Do you mean high gain or Walkman One double power setting (beta)?
So I know it may too early to compare but how does it compare to Clara since you mentioned it. I have thought about preordering but I really should demo it as it’s still not cheap.Cross-posting from the Forte Ears Impressions thread:
Forte Ears Mefisto - Early Impressions
Thanks to @Riccardoyeh, Mefisto is finally in da house. I've been listening on and off for the past 24 hours, and have managed to formulate some very early impressions of Mefisto, mostly relative to Macbeth.
Interestingly, I don't think Macbeth is going to be Mefisto's direct competitor; instead I think the likes of Campfire Audio's Clara, Icelab's Spectrumica and FIR Audio's Project K will come into the conversation much more when we're talking about Mefisto down the line. Still, as far as Forte Ears goes, Macbeth is the benchmark, and I daresay - based on early evidence - we're in for a changing of the guard soon, RRP be damned!
Forte Ears’ sophomore release, Mefisto, is for me an immediately more accessible alternative to Macbeth, retailing at $2,899 versus Macbeth’s $4,000. Despite its lower price, however, Mefisto may well be the more complete and appealing of the two offerings — both in its sound tuning and refined aesthetics.
Internally, Mefisto debuts a new driver configuration: dual 7.8mm dynamic drivers for bass, four balanced armatures, and a newly developed micro-planar tweeter dubbed Aria. The result is a physical, air-moving bass presentation that immediately stands apart from Macbeth’s more elevated but less tactile BA bass. The leaner lower midrange on Mefisto also enhances separation, contributing to its transparent character. This does, however, come at the cost of slightly less body in male vocals, which Macbeth renders with a smoother, chestier tone.
Treble was an initial concern — micro-planar drivers can often introduce unpleasant zing at the highest peaks — but Mefisto impresses here, too. There’s a palpable sense of relief in its restrained top-end; it manages to remain articulate without drawing undue attention. While a slight sandiness is detectable in the upper harmonics of female vocals, it’s far from the sibilant edge present in some competitors.
The mid-to-upper treble range is less elevated than Macbeth, and with a more subdued upper midrange, Mefisto allows its bass to cut through with more conviction, despite marginally lower volume. Technically, both models are on par — wide, holographic soundstages with pinpoint imaging and exceptional resolution, particularly in the vocal and treble regions. Macbeth may edge out Mefisto slightly in 3D layering, but the difference is subtle.
Build quality remains stellar. Both shells are large but ergonomically contoured, with Mefisto sporting a more sophisticated silver-plated, ruby-inlaid design. Fit is generally secure, though some pressure buildup is felt in longer sessions, mirroring the experience with Macbeth.
While these impressions are early, Mefisto already feels like a more musically expressive and carefully tuned evolution of Forte’s vision. With further listening — and the addition of Eletech’s new Odyssey cable — a fuller review will follow. For now, Mefisto strikes a compelling balance of technical prowess and emotional engagement.
With all that said, here's what you really came here for, some eye candy of Riccardo's new baby. Enjoy!
I'll compare the two this weekend and report back here.
Thanks for the suggestions!
I am not hearing that sandiness you're referring to but will focus my listening more. I've been listening pretty hard following 100 hr burn in and have been astonished that I cannot identify the planar driver except to know it's there doing its thing.Cross-posting from the Forte Ears Impressions thread:
Forte Ears Mefisto - Early Impressions
Thanks to @Riccardoyeh, Mefisto is finally in da house. I've been listening on and off for the past 24 hours, and have managed to formulate some very early impressions of Mefisto, mostly relative to Macbeth.
Interestingly, I don't think Macbeth is going to be Mefisto's direct competitor; instead I think the likes of Campfire Audio's Clara, Icelab's Spectrumica and FIR Audio's Project K will come into the conversation much more when we're talking about Mefisto down the line. Still, as far as Forte Ears goes, Macbeth is the benchmark, and I daresay - based on early evidence - we're in for a changing of the guard soon, RRP be damned!
Forte Ears’ sophomore release, Mefisto, is for me an immediately more accessible alternative to Macbeth, retailing at $2,899 versus Macbeth’s $4,000. Despite its lower price, however, Mefisto may well be the more complete and appealing of the two offerings — both in its sound tuning and refined aesthetics.
Internally, Mefisto debuts a new driver configuration: dual 7.8mm dynamic drivers for bass, four balanced armatures, and a newly developed micro-planar tweeter dubbed Aria. The result is a physical, air-moving bass presentation that immediately stands apart from Macbeth’s more elevated but less tactile BA bass. The leaner lower midrange on Mefisto also enhances separation, contributing to its transparent character. This does, however, come at the cost of slightly less body in male vocals, which Macbeth renders with a smoother, chestier tone.
Treble was an initial concern — micro-planar drivers can often introduce unpleasant zing at the highest peaks — but Mefisto impresses here, too. There’s a palpable sense of relief in its restrained top-end; it manages to remain articulate without drawing undue attention. While a slight sandiness is detectable in the upper harmonics of female vocals, it’s far from the sibilant edge present in some competitors.
The mid-to-upper treble range is less elevated than Macbeth, and with a more subdued upper midrange, Mefisto allows its bass to cut through with more conviction, despite marginally lower volume. Technically, both models are on par — wide, holographic soundstages with pinpoint imaging and exceptional resolution, particularly in the vocal and treble regions. Macbeth may edge out Mefisto slightly in 3D layering, but the difference is subtle.
Build quality remains stellar. Both shells are large but ergonomically contoured, with Mefisto sporting a more sophisticated silver-plated, ruby-inlaid design. Fit is generally secure, though some pressure buildup is felt in longer sessions, mirroring the experience with Macbeth.
While these impressions are early, Mefisto already feels like a more musically expressive and carefully tuned evolution of Forte’s vision. With further listening — and the addition of Eletech’s new Odyssey cable — a fuller review will follow. For now, Mefisto strikes a compelling balance of technical prowess and emotional engagement.
With all that said, here's what you really came here for, some eye candy of Riccardo's new baby. Enjoy!
%!!!Great impressions! Mine isn't burned in yet - all my impressions are out the box. There's every chance the treble will smooth out and bass incease in quantity/impact with burn-in, but I have to say it's pretty stellar as-is right now and easily my favourite of the two Forte Ears IEMs (granted I haven't heard Macbeth witb Ambition or Mefisto with Temptation).I am not hearing that sandiness you're referring to but will focus my listening more. I've been listening pretty hard following 100 hr burn in and have been astonished that I cannot identify the planar driver except to know it's there doing its thing.
Regarding the Clara comparison, I think these two stand in different forests except that their tunings resemble each other in elevated bass and treble. Clara is a more laid back listen while Mefisto is not, at least for me. I would probably say Mefisto is closer to a GM than Clara.
Bass is tremendous, in quality and quantity. People who wanted DD bass in a @Riccardoyeh tuning will be very happy here. Also, in comparison to the Clara, Mefisto brings more high end detail (tho I need to listen harder for that sand you mentioned from the planar driver). I heard a Mefisto prototype with ESTs at the same time I heard the one with the planar, and before knowing which was which, I distinctly preferred the planar.
The Temptation cable is everything I remembered it to be in prototype and final demos. It is so perfect for Mefisto that I cannot imagine cable rolling, much as I haven't rolled Ambition off Macbeth, except for some testing with other IEMs. @Eric Chong and Riccardo have an amazing sympatico and both Macbeth, and 1 year later, Mefisto, are the results of this unique friendship and collaboration.
And to let so many people listen throughout the process - at Canjams, meetups, wherever it can happen - the greatest thing is that we all helped a little bit in how awesome both of these IEMs are. And we knew then what to expect in a final product and have not been disappointed. Riccardo and Eric are themselves, unique guys who are both part and parcel of what the best of this community can be!!
Congrats on two-out-of-two! By my math, that is
Well played. Personally was expecting a ticket on the midnight train to Georgia or the midnight train or the midnight train going anywhere.Gost o'clock
Thanks. That cable is insane but there’s no way I’d spend the same price for the cable as the IEM. Stunning looks though. I do get some fatigue occasionally with the Clara/340 combo on low gain/high dac gain. I do believe some of this has to do with the music though as I listen to mostly metal, prog, and prog rock which is generally not well mastered.I am not hearing that sandiness you're referring to but will focus my listening more. I've been listening pretty hard following 100 hr burn in and have been astonished that I cannot identify the planar driver except to know it's there doing its thing.
Regarding the Clara comparison, I think these two stand in different forests except that their tunings resemble each other in elevated bass and treble. Clara is a more laid back listen while Mefisto is not, at least for me. I would probably say Mefisto is closer to a GM than Clara.
Bass is tremendous, in quality and quantity. People who wanted DD bass in a @Riccardoyeh tuning will be very happy here. Also, in comparison to the Clara, Mefisto brings more high end detail (tho I need to listen harder for that sand you mentioned from the planar driver). I heard a Mefisto prototype with ESTs at the same time I heard the one with the planar, and before knowing which was which, I distinctly preferred the planar.
The Temptation cable is everything I remembered it to be in prototype and final demos. It is so perfect for Mefisto that I cannot imagine cable rolling, much as I haven't rolled Ambition off Macbeth, except for some testing with other IEMs. @Eric Chong and Riccardo have an amazing sympatico and both Macbeth, and 1 year later, Mefisto, are the results of this unique friendship and collaboration.
And to let so many people listen throughout the process - at Canjams, meetups, wherever it can happen - the greatest thing is that we all helped a little bit in how awesome both of these IEMs are. And we knew then what to expect in a final product and have not been disappointed. Riccardo and Eric are themselves, unique guys who are both part and parcel of what the best of this community can be!!
Congrats on two-out-of-two! By my math, that is
