Short answer: a tie on sound quality. Both are rated 3.7/5 (#635 and #675 of 1291 in-ear headphones) at nearly the same price ($349.99 vs $349), so choose on features and fit.
What the CrinEar Reference does well: A very even tilt: the median of 30 measurements has a near zero tonal tilt and the mids hold close to target, giving a relaxed, inoffensive presentation. The tradeoff: Sub-bass falls about 5 dB short at 30 Hz and bass about 2 dB short, so it lacks the low end weight its two dynamic drivers suggest.
The case for the Penon Fan 3: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 70 against the Harman target. The catch: An uneven response, 2.4 dB standard deviation from target.
Buy the CrinEar Reference or the Penon Fan 3 on features: they are rated the same for sound quality at close to the same price.
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A very even tilt: the median of 30 measurements has a near zero tonal tilt and the mids hold close to target, giving a relaxed, inoffensive presentation.
Amazon $349.99 eBay
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 70 against the Harman target.
Amazon $349.00 Penon Audio $349 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| CrinEar Reference | Penon Fan 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.99 | $349.00 |
| Ranked | #635 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #675 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired (3.5mm / 4.4mm) |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 2 x 10mm dynamic + 3 x balanced armature | 1 Dynamic, 2 Balanced Armature, 1 Bone Conduction |
| Impedance | 16 ohms | - |
| Frequency Response | 2Hz - 44kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 70 (median of 30 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 70 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.12 dB standard deviation | 2.38 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.16 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.0 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the CrinEar Reference from aden, aftersound, animagus, atechreviews, audioamigo, bassaudio, bloomaudio, boizoff, breampike, dentreviews, dl, doltonius, dvewlsh, elrics, faxepremium, fernandagunsan, flare, hbb, hobbytalk, iemocean, jaraba, jaytiss, lestat, lumerion, practiphile, precog, soundignity, superreview, tdl and tonedeafmonk; the Penon Fan 3 from aden, audioamigo, dl, flare, isaiahse, jaytiss, koi, sl0the, superreview, theaudiostore and treblewellxtended, all via squig.link.
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