[OhmsClaw]

I understanding if the high price, if this was a new design, and UM is simply trying to get their R&D investment back. But I would hate to image to be a UM Mason family owner, only to keep seen another UM flagship getting releasing.

The entire Mason family seems rather too confusing, and it seems like an experiment to both find out the market sonic preference as well as willingness to pay for an IEM.

It's just a Mason Red Halo FE repackaged with Lore, a Mason shell, and a crazy 2000$ price hike over an already eye watering $6,499.

Similar to the LTD Indigo being put into full production in the MEST MK3; they released R&D in a limited unit, refined the experience with ChatGPT marketing speak, and bumped the MSRP on the final version.

 

[OhmsClaw]

To summarise:

- Improved "unique house sound that offers an impressive soundstage and lifelike timbres through bone conduction technology"
- New "revolutionary BC-Turbo Micro Voltage Booster [that] heralds a new era of sonic possibilities"
- New FreqShift BCD
- New First Time Shielding Pro

And all this for the modest price of 8500 USD. If I had bought Amber Pearl, which was released only a few months ago for the equally modest price of 8000 USD as a minor upgrade compared to Mentor (4500 USD, note: 3500 USD price difference for a minor upgrade), I would be extremely pissed off right now. UM is obviously deliberately holding back new, apparently groundbreaking technologies so that it can release another, even better and more expensive IEM shortly afterwards. And I bet (!!) that the new version of Mentor will be released next month for the price of 6999 or 7499 USD. And between Mason FS and Mentor, we all know which one has had more success in the past (spoiler: Mentor). So the question here is whether it wouldn't be worth waiting. Apart from that, I personally can no longer justify UM's marketing strategy. These price jumps are for me no longer rational and I am no longer willing to support UM. As much as I love my Mentor - it's still my favorite of the current TOTL - I've now resolved to stop buying UM's products as long as UM pursues such a mocking strategy. It is quite clear that UM wants to push it until it finally breaks. The moment has now come for me. I will boycott it and sell my Mentor in protest (I know, no one surely cares).

My principles are worth more to me than any IEMs. UM may produce such great IEMs (of course this is debatable), but there are plenty of alternatives on the market that are equivalent or better. I would also invite others to stop buying UM's products. This trend must be stopped, it is in the interest of all of us.

@UniqueMelody

Neither FreqShift nor that cable are new. They already R&D'd it with the Amber Pearl and the Halo Red FE. The final iteration of the R&D leaving everyone holding the bag is the "BC-Turbo Micro Voltage Booster"

They partner with PW to provide 500-1000$ stock cables that aren't worth 80$. Throwing a colored cloth sleeve on it and calling it an exclusive partnership is a real slap in the face. The only thing PW does right is their ear-hooks in a world of intelligence insulting cable cash grabs with more ChatGPT flowery prose than sense. They aren't the only ones guilty to be sure.

 

[phiemon]

Neither FreqShift nor that cable are new. They already R&D'd it with the Amber Pearl and the Halo Red FE. The final iteration of the R&D leaving everyone holding the bag is the "BC-Turbo Micro Voltage Booster"

They partner with PW to provide 500-1000$ stock cables that aren't worth 80$. Throwing a colored cloth sleeve on it and calling it an exclusive partnership is a real slap in the face. The only thing PW does right is their ear-hooks in a world of intelligence insulting cable cash grabs with more ChatGPT flowery prose than sense. They aren't the only ones guilty to be sure.

See the advertising material on the first page: the new BC-Tubo Micro Voltage Booster affects the FreqShift, resulting in a new mode of operation of the latter.

Yes, the cable is indeed new: First Times Shielding "Pro".

 

[EdgarBear]

Hi I read all the info about the new iems offered by unique before I saw the price .. I already anticipated the price would be very high due to expirience with this fabled stuff .. but man 8500 US dollars , why so serious
I am a fan of unique melody and own today a multi verse mentor which I adore . I love it an grade it as my number 1 iem. And I have other darn good stuff also , like VE Phoenix, but 8,500$ are you ok?
I recall the first time I heard do unique melody was when a friend of mine gave me an opportunity to listen to the UM mest , yeah I’m talking about the first mark, Ive been in this hobby a while now.. and I loved it, the sounds was really innovative and at that time I a/b it with the Noble Khan and found the mest outperform it, that’s why I bought it for 1300 $ cause to was a fair price to pay, the khan used to cost 2600$.. but now the price of 8,500usd makes no sense at all, does it mean the cheap iem of um are garbage and the totl are 8 times better ??
Btw , few weeks ago I had the opportunity of a life time, to head the Cayin N30 Amber pearl special edition (not the regular one), together with the UM camper pearl, I will tell you immediately and truthfully, it is a combo much better then the Cayin N8ii and Multiverse mentor , by far superior , the sound is out of this world , really, in every aspect , it makes my combo sound thin and 2d while the AP is like 3d ,
BUT
**** that crap!
I paid 3500$ for the Cayiin N8ii
I paid 3500$ for the UM MM
-> with this I thought I’m done
And now you are saying I have to pay 12,000$ for this amber pearl ? Are you serious? Where is your respect to your customers? Do you think I’m stupid and going to sell my gear which has a diminished value and what spend additional 6-7,000 $ for this ?
I mean yeah it’s very good the amber pearl combo, but it’s not worth the money they are asking. For this ever it’s bull .

 

[OhmsClaw]

See the advertising material on the first page: the new BC-Tubo Micro Voltage Booster affects the FreqShift, resulting in a new mode of operation of the latter.

Yes, the cable is indeed new: First Times Shielding "Pro".

First Times Shielded in black cloth is $2,699. These are red and blue versions of that cable no matter what the marketing says, nobody is buying them to cut them open and see what's on offer.
This is what I mean. Never mind the Orpheus that is approaching 9K for an IEM cable

 

[main character]

H.. Hello hello!

I am just.. Looking for my left earpiece of ‘Tombé en Toilette’??

Wh.. Where to look for it???

 

[OhmsClaw]

First times Shielding makes up for the bulk of the price

That's what's got me chuckling. Looking at the MK2, the PW cable that comes with it is fine, but its really small wire gage (not a "hifi" worthy build) and its very short considering literally anything else.... If you buy it straight up as a replacement its $500 . So the MK2's are $999 IEMS that come with a $500 cable making retail 1500 (MSRP 1700)?

 

[Metalingus]

I read the entire post and hoping for $1-2K and seeing $8.5K was shocking as i see it as fantasy tbh. Collab with Hermes or LV maybe i can justify then as a collection standpoint.

 

[emdeevee]

I've read thru all these posts and understand the frustration...Amber Pearl was just recently released at an $8000 price (!!!) so I'm not terribly surprised at the new $8500 for the flagship. But I'd be pretty upset if I had just bought AP and now this comes out.

 

[Cygx1]

Sorry guys, but whatever is the technology inside, for me there nothing to explain this price except greed!

 

[oldmate]

No IEM needs to cost this much. Just ridiculous, and market ruining cause others think they can do the same. Stop this.

Waaay too late mate - this has been happening in this industry for some time now and it's not just the manufacturers who are at fault either. Sites like this and others would have us believe that these prices are reasonable and you must also add a 3k cable to it as well to enhance the sound of your 8k IEM's.

 

[theveterans]

Waaay too late mate - this has been happening in this industry for some time now and it's not just the manufacturers who are at fault either. Sites like this and others would have us believe that these prices are reasonable and you must also add a 3k cable to it as well to enhance the sound of your 8k IEM's.

The included cable is around 3-4K in price. I highly doubt people who bough this IEM will even do a cable swap unless they want the Orpheus and Centurion cable as the ultimate cable upgrade

 

[OhmsClaw]

I read the entire post and hoping for $1-2K and seeing $8.5K was shocking as i see it as fantasy tbh. Collab with Hermes or LV maybe i can justify then as a collection standpoint.

Make the case a mini Goyard x LV collab

 

[theveterans]

Make the case a mini Goyard x LV collab

Hermes is where it’s at

 

[BlueA]

Hermes

Hermes and LVMH would NEVER damage their brand with cheap ops mowing customers with throwable products.