MEAOES eagle

A condensed review summery:
This is something to read if short on time with the just highlights of the review.

If someone was to come up to me and ask what was the best $149.00 IEM is for electronic and IDM, I would maybe suggest the MEAOES Eagle. Why? I make this suggestion carefully as the Eagle offers a bright treble, yet at the same time there are itemizations across the whole frequency band which place musical information (separated) and imaged into entertainment. Meaning, the Eagle can be too hot with the wrong source or cable, but once you figure out how to handle it, there is a lot included for the money. This goes against the standard talk about IDM signature playback which is against hyper-treble, and unpronounced bass. Normally we want a subdued treble due to dance producers dialing up the “brightness” to get the hi-hats to cut through the dance floor room mix and balance-out the bass. Also normally we need added bass-physicality to provide the low-end? Yet this regular style of replay only goes so far in the under $200 category, mainly due to uninvolved, less than detailed treble creations. Combine those inadequacies with blurry, less than defined bass, and we have the general idea of the standard sound of (sub $200) IDM mid-priced playback. Though those other IEMs also have better timbre with acoustic music; here the off-timbre (with other than electronic music) is fully out-in-the-open. Like going outside your house with just your underwear on, something the Eagle does is not 100% right with the (middle and treble) timbre with some music. But stay close to home, or better yet, stay inside your home, and often underwear is totally comfortable.

Get them here for $149.90
https://penonaudio.com/meaoes-eagle.html




The MEAOES Eagle:
The MEAOES Eagle is a slightly different sounding hybrid IEM that is made from an unusual driver make-up.

Offering a dual custom high frequency BA driver configuration, combined with a midrange 7.5mm titanium dynamic and an 8mm ceramic dynamic driver for the lows.

Where have I seen this before?
Double DDs are staring to be the rage now.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-fan2.26145/reviews#review-29596
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dunu-vulkan.25887/reviews#review-28793

Above are two reviews I did recently describing 2X DDs and their effect on some of the latest IEMs. The Penon Fan 2, and the DUNU VULKAN. Obviously there are more, but these two are some of the latest and greatest. Though take note, they as a whole don’t sound similar, the Fan 2 is really a warm-neutral sounding IEM, and the VULKAN is more V shaped. The DUNU VULKAN uses a complicated set-up of an 8mm Structural Foam Cell Dome and an 8mm Nanocrystalline Titanium-Coated DD along with a Knowles Mid-High Driver, and a Knowles Dual Supertweeter for a total of 6 drivers. The Fan 2 has 2 x 6mm dynamic drivers for low frequency, 1 Sonion BA for middle and 1 Knowles BA for high frequency.........for a total of 4 drivers. You may ask is this needed? All I can say is all three of these IEMs sound unique in the IEM world, if it’s because of the fact that all three are using 2X bass or midrange DDs……I don’t know? To cut to the chase here, I would rate the Fan 2 and the VULKAN as a total score 5 meaning great, and rate the Eagle as a 4. Not everyone thought the VULKAN was so great, and many just thought it was average, and subsequently didn’t hear what I heard. It’s true that the VULKAN is slightly uneven in response, yet that is the character I like. Where it was slightly uneven in the best of places. The Fan 2 is a warm neutral and offers the cleanest bass of the three here today. I truly like what the MEAOES Eagle is doing, it just loses one star due to the treble being a little bit bright, that and a slightly uneven treble in a lesser good kind of way. Still it’s a great deal, especially for the quality of bass the Eagle does for the money. Remember the VULKAN is $379.99 and the Fan 2 is $270.00. So when you look at just the value the Eagle represents, it’s still pretty significant!




MEAOES Eagle 2BA+2DD 4 Drivers Hybrid 2Pin 0.78mm Audiophile In-ear Monitors

Specifications
Brand: MEAOES
Model: Eagle
Driver configuration: 2BA+7.5mm DD+8mm DD
Sensitivity: 103dB
Frequency range: 20-40kHz
Impedance: 10ohm
Connector：2pin 0.78mm
Cable: 1.2m 6N single crystal copper detachable cable with 3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm plug

Long before MEAOES was formed there was a company called HIFI Boy, they could never get their brand registered, so they changed their name and started MEAOES. So even though this may look like a new brand, HIFI Boy makes the $899.00 OE8 TOTL IEM, as well as the Dream, an $89.00 ear-bud, they also make cables and the OS V3 IEM which comes as a gift with the Eagle while supplies last. I don’t know how they do it, but the HIFI Boy OS V3 is a $149.00 gift! Yep, I said that twice!

Buy the Eagle now and get the HIFI Boy OS V3 as a $149.00 gift.....there I said it three times.

MEAOES Eagle

Packaging:
The MEAOES Eagle comes with a medium zippered case, a great modular plug that adapts a 3.5mm single-ended, a 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced plug to the 6N single crystal copper cable. A cable tie, 2 sets of foam tips, and large assortment of 9 sets of silicone tips.





Penon sells the cable as stand alone purchase. Priced at $34.90
https://penonaudio.com/meaoes-iem-cable.html

The cable:
Offering a great tone for what the included cable is, there is still room to add improvements as I found the Penon PAC480 really to be the ultimate cable join with the Eagle. What we are doing is looking for whatever we can to thicken up the note weight and add low-end authority to counteract the upper energies. So joining the MEAOES Eagle to the Walkman WM1Z and the PAC480 was really optimal. Still I'm being slightly critical here, though a fair amount of effort has been placed into the included cable, I still feel an aftermarket cable (in this case) is almost mandatory to get the MEAOES Eagle where it needs to be. Added with the PAC480 aftermarket cable is low-end girth which counteracts and tries to balance the treble. While this review is just what it is, a way to find pleasurable listening, and enjoying correct tonal response characteristics, you just have to adjust a few things. Below is the PAC480 in action!



https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-pac480-iem-cable.25228/reviews#review-28808
https://penonaudio.com/pac480-iem-cable.html

Priced at $49.90 it’s really the cat’s meow for this set-up!

IEM construction and ear-tips:

8mm dome ceramic dynamic diaphragm bass
7.5mm dome dynamic titanium diaphragm mids
2 BAs for the treble

From MEAOES description it looks like the BAs are directly inset into the nozzle tube, the 8mm and 7.5mm drivers are also sonically separated inside the 3D printed shells. The nozzles are metal and hold tips on wonderfully. There are two vents on the shells as well as L and R and the word “Eagle” written on each. The faceplates are hand painted and add to the swanky feel and look. The IEMs are 5 grams each and slightly larger than medium size. Made to conform to the semi-custom form-factor, they set inside of the ear and probably due to their overall size and shape, offer fairly good noise isolation. I stuck with the Hidizs long length-medium port ear-tips. This an ear-tip I don’t always use, but due to two factors ended up with it. One, the Eagle is really important to get an air-tight fit, maybe even more than most, and this particular tip fits deep. This will enhance soundstage and the lower frequencies. The other reason is I normally use wide-bore but in this case the stage was so big anyway, and I needed a slight reduction in the upper frequencies, so it ended-up perfect. There is nothing wrong with the included tips, but after a while (at times) you become close with a certain style of tips, so you are just used to them, and use them for no other reason. I want to reiterate that the final placement of the Eagle was spectacular, finding extra depth with the ear-tip, combined with the ear-hooks of the PAC480, and the shape of the Eagles was completely perfect. Meaning once they went into placement there was this great feeling of no movement and stability. They literally never moved at all!

Sound:
First off I like different, not really strangely different, but if the soundstage is large, and the IEM has great bass which is positioned in a zone, combine that with the classic Hybrid separation, and I’m all done, yep. This has that, also there is this brighter effect of the nozzle positioned treble-tweeters that seems to boost resolution and clarity? Just realize this review was written by a reviewer that loves Hybrids for what they do all day long. That feeling like you’re listening to home theater with that separate sub, disjointed from the rest. The TRN BAX has that, the DUNU VULKAN has that……even the Sony IER-Z!R has that…….home theatre. In fact, I was ready to write a less than great review score for the Eagle, then after truly getting into using them with the right tips, and DAP/Cable……..what can I say? They truly are not bad!

Treble:
Boosted midrange/treble is what the graph shows, yet for this reviewer it’s supplying the goods, maybe too much for some younglings who have 100% of their hearing, but for many this will be both bright and handleable? There is that itemization of finite treble displays that you get with big-ticket IEMs. Obviously for $149.90 it’s not a total refined even treble, yet despite what it does wrong, I’m not sure I have ever heard this much treble detail for the money, combined with the deep-end and we have a party here, we really do. The treble is pushing the up-top frequencies and getting them alone in the reaches of the upper stage. While there is also an album by album style of quality to them, meaning they do some instruments more real than others. And while these are not top-tier tweeter brands like Knowles or Sonion qualities going on here........it’s OK. Really it’s all about note weight, and if it is required by the music, well.........you could be in trouble. Yet, music that has no real-life counterparts, like electronic music will actually work well, if you can handle the top-end heat at times with electronic? Probably my fascination here is simply getting my head around how they do great separation of treble constituents into the stage. Playing hi-hats from a drum machine and electronic cymbals is fun as they are fully shot-out and realized by these 2 BAs. And while they often don’t have the note weight, they do offer a crisp attack and fast decay.



Midrange:
Note how big the 3.8 kHz energy is! Note only that, but look carefully how strong it is in relation to the bass department. Then note the 5 kHz peak too. Still this is not as drastic as it looks in the graph, mainly due to how the warmth of the bass actually effects 3/4 of the whole signature, regardless of graphic representation. As far as being balanced, you can see by the graph that maybe these would be a “upper-midrange” IEM, and the sound is kinda that way, but there is way more going-on than what a simple graph would show. In fact to judge these by a graph, you would only be 1/2 right. The issue is both that the mids and treble are not only uneven, but the 7.5mm midrange offer a titanium sound. Titanium drivers color the sound ever so slightly. Really though I can get used to this, and get more used to the titanium sound after prolonged listening. It’s simply driver character and goes with the whole package, as there is a quickness that is also wonderful. There just isn’t a ton of decay in the midrange either. Which is most likely the firmness of the 7.5mm midrange dynamic driver......fast responses, but a fast decay too.

Bass:
Glorious really. If you go by the graph you would sell yourself short. I mean that’s why I’m here, if graphs told 100% of the story you wouldn’t need to read reviews at all, you could simply judge an IEM by the graphical response and know if you want to buy it or not. The bass is of a full resonant, but tight and controlled. It’s truly one of the very best attributes we have going on here. I mean I’m fully recommending it for IDM, so what’s that tell you! It has texture and great decay, timbre and warmth. For many the 8mm dynamic driver will be the star of the show. It’s truly delineated and profoundly entertaining. When you put this up against the myriad of foggy, over-barring (slow) and 1/2 distorted other bass producers, then you know how it truly rates. The way the bass is positioned frequency-wise ............there is never any creeping-up and adding any fog to the midrange.

Soundstage:
The overall soundstage is wonderful, giant really with the right music. More wide than thick, more wide than front to back……but really the front-to-back thickness is a special trait here. The benefits of Hybrid methodology are real and produce soundstage results. Yep, there is a pleasant separation into the stage which goes to really become a value here.



Conclusion:
I have a feeling these IEMs are going to generate a style of love or hate amongst the community. Rarely have I seen a graphical representation appear so short of the true picture going on. Yet there is truth to be found graphically, still........that is not how these are going to sound in the end. These are totally fun, and better than fun, endearing if you choose your tunes and dial in the upstream equipment. You may be in for a joy-ride, as they can possibly be the best you ever heard $149.90 IEM sound? They play half your library nicely and offer a variation (probably) to what you already own, therefor complementary. We all know the $149.90 treble detail has always been a sector that separates the mid-priced IEMs from the big boys, well here is an attempt to fix that discrepancy and provide the (treble) goods. And yes, the bass is actually really quite cool for what it does! It’s just I couldn’t do my job with-out disclosing that this is not a totally well-rounded style of playback, yet for the half the library that it works with, it really works! Meaning this IEM offers a unique and special style of replay that many will find amazing, it’s just that despite the good playback, the MEAOES Eagle will never be for everybody. It’s just too unusual doing what it does…..it’s almost like a style of food that will generate controversy. And in many ways there is nothing wrong with that, as it’s often better to have personality and show your true colors than to be one of the pack. Too many IEMs today sound exactly the same, and in-fact are almost indistinguishable from one another. There are in-fact albums, whole albums that seem to work, and whole albums that for whatever reason don’t work. In part of me being complete and disclosing the true picture here I have made a list of the good and the ugly for you. This simple list is exactly what’s going on with the MEAOES Eagle, showing what it’s does fantastically and what it does poorly.



- Delain "Apocalypse & Chill"
Anyone who understands this record, basically understands that it was mixed hot, a cornucopia of treble laden guitars and forward tones. In fact I use it everyday to ascertain the treble/midrange goings on with a multitude of IEMs and upstream playback adds. Often I use it to discover the personality cables with DAPs. Some IEMs play it great, some not, as it can come-off steely and metallic. Here it is truly the worst the Eagle has sounded, just another album to exemplify how the Eagle is not always well rounded.


+ Dead Can Dance "Anastasis"
This album is 100% correct with the Eagle. Yep, doing no wrong, the soundstage and harmonic richness are some of the greatest the Eagle has ever sounded over at Redcarmoose Labs. Just ample amounts of win due to the spacial characteristics combined with the treble details enclosed with-in.



+ Hans Zimmer "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice OST"
While some of this came-out borderline hot, still at lower volumes it was enjoyable. This happens to be my favorite test album, showing just what the total potential of an IEM is. The thrills here came from fully executed bass drops found far out into the stage, fully separated from the midrange. I could go on all day about how I actually love the Eagle bass, but you have my message, I'm sure.

+ Hans Zimmer "Dune"
Another well produced masterpiece of music reproduction. And...the Eagle pulls through!

+ Umwelt "Days Of Dissent"
While providing the ultimate example of the Eagle's character, this was never hot or even on the edge of bright, and alone one of my first clues of what we have in our hands here. While providing the low-end to make this type of music work, the Eagle fills the air with excitement as it takes flight!

https://www.instagram.com/fredumwelt/?hl=id

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the MEAOES Eagle review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm and 3.5mm

MEAOES EAGLE

MEAOES stands for multiple audio experiences.

So here is a bit of news. While this brand may seem new to you and I. MEAOES is the new company started by former HIFI BOYs fame. Hifi Boys are no longer in business. The name has changed but the quality has not. The new EAGLE is a dual dual hybrid. Two BAs with two dynamics. This configuration seems to be what is hot nowadays.

But as you all know it is all about the integration of the hybrid formula. What is being used on the Eagle is an interesting mix of drivers. Two completely different dynamics for one. 8mm dome ceramic diaphragm handling the bass + 7.5mm dome diaphragm handling the very important mids + two BAs are located in the nozzles working for that treble.


What you get.
The Eagles comes in a medium sized box. A basic gray colored clamshell type zip up case. 3 sets of silicone tips, two set of foams and something unexpected: a modular copper cable with 3 different types of connectors. 3.5mm single, 2.5mm balanced, and 4.4mm balanced connectors. The modular system is easy enough to use. You just have to pull out the bottom 2/3rd of the connector out and connect them via the new plug you wish to use. The cables are a nice quality 6n crystal copper cable 2 core cable. The cables are well matched with the sonics of the Eagles and its modularity is very nice for all types of sources. The housing is a resin poured housing with hand painted shells. Definitely sturdy with good ventilation and passive isolation

With that I would like to thank Penon audio and MEAOSES for the review sample of the Eagles. They have been burned in for over a weeks' time and has the new improved nozzle filters in place. The Eagles was used using my Fiio K9 Pro, Ibasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, Fiio BTR7, IFI Gryphon and IFI signature. You can look them up on Penons sales page here.

The sound
The Eagle sound design is an energetic u shaped tuning, a broader stage for IEMs with good dynamism, a higher level of details with a clean brighter tonal character for its sound foundation. While its tonal qualities are slightly bright, its technicals are as good as any I have heard in the price range for hybrid IEMs. Unfortunately due to the unusual low impedance of the Eagles at 10 ohms. It will matter what you connect to the Eagles to in how you’re hearing them. If you connect the Eagles to a high powered amp you're going to hear a lot of brightness with a thin note weight. If you connect the Eagles to a newer warm sounding modern dap with low impedance out, Shanling/ IBasso DAPs or IFI products for example that will get you the best sound presentation for the Eagles. This review is based on the new nozzle filter given out to buyers after a factory mishap that installed the wrong filters in the nozzle. Perspective buyers will bet getting the Eagle with the new filter installed from this point forward.

The balancing for its presentation has greater elevation for its upper mids and lower trebles vs the lower mids with a moderate amount of bass impact. What makes the Eagles interesting is that it uses a dedicated dynamic driver for its mids presentation, a nicely resolving 7.5mm titanium dome driver. Titanium dynamics has the advantage of a tighter, more resolving detailed sound but gives off a slightly sweet cooler tonal character for music which some folks will like and some not so much. While timbre is generally good for the Eagles. Due to the innate sound properties for titanium with ample upper mids tuning there is a slight edginess to timbre and tonal character for the Eagles. You can see it as a type of coloring for the sound due to the driver material. Sound has a leaner note weight and a quicker decay of notes. Otherwise it has some very good definition for its sound presentation finished off by a very capable bass foundation. I feel as detailed as the Eagles are, you do have to be a fan of detailed hybrid presentations or even analytical types of sound tunings to enjoy this one. Its ample details is what stands out for the Eagles but it would have been even better if it had greater note weight with more lower mids emphasis and less upper mids presence than it shows.

Trebles.
The way the Eagles are tuned, you have to be a treble fan meaning you like your treble's presence to be forward to enjoy these. The balancing of the sound is bright, energetic and clean due to the most emphasis for its upper mids and lower trebles vs the rest of the tuning. This casts a cleaner slightly bright tonal character to the rest of the tuning.

While I would describe the tuning to be more of a U shaped signature these are very close to being more of an r signature, r signatures being treble first. Trebles show lots of detail as it is handled by the dual BAs in the nozzle of the Eagles. The BA in the nozzle aspect has some debate whether this design is good or not. In my experience if the tuning is emphasized in the treble region people will immediately associate that emphasis based on the BA in the nozzle design but in reality it comes down to how the BAs were tuned more so. MEAOES named this particular hybrid Eagles for a reason. Highs are soaring above the rest of the frequencies.

The main focus of the treble is its lower treble and then sees a gradual reduction of emphasis toward the upper trebles. This treble tuning is a bit uneven but for folks that love the high notes these are again seem to be made for folks that don’t mind to have ample treble emphasis. For the most part it is not the fatiguing type of trebles but it can be depending on the type of music you listen to. Anything melodic and well recorded this bit of brightness in the lower trebles brings a clarity and treble presence that sounds decidedly higher end but at the same time if you listen to your EDM and hip hop tracks with a lot of synthetic trebles involved. I found myself lowering the volume a bit to compensate for the slightly forced trebles.

It will be a matter of taste in how you like your treble presentation. If you want an easy going smooth relaxed rolled off treble that is not what you get with the Eagles treble tuning. Trebe is the opposite. Energetic and slightly forward. Again it will come down to your treble sensibilities.

Mids
Of the Eagles is handled by a nicely resolving 7.5mm titanium plated dome dynamic. Tonality overall is a touch on the cool side of neutral and this is from a combination of the lower treble emphasis and how titanium drivers present sound. As I type there are simply not too many titanium based dynamics I have heard that come off as warm and or dark. The detail aspect of the Eagles is nicely done however, its timbre suffers a bit by a slight rigidness in its presentation. A bit more analytical leaning in how the Eagles are tuned vs being musical or full bodied.

Its slightly sweeter tonal character is a bit unique among hybrids. What makes the Eagles standout for its mids presentation is that some of its technical aspects, especially associated with detail, is among some of the best for the price. Imagining is precise but not exactly 3D in how the sound is portrayed. Due to the mids emphasis taking a step back over the tribes and bass ends of the Eagles. Note weight as previously mentioned is not a strong suit for the Eagles. It has very good note separation and another standout of the Eagles is its broad mid range that presents a wider scope for its mids presentation than most. Female vocals and stringed instruments are more forward in the sound vs instruments or vocals that need some heft or body of sound. Its slightly laid back mids presence gives somewhat of a unique more broader take on the midrange for the Eagles.

Using a titanium dome dynamic for its mids gives a detail aspect that is uncommon for dynamics at this price range. I remember at one point titanium plated dynamics was the rage, look up old Dunu dynamics for example. But since then we have seen the Graphene craze, Beryllium craze, DLC craze and Planar craze. What was old is now new in the Eagles. But somehow I feel the tuning of the Eagles could have been a bit better vs how it is tuned now. As it stands it is more analytical in approach than musical. Which I feel is a bit of a lost opportunity.

Again to get the absolute best from the Eagles. Your sources and a proper tip matters and I do recommend trying out a thicker more substantial copper-based cable. For example
Penon PAC480 on the Eagles is superb and adds the one issue I personally have with the Eagles is by adding note weight. It does a good job smoothing out the treble notes a bit as well. PAC480 is a nice upgrade on the included cable but is a bit thick. Otherwise these are the cables to use for the Eagles. This in combination with a nice full bodied warmer sounding source and you got yourself a nice sounding Eagles.

Bass
So this aspect is a stand out for the Eagles. It is using a slightly larger 8mm ceramic dome. Much like how the Titanium dome is unique for the mids, so is the dynamic handling of the bass. I don’t recall ever hearing a ceramic dynamic so this is a first but what I do know is that the bass end of the Eagles punches above its price point. Analytical does not mean you're gonna have a weak one note bass end. Far from it the ceramic dome seems to have a texture that mimics another dynamic I regard highly for its bass texture. The silicone dynamic. Bass is moderate with nothing overly cooked but at the same time it clearly has a tight detailed rumbly punch to its make up. The bass is a strong suit for the Eagles and I can clearly understand why the designers for the Eagles chose this specific dynamic for the bass end.

Bass has a roundness with a texture to its tonal character that is once again not too common for its price. I will go as far as to say it will be a good idea for MEAOES to continue using this particular dynamic driver for future releases. Bass definition is what stands out to me for the Eagles. Bass sounds rangy yet tight with very good texture to its presentation. I can tell this dynamic was chosen for its definition and texture. Overall bass was a pleasant surprise on the Eagles. Its bass does a great job complimenting the detailed nature of its overall signature. Unlike the mids presentation with its more leaner technical presentation the bass end has more body to its note causing somewhat of an uneven presentation among the drivers.

In the end
The Eagles are unique in many ways and I feel it was a design that was not quite ready for prime time. These are not tuned for your average consumer but more for audiophiles that love a lot of details present for their music. Eagles are built well in all resin design, and providing a good selection of tips helps their cause. Their new modular copper cable matches well with the Eagles but with a highly detailed signature these do require a better cable to help with its shortcomings. They can sound tremendous with the right cable and source but not everyone will be trying these aspects that are required for them to sound better than they are.

In an industry filled with hybrids and a myriad of choices at the price, MEAOES is trying something a bit different. I can tell they were going for a higher end sound utilizing a unique driver combination but in the end they are a 10 ohm IEM which almost eliminates the need for a balanced plug. They end up being very sensitive to the sources you attach to them to so your experience with them will vary greatly. With the current deal of a free additional hybrid they are worth checking out but be warned you have to do some trial and error as far as getting the Eagles to sound their absolute best. And it is at their best they can sound tremendous but it comes at the cost of having the right stuff to use with the Eagles. As they are out of the box, I feel it is somewhat of a missed opportunity for the group as these have some serious potential.. Thanks for taking the time to read and as always happy listening.