I wouldn't go as far as calling it unusable, I just wouldn't especially enjoy using it. That being said, I also wouldn't use a PW 1950s or 1960s, so I think you can mostly disregard my comments about stock cables haha - I've been royally spoiled by Khanyayo and Eletech.
Unique Melody Mason FuSang - the best reference monitor money can buy
As usual, starting with the full disclosure, I was offered a decently chunky discount for the FuSang because I'm a special boi that reviews and hypes things. Bow before my superiority
My experience with the FuSang is honestly what I'd call a reviewer's dream. Just enough things I absolutely love about it to be able to recommend it despite its price, just enough things for me to criticise to avoid slapping a "ThIS iS tHE onLy IEm YoU WiLL EvEr NeeD" tag on it
The FuSang is one expensive, expensive IEM. You get a nice leather case with it, which is well.. nice but that's pretty much it. The stock cable is extremely stiff - the only real use for it is the hardware, I will be sending mine to Dr. Juggles on Monday for him to dissect and put the hardware back on something actually good. It's way too uncomfortable for me to ever use, so the entirety of the impressions are based on Khanyayo's 8 wire silver as well as Eletech's Iliad. Have literally never tried it with the stock cable and not planning to
The "value" of the package as a whole I'd put slightly behind the Thummim personally, as I really like the Plato, and the Thum also gets points for having a super cool (albeit less comfy) shell. The FuSang to me edges it out ever so slightly on sound in some aspects and as an all-rounder, so I suppose the price makes sense considering the inferior cable?
Idk, doesn't really matter here we go
The Mason is to me fundamentally a reference monitor. There's no frequency that feels exaggerated or brought to the front except maybe the upper treble, or that sense of air. The Mason's FR feels like it was designed to pretty much not demand any attention in order to give space to all the air voodoo they've shoved in the monitor.
As a reference monitor, the Mason is on the colder, drier side in how it presents the music, which tends to play especially well with rock, metal, jazz and just about anything that has that "raw" feel to it.
Starting with the bass, the Mason is what I'd consider BA bass that sounds like excellent BA bass. It doesn't try to mimic a dynamic driver, it doesn't try to reach that physicality or impact, but instead goes for a faster, tighter and punchier presentation. I personally really, really like that since I fundamentally love BA bass (especially BA midbass - it has a distinct punch).
The midrange of the Mason is IMHO, the single best midrange I've heard to date (Elysium included there I said it). It has an absolutely phenomenal lower-to-upper midrange balance, where male vocals have good weight and presence, and don't sound pulled back compared to female vocals. The upper midrange is amongst the best I've heard and gives vocals a really good sense of space and extension without being harsh, overly bright, revealing or in your face. It's almost like a perfect 1:1 ratio, where nothing ever feels like it has been compromised to give space to something else
The treble of the Mason is probably the least linear aspect - I personally feel like the upper treble is somewhat exaggerated, which gives it that top tier resolution without ever actually sounding bright or forward.
Exceptional technical ability, with somewhat lacking staging width. It isn't narrow, it just isn't as wide as some of the more recent releases I've tried. On the Mason I heard that "effect" that people keep describing on the Erl but I never experienced myself, where stage organization makes up for a somewhat average width. I'd still consider the Mason to be significantly wider than the Erl, just not as wild as something like the Thummim.
Insane detail, as a result of the upper treble and dynamics.
The aspect of the Mason that I actually want to discuss has nothing to do with any of the above however - so far I've basically described the MEST Mk2 which retails at a third of the price.
What makes the Mason a unique experience and one I consider worth its price tag is that overwhelming, straight up incredible sense of air. I'm not talking treble extension, I'm talking about some straight up voodoo effect that UM have achieved while tuning it. The different sounds and frequencies feel like they're just been injected with a sense of airniness and space - I retyped this paragraph several times while listening to it, and honestly I cannot describe it to you - no other IEM or headphone I have ever heard has managed to even come close to achieving this.
At first I mostly heard it in the vocals - I don't consider the Mason to be an IEM with a vocal focus quantitatively, but qualitatively they sound so stupid good, you're naturally drawn to them within a performance. Once I played some more instrumental tracks however, I started clearly hearing that same air and spaciousness in them. It's honestly an extremely addicting effect that make other monitors sound a little too ordinary (which is well, what makes TOTLs TOTLs)
A lot of the FuSang's strengths are however based on how well it executes vocals and instruments. On tracks that feature neither I can see it somewhat struggling (I.e EDM I guess?) - it pulls off math rock exceptionally well, so I wouldn't put it down to electronic vs acoustic exclusively, but maybe presence of the lower midrange too?
Fundamentally that's what I love about it - it's not an IEM I felt comfortable reviewing 3 hours in - there was just way too much going on, with way too much of that special sauce that still draws you in days and days later.
Full review to be posted at some point, in the meantime though, gonna slap that "best reference IEM I've heard" tag to the Mason.
, did you use another cable to analyze FuSang?
He mentioned that his impressions were written with the Eletech Illiad and Khanyayo 8-wire silver cable. I’d tend to agree with your first definition of reference, but I think I’ve also talked well-enough about what my definition of that term is.Michael, since the stock PWA cable going for nip'n'tuck to a Dr
Also, just a general comment since a few people already pinged me if I heard FableSound/FuSang, and it started another round of discussions about what is "reference" sound. So just to clear it up, some people refer to "reference" as a warmer thicker sounding tuning with more natural coloring (how I heard FS in my brief auditioning), while others refer to "reference" as a more analytical transparent colder sound without any coloring (definitely not the tuning of FS).
I used the good doctor’s wire!Michael, since the stock PWA cable going for nip'n'tuck to a Dr
Also, just a general comment since a few people already pinged me if I heard FableSound/FuSang, and it started another round of discussions about what is "reference" sound. So just to clear it up, some people refer to "reference" as a warmer thicker sounding tuning with more natural coloring (how I heard FS in my brief auditioning), while others refer to "reference" as a more analytical transparent colder sound without any coloring (definitely not the tuning of FS).
Comparisons of sets are more telling for me.I'm interested to know too. Personally, a 'reference' for me is something like a flat neutral reference sound. Something that sounds pretty much level all-round, and doesn't deviate too much too often. Something you can measure other IEMs with, to gauge whether if it's north or south of neutral in some aspect. I don't know about others' definition.
I'm interested to know too. Personally, a 'reference' for me is something like a flat neutral reference sound. Something that sounds pretty much level all-round, and doesn't deviate too much too often. Something you can measure other IEMs with, to gauge whether if it's north or south of neutral in some aspect. I don't know about others' definition.
The effect was very consistent on both the Khanyayo and the Iliad, so I wouldn’t attribute it to the cable alone - also the Iliad hasn’t created that effect in any other IEM I’ve tried
Withdrawal can be tuff.Leaving for a short trip tomorrow, and won’t have any IEMs with me for the next few days
I completely agree, but one might ask the question: When can something be deemed completely free of colour? For me, that’s when you have to consult songs and determine whether or not any qualities remain consistent across different tracks, or if it’ll really let those differences between them shine through. That’s when I know an IEM (or a part of it) is reference. I personally define neutral similarly, but I’d also suggest a hint of tightness or a bias towards control with that term. Whereas, you’d have slight hints of warmth or resonance with the term natural.The opinion of "reference" sound is very polarizing, and for me personally, reference means neutral, revealing, transparent, without any coloring. But this opinion is shaped by my background in music production, another full-time "hobby" before I started reviewing
Man, I need to try that voodoo effect someday
Leaving for a short trip tomorrow, and won’t have any IEMs with me for the next few days
Now that's what I'm talking about.Unique Melody Mason FuSang - the best reference monitor money can buy
As usual, starting with the full disclosure, I was offered a decently chunky discount for the FuSang because I'm a special boi that reviews and hypes things. Bow before my superiority
My experience with the FuSang is honestly what I'd call a reviewer's dream. Just enough things I absolutely love about it to be able to recommend it despite its price, just enough things for me to criticise to avoid slapping a "ThIS iS tHE onLy IEm YoU WiLL EvEr NeeD" tag on it
The FuSang is one expensive, expensive IEM. You get a nice leather case with it, which is well.. nice but that's pretty much it. The stock cable is extremely stiff - the only real use for it is the hardware, I will be sending mine to Dr. Juggles on Monday for him to dissect and put the hardware back on something actually good. It's way too uncomfortable for me to ever use, so the entirety of the impressions are based on Khanyayo's 8 wire silver as well as Eletech's Iliad. Have literally never tried it with the stock cable and not planning to
The "value" of the package as a whole I'd put slightly behind the Thummim personally, as I really like the Plato, and the Thum also gets points for having a super cool (albeit less comfy) shell. The FuSang to me edges it out ever so slightly on sound in some aspects and as an all-rounder, so I suppose the price makes sense considering the inferior cable?
Idk, doesn't really matter here we go
The Mason is to me fundamentally a reference monitor. There's no frequency that feels exaggerated or brought to the front except maybe the upper treble, or that sense of air. The Mason's FR feels like it was designed to pretty much not demand any attention in order to give space to all the air voodoo they've shoved in the monitor.
As a reference monitor, the Mason is on the colder, drier side in how it presents the music, which tends to play especially well with rock, metal, jazz and just about anything that has that "raw" feel to it.
Starting with the bass, the Mason is what I'd consider BA bass that sounds like excellent BA bass. It doesn't try to mimic a dynamic driver, it doesn't try to reach that physicality or impact, but instead goes for a faster, tighter and punchier presentation. I personally really, really like that since I fundamentally love BA bass (especially BA midbass - it has a distinct punch).
The midrange of the Mason is IMHO, the single best midrange I've heard to date (Elysium included there I said it). It has an absolutely phenomenal lower-to-upper midrange balance, where male vocals have good weight and presence, and don't sound pulled back compared to female vocals. The upper midrange is amongst the best I've heard and gives vocals a really good sense of space and extension without being harsh, overly bright, revealing or in your face. It's almost like a perfect 1:1 ratio, where nothing ever feels like it has been compromised to give space to something else
The treble of the Mason is probably the least linear aspect - I personally feel like the upper treble is somewhat exaggerated, which gives it that top tier resolution without ever actually sounding bright or forward.
Exceptional technical ability, with somewhat lacking staging width. It isn't narrow, it just isn't as wide as some of the more recent releases I've tried. On the Mason I heard that "effect" that people keep describing on the Erl but I never experienced myself, where stage organization makes up for a somewhat average width. I'd still consider the Mason to be significantly wider than the Erl, just not as wild as something like the Thummim.
Insane detail, as a result of the upper treble and dynamics.
The aspect of the Mason that I actually want to discuss has nothing to do with any of the above however - so far I've basically described the MEST Mk2 which retails at a third of the price.
What makes the Mason a unique experience and one I consider worth its price tag is that overwhelming, straight up incredible sense of air. I'm not talking treble extension, I'm talking about some straight up voodoo effect that UM have achieved while tuning it. The different sounds and frequencies feel like they're just been injected with a sense of airniness and space - I retyped this paragraph several times while listening to it, and honestly I cannot describe it to you - no other IEM or headphone I have ever heard has managed to even come close to achieving this.
At first I mostly heard it in the vocals - I don't consider the Mason to be an IEM with a vocal focus quantitatively, but qualitatively they sound so stupid good, you're naturally drawn to them within a performance. Once I played some more instrumental tracks however, I started clearly hearing that same air and spaciousness in them. It's honestly an extremely addicting effect that make other monitors sound a little too ordinary (which is well, what makes TOTLs TOTLs)
A lot of the FuSang's strengths are however based on how well it executes vocals and instruments. On tracks that feature neither I can see it somewhat struggling (I.e EDM I guess?) - it pulls off math rock exceptionally well, so I wouldn't put it down to electronic vs acoustic exclusively, but maybe presence of the lower midrange too?
Fundamentally that's what I love about it - it's not an IEM I felt comfortable reviewing 3 hours in - there was just way too much going on, with way too much of that special sauce that still draws you in days and days later.
Full review to be posted at some point, in the meantime though, gonna slap that "best reference IEM I've heard" tag to the Mason.
Yep I spent the weekend away from the FuSang and now bae and I are catching up <3
