Sony IER M9 - mini review and impressions
If you ever tried purchasing one of these in the EU you'll know it's next to impossible to dig one up - they're an elusive little son of a *****, so when I got the opportunity to trade my Ara that I wasn't using much anyways for one, I immediately jumped on it (it was pretty crap value for a trade but hey, you live and you learn)
Before we even begin, this is easily one of the more boring reviews I'll ever write - I almost hate the M9 for how solid and un-criticisable it is to the point where it makes the sub-1000$ segment practically useless to play in. It's just outstanding in how solid and consistent it is while also being pleasing to listen to - if you're looking for something natural, with good technical ability and a great FR, that is also very comfortable - easily recommended
The IER M9 has a neutral natural tonality, with a slight subbass boost, which ends up being quite crucial within the signature as a whole. My only complaint about the bass would be that the midbass feels quite fast, snappy and punchy, while the subbass has a more drawn out, slower presentation, which ends up being just slightly off when a track has both - it's an extremely minor qualm though, and for the most part it would be completely unnoticeable so I wouldn't really worry about that. It has decent texture for a BA without being anything groundbreaking - once again, just solid and all around good
The midrange of the IER M9 is somewhat reference-y, slightly dry and quite linear. It has really good body and downright great texture (it absolutely obliterates something like the Solaris 2020 or the QDC DMagic in that respect). I really like that they didn't scoop out the lower mids the way they did on the IER Z1R (even though that's an IEM that I love as well), but instead present it with a more balanced and even tonality. The upper midrange, being one of the most divisive topics of 2020, is in line with the rest of the signature, and is presented in a natural and realistic manner.
The dryness in the midrange isn't overly apparent, so if you aren't coming from something like a custom Elysium, it is barely noticeable. The Andromeda 2020 has a colder midrange overall, but punchier bass, and more present treble, giving off a very slightly V or U shaped presentation.
The treble of the M9... man - if there's one thing that Sony can REALLY do, it is treble. The IER Z1R has the most soberingly awesome treble extension and control I've heard to date, and even though it does sound a bit harsh and unpleasant at times, the raw quality on it is something that left me stunned time and time again. The IER M9 follows in that it does has a certain level of dryness to the treble, but deviates in that it is at no point harsh or unpleasant to listen to. It is insanely well extended as well, giving excellent sense of air and space within the signature as a whole. I'm a big fan, and it shows
The good news is that the M9 is also fairly technical - it is no soundstage monster in that it has pretty average width, but pretty good height and depth. I've stated before I love width above all else, but it is not a dealbreaker in this case. It also has very good detail retrieval and decent instrumental separation - all in all though, especially considering its price point, it's an extremely respectable option that is comfortably more technical than a lot of the more mediocre TOTL offerings.
I think the real magic of the IER M9 is in that it really makes no mistakes - would I like a somewhat larger stage? Sure. A bit more instrumental separation? Yes please. A slightly more unique tonality? Always - realistically though, even the things that I don't absolutely love about it are not ones I can criticise whatsoever - it is just so goddamn solid all around that I can't help but praise it.
For the big question - is it a giant slayer? I wouldn't really say so, because the best stuff in the TOTL bracket tend to still have the upper hand - is it a mid-fi slayer? Yeah absolutely. The only other options around its price point I could think about recommending are the Andromeda 2020, and possibly like a used or heavily discounted Noble Katana