[Terco]

Hey guys! So, I need a bit of help, and advice regarding this new hobby of IEM. I come from a mainstream audio background, as everyone who started their IEM journey, I usually use my over the ear Bose QC35, and has been my main listening gear for the past 3 years, and I enjoyed them. Simple and easy, also had a pair of "high end" skullcandy if that is a thing jaja, and Bose earphones (white and black cable). Well I just purchased OG UM MEST, and bought the FiiO BTR5 amp/dac bluetooth. Decided to start high end to experience all the marvelous thing everyone is saying.

It's been over a week since I got them and started listening to them. > 20 hours listening.

I need advice -

The thing is, I usually listen my music with the SkullCandies and QC35 at high volume to enjoy bass, and never had an issue ie. ringing ears and so forth. I love my electronic music, my trance, lounge, hard rock, metal, OG 90's rap, and modern rap. All music with lots of bass, I decided to go with the MEST because it ticked all the boxes with these genres the DD and Bone Conduction. But also of course, Jazz, Classical, Classical Guitar, Chill Out Café lounge. which is enabled with the electrostatic and BA drivers.

First impressions was the clarity and detail, stock silicone tips are rubbish, the comply foam tips are great. But here's the thing, to get the same level of volume to really enjoy the bass and overall sound I cannot handle the music volume with the MEST, it's too loud! The instruments sound very in your face, too "revealing", I find myself not quite enjoying the experience, even Jazz or Classical I have to listen at very low volume, and hence cannot really enjoy the full experience because of this. If I turn the volume higher in order to really experience depth, instrumental spatial orientation, bass, and soforth I end up with ringing ears! This is starting to frustate me, I feel with the foam tips, there is too much pressure! And with the silicone tips bass is lacking and the music shines, too bright.

I usually listen to music 4-12 hours daily depending on work load, and multiple things. But as all you guys, I love music. And I find myself getting real tired after 2-3 hours with the MEST, there is too much pressure in the ear canal, even at low listening levels. Why is this? And I'm sorry to compare an ultra high IEM with QC35 mainstream, but with the QC35 I could listen to music all day!

So what I did to reset my tinnitus, I stopped listening to music for two days. Then did the experiment, listen to all my genres with QC35 almost max volume and nothing, all good, enjoyed the bass and ended up with no tinnitus. Of course I know that IEM is almost - well with universals not that much - in the ear membrane and thus pressure gradients are higher, and greater with full seal such as the large comply foam tip (which I use, because it enable that sweet sub-bass rumble), but to really experience this bass and enjoy basshead music, volumes are too high, and I'm finding myself not enjoying these tracks due to the low volume I listen to, to not damage my hearing.

So listening to electronic music, rap I cannot really taste and enjoy bass or normal hearing sound because I'm almost forced to not exceed certain DB's to not hurt my ears.

So am I doing something wrong here? Are my ears destined for mainstream headphones jajaja JK.

But really, what am I doing wrong, am I using the wrong eartips? I just turn off all EQ, both the EQ from Spotify and the EQ from the FiiO BTR5, and turned only one or the other EQ and all the same (regarding volumes - not tonality).


I use APTX-HD with Spotify highest quality which is 320 kbps - and some FLAC files in my computer both connected directly or bluetooth.

I know that all this questions are from an amateur, but I really want to learn, I want to get to enjoy music as it was intended. But I need a bit guidance.

Thanks all so much,
Rizzoli

I'm guessing you prefer quantity over quality, nothing wrong with that! I also love bass and with the time I started to value more quality bass over quantity especially with my Home Theatre system when I started I loved when my apartment rumble, now not that much I prefer a tight deep bass that the boomy bass, I thing with the time you will get the same impression, maybe?
I remember try these Skull-bones extra bass THAT BASS WAS MOVING MY HEAD xD Too much but fun!

I suggest get a portable dac/amp with extra bass switch like the Fiio Q1 mark 2 or Q3, I have the Q1 and the extra bass is great!
You can EQ also and the Fiio BTR5 have different EQ profile I believe the Rock has more bass.

 

[Rizzoli]

I'm guessing you prefer quantity over quality, nothing wrong with that! I also love bass and with the time I started to value more quality bass over quantity especially with my Home Theatre system when I started I loved when my apartment rumble, now not that much I prefer a tight deep bass that the boomy bass, I thing with the time you will get the same impression, maybe?
I remember try these Skull-bones extra bass THAT BASS WAS MOVING MY HEAD xD Too much but fun!

I suggest get a portable dac/amp with extra bass switch like the Fiio Q1 mark 2 or Q3, I have the Q1 and the extra bass is great!
You can EQ also and the Fiio BTR5 have different EQ profile I believe the Rock has more bass.

Hey Man! Thanks for the quick reply, yeah you're right jaja, I love quantity, But really want to mature my audio-taste.

So for example listening to Jazz - John Coltrane or some Chill Out Café Vol. Uno (Irma) great album, should listen Italian record company, great lounge/Jazz music. In order to hear all the details I need to give the DAC/AMP BTR5 (Oh and BTw are DACS really different in sound profile? What could you say about this) more juice, and I find myself really enjoying the clarity of all the instruments guitar chords, bass from the guitar bass, the drum snare etc. But I feel there is too much pressure in the ear canal, is this dependant on ear tip? I see you got the Symbio F, I want to give other eartips a try.

I've also read that MEST and MEST II have too much treble, and when burned in it smoothens out. Maybe its the treble that's making me feel to much pressure, and a bit fatigued, it's too high the treble. Have you burned in your MK II are they the same, or different?

Thanks!

 

[Damz87]

Hey guys! So, I need a bit of help, and advice regarding this new hobby of IEM. I come from a mainstream audio background, as everyone who started their IEM journey, I usually use my over the ear Bose QC35, and has been my main listening gear for the past 3 years, and I enjoyed them. Simple and easy, also had a pair of "high end" skullcandy if that is a thing jaja, and Bose earphones (white and black cable). Well I just purchased OG UM MEST, and bought the FiiO BTR5 amp/dac bluetooth. Decided to start high end to experience all the marvelous thing everyone is saying.

It's been over a week since I got them and started listening to them. > 20 hours listening.

I need advice -

The thing is, I usually listen my music with the SkullCandies and QC35 at high volume to enjoy bass, and never had an issue ie. ringing ears and so forth. I love my electronic music, my trance, lounge, hard rock, metal, OG 90's rap, and modern rap. All music with lots of bass, I decided to go with the MEST because it ticked all the boxes with these genres the DD and Bone Conduction. But also of course, Jazz, Classical, Classical Guitar, Chill Out Café lounge. which is enabled with the electrostatic and BA drivers.

First impressions was the clarity and detail, stock silicone tips are rubbish, the comply foam tips are great. But here's the thing, to get the same level of volume to really enjoy the bass and overall sound I cannot handle the music volume with the MEST, it's too loud! The instruments sound very in your face, too "revealing", I find myself not quite enjoying the experience, even Jazz or Classical I have to listen at very low volume, and hence cannot really enjoy the full experience because of this. If I turn the volume higher in order to really experience depth, instrumental spatial orientation, bass, and soforth I end up with ringing ears! This is starting to frustate me, I feel with the foam tips, there is too much pressure! And with the silicone tips bass is lacking and the music shines, too bright.

I usually listen to music 4-12 hours daily depending on work load, and multiple things. But as all you guys, I love music. And I find myself getting real tired after 2-3 hours with the MEST, there is too much pressure in the ear canal, even at low listening levels. Why is this? And I'm sorry to compare an ultra high IEM with QC35 mainstream, but with the QC35 I could listen to music all day!

So what I did to reset my tinnitus, I stopped listening to music for two days. Then did the experiment, listen to all my genres with QC35 almost max volume and nothing, all good, enjoyed the bass and ended up with no tinnitus. Of course I know that IEM is almost - well with universals not that much - in the ear membrane and thus pressure gradients are higher, and greater with full seal such as the large comply foam tip (which I use, because it enable that sweet sub-bass rumble), but to really experience this bass and enjoy basshead music, volumes are too high, and I'm finding myself not enjoying these tracks due to the low volume I listen to, to not damage my hearing.

So listening to electronic music, rap I cannot really taste and enjoy bass or normal hearing sound because I'm almost forced to not exceed certain DB's to not hurt my ears.

So am I doing something wrong here? Are my ears destined for mainstream headphones jajaja JK.

But really, what am I doing wrong, am I using the wrong eartips? I just turn off all EQ, both the EQ from Spotify and the EQ from the FiiO BTR5, and turned only one or the other EQ and all the same (regarding volumes - not tonality).


I use APTX-HD with Spotify highest quality which is 320 kbps - and some FLAC files in my computer both connected directly or bluetooth.

I know that all this questions are from an amateur, but I really want to learn, I want to get to enjoy music as it was intended. But I need a bit guidance.

Thanks all so much,
Rizzoli

I don’t think you’re doing anything “wrong”, It just sounds like MEST doesn’t have the right sound signature for you and your listening habits/music taste.

Perhaps it might be worth looking for an IEM with more of an L-shaped sound signature. One to consider is the Empire Ears Bravado MKII, or Legend X if your budget allows.

 

[Pascal3366]

Is anyone else using the combo MEST MK2 with Ibasso DX220 and is noticing shouty mids?

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Hey guys! So, I need a bit of help, and advice regarding this new hobby of IEM. I come from a mainstream audio background, as everyone who started their IEM journey, I usually use my over the ear Bose QC35, and has been my main listening gear for the past 3 years, and I enjoyed them. Simple and easy, also had a pair of "high end" skullcandy if that is a thing jaja, and Bose earphones (white and black cable). Well I just purchased OG UM MEST, and bought the FiiO BTR5 amp/dac bluetooth. Decided to start high end to experience all the marvelous thing everyone is saying.

It's been over a week since I got them and started listening to them. > 20 hours listening.

I need advice -

The thing is, I usually listen my music with the SkullCandies and QC35 at high volume to enjoy bass, and never had an issue ie. ringing ears and so forth. I love my electronic music, my trance, lounge, hard rock, metal, OG 90's rap, and modern rap. All music with lots of bass, I decided to go with the MEST because it ticked all the boxes with these genres the DD and Bone Conduction. But also of course, Jazz, Classical, Classical Guitar, Chill Out Café lounge. which is enabled with the electrostatic and BA drivers.

First impressions was the clarity and detail, stock silicone tips are rubbish, the comply foam tips are great. But here's the thing, to get the same level of volume to really enjoy the bass and overall sound I cannot handle the music volume with the MEST, it's too loud! The instruments sound very in your face, too "revealing", I find myself not quite enjoying the experience, even Jazz or Classical I have to listen at very low volume, and hence cannot really enjoy the full experience because of this. If I turn the volume higher in order to really experience depth, instrumental spatial orientation, bass, and soforth I end up with ringing ears! This is starting to frustate me, I feel with the foam tips, there is too much pressure! And with the silicone tips bass is lacking and the music shines, too bright.

I usually listen to music 4-12 hours daily depending on work load, and multiple things. But as all you guys, I love music. And I find myself getting real tired after 2-3 hours with the MEST, there is too much pressure in the ear canal, even at low listening levels. Why is this? And I'm sorry to compare an ultra high IEM with QC35 mainstream, but with the QC35 I could listen to music all day!

So what I did to reset my tinnitus, I stopped listening to music for two days. Then did the experiment, listen to all my genres with QC35 almost max volume and nothing, all good, enjoyed the bass and ended up with no tinnitus. Of course I know that IEM is almost - well with universals not that much - in the ear membrane and thus pressure gradients are higher, and greater with full seal such as the large comply foam tip (which I use, because it enable that sweet sub-bass rumble), but to really experience this bass and enjoy basshead music, volumes are too high, and I'm finding myself not enjoying these tracks due to the low volume I listen to, to not damage my hearing.

So listening to electronic music, rap I cannot really taste and enjoy bass or normal hearing sound because I'm almost forced to not exceed certain DB's to not hurt my ears.

So am I doing something wrong here? Are my ears destined for mainstream headphones jajaja JK.

But really, what am I doing wrong, am I using the wrong eartips? I just turn off all EQ, both the EQ from Spotify and the EQ from the FiiO BTR5, and turned only one or the other EQ and all the same (regarding volumes - not tonality).


I use APTX-HD with Spotify highest quality which is 320 kbps - and some FLAC files in my computer both connected directly or bluetooth.

I know that all this questions are from an amateur, but I really want to learn, I want to get to enjoy music as it was intended. But I need a bit guidance.

Thanks all so much,
Rizzoli

It might be your BTR5. You may want to consider getting an L&P W2. It has a much better bass response while still providing excellent resolution. Much better than the BTR5. But, it may be that the MEST signature isn't right for you like someone else suggested. Maybe a Monarch or Clairvoyance. Or, a used Sony IER-Z1R. You can pick them up for around $1200. To reduce your tinnitus, listen at lower volumes. Get a highly resolving IEM and listen at low volumes.

 

[Rizzoli]

I don’t think you’re doing anything “wrong”, It just sounds like MEST doesn’t have the right sound signature for you and your listening habits/music taste.

Perhaps it might be worth looking for an IEM with more of an L-shaped sound signature. One to consider is the Empire Ears Bravado MKII, or Legend X if your budget allows.

Thanks for the reply, no not at all, I love the sound signature, but I find myself having to get more volume to enjoy which sound amazing, so I've nailed it down with having to do with pressure within the ear canal. Yet to find out how to manage, will buy different eartips and try. Also have not burned them in, I mean 20 hours listening. Many people say burning in is BS other say it's essential. Just listening music to "burn-in".

 

[Rizzoli]

It might be your BTR5. You may want to consider getting an L&P W2. It has a much better bass response while still providing excellent resolution. Much better than the BTR5. But, it may be that the MEST signature isn't right for you like someone else suggested. Maybe a Monarch or Clairvoyance. Or, a used Sony IER-Z1R. You can pick them up for around $1200. To reduce your tinnitus, listen at lower volumes. Get a highly resolving IEM and listen at low volumes.

Thanks for the reply, maybe it's the DAC/AMP maybe. Also I replied to other Head-Fier, maybe it's not yet burned in.

Could you explain the last bit from your comment, I'm learning "Get a highly resolving IEM and listen at low volumes."With highly resolving IEMS one must listen to music at lower volume?

All the best
-Rizzoli

PS: I love the sound signature, it's really amazing, the instruments, especially live music, it's like I'm there, but then again all down to the volume, have to give it a little more juice to exprience that, but I know end result for ears is not good. So stuck with listening at lower volume, and hence cannot get the most out of them. Will first try eartips - then sell the BTR5 and get another DAC/AMP another Head-Fier suggested another Fiio Q1 MKII (will read upon it) also the one you recommended L&P W2.

 

[Terco]

I also have the BTR5 and I like with the Mest 2, is not fating for me maybe you should try other iems, Fiio FH3 is a great iem for Bass you will loose a bit or clarity and that fantastic 3D imaging that the Mest provide but maybe is more of your taste, I won't recommend the Sony Z1R great for bass-head but a bit brighter and hard to fit.

 

[chrisnyc75]

Agreed,
oh, can you do a quick comparison,
Mest Mk2 with Valhalla 2 vs A90 ?

so far I like it more on a warmer source,

thank you,

In short, MEST mkii works better on Valhalla 2 than I expected it to, but that comes with caveats. In low gain Valhalla 2 has 3.5ohms output impedance, which by the rule of eights means it should pair comfortably with any dynamic driver headphone with an impedance of at least 28ohms. MEST mkii has an impedance rating of merely 12ohms, well short of the ideal pairing impedance. This typically results in a shifted frequency response yielding boomy overpowered bass. What surprised me is how well MEST performs despite this.

Bass is certainly looser, but not what I would call boomy. Queuing up John Coltrane "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", on the A90 the foundational bassline is tight and well defined with sharp plucks and decay. On the Valhalla, the individual plucks & decay blend into a blurry undulating bassline. Again, the bass presence doesn't sound over-exaggerated to my ears, but the bassline becomes less about individual notes and more like a pulsing background texture.

Attack becomes less sharp, but not necessarily in a bad way. Queueing up Rodrigo y Gabriela "Lingus" and forwarding to about 6 minutes in, the A90 practically revels in the speed and insistence of the percussion here, where the Valhalla puts the strings front & center with the percussion hitting underneath and behind them. I would just attribute this to tubes doing what tubes do and MEST soaking up the holographic tube magic in unexpected ways. I mean, unique imaging is sort of MEST's main party trick, right? Adding tubes only makes that party trick more interesting.

Also, I should note that my Valhalla input tubes are not stock, they are NOS Siemens and they are remarkably linear (none of that ooey-gooey tubey sound) and all about holographic imaging. Across all headphones that I have listened to with them, these tubes shave a tiny bit off the top and the bottom and reward you in exchange with loads of texture, depth, and holographic imaging. So as with all tube amp commentary, your mileage may vary with different tubes. But as far as the fundamental synergy between Schiit's architecture and MEST, I would say it's a surprisingly good though still imperfect pairing.

 

[Rizzoli]

I also have the BTR5 and I like with the Mest 2, is not fating for me maybe you should try other iems, Fiio FH3 is a great iem for Bass you will loose a bit or clarity and that fantastic 3D imaging that the Mest provide but maybe is more of your taste, I won't recommend the Sony Z1R great for bass-head but a bit brighter and hard to fit.

Thanks, will do the thing mentioned in the replies above. Eartips - Maybe the DAC - And lastly change IEM. I really love the sound but as explained, in order to retirieve that beautiful sound I need to pump up vol., but when I do, it is absolutley fantastic. Never heard music with such high precision.

 

[Rizzoli]

I also have the BTR5 and I like with the Mest 2, is not fating for me maybe you should try other iems, Fiio FH3 is a great iem for Bass you will loose a bit or clarity and that fantastic 3D imaging that the Mest provide but maybe is more of your taste, I won't recommend the Sony Z1R great for bass-head but a bit brighter and hard to fit.

What settings do you use with the FiiO, in the audio section in the "Estimated output" did you change the parameters for Load and Headphone sensitivity? I have them on 0, and how to you listen to music on high or low gain?

Thanks!

-Rizzoli

 

[Xinlisupreme]

W2 has a lot of juice, listening right now with Hero, but pairs good also with Mest Mk2.
@Rizzoli woul you plug W2 to android or iPhone smartphone?

 

[Pascal3366]

Thanks, will do the thing mentioned in the replies above. Eartips - Maybe the DAC - And lastly change IEM. I really love the sound but as explained, in order to retirieve that beautiful sound I need to pump up vol., but when I do, it is absolutley fantastic. Never heard music with such high precision.

I think that's normal

They're speakers so they need enough current to push out the frequencies.

I am also always listening on too high volume i think. But it just sounds better.

Yes I know it's not good for my ears unfortunately.

 

[Rizzoli]

W2 has a lot of juice, listening right now with Hero, but pairs good also with Mest Mk2.
@Rizzoli woul you plug W2 to android or iPhone smartphone?

I have the BTR5 FiiO, but if I change to the W2 would connect to Android.

 

[chrisnyc75]

Thanks for the reply, no not at all, I love the sound signature, but I find myself having to get more volume to enjoy which sound amazing, so I've nailed it down with having to do with pressure within the ear canal. Yet to find out how to manage, will buy different eartips and try. Also have not burned them in, I mean 20 hours listening. Many people say burning in is BS other say it's essential. Just listening music to "burn-in".

The foam tips dampen the dynamics, so if you're using those you're hindering the very dynamic bass you're wanting to emphasize. Have you tried Xelastec tips? There are 3 pairs stock in the MEST mkii packaging (though for some reason they top out at medium size and may not work if you have large ear holes). They're made from medical grade plastic that conforms to the shape of your ear cavity with your body heat, giving you a perfect air-tight seal and in my experience powerful dynamic bass. Everyone hears differently, and different tips work for different people, but I do recommend giving Xelastec a try - they made all the difference for me.