[kmhaynes]

I've been wanting to get a 2nd IEM to take some usage and wear off my RE0. Since I love the RE0, I'm don't want to settle for a cheap-o phone -- in price, yes, but not SQ. Been hearing good things about the MEElectronics AI-M9, saw that they made some recent updates and revisions, so I thought for $23, it is worth a shot. Got them yesterday and listened to them for about 45 minutes, then put them on a CD repeat play overnight to give them a bit of break-in time.

After about 20 hours of play, I'm listening to them and their sound signature is ... interesting. Your brain really has to adjust to it's presentation of stuff. At first listen, instrument separation and detail seem good, and soundstage feels very spacious.

But as your brain is trying to adjust to these phones, it seems that MEElec is trying to mimic some cross-feed, or reverb, or "concert-hall" sound effect, something like that, because instruments seem to get pushed out and back to the back corner of the stage. Mid-channel stuff, like lead vocals, seem OK, but anything away from center starts to sound isolated and indirect. Lower mids and bass seem to be hard to locate.

As I have listened some more, it appears that the trebles are detailed, but the mids through to the lower bass are not detailed or well placed -- rather hazy, fuzzy, almost ethereal. Stereo imaging is OK on simple music, but as things get busier, the imaging seems too spacious and the sense of cohesion is lost -- it seems you are hearing a collection of instruments, not "music", if that makes sense.

Swapping to the RE0 brings everything back into position. It seems more closed in, but I realize it is my brain having gotten used to the exaggerated separation of the M9. After a minute, the RE0 starts to sound just right again.

So I guess I keep looking for a good sounding inexpensive IEM...

 

[ljokerl]

^ not really fair to compare a $20 product to the RE0, which started out at $239 and is an unreasonably good deal at $80. That said, you might want to try a Maximo iM-590

.

Now, I've been using the Ai-M9 today with the new biflanges and I'm confused by the isolation. I remember it being quite poor with the old M9s but I'm currently impressed with this. It's on nearly par with the Klipsch S4 that I was using yesterday.

DervishD, have you noticed a difference in isolation between the old M9 and new one (besides the now-included biflange tips)? Sadly I no longer have the old version for an A:B.

 

[DervishD]

Hi ljokerl

I didn't notice a great difference in isolation, really, but there were a difference. I no longer have the new ones so I cannot do an A:B for you: I gave them to a friend, I couldn't stand the crackling noise. He can hear it but doesn't care. At first I gave them to my wife but she finally didn't like the crackling noise either...

I remember that the new ones isolated a bit more, but I think it was because the housing being longer, it allowed for a slightly deeper insertion, which for my ear canals mean better isolation. The old ones I bought had the bi-flanges, too, by the way. I didn't use the biflanges with either model because they were a bit uncomfortable to me. I used the smaller tips... of the M2

The translucent silicone tips fit better my ear canal, don't ask me why because they're almost identical with the black ones...

The old ones were more or less on average regarding sound isolation, the new ones were better, but I can't tell how much better.

 

[kmhaynes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ not really fair to compare a $20 product to the RE0, which started out at $239 and is an unreasonably good deal at $80. That said, you might want to try a Maximo iM-590 .

Oh, agree with you completely about M9 vs RE0 -- I just needed to see if what I was hearing with the M9 was what I was thinking.

Was going to ask |joker| if you hear what I do with the M9, but see you have the M6, not M9...

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmhaynes /img/forum/go_quote.gif Was going to ask |joker| if you hear what I do with the M9, but see you have the M6, not M9...

I have the M9 too. No room for it in my sig. The M9 does have some soundstaging artifacts and the bass is just too present for my tastes (yes, it is everywhere in the soundstage; not really concentrated in a particular spot), but I thought it would be daft of me to expect perfect positioning from a $20 earphone. Compared to the Skullcandy Titans and other earphones with a 1-D soundstage the M9 sounds rather lively and dimensional. I would have wanted slightly more forward mids, but again I think that the RE0 has spoiled you - it's an incredibly cohesive and precise earphone that makes almost everything else sound smeared in comparison.

 

[harkari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the M9 too. No room for it in my sig. The M9 does have some soundstaging artifacts and the bass is just too present for my tastes (yes, it is everywhere in the soundstage; not really concentrated in a particular spot), but I thought it would be daft of me to expect perfect positioning from a $20 earphone. Compared to the Skullcandy Titans and other earphones with a 1-D soundstage the M9 sounds rather lively and dimensional. I would have wanted slightly more forward mids, but again I think that the RE0 has spoiled you - it's an incredibly cohesive and precise earphone that makes almost everything else sound smeared in comparison.

Either I got a defective pair, or in this instance, I just find myself much more affected by these phones' shortcomings than many others. It's the first phone I think ljokerl rates too highly is his superlative (!) megareview. I just got a pair, 24hrs burn-in, and I find them completely unlistenable. Now, I like bass (in fact, I play electric bass), and I have other bass-heavy earphones a tad on the bloaty side that I like quite well (Sony EX series, Denon AH-C551s).

But as you say, the bass here bleeds everywhere in the soundstage, which is made worse by it also being stuffed in my left ear, while everything else is recessed. Bass is often positioned just left of center, especially in a jazz mix, but with these phones it really fills the left channel. I don't whether it's a channel balance issue, design defect, or what. Beyond that, everything is recessed and veiled, with little dynamics or separation. I can see the reverb some people describe, but not any airiness and certainly not any brightness.

Honestly, the only worse phones I've had were fake CX-300s, Skullcandys, and dealextreme $5 specials. Like everyone who has this kind of experience, I'm left to wonder if I just have very different ears, very different preferences, or a defective set of phones.

Anyway, I'm swearing off cheap phones for a while. AKG K601s

are in the mail, and I'm fattening up my piggy bank for Etymotics and RE0s . . .

 

[Catharsis]

As a recent recipient of the M9, I would confess that even after 50 hours of break-in, I wasn't impressed. The bass was terribly overpowering despite the reasonably adequate treble.

For several days I tried listening with every tip to the same effect - disappointment. It wasn't until I tried the large single flanges that I found what I was looking for. Suddenly the overwhelming bass became tight and the mids and treble came through well and clear.

It goes to show how much tips and ear canal shape can affect the sound. In my particular case, the large single flanges create a good seal and direct the sound straight to my ear-drums. If I was to compare the M9 with any of my current phones, I would say it bore resemblance to my DT880 without the enormous soundstage and slightly less bass. In any case, the detail was remarkable and a HUGE step up from my HA-FX66 in terms of SQ, with significantly less isolation.

 

[CanadaBoy]

Thanks for the review on the newer model OP.

I ordered a silver pair and a black pair (20% off until March 5th! with coupon)

Can't wait to try them out!

 

[goodvibes]

Guys, put a piece of tape over the rear vent and retest. Bass should be more similar to the M6 or even tighter as the volume of the chamber is probably smaller. Probably the reason these sound so different from an M6 with the same components. If it works it will be easy enough to do a permanent fix with a bit of glue or epoxy. When I vented the pl50 it was extremely sensitive to vent size and I wouldn't recommend most try it. When I found the hot spot the phone opened up and extended down without a midbass problem but it was unbelievably touchy. Too much lost boogie and bass shape and too little over did the midbass and lost the phone's goodness. The low treble did also get a more aggressive (m9 vs m6?) when where I like it but I prefer the overall increased liveliness. What I'm getting at is that this did some of the same things that differentiate the M6 and M9 and could be reversed on a phone that's too bassy , diffused or busy. Perhaps closing the port will make these more desirable for some and become more like a poor man's M6.

 

[DervishD]

Bump because I've upgraded my review with the results of testing a new pair of M9!