So, I just got mine today. I rather impulsively bought them, in no small part because of this thread (Head-Fi retail therapy strikes again!). I was hovering between these and the 600s for my first foray above the 58x line, and judging by how long they've been glued to my head this evening, I...

Very nice, thanks! I look forward to checking these out, particularly the ones I hadn't heard of before. (Anyone who loves Slowdive can be trusted implicitly in matters of taste...)

Wonderful writeup! Just out of curiosity: what are some of those "best-sounding albums" you reach for when testing new IEMs? Or, to keep it more on-topic: which of those albums really shine on the MEST?

Oof, I wish! I'm sure someone here can, though. The highest I’ve ever gone to break the “mid-fi” barrier was with the Focal Elear, which I know are pretty divisive, but I like ‘em. But, I suppose you could say they both they and the MEST have that initial excitement factor in common, as well a...

Ha, you mean "just great" isn't specific enough? I know my impressions are rather subjective and semi-gushing in nature. Another caveat: I don't have experience with a wide range of IEMs, so I can't offer useful comparisons to the others you might be familiar with. Before purchasing, I'd read...

I jumped on the MEST v.1 pretty quickly after getting my FD5, and I almost feel a little bad about it: the Fiios are excellent, but they're not getting nearly as much attention. I haven't done any close A-B testing, but to me, the MEST are a clear improvement across the board, bass quality...

If it helps: on my Hiby R6 2020 with the MEST Mk1 (a lovely combination), Medium gain lets me listen comfortably at a volume of 50 or so. Haven't felt the need to try high gain.

Ahh, the Mk2, of course. Might have to find some for my OGs.

I’ve had my R6 2020 for a couple of days now (big thanks to @MusicTeck) and I can also hear a *slight* (to my ears) pop at the beginning of MQA tracks. I *don’t* hear them when playing the same Tidal tracks through UAPP, though, for what it’s worth. I likely won’t continue with Tidal after my...

Interesting! I also finally settled on the Final Type E tips, but the Xelastics were also on my radar. Still worth a comparison, maybe?

I've had my OG MEST for about a month, and they still manage to surprise me whenever I listen to them, which is A LOT. Someone in another thread--maybe this one?--complained that their new IEMs were robbing them of sleep, and now I understand. Sure, I know that this hobby (like any other) can...

For what it’s worth: no recent-buyer’s remorse here. I’m still quite enthralled by the sound of my "MK1" MEST! (Which probably means, I should stop reading rumours about the upgrade before it’s too late...)

I was debating the very same choice, but decided to go with the MEST (thank you, Musicteck!). I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the IER-M9, if you decide to share them. As for the MEST? I'm still fiddling around with tips (neurotically reading all the reports about fit issues got into...

Thanks to everyone for this informative thread, from another very-tempted lurker! I've read some comments saying that less-powerful DAPs like the A105 won't be able to drive these very well. Can anyone confirm this?