REVIEW: Unique Melody Merlin - hybrid dynamic/balanced armature custom IEM - Page 9

i find that wearing my Merlins on a bus, the background noise is blocked off but not ppl talking.

The good thing is there aren't too much sound leaks which i am very happy about since the whole purpose of getitng these earphones were for travelling purpose and i wouldn't want other ppl to be annoyed by my music

Quote:

Originally Posted by project86 

I have fairly large ears too, and yet I am not getting much isolation from my Merlins. But I wonder if something as simple as the curvature or thickness of the canal portion makes a big difference here. 

 

When I look through the vent hole, I can see the exposed armature drivers inside the shell. Those connect to a solid acrylic section that makes up the tip of the IEM. As far as I can tell, that little section is what does most of the work as far as sound blocking. Maybe yours is more substantial than mine?

 

Another idea: maybe your vent is partially blocked by your ears once you get the Merlins inserted. Mine also faces down but not so much that it is covered by the skin of my ear. Maybe that angle determines isolation to some degree?

I have no direct line of sight through the vent to the BA drivers, only the dynamic. Maybe that is significant. 

As for my ear blocking the vent, I don't think so - but the vent does appear to be aimed right at the base of my antitragus, so maybe that offers some attenuation between the vent and the outside world.

im loving my tf10 with null audio enyo cable. and im taking a leap of faith with the um merlin. or at least i think i am, i wanna know if anybody can do a direct comparsion  between the both. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremyh 

im loving my tf10 with null audio enyo cable. and im taking a leap of faith with the um merlin. or at least i think i am, i wanna know if anybody can do a direct comparsion  between the both. 

TF10 has decent bass for a BA iem, recessed mids and clear bright treble. Merlin has much deeper and resonant bass, slightly more forward mids and quite airy treble. No contest for comfort, TF10 is a terribly designed earpiece in that respect even with the reverse mod and pretty much any combination of tips - but you would expect nothing less between a custom and a universal. The cable makes no difference to SQ to my ears, but you've already eliminated the TF10's biggest weakness by replacing the stiff, unwieldy microphonic stock cable. All in all though, if bass is a priority for you then Merlin wipes TF10 out. If not, then TF10 represents great value for money (fit issues aside) and is not too far behind in BA performance from Merlin. 

does the merlin carry a punch ? i prefer a sig that hits me in the face fast, and not hang there. not really good at explaination. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremyh 

does the merlin carry a punch ? i prefer a sig that hits me in the face fast, and not hang there. not really good at explaination. 

Merlin's real strength lies in lower frequencies than "punch" but in saying that they have a more visceral impact, a deeper thud rather than a comparatively flatter sounding slap such as TF10. I personally can't go back to my TF10 for serious listening now.

are those flourescent yellow colored IEMs?

i am looking to find pictures of yellow faceplate because i'm about to order a pair of UM IEMs so any picture is appreciated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phntmsmshr 

I have no direct line of sight through the vent to the BA drivers, only the dynamic. Maybe that is significant. 

As for my ear blocking the vent, I don't think so - but the vent does appear to be aimed right at the base of my antitragus, so maybe that offers some attenuation between the vent and the outside world.

Lime. The UM site has a heap of their colour options on it.

The following 4 pics are all Unique Melody:

Smoked black with yellow tip:

A pair of yellow Rooth LS8s:

(also see: http://treoo.com/store/index.php/rooth-professional-audio-ls8-8-drivers-custom-in-ear-monitor.html)

These UM's aren't yellow, but they're quite nice:

Also, as a guideline, you can find various colours here, all of which UM can match:

I'm still curious about these (and the JH16 for that matter) so I've put myself down on the waiting list for the UK Merlin demo. Hopefully shouldn't be waiting too long.

I'd be interested to know what you think.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by shamrock134 

I'm still curious about these (and the JH16 for that matter) so I've put myself down on the waiting list for the UK Merlin demo. Hopefully shouldn't be waiting too long.

 

 

I've still not heard back about the demos yet. I'm struggling to decide what to do though!

I'm trying to sell off some IEMs to raise funds for another custom but I'm undecided on the Merlin due to there being a mix of positive and negative impressions. Other options are the Miracle, MG6Pro or selling some organs to fund a JH16. Perhaps I should just be happy with the ACS T1 and not buy anything? Naaah this is Head-Fi! 

I ended up getting the Miracle and Merlin because I wasn't sure which sound I would prefer the most.  They should be arriving by the end of the month.  I hope I like them both considering I love bass but I also love balance.  

Please post some impressions when they arrive!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by DannyBai 

I ended up getting the Miracle and Merlin because I wasn't sure which sound I would prefer the most.  They should be arriving by the end of the month.  I hope I like them both considering I love bass but I also love balance.