Is a tubeless driver similar to what 64 Audio do with their TIA driver?Triple-dynamic set-up with a tubeless high driver? Sign me up!
Not trying to do a comparison or anything, I just want to be sure I understand the technology!
Is a tubeless driver similar to what 64 Audio do with their TIA driver?Triple-dynamic set-up with a tubeless high driver? Sign me up!
Is a tubeless driver similar to what 64 Audio do with their TIA driver?
Not trying to do a comparison or anything, I just want to be sure I understand the technology!
Breaking it down!
Is a tubeless driver similar to what 64 Audio do with their TIA driver?
Not trying to do a comparison or anything, I just want to be sure I understand the technology!
YES! I was right! a triple DD IEM.. I must hear this
@Cotnijoe I don't want to jump the gun here, but will there also be a UK/EU review tour for this one, and if so, might I apply immediately?
So much better looking than original. Eager to hear what the sound do.In comparison to the previous 3DD, our new 3DD-Ti utilizes new and improved driver designs, 3D-DLP printed acrylic shell, improved internal components for durability and decreased weight, and 3D printed titanium faceplate and sound tube.
Hey guys! Today, I was fortunate enough to give Singapore's Stereo Electronics a visit to audition the Mentor V3. Here are my thoughts on the IEM plus comparisons against the Mason V3. Enjoy!
Unique Melody Mentor V3
The Mentor’s energetic signature is bolstered by its emphases on the mid-bass, centre-midrange and lower-treble; constructing a large and (especially) tall image filled with larger-than-life instruments. The Mentor is more wide than deep - due to its upfront presentation of vocals - but generates enough headroom to maintain a black background and strong resolution. Above all, its defining signature trait is heaps of dynamic energy. The image it puts out is not only large, but also punchy and impactful. Tracks teem with vibrancy and instruments sound wholly alive. However, this amount of energy leads to a compromise in long-term listening. The longer the listen, the more you feel the effort within the Mentor’s dynamite-like approach. So, although vocals are intimate and musical, they’re not the most inviting. Musical engagement is high though, due to a 1kHz bump. This boldness and chestiness - combined with the elevated mid-bass - create a warm ambience within the Mentor’s stage, which makes the image more cohesive. There’s a thread binding all the instruments together for a more euphonic listening experience.
The Mentor’s bass is satisfyingly impactful. Whether the overall emphasis lies on the sub-bass or the mid-bass depends on the Dual-Tone cable setting, but there’s about equal amounts of both on average. The region is decently accentuated - resulting in strong overall slams - but there’s enough speed to maintain a relatively transparent stage. Decay is natural (bordering on slow), but the linear sub-bass adds a guttural quality to the low-end as a substitute for clarity and texture. Extension is adequate, imparting a physicality to the low-end, but texture - like clarity - is slightly compromised. Upright basses for example have more mid-bass bloom than upper-bass definition. But, again, that adds to the warm ambience in the Mentor’s stage, which results in a more unified and engaging presentation. Bass tone is on the warmer side with strong body and punch, which certainly aids how kick drums are reproduced. A sense of thump is palpably prominent, with a certain “thwack” as the beater’s swing, the fundamental hit and the harmonics that follow decay into each other evenly. Overall, it’s a low-end with a mindful balance between physicality, impact and tone; well-rounded, decently versatile, and constantly enjoyable.
The midrange is where the Mentor sets itself apart from the Mason V3. Bolstered by a 1-3kHz bump, the Mentor V3 truly flaunts it size - showcasing up-front and immensely tall instruments, akin to a movie theatre experience. While the Mason’s notes are denser and more rounded, the Mentor V3 trades that in for surface area. Vocals take up a significant portion of the stage, allowing the listener a more close-up view of the instrument, along with a more prominent sense of texture. Though, ultimate resolution is comparable between the two, and the Mason V3’s smaller notes procure more focus on each individual instrument. Returning to the 1-3kHz bump, this adds a strong sense of chestiness to the Mentor V3’s vocal presentation. Vocalists sing with gusto and power, contrasting against the leaner lower-midranges that’ve dominated the mainstream. However, courtesy of the mid-bass and a peak around 6kHz, vocals take on a more neutral tone. The latter peak also causes some instruments to sound a touch honky on the Mentor, so pairing choices should be advised. Vocals aren’t the airiest as a result of the Mentor’s linear upper-treble, but great extension maintains admirable headroom nonetheless.
The Mentor’s top-end begins with a lower-treble peak; instantly more aggressive than its bigger brother’s. While the Mason focuses on the more delicate middle-treble, the Mentor’s 6kHz peak gives it solidity. Hi-hats and snare crackles are instantly more prominent - and punchy - but decently controlled. Sibilance is rare, though it can border on harshness on select tracks. This peak gives the Mentor a dynamic contrast against the mid-bass and the centre-midrange. When vocalists belt, you really hear them belt, and the Mentor renders throat reverberations and strain with great detail. Finally, the Mentor’s upper-mids become more neutral than sweet. The Mentor then dips around 8-10kHz, so the overall soundscape takes on a warmer and meatier ambience rather than an airy or open one. The Mason V3 has instruments that are better lit and more free, but texture and fibrousness is more obvious on the Mentor. Extension is similar between the two, but the Mason is the more linear one. As a result, its stage is more evenly spherical, as well as wider and deeper. Conversely, the Mentor’s is less precise by comparison, but more engaging, involving and musical.
Mentor V3 vs. Mason V3
As I’ve outlined several times, the differences that exist between the Mentor and the Mason V3 lie within their intended signatures. The Mason emphasises air, spaciousness and precision by implementing small notes, a relatively subdued low-end and a rise in the treble. The Mentor instills more energy within its presentation through contrasting bumps along the mid-bass, centre-midrange and lower-treble.
The Mentor has a more prominent low-end in general, with a mid-bass that naturally fills the stage. The Mason’s low-end is just as dense, but its jab-y approach contrasts against the Mentor’s warmer ambience and thicker body. The Mason has a relaxed lower-midrange, which means vocals are more airy, wispy and sweet. The Mentor’s 1-3kHz bump enhances chestiness, texture and resonance at the cost of transparency and precision. The Mentor’s vocals are also livelier, taller and more forwardly-placed. The Mason has a smoother touch, while the Mason is all for clarity, articulation and texture in the lower-treble - almost to an aggressive degree. The upper-treble is more accentuated on the Mason for an airier stage and a brighter tone, while the Mason’s is warmer and fuller. Finally, the Mason portrays a more open and linear soundscape with “less going on”, but it’s more spherical and coherent overall. The Mentor conversely emphasises dynamic energy, with a more intimate, tall and loud image.