[Tristy]

MSRP: $8499

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/evolving-the-um-reference-a-new-chapter-for-the-mason-series—mason-nuit-Étoilée-soleil-tombé.971503/

The blue one reminds me of pistachios haha.

 

[mgsu]

Interesting survey question...what is your personal holy trinity? It can be a combo of IEM makers, cable makers or DAP makers.

I take the trinity and must expand it to a quartet because the tips are a crucial component:

FIR RN6 + SednaEarfit Crystals + PW FTS + N30LE

PW FTS in combination with the above components is just WOW!
After reading the reviews about this cable i was fearful about the extended treble, but the treble is so nicely done, no harshness at all.
And the realism of instruments just blowed me away: strings, brass is so nicely done, i can listen for hours and hours. Sound stage and imaging is also on another level.
Vocals are also very good, but not the star of the show.
I have to try the Orphy, i suspect it to be much better in these regards.
The harsh truth is imo: without this cable N30 and RN6 makes no sense anymore.

 

[nikbr]

I love to discover and share music, new or old - in some great groups on Facebook where I find music from at times independent or obscure labels / artists, and indeed more well known too but huge nationality diversity here, some music will be less known in some countries and it genuinely pleases me when people from various corners of the world find music they enjoy - its like an emotional connection by music! Same at home with family and friends, a wonderful connection to have with people - my 19 year old daughter just reminded me recently of when I first played ‘Chicago’ by Sufjan Stevens when she was about 7 - she still describes it as a very special moment and a huge fan of Sufjan ever since…

Love it! Music is such a powerful media for emotion.

 

[drftr]

The harsh truth is imo: without this cable N30 and RN6 makes no sense anymore.

Now ask @davidmolliere if perhaps he has any suggestions for you

drftr

 

[Tristy]

Do you have the VEX yet?

Unfortunately not! Are you planning on picking one up?

 

[sm0rf]

The fact that you and I prefer DD bass ...

Might be frightened while obviously a couple of more folks liking that

 

[deep2285]

Quite an unboxing experience. Kinera gets 11/10.

Verdandi has huge shells but the sound ....what a WoW.

The quality of mids @ $1,200 is unbelievably good.

 

[Natesdailies]

Wait, tgx78 performed in the orchestra??

Edit: nevermind, need to improve my reading comprehension

All good. He told me he actually performed in that venue before in the past so you weren't far off .

 

[LFC_SL]

I found it cool that FiR had the guts to release Rn6 at just above 3k where others including my favourite Noble thought flagships had to be over 4k. I don't see said (and other) flagships outdo Rn6 on more than one metric. This gives me confidence that we can have it all for 3k and that the rest is paid for novelty.

EDIT: Just imagine how they would crush the market if they had to guts to introduce an improved successor to Rn6 at 2.5k...

drftr

My reading is that FiR are competing with other companies who target professionals and enthusiasts alike? For a professional the tool either works or it does not work

If the JHA Pearl system does what it says that is moving the game forward, which is sold as a Pearl and Ruby bundle for $3,500

UM chasing buyers in another income bracket altogether who desire status symbols is absolutely fine. It would be facetious to point out Beethoven discovered bone conduction hundreds of years ago to overcome deafness, I simply do not view the new UM as innovative as UM's marketing implies. It is iterating on what already exists and other IEM companies are doing their thing with bass conduction (or similar to)

 

[CharlyBrown]

Or is it?

The fact that you and I prefer DD bass doesn't necessarily mean everybody has the same goals or even find DD bass any good at all.

If we all aim for the exact same goal life would become too boring to live.

drftr

Sometimes I’m in the mood that I prefer Mentors quick and dry BA bass over DD. People can start throwing stones at me now

 

[Valrhona]

The majority of that clientele aren’t even on Head-Fi AFAIK. It’s typically the high-rollers in HK, Taiwan and China who post their insane collections on Facebook and blogs. I’ve heard stories from dealers who’ve exhibited there that they’ll literally just buy the most expensive thing available as a status symbol. When the Mason and Mentor v3 launched in HK, a lot of them preferred the sound of the Mentor, but ultimately bought a Mason when they discovered it was the pricier of the two. The VE guys told me they had 10 pre-orders for the $5000 Erlkonig in HK before it was even unveiled. So, it really is just a culture over there. Compare that to the West, where, when 64 Audio first announced the $4000 Fourte and $3500 A18t, the outcry was so bad that they slashed the prices by $500 a couple days after.

Amazing. Never knew such a culture existed.

I love to discover and share music, new or old - in some great groups on Facebook where I find music from at times independent or obscure labels / artists, and indeed more well known too but huge nationality diversity here, some music will be less known in some countries and it genuinely pleases me when people from various corners of the world find music they enjoy - its like an emotional connection by music! Same at home with family and friends, a wonderful connection to have with people - my 19 year old daughter just reminded me recently of when I first played ‘Chicago’ by Sufjan Stevens when she was about 7 - she still describes it as a very special moment and a huge fan of Sufjan ever since…

Do they get to listen to your IEM collection too?

 

[nihalsharma]

I love to discover and share music, new or old - in some great groups on Facebook where I find music from at times independent or obscure labels / artists, and indeed more well known too but huge nationality diversity here, some music will be less known in some countries and it genuinely pleases me when people from various corners of the world find music they enjoy - its like an emotional connection by music! Same at home with family and friends, a wonderful connection to have with people - my 19 year old daughter just reminded me recently of when I first played ‘Chicago’ by Sufjan Stevens when she was about 7 - she still describes it as a very special moment and a huge fan of Sufjan ever since…

He is such a soul warming singer. I remember these songs from the movie - Call me by you name.

Brilliant movie, brilliant soundtracks.

 

[Erkil]

Sometimes I’m in the mood that I prefer Mentors quick and dry BA bass over DD. People can start throwing stones at me now

I am still debating with myself, but most of the time I actually prefer BA bass. Many of my favorites is all BA’s.

 

[CodenameBK201]

UM actually offers something: inadequate QC. Take a look at all the complaints here in the forum about the poor workmanship and the loose pin sockets of their midfis and totls.

Nevertheless, it would be unfair to deny UM the credit for being quite innovative and a market leader. Apart from the pricing and market policy (and the poor QC), I personally think that UM is where it is for good reasons: at the very top of the line. This will not change and I am sure that the new Mason FS will set new standards, for example a bit like Mentor and Amber Pearl before.

I don't own any UM stuff so I can't personally comment. However, I will politely say that for all the hype surrounding Fei Wan, there have been similar concerns in this very thread about Jewel if you simply search for them.

My take is that every for-profit company, by definition, will charge as much as they can, whenever they can. I don't take personal offense to it because that's simply business. Not one of them is running a charity, be it Fir or CFA. "This should cost this" is an entirely separate argument from "this company, and this company alone is overcharging for this". Ultimately the market votes--they're charging that much because people keep paying for it. Where those companies live and die, then, is through customer service and QC, and even then, it seems there's a substantial enough market that simply does not care, with a share sufficient enough that it's keeping the profit margins churning.

 

[MatW]

Catching up with the thread and reflecting on the UM pricing discussion. Everyone is free to spend their money as they please, let that be clear. But for 8.5k you can buy the most advanced headfi driver in the world, in my humble opinion of course, the Abyss 1266, or a Susvara for that matter, and still keep 2.5k in your pockets. Or more if you find the right retailer. I know, you need proper amplification etc, but still. With the money some are spending on DAPs like the N30 you can buy a proper amp and dac. Not interested in the over ear vs in ear discussion either, this is just for illustration. The price UM are charging here is just crazy high in my opinion. But if it sells, it sells.