MEE Audio Pinnacle P1 - $199 Dynamic Driver Flagship *Reviews 2nd Post*
Mar 20, 2016 at 3:46 AM Post #616 of 3,265
That said, my P1 sound pretty close to how Hisoundfi's measurement would suggest, noticeably rolled-off in deep bass, with its bulk of bass energy concentrated in the mid/upper bass region. Then a downsloping warm-ish midrange with rather laid-back character, before they pick up emphasis again towards the upper mids. Beyond that, pretty laid-back lower treble throughout the sibilance range, and finally a distinct surge of energy above 10kHz.
 
To clarify my point, I don't think that the P1 sound bad... it's just that I didn't expect that kind of sound signature at all. The lower half of the spectrum sounds very much like a dynamic driver based equivalent of my Westone W4. And the high mids and treble sound not unlike my IE800, albeit a good deal smoother. I've done A/B comparisons to both IEMs and the similarities are pretty obvious. Will post some music examples later, to illustrate a few points that stand out to me on the P1.
 
As for the Titan 1 and Ostry KC06, I've done quick A/Bs and both sound more forward and clearer, but also less refined in the upper ranges. The DUNUs sound even extremely analytical and bright in comparison, while the Ostrys are a little more v-shaped with overall slightly more bass impact, but also deeper reach. The P1 are significantly more laid-back and smoother overall, but a little veiled in the lower ranges and thinner in treble, due to their 10k+ peak.
 
Actually, the P1's tuning is an interesting one and reminds me of something I've written about the PFE232 a looong time ago. Not to say that these sound similar (it's single DD vs. dual BA after all), but the note-weight balance between bass and treble is somewhat reminiscent of the Phonaks in my book:

 
 
Bass tuning:
 
Contrary to many other dynamic driver based IEMs, the P1's bass is overall well-controlled and not overpowering, which is a good thing. However, the distribution of bass energy across the low range is far from linear to my ears, with its main emphasis in the mid/upper bass region and a distinct roll-off in deep bass.
 
This isn't quite a big deal as long as bass is just part of the rhythm section, and even provides a good kick without making the sound overly bassy. But whenever bass is played as a lead instrument and tackles its lowest range, the downside of such tuning becomes obvious. Here's an example, listen to the short bass solo starting at 2:35, which ends at 2:45 with a down-slide to about 50Hz. While this effect sounds awesome on IEMs with good bass extension, only the first half of the slide is actually audible on my P1, followed by a quick fade-out at around 100Hz:
 
Bass vs. treble note-weight:
 
While bass on the P1 has its main emphasis in the 100-200Hz region that defines punch, the lower treble range is a little laid-back as compared to the higher range around (and above) 10kHz. As a consequence, bass and drums have pretty substantial note-weight, whereas high-range instruments like cymbals tend to sound light and airy. This kind of tuning is actually pretty clever, as it creates the illusion of an IEM that packs a good punch on the one hand, but can still sound very detailed and subtle on the other hand. However, there's no such thing as a free lunch, and in case of the P1, the downside is a disparity in note-weight between bass and treble.

Thanks for the impressions James. It does sound like an IEM I would appreciate.....to an extent
The Ostrys to me, had substantial bass note weight but sounded a little rolled off in the sub bass(which was a niggle). The Titan 1 on the other hand had a slight midbass bump but did not roll off(which I liked).
But you feel the Ostry had "deeper reach" compared to the P1, which has slightly diminished my interest in the P1.
Now to decide between the Rockets and P1.

 
 
(Graph is only to show difference in sub-bass)
 
Mar 20, 2016 at 4:32 AM Post #617 of 3,265
  I have been using them for 2 days now. Soundstage is nearly as good as my HD595s and those are open backed circumaural :xf_eek: crazy! Coming off of Atrio M5s and JVC FXT90s, the mids are quite a bit less "sweet & warm", but the clarity and most of all, placement/separation is absolutely fantastic. I suspect I really ought to drop $50 or so on a decent amp, disappointed a bit in how difficult they are to drive and they don't shine out of the box like they could. That's my only complaint, really. The packaging, design, accessories, etc are all incredibly polished and superior. I'm messing around a lot with tips right now but I will say I have a SMALL head and TINY ears and I'm not having any real fitting issues - in fact they are quite comfortable and well designed. I am classically a cable-down guy but with these I'm starting to wear over the ear more, and it works astonishingly well - my small ear size usually prohibits a good fit worn over the hear.

Extremely difficult to drive and if u have 24 bit files u want a good amp.On some tracks i am keeping my e17k at volume +50 and gain of +12.
 
Mar 20, 2016 at 9:33 AM Post #618 of 3,265
  But you feel the Ostry had "deeper reach" compared to the P1, which has slightly diminished my interest in the P1.
Now to decide between the Rockets and P1.
 

 
P1 is going to have deeper reach than the Rockets IME. I had let my Rockets go but decided to pick up another pair since there is a chance they won't be made any longer. At any rate, I'll have a pair of Rockets in about a week to compare directly. 
 
Mar 20, 2016 at 9:53 AM Post #619 of 3,265
  But you feel the Ostry had "deeper reach" compared to the P1, which has slightly diminished my interest in the P1.
Now to decide between the Rockets and P1.

P1 is going to have deeper reach than the Rockets IME. I had let me Rockets go but decided to pick up another pair since there is a chance they won't be made any longer. At any rate, I'll have a pair of Rockets in about a week to compare directly. 

Thank you for the input. Please do confirm this once your pair comes in. The form factor of the rockets and ljokerl labeling it "the best spiritual match for the RE400" keep my intrigue alive.
Then again, the RE400 also lacks sub bass presence.
I just wish I was able to try them myself :/
 
Tyll added this note to ljokerl's innerfidelity rockets review:
 
"Dale Lott tells me the move to Fender has caused realignments that prevented the Rocket from continued production, but plans remain to bring the product, essentially unchanged, back to market in the not-too-distant future."
 
Mar 21, 2016 at 6:28 AM Post #621 of 3,265


http://www.meeaudio.com/CABLE-MMCX-HE-ZN/

MEE shows the cable as out of stock, but that cable looks legitimate, and of the same price. I really like that cable, but since the second day, the cable coming out of the left bud, right at the plastic sheath, has started to come unwound. No big deal, really, just annoying. I will drop a small spot of Superglue onto the affected area to "tidy it up."

That said, the P1's are warming up nicely. Coming into their own. I am in the process of writing a review, and a comparison to what I own (which isn't much!). I really like these iem's.
 
Mar 21, 2016 at 7:28 AM Post #624 of 3,265
I have identified an iem that is a less refined P1 but cost less half of it.
ATH E40.
beerchug.gif

 
Mar 21, 2016 at 8:59 AM Post #625 of 3,265
I have identified an iem that is a less refined P1 but cost less half of it.
ATH E40. :beerchug:


Interested in dual phase dynamics after seeing the Trinity Audio lineup being launched soon - how close is the E40 to the P1 on terms overall signature?
 
Mar 21, 2016 at 9:31 AM Post #627 of 3,265
Interested in dual phase dynamics after seeing the Trinity Audio lineup being launched soon - how close is the E40 to the P1 on terms overall signature?

Both iems pride themselves in the upper mids and highs. Treble extension is there. P1 is more smooth while E40 is more aggressive( good for rock music).
However, p1's details are more on point which make it more more analytical than the e40.
Sound signature wise, they are around the same
 
Mar 21, 2016 at 9:57 AM Post #629 of 3,265
http://www.meeaudio.com/CABLE-MMCX-HE-ZN/

MEE shows the cable as out of stock, but that cable looks legitimate, and of the same price. I really like that cable, but since the second day, the cable coming out of the left bud, right at the plastic sheath, has started to come unwound. No big deal, really, just annoying. I will drop a small spot of Superglue onto the affected area to "tidy it up."

That said, the P1's are warming up nicely. Coming into their own. I am in the process of writing a review, and a comparison to what I own (which isn't much!). I really like these iem's.


meeaudio utilises amazon so they have some stocks in diffierent parts of the world ready to be shipped out lol
 
Mar 21, 2016 at 12:44 PM Post #630 of 3,265
Mine came today, #402. As others have said, unboxing is like Xmas morning. The packaging is fantastic. Plugged them in with some spirals (just in case I needed to return them for some reason I didn't want to open the box of tips), and was immediately impressed. I'd read some previous comments that suggested that an amp made them sparkle, so I hooked up my Q1 -- holy cow! The band was in the room with me, and the soundstage was huge. I'm hearing none of the high-end issues that others have discussed, just an amazingly lifelike presentation when you push them hard. I don't know if these will be everyday IEMs straight to the phone; I'll let them burn in a bit before I decide. I was already impressed by MEE after the M6s and M7s (which I'll have to review soon), but these are indeed the Pinnacle of sound.
 
I'll let them burn in for a good amount of time before I make any judgments, but these things are amazing so far. I was a little concerned, but yes, $200 amazing. Probably much more amazing, although I don't have a real frame of reference for expensive IEMs.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top