Dita must've been busy lately and delivered thousands of these and glad they did, just got mine in.. Love these beautiful gems..
DITA Audio Project M Discussion Thread
- Thread starter inscythe
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2011
- Posts
- 8,810
- Likes
- 57,610
I published my review for the wonderful Project M last night. Great to see others now receiving them too! Although I noticed when I was linking to the product page on the DITA website for my review that it was showing as sold out, presumably resellers have stock though!
Anyway, review HERE
Anyway, review HERE
Recently published my first Head-fi review (I usually just give impressions in local Facebook chats and Discords), and it's on the Project M. I swear, all of my praises and perceived issues the "M" all start with that letter hahahahaha.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dita-audio-project-m.27023/review/33088/
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dita-audio-project-m.27023/review/33088/
Crazy busy at the moment so I can't stage photos properly nor write a proper review yet - promise I'll get to it, but for now, here's a brief summary of my thoughts:
Unboxing experience is great (Zeppelin and Co. very graciously filmed an unboxing video with me, will share that when it's ready if I'm allowed) and the included accessories are wonderful.
Stock cable is fantastic both ergonomically and sonically - hard to do better than that at a price point within the realm of reason. And believe me, I've tried! PWaudio's No. 10 is a pairing I really like - slightly thicker bass, though starts to narrow instruments (thankfully, not to the point that it's congested), so not necessarily better. Just different. Liquid Links Evua II seems decent too, but so far I'm not sure I've tried any cable that is a definitively better pairing than the stock cable yet.
The included eartips are probably one of the best pairings for these IEMs - I do not use these because these specific eartips are limited/exclusive to the Project M, and there is no other way to get them (thus I just treat them as a collectible), but you cannot dispute this specific variant of the Final Audio Type Es are brilliant (they do not sound like normal Type Es, either).
Sonically - first and foremost to get the most out of these IEMs you need a very deep insertion, this means you will most likely need to use eartips a size (or in extreme cases, two) smaller than usual. Sound signature tilts bright and timbre is very mildly metallic - these traits are exacerbated to unbearable levels if you can't fit this correctly. Fair and credible discussion on the Project M's sound quality is not possible if you cannot achieve a proper fit.
Once you fit this properly, the Project M is the most resolving IEM at its price point. It beats everything under the kilobuck price range in separation, layering, bass texture (not quantity for sure - bassheads may want to look elsewhere) without controversy.
Build quality is fantastic, and again, on this front, the Project M beats everything under the kilobuck price range. This is essentially a metal IEM housed in a fully transparent resin. No bubbles, cracks or manufacturing artifacts anywhere despite this manufacturing method being a massive PITA. Ergonomics are great as well, everything smoothed down, no sharp edges nor rough surfaces, I don't foresee any reason this IEM could cause discomfort even on smaller ears.
The easiest and perhaps most ubiquitous comparison I can use is the Sennheiser IE600 - which in itself as a wonderful IEM. The IE600 has much more sub-bass and thus is a much more fun listen, however the Project M beats it flat-out in separation & layering. Play a very busy and fast track and this becomes very immediately clear.
The Project M is definitely worth a demo - considering how new I am to the hobby, how subjective this hobby is, coupled with the current cost-of-living situation faced all over the world, I would never dare to proclaim any headphone is a blind buy - but this makes me very tempted to go against my principles.
The asking price for this is a bargain. I don't say that lightly - the product is just really good, and I got the pleasure of a conversation with Desmond, one of the founders of DITA Audio. Hearing about the manufacturing process, and the research & development challenges DITA faced to produce the Project M, I genuinely am not sure if they will profit off this product. I will not recount too much from that conversation here because my memory can't do justice to him and his team's herculean efforts - if you meet him in person, or if you are a journalist interviewing him, this is something worth asking about. I think you'll find that conversation extremely interesting and inspiring.
That said, there are some listeners who this may not be suited for. Bassheads, listeners who are treble-sensitive or otherwise averse to brighter-sounding IEMs, and listeners who want a listen with extremely natural timbre, may wish to look elsewhere. Even then, I'd suggest giving the Project M a shake and a demo. You might find yourself very pleasantly surprised.
Unboxing experience is great (Zeppelin and Co. very graciously filmed an unboxing video with me, will share that when it's ready if I'm allowed) and the included accessories are wonderful.
Stock cable is fantastic both ergonomically and sonically - hard to do better than that at a price point within the realm of reason. And believe me, I've tried! PWaudio's No. 10 is a pairing I really like - slightly thicker bass, though starts to narrow instruments (thankfully, not to the point that it's congested), so not necessarily better. Just different. Liquid Links Evua II seems decent too, but so far I'm not sure I've tried any cable that is a definitively better pairing than the stock cable yet.
The included eartips are probably one of the best pairings for these IEMs - I do not use these because these specific eartips are limited/exclusive to the Project M, and there is no other way to get them (thus I just treat them as a collectible), but you cannot dispute this specific variant of the Final Audio Type Es are brilliant (they do not sound like normal Type Es, either).
Sonically - first and foremost to get the most out of these IEMs you need a very deep insertion, this means you will most likely need to use eartips a size (or in extreme cases, two) smaller than usual. Sound signature tilts bright and timbre is very mildly metallic - these traits are exacerbated to unbearable levels if you can't fit this correctly. Fair and credible discussion on the Project M's sound quality is not possible if you cannot achieve a proper fit.
Once you fit this properly, the Project M is the most resolving IEM at its price point. It beats everything under the kilobuck price range in separation, layering, bass texture (not quantity for sure - bassheads may want to look elsewhere) without controversy.
Build quality is fantastic, and again, on this front, the Project M beats everything under the kilobuck price range. This is essentially a metal IEM housed in a fully transparent resin. No bubbles, cracks or manufacturing artifacts anywhere despite this manufacturing method being a massive PITA. Ergonomics are great as well, everything smoothed down, no sharp edges nor rough surfaces, I don't foresee any reason this IEM could cause discomfort even on smaller ears.
The easiest and perhaps most ubiquitous comparison I can use is the Sennheiser IE600 - which in itself as a wonderful IEM. The IE600 has much more sub-bass and thus is a much more fun listen, however the Project M beats it flat-out in separation & layering. Play a very busy and fast track and this becomes very immediately clear.
The Project M is definitely worth a demo - considering how new I am to the hobby, how subjective this hobby is, coupled with the current cost-of-living situation faced all over the world, I would never dare to proclaim any headphone is a blind buy - but this makes me very tempted to go against my principles.
The asking price for this is a bargain. I don't say that lightly - the product is just really good, and I got the pleasure of a conversation with Desmond, one of the founders of DITA Audio. Hearing about the manufacturing process, and the research & development challenges DITA faced to produce the Project M, I genuinely am not sure if they will profit off this product. I will not recount too much from that conversation here because my memory can't do justice to him and his team's herculean efforts - if you meet him in person, or if you are a journalist interviewing him, this is something worth asking about. I think you'll find that conversation extremely interesting and inspiring.
That said, there are some listeners who this may not be suited for. Bassheads, listeners who are treble-sensitive or otherwise averse to brighter-sounding IEMs, and listeners who want a listen with extremely natural timbre, may wish to look elsewhere. Even then, I'd suggest giving the Project M a shake and a demo. You might find yourself very pleasantly surprised.
I had some treble-sensitive friends demo it, actually. We did some tiprolling (or lack thereof) and found that the included Final Audio eartips (or similar treble-controlling eartips) contracts the treble to the point that some found it tolerable (and even liked it).
Hey! We chatted about this on Discord hahaha. Since that chat I brought my unit to crinacle's Hangout, a few people got a listen and while the Project M was generally well-received that treble still was an issue for some people in my own experience
BonGoBiLai
100+ Head-Fier
No one else can do timbre as well as DITA (except Aroma, Sony and Flipears maybe). Singapore's finest!
Does anyone know a European distributor?
SuperChonk
Member of the Trade: Project Perfection
Formerly known as captainmuffins
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2015
- Posts
- 83
- Likes
- 307
karaokeroanoke
Head-Fier
Nvm just ended up preordering
Now I'm just waiting :c
Now I'm just waiting :c
Last edited:
Finally finished 100+ Hrs of burn-in.. and WOW! big improvement in sound.
Much smoother, not too sharp in the highs, vocals sound rounder, plenty of bass (not basshead level), amazing instrument seperation, I can easily spot where each sound is coming from and the stage, huge!
Now I understand and agree with everyone who says these should be price much higher, fantastic IEMS!
Much smoother, not too sharp in the highs, vocals sound rounder, plenty of bass (not basshead level), amazing instrument seperation, I can easily spot where each sound is coming from and the stage, huge!
Now I understand and agree with everyone who says these should be price much higher, fantastic IEMS!
Last edited:
Here's a review of the DITA Project M: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dita-audio-project-m.27023/reviews#review-33202
Pros:
Well accessorized (comes with modular cable and glow-in-the-dark Final E tips!)
Gorgeous aesthetics with transparent resin shells
Comfortable
Neutral bright tonality with great clarity in the midrange
Excellent resolution
Good treble extension and air
Tight and fast bass
Cons:
May be a hair bright for treble-sensitive consumers
Slight BA timbre
Not for bassheads
May need amplification to scale optimally
8 kHz is a coupler peak.
Pros:
Well accessorized (comes with modular cable and glow-in-the-dark Final E tips!)
Gorgeous aesthetics with transparent resin shells
Comfortable
Neutral bright tonality with great clarity in the midrange
Excellent resolution
Good treble extension and air
Tight and fast bass
Cons:
May be a hair bright for treble-sensitive consumers
Slight BA timbre
Not for bassheads
May need amplification to scale optimally
8 kHz is a coupler peak.
soundblast75
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2012
- Posts
- 3,053
- Likes
- 2,072
White indeed not for bass heads, I'd say it has fantastic DD slam and tembre and if you want more it EQs really well
PSA, these are showing again on the DITA site as “pre-order”, with a caveat that suggests not all pre-orders will be fulfilled. Have placed an order - fingers crossed….
karaokeroanoke
Head-Fier
Ordered mine through musicteck, god I hope I get mine
Users who are viewing this thread
