[Bozz_Keren]

How do you compare it to u18t? Which one is better?

haven't got time to compare with u18t yet, will try after i have passed my honeymoon period with Indigo so that i can know their characteristic well enough to make comparison

 

[ljnew]

haven't got time to compare with u18t yet, will try after i have passed my honeymoon period with Indigo so that i can know their characteristic well enough to make comparison

Any initial impressions vs the u18t?

 

[SckT]

Hey guys,
I'm seriously considering the MEST MK2 to pair with my Shanling M9, but have a few questions which I hope someone can advice/comment on:

1. In terms of SQ difference alone, is it worthwhile to get the custom version?
2. Indigo is a lot more expensive, what will be the most significant thing it has over the MEST MK2?
3. If I can wait, are there any new iems coming up in the same price range and SQ ballpark?
4. Any other iem recommendations that are musical, detailed, with lush vocals? I prefer emotional, musical sounds more than super analytical presentations.

Thanks!

 

[ljnew]

I just got my OG MEST a few hours ago (thanks to @SoundJedi ), and after some critical listening, here are my immediate impressions A/B/Cing between MEST (stock silicon tips), Variations (Spinfit CP155), Tea (Azla Sedna Earfit regular):

• Power requirement: Variations > MEST > Tea
• Clarity: MEST >>> Variations > Tea (Veilness: Tea > Variations >>> MEST)
• Sub-bass: Variations >> MEST ≧ Tea
• Mids: MEST > Tea > Variations
• Highs: MEST >>> Variations ≧ Tea
• Male Vocals (Billy Joel): MEST ≧ Tea > Variations (in background)
• Female Vocals (miwa): MEST (sharp) = Tea (natural) > Variations (in background)
• Naturalness: Tea > MEST > Variations
• Sound stage: Variations (auditorium) >> Tea (excellent front-back stage) > MEST (near)
• Imaging (Yosi Horikawa): MEST >> Variations ≧ Tea
• Technicality/separation: Variations >> MEST > Tea
• Coherency: MEST > Tea > Variations
• Lower slam/punch: Variations > MEST ≧ Tea
• Upper slam/punch: MEST > Tea ≧ Variations
• Detail Retrieval: MEST >> Variations > Tea

Sound Signatures (by personal enjoyment rank):

1. MEST: W-shaped / clarity beast / fun / coherent through all frequencies / sometimes peaky treble / upgraded Tea
2. Tea: Neutral W-shaped / fun / warm (compared to MEST and Variations)
3. Variations: L-shaped / sub bass monster / technical / mid-scoop vocal loss

Test Tracks:
Boogie Wheel - Superwoman
Billy Joel - Just the Way You Are
miwa - ヒカリへ (THE FIRST TAKE)
Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles
Camo & Krooked - Loving You Is Easy

Running off iFi Zen DAC v2.

To be honest, I think the three of these IEMs form a great trinity of endgame IEMs. The MEST is like a massive treble upgrade of Tea, and both tunings are headed the same direction. Variations’ tuning is the outlier here, but Variations is a monster in terms of frequency and instrument separation, although sacrificing the vocals a tad bit. Also, the sub-bass is unbeatable among the three. If Tea is the base for the other two, MEST adds more and more towards the upper frequencies to achieve the complete package, whereas Variations stretches all frequencies apart and adds a clean and punchy sub-bass that’ll rock your brain.

I’d still recommend that everyone should at least try Variations once to get the taste of that sweet, sweet technicality and sub-bass BOOM BOOM BAP. But my ears are more for the Tea tuning, so the Variations might be going soon. Yet in the one month + that I’ve spent with the Variations, I had great joy over its uniqueness. If it weren’t for the EQ for my personal taste, it would have sat on the same throne with Tea as Thanos and Lady Death. Now MEST is the single king there, with Tea as the queen at its side. MEST and Tea are of the same bloodline, Variations is the beast from the East.

The way the tea focuses on instruments or places emphasis on certain instruments and vocals is unbelievable and like no other. I can spend hours listening to mest mk2 then switch back to the tea without feeling like I'm losing anything.

 

[UniqueMelody]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cel...-start-of-spring-with-unique-melody-🍀.962588/



UM x Musicteck, collaborated spring sale! Massive discounts are here!

 

[Jmarz]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/celebrate-st-patricks-day-and-the-start-of-spring-with-unique-melody-.962588/



UM x Musicteck, collaborated spring sale! Massive discounts are here!

Waiting for mine (Mest) to arrive!

 

[Ufanco]

Months later still loving the mest mkii can’t believe how well they scale up with better and better equipment. I just got some new tubes and wow they really add yet another improvement to the mest.
Changing tips and cables does add a lot to the sound quality but using them on a tube amp was the my hugest improvement so far.
The only issue is you need a tube amp that works was low independence iem. I started with the inexpensive Loxjie p20 to see if tubes where for me. Since liked the sound improvement so much I since upgraded to the Xduoo ta20.
Wondering how many others use tube amps with the mest? Love to hear others thoughts and comments on mest with tubes.

 

[elevate6658]

Hey guys,
I'm seriously considering the MEST MK2 to pair with my Shanling M9, but have a few questions which I hope someone can advice/comment on:

1. In terms of SQ difference alone, is it worthwhile to get the custom version?
2. Indigo is a lot more expensive, what will be the most significant thing it has over the MEST MK2?
3. If I can wait, are there any new iems coming up in the same price range and SQ ballpark?
4. Any other iem recommendations that are musical, detailed, with lush vocals? I prefer emotional, musical sounds more than super analytical presentations.

Thanks!

I also hesitate between indigo and MEST MKII. The price of unboxed indigo is about 1.6 times that of MEST MKII, and the price of used indigo is also higher than that of unboxed MEST MKII, which is close to 2 times of used MEST MKII.

 

[SckT]

I also hesitate between indigo and MEST MKII. The price of unboxed indigo is about 1.6 times that of MEST MKII, and the price of used indigo is also higher than that of unboxed MEST MKII, which is close to 2 times of used MEST MKII.

After reading and watching everything I can find on the Indigo vs MKii, I decided to go all out and just get the Indigo.
I know for a fact that if I get the MKii now, I will always have doubts in my head wondering if I should have got the Indigo, and what am I missing with the MKii.....
But it is damn expensive for a blind buy though!
Are they worth it? I hope so!

 

[elevate6658]

After reading and watching everything I can find on the Indigo vs MKii, I decided to go all out and just get the Indigo.
I know for a fact that if I get the MKii now, I will always have doubts in my head wondering if I should have got the Indigo, and what am I missing with the MKii.....
But it is damn expensive for a blind buy though!
Are they worth it? I hope so!

Haha, it's definitely a real consumer psychology！but it's hard to judge from a value perspective.

 

[SckT]

For all the Indigo owners out there:

Do you guys experience any sound incoherence problem or inconsistent bone conduction activation??

I heard that people complained about the MKii having a disconnected coherency where the sounds are artificially separated, and that the bone conduction effect comes on and off inconsistently making the music impossible to enjoy.

Serious flaws if true!!

 

[14christ]

After reading and watching everything I can find on the Indigo vs MKii, I decided to go all out and just get the Indigo.
I know for a fact that if I get the MKii now, I will always have doubts in my head wondering if I should have got the Indigo, and what am I missing with the MKii.....
But it is damn expensive for a blind buy though!
Are they worth it? I hope so!

Hope your right buddy. Everything I've heard about Indigo is that it does everything the mk2 does and more like the treble. Seems to most people to be smoother with a harder slam for bass as well. The cable quality is much better than mk2.

I don't think you can go wrong with either. What dap will you be using with the Indigo?

 

[SckT]

Haha, it's definitely a real consumer psychology！but it's hard to judge from a value perspective.

Yes, value is subjective..... especially in sound systems.
People spend more than this money on sound system cables and leads alone.
I wish I'm one of those people!!

 

[14christ]

Yes, value is subjective..... especially in sound systems.
People spend more than this money on sound system cables and leads alone.
I wish I'm one of those people!!

Yes of course. I'll never forget reading an article several years ago about the power cables that were used in a specific opera house abroad. In total there were over 2 million dollars worth of silver and gold cables. This hobby can definitely get to be insane.

 

[SckT]

Hope your right buddy. Everything I've heard about Indigo is that it does everything the mk2 does and more like the treble. Seems to most people to be smoother with a harder slam for bass as well. The cable quality is much better than mk2.

I don't think you can go wrong with either. What dap will you be using with the Indigo?

Yeah....let's hope.
I have not received my Indigo yet.
When they arrive, I will be pairing them with my Shanling M9.
Fingers crossed.