[Carpet]

i was just going to ask if the piccolo was any good

Still burning them in and I expect an increase in bass as the surround loosens up over the first 100 hours. I never heard Lea but Vortex has those and Piccolo graphed for comparison on his squig. Treble extension is much better than Hola. Build is very nice and I like the black granular finish. It will be interesting to see if they feel less cold than straight metal IEMs watching derby at the Edgar Centre tonight. Bass isn't overwhelming or MIA. Mids are forward and open but perhaps a little thin. I don't think these are going to be forgiving of sibilance prone recordings. These seem to have flown largely under the radar while people have been chasing hype trains. Closest so far would be modded OG Olina, but lagging a bit behind in details, stage and seperation. None of that is a criticism as Olina is three times the price.

TL DR; Nice set, a little brighter than most vanilla Harmon releases.

 

[Carpet]

True but Li-Mag DD is interesting at $110 til it becomes the standard for DDs.

I think the first Li-Mag DD IEM was Ikko's OH5 Asgard which flopped presumably because the tuning sucks.

Maybe Li-Mag will be the spiritual successor to the Beryllium hype from 2020?

Gotta love the early adopter tax! Wasn't OH5 around $500?

 

[Carpet]

Even if I subscribe to everything you wrote about STELLARIS, I have to admit (a bit with shame) that I like them enough, precisely because of their particular distorted sonic signature.

Sometimes I like to get drunk on sibilant highs combined with dry and powerful basses, and I listen to STELLARIS.

If I only want highs, I'll 'settle' for EA500.

Madness of my mind.

Note to self:

Liked Stellaris, file under "T" for treble head!

 

[keesue]

My Krilas are in transit and I can’t wait to start spittin’?

Just received the Krilas. ***Look Ma, I'm spittin'!***

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Well finally...after 10H of decadent writing....my Unique Melody Mest MK3 ultra wordy review is there.

And I feel i've just express 10% of all the acoustic richness these can deliver....

These aren't just End Game IEM, they are Game changer too....i mean, I was aware of bone conduction potential with the Mext but this suck up all the juice of it+4 extra EST and better tuned bass and overall balance....we are into sky high acoustic perfectionism here. Simply put, while I know i was an abnormaly demanding and critical listener hardcore audiophile (with open mind).....i didn't know it was possible to have the psychoacoustic freedom to truely explore that deep and precisely all details, texture, definition subtilities, attack speed dynamism and impact, natural resonance of instrument like piano sustain pedal etc....so fully...it's literally like being able to see better in the dark than plain day light....

OK...if you think im a naive hyper here....jsut give these a listen, then we will debate about Technical Performance. Since these offer the best of them all, cause yeah, the BC is ultimate cheat....yet not a cheat, just a revolution begin with Mest and Mext serie...then push to it's paroxysm with MK3.

Pros:
-superhuman resolution
-ultra precise next level imaging
-holographic multi layered soundstage
-fast punchy textured bass with excellent definition
-excellent sub and mid bass layering and resolution
-vast open mids with fully covered sound info
-fowards vocal, piano and main instrument
-rich in details texture yet transparent enough too
-edgy definition, no contour blur
-fast snappy ultra controlled attack
-infinite number of micro details: effortless way
-treble sparkle-brillance and long clean natural resonance
-even silence have resolution info
-can deal and even refresh any music you throw at
-neutral with slight bass boost, lively and crisp way
-non fatiguing tx to BC driver
-small and light housing is very comfortable
-intense noise isolation
-strange to say but: good sound value even at this price!

Cons:
-those who love thick colored mids timbre might find it slightly thin
-at VERY high volume we can have extra fuzzy resonance in upper mids with soprano singer loud passage
-the bass impact isn't vast in headroom and not super weighty or chunky (not for basshead)
-treble info might be overwhelming for some
-cable is absurdly bulky

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/unique-melody-mest-mkiii-cf.26526/reviews#review-31285

 

[o0genesis0o]

Well finally...after 10H of decadent writing....my Unique Melody Mest MK3 ultra wordy review is there.

And I feel i've just express 10% of all the acoustic richness these can deliver....

These aren't just End Game IEM, they are Game changer too....i mean, I was aware of bone conduction potential with the Mext but this suck up all the juice of it+4 extra EST and better tuned bass and overall balance....we are into sky high acoustic perfectionism here. Simply put, while I know i was an abnormaly demanding and critical listener hardcore audiophile (with open mind).....i didn't know it was possible to have the psychoacoustic freedom to truely explore that deep and precisely all details, texture, definition subtilities, attack speed dynamism and impact, natural resonance of instrument like piano sustain pedal etc....so fully...it's literally like being able to see better in the dark than plain day light....

OK...if you think im a naive hyper here....jsut give these a listen, then we will debate about Technical Performance. Since these offer the best of them all, cause yeah, the BC is ultimate cheat....yet not a cheat, just a revolution begin with Mest and Mext serie...then push to it's paroxysm with MK3.

Pros:
-superhuman resolution
-ultra precise next level imaging
-holographic multi layered soundstage
-fast punchy textured bass with excellent definition
-excellent sub and mid bass layering and resolution
-vast open mids with fully covered sound info
-fowards vocal, piano and main instrument
-rich in details texture yet transparent enough too
-edgy definition, no contour blur
-fast snappy ultra controlled attack
-infinite number of micro details: effortless way
-treble sparkle-brillance and long clean natural resonance
-even silence have resolution info
-can deal and even refresh any music you throw at
-neutral with slight bass boost, lively and crisp way
-non fatiguing tx to BC driver
-small and light housing is very comfortable
-intense noise isolation
-strange to say but: good sound value even at this price!

Cons:
-those who love thick colored mids timbre might find it slightly thin
-at VERY high volume we can have extra fuzzy resonance in upper mids with soprano singer loud passage
-the bass impact isn't vast in headroom and not super weighty or chunky (not for basshead)
-treble info might be overwhelming for some
-cable is absurdly bulky



https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/unique-melody-mest-mkiii-cf.26526/reviews#review-31285

UM did an outstanding job with this one, except for the stock cable and tips. I also share complaint about the bass. It could have been more dynamic.

the overall tonality is surprisingly “wet” and “musical”, especially in A/B against U12t and P8. I didn’t expect a wet MEST, nor expect that signature to sound to resolving. It’s a new height in the U12t price bracket for sure.

 

[PROblemdetected]

New model from QoA

 

[JEHL]

I sometimes wonder if releases will inevitably become increasingly disappointing because the only gear that than best the U12t is more expensive than it... And this status quo will outlive me.

... Not that any of this is any of my business when I can't tell any difference between my HE400se and my BL-03 beyond the tuning... And before anyone points that out, this is true regardless of source.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

UM did an outstanding job with this one, except for the stock cable and tips. I also share complaint about the bass. It could have been more dynamic.

the overall tonality is surprisingly “wet” and “musical”, especially in A/B against U12t and P8. I didn’t expect a wet MEST, nor expect that signature to sound to resolving. It’s a new height in the U12t price bracket for sure.

Indeed, oustanding...seem like ''honey moon'' period cant end with those. Too fascinating. I hate ''cliché'' but for me its very first IEM in very long time to push me rediscovering all my music collection, sometime with such...intensely impressive result like old classical album that reborn alive, yet remember they sound lifeless resolution vividity wise....

but the sound experience is so otherworldly too enh, our psychoacoustic mind sure find dynamic rendering exotic and i do complaint about bass weight a bit too in my review....trying nit picking as hard as i can....not easy for this one tbh

''wet''....i kind understand what you mean, magnify presence to the...Bone! lol

anyway, im happy you enjoy them too bro, real crush for me. keeper.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

I sometimes wonder if releases will inevitably become increasingly disappointing because the only gear that than best the U12t is more expensive than it... And this status quo will outlive me.

... Not that any of this is any of my business when I can't tell any difference between my HE400se and my BL-03 beyond the tuning... And before anyone points that out, this is true regardless of source.

i will have the U12T in about a week...but....at they end i feel ''best'' mean nothing unless its about technical performance. And if U12T can beat the UM Mest MK3 in that regard....ill change my name from NymPHONOmaniac to Nymphomaniac.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Many of us murdered the cable and connection type. Mine even had loose shield on the 3.5mm side, got a extra cable after saying I don't want to glue it for them.
Your not alone. Unacceptable and a reason alone to not chose FIIO in my case.

You got it cheaper than me, ordered late so got next best offer. Ended at 45usd with import and shipping.

Great to have your opinion voiced!

Then, if we look over reviews here: all glorious 4-4.5 stars.

I am not by any means trying to blame anyone: for almost 5 year here, I watched with the great sadness that sincere reviewers perish into oblivion, while the gross hyping ones rule - sadly, the reality. So I do respect the reviews of the "wise balance" left out there.

Then, I could not help thinking of my doctors recommending me some treatment peddled to him/her at some free resort trip... So I am not able to take any discounts or free samples with these limitations in mind.

In this context, when I largely stopped paying attention to reviews altogether, I really started to feel so more liberated in my personal choice - free of hype trains and peddling

$25 is still totally wasted for me, so I feel much more sorry for your $45!

 

[o0genesis0o]

I sometimes wonder if releases will inevitably become increasingly disappointing because the only gear that than best the U12t is more expensive than it... And this status quo will outlive me.

Well, you need to define "better", since I know quite a few folks in high-end audio circles considering U12t boring AF.

For me, as someone who listen primarily "large" music with lots of layers and texture, I want my source+IEM/headphone to have ability to peal open the layers, pin point instruments with razor sharp focus, and push everything away from each other and from my head, so that the presentation is 3D and open. I also want strong, instantaneous dynamic swings when the orchestra slams at the down beats. I also want all the subtle dynamic variations in a Bach's violin partita to come through. And I want everything to be textured and nuanced. I don't care too much about tonality, unless it is peaky, thin, or shouty.

If you want the same thing as I do, U12T is pretty much GOAT because it does all of that to a high level. Not the best at everything, and the tonality can be pretty unengaging in some vocal musics. So, if you are just after the most "analogue" and "musicality" in your sound, U12T is already surpassed. In fact, it would have never been good to you.

So, outperforming U12T, to me, requires an IEM to do all that the U12T can do, and more. That's when things get tricky. For instance, the VE Phoenix handily out-resolves the U12T, but the stage is not as good. The MEST III has everything, and even better tuning, but not as good dynamic swings.

But you don't have to go that far. The AFUL P8 get pretty much 90% there on everything, except the soundstage (which is a letdown to me, personally). And it's $380, if I remember correctly.

---

On unrelated note, what exactly do people want to hear? Saying this expensive IEM is better than U12t => bias because the gear is expensive. Saying that budget-friendly IEM nearly as good as U12t => hype monkey. Decide, people.

 

[chinmie]

I sometimes wonder if releases will inevitably become increasingly disappointing because the only gear that than best the U12t is more expensive than it... And this status quo will outlive me.

... Not that any of this is any of my business when I can't tell any difference between my HE400se and my BL-03 beyond the tuning... And before anyone points that out, this is true regardless of source.

Well, you need to define "better", since I know quite a few folks in high-end audio circles considering U12t boring AF.

For me, as someone who listen primarily "large" music with lots of layers and texture, I want my source+IEM/headphone to have ability to peal open the layers, pin point instruments with razor sharp focus, and push everything away from each other and from my head, so that the presentation is 3D and open. I also want strong, instantaneous dynamic swings when the orchestra slams at the down beats. I also want all the subtle dynamic variations in a Bach's violin partita to come through. And I want everything to be textured and nuanced. I don't care too much about tonality, unless it is peaky, thin, or shouty.

If you want the same thing as I do, U12T is pretty much GOAT because it does all of that to a high level. Not the best at everything, and the tonality can be pretty unengaging in some vocal musics. So, if you are just after the most "analogue" and "musicality" in your sound, U12T is already surpassed. In fact, it would have never been good to you.

So, outperforming U12T, to me, requires an IEM to do all that the U12T can do, and more. That's when things get tricky. For instance, the VE Phoenix handily out-resolves the U12T, but the stage is not as good. The MEST III has everything, and even better tuning, but not as good dynamic swings.

But you don't have to go that far. The AFUL P8 get pretty much 90% there on everything, except the soundstage (which is a letdown to me, personally). And it's $380, if I remember correctly.

---

On unrelated note, what exactly do people want to hear? Saying this expensive IEM is better than U12t => bias because the gear is expensive. Saying that budget-friendly IEM nearly as good as U12t => hype monkey. Decide, people.

I don't think i've listened to an IEM that's better than the U12T at that specific sound signature that it does. Even 64 audio have more expensive lineup like the U18, it has it's own signature and not really better than the U12T.
There're similar sounding IEMs (like the M9 or Supernova), but they're more like playing at arguably close to/similar level... not exceeding it.

 

[saldsald]

Some new tips on the house.

Edit: my super quick impressions, these Sancai tips are really good but the bigger ones are really big. Extremely clean sound with very good bass clarity and vibration (not necessarily extension). It's very likely the best in the bunch.
The Bamboo has very similar umbrella shape and wide bore opening. Sound is actually quite similar but there is less bass and reverb.
The candy tips are more upper frequencies focused but don't lack in bass. Bore is quite small but I haven't heard any sibilance yet.

 

[bschnell9]

Some new tips on the house.

What are those on the right?