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Leteciel MIRA 10mm High Performance Beryllium-plated Dynamic Driver
- Added by Redcarmoose
- Create date
PeacockObscura
Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: 1. Solid Bass
2. Natural timbre
3. Smooth across the whole signature
4. Spacious cohesive sound signature
5. Build quality
6. High quality cable
8. Beautiful faceplates
8. Waifu key fob
2. Natural timbre
3. Smooth across the whole signature
4. Spacious cohesive sound signature
5. Build quality
6. High quality cable
8. Beautiful faceplates
8. Waifu key fob
Cons: 1. No carry case
2. No 4.4mm cable termination
3. Wafui *personal dislike
4. WAIFU KEY FOB
2. No 4.4mm cable termination
3. Wafui *personal dislike
4. WAIFU KEY FOB
Leteciel Mira
Leteciel a new company to me, my first introduction was with the hybrid Magris an iem so good it will be hard to follow. The Mira is a single DD iem, my favourite driver configuration, there's some thing wonderfully natural about a single DD that I find hard to beat. The Leteciel presentation falls heavily into waifu territory, which For me isn't my favourite for of promotional tool. I often dismiss iems with waifu as not serious audiophile products. Which in the case of the Mira would have been a terrible injustice. Anyway now I've got my prejudice out of the way, the Mira is a beautiful small resin shell with multicoloured sparkling faceplate which houses a single 10mm full-range Beryllium-plated DD. That's tuned extremely well. The Mira is not a standard V or Harmon tuned iem it follows the tuneing style of the Magris so it appears Leteciel has a house sound rather than following the competition they are steering there own path towards success.
The Leteciel Mira is a fine example how far the hobby as come when it comes to budget single dynamic driver iems and what’s most pleasing its neither Harmon or V shaped in its sound signature but a balanced natural spacious signature close ti nuetral. The lack of tuning nozzles is refreshing with Leteciel confidently giving the customer their version of what a budget single DD should sound like.
In the current market there seems to be a new best iem released every week. Simgot EA500 and then the EA500LM the Kefine Delci to name a few notable recent holders of the title. The Mira enters the fray and competes with them with ease. Fantastic build quality, very nice cable available in 3.5mm and most important brilliantly tuned quality driver.
When I listened and took in how this iem presented my entire music catalogue I was able to just kick back and enjoy the music without any glaring defects the Mira just took everything in its stride confidently. The sound presented is spacious well layered not veiled; the treble is extended but not peaky. If I was to choose an iem to be a gift to anyone outside the hobby this would be a contender.
I'd just like to say upfront I believe we are all biased when giving our subjective thoughts about IEMs be it a particular type of signature that works with our music library or how an IEM looks and feels in our ears. On the subject of ears everyone's ear anatomy is different and this effects fit and seal which in turn effects the perception of bass response so I recommend finding the right ear tips that suit your ears to get the best of any IEM.
My review star ratings are linked to the price range of the iem eg a 5 star review of a $100 iem is not equal to one of a $500 iem.
I’m and audio enthusiast with a collection of over 200 iems, 30 different sources with a music collection that numbers over 100,000 tracks and 15 flathead buds I share my impressions as a way to share my enthusiasm for the hobby I approach from the premise of music first technology 2nd, what does this mean? For me the technicalities are not of prime importance but does the music move with this particular iem.
I’m a connoisseur of many different sound signatures. The only prerequisite is musicality I’m not a fan of analytical cold playback. My scale of success when it comes to evaluating iems is; do I get goosebumps when they playback my favourite tunes. There are many good iems but do they give me goosebumps? Unfortunately I have a draw full of just good iems.
I want the iem that I reach for without thinking because I instinctively know it will bring the thrill I’m seeking from my music. The Leteciel Mira’s bass, mids and sprinkling of treble coming from the Dynamic Driver gave me goosebumps with my most loved genre of classic rock which I believe to be the last bastion of instrumental authenticity just bands playing together in the studio with a sound engineer capturing the magic on tape! The Mira’s signature matches just as perfectly with these types of recordings as with any others in my varied collection. I must mention I don’t listen to classical music so cant say how this is suited.
I have always favoured Dynamic Drivers for the tactility and organic natural playback they produce. The Mira’s Dynamic Driver gives some sub bass not the deepest I've heard but enough to enjoy some edm and great mid bass combining to give an exciting bottom end that drives the music along. The mid bass doesn’t bleed into the mids, male vocals sound natural, they are silky smooth and are relatively neutral, with a nice sense of air and layering. There is detail and the timbre is just wonderfully natural with male vocals but the real strengh is female vocals which sound sweet and well rendered there is no added note weight they are not recessed or forward just natural in the position where the recording producer placed them. The treble is not prominent but it is there. The leading edge of cymbals are crisp and sound very natural. The upper range of the mids and lower treble do sound very effective, especially when cutting through the lower mids with singers in the higher registers. The whole sound being rendered with a balanced neutral authenticity that I was able to enjoy for 5 or 6 hours straight without any fatigue, these are supremely comfortable iems.
Now I know there are those who don’t believe in burn in of iems, all I’m going to say is, |I burn in all my iems to be honest I noticed little to no change in the Mira so they are ready to go straight out of the box.
Disclaimer
Penon was kind enough me a sample of the Leteciel Mira. I am not affiliated with Penon and of course was not asked for any copy checking before publishing, they are seeing this the same time as you. All pictures taken be me or sourced from the Penon website . ALL opinions shared in this review are my subjective thoughts.
Make sure to research any iem before you buy!
The Leteciel Mira retails at $54.90 which is extremely competitive and are available for purchase from the Penon website see the non affiliated link below
https://penonaudio.com/Leteciel-MIRA.html
DESCRIPTION from the Penon Webstore
Leteciel MIRA 10mm High Performance Beryllium-plated Dynamic Driver 2Pin 0.78mm HiFi In-ear Earphone
Pure quadratic element
LETECIEL is an earphone brand built entirely on the basis of quadratic elements. Each of its products has a matching theme song, sound and PV. "MIRA" is no exception.
Earphones linked to quadratic element
When watching TV, listening to radio dramas or playing games, we want to have a good sound performance, and we want to firmly grasp every sound transmitted from another dimension. "MIRA" helps you break down the dimensional wall, immersive is not a fantasy.
Every line of dialogue, every sigh of low breath, every highlight point in the game, every OP/ED of a TV, and even every BGM tears, "MIRA" is your loyal partner.
Design inspiration
"MIRA" means "illusion" and the design is inspired by a fun dream filled with adventure.
We specially designed a lovely lolita dress for Miss LETECIEL with the theme of the Shore flower, and set the story in a scene full of gothic elements. Through the sweet beautiful girl and the strange atmosphere interwoven, conflicting and exciting, it is expected to present the music world full of fantasy color.
We specially made Q version keychain matching the cover illustration of MIRA and placed it in the box.
Comfortable to wear
The earphone cavity is made of skin-friendly medical grade resin, ergonomic in-ear design, light and comfortable to wear and not easy to slip, as far as possible to enhance the comfort of long-term wearing.
Colorful panel
We specially designed the panels for "MIRA" with brilliant psychedelic colors. When you look at it in different light and from different angles, it will present rich and colorful colors.
The sound is especially optimized
The sound of "MIRA" is balanced and clear, and on the basis of comprehensive performance, pop vocals, JPOP, ACG and other types of tracks perform particularly well. In particular, "MIRA" is specially optimized for vocal, especially female voice tracks, as well as pure vocal audio such as ASMR, which makes the voice full of penetration and appeal when listening to it, making it unforgettable.
Custom core
"MIRA" uses a customized 10MM high-performance beryllium-plated dynamic driver, with the help of computer simulation technology, the internal structure, magnetic circuit, diaphragm, etc. are further optimized and improved, bringing more excellent sound performance.
Awesome accessories
The "MIRA" eartips selected the "Ether" produced by "Junebarc" to enhance the energy and texture of the sound.
"MIRA" earphone cable selected 6N level of high-purity oxygen-free copper earphone cable. The cable is soft, stethoscope effect is very low, toughness and durability.
Specification
Brand: Leteciel
Model: MIRA
Driver: 10mm high-performance beryllium-plated dynamic driver
Sensitivity: 109dB SPL/1 KHz
Frequency response range: 20Hz-20KHz
Impedance: 32Ohm
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm
The frequency graph for those who like to see such
What do they sound like?
The Mira are not a bass focused set not to say there isn’t any mid-bass snap and attack its there just not dominant. The mids are at the forefront, have some brightness without sounding thin the upper mids have enough bite to give guitars a pleasing aggressive presence. The treble is crisp but not sibilant or fatiguing, cymbals sound natural with a nice decay placed right where they should be not artificially forward. They manage to have a decently wide staging while being bassy enough to make drums and bass guitar natural. The impressive thing is these little wonders have great depth allowing for a far more realistic layering experience than expected at this level.
I want to really enjoy my music. Something that releases the full scope of what the artist created in the studio. The Mira does that with cohesion ensuring to there’s no jarring transitions between the frequency range. The Muta is not warm, but it's not thin and cold there is a lushness to the midrange, bass is textured, dynamic and layered. The mids don’t colour the vocals there is a little to no extra body to males vocals, female are realistic and sweet with a natural timbre. The vocals are front and centre with instruments placed exactly where they should be showing depth to the stage with natural unforced width. The Mira's dynamic driver sounds very coherent no trace of uneven timbre just everything working together as one.
What do I mean by unforced width? Some IEMs give an impression of super wide stage which sounds unnatural throwing instrument placement off. With the Mira the staging is reliant on the production of the music, if a song is intimate that’s how it is rendered if the song has wide deep and tall production values the Mira presents it that way which at this price point is rare.
The mids are natural , with just enough edge to add excitement to vocals and guitars causing me to be drawn into the music, Pianos and Guitars are given a really even treatment with no extra note weight sounding exactly as you would expect if you were in a concert hall.
The Transition from upper mids to lower treble is boosted slightly but still sibilance free, even with songs that have sibilance bult into the recording. The little bump in this region just edges them into excitement in this area. To be totally honest the Mira is very tip reliant I found with narrow bore tips there was a much more pleasing bass and treble treble and a more open sound in general with wide bore tips the whole signature became a bit thin. I settled on large white Final E these gave me the perfect balance of note weight and treble extension.
The timbre and tactility of drums, strings, guitars and brass instruments is very natural all instruments find their own place. Vocals both male and female are reproduced authentically with emotion, every inflection produced naturally. The Mira is not forgiving of poorly produced music.
The sound signature as a whole is of natural spacious and well layered with clear clean mids with a little edge in the treble, giving an overall satisfying feeling of immersion in the music
When I'm evaluating IEMs I have a play list of roughly 100 songs of mixed genres. With the SP01 again, I found myself listening to songs rather than
analysing the different frequency ranges listening to albums in their entirety just loosing myself in the music. I found they worked across all the genres in my library always smooth and velvety . I don’t listen to much EDM but the Mira played the Lordes’s “Royals” ok but l its real strength was with anologue instruments not really digging down deep enough with the bass though Lordes vocals cut through with an expansive sense of space and layering. The overall presentation is musical rather than technical as would be expected at this price level.
Music
a-ha - Take on me sounded open and airy with clean mids, the crisp drums and lush keyboards layered well . Morten Harket’s soaring tenor vocals sounding full and sweet with no thinness the layering in this 80s classic synth-pop song was produced with expert precision a really enjoyable listen
Adele – Hello, this torch song classic with moody piano intro and breathy vocals reproduce with just enough warmth and weight to draw you in slowly building to the big glide up the vocal register to the masterful high notes Adele is famous for the Mira manages to keep up without any distortion infact they present the nuances in the notes being sung really well showing the strengh of the Beryllium driver. The staging is also brilliantly reproduced increasing the atmospherics greatly.
Steely Dan's – Peg from Aja, one of the best produced albums in my opinion was played with expertise at this price range, drums, keyboards, vocals , hi-hats and cymbals were natural with excellent decay space and staging with good height, depth and width enabling me to pick out instruments in the mix, there was an openess in this song with the layering of the instruments in a class above its price bracket very enjoyable.
Led Zepplin – Since I’ve been loving you
The lead guitar intro is perfectly presented sweet and keening the drums sounded slightly subdued with that slow heavy rhythm not quite hitting the spot then as the song builds with added keyboards the atmospherics of the track opened up, the cherry on the cake comes with Plants unmistakeable vocals reaching for the sky as the song builds in intensity to a cohesive whole with the wailing Plant cutting through. The Mira didn't excel presenting the Zepplin rhythm section but the vocals were the star of the show never overpowered by the drums and guitar.
Steve Earle and the Dukes- The Hard Way
Crisp drumming introduces the song with piano and acoustic guitars as Steve Earles unmistakable vocals the production is big and airy with a adequate bass flooring in the style of many Bruce Springsteen albums this can sound a bit dry on other lesser iems, here it sounds smooth, spacious and layered. The layering is just astounding at this price point with each instrument being given enough space to be able to pick them out and follow them.
The Mira is an easy to drive iem I had no issues using them with my phone, Daps, Dongles in getting loud enough, the dynamics and open sound was present with all sources the texture and layering they are capable of was available for all to some degree.
They sounded good with warm sources. This is an iem that doesn’t need a powerful source but it does scale.
I'm not a fan of analytical sounding IEMs that force details into your ears like a photograph with HDR and sharpening set at max a decidedly digital representation. I'm more Vinyl on a turntable, Leica manual focus, sumptuous colours on kodak colour gold film, kinda guy, where if you look really close all the details are there but it's the whole image you appreciate rather than just how sharp it is.
Sources used
Sony ZX707
Shanling H5
Aune M1P
Shanling M6Ultra
Onix XM5 Overture
Sony NW-WM1A
Sony Xperia V
Penon tail dac /amp
Fiio BTR17
When using my different sources I didn’t favour the more powerful ones the extra dynamics and layering and technical presentation was apparent but the overall musical presentation was the same. They did however benefit from a warmer source such as the Sony NW-WMIA and Shanling M6Ultra
Comparison
Simgot EA500LM
For comparison it was obvious that the best choice would be the Simgot EA500LM these iems are not tuned with a similar target in mind while the EA500LM is warmer with more bass bleed into the lower mids giving a slightly warmer thicker mids the Mira has a more airy presentation and cleaner mids that present a more accurate position the upper mids while elevated are less intense than the Simgot meaning a smoother less fatiguing listen overall. Don’t think this smoothness means a lack of detail though the Mira is equally detailed and has better technicalities. Put simply in my opinion its a matter of taste to which one is best for you.
Conclusion
The up to $100 range is full of great sounding iems with more released it seems on a weekly basis the Leteciel Mira more than competes it’s an iem that while not redefining what’s possible at this price offers something different It’s fun and exciting sound signature that lets your music flow effortlessly. The Mira is a technically adept iem that I have not experienced in this price bracket before. A single Dynamic Driver that plays on a level with the $100 price bracket. One of the most enjoyably musical budget buys you can get for $55 I would say you have to spend a more money to get better a DD with this kind of signature. This iem is suitably as an everyday carry. I fully recommend you check out the Leteciel Mira.
Leteciel a new company to me, my first introduction was with the hybrid Magris an iem so good it will be hard to follow. The Mira is a single DD iem, my favourite driver configuration, there's some thing wonderfully natural about a single DD that I find hard to beat. The Leteciel presentation falls heavily into waifu territory, which For me isn't my favourite for of promotional tool. I often dismiss iems with waifu as not serious audiophile products. Which in the case of the Mira would have been a terrible injustice. Anyway now I've got my prejudice out of the way, the Mira is a beautiful small resin shell with multicoloured sparkling faceplate which houses a single 10mm full-range Beryllium-plated DD. That's tuned extremely well. The Mira is not a standard V or Harmon tuned iem it follows the tuneing style of the Magris so it appears Leteciel has a house sound rather than following the competition they are steering there own path towards success.
The Leteciel Mira is a fine example how far the hobby as come when it comes to budget single dynamic driver iems and what’s most pleasing its neither Harmon or V shaped in its sound signature but a balanced natural spacious signature close ti nuetral. The lack of tuning nozzles is refreshing with Leteciel confidently giving the customer their version of what a budget single DD should sound like.
In the current market there seems to be a new best iem released every week. Simgot EA500 and then the EA500LM the Kefine Delci to name a few notable recent holders of the title. The Mira enters the fray and competes with them with ease. Fantastic build quality, very nice cable available in 3.5mm and most important brilliantly tuned quality driver.
When I listened and took in how this iem presented my entire music catalogue I was able to just kick back and enjoy the music without any glaring defects the Mira just took everything in its stride confidently. The sound presented is spacious well layered not veiled; the treble is extended but not peaky. If I was to choose an iem to be a gift to anyone outside the hobby this would be a contender.
I'd just like to say upfront I believe we are all biased when giving our subjective thoughts about IEMs be it a particular type of signature that works with our music library or how an IEM looks and feels in our ears. On the subject of ears everyone's ear anatomy is different and this effects fit and seal which in turn effects the perception of bass response so I recommend finding the right ear tips that suit your ears to get the best of any IEM.
My review star ratings are linked to the price range of the iem eg a 5 star review of a $100 iem is not equal to one of a $500 iem.
I’m and audio enthusiast with a collection of over 200 iems, 30 different sources with a music collection that numbers over 100,000 tracks and 15 flathead buds I share my impressions as a way to share my enthusiasm for the hobby I approach from the premise of music first technology 2nd, what does this mean? For me the technicalities are not of prime importance but does the music move with this particular iem.
I’m a connoisseur of many different sound signatures. The only prerequisite is musicality I’m not a fan of analytical cold playback. My scale of success when it comes to evaluating iems is; do I get goosebumps when they playback my favourite tunes. There are many good iems but do they give me goosebumps? Unfortunately I have a draw full of just good iems.
I want the iem that I reach for without thinking because I instinctively know it will bring the thrill I’m seeking from my music. The Leteciel Mira’s bass, mids and sprinkling of treble coming from the Dynamic Driver gave me goosebumps with my most loved genre of classic rock which I believe to be the last bastion of instrumental authenticity just bands playing together in the studio with a sound engineer capturing the magic on tape! The Mira’s signature matches just as perfectly with these types of recordings as with any others in my varied collection. I must mention I don’t listen to classical music so cant say how this is suited.
I have always favoured Dynamic Drivers for the tactility and organic natural playback they produce. The Mira’s Dynamic Driver gives some sub bass not the deepest I've heard but enough to enjoy some edm and great mid bass combining to give an exciting bottom end that drives the music along. The mid bass doesn’t bleed into the mids, male vocals sound natural, they are silky smooth and are relatively neutral, with a nice sense of air and layering. There is detail and the timbre is just wonderfully natural with male vocals but the real strengh is female vocals which sound sweet and well rendered there is no added note weight they are not recessed or forward just natural in the position where the recording producer placed them. The treble is not prominent but it is there. The leading edge of cymbals are crisp and sound very natural. The upper range of the mids and lower treble do sound very effective, especially when cutting through the lower mids with singers in the higher registers. The whole sound being rendered with a balanced neutral authenticity that I was able to enjoy for 5 or 6 hours straight without any fatigue, these are supremely comfortable iems.
Now I know there are those who don’t believe in burn in of iems, all I’m going to say is, |I burn in all my iems to be honest I noticed little to no change in the Mira so they are ready to go straight out of the box.
Disclaimer
Penon was kind enough me a sample of the Leteciel Mira. I am not affiliated with Penon and of course was not asked for any copy checking before publishing, they are seeing this the same time as you. All pictures taken be me or sourced from the Penon website . ALL opinions shared in this review are my subjective thoughts.
Make sure to research any iem before you buy!
The Leteciel Mira retails at $54.90 which is extremely competitive and are available for purchase from the Penon website see the non affiliated link below
https://penonaudio.com/Leteciel-MIRA.html
DESCRIPTION from the Penon Webstore
Leteciel MIRA 10mm High Performance Beryllium-plated Dynamic Driver 2Pin 0.78mm HiFi In-ear Earphone
Pure quadratic element
LETECIEL is an earphone brand built entirely on the basis of quadratic elements. Each of its products has a matching theme song, sound and PV. "MIRA" is no exception.
Earphones linked to quadratic element
When watching TV, listening to radio dramas or playing games, we want to have a good sound performance, and we want to firmly grasp every sound transmitted from another dimension. "MIRA" helps you break down the dimensional wall, immersive is not a fantasy.
Every line of dialogue, every sigh of low breath, every highlight point in the game, every OP/ED of a TV, and even every BGM tears, "MIRA" is your loyal partner.
Design inspiration
"MIRA" means "illusion" and the design is inspired by a fun dream filled with adventure.
We specially designed a lovely lolita dress for Miss LETECIEL with the theme of the Shore flower, and set the story in a scene full of gothic elements. Through the sweet beautiful girl and the strange atmosphere interwoven, conflicting and exciting, it is expected to present the music world full of fantasy color.
We specially made Q version keychain matching the cover illustration of MIRA and placed it in the box.
Comfortable to wear
The earphone cavity is made of skin-friendly medical grade resin, ergonomic in-ear design, light and comfortable to wear and not easy to slip, as far as possible to enhance the comfort of long-term wearing.
Colorful panel
We specially designed the panels for "MIRA" with brilliant psychedelic colors. When you look at it in different light and from different angles, it will present rich and colorful colors.
The sound is especially optimized
The sound of "MIRA" is balanced and clear, and on the basis of comprehensive performance, pop vocals, JPOP, ACG and other types of tracks perform particularly well. In particular, "MIRA" is specially optimized for vocal, especially female voice tracks, as well as pure vocal audio such as ASMR, which makes the voice full of penetration and appeal when listening to it, making it unforgettable.
Custom core
"MIRA" uses a customized 10MM high-performance beryllium-plated dynamic driver, with the help of computer simulation technology, the internal structure, magnetic circuit, diaphragm, etc. are further optimized and improved, bringing more excellent sound performance.
Awesome accessories
The "MIRA" eartips selected the "Ether" produced by "Junebarc" to enhance the energy and texture of the sound.
"MIRA" earphone cable selected 6N level of high-purity oxygen-free copper earphone cable. The cable is soft, stethoscope effect is very low, toughness and durability.
Specification
Brand: Leteciel
Model: MIRA
Driver: 10mm high-performance beryllium-plated dynamic driver
Sensitivity: 109dB SPL/1 KHz
Frequency response range: 20Hz-20KHz
Impedance: 32Ohm
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm
The frequency graph for those who like to see such
What do they sound like?
The Mira are not a bass focused set not to say there isn’t any mid-bass snap and attack its there just not dominant. The mids are at the forefront, have some brightness without sounding thin the upper mids have enough bite to give guitars a pleasing aggressive presence. The treble is crisp but not sibilant or fatiguing, cymbals sound natural with a nice decay placed right where they should be not artificially forward. They manage to have a decently wide staging while being bassy enough to make drums and bass guitar natural. The impressive thing is these little wonders have great depth allowing for a far more realistic layering experience than expected at this level.
I want to really enjoy my music. Something that releases the full scope of what the artist created in the studio. The Mira does that with cohesion ensuring to there’s no jarring transitions between the frequency range. The Muta is not warm, but it's not thin and cold there is a lushness to the midrange, bass is textured, dynamic and layered. The mids don’t colour the vocals there is a little to no extra body to males vocals, female are realistic and sweet with a natural timbre. The vocals are front and centre with instruments placed exactly where they should be showing depth to the stage with natural unforced width. The Mira's dynamic driver sounds very coherent no trace of uneven timbre just everything working together as one.
What do I mean by unforced width? Some IEMs give an impression of super wide stage which sounds unnatural throwing instrument placement off. With the Mira the staging is reliant on the production of the music, if a song is intimate that’s how it is rendered if the song has wide deep and tall production values the Mira presents it that way which at this price point is rare.
The mids are natural , with just enough edge to add excitement to vocals and guitars causing me to be drawn into the music, Pianos and Guitars are given a really even treatment with no extra note weight sounding exactly as you would expect if you were in a concert hall.
The Transition from upper mids to lower treble is boosted slightly but still sibilance free, even with songs that have sibilance bult into the recording. The little bump in this region just edges them into excitement in this area. To be totally honest the Mira is very tip reliant I found with narrow bore tips there was a much more pleasing bass and treble treble and a more open sound in general with wide bore tips the whole signature became a bit thin. I settled on large white Final E these gave me the perfect balance of note weight and treble extension.
The timbre and tactility of drums, strings, guitars and brass instruments is very natural all instruments find their own place. Vocals both male and female are reproduced authentically with emotion, every inflection produced naturally. The Mira is not forgiving of poorly produced music.
The sound signature as a whole is of natural spacious and well layered with clear clean mids with a little edge in the treble, giving an overall satisfying feeling of immersion in the music
When I'm evaluating IEMs I have a play list of roughly 100 songs of mixed genres. With the SP01 again, I found myself listening to songs rather than
analysing the different frequency ranges listening to albums in their entirety just loosing myself in the music. I found they worked across all the genres in my library always smooth and velvety . I don’t listen to much EDM but the Mira played the Lordes’s “Royals” ok but l its real strength was with anologue instruments not really digging down deep enough with the bass though Lordes vocals cut through with an expansive sense of space and layering. The overall presentation is musical rather than technical as would be expected at this price level.
Music
a-ha - Take on me sounded open and airy with clean mids, the crisp drums and lush keyboards layered well . Morten Harket’s soaring tenor vocals sounding full and sweet with no thinness the layering in this 80s classic synth-pop song was produced with expert precision a really enjoyable listen
Adele – Hello, this torch song classic with moody piano intro and breathy vocals reproduce with just enough warmth and weight to draw you in slowly building to the big glide up the vocal register to the masterful high notes Adele is famous for the Mira manages to keep up without any distortion infact they present the nuances in the notes being sung really well showing the strengh of the Beryllium driver. The staging is also brilliantly reproduced increasing the atmospherics greatly.
Steely Dan's – Peg from Aja, one of the best produced albums in my opinion was played with expertise at this price range, drums, keyboards, vocals , hi-hats and cymbals were natural with excellent decay space and staging with good height, depth and width enabling me to pick out instruments in the mix, there was an openess in this song with the layering of the instruments in a class above its price bracket very enjoyable.
Led Zepplin – Since I’ve been loving you
The lead guitar intro is perfectly presented sweet and keening the drums sounded slightly subdued with that slow heavy rhythm not quite hitting the spot then as the song builds with added keyboards the atmospherics of the track opened up, the cherry on the cake comes with Plants unmistakeable vocals reaching for the sky as the song builds in intensity to a cohesive whole with the wailing Plant cutting through. The Mira didn't excel presenting the Zepplin rhythm section but the vocals were the star of the show never overpowered by the drums and guitar.
Steve Earle and the Dukes- The Hard Way
Crisp drumming introduces the song with piano and acoustic guitars as Steve Earles unmistakable vocals the production is big and airy with a adequate bass flooring in the style of many Bruce Springsteen albums this can sound a bit dry on other lesser iems, here it sounds smooth, spacious and layered. The layering is just astounding at this price point with each instrument being given enough space to be able to pick them out and follow them.
The Mira is an easy to drive iem I had no issues using them with my phone, Daps, Dongles in getting loud enough, the dynamics and open sound was present with all sources the texture and layering they are capable of was available for all to some degree.
They sounded good with warm sources. This is an iem that doesn’t need a powerful source but it does scale.
I'm not a fan of analytical sounding IEMs that force details into your ears like a photograph with HDR and sharpening set at max a decidedly digital representation. I'm more Vinyl on a turntable, Leica manual focus, sumptuous colours on kodak colour gold film, kinda guy, where if you look really close all the details are there but it's the whole image you appreciate rather than just how sharp it is.
Sources used
Sony ZX707
Shanling H5
Aune M1P
Shanling M6Ultra
Onix XM5 Overture
Sony NW-WM1A
Sony Xperia V
Penon tail dac /amp
Fiio BTR17
When using my different sources I didn’t favour the more powerful ones the extra dynamics and layering and technical presentation was apparent but the overall musical presentation was the same. They did however benefit from a warmer source such as the Sony NW-WMIA and Shanling M6Ultra
Comparison
Simgot EA500LM
For comparison it was obvious that the best choice would be the Simgot EA500LM these iems are not tuned with a similar target in mind while the EA500LM is warmer with more bass bleed into the lower mids giving a slightly warmer thicker mids the Mira has a more airy presentation and cleaner mids that present a more accurate position the upper mids while elevated are less intense than the Simgot meaning a smoother less fatiguing listen overall. Don’t think this smoothness means a lack of detail though the Mira is equally detailed and has better technicalities. Put simply in my opinion its a matter of taste to which one is best for you.
Conclusion
The up to $100 range is full of great sounding iems with more released it seems on a weekly basis the Leteciel Mira more than competes it’s an iem that while not redefining what’s possible at this price offers something different It’s fun and exciting sound signature that lets your music flow effortlessly. The Mira is a technically adept iem that I have not experienced in this price bracket before. A single Dynamic Driver that plays on a level with the $100 price bracket. One of the most enjoyably musical budget buys you can get for $55 I would say you have to spend a more money to get better a DD with this kind of signature. This iem is suitably as an everyday carry. I fully recommend you check out the Leteciel Mira.
Attachments
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Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Beautiful handmade faceplates
Super comfy at only 4 grams a piece
Fast bass and a procured early Pinna Gain at 2.5kHz shelved to 5kHz creates a floaty response into vivid vocals
A 10mm full-range Beryllium-plated DD generating great cohesive qualities and really good timbre
A charming unique character that is truly of female origin
Super comfy at only 4 grams a piece
Fast bass and a procured early Pinna Gain at 2.5kHz shelved to 5kHz creates a floaty response into vivid vocals
A 10mm full-range Beryllium-plated DD generating great cohesive qualities and really good timbre
A charming unique character that is truly of female origin
Cons: Decent detail but not the most detailed, even for the price bracket
More musical than technical, yet some darn good technicals
More musical than technical, yet some darn good technicals
The Leteciel MIRA 10mm full-range Beryllium-plated DD Universal IEM
Redcarmoose Labs November 10th, 2024
Hello,
Welcome to another Redcarmoose Labs review. Today we are investigating a new IEM on the block, the Leteciel MIRA. Penon also carries an upgraded MAGIRIS Hybrid IEM for $159.00. Yet here with the MIRA we find a $54.90 single full-range 10mm Beryllium-plated DD. I mean sure there are a few high math descriptions to the origin of the MIRA concept. Math being my least favorite subject in school, I’m going to leave the “math” sales jargon to the truly inspired to read about on the Penon page. And I’m not saying that there is no truth in the descriptions………….it is just possibly lost in translation. And that my dear readers is why you have me. I have spent around 9 days with the MIRA, I have tried it from a few sources and rotated cables and ear-tips. I simply did what any Red-Blooded American would do at the start, which was use the included cable, the included ear-tips and simply found myself sitting back listening to music.
My first impressions:
First impressions can go two ways to the extreme for me. One, maybe if the driver is the kind that needs seasoning, and I don’t mean salt and pepper, but needs burn-in time, that set of first impressions can go sideways in a hurry. And two, the first impressions I had of the MIRA…………..I was 5 feet off the ground. I’m sure anyone reading that euphoric jargon would think twice to take such remarks seriously. What can I say, they are my first impressions, they really are. Now maybe they are the first IEM heard that day, maybe not, maybe I’m at times just emotional about hearing a new IEM? For the money asked, the box opening experience is top-notch. It is easy to realize that IEMs costing upwards of 4X the price here don’t get the opening experience. And remember the box opening experience is only partially about what extras are included. Yep, the box opening experience is also the first impressions visually about the actual IEMs themselves. And……………the pictures here don’t do the MIRA justice. Sure they kinda do, I mean when have you seen such sparkles and tidy finish work in design? Especially under $55? To where none of this would matter if the IEM in question sounded bad. But it’s quite the opposite here. In fact, look at the provided graph? The MIRA looks on paper exactly how it sounds, except there may be more bass.
Of course graphs only provide so much information, what the graph leaves out I will try to provide with real human perception compared with other IEMs. Things like decay, timbre and stage, for starters. Maybe it is only a section of the signal from the MIRA that is unique or special at the price point? The MIRA only weighs 4 grams which in comparison to some metal 9 gram 10mm DDs is quite unique. Oh……those first impressions……….let me retrieve them for you!
I'm so excited right now I would hug each and every one of you. This Leteciel MIRA is better than anything I have ever heard under $55.00, actually the best thing I have ever heard under $150.00 maybe $200.00. I'm serious! Nothing like any single 10mm driver I have ever heard, bigger stage, deeper bass and more detailed imaging. This is the single best thing ever for the money! E>V>E>R
Just insane really............it is like finding that restaurant in town that is new that has better food than you have ever eaten before.........................
Specification
Brand: Leteciel
Model: MIRA
Driver: 10mm high-performance beryllium-plated dynamic driver
Sensitivity: 109dB SPL/1 KHz
Frequency response range: 20Hz-20KHz
Impedance: 32Ohm
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm
A give away at $54.90
Just insane really............it is like finding that restaurant in town that is new that has better food than you have ever eaten before.........................
Specification
Brand: Leteciel
Model: MIRA
Driver: 10mm high-performance beryllium-plated dynamic driver
Sensitivity: 109dB SPL/1 KHz
Frequency response range: 20Hz-20KHz
Impedance: 32Ohm
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm
A give away at $54.90
Side-by-side comparisons:
left to right top
left to right bottom
1) SHOZY P20 14.5mm Planar $139.00 8 grams each
2) Sound Rhyme SP01 10mm DLC full-range DD $89.00 6 grams each
3) Leteciel MIRA 10mm full-range DD $54.90 4 grams each
4) qdc Anole V3 3BA $549.00 4 grams each
5) SuperTFZ Crown 12mm full-range DD $219.00 7 grams each
Here is the deal, if I proclaim goodness and superiority I have to back it up. There is no better way to verify these claims than side-by-sides. Also if you take a look I have purposely used different price points as well as driver methodologies to voice my thoughts. In truth there are no perfect examples of the IEM art, only a few IEMs that do this really well, or that really well. But besides those playback idiosyncrasies, there are truly some better examples of the art, and lesser examples of the art. What does this mean for you, the consumer? A lot of this is like buying a pair of jeans. You need to get them on before you truly know what’s up. But like searching for jeans on-line you can get an idea as to the style by the photos, you also can start to get fit ideas due to trying on older pairs of jeans. Thus the side-by-side pictures can in a way clue you in on IEM size in relation to other IEMs in form factor. Why do you think I included side-by-side photos, showing different angles?
But more than that having a very different audio playback from a different IEM takes and just by simple side-by-side comparisons goes to delineate tonal features and contrasts, the extreme of tonal character held as a personality in each and every IEM. But also the different driver set-ups and price brackets are there for a reason to gauge a level of reality upon understanding what we really get for under $55.00. Before I get started I do want to relay one specific sonic feature that I have just started to focus on. This may sound silly after 258 product reviews, except recently I have paid special attention to single full-range driver pace.
DD pace v Hybrid pace:
Often timbre produced by single full-range drivers is close to perfect, yet to talk about opposites here.................really it is the finite pace detail and expansion of that detail into the Hybrid stage that makes Hybrids such a value. Yep, this little tiny BA metal reed can vibrate at a faster start-up and stop on a dime to procure infinitely faster transients. And because those devices' sound procurement is often separated in the sound-tube of a Hybrid IEM, it is easy for such pace to occur and be perceived. Also just so you know there are no Hybrids in today's tests, so the fastest one will be the qdc Anole V3 3BA for comparative purposes.
In every test I used the Sony WM1A with MrWalkman’s firmware, the new PAC LStips and SIMGOT AUDIO LC7 cable in 4.4mm. While testing the included cable did fine both in ergonomics and sound, it was just there is a definite improvement accessing 4.4mm amplification from the separate amplifier in the WM1A. The WM1A has a 3.5mm amp and a 4.4mm amp on hand. To where I’m not saying 3.5mm is inferior to 4.4mm, only different capacitors and amplification boards are set-up for 4.4mm WM1A use.
1) SHOZY P20 14.5mm Planar:
While the P20 is slightly harder to drive which is expected by some informed readers. And while yes, I have a love affair with what the P20 does. Though as with any reviewer it is not always consistent. Meaning since we are reviewers you may think we have the exact same opinion of an IEM all the time. But no, things change, the days and weeks pass, we as impressionable humans read other reviews and our opinion may change as we are given more food for thought.
And it is true that in my last review when I brought out the P20 it seemed less fun, holding less contrasts and even holding less vividness. Don’t ask me why, as I am not a time traveler even though I wish I was. But today we are somehow back on course to the stelar ideas the P20 almost 24/7!
P20:
While reality shows a slightly lumbering P20 bass, yet we have enough power, it may just be the Planar character. Big washes of sound and bigger imaging than I remember, heck I could re-review the P20, I almost want to, except my review was rating it super good and it is. There is a thicker mid-bass idea as well as lower midrange festivities at hand. But it is the powerful thickness of note-weight and vibrant vocals that are not messing around here. And just like its size and weight……………the MIRA is of less sound density. But, this MIRA cleanness is in no way missing a thing. Sure the stage of the P20, those added soundstage renditions of big-large mid-bass heft have been replaced by a polite midrange, a pure middle range, and at this moment I really like that idea the MIRA is about?
And held inside of that MIRA style is a slightly brighter, more trimmed down and more airy idea of a tone. Here is the thing, the imaging is of slightly less weight yet the weight that is there is not too thin or lacking, it is just not as lumbering or warm as the P20. But there is more where the P20 made a character name for itself with more bottom-end heft, and imaging substantiating a lower definition of those notes, the P20 made ways to your heart with warmer stage extensions coming out to play.
Where sure the MIRA is both lower weight in size/build, and sure it is not offering the audio physicality of the P20, yet there is a more balanced and strict idea of how MIRA plays ball. A faster ball! And it is in those midrange ideas of separation that we find gold, that there is this mid-range stage that while more floaty than the P20, holds just as much drama and fun. A cleaner rendition of imaging to where sure the P20 stage (especially the lower mids and bass part) are moving to explain the facts of life, yet the mids here are left to show in a faster brighter and carrying lesser note-weight, except the speed of the transients makes for those MIRA notes to still hold all the value.
2) Sound Rhyme SP01:
Look when I decided upon comparisons the SP01 was the first IEM to come to mind. The SP01 kicks, the SP01 is truly the one IEM to compare and if I was to cut corners in this review to save time and effort, sure the SP01 would be my only comparison. Why? Well the SP01 is the unit to beat. The SP01 has this wonderful midrange too, plus it plays every genre and has a fairly large stage. Also remember we are on a pace ability kick here at Redcarmoose Labs. That means that while Timbre and Stage are super important I’m going to try and be certain about pace character too, maybe even something I didn’t totally focus on when I did the SP01 review? But now more than ever I’m trying to listen for that quality along with the rest………..let’s get going!
The Sound Rhyme SP01 (Balanced nozzle):
Here we are also met with an incredibly small and relatively low weight IEM, though 2 grams more heavy than the 4 gram MIRA. The difference here on the outside is the SP01 is aluminum and the MIRA is resin. While Sound Rhyme was trying to market the SP01 with a new wild shape form factor and it is on the border of experimental, still it fits really well. The MIRA is more traditional and still eye-catching and valuable looking due to those sparkles. I can’t believe I have written this whole review and not mentioned the sparkles more? But to make a point, even in regular room light those sparkles are doing their thing, and while maybe it would be a question of personal taste if the sparkles were your style, they are truly my way to go here, all day long. I’m actually surprised I have never seen an IEM made this way, you would think they would be common?
SP02 bigger bass, more profound deep density and even thicker note-weight here. The SP01 is not joking, and the farther aspects of its playback showcase a wider more filled-in stage to go along with the imaging. Though here is the thing, while there is nothing wrong with what the SP01 is about, especially the reality of playback, you can’t fight realness. There is a poise to MIRA, there is a carefulness and even stage character difference that may lend itself to being more old school here. Meaning of course it doesn’t have the brute force of the SP01, and if you only bet only on brute force what can I tell you, get the SP01. Here is the thing the SP01 has a more forward displacement and even inside of the forwardness in vividness of imaging and pace! There is no denying those words. And as reviewers we are down for such styles of playback as that is typically where the value lies. The SP01 contrasts, the intensity, yet what MIRA is doing is sitting back and while still even and composed, it offering a still refined idea of detail, and while if you already own the SP01 and understand where I’m coming from, its that the SP01 is red wine and the MIRA is more of the female and liking white wine. Lighter and while still highly technical, everything is just a smidge more setback leaving room for what shows up as almost more 3D. The stage of the SP01 is slightly bigger in every direction, the lows are more profound and the highs hold more organic realism, yet with all this it still has you question why you would even like the MIRA. Because on the surface sure the SP01 has brought all those packages from the store that we want that we are asking for, yet the MiIRA is more reserved and where the SP01 is the man, MIRA is a woman here. It is of course that MIRA holds a thinner note weight, yet inside that note weight is still the full gambit of technicalities, it is just those technicalities are less boisterous, even less flamboyant. Now you're thinking I’m pulling my punches with the MIRA because she is female? I am slightly confused as I truly didn’t think there would be this big of difference with the SP01. Yet when everything is said and done I still find myself longing for the MIRA just as much, and it goes against my rational thinking to say such things. This is such a difference between two 10mm full-range drivers that I could even suggest owning both, and while on paper it seems like the MIRA would be the one later sold-off to buy more IEMs, and the SP01 holding all that we dream about from a DD……….I still would not be surprised about the section of folks who keep the MIRA in the end.
3) Leteciel MIRA:
This review is about MIRA!
4) qdc Anole V3 (Switches off):
Here is an IEM that I thought would help us to understand the workings of how full-range DDs came to being. Really the polar opposite, almost. I love this comparison. Why, well it is fun to learn just how far we have come but at the same time how things have remained the same.
Chinese IEM value has exponentially changed in the last 2 years, and it changed again from 4 years ago. Sure this V3 qdc was not truly a value back in 2018/2019 when it came out. qdc has never exactly been of Chinese value. Yet they are respected and loved for what they do. For most readers reading this the chance of buying a 3 BA IEM for this kind of money and this old may not even come to their minds. Yet I’m here and I have the qdc Anole V3 in my ears and both switches are down making it stock in replay, not the more vivid positioning of two switches up, or the bass position with one switch up...............or the treble position with the opposite switch up. Yet coming back here is a joy, and it may sound better than I have heard it sound in a while. Maybe this is because it is the most pricy thing in the group. As we know in life that everything is comparable. Yet I would have thought the broadcast of this V3 would be anemic in comparison, or smaller staged or something negative, but it is not. What we have here is the wild progress of dwindling bass.
Starting at the P20 the bass was the most, then diminished and polished by the SP01, then everything the MIRA was to the SP01................the Anole V3 is to MIRA. We are finding a coming home with the qdc Anole V3. What I’m trying to say is the MIRA is in a way more like this BA playback than the thickness of the P20 and SP01! Only the SP01 is the more realistic one and the P20 stays out late and shows-up rough around the edges.
And while I called the MIRA the female in comparison to the SP01, here we are now meeting up with that same midrange delineation of imaging, yet there is a Anole V3 wider stage than what the MIRA does. Also the V3 does a forward and back distance to the overall stage that holds the imaging elements even slightly less connected (which is a good thing) compared to MIRA.
Probably I’m just smitten that the SP01, MIRA, and the P20 didn’t eat the qdc Anole's lunch.
Sure the qdc Anole V3 was more money back in the day, and what the Anole is doing right now is showing how the MIRA can do deeper and denser DD bass, but that while both the MIRA and Anole share that love for the midrange, the Anole is slightly outdoing the MIRA. And the funny part about today was I found great pace in every IEM except the lumbering bass of the P20?
5) SuperTFZ Crown (Less bright switch on):
Technically the Crown is a powerhouse. And sure I just got done with the transients of a 3 BA IEM. And yes, the TFZ Crown has those, the Crown even has special places into which those images are placed in finite detail into the soundstage that would have you check the build, guessing surely there must be BAs inside.
The Crown very much sounds almost like a Hybrid, Only here is the deal, and I only realized this through today's tests, as that is what they are for silly.
I learned that even with the price of the Crown (and with the switches on which tunes the brightness character down) that the Crown takes a backseat to the MIRA in timbre. Yep, there is this relaxed timbre holding realness that is of a value to the MIRA. Maybe better timbre than a few of the previously tested IEMs. Though I remember and the SP01 probably has even better timbre than the MIRA, but the MIRA has better timbre than the Crown. And since were on the question of timbre, the timbre is what is of value even in the qdc Anole V3, it is that the BAs are of very special BA character, as such you don’t even almost question the timbre of the V3, even though you know no BAs are perfect. And that is the fly in the ointment of the Crown, Yet the Crown is truly something special as far as everything else. It does better separation, slightly better imaging and a slightly wider stage, yet if those bright guitars come in a point gets subtracted for timbre, and a point (even against a $219.00 TOTL Flagship IEM) gets put onto MIRA’s score card. Leteciel did this by not choosing or not being able to choose by DD ability……………….to go with the more relaxed tune, while still holding wonderful details, yet there is less of them (details) than the Crown tries to go for.
Side-by-side comparison ending:
Wow, that was a fun one. Also I did it all in one sitting to guarantee consistent results. For me anyway this is the very best way to learn what an IEM is in the end. And sure at times I start to look crazy with how I’m joining comparisons. Of course money is important and it is questionable how someone would make a choice of a new IEM purchase when I am all over the road as far as prices go. But I’m more looking to learn about character regardless of price. Now many who love the Crown would say disregard the timbre as that is just what comes (out to the surface) when you boost certain frequencies in a DD. And the Crown trade-off is that you are getting so much more (technicalities).............and with that I will not argue. But I’m trying to find the tone of the MIRA, so learning about the contrasts and benefits is really what I’m after. Look at what the P20 did with the lows, look how forward and the winner today was found with the SP01, even in the timbre department over the MIRA. The Anole V3 was so old that I was not so sure what the worth would be, but it came through too, to show how just 3 nice BAs can function and perform, though it was the least bass of the entire group. The P20 had the lows but they were also less defined, slower and the least tailored of the group.
Music:
Truly this section is what it is all about, and the most fun!
Delain
Apocalypse & Chill
Masters of Destiny
44.1kHz - 24bit
Where normally I use only one song from this album, the DAP was just laying there and some song came on and started playing. Sure I don’t know it as well as the test song I normally use, Chemical Romance. But I did go back to Chemical Romance and it was fine, keying in on many of the same features as I will describe for you in Masters of Destiny. Also once you get the quality go-ahead from a common test song there is nothing wrong with using new material, I mean I have used Chemical Romance to test guitar timbre and vocal ability for years and years.
Timestamps refer only to the digital file and not the video.
Masters of Destiny:
The more I try this number, I mean the more times I rewind it, the more I learn. Now while no IEM is perfect, there are certain attributes that are always special. Now the first relief here is the guitar. That we have an over tweaked Symphonic Metal style of guitar. In fact when female vocals get added to Symphonic Metal it almost seems like they have to treble-up the guitar to balance it out. Whatever it is, this is abnormal guitar production and can be problematic for some IEMs. Here while timbre is really good there is still a brightness yet a polished brightness that makes this guitar seem to work, and really it is found that on this album if the guitar works with an IEM with one song, it works for the whole album. The idea is that guitar is both fast and in-front, becoming a facet of the style of music. But there is for some a more important feature to this album. That’s right Johanna Charlotte Wessels…….hello? This singer turns out to be my favorite component, she just has a beautiful voice. And the MIRA goes forward to showcase such emotion and tone. How? Now while in no way perfect, the vocals and the guitar for that matter are found kinda in this shelf of playback. We can guess this early 2.5kHz Pinna Gain mixed with the secondary 5kHz peaks does this? I’m also referring to the whole distance occurring from the 2kHz to past 5kHz shelf that is creating this effect. This total rise in tone makes not for a super bright IEM, yet mixed with the rest of the signature there is a lightness to playback that is almost floaty. This floating ability holds definite speed and detail, but not the most detail, but imbues a character that while slightly unnatural is character (lol) nonetheless, and when you throw in the bass throbs becomes fun. But of course you see the bass energy also adds to this feeling of floating. There is this nice warm and slightly faster than normal bass additive that I don’t see graphically, but if you buy the MIRA it will probably be the second thing you take note of after the Pinna Shelf described. With this music the best way I can say to use it is take your time with it, as upon first hearing the tone could actually come-off slightly unnatural, only to become acceptable as the music plays on, and you become enamored by the details.
Hans Zimmer
Wonder Woman 1984 (sketches)
No Hero Is Born From Lies
44.1kHz - 24bit
Here this song ends way less problematic than the last song. Yet it is important that I choose walks in the park for IEMs to perform as well as possible issues to overcome. I mean when you think about it no IEM is perfect, yet there are songs which lend themselves to an IEM sounding fun and fantastic. And when you get down to it there are handfuls and handfuls of songs which give the impression of an IEM being more than it is. And after the problems of the last (Masters of Destiny) number on this page I have no issues with showcasing a grand and invigorating playback, for such an IEM as the MIRA. I mean I only have so much time, and you only have so much reading that you can do. So after I addressed the tuning with the last song we can move forward and simply enjoy that same tuning found in a much more regular style of recording. Now when I say regular what I mean is we have basic true to life style of instrument tones, and with that there are no fires to put out no challenges that the MIRA can’t handle in the best of ways. I will come clean, this song makes many IEMs sound special, so it does here too, but also since I have heard the song so much I can try and pick-out both good and lesser than good attributes. In the end the MIRA IEM will simply be described as all it is for better or worse, and that is what reviews are supposed to be about.
No Hero Is Born From Lies:
Timestamps refer only to the digital file and not the video.
Even at the opening at 00:00 to 00:03 we are surprised by the efficient low-end. Truly this song would not hold the magic that it does without the bass character. Typically Head-Fi audiophiles don’t consider this genre of music to hold bass notes. Yet when you visit a home theater system lover of course he or she will gravitate to songs like this from Hans Zimmer. Even regular 2 channel freaks will hold songs like these close to heart as ways to demo their audio system’s performance. Why the 2 channel IEM crowd does not, I’m guessing, comes down to more extreme bass examples of drama produced by Techno or Rap Music? But as far as I’m concerned this style of bass takes the cake, here on this IEM or a number of others choices too. Now there is a throb that takes place in the opening that other IEMs showcase more, just looking at the graph you can see (somewhat) the waters that we are swimming in. After spending a week and a few days with MIRA, I truly see the graph is how she is! There is nothing wrong with that, not all IEMs can be exactly the same. And the very best attribute to come out of my time with MIRA has been the correction of pace, the timing that I felt was gained after a week of burn-in. Sure there could definitely been cohesive qualities as well as added bass from burn-in? Yet the main feature that I faulted MIRA for at first listen was pace, and that has all gone away with the week of burn-in. Also where this pace is noticed is in the transient ability of the treble. Yep, faster actions of those cymbal splashes along with attacks and fall-offs……and I like that.
What I’m getting to is I have a whole number of songs that hold both an upper treble emphasis and the ability to showcase those instruments holding pace in that upper zone, and I have done my due diligence to determine the MIRA to (after burn-in) take additional ability to reproduce those characters. If this isn’t what burn-in is about with DDs, I am not sure what is except better bass and better faster imaging. Though at times even the stage seems to benefit here. Sure you can read my first impressions and feel the emotion, and while I slightly came down to earth in my timeframe with MIRA, the emotions of that first date are still there.
What we really have is warmth at the 00:08 mark despite all my talk of airiness. You see that’s the thing, MIRA isn’t about taking every last detail of the song apart, hearing these small bass thumps at even the 00:13 mark is again confirming that sure the tone is complete, it is just there is no way we are retrieving all the details presented, and that is not necessarily a super bad thing if stuff like timbre is on the better side of the street, and that’s what is going on. There is also an enchanting bass rhythm that takes place where the bass is clean and not asked to be the most prominent or go the lowest ever. That in this song the orchestra bass kinda sits behind the strings and horns adding a foundation of sorts. Though I’m about to eat my words when the bass hits at 00:28 off to the left side. See and that is the thing……..that this bass can come as a surprise due to the literal quickness it holds, and I don’t like that, I love it. Especially how that one bass section was isolated off to the side, pure gold.
In so many ways this becomes the perfect test song for IEMs of all styles as there is a progression that every IEM shows, though some better than others. Though here is the main theme that I want to get across here. There are Hybrid IEMs that take this song apart into small items almost holding finite elements of sounds, some small clicks and some just edge details, but here we are not exactly going for such elements, especially due to the treble roll-off. But my question as always is does it sound natural with these parts left out, I mean does this seem like we are being short changed at this point in time? Why? Because the elements of the song are there, they just are not held outward into the light of the treble, yep……while the 2.5kHz to 5kHz boost takes care of the vocals in energy this could still be considered a rolled-off treble, in that these are darker amber colored renditions, not gleaming or even white. What makes points is cohesiveness, just the fast that everything is incredibly uniform in playback, as that is what DDs do at times. And sure the notes are thick and holding weight but still there is an amount of air to this that is not holding everything grounded like the SP01, and yet that is fine…………as when the climax hits at 02:36 all heck breaks loose. Where sure this IEM does the contrasts at hand and in fully involving it is just the small tick-tocks right before the climax are more subtle and slightly sitting back more blended with the background than BAs do. But at the price point we are fine, it is unreasonable to expect these hyper details found in 5 or 12 BA set-ups to be gifted here, plus across the board MIRA has better timbre anyway than those BA set-ups!
Cable:
The 6N copper cable takes the cake for good manageability, it really does. With all chrome hardware and the Leteciel name on the plug, we are really going somewhere. Non-microphonic and a beautiful copper color adds to the look and feel.
Build:
As such we find a one-of-a-kind faceplate. And it is not only different from any IEM you have seen, but it is also different from one MIRA (faceplate) to another. Super low weight at only 4 grams each. Sporting 2 vents, one below the nozzle and one next to the 2Pin. And talking about 2Pins the choice of placing them flush to the side worked really well, and was a vacation from the often added stability of inset 2Pins. Still I don’t care about stability if the 2Pins themselves feel snug and well done, never a chance of falling out, even after multiple cable changes. The nozzle length is on the border of too short but works well with a wide range of regular ear-tips. There is a lip on the nozzle which holds tips on perfect, and a recessed screen sitting farther back out of harm's reach. All and all it is a very elaborate build far exceeding the asking price, especially how the overall looks take place. Most people in public would never guess this price!
Packaging:
Conclusion:
Here is a fancy IEM that looks and sounds like much more than the cost would have you believe. I have done my very best to use the MIRA for an extended timeframe and reported back as to the consequences. What does all this talk mean? Well for one MIRA is just as unique as she looks. That uniqueness is character, character that sits within the balance it holds. And the balance it holds means that it sounds relatively the same at multiple volume levels and MIRA really is well rounded, going with many genres of music. Still though it plays some genres a little better than others. As you can see I put the MIRA through the ropes, Mira went up against a more expensive competition. And MIRA indulged in song playback. I mean that is primarily what a review ultimately is, a letter about how an IEM does song playback. But more than that this review centered around how each of the IEM side-by-sides helped us discover the true nature of what MIRA is.
That MIRA does have great timbre but not the absolute best, that MIRA does have great bass but not the absolute deepest or even the strongest for that matter. And while MIRA has balance, it is the character of the early 2.5kHz Pinna Gain to 5kHz peak combined with the polite bass levels that creates this floaty character.
That within the airy zone we are gifted with fast transients and beautiful positioned vocals. That the stage (while not the largest) is still competitively populated with images. That this bass holds a somewhat fast and hidden (out-of-nowhere) presence that not only surprises, but sounds like more than the graph shows it to be. That MIRA does challenge the price point yet does it in a characteristic way by being softer and more feminine than the Sound Rhyme SP01.
Truly I know nothing about this concept of putting cartoon girlfriends on IEM boxes, nor have use for a MIRA key-chain. But that doesn’t stop me from agreeing that MIRA is a female, and I hear her in this IEMs personality. It is that personality that you are buying. And just like real personalities of people in real life, MIRA has a way that she carries herself that is both lovable and unique.
$54.90
penonaudio.com/Leteciel-MIRA
Specifications:
Brand: Leteciel
Model: MIRA
Driver: 10mm high-performance beryllium-plated dynamic driver
Sensitivity: 109dB SPL/1 KHz
Frequency response range: 20Hz-20KHz
Impedance: 32Ohm
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm
Disclaimer:
There seems to be a relationship between the Junebarc Company on the Penon web page and the Leteciel Company? The “Ether” ear-tips provided are identical as the ones used with the Junebarc HYPNOS IEM.
Disclaimer:
The MIRA has had a week of burn-in prior to a few days of testing.
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the Leteciel MIRA Universal IEM review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03 4.4mm balanced
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm balanced
ifi GO blu Bluetooth Amplifier/DAC 4.4mm balanced
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SpaceOperaVillain
Clearly, the sparkles are key to the superpowers of this IEM. Great review