I heard about RNHP when it first came out. I have wanted to get my hands on since I heard about it .... simply of the name Rupert Neve. Simply put, the man is a legend - he changed the entire recording console market, and the stuff he put together is simply incredible.

So after a few years of looking for deals, I finally got a used RHNP. At this point, I have had a few decent amps (the b22) the GS-1, and heard some great ones at meets (I will never forget hearing the DIY balanced Dynalo by @FallenAngel ), but I am still anticipating this amp like a first date.

Most of the time, I just use my Fiio M9 as source, and feed it from the 3.5mm lineout to the RCA inputs of the amp, and sometimes I use my 20 year old Onkyo lineout as a source, but I just have incredible sound coming out of the RNHP.

Overall the highs are clear and smooth. I never sensed any harshness to the sound. It maybe because there is a slight rolloff at the very top end, but a slight lift in the mid-highs gives the music some clarity. The mids are straight forward, and sounds so clear and crisp. It is a fantastically enjoyable listen. The bass is hefty and clear. It doesn't slam hard, but it has presence and is just clean and transparent.

I used the following headphones:
Grado HP1000 - I mostly listen with my Grado HP1000 in my home setup. The best I have EVER heard a set of HP1000 is with the aforementioned balanced Dynalo, just an unbelievable combo. So over the years, I tried to hunt down the Grado HP1000 (HP2 to be precise) and subsequently the Headamp GS-1. The sound is good, but it wasn't as good as I remembered it. After I paired up the HP1000 with the RNHP, the sound opened up, and the most obvious is the bass, where there is now more weight around it. The headroom is higher, and the spacing is wider. That said, I would still say @FallenAngel balanced Dynalo is un-rivaled.

Campfire Audio Andromeda V2 - I always loved the Andromeda. While people say that there are better IEMs out there in the market now (and much pricier) ,I just do not have any desire or needs to upgrade. The only thing I really want is to get some custom tips for it. Otherwise, it hits every single box I need for an IEM. One day, while the kids were practising piano, I decided to pair the RNHP with the Andromeda. In order to avoid clear channel imbalance, I have to turn the volume higher than I normally listen to (I listen at around 25 to 30 on the Fiio M9, and about 1/3 of the volume on the iPhone). I also tested hiss by turning the volume way up with the music off, and there was clear and audible hiss anything past the 12 o'clock mark. That said, your ear drums will be ruptured way before you get to those levels if you actually had music on, as I really only turned the volume up to about the 8 o'clock mark before it became overbearingly loud. Anyways, I turned the volume down to mute, then slowly increased the volume right after the channel imbalance threshold, and it sounded glorious. The highs are nice and clear, the mids clean and smooth, and the bass weighty and prominent. It really is as perfect a pairing as it could be if it wasn't for the volume/imbalance issue.

Shouer Tape - I then tried the Shouer Tape, because, you know, why not? I am looking to sell the Shouer Tape because I have the Andromeda, and only one pair of ears, so until I figure out how to listen through my nose, I have no need for them. The Tape through the RNHP had shriller highs, but I wouldn't classify it as harsh, it's just brighter than I like. The mids are still nice and clean, but the bass is a little overpowering for my taste. This basically sums up the character of the Tape, which is v-shaped, with the spikes in the highs and the lows. That said, it still sounded good, and I would say the performance easily out weighs the going price for them. At this point, I am not overly eager to sell the Tape, because at their price, I can do way worse, and they are an enjoyable listen with the RNHP.

DIY Magnum V4 in Grado SR325 shells - They are definitely bright on the RNHP, the lower bass is somewhat amiss (still there, just doesn't have that weight) where as the upper bass is very nice and clean. The upper mids are a little sucked out. The vocals are nice and clear though. That said, they sound so open now. These never had much soundstage to it, but with the RNHP, they just sound so 3-dimensional. I didn't really hear this openness with the other headphones, and it's very realistic.

HiFiMan HE6 (6 screw version) - Again, definitely a little brighter for my taste. I can listen to them comfortably at around 9 o'clock mark, and can turn it up to noon without feeling uncomfortable, but they are still underpowered. There is a mellowness to this combo, but just too veiled for my taste.

DIY Fostex T50-RP (heavily modded) - It sounds wonky, just not a good combo at all. They sound hollow with the mids scooped out, the bass and highs are rolled off. Not sure what it is, but it is not the greatest combo. The GS-1 sounds way better and the GS-1 isn't all that good with them to begin with.

Overall, I find that RNHP are phenomenal with easier to drive dynamic headphones, and IEMs, but do not sound all that great with planars. I know this is a huge generalization, and I know there are some great planars out there that I haven't tried, but I just think that the RNHP doesn't have the power to drive these planars.

Other stuff
- The build is solid, and can last years it seems.
- I tried plugging in the Fiio M9 through the 3.5mm input, and damn is there interference. It's really unlistenable. That said, that is a cheapo $2 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable that I got off ebay, so there's that.

Summary:

The Mv3 is a flag-ship worthy (I know there is the Mason, but I haven't listened to that one), clear yet fun loving IEM, with globs of details. The bass is impactful and a little on a pronounced side, the mids are clear, and the highs are generally smooth with a very tiny slight bit of sibilance (I am very sensitive to sibilance). It is revealing, both in terms of details, and in terms of the ability to reveal the sources.

All in all, if you got deep pockets, and is looking for a musical, detailed and balanced in-ear with a wide, real soundstage, look no further , the UM Mentor V3 (Mv3) is for you.

A little about myself:

I have been a music lover for a couple of decades now, but haven't gotten into "better gear" until a friend first showed me the Shure e2c. That was a long time back (about 11 or 12 years ago now), and went out and spent a, back them, ridiculous $150 or so on the e3c. Since then, I have had many headphones and earphones (see my profile) with the following five really making an impression to me:

1) HiFiman HE6, driven by a Sansui AU-717 speaker out. I have heard these from a Mcintosh, and they were even better
2) Stax SR007, driven by the KGSS
3) Grado HP2, driven by the Mytek DSD-192 DAC/amp. Heard these from a decked out balanced Bijou, and those were just phenmenol
4) The Tralucent 1P2
5) The UM Miracle

Ever since the UM Miracle, I was on my quest to get that type of clarity, and I bought the Mentor v1 a few years back. They were great, but I never got that clarity I got. So when the opportunity came for me to try out the Mv3 in the tour, I jumped at it.

I am not affiliated with UM in any way, I am not being paid or received anything from UM, other than the chance to audition for them for two weeks, and then passing on to the next fortunate soul.

However, I do have very favourable impressions of UM as a company, due to the UM Miracle, and also my experience with the Mentor V1.

Gear I Used:
For mobile I use a Rockboxed XDuoo X3 to a Meier Quickstep. I found this combo to be a great fit, and hit way above its price suggests.

For home use, I have an iMac, optical to a Mytek Digital Stereo192-DSD Dac.

I compared these to the Grado HP2 with flats, self-assembled Magnum v4 using aluminum inner sleeves and SR325 cups with S-Cush, Grado HF2, iBasso IT03, and Stax SR007 MkI driven by the KGSS fed from a Cambridge CXN (Yes, I did that). I understand that we are talking about apples and oranges, and in the case of the stax, even different amps/DAC. But gear is gear, and I want to see what these $2099 little things can do.

Unboxing:

The Mv3 came in a nice rectangular cardbard box with the UM logo printed at on it.



Once you open the box, you are greeted with a nice titanium circular case that holds the earphones, along with a certificate right next two it.

Given that this is an impressions tour, the package came with three cables - a standard unbalanced 3.5mm cable, a 2.5mm balanced cable, and a 4.4mm balanced cable. Speaking of the cable, they were stunning, the colours were a great unique, eye-catching, but not-over-the-top, match. They are soft and flexible. They are also unique in its design. There are no left and rights, if you switch the cables around, you go from pure silver to OCC. I tried both for a brief minute, and stuck with using the silver cable for the rest of the time. I felt there is more clarity, and also more "pop" in the songs.

The connectors to the earphones were well made, and the fits very well. They are easy to unscrew, change out and put back in. I am not sure how how we can get custom cables for them though, but then, these are really two cables in one already.



It also came with a number of tips. For the purposes of this review, I took a set of foam tips. I also switched out and used some double flange tips.



The Earphones - Craftsmanship:

Oh my goodness, these things were well made. They are beautiful, just gorgeous looking works of art. Each earphone is hand made, and the quality and finish of them are amazing. For those who didn't know, UM started off doing quite a few reshelling for other people's customized headphones, and they were well known for their craftsmanship. That has not changed.





The Earphones - Sound:

The sound, which really is the meat of this review. The sound is sweet, musical, and clean. The bass hits heavy with impact, but is never over-bearing or muddy, the mids are clear and sweet, with the major parts of the music presented as the obvious highlight of the music. The highs are crisp, but I find it to be a little sibilant. This could be one of two reasons:
1) I am sensitive to sibilance
2) The recordings were bad to begin it as I find that certain recordings were particularly bad (Nirvana Nevermind, known to be poorly recorded).

But the balance of these were great. I never felt that any parts were overdone, but all were prominent. The mids were the place I loved the most as it is so sweet, I just can't say that enough.

One thing of note is that I listened with the bass port closed. I find the bass gets muddier (with more quantity) once the bass ports were opened. I am not a basshead and does not need to additional quantity, but I do want my bass to hit hard and be felt, so the ports being closed is the way for me.

Recordings used:

Nirvana - Nevermind: This album was really poorly recorded, and the sibilance stood out immediately. I knew this, but I want to see how well the Mv3 presents the music, whether it glosses over the weaknesses of the recording, and adds it own colouration to "clean things up". I find that the Mv3 does so ever so slightly. I can still hear the issues with the recording, but it was still an enjoyable experience. There was an obvious difference when I switched over to the Remaster version of the album. The reason I wanted to use this album is to see if that raw energy comes through, and they certainly do. The melody catchy bass lines of Novoselic the primal scream of Cobain, and the power of Grohl came through in flying colours.

Jeff Buckley - Grace (Legacy Edition): One of my favourite albums of all time. The Mv3 really brings out the haunting beauty of Buckley's tortured voice, and those mids, oh my those mids. What a phenomenal rendering of the mids!

My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: This is the album to test PRaT, and the Mv3 does handle this very well. It is a relatively fast album, and Mv3 has no problems whatsoever. The sounds were crisp and never muddy, the pace was clean.

Prodigy - Fat of the Land: Bass is the thing to test here, and the Mv3 handled it well. I never felt it was over bearing, and the notes were clean and well-defined, never a muddy mess. The quantity of the bass was top-notch

The Buena Vista Social Club: I thought with the sweet mids of the Mv3 would be fantastic with this album, but I found that it was overly warm in sections, and made the sound comparatively syrupy. Notice I said comparatively, because it is still immensely enjoyable.

Whiplash (Orignal Motion Picture Soundtrack): From spoken dialogue to simple snare hits, to complex big band sound, Mv3 made me felt like I was there and then. Which brings the part of the sound I almost forgot - Soundstage. These are no Stax007 MkI level sound stage, but they are better than the HP2s, and at least on par with the HE6 in terms of depth. I don't know how they do this with an IEM, but there it is. The height of the soundstage is lacking somewhat though, but I am just being nitpicky here.

Conclusion:
Compared to some of the full-sized headphones (whether they be dynamic or electrostatic), the Mv3 clearly holds it's ground. I listened to many more albums on this album, from Mozart to Eminem, from Rage Against the Machine to Sarah McLaughlin. The Mv3 handles them all fantastically. This is a very clear IEM, but the thing that stands out is how musical it is.

The only reason I took half a star off is due to the ergonomics of the bass tuner and the price. Regardless, while there are now no lack of great choices in this price range, the Mv3 has to be one of them.

I still have one more week to go with these, and I can assure you, I will be wearing these anytime I am not on the phone, in a meeting, or talking with my wife, I will be drowned out in music using these babies during that period of time.

P.S. Forgot to mention isolation, they were great, I can't hear my kids whine. Love it.

Disclaimer:  I received the Soundaware Esther M1 and Esther M1 Pro for the duration of 1 week as part of a review tour for my honest opinion.
 
Gear:
I primarily used my iBasso iT03 during the listen, but also used my full aluminum magnum v4 build, modded Fostex T50-RP, and VE Monk.
I compared this mostly to my xDuoo x3.
 
Sound preference: 
Over the years, I find that I tend to like sounds that border on the bright side, with clear mids and thump in the bass (not necessarily quantity, but that thump).  For reference, I loved the Tralucent 1P2, Hifiman HE6, and Stax SR007 (who doesn't?), but also found the JVC HA-FX850, Westone UM2, UM Mentor, UM MIracle to be phenomenal phones.  On the other hand, well reviewed phones like the JH audio Roxanne, Shure SE535, and Westone UM3RC are just not my cup of tea.
 
Music used:
I used a list of 58 songs for casual listening (all apple loseless), but focused on the following few tracks:
1) Norah Jones – Don’t know why, Come away with me (For female vocals)
2) Radiohead - National Anthem, Kid A (for pacing and bass response)
3) Kid Rock – Bawitdaba, Devil without a cause (for poorly recorded music, especially the part when all those cymbals came in at the beginning)
4) White Stripes – Black Math, Elephant (For distorted sounds)
5) Buena Vista Social Club – Chan Chan (For pacing, rhythm, and spacing)
6)  Snare Liftoff – Whiplash Soundtrack (for rhythm)

What I look for:
You can look at the many other reviews for photos, un-boxing, accessories, packaging, etc ... quite frankly, I don’t really care about those things.  A player can look like the hunchback of notre dame, it can come in a plastic bag, and it can come with bare accessories, but I wouldn’t care as long as:
1)      It sounds great
2)      It’s useable/intuitive
Methodology:
I did not use any burn-in as I assumed that the units are well burned in before reaching me.  I spent 4 days with the M1, and another 3 days with the M1PRO.  I wanted to say that I went with the M1 first because I want to experience the base version before “moving up” to a higher model to notice the difference, but the truth is, the units were placed in the wrong box and I ended up with the M1 instead of the M1 Pro instead.  It worked out.
I first loaded all the music I had from two 128GB microSD cards to try and see how well it handed large volumes of data.  It didn’t.  The reading took a long time (I had to leave it on overnight), and even then, only parts of the music was loaded into the database correctly.  I can still browse by file, but I can’t sort by Artist/Album/etc ....
I then loaded my test music in a 1GB microSD card, and loaded that in the unit.  It still took a good minute or two despite the extremely small number of files.
So my first thought is that the unit can use some stronger processing power to handle filing functionality.
 
Usability/Ergonomics:
The player buttons were well laid out, and the buttons are intuitively laid out. The player is light, but is of a good size where I imagine it would fit into most people’s palms comfortably.  It appears to be solidly built, but the parts appear quite cheap (again, don’t really care as long as it lasts, which I can’t tell without owning the unit for months and months).
The user interface is simple, and basic.  Functions are limited, but all the essentials are there.  I major grip I have with it is that if you do not turn off the unit, the battery drains quickly (gone overnight), but if you do turn on the unit, it no longer remembers where your last song stopped, and you had to start all over.
Random play is odd in the sense that you had to choose the song you have to play first, and then the songs after the first song will be randomly chosen.  In other words, I can’t find a way to randomly play a playlist from the start.  It’s not a huge deal, but it’s just odd.
Battery life is great once you figure out you have to turn the unit off.  It would last me a few days of continuously listening.  I didn’t time the battery life, but I estimate that it was easily 10 hours of listening time.
Regrettably, I didn’t have the time to test the coaxial cable out, but I did manage to test out both the line out and the headphones.
Finally, an issue I had with the player is that it doesn’t seem to support gapless playback.  It also appears that it cuts off the last split second of a track before moving onto a new one.

Sound:
What can I say?  This is simply a phenomenal player.  The sound is balanced, open, airy, great pace, and just smooth overall.  This applies to both the M1 and M1 PRO.
Compared to my xDuoo x3 lined out to the Meier Audio Quickstep, the openness and the sound stage of the unit really shines through.  The highs are detailed without being harsh, the mids are smooth and well-rendered, and the bass is impactful without being over-bearing.  It is simply one of the best sounding DAPs I have ever heard (not that experienced, but still ...).  The sound itself most certain justifies their asking price.
I find the improvement from the M1 to the M1 PRO to be more subtle than the improvement from the xDuoo x3 to the M1.  The clarity appears to improve, the pacing seems to be better, and there seems to be more clarity.  The changes are really subtle, and I am not going to pretend it may not be due to my preconceived expectations influencing the results.
I also tried playing the lineout to my Meier Audio QuickStep, and I felt the sound to actually get worse.  The soundstage collapsed, the output just seems more lifeless.  Keep in mind that I have a very high regard for the QuickStep, I have cycled through my share of highly regarded mid-fi portable amps, and settled with the QuickStep, so it was a huge surprise that the internal amp of the M1 and M1PRO seems to be considerably better than the QuickStep.
 
Conclusion:
Sound-wise, I really have no doubt that this is a top notch player.  It really sounds superb, and I can listen to the player for days without fatigue, nor will I be bored with it.
That said, my suggestion to Soundaware is to really look into the user interface, and either adopt Rockbox, an Android based interface, or improve on the current UI.  This player can easily play with the big boys if more attention is paid to the usability aspect.

These headphones are great in the sense that they are the ultimate modding headphones.  You can adjust the sound to almost anything you want with a few relatively simple mods.
 
Before modification, the resonance is horrible, the headphones are all mids, and nothing else, but the sounds is smooth.
 
After modification, the sound remains smooth, but there is an obvious increase in treble and bass to balance out the sounds.  The treble does not have the necessary sparkle that I would want from it, but it is a matter of skills, I am sure someone out there has the ability to mod these things to provide smoother and better sounds.
 
The headphones are relatively ugly (nothing you can do about this), and is quite uncomfortable unmodded, but you can increase the mods (change the ear pads, add comfort strap) to significantly increase the comfort.
 
Overall, a bargain of a buy, and it forced me to learn more about how sound works in headphones and in the orthodynamic technology.