FatFreq Maestro Mini

Preamble​

Many thanks to @Damz87 for arranging the Australian tour of these and special thanks to @tfaduh for lending his personal unit for this review.

It’s not uncommon to see new entrants in the world of audio but it is less common to see on as prolific as FatFreq. In a short span of time, this Singaporean manufacturer has managed the capture the imagination of many an audiophile through their rather extreme tunings and their rather robust product line up consisting of musician targeted monitors and the Maestro line. Today’s review concerns the baby of the family in the form of the Maestro Mini, an IEM that FatFreq states was created with the purpose of bringing all the goals of the Maestro line at a competitive price point. And what does the Maestro line aim to bring to audiophiles? A “lifelike concert experience” with their Bass Cannon that attempts to create a deep subwoofer-like experience. But can their IEM deliver?

The Factual Stuff​

Utilising a single dynamic driver and 2 balanced armatures, the Maestro Mini is a hybrid IEM that is encased in a rather handsome blue resin housing. The retail MM comes in a FATBOX pelican-style case with foam to protect your precious new IEMs as well as a dessicant to wick away moisture. A 4-wire silver-plated copper cable comes as stock with an option of a upgrade silver cable. Otherwise, the MM also comes with an assortment of silicone tips and cleaning brushes.

This review concerns the personal unit of @tfaduh which is an earlier production model and is without its stock cable.

The Opinion Stuff​

Sound​

Bass​

The MM’s purported strong suit is its bass region with a very healthy amount of boost applied to the low-end to separate itself from other options in the price category. This is not a situation of pure low-end grunt at the cost of speed or detail however, the MM manages to balance both rather well. Whilst there is a healthy amount of bass in terms of quantity, the MM manages to be rather tonally balanced overall and doesn’t reach the same boot shaking quantity of bass as its younger cousin, the Scarlet Mini achieves.

Sub-bass extends deep and the physicality of certain songs is felt in a rather engaging manner, with songs such as “Tokyo Calling” by Atarashii Gakko striking with speed and weight in the low-end. The low-end grunt is not at the cost of detail as it remains distinctly textured and readily discernible. Speed was perhaps the most impressive element of the MM as bass notes hit with an immediacy that belies its strong level of boost in the region.

Overall, the bass regions of the MM actually do not really reflect the FR curve (at least in my books) as it remains rather tonally balanced with the rest of the FR curve and whilst strong, is not overbearing by any means.

Mids​

Perhaps the most surprising element of the MM was its rather strong performance in the midrange. Following the Scarlet Mini review, I expected the MM to be similarly overbearing in the low-end to the point of diminishing mid-range performance. However, vocals and instruments within this region maintain a level of balance and presence throughout my listening.

“Seven” by Jungkook contains a rather strong and present bassline throughout the song accompanied by a rather simply guitar chord and the male vocals of Jungkook. The MM maintains a tonal balance and imparts a level of weight to his voice that creates a very enjoyable listening experience that doesn’t feel incoherent nor incomprehensible.

“Walk With Me” by Cosmos Midnight is a floaty and ethereal production of electronica and the flighty vocals of Kučka sung in a higher register and the MM manages to combine its robust low-end with the necessary delicacy of the song as a whole in a manner that was extremely enjoyable.

Despite this surprisingly good mid-range performance, the MM is not perfect by any means as I have some slight issues regarding note weight and the timbre of the mid-range. Mids come off on the leaner side with some thinner note weight that is not entirely natural. The timbre of the mids have a slight plasticky twang to it that does not feel as effortless or as analogue as other IEMs. This is not to say that that the mids descends into the highly unnatural territory of more clinical and edgy IEMs in the market but this tonal characteristic is something that I noted in my listening.

Overall, the MM provides a rather excellent reproduction of the midrange with a slight edge to the upper mids but with an overall thinner body.

Treble​

I am far from a treble aficionado with it being the region that is least impactful to my overall listening experience but for want of a better reviewer, I would deem the treble on the MM as being wholly sufficient and for something as bass heavy as the MM, I would be inclined to believe that this is a victory for FatFreq.

The MM does not wow you with a sparkly and airy treble section but rather is sufficiently energetic and detailed in its reproduction with songs such as “Reckoner” by Radiohead, with its rather heavy use of percussion, providing you with well articulated and smooth treble performance. Unlike more aggressively tuned treble regions, the MM does not give you that hair-raising tingle and the slight jarring that one experiences with a cymbal crash but it remains sufficient for my listening experience.

Lower treble regions is sufficiently well controlled as higher register female vocals remain restrained enough to not elicit large amounts of fatigue over time. Upper treble and the airiness of the MM is similarly restrained as I do not feel that there is a huge amount of extension here to open up the overall FR.

Overall, I believe that the MM’s treble remains dramatic and prominent enough to create a fairly detailed and smooth listen that is not sibilant nor does it elicit fatigue but it is not a hugely prominent element of the MM. It remains balanced and rather good but does not do enough to standout from the rest of the MM.

Technicalities​

The aforementioned tuning choices of the MM is not conducive to creating a hugely detailed sound signature as the rather underwhelming treble does not highlight the leading edge of certain notes, generate the requisite space between such notes and ultimately does not highly the microdetails. However, the MM is detailed enough in my books, remaining rather well resolving from a macro level, managing to provide a detailed enough listen throughout any region of the FR curve without muddying up the mids nor the treble through its zealous bass tuning.

Imaging is rather good despite the rather significant bass boost with each section of the FR curve still maintaining a sense of layering and separation throughout. Multi-layered songs and directional cues are rather easy to discern but are not extremely pin-pointed with songs such as “Fine” by Taeyeon maintaining a sense of layering but not providing the same directional definition as more standout IEMs in the class.

Staging is sufficiently wide but not exactly a ‘holographic’ out-of-head experience. It feels wide and slightly flat in terms of staging so not the best sense of stage depth. There is some depth imparted by the rather generous bass boost but the rest of the response curve creates a sense of vocals and percussion sitting behind the drums ever-so-slightly.

Overall​

With a strong lower-end, the MM manages to present a fun and unique tuning that maintains a semblance of tonal balance in that the mids are surprisingly good. With a slightly middling treble region, the MM is hardly the perfect balance of all regions of the FR curve but remains engaging and fun to listen to.

Comparisons​

vs Scarlet Mini​

The red cousin of the MM is a successor of some sort occupying a price-bracket that represents a minor uplift from the MM’s and shares a similar footprint size wise.

The difference in sound is a rather dramatic one as I feel that the Scarlet dispenses with all subtlety in order to pursue bass. The lower-end is surprisingly more impactful, more punchy and more physical than the MM. The boost in the bass seemingly overwhelms the mid-range on the Scarlet as it is more recessed in the mix when compared to the MM. The treble region of the Scarlet is slightly more bright and sparkly when compared to the MM. This region is definitely more of a standout on the Scarlet when compared to the MM but may eek out some more sibilance out of female vocalist and more jarring percussion.

Technicality-wise, the tuning approach of the Scarlet seemingly reduces its technical proficiencies as the mid-bass into the lower-mids feel more smeared when compared to the MM and the mids as a whole feel recessed to the point of minimising macro-details in this region. The Scarlet requires a far more engaged and critical listen to discern such aspects whereas the MM feels more prevalent in its resolving capabilities comparatively speaking. The treble uplift in the Scarlet does seemingly create the sense of sparkle and air required to highlight micro-details but on the whole I feel like that the technical performance of either IEM is similar enough but less apparent on the Scarlet.

Overall, I feel that the Scarlet is a specialist IEM that occupies a slot in the collection for short-term listens whereas the MM is a daily driver that is more versatile.

Value & Quality of Life​

Priced at 600 SGD the MM is one of the cheapest of the the FatFreq family and provides an entry point to the revered bass cannon. Compared to its competitors in its price range and even those above it, the MM provides a coloured yet still surprisingly tonally enjoyable experience. Unlike the Scarlet, it does not overwhelm the song entirely with its bass boost and whilst it loses out in terms of treble sparkle compared to its red cousin, the MM maintains a coherent and enjoyable mid-range that really accentuates its tonal balance overall compared to the unabashed specialist nature of the Scarlet.

The MM is a bit left of field choice in the price range but considering its significant bass boost, it delineates itself from the market of rather safe Harman tunings and instead opts for an accentuated low-end combined with a competent mid-range and relaxed treble region. In doing so, I believe that the MM is a bit of a dark-horse in the market and whilst you can look at FR curves and immediate dismiss the MM, I feel that it’s coloured tuning creates character and that the IEM is far more listenable on an ongoing basis than what the FR curve would have you believe.

The shells are lightweight and rather small. Getting them seated into my ear was rather fiddly given the accentuated curves of the resin moulding but once seated they remained in-ear happily for hours on end. I cannot speak to the accessory package from an anecdotal basis given my review unit is without these accessories and has an aftermarket cable on it but the inclusion of the FATBOX is a wonderful boon to the value proposition of the MM.

Quality control has become a rather sore point of FatFreq in recent times and combined with some experiences of customer service being slow, it would be remiss of me to not mention that FatFreq may not be the best should there be anything wrong with your MM.

Conclusion​

I was expecting a bassy fun fest for all of about 10 minutes before I got bored and switched back to something more manageable. What I got was a bassy fun fest that was surprisingly balanced and enjoyable for hours on end.

The MM, unlike the Scarlet is not an unabashed bass cannon but rather reigns things in a little bit to be a better daily driver. The bass boost is enjoyable, not for everyone but remains more liveable than the Scarlet’s overwhelming bass region.

Compared to other IEMs in its price bracket, the MM is unique with its tuning and is just plain fun. It is not effortlessly natural nor is it clinical in its presentation but instead blurs the line of what is a ‘listenable tuning’ for me and I can thoroughly recommend it.

I've always deep down in my heart wanted to enjoy a big bassy headphone or IEM. The problem is, most of them are not very good. They are muddy, boomy, and very poor in resolution, and to balance it out, they make highs very bright, or even worse -- have no treble at all (i.e. L-shape). While there are some fun bassy sets like the Empire Ears Valkyrie and Legend X sets, they are quite pricey, and also can be a tad harsh in the highs.



Along comes Fat Freq. This is a Singaporean small boutique brand that makes a series of IEMs with big bass boosts, but with balanced mids and treble. I was enamored with the frequency response graphs I had seen from various measurement sites when I first heard about their Maestro series. They had huge bass boosts, but the mids/treble range fit right along what I like.

So, I dialed up Precogvision, and asked him to send me Fat Freq 'scheapest universal set, the Maestro Mini, since I knew he had recently reviewed it. After receiving the unit, I must say, it does exactly what I was expecting it would do. Hit bass hard.

IEM Design​

Since this was a loaner, as well as a pre-release unit, I did not have all the retail packaging and can't provide any details here. In addition, the nozzle of these units do not have a filter on them, and the driver and inner cavity of the Maestro Mini is exposed. Removing the filter may cause some sound changes.

The MM itself is a small-sized blue IEM with a very comfortable design that I found good and easy to wear. It features standard 2-pin connectors on both sides, and a FatFreq logo on the faces.

Sound Impressions​

After listening to a bunch of neutral monitors, or slightly bright gear with light or even bass boost, and then putting on the Maestro Mini, I was immediately engulfed in deep, rich and thick bass. It was startling at first. I knew I was expecting a big gain here, but it was surprising how much it was in some songs, yet how it did not come off as muddy or bloated. It was bass quantity done right.

That's because the FatFreq brand decided to bump a downsloping HUGE bass bump starting at subbass regions, making it act like a subwoofer, and not a mid-bass woofer, which can add a lot of kick and punch, but also bleed into the midrange. With this amount of bass increase, 20 decibels above the midrange, you really need to be careful how this tuning can affect the overall tonality.

The Maestro Mini, for the most part, does this quite well. So, normally I talk about the general sound, but it's taking me three paragraphs to get to the point. This is a big bass in-ear monitor that has surprisingly well balanced mids and smooth treble. There are sometimes hints of a some brightness in the upper-midrange, and that could possible be attributed to the filterless design of this prototype. In production models, there is a nozzle filter, and that may tame the brightness a tad.

How does the Maestro Mini do technically? It's alright. I would say it's average. There's nothing wrong with it. There's nothing special about it either, besides its not-so-secret weapon of big sub-bass, and in this regard, it does it very well. It's not the most detailed IEM at the $450 price range, and its not blobby either. It's just good, or good enough. The bass quality is a step or two below the Empire Ears dynamic driver IEMs like the Odin and Legend X, but its quite competitive with name-your-chifi product of the month, and likely beats it when you consider that the bass driver is pushed to its limits here.

The soundstage isn't huge -- its fairly average for an IEM, which means its small, but acceptable. Imaging is just okay, and depth is alright. I wouldn't be looking at the Maestro Mini as a technical wizard, as it is not. It plays much better as a fun, fun IEM that actually sounds quite pleasant and enjoyable.

Final Words​

So, if you are a big bass lover, but also want something that can actually work across genres well, this is a pretty good IEM, and its priced decently well for a possibly niche area where there isn't a lot of stuff that excels in pure bass quality.

Preamble
I'm not a professional reviewer just an audiophile who got in on the Fatfreq Tour. I listen to Classic Rock, Blues & Jazz. Sources are Shanling M8 & M7 and Lotoo Paw 6000.
I only use 4.4mm balanced cables so to make it even I did not use the supplied 3.5mm cable. I used 3 Norne Audio Cables 20.5 gauge copper, 21 gauge silver & 21 gauge Fusion. I found copper added bass but felt congested & slow. Silver was tighter & faster but a little dry, Fusion was just right solid bass, fast with a certain richness to the sound.
Bass
The star off the show!!! Deep dark and thunderous! You will be amazed at the amount of bass from such a small package. If you're a bass-head you will love Mini.
Mids
I find the mids to be slightly recessed and not too detailed. Vocals are just OK nothing special.
Treble
I like the treble. Nicely elevated with good detail and a little sparkle, no sibilance
Sound Stage
A little better than average. Good width & depth, not too high
Bias
Great bang for the buck. Bass-heads will love it.
A & B
I A & B Mini against Empire Ears Legend
Bass
Mini is Deeper more full-bodied some times bombastic. Legend bass is tighter & faster. advantage Mini
Mids
Mini, Recessed not very detailed. Legend Mids are forward with good detail. advantage Legend
Treble
Mini, Nicely elevated with good detail & sparkle. Legend Good elevation sharp some sibilance. advantage Mini
Sound Stage
Mini depth. Legend height & width. advantage Legend
Size
The Mini is small and will fit all ears. Legend is quite large and may not fit into small ears. advantage Mini
Price
Mini
Conclusion
Mini is fun to listen to. Outstanding bass very musical and a great buy! Also small-sized and easy to fit in ears.