects in a way that feels deliberate and emotionally fluent, the thing with single driver sets done right! They did it right here!
Bass
Planar IEMs sometimes struggle to deliver convincing bass texture, but the Crown handles it beautifully. Sub-bass reaches low with authority, while mid-bass remains disciplined and articulate. It doesn’t overwhelm or soften the presentation; rather, it lays a clean, textured foundation that supports the rest of the spectrum. Bass notes on acoustic and electronic tracks have genuine body—never bloated, always controlled. It’s not basshead quantity, but it’s certainly satisfying.
Midrange
Here lies the heart and soul of the Crown. The midrange is forward, rich, and unapologetically expressive. Vocals have texture and emotional weight—you can feel breath and phrasing, not just hear them. Guitars bloom with harmonic complexity; pianos sound full and grounded. Despite the emphasis, there’s no congestion or glare. Instead, the mids float in a spacious, holographic field, surrounded by clearly separated instruments.
It’s a presentation that reminds me of why I love planar speed: transients are instant, decay is natural, and the sense of motion across the stage feels effortless. For vocal lovers and midrange purists, this is the kind of tuning that keeps you listening for just one more track.
Treble
The upper end brings air and definition, lifting the entire soundscape. The treble is detailed and crisp, catching every shimmer and cymbal hit without harshness. There are moments where the shimmer flirts with my upper tolerance, but it never crosses into sibilance or fatigue. It feels refined—like light glinting off metal rather than a harsh flash. The extension helps the IEM maintain openness and dimension even in dense mixes.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage is wide and panoramic, with more lateral spread than depth. Despite that, the imaging is pinpoint accurate—each instrument locks into position with surgical clarity. Separation remains intact even when arrangements get chaotic, and the result is a kind of “3-D bubble” where every element breathes freely. The combination of planar speed and midrange focus makes complex tracks easy to parse and follow.
Technicalities
Resolution, layering, and speed all meet the expectations of a high-end planar, if priced somewhat lower than most of its competition. Yet the Crown avoids the cold, clinical feel that plagues some of its peers. It delivers detail with warmth and organic flow, striking a balance between analysis and emotion. Micro-dynamics are excellent, and macro swings feel alive—drums hit with conviction, string sections bloom naturally, and room reverbs linger just long enough to sound believable.
Pairing and Genre Flexibility
One of the Crown’s greatest strengths is versatility. It’s equally at home with rock, jazz, classical, or electronic. The tonal balance is accommodating—smooth enough for long listening, yet revealing enough for critical sessions. It plays beautifully with mid-power sources; you don’t need a desktop amp to unlock its character, though a quality source will help bring out that planar layering.
Comparisons
I am an admitted fan of planar sets in general, and own a couple of higher end models in the CFA Astrolith (dual-planar drivers) and Rhapsodio Supreme v4 (single magnetostatic driver - aka planar magnetic with unique touches). Both exceed the performance of Crown which, for their prices, they better!! But Crown shouldn’t also sound quite so close, either! If you wrapped it up in a major-brand shell, it would go for around $2k! This is an opportunity to get a lot of that planar goodness for an exceptionally good price. The most applicable comparison I can think of is the FatFreq Quantum in the same general price category. I really liked Quantum a lot - but these tunings couldn't be more different. Where Crown is exceptionally balanced with mids forward, Quantum is bassier with more of U shape. For a single-driver planar fan, they would be very complimentary rather than repetitive.
Final Thoughts
The EarAcoustic Crown PM isn’t chasing trends or specs—it’s chasing musical truth. Its forward mids, balanced tonality, and holographic imaging make it a true mids-lover’s IEM, but one that doesn’t neglect bass depth or treble refinement. It’s genre-agnostic, fatigue-free, and consistently rewarding. It's one of the very few sets under $1000 that sounds like more than that, and more unusually, is very balanced making for a terrific all-arounder for the right ears.
If you’ve ever wanted a planar IEM that combines technical precision with genuine heart, the Crown PM delivers. EarAcoustic’s planar debut feels less like a new contender and more like a quiet statement of mastery—one that earns its title, Crown, with grace.