I'm fortunate to count @Aldo40 as a friend, for years now. The Mentawai are a very special project, showcasing the prowess of his designs at offering an energetic, vibrant full spectrum sound.
It took a while to fine tune the final rendering, 99% was already there, thus emphasis on fine. I'm happy to say that after getting feedback from a few of us 'beta testers', the process is complete.
I have quite a few sources at my disposal : DX312EXN, M17, QLS QA361, R3 Pro and DTR1 paired with portable amplifiers (ALO Continental v5 for the Hiby and RSA F-35 for the Dethonray), as well as desktop gear like an iFi Pro combo (iDSD + iCan).
@DaveStarWalker only has his cherished Aune M1S. It's an excellent dap, he's been using it for years and felt no need to replace it no matter what more recent and expensive daps he tried.
Last Saturday when he came over, we were both astounded by the difference in restitution between the M1S and my sources listening to the latest Mentawai model. His older 'prototype' was indeed fine on every source, but something in the final configuration of the Mentawai did not agree with the Aune dap. It also probably explains why Dave and I have such polarized opinions on several inears such as the VE7 we tested during a Paris AV show. It seems the M1S can be quite picky.
Regarding the differences in tuning, I compared our two models on my Pro iCan, both plugged in the dual 6,35 headphone outs so that I could switch pairs easily. Apart from the lower end being a few dBs less pronounced on his prototype - which suits his tastes perfectly - let me reassure you all : the differences were extremely marginal. The pleasure and engagement in the music was maximal whatever pair I was listening to.
Dave has very sensitive ears and discernment, and his requirements for a piece of gear to match his tastes are an absolute. I respect that so much that he's one of the few that I go to for opinions and general stimulation (we share a lot of interests beside music). I know him IRL, so it's easier for me to understand exactly what he writes and how impactful the differences he notes are for my own sensitivity. For example:
"Little" = "very very subtle" for me, most likely a consequence of the general tilt of his prototype signature leaning towards slightly brighter because of the aforementioned decrease in the DD bass. If I didn't know him IRL, reading that would sound like a bigger difference that it really is for me.
So there we are : we all try and get an idea of the reality of the listening experience based on other users comments, try to make sense of it if consensus emerges in one way or another.
The thing is that there are too many variables : listening volume level being one of the biggest blindspots in my opinion, as well as gear synergy and music preferences of course.
Solution : demo. Get in touch with @Aldo40 and try the Mentawai yourself. If you're after a potent AND refined sound, they're great inears to enjoy daily. My favorites.
It took a while to fine tune the final rendering, 99% was already there, thus emphasis on fine. I'm happy to say that after getting feedback from a few of us 'beta testers', the process is complete.
I have quite a few sources at my disposal : DX312EXN, M17, QLS QA361, R3 Pro and DTR1 paired with portable amplifiers (ALO Continental v5 for the Hiby and RSA F-35 for the Dethonray), as well as desktop gear like an iFi Pro combo (iDSD + iCan).
@DaveStarWalker only has his cherished Aune M1S. It's an excellent dap, he's been using it for years and felt no need to replace it no matter what more recent and expensive daps he tried.
Last Saturday when he came over, we were both astounded by the difference in restitution between the M1S and my sources listening to the latest Mentawai model. His older 'prototype' was indeed fine on every source, but something in the final configuration of the Mentawai did not agree with the Aune dap. It also probably explains why Dave and I have such polarized opinions on several inears such as the VE7 we tested during a Paris AV show. It seems the M1S can be quite picky.
Regarding the differences in tuning, I compared our two models on my Pro iCan, both plugged in the dual 6,35 headphone outs so that I could switch pairs easily. Apart from the lower end being a few dBs less pronounced on his prototype - which suits his tastes perfectly - let me reassure you all : the differences were extremely marginal. The pleasure and engagement in the music was maximal whatever pair I was listening to.
Dave has very sensitive ears and discernment, and his requirements for a piece of gear to match his tastes are an absolute. I respect that so much that he's one of the few that I go to for opinions and general stimulation (we share a lot of interests beside music). I know him IRL, so it's easier for me to understand exactly what he writes and how impactful the differences he notes are for my own sensitivity. For example:
"Little" = "very very subtle" for me, most likely a consequence of the general tilt of his prototype signature leaning towards slightly brighter because of the aforementioned decrease in the DD bass. If I didn't know him IRL, reading that would sound like a bigger difference that it really is for me.
So there we are : we all try and get an idea of the reality of the listening experience based on other users comments, try to make sense of it if consensus emerges in one way or another.
The thing is that there are too many variables : listening volume level being one of the biggest blindspots in my opinion, as well as gear synergy and music preferences of course.
Solution : demo. Get in touch with @Aldo40 and try the Mentawai yourself. If you're after a potent AND refined sound, they're great inears to enjoy daily. My favorites.
Last edited:
