Unique Melody Mest ‘Jet Black’
Introduction
First of all, I don’t usually open a review with a detailed view on the driver configuration but I’ve been intrigued by the mix of drivers in Jet Black, and felt it was important to set the scene with that in mind – it is a very interesting array of drivers, combining a fairly standard mix of DD, BA, and EST, but made more unusual here with the addition of a hybrid bone conduction system – I can assure you, this mix of drivers really does serve up quite the technical beast in Jet Black. Anyway, park that in your head for now as I will of course come back to this later!
I’ve reviewed several Unique Melody IEMs now and always a pleasure to experience what they serve up, and fair to say I’m always impressed. I have reasonable skin in the game when I review a UM IEM, I do not get them for free as is the case with several others – the ‘benefit’ there if I can call it that is I can always sell once I’ve completed the review and put the cash back in the bank (clearly not, we all know very well it will be quickly consumed by another audio toy…). Maven II was the last set I had from UM, and probably safe to say my favourite IEM from UM so far – I think it already has a somewhat legendary status and loved by many in the community, a massive hat tip to UM for that creation!
I would like to thank both Musicteck and Unique Melody for the opportunity as always. Plus of course to point out that all thoughts and words my own…
The Mest ‘Jet Black’ is available from Musicteck HERE
About Me
I worked in the consumer electronics industry for a large part of my career and have been passionate about music and technology for as long as I can remember. Even as a small child, I would ask my mum to put records on the turntable (Abba, Supertramp, and Planxty if anyone is curious).
My music preferences are very varied—anything from classical to techno, indie rock to jazz, and everything in between. In my early teens, I was a big fan of bands like The Cure and The Smiths (still am all these years later). I was bitten by the dance music bug in the early 90s, becoming passionate about genres like techno, house, trance, and IDM. I amassed a huge collection of records and CDs, DJing at various parties and occasional pirate radio station slots. Although it remained a hobby, I still own thousands of records, and my trusty Technics 1210 turntables are still going strong 30 years later—a testament to Japanese engineering!
I am not a professional reviewer, just an enthusiast who loves music and the devices we use to listen to it. Over the last few years, I have become obsessed with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and kept a select few—ranging from the $20 Moondrop Chu to kilobuck sets like the Aroma Jewel, Oriolus' infamous 'Traillii,' UM Mentor, and various beloved single DDs. Through this exploration, I like to share my thoughts with the Head-Fi community, hoping they might be useful to others. However, remember that this is a highly subjective hobby, and your mileage may vary.
While I've been fortunate to own and try a variety of the TOTL sets on the market, I honestly enjoy lower-priced sets as much - especially as the gap continues to close, many much cheaper sets now offering significant value and further driving diminishing returns.
I’ll admit I do suffer from happy ears—rarely do I find an IEM that I genuinely dislike. At this stage, there are very few truly "bad" IEMs; it all comes down to individual preferences. Since I listen to such a wide variety of genres, I almost always find synergy with some part of my library. Where I tend to deduct marks is in areas like value for money, poor accessories, or an uncomfortable fit—things that can detract from the overall experience.
About Unique Melody
I don’t see an ‘about us’ to copy and paste here, but I think 99.99% of readers are well aware of who UM are. Probably made ‘famous’ in recent years for the original MEST, which was built upon by the MKII edition, then MKIII and now ‘Jet Black’. UM have had great success at the top-tier level also with the likes of Mentor and Mason series, plus of course the great ‘MEXT’ which is a truly fun set.
Specifications:
Impedance: 12.6Ω
Sensitivity: 106dB @1kHz
Crossover:
Air Conduction: 4-Way Crossover
Bone Conduction: 2-Way Crossover
Unboxing
The UM unboxing experience has followed a fairly consistent theme over the years, albeit with a few differences between models. I have always have a warm fuzzy feeling when a new UM arrives, I think possibly due to the memory of when I bought my first UM, the MEST MKII and how excited I was at the time, stepping up to my first ‘kilobuck’ set.
The unboxing and packaging always has a premium look at feel, often reminiscent of an item of jewellery.
Accessories
I really love the mix of accessories included with UM IEMs – always top-notch quality and everything you could need. This includes their own silicone tips in S/M/L, and their transparent tips in both ‘open’ and ‘petal’, again in S/M/L – I am unfortunately not blessed with small ear canals, and all of the stock tips are just a touch too small for me! – I’ll be in the minority here, but maybe they could consider an XL tip for the freakier large canals such as mine…
You also get a cleaning cloth which you’ll definitely need to keep those ceramic shells looking shiny, and individual mesh pocket bags to store the IEMs – I use these all the time, there is a nice sense knowing they are safely wrapped up in the mesh and packed away in the case.
Case
The case is very similar to what has been supplied in the past with other sets, albeit with nuances of design changes – I don’t have Maven II anymore so can’t compare directly but it feels like this case is an upgrade. It has a very high-quality finish of leather with a nice soft interior.
I like how the inserts are arranged so you can place the mesh into a pocket each, and then wrap the cable around the exterior. It does take perhaps a minute or so to pack away and indeed take out each time, but consider that a bit of a ceremony in preparation for musical enjoyment, and confidence knowing they are pretty secure when you are done.
In addition, you get that all-important pocket for some extra tips etc. I find these very useful as I often have a selection of tips that I might be experimenting with when a new set arrives.
Cable
I chose the ‘UM Dreamy Custom’ cable as I preferred the look, nothing more than that. It is again quite similar to others from UM with a PVC exterior which as a bit of a rubbery texture to it and is reasonably light and ergonomic with minimal microphonics. It is an OCC copper cable with 24AWG.
The cable terminates to a 2-pin connection to the IEMs, and you can choose between 3.5mm single-ended or 4.4mm balanced.
Design and Fit
The shells are medium to large and have a bit of weight to them due to the use of ceramic. I have found the weight can at times lead them to shift a touch out of my ears, requiring an adjustment to set back in position – I tried to correct this by using larger and thicker tips, but that curiously led to some pressure build – I say ‘curiously’ as I don’t typically experience pressure with hybrids, but have found sets with BCDs can cause this issue. In addition, I don’t see any vents so maybe this explains it, strange though to have a set with a DD and no vents? – let me know in the comments if my failing eyes have missed them! I’ve read reports of driver flex from some owners but this is not something I’ve experienced.
The ceramic finish looks and feels wonderful, and dare I say quite ‘unique’ in a world where many IEMs are made from 3D printed resins, or my personal favourite, titanium. As noted, the use of ceramic does mean they feel a bit heavy. They are of course fingerprint magnets too, so definitely handy to have the included cloth stored in the case to keep them nice and shiny.
From a durability perspective, my understanding is that ceramic should hold up well but I have certainly been incredibly cautious with them, I feel a sense of panic at even the thoughts of dropping one on a hard floor, I’m not confident they’d withstand impact from a high fall…
The 2-pin connection has a slight recess and I’ve found the cables very secure once inserted.
Listening Impressions
I have tried Jet Black with multiple sources over the last few weeks, and found lately that my favourite synergy is with the Astell & Kern CA1000T using a hybrid tube setting.
The Jet Black were absolutely not a love-at-first-listen set for me. In fact, when they first arrived and I excitedly + hurriedly popped into my ears and hit play, and then thought ‘oh’ – these are maybe a touch too clinical or even sterile… I even questioned whether brain-burn would make a difference and wondered if the Jet Black would be the first from UM I wouldn’t actually appreciate. Anyway, one must persist in these scenarios, and persist I did, fast-forward maybe a month later, and I have a very different relationship with them now. To be clear though first of all, if your focus is a lush, smooth, emotively captivating set, probably best stop reading as the Mest Jet Black is not that set… likewise if you are a bass-head, the Jet Black (let’s call it JB from here!) will not deliver for you either. The JB is about precision detail with excellent airy, crisp, zingy treble… oh indeed if you are sensitive up top, probably not for you either! So for those of you still here, you must appreciate a more analytical set…
Low Frequency
I’m not a bass-head, so any ‘normal’ level of low-frequency is absolutely fine with me, in fact I prefer not to have bass too prominent. I do however seek good quality, and definitely have a soft spot for bass delivered with a visceral sensation in the lower realms of sub and JB definitely delivers here, albeit in a lower quantity as I say that some might prefer – I recall Maven II certainly has a larger quantity. The sub-bass to my ears is very distinctive in delivery and more than adequate, JB is not ‘bass light’ by any means and can pump out a sub-woofer like presentation when called for… Drum & Bass for example is very well rendered.
The mid-bass has a nice heft to it with a solid authoritative slam. I hear kick drums with excellent realism, with a good sense of the post impact vibration. In contrast to my personal preferences, JB has a bit more focus on mid-bass versus sub-bass, I am a sub-bass guy but it’s marginal really and not enough to put my nose out of joint.
Midrange
As noted in the listening impressions intro, the JB is not a lush or mids focused set – the overall tuning leans in a U-shape and as such the mids take a backseat, giving them excellent clarity and buckets of detail, but on the thinner side and certainly lacking that heavily emotive delivery some may seek in this region. I find tuning like this works incredibly well for electronic genres, especially more recently produced and say D&B, techno, house, trance etc – it is these genres I’ve found myself mostly reaching for any time I plug the JBs into my ears. I must note however that while the focus is definitely analytical, I wouldn’t label as ‘clinical’ though either – instruments in this region are well represented, and I do even find violins for example rendered well, the upper mids extend nicely but without venturing into any sense of harshness.
High Frequency
This region is certainly a standout and could either make or break for many – I do think if sensitive to treble that JB will very likely be a problem for you… on the flip side, if like me you like a good zing with crisp extended delivery, rendering percussion with fantastic realism for example, the JB is worth an audition. JB really shines a light on any music with a lot of high-frequency detail due to the combination of drivers up top, I can’t help but have my attention fully drawn to this region in those scenarios – in a positive way though, with a real sense of awe.
Technical
The BCDs sound very cohesive as part of the overall presentation, so much so to be honest I wouldn’t have guessed there were BCDs at play if I listened in a blindfold test – this for me is a good thing as I think BCDs at times can sound a bit out of place in that the imaging is just too super-precise. The stage has excellent width with good height and depth, lets say a rugby ball or American football for the other side of the Atlantic to me, those in other parts of the world, hopefully you get my drift here! Imaging and layering is superb and ultra-clear while again still staying cohesive in the overall mix.
Tracks
Japanese Breakfast – Orlando in Love
I’m loving this latest album from Japanese Breakfast and it has had a lot of plays since it’s release a few weeks ago. This is a great example of what I just closed off on the above in terms of instrument imaging and placement in the stage – it sounds truly spectacular to hear each element of the track be introduced, ultra-clear and ample space – the vocals are well centred and just a touch back. The presentation across the stage is incredibly immersive.
Djrum – A Tune For Us
This is the opening track to the absolutely wonderful new album from Djrum. I noted earlier how I’m really enjoying JB with electronic music, and this is a great example of where the set really excels for me – Djrum is very much about complexity and what feels like almost endless layers of music, and a set like JB really does showcase this in the highest definition of presentation. The cymbals are divine, sparkling out to the right of the stage with incredible realism. The strings soar nicely where again the upper-mid focus allows them to render with a captivating charm. The bass swoops in occasionally with that visceral realism, I suspect this is where the BCDs work some magic.
Penelope Trappes – Sleep
Another recent and excellent release. This again has a lot going on, and JB comfortably takes the microscope and showcases every single nuance. It’s an interesting one as part of me might prefer to reach for something like Turii Ti here, yet I find myself almost uncomfortably intrigued by the level of precision here, delivered with a sense of doom or gloom almost due to the somewhat foreboding nature of the track. I think on balance I’d likely choose a more mid focused set for this album, but JB does provide a truly interesting journey here too.
Hallucinogen – LSD (Remastered)
This is a classic psytrance track from the mid-90s and one I’ve loved since first hearing back then. I chose this as a good (great…) example of where I feel JB really do shine, and shine they certainly do. Psytrance is a very immersive genre, with multiple layers of synths and often featuring samples interwoven into the track – JB really steps up to the mark here, allowing me to again hear absolutely every nuance from kickdrums through to the numerous layers of synths. The bass lines are again rendered wonderfully and so utterly distinct in the presentation.
Jordan Rakei – Sorceress
It has been quite a while since I’ve listened to this album, just happened to stumble across while browsing my DAP folders. I chose as a bit of an ‘experiment’ in ways as it didn’t strike me as an album I’d naturally choose with JB, yet I was actually very pleasantly surprised with the outcome – again, I can’t help but be unbelievably impressed by the overall amount of sheer detail and that alone deserves a mention. The vocals as per Japanese Breakfast sit a touch back but not dramatically, and just a bit thinner than I might prefer. Percussion again sounds wonderful, I’m definitely concluding this being due to the combination of BCDs and EST in this region, it truly is an incredibly visceral and captivating experience.
Vladislav Delay – Anima A
If ever there was an artist that would benefit from the sort of tuning on offer from JB, step forward the legendary Vladislav Delay – this is quite literally a perfect track and overall album to fully demonstrate the technical competency on offer from JB, and boy does it deliver. There is just buckets of detail here, and delivered with jaw-dropping levels of laser-sharp precision – it has a cold, cavernous sensation to the track anyway, and that combined with the technical prowess of JB is simply perfect synergy. Vladislav Delay has been an artist I’ve followed for many years, and I do not exaggerate when I say I don’t think I’ve heard as good as with JB – nearly worth owning this set just to listen to him and others of this ilk.
Idles – Never Fight a Man with a Perm
Now here is a test if there ever was one when loading up something ultra-energetic on a brighter leaning and analytical set. The result? Well it does get a bit much here as the track hits a climax – it’s just a bit too sharp for my ears, not to the point where I need to frantically hit stop, but I just wouldn’t see me loading this one up again in a hurry.
Comparison
The obvious one is Maven II, which I unfortunately no longer own but I’m giving a very brief ‘from memory’ and my own review as a previous reference. Put simply, they are pretty much other ends of the spectrum… where JB is a somewhat cold technical beast, Maven II is a highly engaging and nicely emotive all-rounder – chalk and cheese perhaps, but equally owning both would equate to being incredibly well covered. Maven II has more bass emphasis, richer mids, and more traditional sounding EST treble execution – far less technical, but certainly no slouch either. I wish I still owned Maven II, and do think I’ll pick up a set again at some point. Which do I prefer? – Probably Maven II, simply as a more competent all-rounder and just easier to listen to – JB is harder work, but likewise incredibly rewarding.
Conclusion
The latest of the ‘MEST’ series is an incredibly impressive set for those seeking something that stands out for technical prowess and overall more analytical leaning presentation, it really does excel in this regard and absolutely should be on the radar for those who appreciate this type of tuning. I’ve been on the fence as to how long I’ll keep the JB in my collection, but anytime I listen I find it incredibly apparent how unique it is, offering something that I actually don’t have in my collection at present – and that is a lot of what this hobby is about for me now, finding sets that tick a previously unticked box in my collection. I recall in my earlier days of this hobby when I was climbing a ladder to discover ‘the one’ set that meets my needs, and with time realised such as a set simply doesn’t exist for my diverse library of music – it is very much about a collection of specialists, and JB certainly does tick a clear box here. They look fantastic, come with excellent accessories, and provide a unique and highly compelling listening experience… with that in mind, I direct a hat tip towards UM for this creation!
- 1x Dynamic Driver (Low Frequency)
- 2x Balanced Armature Drivers (Mid Frequency)
- 2x Balanced Armature Drivers (High Frequency)
- 2x Electrostatic Drivers (Ultra-High Frequency)
- 2x Composite Balanced Armature Bone Conduction Drivers (Low & Mid Frequency)
- 1x Piezoelectric Bone Conduction Driver (High Frequency)
Introduction
First of all, I don’t usually open a review with a detailed view on the driver configuration but I’ve been intrigued by the mix of drivers in Jet Black, and felt it was important to set the scene with that in mind – it is a very interesting array of drivers, combining a fairly standard mix of DD, BA, and EST, but made more unusual here with the addition of a hybrid bone conduction system – I can assure you, this mix of drivers really does serve up quite the technical beast in Jet Black. Anyway, park that in your head for now as I will of course come back to this later!
I’ve reviewed several Unique Melody IEMs now and always a pleasure to experience what they serve up, and fair to say I’m always impressed. I have reasonable skin in the game when I review a UM IEM, I do not get them for free as is the case with several others – the ‘benefit’ there if I can call it that is I can always sell once I’ve completed the review and put the cash back in the bank (clearly not, we all know very well it will be quickly consumed by another audio toy…). Maven II was the last set I had from UM, and probably safe to say my favourite IEM from UM so far – I think it already has a somewhat legendary status and loved by many in the community, a massive hat tip to UM for that creation!
I would like to thank both Musicteck and Unique Melody for the opportunity as always. Plus of course to point out that all thoughts and words my own…
The Mest ‘Jet Black’ is available from Musicteck HERE
About Me
I worked in the consumer electronics industry for a large part of my career and have been passionate about music and technology for as long as I can remember. Even as a small child, I would ask my mum to put records on the turntable (Abba, Supertramp, and Planxty if anyone is curious).
My music preferences are very varied—anything from classical to techno, indie rock to jazz, and everything in between. In my early teens, I was a big fan of bands like The Cure and The Smiths (still am all these years later). I was bitten by the dance music bug in the early 90s, becoming passionate about genres like techno, house, trance, and IDM. I amassed a huge collection of records and CDs, DJing at various parties and occasional pirate radio station slots. Although it remained a hobby, I still own thousands of records, and my trusty Technics 1210 turntables are still going strong 30 years later—a testament to Japanese engineering!
I am not a professional reviewer, just an enthusiast who loves music and the devices we use to listen to it. Over the last few years, I have become obsessed with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and kept a select few—ranging from the $20 Moondrop Chu to kilobuck sets like the Aroma Jewel, Oriolus' infamous 'Traillii,' UM Mentor, and various beloved single DDs. Through this exploration, I like to share my thoughts with the Head-Fi community, hoping they might be useful to others. However, remember that this is a highly subjective hobby, and your mileage may vary.
While I've been fortunate to own and try a variety of the TOTL sets on the market, I honestly enjoy lower-priced sets as much - especially as the gap continues to close, many much cheaper sets now offering significant value and further driving diminishing returns.
I’ll admit I do suffer from happy ears—rarely do I find an IEM that I genuinely dislike. At this stage, there are very few truly "bad" IEMs; it all comes down to individual preferences. Since I listen to such a wide variety of genres, I almost always find synergy with some part of my library. Where I tend to deduct marks is in areas like value for money, poor accessories, or an uncomfortable fit—things that can detract from the overall experience.
About Unique Melody
I don’t see an ‘about us’ to copy and paste here, but I think 99.99% of readers are well aware of who UM are. Probably made ‘famous’ in recent years for the original MEST, which was built upon by the MKII edition, then MKIII and now ‘Jet Black’. UM have had great success at the top-tier level also with the likes of Mentor and Mason series, plus of course the great ‘MEXT’ which is a truly fun set.
Specifications:
Impedance: 12.6Ω
Sensitivity: 106dB @1kHz
Crossover:
Air Conduction: 4-Way Crossover
Bone Conduction: 2-Way Crossover
Unboxing
The UM unboxing experience has followed a fairly consistent theme over the years, albeit with a few differences between models. I have always have a warm fuzzy feeling when a new UM arrives, I think possibly due to the memory of when I bought my first UM, the MEST MKII and how excited I was at the time, stepping up to my first ‘kilobuck’ set.
The unboxing and packaging always has a premium look at feel, often reminiscent of an item of jewellery.
Accessories
I really love the mix of accessories included with UM IEMs – always top-notch quality and everything you could need. This includes their own silicone tips in S/M/L, and their transparent tips in both ‘open’ and ‘petal’, again in S/M/L – I am unfortunately not blessed with small ear canals, and all of the stock tips are just a touch too small for me! – I’ll be in the minority here, but maybe they could consider an XL tip for the freakier large canals such as mine…
You also get a cleaning cloth which you’ll definitely need to keep those ceramic shells looking shiny, and individual mesh pocket bags to store the IEMs – I use these all the time, there is a nice sense knowing they are safely wrapped up in the mesh and packed away in the case.
Case
The case is very similar to what has been supplied in the past with other sets, albeit with nuances of design changes – I don’t have Maven II anymore so can’t compare directly but it feels like this case is an upgrade. It has a very high-quality finish of leather with a nice soft interior.
I like how the inserts are arranged so you can place the mesh into a pocket each, and then wrap the cable around the exterior. It does take perhaps a minute or so to pack away and indeed take out each time, but consider that a bit of a ceremony in preparation for musical enjoyment, and confidence knowing they are pretty secure when you are done.
In addition, you get that all-important pocket for some extra tips etc. I find these very useful as I often have a selection of tips that I might be experimenting with when a new set arrives.
Cable
I chose the ‘UM Dreamy Custom’ cable as I preferred the look, nothing more than that. It is again quite similar to others from UM with a PVC exterior which as a bit of a rubbery texture to it and is reasonably light and ergonomic with minimal microphonics. It is an OCC copper cable with 24AWG.
The cable terminates to a 2-pin connection to the IEMs, and you can choose between 3.5mm single-ended or 4.4mm balanced.
Design and Fit
The shells are medium to large and have a bit of weight to them due to the use of ceramic. I have found the weight can at times lead them to shift a touch out of my ears, requiring an adjustment to set back in position – I tried to correct this by using larger and thicker tips, but that curiously led to some pressure build – I say ‘curiously’ as I don’t typically experience pressure with hybrids, but have found sets with BCDs can cause this issue. In addition, I don’t see any vents so maybe this explains it, strange though to have a set with a DD and no vents? – let me know in the comments if my failing eyes have missed them! I’ve read reports of driver flex from some owners but this is not something I’ve experienced.
The ceramic finish looks and feels wonderful, and dare I say quite ‘unique’ in a world where many IEMs are made from 3D printed resins, or my personal favourite, titanium. As noted, the use of ceramic does mean they feel a bit heavy. They are of course fingerprint magnets too, so definitely handy to have the included cloth stored in the case to keep them nice and shiny.
From a durability perspective, my understanding is that ceramic should hold up well but I have certainly been incredibly cautious with them, I feel a sense of panic at even the thoughts of dropping one on a hard floor, I’m not confident they’d withstand impact from a high fall…
The 2-pin connection has a slight recess and I’ve found the cables very secure once inserted.
Listening Impressions
I have tried Jet Black with multiple sources over the last few weeks, and found lately that my favourite synergy is with the Astell & Kern CA1000T using a hybrid tube setting.
The Jet Black were absolutely not a love-at-first-listen set for me. In fact, when they first arrived and I excitedly + hurriedly popped into my ears and hit play, and then thought ‘oh’ – these are maybe a touch too clinical or even sterile… I even questioned whether brain-burn would make a difference and wondered if the Jet Black would be the first from UM I wouldn’t actually appreciate. Anyway, one must persist in these scenarios, and persist I did, fast-forward maybe a month later, and I have a very different relationship with them now. To be clear though first of all, if your focus is a lush, smooth, emotively captivating set, probably best stop reading as the Mest Jet Black is not that set… likewise if you are a bass-head, the Jet Black (let’s call it JB from here!) will not deliver for you either. The JB is about precision detail with excellent airy, crisp, zingy treble… oh indeed if you are sensitive up top, probably not for you either! So for those of you still here, you must appreciate a more analytical set…
Low Frequency
I’m not a bass-head, so any ‘normal’ level of low-frequency is absolutely fine with me, in fact I prefer not to have bass too prominent. I do however seek good quality, and definitely have a soft spot for bass delivered with a visceral sensation in the lower realms of sub and JB definitely delivers here, albeit in a lower quantity as I say that some might prefer – I recall Maven II certainly has a larger quantity. The sub-bass to my ears is very distinctive in delivery and more than adequate, JB is not ‘bass light’ by any means and can pump out a sub-woofer like presentation when called for… Drum & Bass for example is very well rendered.
The mid-bass has a nice heft to it with a solid authoritative slam. I hear kick drums with excellent realism, with a good sense of the post impact vibration. In contrast to my personal preferences, JB has a bit more focus on mid-bass versus sub-bass, I am a sub-bass guy but it’s marginal really and not enough to put my nose out of joint.
Midrange
As noted in the listening impressions intro, the JB is not a lush or mids focused set – the overall tuning leans in a U-shape and as such the mids take a backseat, giving them excellent clarity and buckets of detail, but on the thinner side and certainly lacking that heavily emotive delivery some may seek in this region. I find tuning like this works incredibly well for electronic genres, especially more recently produced and say D&B, techno, house, trance etc – it is these genres I’ve found myself mostly reaching for any time I plug the JBs into my ears. I must note however that while the focus is definitely analytical, I wouldn’t label as ‘clinical’ though either – instruments in this region are well represented, and I do even find violins for example rendered well, the upper mids extend nicely but without venturing into any sense of harshness.
High Frequency
This region is certainly a standout and could either make or break for many – I do think if sensitive to treble that JB will very likely be a problem for you… on the flip side, if like me you like a good zing with crisp extended delivery, rendering percussion with fantastic realism for example, the JB is worth an audition. JB really shines a light on any music with a lot of high-frequency detail due to the combination of drivers up top, I can’t help but have my attention fully drawn to this region in those scenarios – in a positive way though, with a real sense of awe.
Technical
The BCDs sound very cohesive as part of the overall presentation, so much so to be honest I wouldn’t have guessed there were BCDs at play if I listened in a blindfold test – this for me is a good thing as I think BCDs at times can sound a bit out of place in that the imaging is just too super-precise. The stage has excellent width with good height and depth, lets say a rugby ball or American football for the other side of the Atlantic to me, those in other parts of the world, hopefully you get my drift here! Imaging and layering is superb and ultra-clear while again still staying cohesive in the overall mix.
Tracks
Japanese Breakfast – Orlando in Love
I’m loving this latest album from Japanese Breakfast and it has had a lot of plays since it’s release a few weeks ago. This is a great example of what I just closed off on the above in terms of instrument imaging and placement in the stage – it sounds truly spectacular to hear each element of the track be introduced, ultra-clear and ample space – the vocals are well centred and just a touch back. The presentation across the stage is incredibly immersive.
Djrum – A Tune For Us
This is the opening track to the absolutely wonderful new album from Djrum. I noted earlier how I’m really enjoying JB with electronic music, and this is a great example of where the set really excels for me – Djrum is very much about complexity and what feels like almost endless layers of music, and a set like JB really does showcase this in the highest definition of presentation. The cymbals are divine, sparkling out to the right of the stage with incredible realism. The strings soar nicely where again the upper-mid focus allows them to render with a captivating charm. The bass swoops in occasionally with that visceral realism, I suspect this is where the BCDs work some magic.
Penelope Trappes – Sleep
Another recent and excellent release. This again has a lot going on, and JB comfortably takes the microscope and showcases every single nuance. It’s an interesting one as part of me might prefer to reach for something like Turii Ti here, yet I find myself almost uncomfortably intrigued by the level of precision here, delivered with a sense of doom or gloom almost due to the somewhat foreboding nature of the track. I think on balance I’d likely choose a more mid focused set for this album, but JB does provide a truly interesting journey here too.
Hallucinogen – LSD (Remastered)
This is a classic psytrance track from the mid-90s and one I’ve loved since first hearing back then. I chose this as a good (great…) example of where I feel JB really do shine, and shine they certainly do. Psytrance is a very immersive genre, with multiple layers of synths and often featuring samples interwoven into the track – JB really steps up to the mark here, allowing me to again hear absolutely every nuance from kickdrums through to the numerous layers of synths. The bass lines are again rendered wonderfully and so utterly distinct in the presentation.
Jordan Rakei – Sorceress
It has been quite a while since I’ve listened to this album, just happened to stumble across while browsing my DAP folders. I chose as a bit of an ‘experiment’ in ways as it didn’t strike me as an album I’d naturally choose with JB, yet I was actually very pleasantly surprised with the outcome – again, I can’t help but be unbelievably impressed by the overall amount of sheer detail and that alone deserves a mention. The vocals as per Japanese Breakfast sit a touch back but not dramatically, and just a bit thinner than I might prefer. Percussion again sounds wonderful, I’m definitely concluding this being due to the combination of BCDs and EST in this region, it truly is an incredibly visceral and captivating experience.
Vladislav Delay – Anima A
If ever there was an artist that would benefit from the sort of tuning on offer from JB, step forward the legendary Vladislav Delay – this is quite literally a perfect track and overall album to fully demonstrate the technical competency on offer from JB, and boy does it deliver. There is just buckets of detail here, and delivered with jaw-dropping levels of laser-sharp precision – it has a cold, cavernous sensation to the track anyway, and that combined with the technical prowess of JB is simply perfect synergy. Vladislav Delay has been an artist I’ve followed for many years, and I do not exaggerate when I say I don’t think I’ve heard as good as with JB – nearly worth owning this set just to listen to him and others of this ilk.
Idles – Never Fight a Man with a Perm
Now here is a test if there ever was one when loading up something ultra-energetic on a brighter leaning and analytical set. The result? Well it does get a bit much here as the track hits a climax – it’s just a bit too sharp for my ears, not to the point where I need to frantically hit stop, but I just wouldn’t see me loading this one up again in a hurry.
Comparison
The obvious one is Maven II, which I unfortunately no longer own but I’m giving a very brief ‘from memory’ and my own review as a previous reference. Put simply, they are pretty much other ends of the spectrum… where JB is a somewhat cold technical beast, Maven II is a highly engaging and nicely emotive all-rounder – chalk and cheese perhaps, but equally owning both would equate to being incredibly well covered. Maven II has more bass emphasis, richer mids, and more traditional sounding EST treble execution – far less technical, but certainly no slouch either. I wish I still owned Maven II, and do think I’ll pick up a set again at some point. Which do I prefer? – Probably Maven II, simply as a more competent all-rounder and just easier to listen to – JB is harder work, but likewise incredibly rewarding.
Conclusion
The latest of the ‘MEST’ series is an incredibly impressive set for those seeking something that stands out for technical prowess and overall more analytical leaning presentation, it really does excel in this regard and absolutely should be on the radar for those who appreciate this type of tuning. I’ve been on the fence as to how long I’ll keep the JB in my collection, but anytime I listen I find it incredibly apparent how unique it is, offering something that I actually don’t have in my collection at present – and that is a lot of what this hobby is about for me now, finding sets that tick a previously unticked box in my collection. I recall in my earlier days of this hobby when I was climbing a ladder to discover ‘the one’ set that meets my needs, and with time realised such as a set simply doesn’t exist for my diverse library of music – it is very much about a collection of specialists, and JB certainly does tick a clear box here. They look fantastic, come with excellent accessories, and provide a unique and highly compelling listening experience… with that in mind, I direct a hat tip towards UM for this creation!
