Kinera Imperial Loki

6 Knowles BA + 4 Sonion EST + 1 6mm DD + 1 Bone Conduction Driver

• Impedance: 12 ohm
• Sensitivity: 107 dB
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-50kHz

Preamble:
“Putting thoughts to paper for the Imperial Loki review has been fraught with good intentions, and numerous fruitless nights, as I am immersed in, and fully lost in the music”

• Tuning:

It is my understanding the Loki release into North American and European markets was delayed to allow Kinera engineers to retune Loki slightly to better suit tuning preferences for these markets.

This Loki is “western” market tuned.

• Packaging, Build, Fit, Cables, etc:

Packaging:
I’m making an effort to make my reviews shorter and this one will be plenty long enough, so I’m not going into an in depth “unboxing”, suffice it to say the Loki unboxing experience is easily worthy of a flagship IEM.

Visit Kinera’s website if interested in more detail.

There are two details of the unboxing experience I would like to share.

Loki arrived with a bonus Kinera branded, travel size case, that will hold a good bit of gear.

And, in addition to the Effect Audio Ares S cable, there was another Kinera branded cable included.

I’ll touch on the cables more later, but, it is my understanding that these two extras will be included only with a limited number of the first sets sold.

Build and Fit:
Build and attention to detail is excellent. The shells are made from blue resin with metal flake, and this pair has custom hand painted faceplates. All art work is done in house by a very talented young lady.

The seams are invisible, and all surfaces are smooth with no sharp angles or edges.

The nozzles are also resin, with metal end caps.

Fit is very good overall with one caveat;

My hard to fit ears.

Those who have read my reviews before know I often mention my struggles with fitment, this is 100% a me thing, and does not reflect on the design of the IEM.

I’m focusing on fit here because the Loki features a contact style Bone Conduction driver. To fully appreciate the BC driver it is desirable to obtain a good fit, that goes deep enough to allow as much physical shell contact as possible with the ear.

Loki ships with a really good selection of high quality ear tips, so I believe the majority of users will find proper fitment quite easily.

For me, I tip rolled a lot, and in the end chose Sedna Xelastec for best fit, seal, anchor, and comfort.

Considering the driver count the shells are quite reasonable in size, I would say mid range, and are lightweight.

Cables:
Loki came with two high quality cables.

(I will note again, it is my understanding the extra cable is a limited time offering)

Affect Audio Ares S, 4 strand pure copper composition with 4.4 mm termination and 2 pin flush style connectors.

It is a nice cable, just a bit stiff.

Kinera branded mystery cable.
This cable isn’t available on Kinera website and I wasn’t able to source a lot of information on it.

I was told it is a pure copper/silver plated copper/gold plated copper hybrid composition.

* That is not officially confirmed.

It is fabric wrapped so no way to visually confirm.

4.4 mm termination and 2 pin recessed style connectors.

Also a nice cable, more supple than the Ares S, but, more prone to micro-phonics.

The Ares S leans more toward a reference/detail presentation.

Bass is tighter, more mid bass focused, sub bass is still strong, but less boomy, and doesn’t permeate across the head stage to any great degree.

Mids and vocals are forward and highly detailed and clear.

Treble and ultra highs have very good micro detail retrieval. Crisp, clear with good air and extension.

With the Ares S cable, on certain tracks that are recorded brighter and more forward I find the mids and vocals can become a bit too forward, and I pick up occasional hints of sibilance on cymbals and vocals, primarily female.

The Kinera cable has a warmer presentation.

More sub bass focus that carry’s deeper into the head stage. Sub/Mid separation is less defined, and some mid bass impact is lost.

Mids and vocals are still forward, but less so than with Ares S, and with some added warmth. Detail retrieval and clarity still very prominent.

Treble and ultra highs maintain micro detail retrieval, and are crisp clear and airy. But any hint of sibilance is gone.

Both cables synergize very well with Loki. Individual preference will vary between listeners.

I hope Kinera will chose to continue including both cables with Kinera.

Perhaps because I’m somewhat treble sensitive, my personal preference leans toward the Kinera cable offering.

The following sound impressions will be done with the Kinera cable.

Sources:
I tried Loki with various DAPs.

A&K SP2000T and Kann Max.
FiiO M11 Plus ESS.
Hiby RS6 and R6Pro 2.
Shanling M9.

Loki responds to the nuances of each source, but was not fussy on any that I tried.

In the end, for my personal preference, I liked Loki with the warmer sounding sources over the higher resolving sources.

I chose the Shanling M9 for the sound evaluation.

Equipment:
Kinera Imperial Loki aged 125+ hours.
Shanling M9 DAP, 4.4 balanced out, Low gain.
Kinera hybrid mystery cable.
Xelastec wide bore ear tips.

Bass:
The Bone Conduction driver is very well implemented. Stringed bass instruments have a realistic sense of resonance. Kick and tom drum strikes have a perceived sense of “air movement” within the head space.

Loki won’t necessarily satisfy diehard “bass focused” bass heads.

The bass is quality bass, delivered in the quantity called upon. Bass lovers rejoice.

Sub bass can bottom really low and deep, and when it does it also fills the head stage with lush, well managed, bass rumble, its presence further enhanced by the BCD.

Bass and upper bass is clean clear and fully detailed.

Individual string plucks and finger slides stand out, while resonance lingers.

Drum strikes have an airy resonance with a natural, boomy and full, tonality.

Wind instruments are full and throaty.

Bass as a whole follows the recorded source. It can sit lean and low, or rumble and thump with authority.

Mids:
Mids present forward, and somewhat elevated. (More so with Ares S cables)

Clean, clear, detailed, spacious, accurate.

The mids are nicely warmed by the bass overtones, but they rise above and present with excellent clarity, detail and energy.

Timbre is excellent, allowing for concise instrument individuality.

Vocals:
Vocals also present forward and elevated.

Clear, detailed, concise. Tonality is natural and accurate for both male and female.

On tracks with 2 or more vocalists/or backup vocalists, each singer enjoys individuality and space on stage.

Highs:
Highs are subdued slightly when using the Kinera cable.

They still have excellent clarity and micro detail retrieval, but upper highs and air are softened/warmed a bit. They are not harsh or sibilant.

There is no metallic BA timbre, and the EST drivers add just a bit of extra “zing” to cymbals, violins, harpsichord. etc.

Head Stage:
Loki Head Stage, or soundstage if you prefer, is expansive with excellent extension on all three axis.

I like good head stage, and for me, this is the heart of Loki’s strength.

Loki has one of the darkest, quietest backgrounds I have experienced, separation, layering and spaciousness is superb.

The holographic width, height, and depth in combination with a dark and spacious sound stage results in incredibly accurate imaging and instrument individuality and placement.

Summary:
My opening comment under preamble was really all that was needed as a review.

The Loki is an IEM that engages me and draws me into the music.

I literally had multiple 2-3 hour sessions where I never jotted a single notation for this review. I just got lost in the listen.

So, yes, for me the Loki is an excellent IEM choice, and fully worthy of flagship status IMHO.

Loki has no tuning nozzles, modules, or switches. Tailoring to personal preference is old school ear tips, sources, and cables.

Loki isn’t fussy with sources, it sounded good with all I tried, but source selection could/can/may be one aspect in finding “your sound”.

Kinera provides a wide variety of quality ear tips, and, for awhile at least, two cables in the box.

The Bone Conduction driver is very well implemented.

It adds a sense of vibration to sub bass, resonance to stringed instruments, and airy presence to thump and attack of percussion.

I’m not stuck on one certain sound signature.

Loki works very well for my personal listening enjoyment.

It’s an IEM that I can become immersed in. Fully enjoying listening to the music while “not intently listening” to the music. Just drifting along and hearing nuances I may have overlooked before.

I found Loki worked well with all genres I listened to. Rock, Blues, Jazz, Symphony, Country, Electronic, Rap.

Well recorded high resolution source files or streaming services reward the listener for the effort.

Loki is not hard to drive, but an extra notch or two toward mid point on the volume knob helps wake up all the drivers.

Comparisons:

FiR Audio XE6 CIEM:

1 kinetic hybrid Bone Conduction DD and 1 open BA bass.
2 open BA mids
1 open BA highs
1 EST ultra highs.
Gold ATOM module (most bass)

The XE6 is definitely more bass focused than Loki. You are immediately drawn to the impactful bass presentation.

XE6 kinetic sub bass is more “ambient” sounding, like it’s coming from outside the head space, as well as from within.

Mids and vocals are somewhat forward and elevated they are not as detailed as Loki.

Highs are also not as clear, bright or detailed as Loki.

Head stage is good but not as deep, nor as open, spacious, or holographic as Loki.

More smoky night club, than symphonic auditorium.

These are differently tuned IEMs.

XE6 is bass oriented and energetic. Like the kick in the behind from that first cup of coffee in the morning. Makes you want to get moving.

(Note: XE6 has two other modules that shift the signature away from bassy which allows the mids highs more breathing room)

Loki is more audiophile tuned, and more detailed, just relax and drift with the musical journey.
Empire Ears EVO UIEM:

2 W9+ Sub Woofers
5 proprietary BA
1 Weapon X 10.9mm Bone Conduction

EVO is also tuned toward more Bass focus. It is less Sub Bass focused than XE6 with the gold module installed. EVO has more mid bass presence.

The mids and vocals are clearer and have more detail than XE6, but less than Loki.

Highs have more micro detail than XE6. EVO is brighter and airier in the highs than both XE6 and Loki.

Soundstage is more open and holographic than XE6, but Loki prevails over both with best soundstage.

EVO slots in between the XE6 and Loki with respect to tuning characteristics.

Overall Kinera Loki is the best all rounder for me. But I like all three and daily choice between three would depend on my mood, at the time.

FatFreq Grand Maestro Universal
$2729.00 usd retail (MusicTeck)
$3599.00 sgd retail (FatFreq direct)

FatFreq doesn’t specify driver counts, or other specs like frequency response, impedance, sensitivity, etc.
What is known is; Tribrid technology, Dynamic Driver, BA driver(s), Quad EST drivers.

Preamble:
Shout out to Andrew and Grace at MusicTeck for the always awesome customer service and prompt shipping.
Also to Ben at FatFreq for patiently answering my numerous queries.
(At time of posting MusicTeck shows FF Grand Maestro as an in stock item)


- Tuning Switch:
There is nothing subtle about the tuning switch.
The change in sound signature is quite significant and noticeable.
In the Vocal boost ON position, mids and vocals are very much prominent and forward, very clear and detailed.
Head stage is clear and open.
In the Vocal boost OFF position, mids and vocals loose prominence and become somewhat recessed. They also loose some clarity and detail.
The sound signature becomes more balanced, and overall warmer.
Head stage closes in a bit.

The vocal boost switch is positioned on the top of each IEM,when positioned in ear, making it easily accessible.
The switch is not recessed, the pin protrudes out of the shell a couple mm (1/16 inch).
This is both a blessing and a curse.

The non recessed design facilitates changing switch positions on the fly without removing and reinserting the IEM each time.
But, the switches don’t have much resistance to movement making it very easy to reposition them unintentionally. I have developed a habit of checking switch position every time I put the IEM’s in my ears, or, if I reposition the IEM while listening.
Also, the switch pins are square with angular sharp corners that sometimes contact my ear, it is unpleasant when this occurs.

I can listen and enjoy the GM in either switch position, but have a strong personal preference for the vocal boost position. I generally like a more forward and energetic mids and vocal presentation, provided it’s not over emphasized.


- Build and Fit:
Build quality of the all resin shells appears to be excellent. The faceplate seam is expertly finished and invisible.
There is a small vent hole in the shell, presumably for the dynamic driver. And, of course, the large vent hole in the faceplate to facilitate the NOAH tuning modules.

The nozzles have a flange molded into them and I find they hold ear tips securely.
The nozzles have a semi custom shape, and reach deep into the ear canal.
I typically like a deeper fit, it often allows me a wider selection of ear tip options and, I have fit issues with short nozzles. On the Grand Maestro however the fit, for me, is a bit too deep. They reach into the area of my ear canal where it narrows a lot, and full insertion causes me almost immediate discomfort regardless of ear tip selection.

Fit is of course very personal, hopefully my ears are the exception, and fit won’t be a challenge for most people.
I’m having good success with larger sized Moondrop Spring, and Sedna Xelastec tips that seal and anchor well closer to the outer portion of my ear canal. The IEM’s protrude from my ears a bit more, but the fit is comfortable and the IEM’s stay in place and maintain a good seal.



- Tuning Modules.
There are currently two NOAH modules available, Black and Blue.
The Grand Maestro ships with the Black nozzles, the Blue modules (and future module releases, assuming there are more under development) are purchased separately.
I just received the blue modules a few days ago and I’m initially quite pleased with the alternative sound signature offered.

Frequency graphs are not yet available for reference and I’m not set up to graph. So this evaluation is based on my hearing.
Individual experience may vary.
** Edit. FR Graph added. Courtesy The Tone Deaf Monk.

The Black modules offer a sub bass boost in the 20-40Hz range, that carries into 40-160Hz lower bass band.
Bass is more boomy/thump in nature.
Resonance doesn’t decay quickly and carries through the head stage.
The black module also offers the most ambient noise suppression.

The Blue modules have less sub bass boost. Still excellent sub bass extension, but the 160-300Hz upper bass band is less veiled by sub bass and bass is fuller/tighter with resonance decaying more quickly. Less sub bass presence throughout the head stage.
The blue module offers good ambient noise suppression, but less than the black nozzle.

- Equipment:
-Astell and Kern Kann Max, mid gain, 4.4mm balanced out.
-FatFreq Grand Maestro aged 100+ hrs.
** (Vocal Boost Switch ON position)
-Stock modular Copper/Silver plated copper hybrid cable. 4.4mm termination.
Sedna Xelastec ear tips size M for a mid point nozzle insertion depth.

- Sound:
Black Module
Bass has a sub bass boost and focus that is very well implemented. Sub bass extends low and lower bass is boomy with some thump. Mid/upper bass is somewhat overshadowed by the lower bass range.
An example is “Metallica - Now That We’re Dead”. Toms in the opening drum volley exhibit more woof than punch.
Lower mids are recessed.
Mid range is clear and open.
Upper mids are elevated and present forward. Clarity and detail retrieval are very good.
Vocals are also forward and prominent.
Male and female have excellent clarity and presence while remaining natural and accurate.
Highs are crisp and well defined, but ultra highs roll off a bit early at the cost of air and energy.
There is no hint of sibilance or harshness.
Head Stage is clean, clear, and open.
Width is good, between the ears.
Height is also good, doesn’t extend overly high, but sub bass extends low.
Depth front to rear is also very good.
Layering and separation are very good on all three axis.
Imaging is excellent. Individual instrument placement is precise and accurate.

Blue Module
Sub bass is less boosted, still very much present, with less bleed throughout the head stage.
Decay is quicker and resonance fades sooner.
The sub bass veil is “lifted” from lower and upper bass, this range becomes tighter with more fullness.
The Toms in the open volley of
“Metallica - Now That We’re Dead” are quicker and punchier.
Lower mids remain recessed.
Mid range opens up more.
Upper mids become slightly more forward and prominent, clarity remains excellent, detail and micro detail retrieval is improved.
Vocals also gain some additional prominence while remaining very detailed, natural and accurate.
Highs are crisp, clear and highly detailed. Ultra highs have more energy and air.
Head stage benefits by becoming even more open and spacious.
Width remains between the ears.
Height reaches higher with the additional air in the highs.
Depth front to rear is also better.
Separation and layering benefit from the additional open spaciousness.
Imaging on all three axis is, I believe, the best of any iem I have experienced to date.

- Summary:
The head stage on the Grand Maestro has me addicted.
With vocal boost ON, and the Blue module in particular installed, the GM head stage is nothing short of incredible, IMO.
Left right stereo imaging is excellent, top to bottom layering and imaging is excellent, as is front to rear.
On tracks that are recorded with good imaging on all three axis, individual instruments, sound effects, and vocalists present from every conceivable position on stage.

The Grand Maestro is very much a musical IEM.
The sound signature can be manipulated to personal preferences via the various modules and switch position combinations available. But the resulting sound remains refined and high quality throughout.

They like power.
With any source I tried I found I was either using mid or high gain setting. And I still was pushing the volume to 50-75% to make the GM truly happy.

Speaking of volume:
The GM has a very clean and clear background. With high quality recorded sources it will tempt you to keep sneaking the volume up a notch or two.
They can get loud, without distortion or congestion.
But, my experience on occasion was that I was inadvertently listening at volumes that quickly fatigued my ears.
Please: Rock out responsibly

The comments here are unbiased and my own honest reflection on this IEM.
I own this IEM, so I am not beholding to anyone with respect to opinion or commentary.

I will not out right recommend any piece of gear, because I am fully aware of the diverse nature of sound preferences among those of us who enjoy audio.
However, based on my personal preference, and experience, with other flagship IEMs.
I do believe FatFreq has a winner on their hands with the Grand Maestro.
It is very much worthy of consideration if you are looking at TOTL ear gear at this price point.

- Other Stuff:
A bit about me and the music types used for evaluation below.
If you give a cats meow about that stuff.

** note: I try to be objective, but I am biased somewhat by my personal preference for sound signature. I lean toward a more balanced sound with perhaps a slight mids forward bias, good bass, good mids, good treble.
I am somewhat treble sensitive in the 8-9K range.

I do NOT consider myself a professional/career reviewer as I have no formal training as a sound engineer or musician.
I enjoy doing evaluations as part of my hobby.
* i.e. the thoughts presented here are strictly personal opinion based on my hearing, your mileage may vary.

** My hearing taps out at around 12.5 kHz, I can hear 12.5 but it’s more a background sound. I think it is fair to note this.
“Air” is typically a reference to treble that is present above 12.5 kHz, it is therefore beyond my hearing capability. When I reference “air” in a sound evaluation I’m referring to where I perceive the positioning of the upper treble ranges, ie. where they present themselves within the sound stage/head stage.

*** I have large ear canals, and typically the stock tips included with most IEM don’t fit well for me. I have a selection of third party ear tips that fit well in most cases so I default to these. I will identify my tips of choice, but unfortunately, seldom can I comment on the stock offerings.

- Music:
varied selection of tracks from my playlists played from SD card. FLAC 44 through 192 and DSD 2.8 (64) through 22.4 (512)
My mainstay are Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Classical.
I also streamed Apple lossless for electronic, R&B, Death Metal, etc. to get a well rounded experience of how well this IEM handles a variety of genres.

Vision Ears EXT (Elysium Extended)
1 qty 9.2mm DD lows, 1 qty 6.0mm DD mids,
4 qty EST highs.
10 ohms impedance, 108.5 dB/1kHz sensitivity.
Frequency response N/A.

** note: I try to be objective, but obviously I am biased somewhat by my personal preference for sound signature. I lean toward a more balanced sound, good bass, good mids, good treble.
I am somewhat treble sensitive.
I am NOT a professional/career reviewer.

My Thoughts.

Packaging:
I generally pass over commenting on packaging. But will touch on it briefly.
The EXT comes well packaged to protect the contents. They come in an overly large and extravagant box, packaged inside a plain white cardboard box. (See pics)
Inside is the EXT IEM and cable, the usual documentation, a cleaning cloth, a metal carry case that is impressive but impractical for pocketing, three pair Sedna Crystal tips, three pair Spinfit tips, a 2.5 to 4.4 adapter, and what I believe is a key chain.
As much as the packaging is very impressive looking, I personally am an advocate of more minimalist and smaller packaging, so the wow factor was more or less wasted on me.




Fit:
Fitment for me is excellent I have larger ears so shell size is seldom an issue for me, and in this instance the EXT shells are not overly large by todays multi driver IEM standards. The EE Legend EVO is notably larger in diameter and thickness by comparison.
Nozzle angle and depth are near perfect for me. I have large ear openings that narrow significantly further in. The EXT land midpoint in my canal just where they start to narrow, so I get a well anchored, fully seated seal, in the larger portion of my ear. This allows for comfortable, extended listening sessions.
Obviously suitability of fit will be individual for every user.

Cable:
The cable is described as a Premium 8 wire SPC 28awg cable. 2.5 balanced termination is standard, and the included 2.5 to 4.4 adapter allows change over to 4.4 termination.
The cable is nice enough, reasonably supple, ear hooks support the IEM well, and synergy is good with the IEM. The black sheathing matches well with the look of the IEM.
Microphonics are minimal, and I found them more or less unnoticeable with normal movement while listening. The chin toggle is a rubber grommet style, it works well and stays in place, but it is a two handed operation to position it.
I have not cable rolled with the EXT to date. I did note the pins on the connectors are a bit shorter than the pins on other cables I own, so I will be conscious of possible issues with insertion depth if/when I do cable roll.

Equipment:
Vision Ears EXT, just shy of 150 hrs aged.
Stock 2.5 cable
Sedna Earfit Standard tips
Astell & Kern Kann Alpha on low gain.

Track Selection:
1. Very Early - Bill Evan’s Trio. Jazz. 2.8 DSF.
With only three instruments, bass, piano, and drums this selection is easy to evaluate individual timbre of the instruments and left right placement. Bass presents stage right, Piano center stage, and Drums stage left.
2. Close to the Soul - Keith Greeninger.
5.6 DSF
Acoustic Guitar/Male Vocal.
3. Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 - Lyon National Orchestra. 24/352 FLAC.
Full symphonic selection to evaluate soundstage, multiple instrument placement.
4. Tin Pan Alley - Stevie Ray Vaughan. Blues.
24/176 FLAC.
A familiar long time personal favorite.
5. Fever - Ray Charles and Natalie Cole. Old school R&B. 24/192 FLAC.
Male/Female vocals.

- Bass:
Sub bass extension is good, it decays early and typically doesn’t carry far.
Bass transients are quick, tight, and controlled on the EXT. It has the ability to be powerful with good impact when called upon, but I find I need to feed it extra power to wake up the 9.2mm DD and let it shine. The bass has very good texture and definition, with a “snappy” presentation.
- Mids:
The lower mids have some carry over from the bass, there is some added warmth but not excessive, they are clear and detailed. Upper mids are bright and clear with excellent detail retrieval.
- Vocals:
Male vocals tend to present higher up on soundstage and not overly forward. Female vocals present a bit lower and somewhat more forward. Both male and female vocals are clear and detailed, accurate and natural.
- Highs:
Are clear, bright, and airy, with exceptional detail and micro detail retrieval. Even with my being somewhat treble sensitive, the highs are so well presented I don’t find them harsh, sibilant or invasive to any degree.
- Soundstage:
Width is standard slightly outside the ears. Height is very good up top, somewhat limited going low with the quick decay on sub bass. Depth is good, if I could find “fault” with EXT it would be with forward extension of the sound stage. When listening to headstage filling music, like orchestral selections, the stage sounds full, but I don’t perceive it as projecting forward into the audience. Also vocalists tend to sound more “back with band” rather than front and center stage, engaged with the room.
Separation, imaging, and layering are very good (with the exception of some limitation front to rear) detail retrieval is so good that individual instruments stand out clean and clear and placement on the stage is accurate and easy to place.

Summary:
Despite the low impedance (10 ohm)and higher sensitivity 108 dB/mW) rating, I find the EXT craves power. The Kann Alpha is 0-150 increments on volume control, and I find 70 is usually about minimum and I’m often 80-90 on the dial, sometimes pushing up to as much as 110. This is of course track dependant.
EXT is capable of a powerful bass presence but I find it needs that extra power to really bring it forward and shine.
I’ll be upfront and honest, reference tune ear gear is not my usual preference, I tend more toward a slightly warmer, organic tune. The EXT experience has been a pure pleasure for me. The outstanding detail retrieval has me listening to old favourites with a new appreciation.
Will they unseat my current favourites??
Unlikely, but, when I’m in the mood they are going to provide me many hours of musical enjoyment.

Available at MusicTeck
https://shop.musicteck.com/collecti...ion-ears-ext-universal?variant=39691907858494

Unique Melody MEXT $1100.00 usd
1 Quantity Original Bone Conduction
1 Quantity Dynamic Driver - Bass
2 Quantity Balanced Armature - Mids
2 Quantity Balanced Armature - Highs
4 Way Crossover
Frequency Response:
Air Drivers - 20Hz/23kHz
Vibration Driver - 200Hz/7kHz
Impedance 16 ohm
Sensitivity:
Air Drivers - 108 dB/mW
Vibration Driver: @ 1 kHz 5 m.N Peak @ 400Hz 79 m.N (milliNewtons)
** milliNewton is a measurement of force equal to 1/1000 of a Newton. It is well beyond me to describe/explain how it is relative to the sensitivity of a Bone Conductor driver, but that’s the info provided by Unique Melody.

Disclaimer:
I purchased these at a discount offered to NON-PROFESSIONAL/CAREER reviewers by Andrew @ MusicTeck. I still have a significant chunk of coin invested.

** note: I try to be objective, but obviously I am biased somewhat by my personal preference for sound signature. I lean toward a more balanced sound, good bass, good mids, good treble.

My Thoughts.

I used a variety of reference tracks from the 2xHD “HiRes system setup” and “speaker setup” collections recorded at 2.8 DSD to evaluate the technical abilities of these IEM.
To evaluate for everyday listening, i listened to random selections from my library on the SD card that includes Flac 48-192 and DSD 2.8-11.2 tracks.
Genre includes Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Classical. And I streamed some tracks from Apple Lossless for Genres like Electronic/EDM, Pop/Hip Hop/Rap, etc.

Packaging: Very Briefly. Comes packaged the same as the Mest MkII.
UM Blue carry case, MEXT IEM, PW Audio/UM M1 OFHC Copper cable (I purchased 4.4 termination), 3 pair Xelastec ear tips, 3 pair silicone ear tips, cleaning cloth, serial number card, and a spare pair of spin off/spin on nozzle filters. (See pics)




Fit: is very good for me. They are comfortable in ear. Nozzle depth is moderate/mid point and angle works well for my ears. I don’t have to fiddle much to get them in place with a good seal, and they stay anchored well.
I find the isolation to be good to very good using Sedna Earfit Crystal tips.

- UM MEXT approx. 100 hrs aged.
- Kann Alpha, low gain.
- Stock M1 Copper Cable with 4.4 balanced termination.
- Sedna Earfit Crystal tips.

- Bass: Sub Bass extends low, good quantity and quality, retains some texture, it can be a bit boomy when called upon.
I find the mid bass to be very adaptable. It’s overall smooth, well managed and has good texture and definition, but it can also step up with decent impact and rumble.
Carries into lower mids.
- Mids: Lower mids are slightly recessed and warm, upper mids recover and pull the mids forward. They are detailed with good clarity, and have an overall smoothness to the timbre.
- Vocals: Present forward and both male and female vocals have a natural and accurate presence.
- Highs: Are crisp and clear with very good detail retrieval, they roll off at the upper end which limits micro detail retrieval and upper air to some degree, which fits well with the over all smooth sound of the MEXT.
Highs are not lacking they rise effortlessly above the bass and mids and present very well.
- Soundstage: width is between the ears, maybe just slightly outside the head. Height is good, sub bass goes low, rolled of treble reduces upper air a bit. Depth is good, vocals and mids are forward, depth to the rear could be a bit better. Imaging and layering are good left to right, high and low, and front to rear, I can accurately place individual instruments on the stage. Spaciousness is good, although on some tracks my perception is it can sound, not congested, but a bit “busy”.
- Other Sources: I only have three sources I use for IEM’s; the Kann Alpha used for this evaluation, FiiO M15, and Cayin N6ii currently running the R01 R2R DAC module.
Unfortunately I can’t comment on how the MEXT might perform on phones, laptops, or dongles.
The MEXT faithfully follows the sound signature of the source.
Kann Alpha: already covered above.
FiiO M15: an overall loss of definition, not significant, but noticeable. Bass is boomier, mids a bit muddy sounding.
Cayin N6ii R01: adds an analog/organic timbre. As an old school vinyl guy, I enjoy the MEXT on the R2R, but on the already warmish and smooth sounding MEXT, some may find it too much.

Summary: There is no “perfect” IEM but the MEXT fit my listening preference very well.
I had some difficulty putting these thoughts together. I would be sitting back trying to concentrate and critically listen to evaluate a certain part of a song, and next thing I knew the song was over and I had missed my opportunity. The MEXT had engaged and drawn me into listening for simple enjoyment. Not a bad problem to have.
This is not to say everyone will find them engaging and enjoyable, but more a testament to how well they fit my preference.
Overall these are a smooth and slightly warm IEM. The bass is very well done, the mids clear and detailed, and although the treble rolls off a bit early, it really is not lacking and holds its own. Treble fans would likely disagree.
I find these to be a pretty balanced sound signature with excellent coherence between the drivers, the sound flows nicely.
This is my fourth experience with Bone Conduction drivers (UM Mest mkII, EE EVO, and a Shokz head band) and, on the IEMs I still can’t focus on the sound and say “yup, that right there… THAT’s the BC driver I’m hearing”. If it sounds good, I can only accept that the BC is blended in and making a positive contribution.

I’m not going to leave any comparisons here. But since I mentioned the Mest MKII I know I will get asked…..
I only had the Mest II in my possession for a few weeks, so I can’t AB compare the two.
Going back and reviewing the thoughts I posted on the Mest II, I can say there are similarities between the two, and some differences. (Please Note: these comments are based on reviewing my previous post, and on memory.. and by 4 o’clock I can’t remember what I had for lunch, so don’t place too much faith on the comments below)
Bass is similar, but MEXT maybe has some added sub bass extension.
Mids and vocals present more forward on the MEXT.
Highs also present more forward on the MEXT, perhaps not as bright and airy without the EST driver support of the Mest II, just more prominent.
One thing I do recall for certain is, that as good as the Mest MKII was, it really didn’t wow me personally.
The MEXT really draws me into the music.
Which means for ME, the MEXT is a good fit.

PS. One thing I forgot to note. The MEXT features spin off spin on nozzle filters/screens.
Kind of a nice touch, has to be easier than trying to change them with a pair of tweezers.