Introduction:
Unique Melody will by now need little introduction from me, having already become well established as prolific purveyors of premium products in the IEM world
IEM details from the MusicTeck (authorised dealer’s) website:
https://shop.musicteck.com/collecti...um-universal-mini-mest?variant=32140775850046
This link also has photos and explanations of the tech that features in these IEMs (Bone Conduction Drivers anyone?)
The MEST retails at USD $599 at the time of writing.
So, a while back this year, I reviewed Unique Melody’s stunning new IEM, the MEST.
For me, it was a hugely innovative and remarkable quad-hybrid (quad-brid?) IEM, featuring DD, BA, EST and the aforementioned new in-house-developed Bone Conduction Driver, which – whilst a superb piece of technology – is something of a mouthful to speak or write.
A read of the MEST thread on Head-Fi will highlight your ever-humble reviewer Layman1’s trailblazing development of the convenient acronym ‘BCD’ which later spread like wildfire on the thread* and which I will be gainfully employing through the rest of this review.
*to be precise, at least one other Head-Fi member used the term in subsequent posts
The mini-MEST, as its name implies, is a stripped-down version of its illustrious elder brother, featuring 3 BA’s (1 for lows, 1 for mids, 1 for treble) and that mystical BCD
Furthermore - to shamelessly quote from the comprehensive description on MusicTeck’s website - it uses not just any old off-the-shelf riff-raff of a BA driver (my words, not MusicTecks!) but rather “Knowles Custom-Made Open-Air Balanced Armature Drivers”!
(Perhaps time for Layman1 to introduce another acronym? KCMOABAD? Hmm. Perhaps not)
These custom drivers “have widely open front cavities which allow them to deliver sound without an inner tunnel. The sound signature of open-air BA drivers is similar to that of dynamic drivers. It sounds more natural and forgiving than traditional BA drivers” (MusicTeck’s words, not Layman1’s)
Now, as my regular readers will know (there are some, aren’t there? Hello? Anyone?!), Layman1 is an unabashed fan of all things DD-based, so this news only serves to further fill me with joy unabated
My sincere thanks to the team at UM, for providing me with a review unit to keep in exchange for an honest review.
The mini-MEST feature a carbon-fibre style design, much like the MEST that came before them, and are similarly very well-engineered, with no noticeable blemishes or faults of any kind. With such tantalising teasers in place, let us journey with bated breath into the salacious section known only as “Photos”
Photos:
Unboxing, packaging and accessories:
They come with a 0.78mm 2-pin cable, which can be terminated with a choice of 3.5mm SE or 2.5mm balanced plugs at present (I believe UM are currently looking for a new supplier so that they can again offer the 4.4mm termination option on their products).
The cable itself – whilst not quite as nice in appearance and feel as that which came on the original MEST - is still soft and supple whilst still feeling sturdy and robust. It’s a black and silver design, 4-core silver-plated copper cable, for those that like to know such things
The mini-MEST came with a pretty impressive array of complimentary accessories, as can be seen in the photos, including premium Comply eartips, 2 free adaptors for my 2.5mm cable (4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended adaptors), a ‘thank you’ note and, as if that all wasn’t enough, a Dignis leather case that many people have said they even prefer to the one that came with the much more expensive original MEST.
The Fit:
They have an ideal insertion depth for me personally; I find them to be smaller in size and closer-fitting than the MEST.
All in all, they are extremely comfortable and I have been able to wear them for extended sessions with no discomfort or fatigue, and no loss of seal. Hurrah.
The Sound:
I’m using a Sony WM1A DAP for testing (with some mods) and the stock cable, and a playlist that gracefully spans the genres much like the Millennium Bridge spans the River Thames in London
Actually, I wanted to use an American bridge and river as an example; however I quickly realised that I knew a few rivers and a few bridges, but not which bridges spanned which rivers.
Note to self: learn more about rivers and bridges. You never know when it might come in handy
I know, I know, I could have just gone immediately to Google* and searched, but you know.. effort and stuff..
*other privacy-violating search engines are available
By now, virtually all tracks bar a modest few are in lossless format - Layman1 being a connoisseur of only the finest quality music and all that – and of those lossless tracks, probably at least half or more are now in glorious hi-res HDTracks (or similar) versions
So, for those time-poor (but hopefully cash-rich) readers amongst you, I shall dive straight in with a summary of my findings, followed by a comparison with the DUNU SA6 which I also recently reviewed.
Then there is the final conclusion, for those of even shorter attention spans, or those members of a certain age who are prone to forgetting what they've just been reading
Following that, for those for whom only the most buttock-clenchingly granular levels of analysis will do, I include as an addendum the key points from my track by track critical listening sessions with the mini-MEST
Overall Summary of the Sound Signature and Performance:
I’d describe the mini-MEST as follows:
Low end:
I’ve heard it said of many all-BA IEM’s that they have "a low end that rivals that of a well-implemented dynamic driver", and being a huge fan of the qualities brought by a well-implemented DD, I usually end up being underwhelmed in practice.
However, I have to say, of the all-BA IEMs I’ve heard, the mini-MEST is the one that actually comes closest to fulfilling this description.
It’s capable of astonishing, head-shaking sub-bass extension and mid-bass rumble, where the track provides it (e.g. Italian hip-hop group Poison with their track ‘Dove Sei’), and yet never, ever, does the low end feel loose or bloated, nor does it bleed into the mids in an undesirable way. There’s that BA speed and control to the bass, but the impact, slam and rumble that I’d expect from a good DD, along with a welcome dose of some of that tactility in the timbre.
The mids:
These are a delight for me, never overbearingly thick, but infused with a gorgeous richness, depth and body. They’re fairly warm and yet there’s just so much control. The technical performance is frankly superb, and both male and female vocals are handled remarkably well and with a realistic timbre.
The treble:
It masterfully walks the fine line between being smooth and non-fatiguing and being exquisitely detailed and pin-point accurate. There’s a delightful openness and air in the presentation, and plenty of extension
Technical performance and sound signature:
The soundstage is impressively holographic, very much like its older sibling, the original MEST. Separation, imaging and layering are all simply outstanding.
It takes everything that I love about the neutral-reference sound signature and seamlessly fuses it with everything I love about the warm/rich/full-bodied/organic sound signature (e.g. EE Phantom, Stealth Sonics U4 from my own collection). It’s rare that I come across an IEM that ticks all my boxes, but the mini-MEST has remarkably managed to achieve this.
They’re surprisingly similar to their older brother the original MEST, with the added bonus of having the extra body and richness in the mids that - for my personal preferences - I was missing in the original. Not to mention a price tag approximately half that of the original MEST. Which I just mentioned
But they have that same detailed, vivid and immersive sound signature that I love about the original.
The mini-MEST was able to handle well every genre I threw at them (and I threw a lot of them!)
Every time I’d give them a test track with some tricky quality or other that can trip up other IEMs, they just steamrolled effortlessly through it without breaking a sweat. I think I even heard them snort dismissively in the process
Comparison:
Mini-MEST & DUNU SA6 (with sound signature switches set to ‘on’. Cost $549):
That’s right, the battle of the capitalised earphones
I would say that in fairness it’s not really a battle as such, more of a contrast of styles.
They are both excellent IEMs in the mid-range price point and my initial thoughts were that to a certain extent it is really about how far into ‘warm, rich and organic’ territory you want to venture from the safe haven of ‘neutral-reference’.
However, after a fair amount of critical listening, I think the immense strength of the mini-MEST, as I’ve mentioned, is that it combines the best of ‘neutral-reference’ with ‘warm/rich/full-bodied/organic’ and does so seemingly without any of the usual pitfalls of either one.
Now I’d reviewed the SA6 previously and described it as fairly neutral-reference with a tinge of organic warmth. After more listening today alongside the mini-MEST, I’d reiterate that statement. I also said when reviewing the SA6 that for my own personal tastes, I would have preferred a touch more body and richness.
So, I may not be the best qualified person to compare the two IEMs, since the mini-MEST has both overwhelmingly impressed me in pretty much every way, without any caveats, vs the SA6 which I felt was excellent (and excellent value!), but not ideal for my general everyday usage, in accordance with my personal tastes.
I started with listening to some acoustic singer-songwriter material; surprisingly, I feel the DUNU SA6 to sound less bright and open than the mini-MEST; I imagined it might be the other way round. But the real deal-clincher for me was when I switched to my bass test track of choice, ‘Dove Sei’, there’s a pretty clear diversion in sound signature here; the SA6 is very much the ‘neutral-reference with a bit of organic warmth’, delivering a fast and accurate performance that (for my tastes personally) is somewhat underwhelming specifically with regards to the bass on this track.
Conversely, the mini-MEST is staggeringly good in this regard.
I should add, in the interest of fairness that the SA6 is some $150 cheaper than the mini-MEST, so please bear that in mind in this comparison, as that’s quite a significant difference at this price point.
Overall, I’d say that people looking for a more ‘pure neutral-reference’ signature may gravitate more towards the SA6, so it really is just a matter of preference, as usual.
Conclusion:
Combining craftsmanship with innovative technology, the mini-MEST brings a unique and exciting sound signature. Its open-air BA drivers are tight, accurate and with no bloat, yet are also capable of delivering the most DD-like bass impact, slam and rumble I’ve heard.
It has great low low end extension, beautiful rich and organic mids, smooth yet detailed and extended airy treble and an excellent technical performance.
It’s never peaky or fatiguing, but constantly captivating and rewarding. For me, it combines all the things I love about the ‘neutral reference’ and ‘warm and organic’ sound signatures into a delightfully cohesive whole, that for my personal tastes is close to perfect.
More generally, I feel the mini-MEST delivers a great deal of value and I am happy to recommend it. Although with the usual caveats concerning personal preferences and that, listening to it first is advised if at all possible, as always
The mini-MEST may perhaps be the finest clone of a trailblazing creation in history, although our concluding image reveals some stiff competition
Thanks for reading, and the very warmest of felicitations to you all
Addendum – Bonus track by track analysis:
I begin, as I often have previously, with
Chan-Chan from the Buena Vista Social Club album (24-96 HD FLAC). I’m struck by how well the mini-MEST handles this track.
It’s fairly darkly mastered to my ears, with a somewhat intimate feel.
I find that IEMs that have good technical performances with strong separation, a large soundstage and a degree of brightness tend to really make this track shine.
So it was with delight that I heard this track to be rather clear and open on the mini-MEST.
I notice how crisp and clear the acoustic guitar plucking sounds; sharply defined edges and a well-judged speed and decay. There’s a really nice amount of sparkle here, which gives the track that little lift that really makes it come to life.
The bass, which can sound a bit muddy or one-dimensional on some IEMs comes across clearly and and with a realistic texture – not utterly world-class, but certainly very good for its price range (and considering the mini-MEST doesn’t feature dynamic drivers like its elder brother).
The vocals and backing vocals are really well separated and with a very pleasing timbre. Honestly, it’s not often, even with IEM’s twice the price, that I’ve heard the vocals so well presented.
We come to I call the ‘trumpet test’ as I wait to see whether the trumpet solo is going to trigger my sensitivity and make me wince a little (or a lot), but not to fear; the solo is both smooth and deeply musical, tugging at the emotions.
The percussion again is well-separated and distinct, with realistic-sounding timbre.
What also impresses me about the mini-MEST is how, just like the original MEST, it manages to present SO much detail, beautifully separated and positioned, everything defined and clear, but is still able to maintain so much coherence and musicality whilst doing so.
This, I believe, is where the BCD’s come into their own, not so much providing a distinct sound or vibration of their own, but working to bring this beautiful cohesiveness and musicality to the sound signature as a whole.
Next up, are two tracks from
Bruce Springsteen’s new 2020 album (‘Letter To You’), namely ‘One Minute You’re Here’, a quiet acoustic number with an intimate vocal performance that swells in a lovely manner with some piano and strings from about mid-way through, and ‘Burnin’ Train’, an altogether more high-paced and joyous affair.
Starting with
‘One Minute You’re Here’, I’m (yet) again delighted by the timbre and immediacy of the way the mini-MEST presents the vocals.
There’ a delightful weight and richness to the mids, but this is effortlessly balanced with plenty of separation and clarity, such that it never becomes syrupy or cloying.
This is also aided by a lift which is provided by the sparkle and shimmer in the treble.
Moving on to
Burnin’ Train, I have to say that UM’s comment that the open-air balanced armatures provide a sound more like that of dynamic drivers is true.
It’s not identical, but the slight feeling of ‘lack’ that I usually feel when listening to all-BA IEMs (even flagship ones that I love) is simply not there when I listen to the mini-MEST.
The kick drum here at the beginning has punch and impact, and the drums that follow it have that pleasingly realistic clatter.
The whole song drives along, propelled by the drums, bass, piano and guitar, and the mini-MEST really presents this aspect of the song very well with its musicality.
Next up is a bit of a low-fi gem,
‘K.’ by Cigarettes After Sex.
This is an unusually mastered song, very intimate and even congested-sounding from its deep and densely-mastered bass and thumpy drums, along with the muted-sounding lead electric guitar, alleviated somewhat by the soft sparkle of the acoustic guitar strumming and the soft and intimate – but forward - vocals.
So on some IEMs, the song can sound a bit congested, but as mentioned, the mini-MEST has the technical qualities and tuning to avoid this regrettable outcome, and instead delivers a hugely engaging and emotional rendition of the song.
Next up, a bit of Swedish electronica and pop, with
Club 8.
Firstly, ‘
Love Dies’, which features a crystalline sound and vocals (which can be sharp on some IEMs) and which is a good test of soundstage size.
The mini-MEST manages to preserve that crystalline quality of the female vocal line, without ever crossing the fine line into sharpness.
Also, as new sounds are introduced in the song at the edge of the existing soundstage, expanding it out by degrees from around 33s to 1m08s, the mini-MEST executes this extremely well, pushing the soundstage out wide and deep.
With their next track ‘
Skin’, driven by a synth-based keyboard riff and drum beat, there’s a really engaging crunch and texture to the riff with the mini-MEST and I notice an aspect of it (some detail in the riff) that’s never stood out to me before, so big plus points for that!
A brief switch to another track of theirs, ‘
Stop Taking My Time’ which also features a driving synthetic keyboard riff, but at a much faster pace, is so impressive on the mini-MEST, as it infuses such richness and power into the riff, and the sub-bass thumps of the drums under it.
Next up is some straightforward rock;
Counting Crows, with ‘Angels of the Silences’.
I find this track to be a bit of a hot mess on some IEMs, with its searing electric guitars, fast pace, and fairly neutrally mastered bass.
I find it very slightly sharp here, but still better than many IEMs, and this is helped by having that richness and warmth in the mids and lows, that help to balance out the highs in this song.
A quick skip to the next track in the album, ‘
Daylight Fading’ sees nearly all of that sharpness disappear, and the song sounds really good on the mini-MEST.
I now move to listen to a couple of songs from the excellent soundtrack to the film
‘Drive’.
Infused with an 80’s vibe and hidden gems from that era, I start with
‘Under Your Spell’ by Desire. Going back to Unique Melody’s description of how the open-air balanced armatures provide a sound reminiscent of dynamic drivers, I’m
veryimpressed with how the mini-MEST presents the thump of the drum beat of this song. There’s a real sub-bass thump and mid-bass presence to it, with everything else so clear and detailed and cohesive.
Same goes for
‘Nightcall’ by Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx; it’s astonishing to me the amount of impact and rumble this non-DD IEM is producing, without any bloat or bleed.
Switching genres completely now to Hong Kong opera singer
Alison Lau’s rendition of Handel’s ‘Lascia la spina’ (24-96 HDTracks FLAC) the intakes of breath of the musicians at the beginning of the song are captured with remarkable clarity and the strings have, for my tastes, an almost perfect amount of body, weight and richness to them with the mini-MEST. Similarly, there’s again an almost perfect amount of sparkle and brightness to the mids and treble on this track. The vocals, which can be uncomfortably piercing on some IEMs, stay (just) this side of the line here, whilst really allowing the timbre of her voice to shine.
Continuing the genre-hopping theme, I switched to Italian hip-hop outfit
Poison for their track ‘Dove Sei?’, which I shamelessly exploit for testing low end response in IEMs.
Well, this was the real test I was building up to, in terms of assessing how well the mini-MEST’s low end can perform, and it honestly surprised even me (considering I’ve already been praising it on multiple tracks). The subterranean level of sub-bass extension, mid-bass rumble and overall skull-shaking impact in the way the mini-MEST presents the bass and drums on this track has to be heard to be believed! And yet this is the same IEM that could handle the delicate guitar picking and intimate vocals of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘One Minute You’re Here’ so beautifully. Remarkable.
Next up, a bit of smooth jazz, as I listen to maestro
Miles Davis (and his similarly illustrious bandmates) on ‘
Blue in Green’, brought to you today in glorious 24-192 HDTracks FLAC
With this track, it’s another ‘trumpet test’ for Layman1, along with a bit of critical listening vis-à-vis the cohesiveness of the instruments as a whole.
It may come as little surprise by now to hear it passes the trumpet test with aplomb, not to mention the cohesiveness one (which I just mentioned)
It delivers accurate timbre and detail in spades, imaging and separation are exceptional and the emotion of the track is conveyed beautifully and movingly.
Continuing with the genre-spanning theme, here’s a genre-spanning song;
‘The Coast’ by Paul Simon, again in stunning hi-res FLAC form.
The complex array of percussion that opens this track is a good test for any IEM and again I’m honestly astonished by how well the mini-MEST handles this track.
The array of percussion is presented so well that I actually looked at the cable to check I hadn’t put the original $1499 MEST in my ears by mistake! The timbre of every instrument is captured so vividly; each of them is clearly separated and given its own individual space to shine, and yet the song as a whole is so gorgeously cohesive that I’m torn between focusing my attention like a flittering hummingbird from instrument to instrument or just sinking luxuriously into the enveloping musicality of the song, pulled along by the beautiful shimmer of the guitar line.
Last, but by no means least, one more genre switch to
Farhan Saeed & Shreya Goshal’s Bollywood modern classic ‘Thodi Der’.
This song could have been made for the mini-MEST (or vice versa!); there’s a great synergy here with the characteristics of the track and the qualities of the mini-MEST.
It presents both the male and female vocals with a gorgeous richness and depth, is not at all bothered by the sometimes piercingly high female vocals, and enchantingly engaging with the male vocals too.
And thus draws to a graceful close these highlights of my track-by-track analysis.
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