[Smirk 24]

Didn't know they had MMK3 in stock yet.

I read in the Elise Discord that they received a handful of units. I reached out to SoundJedi and he was able to send me an invoice for one.

 

[Click]

I read in the Elise Discord that they received a handful of units. I reached out to SoundJedi and he was able to send me an invoice for one.

Oh cool. Grats. Hope you like it.

 

[Smirk 24]

Oh cool. Grats. Hope you like it.

Thanks! I hope so too

 

[max079]

Mine just arrived :-D

i placed next to my other ones to compare size and shape. (top left Ej07M, EE Valkyrie mk1, Blessing 2 , bottom left Monarch mk1, MK3, Mangird tea2)

 

[Click]

Mine just arrived :-D

i placed next to my other ones to compare size and shape. (top left Ej07M, EE Valkyrie mk1, Blessing 2 , bottom left Monarch mk1, MK3, Mangird tea2)

Really nice. You sure love sparkly, flashy IEMs.

 

[Shape77]

Mine just arrived :-D

i placed next to my other ones to compare size and shape. (top left Ej07M, EE Valkyrie mk1, Blessing 2 , bottom left Monarch mk1, MK3, Mangird tea2)

Can I ask you a comparison between MKI and MKIII?

Thank you!

 

[Smirk 24]

The MMK3 came in 30 minutes ago and I've been getting some listening in.

Here are my first impressions:

- Aggressive U-shaped tuning reminiscent of the Annihilator '23
- Big mid-bass area of impact with a subwoofer-like quality (Anni 23 is similar). Struggles a little with bass tightness. Bass transients are soft and pillowy.
- The bass is well-textured but it wasn't immediately apparent because my attention was drawn to the substantial mid-bass body.
- Beautifully extended highs. There's more treble weight compared to the Anni 23 which is nice. Both utilize ESTs and the Anni 23 treble can feel a little weightless at times.
- Vocals are forward with a pleasant timbre/coloration. Lacks the sheer resolution of the Anni 23 but has resolution competitive with the top of the $1000 class.
- Timbre is honeyed, but slightly lean - a little bit of the S8's sweetness and leanness paired with a little bit of the Supernova's honeyed timbre, but not overly done. It's a tasteful coloration.
- I normally don't have fit issues with IEMs (even with the IER-Z1R) but the fit is a little contentious on this set. I may size down my ear tips to see if it helps.

IMO, the MMK3 joins the U4s and the Helios at the top of the $1000 bracket. They each do different things well so it's a welcome addition.

 

[max079]

Can I ask you a comparison between MKI and MKIII?

Thank you!

I have around 20hours in the mk3 so far what i can say, the mk3 have more bass quantity and i hear also a bit more detailed. Mk3 have more body, but the they are close to each other. I found a mk3 a bit darker than the mk1. Its not dark just darker than mk1 .
Depth of music is same for me, at least on the tracks i have listened.
Soundstage better on mk3 significantly wider, i feel the music bigger if it has any meaning.
For me (as an unexperienced reviewer ) mk3 overall better.

Fit are the same both are comfortable

I have used dx300 with amp12 and EA cadmus 8w and silicon tips

 

[Smirk 24]

Changed my DAC pairing with the MMK3 from Mojo 2 to Cayin RU7.

This pairing with the DSD64 output lends more note weight and mids thickness which I felt was missing with the Mojo 2 pairing.

It's possible the MMK3 is source picky but I've only gone through these two so far. Based on my experience with the RU7, I'd recommend using a slightly warmer source instead of a dead neutral source.

 

[Click]

Changed my DAC pairing with the MMK3 from Mojo 2 to Cayin RU7.

This pairing with the DSD64 output lends more note weight and mids thickness which I felt was missing with the Mojo 2 pairing.

It's possible the MMK3 is source picky but I've only gone through these two so far. Based on my experience with the RU7, I'd recommend using a slightly warmer source instead of a dead neutral source.

I enjoy the MMK3 with both the Cayin RU6 and Sony ZX707. I enjoy it more with the Sony DAP though. It's just a really good mid-range DAP that synergizes well with most of my IEMs and headphones.

 

[Yanec]

Changed my DAC pairing with the MMK3 from Mojo 2 to Cayin RU7.

This pairing with the DSD64 output lends more note weight and mids thickness which I felt was missing with the Mojo 2 pairing.

It's possible the MMK3 is source picky but I've only gone through these two so far. Based on my experience with the RU7, I'd recommend using a slightly warmer source instead of a dead neutral source.

Not to argue but to share decades of experience, and without intent to persuade anyone:

Sources are either correct or problematic. Power is either sufficient or not.

Any source without problems and with sufficient power will always sound the same (if it doesn't use digital or analogue filters).

Any source sounding differently from a correct sufficient source has some kind of distortions/problems (or digital or analogue filtering is used).

Warm, analytical etc. "signatures" are due to either illusions or distortions/problems "coloring" the signal and making it incorrect from technical perspective.

The problems/distortions might be sought-after as with most valve sources, it is a matter of preference. Just the fact is that the sound is distorted nevertheless.

 

[Smirk 24]

Not to argue but to share decades of experience, and without intent to persuade anyone:

Sources are either correct or problematic. Power is either sufficient or not.

Any source without problems and with sufficient power will always sound the same (if you don't use filters on it to alter the sound).

Any source sounding differently from a correct sufficient source has some kind of distortions/problems (or digital or analogue filtering is used).

Warm, analytical etc. "signatures" are due to either illusions or distortions/problems "coloring" the signal.

Here we go

I'm not really here to get into a discussion about how all quality DACs should sound the same. I respect your viewpoint, I don't agree, and I'm not here to discuss it.

 

[Yanec]

Here we go

I'm not really here to get into a discussion about how all quality DACs should sound the same. I respect your viewpoint, I don't agree, and I'm not here to discuss it.

This was to your point on using warmer sources and on different sources having different "note" weight. Which if actually the case means that at least some of these have either incorrect sound(distortions) or filtering.

Indeed just a remark/warning for general consumption on the subject of MMk3 being source dependent, no argument.

 

[Smirk 24]

This was to your point on using warmer sources and on different sources having different "note" weight. Which if actually the case means that at least some of these have either incorrect sound(distortions) or filtering.

Regardless of your reasoning and mine behind the cause for the difference, my experience was indeed that the RU7 provided more note weight.

Indeed just a remark/warning for general consumption on the subject of MMk3 being source dependent, no argument.

Point taken.

 

[Smirk 24]

Did some tip-rolling with the MMK3 today. Like many people, I found the treble a bit too much. I also found the mid-bass, though well-textured, a little too boomy. My goal was to find tips that addressed these issues and retained or improved the midrange clarity which I enjoy on the MMK3.

I did a lot of Google, Reddit, and Head-Fi searching. I fell upon this useful and comprehensive silicone tip guide which I'll share below:

https://www.audioreviews.org/guide-to-iem-silicone-eartips/

Onto the tips:

Final Audio Type E tips:
Reading through some forums, this was a often recommended tip to tame the treble. It did indeed tame the treble but I found it killed the overall resolution a little too much making the MMK3 sound a little sleepy. Out of all the tips I tested, the Final E tips were the most low-res and low-clarity (at least for the MMK3). Otherwise, this was a good start.

Moondrop Spring tips:
This wasn't a bad pairing. It tamed the treble while retaining clarity in the treble and mids. It also tamed the boomy mid-bass, but lowered the bass too much overall, skewing the frequency response balance to the upper-mids and treble. Basically, not the most balanced.

Azla SednaEarFit 2 (Regular) / Azla SednaEarFit 2 (Light) / Azla Sedna Xelastec tips:
Unlike the Moondrop Spring tips, the Azla series was very balanced. The Azlas were the best pairing to my ears. They also retained the MMK3's personality the best.

SednaEarFit 2 (Light) - Tamed the treble the most, very balanced sounding. My overall favorite.

SednaEarFit 2 (Regular) - Very similar to the Light with a little bit more bass, mids clarity, and treble. Almost perfect, would prefer the treble to be reduced a touch more.

Xelastec - Has the Light's treble, the Regular's bass, and the most forward mids by a significant margin. The vocals teeter on the aggressive end. The most aggressive of the Azlas I've tested.

At the recommendation of some Discord folks, I've ordered Divinus Velvet tips. I've also ordered Azla Sedna Short and Crystal tips as well. They should arrive in about a week and I'll be testing all of these.