Bass
The bass on the prestige OG was described by precogvision as mostly "an afterthought". Going from quantity, this seems wrong - the bass is elevated and impactful. However, from a quality perspective this seems more correct. Bass is somewhat unengaging, but this means focus is put on the midrange and treble which is fine with me. Don't get me wrong - it is not recessed but has sufficiently elevated subbass and midbass to be considered 'fun'. Nevertheless the bass sounds rather dry at times. However the bass still shows itself with authority when it's appropriate, for instance on Hans Zimmer soundtracks or dub techno, where it hits deep and hard.
So for bassheads or for bass oriented genres the prestige ltd may not be the right choice. I have heard more engaging, even addictive, bass implementations in IEMs like the unique melody MEST mk2 or - if I remember correctly - noble audio Kublai Khan (both of which are quite a bit more expensive).
Mids
The slight recession of upper midrange compared to Harman enhances the naturalness of female vocals, guitars and other instruments. The lower midrange is not or only minimally recessed, providing a better note weight in combination with the mid-bass than most Harman-tuned competitors, while being super smooth.
Overall smooth, detailed and well done.
Treble
Treble is the the real star of the show on the Prestige Ltd with its 4 ESTs, delivering top-notch technical performance at its price point. It is greatly detailed and overall very well tuned. However, its upper treble brightness can be problematic and negatively affect timbre depending on the record, as I will discuss next.
Timbre
Timbre is largely natural with the exception of some upper treble spikes that can occur, but they are record-dependent. Overall I would describe the timbre as clean and bright-leaning. If one was less generous, one could classify it as a bit too sterilized and overly technical and brilliant (vague descriptors, but timbre is hard to specify).
On many well recorded albums the upper treble energy makes the sound engaging and 'sparkly' without altering the natural timbre of most instruments (e.g., cymbals) too much. Truly an excellent use of ESTs drivers with far reaching treble extension (based of my early 30s ears) and a comprise between neutral and fun that usually works great.
However, upper treble can at times be too bright, especially on poorly recorded albums. Some sounds can become a bit too energetic and over-sharpened. This issue is somewhat genre dependent. I had issues on some - both well and poorly recorded - rock and metal albums where cymbals and sometimes guitars are presented with too much energy, but rarely encountered this with jazz or classical music. I still EQ the upper treble down for all genres in most cases, as the timbre of cymbals can be improved (more on EQ later).
Imaging and soundstage
Imaging is good is clear and provides crisp separation of instruments. Soundstage is good, open, and airy as well, but not excellent. I suspect the relatively smooth (meaning no dips and peaks) upper mids and treble and tuning do not maximize soundstage as some other iems do (e.g., MEST mk2 has a wider soundstage).
Fit, build, accessories
The fit is excellent for my medium to large concha and large ear canal. I can wear them for hours at a time. Much better than the monarch mk2 which is somewhat too big for me. The shell is somewhat big but ergonomically shaped and nozzles are quite short, if relatively big in diameter.
Build quality and looks of the IEM itself are great. Packaging is somewhat forgettable, but the cable behaves well and tips fit very good. After 3 months of use, the stock cable shows some problems: The 2 pin connector is a bit loose on the right side and I accidentally dislodged the IEM twice from the cable. The termination has also come off 3-4 times. Don't use the cable outside, you might drop, crack, or even lose the IEM shell!
Listening context
Most of my listening was done with lossless music on the Fiio M11 plus ltd and topping a30 pro/d30. The stock cable and stock tips in the largest size were used, which fit me excellently and better than all alternatives tested (various Spinfits, Azla, Dunu S&S).
My testing involves a large variety of genres, including jazz, vocal Jazz, pop, classic rock, prog rock, prog metal, death metal, edm, Hip-Hop, classical, and soundtrack.
An example song where Prestige LTD really shines (no EQ): Radiohead - Let Down (Remaster). Extremely beautiful rendition. The upper treble sparkle works too make this all the more exciting.
An example song which is well-mastered, but manifests some of the timbre issues: Caligula's Horse - Grace. As is often the case, Metal has low dynamic range and tends to lean bright. Here, I find the boosted bass and upper treble make the song too energetic, inducing fatigue.
EQ
My preliminary adjustments with EQ are small. With EQ, the iem is truly an all rounder and I rarely see myself grabbing for the mest mk2, my other high-end iem, anymore. It also beats the monarch mk2 on most levels, especially treble based off a limited comparison session.
EQ example:
Frequency / gain / quality
59 / -3 / 0.6
250 / 2 / 1.0
600 / 1 / 1.4 (only if you want a touch of warmth in mids)
10000 / 1.5 / 1.4
14000 / -5 / 1.4
Comparison with Mest Mk2
The other high-end IEM in my collection.
Bass: Mest > Prestige
Lower Mids: Mest = Prestige
Upper Mids: Prestige >> Mest
Treble: Prestige >> Mest
Soundstage: Mest > Prestige
Macrodynamics: Mest > Prestige
Imaging: Mest >/= Prestige (close call)
Mest bass is more engaging and the (overly) relaxed upper mids and only partially emphasized treble may help it gain a better soundstage and imaging (the bone conductor driver may also do some work here, but who knows). Overall, Mest feels more dynamic most of the times, while the Prestige is more analytical and detailed. Tuning comes down to preference, but the upper mids of the Mest are too recessed IMHO. With EQ the Mest can fix some its tuning issues and retains its edge in bass, dynamics, and soundstage. However, the treble is so much better on the Prestige Ltd that in the past months, I have only used the Mest for Metal or less-well produced music. I also grab the Mest sometimes when listening to music where the the bass and lower midrange are more important than treble, such as older Soul and RnB.
Conclusion
I have yet to encounter a contender in it's price range in terms of overall technical prowess and tuning. As such, I can give a definitive and largely unconditional purchase recommendations. Listeners who index high for bass quality and quantity or who are sensitive to (upper) treble and dislike EQ may want to look for other options or approach the prestige ltd with caution.
