Yes, the Stormbreaker cable is a custom PW Audio 1960 anniversary cable. I would have never bought it had it not come with the Odin. It's a tremendous cable.
Unique Melody Bone Conduction Family (MEST&MEXT and their siblings) Announcement and Impression Thread.
- Thread starter UniqueMelody
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FooFighter
Headphoneus Supremus
Omg
Thinking further about this hobby and what you are writing it seems you need to climb the consuming-ladder higher and higher in order to enjoy even your older rig more
Thinking further about this hobby and what you are writing it seems you need to climb the consuming-ladder higher and higher in order to enjoy even your older rig more
BPD is one of those tracks that you fell in love with back in the day, and had no idea whether or not it was well produced. Then hearing it on decent gear, it's like a whole new world!Thanks btw, glad you enjoyed, I feel a bit uncomfortable doing these write-ups due to lack of experience! Many years experience of music, just not taking the time to describe it and understand the technical components.
Here are a selection of albums I tend to go for and did again in the case of the MEST... a large focus on electronic music, but I always include some acoustic, rock etc too. I have listed the album and the often first choice track from that album before maybe doing a full start to finish listen of the full album. I try to test between devices, so my ZX507 and NW-WM1A and more recently, the Luxury & Precision W2. I've hyperlinked (Bandcamp in most cases) to the track via the track name rather than take up lots of space in this post with track previews!
Bicep - Bicep
Track - Glue
This track gives me a good sense of bass in particular with the deep pounding kick drum but also mids in the shape of the synths, the introduction of the vocals can either be meh or actually make quite a statement and provide a hair-raising experience. As the track progresses to a climax, there is quite a lot going on which can become congested in some cases, I like this test to see if the IEM can cope.
Spatialize - Beyond the Radar
Track - The Great Super Mango
I adore this track, so much going on and evolves to an unexpected climax - Pink Floyd-esq vibes and dramatic sax. When a track has a significant shift or evolves in this way, I love to hear how the IEM presents it - how well it sits with what has come before. Its funny with some music and this is a good example, when heard well it becomes not only hair-raising but almost tear inducing too.
Arovane - Atol Scrap
Track - Ambelio
A delicate, intricate piece of electronica and in my opinion, a classic of the IDM genre. The relatively complex/off-beat drum programming and swirling melodies while sounding quite basic actually have a lot of detail and I find this a good test for timbre and soundstage - I love to close my eyes with this one and submerge into the experience.
Monolake - Interstate
Track - Amazon
Incredible electronic music and this track has a lot of detail that can be missed - the ambient backdrop of a jungle, merging with the evolving complex programming, so much going on which I find to fully appreciate, has to have a very capable delivery. This track for me tests pretty much everything that I'm looking for in an IEM.
Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty Pt. 3
Track - Transmission - Dance Alone (The Legend of a Visiting Orb, Visiting from Another Time & Place Mix)
Not much to say here other than I love this track and while it's not that old and I only heard it when this was released a few months ago, it gives me a real sense of nostalgia and reminds me of my 90s clubbing days - while Andrew Weatherall was not involved, it has his type of often playful sound signature - and as expected from The Orb, lots of instruments and samples jumping about the place so again a good test for congestion, soundstage, timbre.
London Grammar - If You Wait
Track - Wasting My Younger Years
A shift of genre here and from an indie/rock perspective, a busy enough song carried by Hannah's unbelievable voice, so beautiful and powerful - the test here is how intimate it sounds and how 'close' Hannah sounds, the nearest I'll ever get to her actually singing to meA stunning track overall and to continue a bit of a theme, how well does the IEM handle the instrumental/vocal peaks - do I cringe or having a beaming smile, that I find can literally be the difference.
Kruder & Dorfmeister - The K&D Sessions
Track - Bomb the Bass - Bug Powder Dust (K&D Session)
An all-time favourite chill-out mix, absolute classic, and I was thrilled when it was given a very loving reissue in recent years, wonderful remastered vinyl pressing and 24bit download... it now sounds better than ever. The First test track tends to be Bug Powder Dust, I know it so well for many years and always curious to hear how it will be presented.
Dr Dre - The Chronic
Track - The Day the Niggaz took Over
A big favourite when it comes to hip hop and I especially love this track. So much going on, sounds spectacular when delivered well - a fantastic test for timbre, soundstage and across lows, mids and highs.
Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
Track - Miss Fat Booty
As above really, another hip hop favourite and again a good test for IEM capabilities. One I always turn up louder to really test - it should get to an unhealthy volume without becoming hard to listen to, remains well presented across the ranges.
Slowdive - Slowdive
Track - Sugar for the Pill
For me, possibly the greatest come-back albums of all time - its arrival in 2017 after a 22-year break was just incredible, I'm still blown away on every listen. Testing male vocals here mostly but equally, a lot of competing instruments that have the risk of congestion or excellence!
Mazzy Star - So Tonight that I might See
Track - Into Dust
A bit like London Grammar here in that its the closest I'll ever get to the song being sung to me directly! An incredibly beautiful song and Hope Sandoval has such an amazing voice, I love to hear how close it can sound - I often with this one end up playing it more than once, a great test for female vocals.
Hollie Cook - Vessel of Love
Track - Ghostly Fading
Some more female vocals here but with a dub/reggae artist. Fantastic test of bass, female vocals and a range of other instruments.
T. Power - Police State EP
Track - Act 1
Classic drum & bass and an absolute epic track. Deep sub bass and complex drum programming, lots of wonderful melodies, peaks and troughs throughout its 14 minute duration. Remastered along with all of his other material in recent times and a great IEM test.
Ascendant - Meridian
Track - Landfall
Ambient / Berlin School and amazing to test the amount of space this type of music can occupy.
In conclusion...
That is really a view on a selection of genres and go-to albums I like to test. There are quite a few more but only now while actually considering/going through music folders of my library do I realize how many I tend to delve in to. I hadn't intended to include a reason for the tracks/albums but I guess its helpful to get a better view of why I choose certain tracks etc.
Hope that was useful!
Ah
I actually meant the 1960s 4 wire, not the one on the odin. But yeah, cable rolling is a very subjective thing.
Sure, I knew you were talking about the 4-wire version. I'll probably never own one of those until I get it as part of a resale purchase of a Traillii.
How much different does the 2-wire and 4-wire versions sound? I can't wrap my head around purchasing a cable for more than $2000.
Others may have more experience, mine says U12T needs a different cable because of the crap it ships with, tangles, micro phonic, knots up, but you do not have to spend much there are plenty of choices in the $300.00 range that should work nicely.
And in the $30 range too
Scubadevils
Previously known as Scuba Devils
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Yeah absolutely, very well produced and amazing to hear in more recent years. My favourite or maybe most cherished mix is the following, the resident DJ at a club here in Dublin in the mid 90s often played in a warm up set, I've great memories heading in to the club and hearing it playing.
Do you think the Mk2 need a pure copper / silver / SPC ?
I want to get a custom cable,
thank you,
I want to get a custom cable,
thank you,
Very nice, thanks! I look forward to checking these out, particularly the ones I hadn't heard of before. (Anyone who loves Slowdive can be trusted implicitly in matters of taste...)Thanks btw, glad you enjoyed, I feel a bit uncomfortable doing these write-ups due to lack of experience! Many years experience of music, just not taking the time to describe it and understand the technical components.
Here are a selection of albums I tend to go for and did again in the case of the MEST... a large focus on electronic music, but I always include some acoustic, rock etc too. I have listed the album and the often first choice track from that album before maybe doing a full start to finish listen of the full album. I try to test between devices, so my ZX507 and NW-WM1A and more recently, the Luxury & Precision W2. I've hyperlinked (Bandcamp in most cases) to the track via the track name rather than take up lots of space in this post with track previews!
Bicep - Bicep
Track - Glue
This track gives me a good sense of bass in particular with the deep pounding kick drum but also mids in the shape of the synths, the introduction of the vocals can either be meh or actually make quite a statement and provide a hair-raising experience. As the track progresses to a climax, there is quite a lot going on which can become congested in some cases, I like this test to see if the IEM can cope.
Spatialize - Beyond the Radar
Track - The Great Super Mango
I adore this track, so much going on and evolves to an unexpected climax - Pink Floyd-esq vibes and dramatic sax. When a track has a significant shift or evolves in this way, I love to hear how the IEM presents it - how well it sits with what has come before. Its funny with some music and this is a good example, when heard well it becomes not only hair-raising but almost tear inducing too.
Arovane - Atol Scrap
Track - Ambelio
A delicate, intricate piece of electronica and in my opinion, a classic of the IDM genre. The relatively complex/off-beat drum programming and swirling melodies while sounding quite basic actually have a lot of detail and I find this a good test for timbre and soundstage - I love to close my eyes with this one and submerge into the experience.
Monolake - Interstate
Track - Amazon
Incredible electronic music and this track has a lot of detail that can be missed - the ambient backdrop of a jungle, merging with the evolving complex programming, so much going on which I find to fully appreciate, has to have a very capable delivery. This track for me tests pretty much everything that I'm looking for in an IEM.
Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty Pt. 3
Track - Transmission - Dance Alone (The Legend of a Visiting Orb, Visiting from Another Time & Place Mix)
Not much to say here other than I love this track and while it's not that old and I only heard it when this was released a few months ago, it gives me a real sense of nostalgia and reminds me of my 90s clubbing days - while Andrew Weatherall was not involved, it has his type of often playful sound signature - and as expected from The Orb, lots of instruments and samples jumping about the place so again a good test for congestion, soundstage, timbre.
London Grammar - If You Wait
Track - Wasting My Younger Years
A shift of genre here and from an indie/rock perspective, a busy enough song carried by Hannah's unbelievable voice, so beautiful and powerful - the test here is how intimate it sounds and how 'close' Hannah sounds, the nearest I'll ever get to her actually singing to me
Kruder & Dorfmeister - The K&D Sessions
Track - Bomb the Bass - Bug Powder Dust (K&D Session)
An all-time favourite chill-out mix, absolute classic, and I was thrilled when it was given a very loving reissue in recent years, wonderful remastered vinyl pressing and 24bit download... it now sounds better than ever. The First test track tends to be Bug Powder Dust, I know it so well for many years and always curious to hear how it will be presented.
Dr Dre - The Chronic
Track - The Day the Niggaz took Over
A big favourite when it comes to hip hop and I especially love this track. So much going on, sounds spectacular when delivered well - a fantastic test for timbre, soundstage and across lows, mids and highs.
Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
Track - Miss Fat Booty
As above really, another hip hop favourite and again a good test for IEM capabilities. One I always turn up louder to really test - it should get to an unhealthy volume without becoming hard to listen to, remains well presented across the ranges.
Slowdive - Slowdive
Track - Sugar for the Pill
For me, possibly the greatest come-back albums of all time - its arrival in 2017 after a 22-year break was just incredible, I'm still blown away on every listen. Testing male vocals here mostly but equally, a lot of competing instruments that have the risk of congestion or excellence!
Mazzy Star - So Tonight that I might See
Track - Into Dust
A bit like London Grammar here in that its the closest I'll ever get to the song being sung to me directly! An incredibly beautiful song and Hope Sandoval has such an amazing voice, I love to hear how close it can sound - I often with this one end up playing it more than once, a great test for female vocals.
Hollie Cook - Vessel of Love
Track - Ghostly Fading
Some more female vocals here but with a dub/reggae artist. Fantastic test of bass, female vocals and a range of other instruments.
T. Power - Police State EP
Track - Act 1
Classic drum & bass and an absolute epic track. Deep sub bass and complex drum programming, lots of wonderful melodies, peaks and troughs throughout its 14 minute duration. Remastered along with all of his other material in recent times and a great IEM test.
Ascendant - Meridian
Track - Landfall
Ambient / Berlin School and amazing to test the amount of space this type of music can occupy.
In conclusion...
That is really a view on a selection of genres and go-to albums I like to test. There are quite a few more but only now while actually considering/going through music folders of my library do I realize how many I tend to delve in to. I hadn't intended to include a reason for the tracks/albums but I guess its helpful to get a better view of why I choose certain tracks etc.
Hope that was useful!
Some more impressions of mine on the MEST MK2 after a lot of ear time yesterday.
Done from ibasso DX300 M gain vol 35, NOS filter, stock cable and the stock blue silicone tips
Listened between 6-7 hours yesterday. It is somewhere between balanced and a slight v shape depending on your preferences. There is more treble emphasis than bass though. Deep sub bass extension and great rumble, lacks a bit of impact and slam for edm but still sounds very good. I think if it had more boom to it there would be coherency issues with the mid range as it’s tuned to be more revealing rather than textured. Lower mids aren’t too weighty so I feel deep male vocals can sometimes lack a bit of body. Female vocals sound fantastic though. The rise from lower to upper mids is very linear, not bulbous like the Odin or M5. There’s a solid bit of lower treble energy, but it’s very smooth and not even remotely harsh so it’s done quite well. Upper treble isn’t there in spades but it’s good enough to not make high notes sound off, just not super airy like you’d get from some Tia drivers. Genuinely have no idea what the bone drivers are for, I hear nothing different compared to any other iem. Technicalities on it are top notch, pin point imaging and nice open staging. It’s not crazy out of your head but it’s very accurate and organized. This is probably the best value iem I have heard and overall I am very happy with the purchase.
Done from ibasso DX300 M gain vol 35, NOS filter, stock cable and the stock blue silicone tips
Listened between 6-7 hours yesterday. It is somewhere between balanced and a slight v shape depending on your preferences. There is more treble emphasis than bass though. Deep sub bass extension and great rumble, lacks a bit of impact and slam for edm but still sounds very good. I think if it had more boom to it there would be coherency issues with the mid range as it’s tuned to be more revealing rather than textured. Lower mids aren’t too weighty so I feel deep male vocals can sometimes lack a bit of body. Female vocals sound fantastic though. The rise from lower to upper mids is very linear, not bulbous like the Odin or M5. There’s a solid bit of lower treble energy, but it’s very smooth and not even remotely harsh so it’s done quite well. Upper treble isn’t there in spades but it’s good enough to not make high notes sound off, just not super airy like you’d get from some Tia drivers. Genuinely have no idea what the bone drivers are for, I hear nothing different compared to any other iem. Technicalities on it are top notch, pin point imaging and nice open staging. It’s not crazy out of your head but it’s very accurate and organized. This is probably the best value iem I have heard and overall I am very happy with the purchase.
Nice review. Do you hear BA timbre in the mids? This is one of the issues I have with the MEST OG.
I do a little and I feel it’s a bit more highlighted due to the DD low end, but it’s not as drastic as something like the Tia Trio in my opinion.
2-wire sounds significantly warmer, more congested and noticeably less resolving than 4-wire. The 4-wire has a very wide and deep stage with more precise imaging. It can sound quite lean as well.
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