[liuj2001]

Headphones.com is showing them as pre order again. Freaking missed it. The wait continues....

Do a quick chat with them and find out when they will next batch, that's how I knew they had them in stock early this week even at the time the website shown pre-order.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Hard decision. I definitely prefer Mest to Clairvoyance, but it's totally personal, and I can't tell you if the difference is worth the price.

I have the Mest and the sound is fantastic. It's a keeper. It doesn't matter if the Monarch is better or not.

I just got a Sony IER-Z1R yesterday. Out of the box, I prefer the Mest. Once I EQ'ed the Z1R, it became fantastic. Best bass I've ever heard in an IEM.

Waiting for the Monarch to arrive. Wish I knew about the Headphones.com option before I ordered in January. Oh well. It will get here sooner or later. I'll probably keep either the Monarch or the Z1R depending on which one sounds better for my use cases. But, I think that I will definitely keep the Mest.

 

[firesign]

I see you have both the Mest and Clairvoyance? awesome. Which one of the two would you consider the more musical one? I have the Auteurs which are pretty neutral for my tastes already so I want something more musical I can jam out to and just enjoy.

Out of the box, neither of them are what you would call musicals, if used with wide bore tips, which are recommended in both. They are quite bright.

In the Clairvoyance I do not recommend narrow bore tips in any case, I think it affects its tonality too much, and it is no longer so good. If you want to achieve musicality, it is best to use EQ to reduce its peak to 2.5 kHz by 2 or 3 dbs.

In the Mest you can use narrow bore tips like Sony or Final E to make them more musical, without affecting the tonality very negatively. Of course, you will lose most of the magic of the Mest, such as its level of detail, layers and 3D scene.

In my collection, the most musical IEMs are clearly the Opus Mia (which I have for sale), followed by the FH7.

I notice you have the FiiO FH7 as well. Where does that fit your listening experience? Is it a good complement to add to a collection for having its own special tuning? Or, is it something you could get rid of and not mind at all, given owning the Mest and Clairvoyance?

I am completely in love with the FH7. It was my first high-level IEM and I love its sound. It is much more musical and relaxed than Clairvoyance or Mest, and its bass has something special and different thanks to its beryllium DD that keeps calling me to listen to it often.

I don't think I'll ever get rid of him.

 

[redrol]

If you want to achieve musicality, it is best to use EQ to reduce its peak to 2.5 kHz by 2 or 3 dbs.

No. This is Pinna gain. This depends on an individual's outter ear pinna gain. You can't just go throwing around numbers as if they are universal.

am completely in love with the FH7. It was my first high-level IEM and I love its sound. It is much more musical and relaxed than Clairvoyance or Mest

And conversely, for me the FH7 is far to bright with odd tonality where as the Clair sounds much nearer to real life. Again this is likely differences in outter ear and also preferences.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Out of the box, neither of them are what you would call musicals, if used with wide bore tips, which are recommended in both. They are quite bright.

In the Clairvoyance I do not recommend narrow bore tips in any case, I think it affects its tonality too much, and it is no longer so good. If you want to achieve musicality, it is best to use EQ to reduce its peak to 2.5 kHz by 2 or 3 dbs.

In the Mest you can use narrow bore tips like Sony or Final E to make them more musical, without affecting the tonality very negatively. Of course, you will lose most of the magic of the Mest, such as its level of detail, layers and 3D scene.

In my collection, the most musical IEMs are clearly the Opus Mia (which I have for sale), followed by the FH7.


I am completely in love with the FH7. It was my first high-level IEM and I love its sound. It is much more musical and relaxed than Clairvoyance or Mest, and its bass has something special and different thanks to its beryllium DD that keeps calling me to listen to it often.

I don't think I'll ever get rid of him.

Just curious, what do you mean by musical? Does it mean a warm sound signature rather than neutral?

Yours is the highest praise I seen for the FH7. Trying to see what about it you like so much. I looked at them about 6 months ago and ruled them out and I don't recall why.

 

[redrol]

I cant speak for him but I straight up bought the Fh7 and sold them about 4 hours later. I don't consider the FH7 tuning to be anywhere near accurate. Interesting maybe.

 

[rbf1138]

Has anyone who’s heard the Monarch or clairvoyance also heard the Dunu SA6 by any chance? I’m looking forward comparisons.

 

[iammarcy]

Headphones.com accidentally sent me Clairvoyance instead of Monarch. Fortunately, they were really good about the mistake.
Welp. Back to waiting until Monarchs are back in stock.

 

[Drokk]

Headphones.com accidentally sent me Clairvoyance instead of Monarch. Fortunately, they were really good about the mistake.
Welp. Back to waiting until Monarchs are back in stock.

Aw man, sorry to hear it. Did you get to listen to them? I'd be curious for your comparison when you get your Monarchs.

 

[sateric]

Out of the box, neither of them are what you would call musicals, if used with wide bore tips, which are recommended in both. They are quite bright.

In the Clairvoyance I do not recommend narrow bore tips in any case, I think it affects its tonality too much, and it is no longer so good. If you want to achieve musicality, it is best to use EQ to reduce its peak to 2.5 kHz by 2 or 3 dbs.

In the Mest you can use narrow bore tips like Sony or Final E to make them more musical, without affecting the tonality very negatively. Of course, you will lose most of the magic of the Mest, such as its level of detail, layers and 3D scene.

In my collection, the most musical IEMs are clearly the Opus Mia (which I have for sale), followed by the FH7.


I am completely in love with the FH7. It was my first high-level IEM and I love its sound. It is much more musical and relaxed than Clairvoyance or Mest, and its bass has something special and different thanks to its beryllium DD that keeps calling me to listen to it often.

I don't think I'll ever get rid of him.

Awesome, thanks for the reply!

 

[Flip80]

Do a quick chat with them and find out when they will next batch, that's how I knew they had them in stock early this week even at the time the website shown pre-order.

I reached out this morning on their site through the chat. Haven't hear back yet.

 

[Flip80]

Out of the box, neither of them are what you would call musicals, if used with wide bore tips, which are recommended in both. They are quite bright.

In the Clairvoyance I do not recommend narrow bore tips in any case, I think it affects its tonality too much, and it is no longer so good. If you want to achieve musicality, it is best to use EQ to reduce its peak to 2.5 kHz by 2 or 3 dbs.

In the Mest you can use narrow bore tips like Sony or Final E to make them more musical, without affecting the tonality very negatively. Of course, you will lose most of the magic of the Mest, such as its level of detail, layers and 3D scene.

In my collection, the most musical IEMs are clearly the Opus Mia (which I have for sale), followed by the FH7.


I am completely in love with the FH7. It was my first high-level IEM and I love its sound. It is much more musical and relaxed than Clairvoyance or Mest, and its bass has something special and different thanks to its beryllium DD that keeps calling me to listen to it often.

I don't think I'll ever get rid of him.

Interesting. I enjoy my FH7 too but what's weird is to me the bass doesn't blend well? Like I can hear that it's a different type of driver tech easily or the bass kind of sticks out? Idk. I certainly hope the Monarch isn't like that. I actually prefer the FH5 sometimes. Not as detailed but everything sounds more together and smooth to me even though the bass is a little more "boomy" and less refined. I don't hear the different drivers separately like I kind of do with the FH7. THE FH5 blends better i guess. I struggle describing what I am hearing sometimes. Sorry lol. I still like it though. I regularly have it in my rotation.

 

[firesign]

Just curious, what do you mean by musical? Does it mean a warm sound signature rather than neutral?

Yours is the highest praise I seen for the FH7. Trying to see what about it you like so much. I looked at them about 6 months ago and ruled them out and I don't recall why.

Yes, it can be understood as a warmer sound, and without peaks at certain frequencies that may sound annoying / shouty in some songs.

Simply the impulse response is more relaxed, more musical.

I like many things about the FH7: the greatness of its sound, its scene is very wide and holographic, that its sound is very pleasant with my style of music, its bass, its wow effect ... Of course, all this in my ears. I do not mean that others have to hear it as I do.

I cant speak for him but I straight up bought the Fh7 and sold them about 4 hours later. I don't consider the FH7 tuning to be anywhere near accurate. Interesting maybe.

This hobby is based on personal tastes, like music and its genres.

I can say the same as you about many other IEMs that I have tried, such as the Solaris, which has a lot of followers around here.

I prefer Mest to Clairvoyance, and I prefer Clairvoyance to FH7. But everyone has its moment to enjoy it.

 

[firesign]

No. This is Pinna gain. This depends on an individual's outter ear pinna gain. You can't just go throwing around numbers as if they are universal.


And conversely, for me the FH7 is far to bright with odd tonality where as the Clair sounds much nearer to real life. Again this is likely differences in outter ear and also preferences.

What sounds at that frequency is universal.
This man was trying to explain it in this video:

I have read several reviews of the Clairvoyance commenting that it can be shouty for many people and with certain types of music. Well, with a lot of my music that happens.

Another very different thing is the sensitivity that your ear may have to that frequency, which may be higher or lower. Or that your usual music does not have so much load in that area, which is most likely, because when I have tried the Clairvoyance with soundtracks, pop or electronic, I have not noticed any discomfort or stridency.

As I said before, I like the Clairvoyance better than the FH7. But that means that you do not know how to value the benefits of the FH7.

 

[redrol]

It's likely in this case your outter ear is tuned for less gain normally, so when you add that in via IEM tuning, it's too much. That's it! What im saying is for me the Clair is not shouty at all.