I don't have anything against Minerva at all, but honestly, they're behind the curve when it comes to CIEM design, and even though their prices aren't bad, you can get better and cheaper alternatives that sound just as good or better.
Anyone can get a superior alternative to either the Performer Pro or the Artist in the CustomArt Music Two and the Cosmic Ears BA2, respectively (for silicone and acrylic), and I can state that as basically a fact, without even needing to listen to either the Performer Pro or the Artist.
Why do I know this? Because the Music Two and the BA2 both use the
same core driver setup as the Performer Pro/Artist, except that:
- Music Two has superior, more advanced, acoustic design to the Performer Pro and is tuned specifically for music listening, rather than stage work.
- The Cosmic BA2 is half the price of the Artist.
Note: the Performer Pro and Artist use a red (2200 Ω) damper in front of the 1723WT03, which makes the response look more like this (instead of what is attached on the final page of the Headfonics review):
The Performer Pro and Artist will look more like the bottommost grey trace (labeled SSD 03, 2200 Ohms, red) than the damperless orange trace, which is what is shown in the Headfonics review.
Note also that the bass response will also be about 3-4 dB less than what is show here, because they use the 1723WT03 instead of the 1723TW03/9, which is vented.
Case for the CustomArt Music Two vs. Performer Pro
- The Music Two uses venting with back volume restriction to control bass levels while maintaining bass extension. The result is better textured bass without roll-off, and no penalties on midrange intrustion, either.
- It uses a segmented acoustic horn without dampers to control tubing resonances in the treble, meaning more detail without harshness.
- Has the option for removable cables, while the Performer Pro doesn't.
- Cheaper (1150 PLN = ~228 £)
Case for the Cosmic Ears BA2 vs. Minerva Artist:
- Cosmic's cables have the UE-style braided design, which is more pliable.
- Much Cheaper (150 £)
The only reason for buying the Minerva CIEMs would be the following:
- You really want to support a UK company (perhaps because you're British).
- You live in the UK and don't want to pay for international shipping to either Poland or Sweden.
- You work for/with a company with an existing connection with Minerva (e.g. BBC) and can receive a discount.
- You don't intend to use CIEMs for personal listening and would much prefer rolled off highs.
- You really need a C-grid wax guard, e.g. if you have ceruminosis.
I might come off as being harsh against Minerva, but this has nothing to do with them, and more to do with the fact that other companies offer better products for less. I'm just not sugarcoating my statements. Build quality-wise, I see no evidence supporting Minerva being any better than either of the two aforementioned companies. Minerva also doesn't seem to offer wider ranging aesthetics options, either.
The fact of the matter is that Minerva is a hearing protection company with ties to the hearing aid industry; they're not interested in pushing the boundaries of audio performance.
Just posted the link to my Mi-1 review.
