[dmphile]

UM Multiverse Mentor Impressions

If you’ve read any of my impressions for Indigo, EXT, Phonix or my latest on Aroma Thunder, here are my usual disclaimers.

I’m not a traditional ‘audiophile’ by any means but I love my music and I love how certain headphones, IEMs, and TWS invoke fond memories and emotions of past and present life experiences with my family. I’m a fan of warm and natural/organic W and mild V shaped sound signatures with moderately elevated sub-bass, a lush, full-bodied midrange, and forward vocals. But I also want to experience a good sense of depth, air and space in the entire compilation.

Tested on genres such as Classical, Jazz, Pop, EDM, Hip Hop, House, Anime Music, Movie scores, Game soundtracks, and other soundtracks such as Wonder Woman, Batman Begins, Inception on stock cable with 4.4mm termination on iBasso DX320 w/ AMP14 and did some tip rolling landing on Comply L foam tips for best seal and comfort.

Mentor is a x12 BA and x1 BCD configuration and was purchased from a fellow WC’er, many thanks to @Doug2507 !

Out of the box, it has the usual UM unboxing contents and affair, it includes a nice little Dark Navy Blue Dignis leather case etc…Despite not loving Mentor’s face plate design, I generally like UM’s approach to their IEM design motif and I only hope that they continue to apply more focus and rigor to their QC. For the price that the Mentor commands, QC issues with glue etc... is not something I would expect for a premium tiered/priced product.



I’ll start off by saying that I love the Indigo (present tense). UM’s house sound is one that resonates well with my preferences and the Mentor takes all that I love about Indigo and really takes it up a few notches above apart from the sub-bass, which was driven by Indigo’s DD+BCD setup and one of Indigo’s key strengths.

The design is ‘ok’, but I do not love it. The banksia wood has some charm but I’m definitely more of a fan of the Indigo faceplate. Although, the ‘lady bug’ appearance is growing on me and it makes it more bearable since the unit I have has a decent pattern and design with minimal visibility to any defects. I can visibly see a little bit of excess glue near the edges of the frame but it’s not a deal breaker and certainly looks much better than some of the other units that I’ve seen others post of their Mentor with greater QC issues. I mean, just look at the beauty, that is Indigo in comparison.






Tonality and Timbre 5/5

• Extremely pleasant tuning – it is detailed, lush and natural with a slight tinge of warmth for character and depth
• I would probably put the Mentor on the balanced side of the equation more than any other sound profile
• There is not any one overpowering trait and the entire FR works well together without losing the sweetness and organic feeling for each instrument, playing nicely in its own lane
• Smooth yet exciting and at times, edgy

Design, Comfort, Fit and Build Quality 4.5/5

• Very comfortable, excellent fit for universal
• Lady bug shell design leaves much to be desired and would not be my first choice but it is starting to grow on me a little. I would have been happy with Indigo’s design implanted onto Mentor’s face plate
• I am glad they used ceramic over metal/aluminum for the frame which is a tougher material and resistant to scratches and long-term use

Treble 4.5/5

• Excellent treble extension and airiness - although I would prefer a touch more air up top
• Some harshness for certain tracks when it comes to electronic snares but otherwise very pleasant and not too edgy – I noticed this when I listened to the intro of The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights
• Mostly smooth in the upper mids and lower treb range for most of my library

Mid-Range 5/5

• Full-bodied, slightly forward, and immensely engaging
• Instruments sound organic, dynamic, and alluringly hypnotic and euphoric
• What else can I say, one of the best attributes of Mentor is how it presents instruments with that sweet and organic timbre

Vocals 5/5

• Another winner here, both male and female vocals sound natural, musical, sweet, and engaging
• Placed well in the mix as to allow the listener to have a good sense of space but not lose vocal intimacy. Not too far, not too close, just right.
• Female vocals have those details and nuances around T’s and S’s sounds to draw you in without sounding shreaky or sibilant
• This is how I would like vocals to be presented ideally with a TOTL IEM

Soundstage/Imaging/Layering/Separation 5/5

• One of the best I’ve heard in any IEM, bar none
• Excellent sense of space without sounding too artificially far as to lose some intimacy
• Instrument separation, imaging and layering is on point and provides a high degree of satisfaction with positioning to envelope and immerse you completely in your music, it is simply outstanding when you combine that with how Mentor presents mids and vocals. *chefs kiss*

Bass 4.5/5

• Mentor is mid-bass focused but still doesn’t lack sub-bass rumble and dynamism to bring to life any musical score, movie soundtracks or any thing else that is dynamic and explosive, you will feel it, and you will enjoy it.
• Dynamic, punchy, thick and full bodied – love this type of bass regardless of whether it’s DD or BA
• I would love to see a ‘Mentor like’ IEM that shares a similar sonic profile but perhaps with a DD implemented to see how that affects the overall bass sound/quality (splitting hairs here) Not a big must but would still be curious and Indigo’s sub-bass still rules supreme here but that was about the only thing potentially missing for me when it came to Mentor’s overall bass quality. It could use slightly more emphasis in the sub regions

YMMV, depending on several variables. Source, tips, environment, preferences etc…

My journey into audiophilia has been one that has been quite interesting to say the least, and I have discovered so much of what I gravitate towards in my short and pleasant journey. My entry point in this hobby started with lower end Chi-Fi units which piqued my interest to dive deeper into the rabbit hole and see what I was potentially missing or more importantly, looking for, as none of the other IEMS could satisfy all my requirements. That was, until I started increasing my spending thresholds and as I traversed through several well-known brands from CFA and eventually to UM, I have had the privilege to test and try out many other IEM brands, and through that, including all the hard work that @Rockwell75 has put into the tours, I can honestly say that I think I have found my sweet spot with Mentor... for now. As we all know, we are all prone to jumping on hype trains but I owe it to my original love for the Indigo to now let Mentor take its place and crown as my new all-rounder champ before I consider anything else since I am a monogamous IEM and DAP person.

Thanks for reading and keep listening folks!

 

[CodenameBK201]

I don't need another obsession this week, I don't need another obsession this week, I don't--

Sigh. Screw it.

Enlighten me on the vision ears ext. Am I right in assuming the lack of EST drivers loses some of the sparkle at the top end that other tribrid sets have? My top two slots for what I'm eventually purchasing this year (unless something else blindsides me) are Trifecta or Thummim. Should I be adding the ext to the list? Even the new retail price isn't halfway bad, I just don't know if it'd be considered a step-down from the tribrid set I already have. My only real complaint about the Khopensh is the lack of shaped bass on more artificially mixed techno/electronica tracks. I know a BA set will fix that, I'd just lament losing the sparkle at the top.

 

[aaf evo]

I don't need another obsession this week, I don't need another obsession this week, I don't--

Sigh. Screw it.

Enlighten me on the vision ears ext. Am I right in assuming the lack of EST drivers loses some of the sparkle at the top end that other tribrid sets have? My top two slots for what I'm eventually purchasing this year (unless something else blindsides me) are Trifecta or Thummim. Should I be adding the ext to the list? Even the new retail price isn't halfway bad, I just don't know if it'd be considered a step-down from the tribrid set I already have. My only real complaint about the Khopensh is the lack of shaped bass on more artificially mixed techno/electronica tracks. I know a BA set will fix that, I'd just lament losing the sparkle at the top.

EXT has 4 EST and it has a lot of treble, probably too much to be honest. It’s quite mid/upper treble heavy.

 

[citral23]

I don't need another obsession this week, I don't need another obsession this week, I don't--

Sigh. Screw it.

Enlighten me on the vision ears ext. Am I right in assuming the lack of EST drivers loses some of the sparkle at the top end that other tribrid sets have? My top two slots for what I'm eventually purchasing this year (unless something else blindsides me) are Trifecta or Thummim. Should I be adding the ext to the list? Even the new retail price isn't halfway bad, I just don't know if it'd be considered a step-down from the tribrid set I already have. My only real complaint about the Khopensh is the lack of shaped bass on more artificially mixed techno/electronica tracks. I know a BA set will fix that, I'd just lament losing the sparkle at the top.

Please step back and listen to great music instead of obsessing with gear, it gives me anxiety.

 

[CodenameBK201]

EXT has 4 EST and it has a lot of treble, probably too much to be honest. It’s quite mid/upper treble heavy.

Ok, so obviously I don't know how to read a product page when distracted/multitasking. What am I looking at in terms of driver count? How's the comparison to, say, Evo or XE6? Purple's my favorite color, which admittedly may or may not be an influence here. I'm seeing a bunch pop up on the classifieds, assuming it's the pre-CanJam unloading.

 

[aaf evo]

Ok, so obviously I don't know how to read a product page when distracted/multitasking. What am I looking at in terms of driver count? How's the comparison to, say, Evo or XE6? Purple's my favorite color, which admittedly may or may not be an influence here. I'm seeing a bunch pop up on the classifieds, assuming it's the pre-CanJam unloading.

2 DD (lows/mids) 4 EST

EXT is great. The fit is iffy though, and imho the technicals aren’t that special, but they’re not poor. It’s a U shaped sound signature that has a very nice natural tone in bass and mids with a more ethereal treble response. I’m a big fan of them even with their quirks.

 

[Badlands]

UM Multiverse Mentor Impressions

If you’ve read any of my impressions for Indigo, EXT, Phonix or my latest on Aroma Thunder, here are my usual disclaimers.

I’m not a traditional ‘audiophile’ by any means but I love my music and I love how certain headphones, IEMs, and TWS invoke fond memories and emotions of past and present life experiences with my family. I’m a fan of warm and natural/organic W and mild V shaped sound signatures with moderately elevated sub-bass, a lush, full-bodied midrange, and forward vocals. But I also want to experience a good sense of depth, air and space in the entire compilation.

Tested on genres such as Classical, Jazz, Pop, EDM, Hip Hop, House, Anime Music, Movie scores, Game soundtracks, and other soundtracks such as Wonder Woman, Batman Begins, Inception on stock cable with 4.4mm termination on iBasso DX320 w/ AMP14 and did some tip rolling landing on Comply L foam tips for best seal and comfort.

Mentor is a x12 BA and x1 BCD configuration and was purchased from a fellow WC’er, many thanks to @Doug2507 !

Out of the box, it has the usual UM unboxing contents and affair, it includes a nice little Dark Navy Blue Dignis leather case etc…Despite not loving Mentor’s face plate design, I generally like UM’s approach to their IEM design motif and I only hope that they continue to apply more focus and rigor to their QC. For the price that the Mentor commands, QC issues with glue etc... is not something I would expect for a premium tiered/priced product.



I’ll start off by saying that I love the Indigo (present tense). UM’s house sound is one that resonates well with my preferences and the Mentor takes all that I love about Indigo and really takes it up a few notches above apart from the sub-bass, which was driven by Indigo’s DD+BCD setup and one of Indigo’s key strengths.

The design is ‘ok’, but I do not love it. The banksia wood has some charm but I’m definitely more of a fan of the Indigo faceplate. Although, the ‘lady bug’ appearance is growing on me and it makes it more bearable since the unit I have has a decent pattern and design with minimal visibility to any defects. I can visibly see a little bit of excess glue near the edges of the frame but it’s not a deal breaker and certainly looks much better than some of the other units that I’ve seen others post of their Mentor with greater QC issues. I mean, just look at the beauty, that is Indigo in comparison.






Tonality and Timbre 5/5

• Extremely pleasant tuning – it is detailed, lush and natural with a slight tinge of warmth for character and depth
• I would probably put the Mentor on the balanced side of the equation more than any other sound profile
• There is not any one overpowering trait and the entire FR works well together without losing the sweetness and organic feeling for each instrument, playing nicely in its own lane
• Smooth yet exciting and at times, edgy

Design, Comfort, Fit and Build Quality 4.5/5

• Very comfortable, excellent fit for universal
• Lady bug shell design leaves much to be desired and would not be my first choice but it is starting to grow on me a little. I would have been happy with Indigo’s design implanted onto Mentor’s face plate
• I am glad they used ceramic over metal/aluminum for the frame which is a tougher material and resistant to scratches and long-term use

Treble 4.5/5

• Excellent treble extension and airiness - although I would prefer a touch more air up top
• Some harshness for certain tracks when it comes to electronic snares but otherwise very pleasant and not too edgy – I noticed this when I listened to the intro of The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights
• Mostly smooth in the upper mids and lower treb range for most of my library

Mid-Range 5/5

• Full-bodied, slightly forward, and immensely engaging
• Instruments sound organic, dynamic, and alluringly hypnotic and euphoric
• What else can I say, one of the best and strongest traits of Mentor is how it presents all instruments with that sweet and organic timbre

Vocals 5/5

• Another winner here, both male and female vocals sound natural, musical, sweet, and engaging
• Placed well in the mix as to allow the listener to have a good sense of space but not lose vocal intimacy. Not too far, not too close, just right.
• Female vocals have those details and nuances around T’s and S’s sounds to draw you in without sounding shreaky or sibilant
• This is how I would like vocals to be presented ideally with a TOTL IEM

Soundstage/Imaging/Layering/Separation 5/5

• One of the best I’ve heard in any IEM, bar none
• Excellent sense of space without sounding too artificially far as to lose some intimacy
• Instrument separation, imaging and layering is on point and provides a high degree of satisfaction with positioning to envelope and immerse you completely in your music, it is simply outstanding when you combine that with how Mentor presents mids and vocals. *chefs kiss*

Bass 4.5/5

• Mentor is mid-bass focused but still doesn’t lack sub-bass rumble and dynamism to bring to life any musical score, movie soundtracks or any thing else that is dynamic and explosive, you will feel it, and you will enjoy it.
• Dynamic, punchy, thick and full bodied – love this type of bass regardless of whether it’s DD or BA
• I would love to see a ‘Mentor like’ IEM that shares a similar sonic profile but perhaps with a DD implemented to see how that affects the overall bass sound/quality (splitting hairs here) Not a big must but would still be curious and Indigo’s sub-bass still rules supreme here but that was about the only thing potentially missing for me when it came to Mentor’s overall bass quality. It could use slightly more emphasis in the sub regions

YMMV, depending on several variables. Source, tips, environment, preferences etc…

My journey into audiophilia has been one that has been quite interesting to say the least, and I have discovered so much of what I gravitate towards in my short and pleasant journey. My entry point in this hobby started with lower end Chi-Fi units which piqued my interest to dive deeper into the rabbit hole and see what I was potentially missing or more importantly, looking for, as none of the other IEMS could satisfy all my requirements. That was, until I started increasing my spending thresholds and as I traversed through several well-known brands from CFA and eventually to UM, I have had the privilege to test and try out many other IEM brands, and through that, including all the hard work that @Rockwell75 has put into the tours, I can honestly say that I think I have found my sweet spot with Mentor... for now. As we all know, we are all prone to jumping on hype trains but I owe it to my original love for the Indigo to now let Mentor take its place and crown it as my new all-rounder champ before I consider anything else since I am monogamous IEM and DAP person.

Thanks for reading and keep listening folks!

Wow, thanks for sharing your detailed impressions! As a fellow Indigo owner, the Mentor is piquing my interest as a possible upgrade. Hoping I’ll get to demo it in NYC. My heart is set on a ZMF Atrium or Caldera but the reviews of Mentor even with it’s BA bass certainly makes it an intriguing option.

 

[CodenameBK201]

2 DD (lows/mids) 4 EST

EXT is great. The fit is iffy though, and imho the technicals aren’t that special, but they’re not poor. It’s a U shaped sound signature that has a very nice natural tone in bass and mids with a more ethereal treble response. I’m a big fan of them even with their quirks.

Huh. Ok, that's...weird. So there's no BAs in there at all? I'm used to DD/BA combos and then those tossing in EST drivers for highs, but is a DD/EST set a new thing that I missed in the last odd decade or so, or is Vision Ears the only company doing that sort of configuration? I'm trying to imagine what that even sounds like and it's really got me curious.

 

[aaf evo]

Just received my CIEM Maestro SE’s.

I love the aesthetics and the build is fantastic. Unfortunately these don’t fit very well compared to any of my other CIEMs from the same STL files. They’re way too thin which results in a huge lack of isolation and missing bass. When I push them in my ears and hold them there I can hear how they’re supposed to sound, and it sounds glorious. I’ve sent FatFreq an email, hopefully they respond quickly.

 

[bossfan48009]

Hi everyone. Let me be first to say I'm a lurker. This is my first time posting to the Water Cooler. I love the forum. Truly. I do think it's important to address some of the unpleasantness that is surrounding some of these most recent posts. Last year I tiptoed into the audio world. Turntable and rig. Collecting Vinyl. Then I fell down the rabbit hole of what we all love. Twister 6 reviews about some A&K products I was interested got me started. But that led me to Head Fi. I read these forums constantly. I trust in the opinions of people who like the same type of music to fill out the blind purchases I have made. But I am certainly grateful for the spreadsheets, the opinions and the advice of everyone who takes their time to post. Imagine a novice not having the ability to leverage your expertise? I absolutely don't think this is motivated by money. I think it's motivated by people's passions. We are a community of people with the common denominator being the joy that music provides in the best ways we are able to decipher it. I would never have bought my Cayiin N8i without Doug telling me to do it. Making overseas transactions and getting cables and different IEM's without having implicit trust in those who make this community great. I have started with Traillii and then to Elysian discussions. Tip rolling. Which cables to consider. I don't have to purchase anything, but I'm glad knowing we have a group that is passionate about what they like and what they don't like. It's always great to have that next purchase in mind and what fuels your decisions I can say has proudly been on display in this group. Thank you.

 

[Onurb8690]

Just received my CIEM Maestro SE’s.

I love the aesthetics and the build is fantastic. Unfortunately these don’t fit very well compared to any of my other CIEMs from the same STL files. They’re way too thin which results in a huge lack of isolation and missing bass. When I push them in my ears and hold them there I can hear how they’re supposed to sound, and it sounds glorious. I’ve sent FatFreq an email, hopefully they respond quickly.

Don't fill your ear?
Maestro SE looks like an excellent option for its price....

 

[Auricon]

How would you describe the Ext? What do you love the most about them?

To provide more context that lead to EXT ownership, my two primary IEMs at the time were UM Indigo and EE EVO and I was searching for an IEM that could bridge the two.

How would I describe EXT? Words that came to my mind on first listening were "musically engaging" and enveloping sound. EXT had me nodding my head and foot tapping. What I enjoy the most are its lush presence with tight, fast, and dynamic bass with good articulation and texture; refined mids; and natural lifelike timbre. It's technically proficient though details can get hidden behind bass and thick mids. Treble is energetic, lively, never hash and can be easily tamed with choice of tips – my preferred selection is Spiral Dots++.

If you are looking for a musically engaging IEM below $3K, VE EXT is worth an audition.

 

[aaf evo]

Don't fill your ear?
Maestro SE looks like an excellent option for its price....

Basically yeah, they’re printed too small.

Maestro SE is probably my “favorite” IEM at the moment, they work very well for my library and tastes.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Hi everyone. Let me be first to say I'm a lurker. This is my first time posting to the Water Cooler. I love the forum. Truly. I do think it's important to address some of the unpleasantness that is surrounding some of these most recent posts. Last year I tiptoed into the audio world. Turntable and rig. Collecting Vinyl. Then I fell down the rabbit hole of what we all love. Twister 6 reviews about some A&K products I was interested got me started. But that led me to Head Fi. I read these forums constantly. I trust in the opinions of people who like the same type of music to fill out the blind purchases I have made. But I am certainly grateful for the spreadsheets, the opinions and the advice of everyone who takes their time to post. Imagine a novice not having the ability to leverage your expertise? I absolutely don't think this is motivated by money. I think it's motivated by people's passions. We are a community of people with the common denominator being the joy that music provides in the best ways we are able to decipher it. I would never have bought my Cayiin N8i without Doug telling me to do it. Making overseas transactions and getting cables and different IEM's without having implicit trust in those who make this community great. I have started with Traillii and then to Elysian discussions. Tip rolling. Which cables to consider. I don't have to purchase anything, but I'm glad knowing we have a group that is passionate about what they like and what they don't like. It's always great to have that next purchase in mind and what fuels your decisions I can say has proudly been on display in this group. Thank you.

excellent post. For me, what drives me is curiosity. As they say, "curiosity killed the cat" In my case, my wallet.

 

[boromcom]

UM Multiverse Mentor Impressions

If you’ve read any of my impressions for Indigo, EXT, Phonix or my latest on Aroma Thunder, here are my usual disclaimers.

I’m not a traditional ‘audiophile’ by any means but I love my music and I love how certain headphones, IEMs, and TWS invoke fond memories and emotions of past and present life experiences with my family. I’m a fan of warm and natural/organic W and mild V shaped sound signatures with moderately elevated sub-bass, a lush, full-bodied midrange, and forward vocals. But I also want to experience a good sense of depth, air and space in the entire compilation.

Tested on genres such as Classical, Jazz, Pop, EDM, Hip Hop, House, Anime Music, Movie scores, Game soundtracks, and other soundtracks such as Wonder Woman, Batman Begins, Inception on stock cable with 4.4mm termination on iBasso DX320 w/ AMP14 and did some tip rolling landing on Comply L foam tips for best seal and comfort.

Mentor is a x12 BA and x1 BCD configuration and was purchased from a fellow WC’er, many thanks to @Doug2507 !

Out of the box, it has the usual UM unboxing contents and affair, it includes a nice little Dark Navy Blue Dignis leather case etc…Despite not loving Mentor’s face plate design, I generally like UM’s approach to their IEM design motif and I only hope that they continue to apply more focus and rigor to their QC. For the price that the Mentor commands, QC issues with glue etc... is not something I would expect for a premium tiered/priced product.



I’ll start off by saying that I love the Indigo (present tense). UM’s house sound is one that resonates well with my preferences and the Mentor takes all that I love about Indigo and really takes it up a few notches above apart from the sub-bass, which was driven by Indigo’s DD+BCD setup and one of Indigo’s key strengths.

The design is ‘ok’, but I do not love it. The banksia wood has some charm but I’m definitely more of a fan of the Indigo faceplate. Although, the ‘lady bug’ appearance is growing on me and it makes it more bearable since the unit I have has a decent pattern and design with minimal visibility to any defects. I can visibly see a little bit of excess glue near the edges of the frame but it’s not a deal breaker and certainly looks much better than some of the other units that I’ve seen others post of their Mentor with greater QC issues. I mean, just look at the beauty, that is Indigo in comparison.






Tonality and Timbre 5/5

• Extremely pleasant tuning – it is detailed, lush and natural with a slight tinge of warmth for character and depth
• I would probably put the Mentor on the balanced side of the equation more than any other sound profile
• There is not any one overpowering trait and the entire FR works well together without losing the sweetness and organic feeling for each instrument, playing nicely in its own lane
• Smooth yet exciting and at times, edgy

Design, Comfort, Fit and Build Quality 4.5/5

• Very comfortable, excellent fit for universal
• Lady bug shell design leaves much to be desired and would not be my first choice but it is starting to grow on me a little. I would have been happy with Indigo’s design implanted onto Mentor’s face plate
• I am glad they used ceramic over metal/aluminum for the frame which is a tougher material and resistant to scratches and long-term use

Treble 4.5/5

• Excellent treble extension and airiness - although I would prefer a touch more air up top
• Some harshness for certain tracks when it comes to electronic snares but otherwise very pleasant and not too edgy – I noticed this when I listened to the intro of The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights
• Mostly smooth in the upper mids and lower treb range for most of my library

Mid-Range 5/5

• Full-bodied, slightly forward, and immensely engaging
• Instruments sound organic, dynamic, and alluringly hypnotic and euphoric
• What else can I say, one of the best and strongest traits of Mentor is how it presents all instruments with that sweet and organic timbre

Vocals 5/5

• Another winner here, both male and female vocals sound natural, musical, sweet, and engaging
• Placed well in the mix as to allow the listener to have a good sense of space but not lose vocal intimacy. Not too far, not too close, just right.
• Female vocals have those details and nuances around T’s and S’s sounds to draw you in without sounding shreaky or sibilant
• This is how I would like vocals to be presented ideally with a TOTL IEM

Soundstage/Imaging/Layering/Separation 5/5

• One of the best I’ve heard in any IEM, bar none
• Excellent sense of space without sounding too artificially far as to lose some intimacy
• Instrument separation, imaging and layering is on point and provides a high degree of satisfaction with positioning to envelope and immerse you completely in your music, it is simply outstanding when you combine that with how Mentor presents mids and vocals. *chefs kiss*

Bass 4.5/5

• Mentor is mid-bass focused but still doesn’t lack sub-bass rumble and dynamism to bring to life any musical score, movie soundtracks or any thing else that is dynamic and explosive, you will feel it, and you will enjoy it.
• Dynamic, punchy, thick and full bodied – love this type of bass regardless of whether it’s DD or BA
• I would love to see a ‘Mentor like’ IEM that shares a similar sonic profile but perhaps with a DD implemented to see how that affects the overall bass sound/quality (splitting hairs here) Not a big must but would still be curious and Indigo’s sub-bass still rules supreme here but that was about the only thing potentially missing for me when it came to Mentor’s overall bass quality. It could use slightly more emphasis in the sub regions

YMMV, depending on several variables. Source, tips, environment, preferences etc…

My journey into audiophilia has been one that has been quite interesting to say the least, and I have discovered so much of what I gravitate towards in my short and pleasant journey. My entry point in this hobby started with lower end Chi-Fi units which piqued my interest to dive deeper into the rabbit hole and see what I was potentially missing or more importantly, looking for, as none of the other IEMS could satisfy all my requirements. That was, until I started increasing my spending thresholds and as I traversed through several well-known brands from CFA and eventually to UM, I have had the privilege to test and try out many other IEM brands, and through that, including all the hard work that @Rockwell75 has put into the tours, I can honestly say that I think I have found my sweet spot with Mentor... for now. As we all know, we are all prone to jumping on hype trains but I owe it to my original love for the Indigo to now let Mentor take its place and crown as my new all-rounder champ before I consider anything else since I am monogamous IEM and DAP person.

Thanks for reading and keep listening folks!

Thank you for your impressions!