FatFreq Maestro SE - The King of Top of the Line Bass?
Feb 15, 2023 at 1:39 PM Post #256 of 653
actualy I talked to them on the site, they answered instantly on the live chat, already sent them 300$ and they can do hardware matched fixed 4.4mm plug. Also I did try the EA Centurion on them, it doesn't sound good. the bass is odd with that, muddy idk. I also had a EA bespoke horus+cleopatra 8wire on them, didn't like it. usualy I don't even take the stock cable out of the box when I buy IEM's, but I just love a coloured cable. and I love thick cables so I decided to give it a try,and I love the sound over the other two. I did not try my orpheus yet and I don't know if I want to. to my ears it's perfect with the upgrade cable. can't wait to get the upgraded upgrade one :)
also they said they do not plan or have the capacity to mass produce it with the 4.4 fixed plug and that even my request will be considered a special arrangement between me and them. I don't know if this could mean they will not do it again if asked
 
Feb 15, 2023 at 4:46 PM Post #257 of 653
also they said they do not plan or have the capacity to mass produce it with the 4.4 fixed plug and that even my request will be considered a special arrangement between me and them. I don't know if this could mean they will not do it again if asked
actualy I talked to them on the site, they answered instantly on the live chat, already sent them 300$ and they can do hardware matched fixed 4.4mm plug. Also I did try the EA Centurion on them, it doesn't sound good. the bass is odd with that, muddy idk. I also had a EA bespoke horus+cleopatra 8wire on them, didn't like it. usualy I don't even take the stock cable out of the box when I buy IEM's, but I just love a coloured cable. and I love thick cables so I decided to give it a try,and I love the sound over the other two. I did not try my orpheus yet and I don't know if I want to. to my ears it's perfect with the upgrade cable. can't wait to get the upgraded upgrade one :)
I spoke to Ben from FF yesterday, they said this cable was specifically chosen for the MSE so that could explain the excellent synergy, I also really like it myself. I just want it to be lighter! lol.

Noted, thanks for the great information. I will see if I can get more information on this process in general to formalize it for everyone.
 
Feb 15, 2023 at 5:32 PM Post #258 of 653
Hey folks,

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce @CartrKellr - you may see some answers to questions from him sometimes when I can't attend to something.
He'll be supporting me for FatFreq & PluSound-related topics.

I'll let Carter do an intro for himself when he sees this!
Hey Everyone! Super excited to be back in action. I'm more used to being on the recording engineer/pro-audio side of things, but I love hifi audio and am proud to be a part of the audiophile community :o2smile:

Please don't hesitate to ask questions or reach out. I'm here if you need me!
 
Feb 16, 2023 at 8:29 PM Post #259 of 653
With regard to cable rolling, is the MSE 2 pin?
 
Feb 17, 2023 at 1:34 PM Post #262 of 653
Two IEMs I have that have good bass are Legend X and Trio. @aaf evo how would you rate the Maestro SE in relation to these two?
 
Feb 17, 2023 at 2:12 PM Post #263 of 653
Two IEMs I have that have good bass are Legend X and Trio. @aaf evo how would you rate the Maestro SE in relation to these two?

It’s been a while since I heard either. Maestro SE is far more sub bass focused than both though. It’s quite excellent in how bassy it can be without coloring the sound, it’s a very enjoyable shelf in my opinion but I could see it being too much for some perhaps? Legend X overall with its bigger mid bass should sound thicker in the lows. It has a more natural timbre than Trio but it’s not as rich as LX.

I prefer Maestro to both for sure, the main area of caution I have is that these IEMs definitely prefer a deep fit, which might be hard to achieve with some ears due to their size. The difference I have in sound quality mostly in the highs between my CIEM and the uni is very noticeable. I could hear glimpses of sharpness or sibilance on the uni, no such issue on the CIEM. I even messaged FatFreq about it and they said MSE is meant to sit deep, and they can tweak the sound properly to match the CIEM insertion depth.
 
Feb 18, 2023 at 1:36 AM Post #264 of 653
It’s been a while since I heard either. Maestro SE is far more sub bass focused than both though. It’s quite excellent in how bassy it can be without coloring the sound, it’s a very enjoyable shelf in my opinion but I could see it being too much for some perhaps? Legend X overall with its bigger mid bass should sound thicker in the lows. It has a more natural timbre than Trio but it’s not as rich as LX.

I prefer Maestro to both for sure, the main area of caution I have is that these IEMs definitely prefer a deep fit, which might be hard to achieve with some ears due to their size. The difference I have in sound quality mostly in the highs between my CIEM and the uni is very noticeable. I could hear glimpses of sharpness or sibilance on the uni, no such issue on the CIEM. I even messaged FatFreq about it and they said MSE is meant to sit deep, and they can tweak the sound properly to match the CIEM insertion depth.
Thanks for that reply. There’s some useful info there and it seems that the correct fit is vital to getting the right sound.
 
Feb 18, 2023 at 4:59 AM Post #265 of 653
My MSE custom arrived last night. Very happy so far. Here’s a couple pictures of them
 

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Feb 18, 2023 at 9:50 PM Post #266 of 653
My MSE custom arrived last night. Very happy so far. Here’s a couple pictures of them

I love the abalone, those look great! FatFreq makes some really nice stuff. Here's mine.

IMG_3567.jpg
 
Feb 19, 2023 at 12:31 PM Post #267 of 653
First impressions after about 8 hours of listening: my god are these things resolving. i was prepared for the bass but not how crisp and clear the midrange and high frequencies are. The separation/detail/staging are all in a class of their own based off what i have/have listened to. Sounds come from all directions with unreal levels of micro detailing.

Tonal balance is very good but some instruments can sounds a tad wonky to my ears. I love the coloration of everything though. Fits my needs in that department very well.

Bass: Extremely thunderous with tons of texture but is extremely clear and never bleeds into any of the other frequencies. Very reminiscent of the CE-5 but reaches an obvious amount lower and is more defined. Absolutely delicious on bass pulls and plucks.

Mids: Awesome detail and placement with incredible realism. Love how vocals seem to be right in the center with all other sounds moving around them. Massive 3D effects going on here. I have heard some veiling on some tracks but it's miniscule. Male and Female voice both sound incredible.

Treble: Detail detail detail... it just never stops lol. The way that some synth stuff starts from the back and moves it's way forward with unbelievable micro detailing. Almost overwhelming with how much i've seemed to miss over the years. Cymbals are mega splashy with decent extension. Not as much air as i'd like sometimes but it without a doubt gets the job done.

Overall, they're incredible and am excited to see how my brain catches up even more to these guys. Right now it's honestly a massively energetic sound that can be a little fatiguing for myself but totally fine with doing shorter sessions.

Hope y'all are having a good weekend and happy listening!
 
Feb 19, 2023 at 11:46 PM Post #268 of 653
My MSE custom arrived last night. Very happy so far. Here’s a couple pictures of them
I love the abalone, those look great! FatFreq makes some really nice stuff. Here's mine.

IMG_3567.jpg
First impressions after about 8 hours of listening: my god are these things resolving. i was prepared for the bass but not how crisp and clear the midrange and high frequencies are. The separation/detail/staging are all in a class of their own based off what i have/have listened to. Sounds come from all directions with unreal levels of micro detailing.

Tonal balance is very good but some instruments can sounds a tad wonky to my ears. I love the coloration of everything though. Fits my needs in that department very well.

Bass: Extremely thunderous with tons of texture but is extremely clear and never bleeds into any of the other frequencies. Very reminiscent of the CE-5 but reaches an obvious amount lower and is more defined. Absolutely delicious on bass pulls and plucks.

Mids: Awesome detail and placement with incredible realism. Love how vocals seem to be right in the center with all other sounds moving around them. Massive 3D effects going on here. I have heard some veiling on some tracks but it's miniscule. Male and Female voice both sound incredible.

Treble: Detail detail detail... it just never stops lol. The way that some synth stuff starts from the back and moves it's way forward with unbelievable micro detailing. Almost overwhelming with how much i've seemed to miss over the years. Cymbals are mega splashy with decent extension. Not as much air as i'd like sometimes but it without a doubt gets the job done.

Overall, they're incredible and am excited to see how my brain catches up even more to these guys. Right now it's honestly a massively energetic sound that can be a little fatiguing for myself but totally fine with doing shorter sessions.

Hope y'all are having a good weekend and happy listening!


Wow guys! Thanks for sharing these updates and photos guys. Really happy more custom MSEs are getting out there.

They made me a universal but I think I'm going to be getting as well later this year.

Are any of you guys planning on writing reviews soon?

Let me know and I can create an official product page here for the Maestro SE as well soon.
 
Feb 20, 2023 at 8:41 AM Post #269 of 653
First impressions after about 8 hours of listening: my god are these things resolving. i was prepared for the bass but not how crisp and clear the midrange and high frequencies are. The separation/detail/staging are all in a class of their own based off what i have/have listened to. Sounds come from all directions with unreal levels of micro detailing.

Tonal balance is very good but some instruments can sounds a tad wonky to my ears. I love the coloration of everything though. Fits my needs in that department very well.

Bass: Extremely thunderous with tons of texture but is extremely clear and never bleeds into any of the other frequencies. Very reminiscent of the CE-5 but reaches an obvious amount lower and is more defined. Absolutely delicious on bass pulls and plucks.

Mids: Awesome detail and placement with incredible realism. Love how vocals seem to be right in the center with all other sounds moving around them. Massive 3D effects going on here. I have heard some veiling on some tracks but it's miniscule. Male and Female voice both sound incredible.

Treble: Detail detail detail... it just never stops lol. The way that some synth stuff starts from the back and moves it's way forward with unbelievable micro detailing. Almost overwhelming with how much i've seemed to miss over the years. Cymbals are mega splashy with decent extension. Not as much air as i'd like sometimes but it without a doubt gets the job done.

Overall, they're incredible and am excited to see how my brain catches up even more to these guys. Right now it's honestly a massively energetic sound that can be a little fatiguing for myself but totally fine with doing shorter sessions.

Hope y'all are having a good weekend and happy listening!
Great impressions! Without diving in too deep, how would you compare them to the 64A Nio?
 
Feb 20, 2023 at 9:30 AM Post #270 of 653
Great impressions! Without diving in too deep, how would you compare them to the 64A Nio?
Thank you! and to my ears, Nio is less defined by a good amount. a much smoother sound. Nio's sound sig is much more balanced. vocals are more forward.

maestro se has a much deeper soundstage and the coloration is much more pleasing to my ears. Treble is leagues better on these things. Bass is also much bigger and textured.

hope this helps!
 

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