Introduction:
My relationship with Unique Melody dates back to 2012.
I would say they are partially guilty (at least Stephen Guo) for getting me deeper into the game. I had been lurking around custom threads on headfi for a while, and when my pair of Shure SE530 broke, I decided to try to have it reshelled…and while I was at it, I decided to add 3 drivers. And then Stephen told me something that was one of the triggers of my audio addiction, i.e. the anguish of missing on something: “of course the reshelled 530 sounds great, but the Miracles are much better. How much better…well you have to try”. He was right, they WERE better and I HAD to try.
After trying that, I was hooked…and tried several of their products, both amazing (UM Miracles), less to my taste (UM Mentor V1) or outright bad (UM 3DD). In any case, they have always had impeccable service where I was concerned and good build quality (which more recently became great, let’s get back to that later).
When I saw they were upgrading their line-up with a bunch of super cool features, I contacted them for a demo unit, which they accepted. I am reviewing here the Mason V3 universal version, with both single ended cable and balanced 4.4mm cable.
It is a loaner that I will return after the review.
The UM Mason V3 is the current flagship of Unique Melody, boasting 16 balanced armature drivers with a 4-way crossover, 5-bore design with 4 sound tubes and 1 bore designated for the tuning module.
Specifications:
Driver Count 16 balanced armature
Frequency Response 20Hz - 25KHz
Impedance 24Ω
Sensitivity @1KHz 104dB
THD 0.30%
Driver Configuration 4 Low + 4 Lower Midrange + 4 Upper Midrange + 4 High
Socket Style 4 Pin Metal Socket with Securing Bolt
Cable 8 Core 6N High-Purity Single Crystal Copper and Silver "Dual-Tone"
Price 2699$ US
Build, accessories, fit and features:
The Mason V3 comes with a full set of accessories, the overall package is much better than for several TOTL CIEMs I have tested :
1. Many tips including several comply tips
2. Great dual tone cable (to be explained later)
3. Very good metal box
4. USB card with all documents and explanations
5. Build etc.
The build quality of this universal demo is absolutely stunning. It looks great, has as perfect finish and feels very sturdy. UM has really upped their game since the beginning (and they were quite good to begin with). The universal version has a metal bore while the custom version is acrylic reinforced with metal tubes.
I will not get into the details of design options as I have a universal, but the Dreamweaver design looks really nice. You have the option to choose materials that change color based on temperature, but for the life of me I am not sure what to think of this option, especially given the fact that I haven’t seen it.


The fit of the Unique Melody Mason V3 is good. I don’t like to comment extensively on this because it heavily depends on each person’s anatomy, but let’s say they are more or less the same size as the Empire Ears Zeus, which is quite a feature when you have to fit 16 drivers.
Now for the CRITICAL part : tips. I think that I have tried at least 20 sets of tips with these. As often for this kind of custom with a universal version, I recommend to invest in the custom, because the fit will be better, and you don’t have to play around forever to get the intended sound. But if you do get the universals, expect to spend quite some time fiddling with tips.
First of all, these are large bores, but since there is no standard, let me put it this way:
- Shure SE846 : thin bores (Shure tips / Spinfit CP800)
- Earsonics S-EM9 : medium bores (Spinfit CP800 and some larger
- UM Mason V3 : large bores (JVC Spiral dots, Spinfit CP100, Spinfit CP155 (I guess), Ortofon Silicon Tips, Mandarins wide bore, etc,)
- Audeze Isine : extra large bores
Being in the middle gives you many options, and these options change sound dramatically.
The first thing is to ensure you have a good seal, otherwise you get no bass and screechy highs, which was the case for me with the Spinfit CP100. Afterwards, you have to play with material and width of opening of the tip to find the “intended” tonality.
Since everything has plus and minuses, it is often difficult to judge what is “the best”. Overall, full silicone will tend to sound a bit thin, and depending on the bores, will sometimes have a bit hot treble. I recommend to try foam or hybrid tips.
My conclusions are :
- Ortofon silicon : most comfortable, but a bit thin sounding
- JVC Spiral Dots : mids sounds a bit diffuse
- Mandarin tips : best sounding or close to, but painful after a while
- Best compromise : Comply Comfort 500, a bit fuller and warmer, but the best balance to my ears

Now let us get to the features.
a. Dual-tone cable
First let me say that this cable is very well built. Not too tangly, not too stiff, beautiful. I would have preferred to avoid the plastic ear guides, but maybe that is just me.
Second note of importance, to implement dual-tone, UM is using a proprietary socket for their new line-up. The socket is similar physically to the JH sockets, but the polarity is different, so they are not compatible. While I salute their will to innovate, I usually like brands to avoid creating new proprietary formats, making us by whole new cables again. On the other hand the stock cable is self sufficient (until you need a balanced cable).
Another issue I have is that when you manipulate the earpieces, the screw on these cables tend to get loose so you have to tighten it again from time to time…a bit annoying.
The principle of this cable is that you have a silver and copper cable all in one. You just have to reverse the connection of the sockets to the IEM to use or other. Let me explain : one of the cable sockets has two little plastic dots on it, the other cable socket has one little plastic dot. If you connect the one with two dots to the right earpiece, you are using the silver cable, and vice versa.
These dots are not very visible (especially for audiophiles we tend to compensate incredible hearing by very poor eyesight), so you will have to do it by touch.
The result is what people tend to expect from silver and copper (which makes me question the part of placebo in this judgment). Copper will sound slightly fuller and smoother, silver slightly crisper. These are obviously not night and day, but I think they are noticeable.



My conclusion on dual tone is that the main benefit is to have both flavors included in the same package, so better value for money.
I do not find it easier to switch between the two than when you have two different cables, as you have to plug / unplug all the same.
To truly A/B easily, I would have recommended a switch (even though the durability of switches often leaves to be desired).
b. DB-GO bass enhancement module
The principle is that you can move the bass port forward to get up to 4db of boost from 20HZ to 100HZ

I felt quite stupid for a while testing this module, because I thought it affected the mid-bass impact (because my lazy butt had not read the manual) and could not hear a difference, but actually it only has a slight effect on the sub bass. The effect is very slight in my opinion, but still there. I prefer the sound with the port full forward, so with sub bass boost.
From and ergonomics point of view, I have two issues:
- When you put the earpieces in, you find yourself pushing on the ports, which scares me a bit, it could break.
- One of the dials was a bit looser than the others, it could be an issue on the first demos, it is better if it really firm so it doesn’t move when you put them in.
Conclusion:
I am not as enthusiastic as Headfonics on these features. While they are very well implemented, I generally dislike tuning gimmicks on IEMs. My philosophy is : chose you tuning and stick to it. However since they are well made and practical, some people may value them.
Sources and sensitivity:
The UM Mason V3 is significantly less sensitive than most TOTL custom IEMs I have tested (such as Vision Ears V8 or the like). Therefore, they need a bit of volume and will work well with powerful DAPs and DAC amps. It just so happens that it is all I have, so no issue for me.
The plus
side is that these will have quite a silent background with most sources, not unlike the SE5 Ultimate. The volume is comparable to SE5 Ultimate on a similar source.
I have tested mostly the Lotoo Paw Gold and WM1Z balanced, tried the Mojo a bit. The V3 sounds super raw and resolving with the LPG, but tends to be harsh and fatiguing, and a bit narrow and congested on some tracks (relatively of course). The WM1Z makes it sound smoother and more open so I opted for this source in the end. The Mojo works well too, will be less wide and full-bodied than the WM1Z, but good too.

Sound impressions:
IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL FURTHER TESTING IS DONE WITH:
- Sony WM1Z balanced
- Comply Comfort 500 tips
- Silver cable
- Bass port fully engaged
My philosophy when testing higher end IEMs from now on is to judge only in reference to other IEMs, because I realize describing sound in absolute terms doesn’t tell me much when I read reviews.

a. General attributes
If I should give a general impression of the UM V3, I would say it sounds deep, detailed, resolving, energetic, quite coherent for 16 drivers, and quite full. It sounds deeper and fuller than then SE5U, but not as wide. It is more energetic and quick than the SE5U, but it is not a key feature as the SEU is not the fastest out there. Notes will have better bite and definition. Strings are more fleshed out than on the SEU, but someone at the expense of coherence, the SEU sounds more coherent and seamless. Fullness on the V3 comes at the expense of some air, mostly in the mids, but we will come back to that.
b. Bass
The bass on the V3 is not neutral by any means, and there is slightly more mid-bass boost than on the SE5U, where sub to mid is very well integrated. Quality and texture are comparable, with a slight edge for the SE5U. The kick on the V3 is more palpable and will satisfy bass heads without being overbearing for others. The sub-bass has a nice rumble if you activate the dial, comparable to the SE5U.
a. trouble get the right tips. And in any case, the V3 is playing with the big guys here
. Mids
The mids are more forward than on the SE5U making the overall sound more W than slight V. The mids are similarly transparent on both, but the fullness on the V3 makes them also slightly less airy. That is the point I could not completely solve despite all my tip rolling. Either too thin or slightly not airy enough...I guess some more tip rolling or having a custom version or another source could solve this as the V3 is very polymorph sound wise.
b. Highs
High are smoother on the SE5U without a doubt, despite comparable extension. They have better weight and definition on the Mason V3, and more sparkle, but are clearly prone to edginess / harshness if you mix of tip and source is not optimal. If found myself finding the right pairing mostly based on this, as with many tips, the highs where unlistenable, which maybe came at the expense of some air in the mids.
Conclusion:
The UM Mason V3 is a top performer with excellent build and high performance. The incredible amount of options and included features make it quite competitive. However, if you opt for the universal version, expect to spend quite some time tip and source rolling to find the optimal sound, as it is heavily dependent on these, particularly tips.
If you can handle the mandarin in general, the V3 sound wonderful with these. I still prefer the tuning of the SE5 Ultimate for my personal tastes, but I think it would be a very close call if I had the custom version.

1. Introduction

The Prophile-8, a 8 balanced armature in-ear monitor, is the new flagship from well-established German brand In-ear. So far the brand had an offering going from 2 to 4 driver in-ear monitors, either universal or custom.

They are well known for the great comfort of their iems and their impressive build quality.

http://www.inear-monitoring.eu/en/index.htm

This product is designed to be as neutral as possible, with two switches on each earpiece, in order to be able boost treble and bass. It is sold around 1500$.

2. Service and packaging

I bought the In-ear Prophile-8 through Dimitri @ Musica Acoustics, so I was not surprised to get absolutely perfect service as usual:

· Great availability to answer questions
· A true passion for sound
· Prompt delivery and after-sales service when needed

Beyond Musica Acoustics, Marco Ramitz from In-Ear is very accessible and will promptly answer any question you might have, through Facebook or email. He was always patient with me, and I am an annoying client.

In terms of packaging several plusses:

· Includes a large Pelican like case
· Includes all sorts of accessories, including wax filters to replace when used
· Spinfit tips are now systematically included (not at first)

In terms of minuses:

· Outer packing is flimsy cardboard, should do better at this price
· The included tips could be better (but this has been resolved – see above)
· The cable, while decent quality, is not at the level of cables offered by other high end brands (Campfire Audio, Fitear, etc.)

In terms of ergonomics. the Prophile 8 should be an example for other brands. They fit the shape of my ear perfectly. It might be an issue for smaller ears, and unlike for their other iems, they do not have a “small” version. I suppose it is not possible to fit 8 drivers in the smaller shell. The finish is very nice, I like the matte black much more than the glossy black they used before. The switches are easily accessible with the small instrument but will not be switched involuntarily as they are recessed. They seem very robust and click reassuringly when switched.

3. Source, cables and tips

Let me eliminate the cable subject first. I just use the cables which are terminated properly to test my various DAPS. I am not a huge cable believer otherwise.

In terms of source, the Prophile-8 is easy to drive and quite sensitive, but not to the point of being prone to hiss. It sounded good on all my sources, and hissed on none. It is very transparent, so changing the sources will impact the sound depending on the personality of the source (all of the following is with both switches off):

· I prefer to use either the Sony WM1Z or the Lotoo Paw Gold. They are slightly warmer and will bring some musicality to this very neutral monitor
· The DX200 is slightly drier and even though the combo is good, it may sound a bit analytical / thin in the mids
· The Mojo works ok, but will be a bit aggressive with the Prophile-8

The most important thing affecting the sound of the Prophile-8 is tips. I have literally tried everything in my collection: Sony hybrids, Sony hybrids with foam, Ortofon silicone tips, Comply foam tips, Sony triple comfort, JVC Spiral Dots, Spinfit CP100, CP800, CP220, etc. I finally settled on the Spinfit CP220 double flange which are not the most comfortable, but keep a neutral airy sound and add some depth.

4. Switches and sound

With the right tips, the Prophile-8 sound, to my ears, as advertised. They are neutral in the sense that nothing stands out over the rest, the bass is impactful and tight but less boosted than on my S-EM9. The mids are very clear, but do not have the thickness of certain brands. They can be a bit thin if the source goes in that direction. The highs a well detailed and extended, with a nice sparkle, but never aggressive.

What stands out particularly in terms of performance, is the openness of the stage and pinpoint quality of the imaging. The stage is not in front of you like with the S-EM9 but more enveloping, surrounding you, allowing for a very involving musical experience despite the neutrality of the sound.

Activating the switch will (very slightly) boost mid bass and / or treble. It is well implemented but never felt it was useful, at least to my taste. But I am not a fan of tunable iems anyways.

The only thing I would change in these iems would be to have a bit more rumble in the subbass.

5. Conclusion

Once you have the right tips (it might be easier for you than for me), these are easily among the best BA iems I have heard, at whatever price. They are clearly THE iem to consider for anyone who likes a high performance neutral but still musical iem.

 
 
Service

 
I was intrigued by this DAP because I really like the sound of the AKM4490 DAC that I had heard on the AK380 and Cayin N5 player. I was somehow convinced it could compete with much more expensive DAPs and besides, I really like the all brushed metal design.
 
So I contacted Aune and asked if I could obtain an M2S demo version free of charge as I am in China. It didn't work out but I got a fair discount on the MRSP in exchange for writing a review. The contact was very nice and reactive, so I can say the service was quite good.
 
The M2, M2 Pro and M2S can be found here: http://mall.auneaudio.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=18_45&product_id=54
 
The M2S is the higher end model and costs 650$, and it comes only in blue. It is not available in China normally, only for export.
 
The differences can be found here:
 

 
 
Ergonomics
 
I am using 1.1 fw, which is the only stable one in my experience so far. I find the 3 button + volume scroll manipulation very easy and intuitive. I navigate through my files easily and quite fast as you can use the volume wheel to scroll faster, or just skip entire pages. I recommend that you split you files into several subcategories if you have a 128g or 200g micro sd, because the player with FW 1.1 has two limitations:

1. It will not read a list of files or folders over 150 or 200, I am not sure. So if you have over 200 albums in the same folders, the albums in excess of 200 will not appear. Same for files
2. It will not read special characters. I just eliminated characters with accents from folder and file names. I had very few but it could be a problem for others

 
Other than that, my two main issues are the following:

1. It doesn't have a USB DAC function (so far)
2. There is no playlist management (I mean playlists created outside and imported, in M3u format for instance). It would be ok if like on the Lotoo Paw Gold you could add whole albums or folders to the favorites playlist, but it is only track by track
3. The battery life is quite short, I would say 6 hours at most

 
 
Sound
 
I tested this player for about three weeks with redbook and highres flac. My other sources are AK240SS, Lotoo Paw Gold and Mojo. I tested with all my iems (SE Ultimate, Rhapsodio Solar and Galaxy, Shure SE846)
 
I will start with the (only) negative: the player is not totally hiss free. The most sensitive iems (Zeus, 846) will have some hiss, less than with the Lotoo Paw Gold, but more than with the Mojo. I should mention that I am VERY sensitive to hiss, so I guess this level of hiss would not be noticed by most. The player is totally quiet with my SE5 Ultimate and Rhapsodio Galaxy.
 
Other than that, this player sounds very good. The same type of AKM4490 I heard in the AK380 from memory. It is a spacious sound, more width than depth, detailed and precise, yet very liquid. Liquid is the key word here. A sort of effortless musicality that does not sacrifice to detail: bass has authority, even though the player does not exhibit the raw power of the Lotoo Paw Gold, and the rest is smooth and transparent. The M2S is neither warm nor bright but neither aggressive nor fatiguing, but once again without scarifying an ounce of detail. Once again, it could have more depth if you compare to the Lotoo PG, but the Paw is really a champion in that area (and three times more expensive).
 
Note: I have not tried the M2 or M2 Pro so please do not ask me to compare.
 
Conclusion
 
If you do not need a very long battery life and value SQ over functionalities, this player is one of the best sounding I have heard, regardless of price. I think I prefer it over the AK240SS.

Brand: Rhapsodio (Hong Kong - http://www.rhapsodio.com/)
 
Product: 10 balanced armature driver Solar (http://www.rhapsodio.com/solar-10ba/)
 
Price : 1350$
 
Customer experience: 
 
Sammy is a cool guy. He is clearly gifted in creating and tuning IEMs when you see what comes out of his little workshop (I've been there and it's...Hong Kong sized). I am not sure he is the most organized or rigorous person out there, more of an artist personality, but very passionate about good sound, always trying new stuff, very flexible, very easy to deal with. Honestly any audiophile can find an easy way to deal with Sammy. Once you contact him he is quite reactive (if you use multiple media it is better, mail, facebook, etc.) even if his communication can still be improved. But you know, this is a small operation, he can't invent tons of new IEMs and answer to all the emails at the same time.


Build quality and ergonomics:
 
The Solar have a good overall build quality. The designs are plentiful and come out nice. There is a nice quality feel to them the IEMs are well finished. It is not Fitear / Vision Ear level, because for instance you can feel a small seem between the IEM body and the faceplate, but still very solid, professional and quite pretty. I really love the understated look on mine.
 
In terms of fit, the IEM is quite large, because it is housing 10 BA. Plus, if you have a transparent model, you can see that some of the drivers are HUGE. So the fit requires some playing around with tips, but honestly the Solar is not immensely tip dependent in my experience, so after 20mn of playing around with the provided tips, you get good comfort, decent isolation, and the incredible sound these are intended to have.

Pairing and sensitivity: this will be easy. The Solar sounded at least great out of all my sources, and had little to no hiss with most of them. So, it is easy to drive yet not overly sensitive. The down side of this is that I think that their scalability might be slightly inferior to that of the Zeus for instance. The good point is that a simple source gets you 90% of the way.

Sound quality: my friend Tupac told me: the Solar is V-Shaped done right, and I agree. The mid bass is boosted but reasonably so, the highs are sparkly but never aggressive. I do feel that the voices do seem a bit distant, especially on some lesser recordings. To be clear, the mids have a nice level of air and transparency, but I wouldn't call this a mids-head iem. The mids will not grab you like on the Zeus. The resolution is good but not the best I have heard in this price range (Zeus / SE5 Ultimate). The bass is very good in terms of texture and depth, but lacks a bit of speed and tightness to my taste. It is not really a matter of quality but more of preference. If you like your bass unboosted and tight like a nuns ass (NT6 like), this is not for you. But is far from bloated (like the TG334 for instance). The highs are great because they manage to be well extended and detailed without being fatiguing for a second.
 
The key qualities of the Solar are first the overall balance of the sound. They manage to be fun without adding too much coloration. And second and foremost is to me the spaciousness. You have reasonable depth, but most of all huge width and height with great separation and good imaging, making for a really nice and laid back 3D experience.

Conclusion: the Solar is really very impressive without trying too hard. A couple of months ago, I visited a few shops in Beijing and Hong Kong and tried the K10u, the Akt8ie. the Oriolus, the Fitear Aya, Monet 34 and 335SR, the Aurisonics Harmony Series, the Campfire Audio Lyra, and the Solar. A week later I ordered the Lyra. The only ones that came close were the 335SR and the Oriolus. It does mostly everything right and nothing really wrong. Some IEMs can be better in a certain aspect, but few manage such a balance of qualities. To me it is one of the best TOTL all-rounders. It is maybe not the best fit for my needs (as I usually have 3 or 4 TOTL with different flavors), but I cannot imagine anyone not finding it at least great. And at 200-1000$ less than the competitors, I really do not see what you are waiting for.
 

 

After having enjoyed the Zeus for quite a while, I think I can reasonably give some feedback on my feeling concerning these iems. This is not a definitive review, as I generally don't do that, and I may provide further impressions later on with other sources.

In terms of context, I have been driving them with my AK240SS and then with the Lotoo Paw Gold, listening only to FLAC, Redbook and some 24/96. The Zeus I have are a demo provided by Jack, I just paid for the shipping. I will certainly be buying but we will come to that later.


Customer experience: I am not sure if my experience with Jack is the typical customer experience but it has been nothing but excellent. I have expressed interest in their product range and our interaction thereafter has been nothing but smooth and excellent. Jack had always taken all my comments with interest, trying to improve his products, looking for ways to address his clients' concerns. He visibly loves his products and his job, and it makes it really nice to deal with him.


Build quality and ergonomics: the build of these is excellent. There are very small for 14 drivers. It is a bit tricky to find the right tips, but once you have (spinfit medium or large for me), the fit is quite comfortable. A bit less than the 846, but more than the Roxannes or Solar. If I could note something to be improved, I think a more ergonomic shaped could be found, like the 846 or the Inear Stage Diver.

The cable provided is very nice, durable and flexible. I like more compact jacks but the right angled jack is still of great quality.

The whole iem fits in a very small case, so it allows for a very portable yet high end rig, paired with a high-end DAP.

Pairing and sensitivity: I will not insist on this, as I have said much about it already, but this is the only issue with the Zeus in my experience. It is twofold: the Zeus are not so easy to drive. I thought they sounded average of the AK240SS and significantly better out of the Lotoo Paw Gold. I am not sure if it is that they like more power, which would be counterintuitive for a very sensitive iem. The second part is indeed sensitivity, the Zeus hisses with my Mojo and my Paw Gold. I am starting to think know my demo is more sensitive than others, as some report no hiss with the Mojo. My Mojo has no hiss with my Solar, so the Mojo is not faulty. So to conclude I have not yet found a source that sounds good AND doesn't hiss at all. To be clear, the hiss on the Lotoo is very present, much more tolerable on the Mojo.

Sound quality: Once you find the right source, the Zeus is a marvel. It is quite colored, the mids sound pretty thick, I would say that it is because of a lift in the lower mids.

The key strong points are resolution and imaging. The sounds is quite forward and aggressive but it hits you in such an involving manner, all the layers are so fleshed out and textured, all the details can be heard perfectly placed in the stage, the mids are rich but refined, you can really hear the grain of the voices, making vocals very engaging. The stage is very deep, but clearly not at wide and airy as the Solar. It is not a negative point, because placement within that stage is very precise. Plus the quite narrow stage and lush mids allow a very together and centered sound. The Solar will have a more relaxed and laid back sound, placement in the stage is a bit more diffuse.

Bass is a bit north of neutral, highs are well extended but not aggressive. They have some sparkle but not the sparkliest nor the airiest if that is your thing.

On well mastered music, these are the most engaging and musical iems I have heard. I like them as much as my SE5 Ultimate. If I had only one I would keep the SE5 as it is more neutral, but I love the Zeus.

I am not yet sure which I prefer vs. The Solar, because on not so well mastered tracks, the Solars, being more spacious and airy, will sound better. Plus the Solar is much easier to pair source wise. But with the right source and goof quality tracks, I enjoy the Zeus more. The Solar are less fatiguing also, so for long seasons while reading for instance, I will go for the Solar. All in all these are very complementary.


Conclusion: I would love to see a less sensitive version come out, and maybe the signature is not for everyone if you like bright and thin sounding IEMs, but apart from that, the Zeus is a brilliant iem, standing above the crowd.

Hi everybody,
 
As promised, this is my modest review / take on the Unique Melody Miracle. I am by no means a professional reviewer, nor do I know how to use the precise terms to qualify sound, so I will just describe what I hear. I have strictly no technical background, I just love music and iems.
 
First of all, a little reminder of how pretty they are
 

 
Equipement used for the review:
 
I have listened to over 30-40 albums in all genres, encoded in 16/44 and 24/44 flac over the past four month on my rig, and a few hours more to conduct this review. The rig is the following: DX100 > ALO Audio SXC22 mini to mini > Tralucent T1 amp > Tralucent silver / gold cable > UM Miracles.
 
I began using the Beat Audio Cronus Cable, but the silver gold from Tralucent opened the sound a bit more, so I used these instead, and will not be switching / comparing cables as I already broke my sockets doing so.
 
Ordering process and customer service
 
All my dealings with UM were conducted directly through Stephen Guo. As there are various sites, I was working with this one: http://www.custom-iem.com/. I should remind that I am located in China. These dealings began with my reshelling my Shure SE530x6, then on to the Miracles. During these processes, I have been communicating almost daily with Stephen, which was the best customer service experience I have ever had, apart from my dealings with Gavin at Tralucent. Stephen explained everything very clearly, even things I could have found on the website. He even assisted me in defining the design of my Miracles (the nice font of characters you see what provided by him).
 
I took my prints at a local audiologist here in Shanghai, but the guys are actually from Europe and knew about ciems (they actually new Heir Audio). The prints were taken with me biting two fingers.
 
The fact that I was in China helped a lot. There was no jet lag so Stephen could answer quite quickly. Besides, any shipping was quite fast (1 to 2 days between UM and me). From the moment I sent my prints, it took less than 3 weeks to receive my Miracles. I was quite lucky, because I was the last in the latest production batch. I ordered the Beat Audio Cronus at the same time and they arrived maybe 3 days after I ordered.
 
Even further customer service was very good. I had an issue as the sockets on the left side collapsed inside the iem because I apparently was not careful enough switching cables. I sent them back with a note explaining what was wrong and they were returned in perfect shape 2 weeks later. I had asked them if they could remove a couple of small bubbles and they actually did.
 
Build quality:
 
The pics say all there is to say here. The build quality is excellent. The socket issue is possible with any ciem that has the Westone type pin. You just have to be careful and not change cables all the time. There were two small bubbles in the shell, which were visible because the shell was black, but they were subsequently removed. I was lucky, but otherwise I might have needed to live with them. Be advised that bubbles will be less visible in transparent colors than in full color shells.
 
The only niggle I have, but it is true of other mostly all IEM manufacturers I know of (with the exception of Tralucent), is that the stock cable really looks like dental floss. On the other hand, the Beat Audio Cables have the best build quality and ergonomics I've encountered in aftermarket cables by far.
 
Presentation and soundstage:
 
This is to me the key trademark of the Miracles, huge soundstage with airy surrounding presentation. I have no clue how they achieve this effect. You really have the feeling that you are in a huge bubble full of air and sounds just pop around you, out of thin air. This unique presentation has an addictive effect, and I always go back to the Miracles after some time.
 
The sound is to my ears very slightly v-shaped. There is a slight bass boost, and a less pronounced treble boost, the mids being slightly recessed.
 
Bass:
 
The bass is the other selling point of the Miracles to me. The boost is mainly in mid bass, not lower bass, so you do not have that boomy effect I had on the Shure SE530x6 that bleeds into other frequency. The bass is very tight, detailed and texture. I can actually listen to the bass as music, not just as sound. Combined to the airy soundstage, it is just wonderful in some minimalist modern bassy music.
 
Mids:
 
Fans of warm and lush vocals will not be satisfied with the Miracles. In my opinion, one of the reasons for their airiness is that the mids are slightly on the thin side. I do find them very nice to my ears, clear and transparent, even if they are sometimes slightly recessed. At this level of performance, one can be slightly demanding, so you can say that the mids could be more engaging ON CERTAIN TRACKS.
 
Highs:
 
Nothing much to say in that respect. The high are clear, well detailed. They are absolutely non fatiguing to me. They could be more sparkly if you are a trebble head. But this is really being picky.
 
 
Comparison with the 1plus2:
 
I think customs have an advantage in terms of immersion into the music, all other things being equal. Indeed, they go deeper in your ear, and have a larger area of contact with you ear and better isolation, puting you in contact with the Music. However, that is only true if the iem has an immersive presentation, which is the case for the Miracles.
 
The overall presentation of the 1plus2, though very immersive, is quite different, the stage is in front of you instead of surrounding you. Some people will prefer this as being more realistic, some will prefer the surround feeling. Sometimes this can make the Miracles more immersive. However, some can find the 1Plus2 more engaging, with punchier sound (the bass is just as detailed as the Miracles, but has more kick thanks to the dynamic driver, giving the 1Plus2 more dynamism overall), and slightly more transparent mids. The highs of the 1plus2 are  very slightly sparklier too, with slightly better detail. Bear in mind that these are small differences.
 
What the 1Plus2 and Miracle do share is the "immediacy" of sound. There is no distance, no veil between you and the sound. The sound is in you face, straight. However, the Miracles does it in a slightly (I know I use that word all the time, but differences are indeed minute) more polite way. The Miracles still have much more immediacy than the the Heir 5.0 which are more relaxed and non fatiguing, but not as much as the 1plus2. This seems contradictory with what I said about presentation, but I do not how to explain it better. I suppose it is because the 1plus2 have a very sharp attack, more than the Miracles, whereas the Heir 5.0 have a smooth attack.
 
Overall, the sound signatures are quite close, slightly u shaped, but with different presentations. The U in the 1plus is a bit different to my ears as the mids and trebble are a bit more forward than on the Miracles. The 1plus2 is overall slightly better technically, but the Miracle makes up for it by being airier and having the advantages of a custom. I switched between the two a lot, and neither ever disapoints me as they both have their own personality.
 
Conclusion:
 
As you may well know, I have recently listened extensively to many recent high end iems (which I still have, but do not have time to compare in detail with the Miracles): 1Plus2, Flat-4 Kaede, Sennheiser IE800, Fitear Togo 334. The Miracles came out in 2010, nearly 3 years ago, and even if some newcomers do certain things better, well the Miracle still stands its ground as one of the top iem out there, because no iem I have listened to is clearly better overall. The Miracles are an elegant iem, one of the best all rounders out there, and unless you are crazy about warm and thick vocals, you will love them more and more each day once you discover them.

When I first received my iBasso DX100, I think I lost a week or so really getting everything to work perfectly, even though I had solid advice from other headfiers (see the FAQ on the player), and even if I went straight to 1.2.7 firmware.
 
The main things that will take time is that you need to clean all your tags (I thought they were clean, but apparently not DX100 clean). Then you have to understand the small issues (for instance, when you turn it on after transferring a lot of music, you have to leave it alone for a long time, even if it seems to be doing nothing, or it will freeze - for the longest time I thought something was wrong. Apparently they will fix this in the next firmware).
 
Once you overcame this initial phase...well this is another realm of sound. I can only compare it too my previous players (ipod + ibasso T3D, Cowon X7, Cowon Z2), but the gap is just huge. For instance, if the sound is 4/10 for an ipod and 6/10 for a Cowon, it's gonna be 10/10 for a DX100. You really have to listen to it to understand the difference. With good IEMs (top tier universal or customs), the feeling of space and instrument separation is just huge. You hear every single detail in your music, which may be anoying with low quality music. And when I say low quality, I don't only mean losless vs. mp3. Some CD quality tracks may be poorly mastered and have a lot of noise. The DX100 will let you hear everything, for better or worse...
 
I don't want to get into the whole technical analysis of the sound, because I am not qualified too, but just to give you an idea of the quality: there is a track on fiona Apple's latest album called "Werewolf". The song starts with doors opening and closing, with the sound coming from the back. I was listening to it alone in my bed and really stood up and looked around terrified, convinced that someone had entered the room.
 
In my opinion there are two main issues with the player: the first one the battery does not last very long, and for reasons unknown to me the battery life seems a bit unpredictable depending on what is running in the background (I don't want to risk rooting the player to remove all unnecessary apps). The second one is that the player is not all that portable. It is not only the size, but sometimes, if you really move it around too much, the music might skip. So in my opinion, this is not the player to run or exercise.
 
The last problem crazy audiophiles may encounter is that they will not know what to buy after that ! It seems like the best all-in-one portable solution out there, and you will even hard pressed to find an amp to make it even better ( according to all the reviews out there, only the best portable amps make it marginally better, but I have not tried it.). So your purchasing mania might be frustrated
 
All in all, I just love this player. I have been listening to twice as much music since I have it, and this will only get worse (better) once I get my Miracle. If you are looking for amazing sound and can overcome a few niggles, this player is for you.

If you are a fan of the Shure sound and have a broken pair of Shure SE530, or would like to try custom IEM but stay with a familiar sound signature and not spend 1000$ right away, the SE530x6 is the way to go. I am having a hard time finding anything wrong with them as I do not have better customs, but they challenge the best headphones I have (ATH ES10). These IEMs are quite easy to drive, and will sound very nice straight out of a Cowon player (though they sound better out of my iBasso DX100).
 

 
 
Besides, if you have them reshelled by UM (which I totally recommend), you will be guaranteed awesome craftsmanship, great service (with Stephen Guo).
 
In terms of sound, just imagine the SE530, add better comfort and isolation, better soundstage and instrument separation, more control in the bass, and more extension in highs and lows in general. These are really very musical with high quality well mastered tracks.
 
Just one thing, if you absolutely want the best of the best, these are not supposed to be as good as the top tier customs...I will tell you more once I receive my Miracle !
 
The price is 469$ with UM (without special decoration), I added 100$ for Sapphire cables. Impressions are around 50$.