I traded my MEST for cans and cash and I've regretted it ever since...
The Watercooler -- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first page. All welcome.
- Thread starter Rockwell75
- Start date
davidmolliere
Headphoneus Supremus
So... I received FiiO M17 and let me tell you : I was SHOCKED at how good it sounds...This is one of the very few times in this hobby that gear exceeds my expectations big time and it's a real shock how good the EXT sound when properly powered... OH MY GOD! Mind blown...
I already noticed when I plugged the EXT to the Zen Can out of the RS6 but out of M17 is a different ball game altogether... the stage well... Let me say this : EXT almost sounds like headphones, the gap with a "regular" DAP is just insane... this is particularly remarkable in terms of height and depth. I have a hard time wrapping my head around such a big difference.
Contrary to the DX220 Max I owned for a while, there is no harshness on M17 this one is a keeper... background is pitch black and the dynamic range is outstanding... and in fact I don't think I'll want to listen to anything else after that... "superDAPs" like Max and this are what I need since my usage is mostly at home anyway. The EXT has reached another planefield. M17 + EXT is what I dreamed of in terms of endgame combo (I know there isn't such a thing but what a rush and big smile on my face right now)...
I already noticed when I plugged the EXT to the Zen Can out of the RS6 but out of M17 is a different ball game altogether... the stage well... Let me say this : EXT almost sounds like headphones, the gap with a "regular" DAP is just insane... this is particularly remarkable in terms of height and depth. I have a hard time wrapping my head around such a big difference.
Contrary to the DX220 Max I owned for a while, there is no harshness on M17 this one is a keeper... background is pitch black and the dynamic range is outstanding... and in fact I don't think I'll want to listen to anything else after that... "superDAPs" like Max and this are what I need since my usage is mostly at home anyway. The EXT has reached another planefield. M17 + EXT is what I dreamed of in terms of endgame combo (I know there isn't such a thing but what a rush and big smile on my face right now)...
immortalsoul
1000+ Head-Fier
This is what I wanted to hear
davidmolliere
Headphoneus Supremus
Maybe your wallet didn't
I am really in awe with a huge smile there... I didn't expect this much of a gap... honestly DX220 Max sounded great but not by that big a margin... even disregarding the fact that it was harsh to my ears up top
Yeah, but you can buy it back for cheap. The resale price of the MEST OG collapsed when the mkii was introduced.
Re-reading the incredible 64 Audio shootout of @Tokpakorlo for the 4th time I wondered if there's any love for the U18t on this thread?
drftr
drftr
tone.texture.soul
100+ Head-Fier
So kind of you, glad you liked it! Honestly I still love the 18t. I even bought myself a Traillii and there's still la lot to love about the 18t, it's just very even, cohesive, balanced and real. Nothing sticks out anywhere, just perfectly honest. Compared to the Traillii it's funny to say it's almost tame and a bit more intimate, but I have come to respect it even more because of this fact too.
Upgrade-itis can be painful, some things are so good they never should be retired. More isn't always more
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It's a very fun, detail-oriented, yet sufficiently-linear IEM that works well for most genres. I use it as one of my mixing references, but not my main one. It's got a low-treble tizz that stays from track to track, so it isn't the most transparent monitor in the world. I personally use it mainly for playing drums, which can definitely be seen as overkill. But, its slight W-shape makes the kit a lot of fun to play, and that low-treble tizz is awesome for monitoring my hi-hat strokes. So, though not on par technically as some of today's flagships, it could certainly still make for a good buy on the used market.
Nice! Is the M17 a chonk? Also do you not have the M8 anymore? I imagine that would power the EXT nicely.
In other news I'm alone at the office today working on a major project. I never take loaner IEMs out of the house so I hooked up the Odin cable to my Duo and along with the M8 it sounds wonderful.
I keep coming back to your review Tokpa because from other reviews I pick up it's one of the least sexy flagships out there. I thought it might be a mini Traillii because it doesn't seem to do anything in an outstanding way but without failing in any metric either. So it doesn't stand out like any of its cousins does. That may translate as boring but if it reaches 90% on all points then it may be the perfect compromise nevertheless. Especially if it's possible to pick up at a very decent price. The U18t also seems to get around the perhaps more correct but also more clinical presentation of the U12t. I know the latter received quite some praise for being very dynamic, but apparently that didn't translate into being very strong rhythmically. Is that your take as well? How does the U18t perform on these (what I think very important) aspects of musical engagement?So kind of you, glad you liked it! Honestly I still love the 18t. I even bought myself a Traillii and there's still la lot to love about the 18t, it's just very even, cohesive, balanced and real. Nothing sticks out anywhere, just perfectly honest. Compared to the Traillii it's funny to say it's almost tame and a bit more intimate, but I have come to respect it even more because of this fact too.
Upgrade-itis can be painful, some things are so good they never should be retired. More isn't always more
drftr
I thought that effect was reduced with the M15 module. Are you using the M20 perhaps?
drftr
I've used both. The apex modules affect the bass; not the treble. If anything, the M20's added bass should balance out the low-treble better. But, again, it's not a matter of the treble being too hot, or sharp or anything. It's more so that it's an element of the IEM that sticks from track to track, which means it doesn't get out of the music's way enough for me to use as my main mixing and mastering reference. The A18s does that better to my ears.
Speaking of, when you say...
....that's a better description of the A18s than the A18t to me. I'd actually consider the A18t a decently vibrant, energetic IEM, and the A18s is its more measured, "boring" sibling. The latter's been called the A12t's spiritual successor for a reason.
The A18t should also be a stronger "rhythmic" performer than the U12t. I assume that means it'll sound punchier with stuff like percussion, horn stabs, etc. It's got a slightly livelier-coloured tuning, so there's more contrast between its lows, high-mids and highs, while the U12t has more linearity between the three, so it's comparatively more subdued.
Hmm... Not familiar with the U18s. Doesn't sound like a custom as that would be an A18. Is it just a slightly different tuning? Or is there a secret?
Edit: Staring at Crin's life work the U18s shurely looks like a better match for me tonality-wise (assuming that his S1 measurment is for the M15).
drftr
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The U18s is the universal version of the A18s, and the A18s is a retuned A18t with all-new BAs and a warmer, smoother signature.
I covered the A18s on my review here, including a comparison vs. the A18t and several other flagships (at the time): https://theheadphonelist.com/64-audio-a18s-the-quartermaster-a-custom-in-ear-monitor-review/
