[hawgrider]

Good afternoon. Who thinks what maybe compared Grand Maestro and Elysium Annihilator

Don’t have Annihilator but hope to do a head to head with FiR XE6 and Empire Ears Legend EVO sometime down the road.

Received blue tuning module today.
Hope to share some thoughts on Grand Maestro very soon.

 

[andrey191970]

I think if you have these two pairs of Grand maestro and Elysium Annihilator of other itneinado models, they will cover the entire range of desire

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

Don’t have Annihilator but hope to do a head to head with FiR XE6 and Empire Ears Legend EVO sometime down the road.

Thanks for sharing these! I will do it compared to the RN6 when I get my GM in.

Received blue tuning module today.
Hope to share some thoughts on Grand Maestro very soon.

Awesome!

I think if you have these two pairs of Grand maestro and Elysium Annihilator of other itneinado models, they will cover the entire range of desire

I haven't got enough time with the Annihilator to confirm this - sorry! Hopefully someone else can help you here.

 

[hawgrider]

Fat freq Grand Maestro Universal
$2729.00 usd retail (MusicTeck)
$3599.00 sgd retail (FatFreq direct)

FatFreq doesn’t specify driver counts, or other specs like frequency response, impedance, sensitivity, etc.

What is known is; Tribrid technology, Dynamic Driver, BA driver(s), Quad EST drivers.

Pros:
-Tuning modules.
-Tuning switch.
-Build quality.
-Natural accurate tonality and timbre.
-Clear, open Head Stage with excellent layering and positioning on all three axis.
-Very nice stock cable with modular terminations included. (3.5, 2.5, 4.4)
-Quality leather carry case.

Cons:
-Ships with only one tuning module. Additional module(s) purchased separately (approx. $90-100 usd pair).
-Head Stage affected by tuning switch.
-Tuning switch (details below).
-Fit (for me).
-Carry case is bulky, not pocketable.
-Thirsty for power.
-Sparse ear tip selection.
-Not kind to poorly recorded sources material.
-Price

Preamble:
Shout out to Andrew and Grace at MusicTeck for the always awesome customer service and prompt shipping.
Also to Ben at FatFreq for patiently answering my numerous queries.
(At time of posting MusicTeck shows FF Grand Maestro as an in stock item)

• Tuning Switch:

There is nothing subtle about the tuning switch.
The change in sound signature is quite significant and noticeable.

In the Vocal boost ON position, mids and vocals are very much prominent and forward, very clear and detailed.
Head stage is clear and open.

In the Vocal boost OFF position, mids and vocals loose prominence and become somewhat recessed. They also loose some clarity and detail.
The sound signature becomes more balanced, and overall warmer.
Head stage closes in a bit.

The vocal boost switch is positioned on the top of each IEM,when positioned in ear, making it easily accessible.
The switch is not recessed, the pin protrudes out of the shell a couple mm (1/16 inch).
This is both a blessing and a curse.

The non recessed design facilitates changing switch positions on the fly without removing and reinserting the IEM each time.
But, the switches don’t have much resistance to movement making it very easy to reposition them unintentionally. I have developed a habit of checking switch position every time I put the IEM’s in my ears, or, if I reposition the IEM while listening.

Also, the switch pins are square with angular sharp corners that sometimes contact my ear, it is unpleasant when this occurs.

I can listen and enjoy the GM in either switch position, but have a strong personal preference for the vocal boost position. I generally like a more forward and energetic mids and vocal presentation, provided it’s not over emphasized.

• Build and Fit:

Build quality of the all resin shells appears to be excellent. The faceplate seam is expertly finished and invisible.
There is a small vent hole in the shell, presumably for the dynamic driver. And, of course, the large vent hole in the faceplate to facilitate the NOAH tuning modules.
The nozzles have a flange molded into them and I find they hold ear tips securely.

The nozzles have a semi custom shape, and reach deep into the ear canal.
I typically like a deeper fit, it often allows me a wider selection of ear tip options and, I have fit issues with short nozzles. On the Grand Maestro however the fit, for me, is a bit too deep. They reach into the area of my ear canal where it narrows a lot, and full insertion causes me almost immediate discomfort regardless of ear tip selection.

Fit is of course very personal, hopefully my ears are the exception, and fit won’t be a challenge for most people.

I’m having good success with larger sized Moondrop Spring, and Sedna Xelastec tips that seal and anchor well closer to the outer portion of my ear canal. The IEM’s protrude from my ears a bit more, but the fit is comfortable and the IEM’s stay in place and maintain a good seal.

• Tuning Modules.

There are currently two NOAH modules available, Black and Blue.

The Grand Maestro ships with the Black nozzles, the Blue modules (and future module releases, assuming there are more under development) are purchased separately.

I just received the blue modules a few days ago and I’m initially quite pleased with the alternative sound signature offered.

Frequency graphs are not yet available for reference and I’m not set up to graph. So this evaluation is based on my hearing.
Individual experience may vary.

The Black modules offer a sub bass boost in the 20-40Hz range, that carries into 40-160Hz lower bass band.
Bass is more boomy/thump in nature.
Resonance doesn’t decay quickly and carries through the head stage.
The black module also offers the most ambient noise suppression.

The Blue modules have less sub bass boost. Still excellent sub bass extension, but the 160-300Hz upper bass band is less veiled by sub bass and bass is fuller/tighter with resonance decaying more quickly. Less sub bass presence throughout the head stage.
The blue module offers good ambient noise suppression, but less than the black nozzle.

Equipment:
-Astell and Kern Kann Max, mid gain, 4.4mm balanced out.
-FatFreq Grand Maestro aged 100+ hrs.
** (Vocal Boost Switch ON position)
-Stock modular Copper/Silver plated copper hybrid cable. 4.4mm termination.
Sedna Xelastec ear tips size M for a mid point nozzle insertion depth.

Sound:
Black Module
Bass has a sub bass boost and focus that is very well implemented. Sub bass extends low and lower bass is boomy with some thump. Mid/upper bass is somewhat overshadowed by the lower bass range.
An example is “Metallica - Now That We’re Dead”. Toms in the opening drum volley exhibit more woof than punch.
Lower mids are recessed.
Mid range is clear and open.
Upper mids are elevated and present forward. Clarity and detail retrieval are very good.
Vocals are also forward and prominent.
Male and female have excellent clarity and presence while remaining natural and accurate.
Highs are crisp and well defined, but ultra highs roll off a bit early at the cost of air and energy.
There is no hint of sibilance or harshness.
Head Stage is clean, clear, and open.
Width is good, between the ears.
Height is also good, doesn’t extend overly high, but sub bass extends low.
Depth front to rear is also very good.
Layering and separation are very good on all three axis.
Imaging is excellent. Individual instrument placement is precise and accurate.

Blue Module
Sub bass is less boosted, still very much present, with less bleed throughout the head stage.
Decay is quicker and resonance fades sooner.
The sub bass veil is “lifted” from lower and upper bass, this range becomes tighter with more fullness.
The Toms in the open volley of
“Metallica - Now That We’re Dead” are quicker and punchier.
Lower mids remain recessed.
Mid range opens up more.
Upper mids become slightly more forward and prominent, clarity remains excellent, detail and micro detail retrieval is improved.
Vocals also gain some additional prominence while remaining very detailed, natural and accurate.
Highs are crisp, clear and highly detailed. Ultra highs have more energy and air.
Head stage benefits by becoming even more open and spacious.
Width remains between the ears.
Height reaches higher with the additional air in the highs.
Depth front to rear is also better.
Separation and layering benefit from the additional open spaciousness.
Imaging on all three axis is, I believe, the best of any iem I have experienced to date.

• Summary:

The head stage on the Grand Maestro has me addicted.
With vocal boost ON, and the Blue module in particular installed, the GM head stage is nothing short of incredible, IMO.
Left right stereo imaging is excellent, top to bottom layering and imaging is excellent, as is front to rear.
On tracks that are recorded with good imaging on all three axis, individual instruments, sound effects, and vocalists present from every conceivable position on stage.

The Grand Maestro is very much a musical IEM.
The sound signature can be manipulated to personal preferences via the various modules and switch position combinations available. But the resulting sound remains refined and high quality throughout.

They like power.
With any source I tried I found I was either using mid or high gain setting. And I still was pushing the volume to 50-75% to make the GM truly happy.

Speaking of volume:
The GM has a very clean and clear background. With high quality recorded sources it will tempt you to keep sneaking the volume up a notch or two.
They can get loud, without distortion or congestion.
But, my experience on occasion was that I was inadvertently listening at volumes that quickly fatigued my ears.
Please: Rock out responsibly

The comments here are unbiased and my own honest reflection on this IEM.
I own this IEM, so I am not beholding to anyone with respect to opinion or commentary.

I will not out right recommend any piece of gear, because I am fully aware of the diverse nature of sound preferences among those of us who enjoy audio.
However, based on my personal preference, and experience, with other flagship IEMs.
I do believe FatFreq has a winner on their hands with the Grand Maestro.
It is very much worthy of consideration if you are looking at TOTL ear gear at this price point.

EDIT: FR Graph courtesy Tone Deaf Monk.

• Other Stuff:
• A bit about me and the music types used for evaluation below. If you give a cats meow about that stuff.

** note: I try to be objective, but I am biased somewhat by my personal preference for sound signature. I lean toward a more balanced sound with perhaps a slight mids forward bias, good bass, good mids, good treble.

I am somewhat treble sensitive in the 8-9K range.
I do NOT consider myself a professional/career reviewer as I have no formal training as a sound engineer or musician.

I enjoy doing evaluations as part of my hobby.

* i.e. the thoughts presented here are strictly personal opinion based on my hearing, your mileage may vary.
** My hearing taps out at around 12.5 kHz, I can hear 12.5 but it’s more a background sound. I think it is fair to note this.

“Air” is typically a reference to treble that is present above 12.5 kHz, it is therefore beyond my hearing capability. When I reference “air” in a sound evaluation I’m referring to where I perceive the positioning of the upper treble ranges, ie. where they present themselves within the sound stage/head stage.
*** I have large ear canals, and typically the stock tips included with most IEM don’t fit well for me. I have a selection of third party ear tips that fit well in most cases so I default to these. I will identify my tips of choice, but unfortunately, seldom can I comment on the stock offerings.

- Music:

varied selection of tracks from my playlists played from SD card. FLAC 44 through 192 and DSD 2.8 (64) through 22.4 (512)
My mainstay are Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Classical.
I also streamed Apple lossless for electronic, R&B, Death Metal, etc. to get a well rounded experience of how well this IEM handles a variety of genres.

 

[davidmolliere]

Suprised not to see more interest here... looking at this...

 

[Smirk 24]

Suprised not to see more interest here... looking at this...

This is exactly what I thought earlier today.

 

[draytonklammer]

I'm very surprised more folks haven't adopted one of these.
My Grand Maestro has taken most of my "ear time" when compared to my 64 Audio, Elysian, and other brand IEMs.
The Grand Maestro just does so much right and truly makes for an enjoyable, portable, listening experience.

 

[davidmolliere]

I'd sure like to get a comparison with RN6 @Sebastien Chiu

It sure looks like they're getting some orders

 

[hawgrider]

Agreed, I thought this thread would get more attention.
Sold my Universals, have Custom GM on order, FF is way behind on the build so not sure when I will receive them, but seems they are doing well and very busy.

Driver count revealed. 1DD, 7BA, 4EST

 

[aaf evo]

Suprised not to see more interest here... looking at this...

It's because the threads are really fragmented. There's like 3 different active FatFreq Maestro-related threads. I suggested they combine them all into one to avoid this, but apparently that wasn't the move they wanted to do.

 

[Smirk 24]

I think this might be my next pair. I'm also considering Storm, but as good as I hear it is, I'm not sure I'm willing to spend 5-6k on it.

Hope this thread catches more steam.

It's because the threads are really fragmented. There's like 3 different active FatFreq Maestro-related threads. I suggested they combine them all into one to avoid this, but apparently that wasn't the move they wanted to do.

Hey aaf, thanks for the impressions in the Watercooler thread btw.

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

It's because the threads are really fragmented. There's like 3 different active FatFreq Maestro-related threads. I suggested they combine them all into one to avoid this, but apparently that wasn't the move they wanted to do.

There’s only two. We left them that way specifically because we followed the community recommendation and we didn’t create anymore.

Maestro SE and Grand Maestro Mini discussion generally falls here and Mini/Customer Service/General brand feedbsck falls on the other thread.

Sometimes stuff gets posted to water cooler and not here because that’s how that thread is for every brand discussed there.

It’s not entirely how we directed things, just how the community seems to end up talking about our stuff

 

[aaf evo]

There’s only two. We left them that way specifically because we followed the community recommendation and we didn’t create anymore.

Maestro SE and Grand Maestro Mini discussion generally falls here and Mini/Customer Service/General brand feedbsck falls on the other thread.

Sometimes stuff gets posted to water cooler and not here because that’s how that thread is for every brand discussed there.

It’s not entirely how we directed things, just how the community seems to end up talking about our stuff

There’s 3 total… there’s this one which is by far the least active.

There’s this dedicated MSE thread which I’ve seen GM impressions in also.

There’s also this general FatFreq thread which has the most content.

 

[davidmolliere]

There’s 3 total… there’s this one which is by far the least active.

There’s this dedicated MSE thread which I’ve seen GM impressions in also.

There’s also this general FatFreq thread which has the most content.

Thanks that makes more sense now

 

[draytonklammer]

I think this might be my next pair. I'm also considering Storm, but as good as I hear it is, I'm not sure I'm willing to spend 5-6k on it.

Hope this thread catches more steam.

My problem with the Storm is the lack of custom fits.
I figured that the Grand Maestro was the next best thing.

A number of reviewers even prefer the GM to Storm.
Personally, I prefer the GM to Storm, but that's based on my "on-the-go" listening preferences.