[pajamas]

@ian91 what happened to Legend

 

[Rollk2]

My new Mentawaï are clearly growing in me! Special version:
- treble tweak as for others
- new filtering design as mentioned by @ian91
- BA transducer for low-end

Everything is more consistent and precise. It sounds now like a unison, bass and other frequencies are way more integrated in comparison with the first iteration of Mentawaï I received.
I would also like to precise I ever preferred BA bass than DD one, that's why I asked for this special version

 

[Rollk2]

I've owned so many IEM... but each minute spent with these Mentawaï is a demonstration of what is a perfect all-rounder for me. It handles every genres (from old crappy dub to excellent jazz records, I didn't listen to classical music though) and has a so well balanced bass quantity and attack. Bass monster when calls for it. Bass guitar is just wow. How can an IEM rumble like that?
Mids resolution is the best I've ever heard, I hear every details and can understand every words. On so many tracks I thought that was the mastering, actually that was my previous IEM which were unable to reproduce that!
I don't want to describe the trebles, I'll let other guys to talks about that crazy extension and timbre.

 

[ian91]

Bass monster when calls for it. Bass guitar is just wow. How can an IEM rumble like that?

This. The bass reminds me of full-size headphones in its power and atmosphere.

I don't want to describe the trebles, I'll let other guys to talks about that crazy extension and timbre.

The treble is the probably the most noticeable improvement. It has gobs of detail.

 

[ian91]

Mentawai owners have a listen to this...sit back and enjoy...

 

[feverfive]

How come the Mentawai (still....first noticed this months ago) doesn't show as available on the English version of the site? Is it just not offered outside Europe or something?

 

[Rollk2]

No, it is only a translation error on the website, no problem at all to be delivered outside Europe.

 

[davidmolliere]

Mentawai - A Return to the Island

Where to start? I always loved them...the balanced tuning was executed well and was very musical but between the fit issues I had with the universal shell and some resonance that would raise its head every now and again I began to use them less and less. The Mentawai was my only tribrid and my last kilobuck IEM. I decided I was going to sell and call it quits at this price point in the market.

That's when Fred (Alambic Ears) reached out having seen my post on this thread. He told me the Mentawai had recently undergone some changes in terms of driver implementation and internal electronics and offered to revise my Mentawai. This would also necessitate a reshell too, which sounded just like what I needed. He explained that this was without obligation and he wouldn't want me feeling committed to keeping them after if I didn't want to. I jumped at the chance and sent them packing to France. Fast forward a few weeks and they're back. Looking more beautiful than ever (I chose to stick with the abalone).

How do they sound now?

Completely different. To put it simply, they've come alive.

I was well acquainted with the original but this is on another level entirely. The original took inspiration from the Traillii tuning but lifted the subbass and implemented a DD for the bass. It worked well, plenty well enough for the price, in fact, but it wasn't Traillii-level engaging. Whatever has been done has had a dramatic effect on driver performance. Both ends extend further and this now feels like the most 'complete' experience I've had with an in-ear, akin to, if not surpassing, my experiences demo'ing TOTL headphones. The bass? This is the best bass I've heard. It reaches incredibly deep, occupies great space but doesn't overwhelm the rest of the FR. It rumbles like a woofer and growls with expressive power. The treble reaches out further than before and detailing is as clear as day. An effortless treble, as I remember the Traillii to be, possibly more exacting in the lower treble and slightly less air but ultimately more natural.

Tonality is the same as previous, i.e. a phenomenally balanced W but the expression of it is totally different. It's now fleshed out with greater noteweight, vocal body and an incredibly powerful macrodynamic response. Technically the staging has widened and has greater depth and better imaging. Timbre is on point.

I'm told this isn't anything to do with tuning. The frequency response hasn't changed. I'm told it's more to do with the implementation and internal circuity. Fred showed me a paper from an acoustic engineer and academic that would have given me some clue to what he's done here. It was something to do with a novel filtering technology that Fred has adapted/adopted, but unfortunately I couldn't make heads or tails of the papers content.

I've been relistening to my library this weekend and I'm relishing every second of the experience, completely engaged.

What Fred offers with the Mentawai is standard setting at the price - an incredibly coherent tribrid that's highly musical with great dynamics and thoughtful execution. More importantly, he's just a good guy and enjoys sharing his passion for music (he's always sending me songs to add to my test track library). Not many people go out of their way for others these days but he's one of them.

End-game achieved!

I really need to upgrade mine now
That would be a good idea since I don't have the first version reviewed yet... moving has taken so much time from me this past two months...

 

[ian91]

I really need to upgrade mine now
That would be a good idea since I don't have the first version reviewed yet... moving has taken so much time from me this past two months...

Definitely get that upgrade sorted. Two completely different experiences!

 

[Charlyro222]

Interested on new model of Mentawai.
Talking with Aldo and trying to know if this model will suits my preferences, as you know I´m a 1 DD lover and is hard to find that coherence on hybrid models.

 

[ian91]

Interested on new model of Mentawai.
Talking with Aldo and trying to know if this model will suits my preferences, as you know I´m a 1 DD lover and is hard to find that coherence on hybrid models.

As hybrids go it is very coherent but the timbre is not DD-like, given that the majority of the FR is either BA or EST, so you need to decide how important that is to you.

 

[ian91]

Evening with the Mentawai has been a pleasure. Such deep, powerful bass.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Mentawai owners have a listen to this...sit back and enjoy...

Fantastic song, thanks!!!
Im enjoying it a lot

 

[deanorthk]

Hello,

Below is my feedback from the Intras Alambic Ears.



Preamble :

Alambic Ears https://www.alambic-ears.com/ is a brand created by a sound and Surf enthusiast the very famous Aldo

He is the source of several models including the Bali, JawsII, Noosa and Mundaka.

His latest realization the Mentawai available in Uni or Molded (Custom) is equipped

5-way 12 drivers

-A proprietary 10mm metal dome DD

-4 Knowles low midrange

-2 Sonion medium in duet with a Knowles single driver

-4 IS SONION electrostatic

-Ergonomic 3D shell

Crossover: 5 ways

general impedance: 13 ohms

Sensitivity 112dB / mW

Freq. Response 20Hz〜40kHz



Mentawai

I contacted Aldo to order a pair of these Custom model intras with a Shell Clear and a Faceplate Symbolizing the universe, I received them at the start of 2022, so here are my impressions of these Mentawai, I specify that it is not. is that my humble opinion and that I do not have the vocabulary or the perception that others might have, this is only my opinion based on my own impressions and musical tastes:


The packaging says a lot about the care taken by Aldo to provide a quality product.















The selected songs were listened to in parallel on the Fiio M17 as well as the Cayin N6 Mk2 Ti

C2C

On this electro hip hop scratch track, the bass is heavy and fast making this piece particularly pleasant, it is also the first piece that I listened to with the Mentawai and I wondered what would be the continuation. were sending. The dynamics on this track are excellent.

Anne Sophie Mutter


Oh my god, I felt the sub-bass like never before, I had the sound pressure you can get on speakers, the violin notes are right and reproduced in a sublime way.

Secret Weapon

The dry clicks of this track sent me to another planet, it is reproduced so faithfully, it reminded me of the shock I had when listening to Cabasse SKIFF in the 90s

Les percussions de Strasbourg

A first listening during a meet with my faithful Earsonics EM10 revealed to me the perfect recording of this piece, the soundstage and the fidelity of the reproduction of these percussions are of very high level. On the Mentawai we still reach a level above with a speration of high-end instruments, everything is in place, the scene is worthy of listening on speakers.

Daft Punk

On this track that I know it like the back of my hand, and the engagement is more dynamic, more powerful, we can feel the electro in all its splendor, once again everything is harmonious, the hairs are bristling, the music I live it, it's beautiful.

Maria Callas

The voice of the Callas, has a 3d effect, waoww the highs are never brilliant despite the climbs of the DIVA

Oscar Peterson

The tones of the beginning are fair and are well positioned in space, what is most admirable in this piece, it is the piano which is positioned in front of me between my ears, it is strong to have this phenomenon on intras.

O-Zone Percussions

The brutality of the percussions is like on the Strasbourg percussions track, everything is like in 3d and the instruments are right in your face.

Musica Nuda

What a duet, the singer's voice is crazy, the Double bass has a crazy charm, I am immersed with them as a live listener, a great moment of realism

Dominique Fils Aimé

What else to say that this recording is sublime and it is part of my test tracks, The Mentawai bring out the voice of this sublime artist to a level that I had never heard before

Omar Sosa

The bells and their echoes resonate as if you were there and this bass which attacks the piece makes it particularly good by bringing out the notes of the strings brilliantly, this piece usually delights me but here it is magnified

José James
Sur
This soul piece is transcribed here with the whole spectrum, it's very high level

Aranjuez Concerto

The guitar comes out of this piece of anthology with an impression of being in front of the artist and the 3D effect of this set comes out beautifully,

Luther Vandross

Funky music, it slams the DD, once again never an ounce of brilliance in this song, it is really beautiful work in these Mentawai

Johannes Moser

I find that on this piece the cello stands out particularly well, I can feel the archer on the strings, the touch of emotion is there. This piece is immersive.



My Conclusion :

These intras have brought me into another world, the design is worthy of the greatest manufactures, this Aldo is a genius, a craftsman who does professional work.

Coming back to the Mentawai, the SS is excellent, the overall harmony is really excellent, the bass is there when it's needed, for example on Hip Hop it's still quite fantastic and especially without eating the rest of the spectrum, the highs are quite detailed and by no means brilliant, as for the mids they are just wonderful.

You will understand, I am won over, the Mentawai can advantageously replace a headphone because once they are on they are at such a level that you will rediscover your music even more captivating than ever, they are all rounder and are comfortable on all styles of music



They top my headset ranking, although I don't have the most successful headset experience.



Thank you for reading me, I hope this feedback can highlight the fantastic work of this Craftsman whom I consider a genius, with a skill in the sound more than accomplished.

Choub

I'm planning on getting not the Mentawai, but the Noosa, custom made. And I am listening to your selection right now, which coutains 99% of songs or music style that I never listen to.

and it's quite something, thanks for that i'll try them on the Noosa in august I guess

 

[Eric21]

I'm planning on getting not the Mentawai, but the Noosa, custom made. And I am listening to your selection right now, which coutains 99% of songs or music style that I never listen to.

and it's quite something, thanks for that i'll try them on the Noosa in august I guess

Some news about your test ?