Well, instead of any kind of productive work I though it would be better to write a rewiew
So here am I.
First things first, these are the phones:
I have them in blue, which looks great. So great my wife has kidnapped the puppies. I had to took them back from her cold, dead hands to test them properly for the review 
My first thought, when I first saw these phones in Meelec webpage, was “these must be the M2 substitutes”. I though that for the name M21, but the price somewhat surprised me, as they were nowhere as cheap as the old M2. The M2 price is about 12USD, the M21 price is about 35USD, quite a bit of difference.
I say that because I was a bit reluctant to try them at first. M2 were not my favourite, not my sound and the big housings were a bit uncomfortable to me.
Let’s go to the matter: I finally tried them and it was a surprise. A positive one ;)
As an introduction, these phones are part of the new lineage of Meelec’s “M-series”, which have a fun sounding signature. All terrain phones with decent sound quality at a decent price. They retail at about 35USD, and are available in metallic red, metallic blue, metallic lavender and black.
As always: these are MY personal impressions, so put an implied “IMHO” before any sentence you read here, specially in the sound part.
Building quality, appearance. The housings are very similar to those used on the M11+ in general shape: thin, tubular and metallic. The difference is that the housings in the M21 are less serious, look more juvenile and trendy. Myself, I prefer the ones in the M11+, a matter of taste. Here you can see the image:
I've put my Sansa Clip+ for size comparison. Also, you can see my red M11+, one side without any tip and the other with an extremely dirty Comply tip, so you can compare the size and shape of the housings in the M21 (in blue, below).
These housings allow for a deep insertion, so at first I inserted them so they could touch my brains, to get full isolation, etc. Later I noticed this is not needed. Even though they are vented at the rear (very elegantly, I should add, with the vent hole perfectly integrated in the body, as part of the visual design), they provide a decent isolation without having to insert them very deep. Moreover, deep insertion affects a bit to presentation and soundstage, so I think it’s better wear them with a mid-to-shallow insertion.
The main drawbacks I see with the housings are these:
- they are long so forget about going to sleep with them on (as I do routinely with my M9 or M11+, for example), and if the day is windy I'm afraid they may catch wind noise easily.
- they are slightly fatter than the ones in the M11+, so they are not as comfortable for me when inserted deeply. I doubt I could wear them for hours in a row with a deep insertion, which is something I do with the M11+.
- they are symmetric and there is no tactile clue to find the L and R sides. This is a common problem in Meelec models, unfortunately. But they are working on solutions
The cable is the usual Meelec silvery cable: tough, no microphonics. I don’t know why, but in this particular set of phones the cable has a nasty tendency to tangle :?
The plug is a low-profiled L-shaped, gold plated plug, as seen on the photo. It looks much better in real life.
The building quality is up to Meelec standards, they look solid, the strain reliefs are almost identical to those used in the M11+, but the rubber is harder. The shirt clip is also the typical Meelec one.
Comfort, wearing. About comfort, with a mid or shallow insertion, you barely notice they are there. It’s much easier to get a good seal without meddling with them on these phones than with the M9, for example. They are easy to put, so if you have to remove them frequently you will find at home with the M21. This said, the housings are fatter than the M11+ ones, so in my ears that means less long-term comfort 
When I use shallow insertion, and given their weight and cable pull, the right one has a tendency to slide out of my ear. It’s usual for me, so I’m not worried. That’s why I prefer deeply insertable phones, they don’t slide out. The problem is solved when using the big triflanges from my M6, but then almost all the housing is outside the ear and it looks weird. Not a problem for me, my face usually distract the attention from the things I put on my ears 
Isolation, sound quality. Well, let's go to the hairy bits...
These puppies are vented at the rear, so I didn’t expect a great isolation, but they have a quite decent isolation. Not as good as the M11+, to mention another similar shaped model, but average. Enough for commuting, at least in my case. As always, isolation and sound depends on tips. The M21 doesn’t seem to be very selective, though, as the different tips I tried affected more isolation than sound. Tips which forced a shallow insertion tended to put the basses on the boomy side at times, so I would use bi-flanges rather than big triflanges, for example, but nothing really serious, they sounded almost the same with all the tips I tried.
The sound is the most amazing point in these phones. As I told, I expected them to be just an overpriced upgrade on the M2, so probably my surprise is a bit exaggerated. Take into account I was ready to listen to an overpriced M2 and the M21 finally had nothing to do with that. You've been warned!
To me, the sound is the typical fun-sounding signature of the Meelec M-series, but tamed. I mean, the basses are deep and in your face, but much better controlled than in the M9, the highs are sparkly and bright, but not harsh, and the mids have been forwarded a bit. I want to clarify this: it doesn’t mean the mids are forwarded. They are forwarded compared with the M9, for example. Now the phones have more an U shape response rather than the usual V shaped one found in the M-series. This is great, because I’ve always though that the M9 could use a bit more mids. The M21 are closer to the M11+ in that aspect.
The detail is good, not as good as the new Clarity series, and the basses somewhat kills a bit of clarity and detail. This I’ve noticed when listening to hard rock, for example, where the basses end up being too much prominent. Nothing that ruins the overall sound, but you have to take it into account: these are M-series, so they have the M-series sound signature. To me, the basses can be a bit fatiguing after a while. They are not boomy, but so prominent that I wouldn’t use them to listen to music at night, when I preferred a more calmed bass response. Percussion sounds perfect, but string basses are too much for me.
The presentation and soundstage are slightly wider to my ears that the one found in the M9, and they sound more spacy, nearer to full-sized cans than any other M-series model I’ve tried, including the M11+. Looks like the bigger housings contribute to that effect.
They are not as balanced as M11+, not as clear, not as detailed, but they beat the M9 in those aspects, no doubt. I would dare to even say that they beat the M6 on some aspects, as mids. I should do a thorough comparison to say that, though.
I cannot believe I’m writing this, but weren’t for the price, these would replace the M9 in my list as the best budget phones. I see the M21 as an M9 trying to get the sound of the M11+, an M9 upgrade. The M9 have still two points in their favour: they cost almost half of M21 without being half as good, and the housings are short, so you can sleep with them on.
This said, for 35USD and if you are going to use them while commuting, I would choose the M21 over the M9, as they give more clarity, detail and space. Clarity and detail have been always the weak point of the M-series (except for the M11+), so it’s refreshing the M21 exists, giving the series a more general sound signature. I would have given them less basses, though, but then probably they wouldn’t have fit the M-series.
I’ve been comparing the M21 with the M9 all the time because I feel them to be a pair of M9 on steroids, with finer tuned sound signature. In some senses, the M21 fixes the M9 weaknesses in sound while at the same time doesn’t sacrifice budget too much. They still belong to the budget category of phones.
The bad points in sound are basses, but this is typical in the M-series, they have prominent basses, that's not a matter of sound quality, but of sound preferences. The problem I find is not that, I know what to expect from an M-series model. The problem is that while the percussions are well controlled, non-fatiguing and not bleeding into the mids, the string basses can be annoying at times, depending on the particular song you’re hearing. Sadly to me, in these phones 2 unlimited sounded better than Dire Straits, due precisely to the presence of too prominent string basses. A pity, because I like Dire Straits much more than 2 unlimited 
Don’t even try to listen UB40 with these, and Afro Celt Sound System track called Further in time (track 8 in their Volume 3 album) almost blew my head. And I enjoyed it, I must confess. Not bad for someone who doesn’t consider himself at all a basshead 
Don’t even try to listen UB40 with these, and Afro Celt Sound System track called Further in time (track 8 in their Volume 3 album) almost blew my head. And I enjoyed it, I must confess. Not bad for someone who doesn’t consider himself at all a basshead Probably M-series fans will find these phones great, including the bass response. A year ago I would have told that I love the sound signature, including the prominent string basses, but step by step I’m moving in the Clarity direction or even further, with less emphasis in basses and more on detail, so don’t take my comment on the string basses too seriously ;) The percussions are extremely well controlled, deep, powerful but tight and in its place.
Anyway, my wife UTTERLY loves the string bass response. In her words, “it’s like if the music was more solid now”. So, it’s a matter of taste. She enjoys these phones a lot. She was using previously my old PL50, and since she always told they sounded “anemic”, I though the M21 would be perfect for her and I was right.
The midrange is probably the strongest point in the M21 response, as mids were usually on the recessed side in the M-series. Now I can listen to Loreena McKennitt on these without problems, her voice sounds like it should :) Mids are very similar to those on the M11+, to be sincere, and weren’t for the better balance of the M11+, these would be a serious competitor!
As for the highs, the only problem I’ve noticed is that hi-hats and other cymbals tend to sound recessed at times, specially when they don't sound alone. I don’t understand why, because any other high frequency sounds present and clean. Maybe a speed problem? I'll wait for ljokerl review for that :)
Summing up. I think these are a good budget phones, specially if you like the M-series sound signature. For sound, I would choose them over the M9 or even M6 as an all-terrain phones. IMHO the basses are acceptable for bassheads, but as I told that’s a matter of taste.
Meelec, don't read this: 35USD is a great price for them. 50USD would be a bit excessive, for example, but I would pay 40USD for them happily.
I still prefer the M11+, and in fact if someone is willing to throw 10 more bucks into phones, I would recommend the M11+ rather than the M21, but at 35USD I would choose the M21 over the M6, for example.
Sorry if I forgot to mention anything, and as always feel free to ask.
