[m-i-c-k-e-y]

Shhh... Don't disturb.. I"m enjoying it!

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Malevolent]

  should i assume that a lot of Menotr's owners reached the end of the game? same thing happened to the Custom Art owners   less comments etc because they don't need to search around anymore, and enjoying what does they have.
 

 
The Mentor is certainly the most stunning IEM I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. It offered everything I ever wanted in a "fun" headphone - full bodied sound, with impressive extensions at both ends without any excessive treble sparkle bordering on sibilance.
 
With that said, the JH13 FP is certainly a very capable IEM. I auditioned it today, and was quite blown away by what I heard. A very coherent sound with excellent imaging qualities. In contrast, the JH16 FP sounded a little too muddy with its mid-bass hump.
 
Nevertheless, it's been 2 weeks since I placed my order for my Mentors and submitted my ear impressions. It should be another month or so before I get my hands on these wonderful little gems. I might just head down to my local audio store to audition the universal pair again to satiate my cravings.

 

[finleyville]

   
The Mentor is certainly the most stunning IEM I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. It offered everything I ever wanted in a "fun" headphone - full bodied sound, with impressive extensions at both ends without any excessive treble sparkle bordering on sibilance.
 
With that said, the JH13 FP is certainly a very capable IEM. I auditioned it today, and was quite blown away by what I heard. A very coherent sound with excellent imaging qualities. In contrast, the JH16 FP sounded a little too muddy with its mid-bass hump.

 
 
I am still on the fence about buying either these Mentors or the JH13's.  I really wished I could audition them so I could make an informed decision.  I am coming from a Westone 4.  I really liked the sound, but I thought they were a little too sterile and not enough "fun." 
 
 
@ Malevolent:  If you had auditioned the JH13's before you ordered the Mentors would you have made the same choice?  Why?

 

[Malevolent]

 
I am still on the fence about buying either these Mentors or the JH13's.  I really wished I could audition them so I could make an informed decision.  I am coming from a Westone 4.  I really liked the sound, but I thought they were a little too sterile and not enough "fun." 
 
 
@ Malevolent:  If you had auditioned the JH13's before you ordered the Mentors would you have made the same choice?  Why?

 
I haven't had much listening time with the Westone 4s, as I found them a little too neutral for my tastes. For IEMs, I prefer a "fun" sound signature with nice treble peaks and a good bass presence. Treble is a difficult aspect of the FR for me, as I am very sensitive to sibilance. For example, my Westone 3s sound really great - a v-shaped curve with powerful, textured bass and extended highs that tend to become sibilant with the wrong tips.
 
Auditioning the W4s were a bit of a disappointment for me, though. Whilst its sonic strengths were quite apparent (compared with say the W3s), they lacked the v/u-shaped curve that I love.
 
Anyway, the Mentor sounds like a W3, only a lot better. Clarity and detail are increased throughout. Bass doesn't hit as hard, but it retains a punchy, energetic sound. The midrange isn't as recessed as on the W3, with a more forward and lush presence. To top it all off, the treble is quite perfect IMO. It has impressive extension and sparkle, but manages to avoid sibilance altogether.
 
Soundstage and imaging were pretty good, but these aspects were more difficult to appreciate in light of my musical preferences - I love electronic dance music, and about 3/4s of my music collection consists of these tunes.
 
Nevertheless, it was the great harmony of sound and the wonderful treble control that did it for me. I was in the market for my first CIEM and I really felt that I did not have to look any further. I took the plunge right away.
 
With that said, the JH13 FP is a solid contender indeed. It offered punchy bass, a more present midrange, and nice detail in the highs. It has a very coherent sound and was definitely more suitable for a wider range of music than the Mentors. I have also auditioned the Unique Melody Miracles, and felt that the JH13 brought more musicality to the table, with better extensions and presence in the highs and lows.
 
In the end, I think that if you're in the market for a really fun IEM that eschews all notions of neutrality or reference sound, then the Mentors would be a more suitable choice. However, if a more musical sounding W4 with enhanced sonic detail appeals to you, and taking into consideration its better fit for a wider choice of music (rock, pop), then the JH13 FPs might be right up your alley.

 

[finleyville]

Thank you very much for that well thought out and detailed reply!  I really, really appreciate it.

 

[Malevolent]

  Thank you very much for that well thought out and detailed reply!  I really, really appreciate it.

 
Hey, no problem at all.
 
Anyway, if you haven't read it, you can also refer to Innerfidelity's TOTL CIEM shootout. It includes good, concise reviews of some of the best customs around. The Mentors were not reviewed (as they were not released yet), but of all the monitors included in the list, the Heir 8.A sounds most like the Mentor. I haven't heard the Heir flagship yet though, but my impressions of this CIEM is based entirely on all of the reviews it has garnered so far.

 

[Malevolent]

Good news! My impressions were submitted on 13 September, but I just received a call that my Mentors are in! That's just over 2 weeks. Will be going down later to collect them. Can't wait to try them on!

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

Nice! Can't wait to hear your impressions.

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[doki81]

Good news! My impressions were submitted on 13 September, but I just received a call that my Mentors are in! That's just over 2 weeks. Will be going down later to collect them. Can't wait to try them on!

wow..this is insanely fast~mine took 4 weeks..

 

[Malevolent]

Nice! Can't wait to hear your impressions.

Yup, will post my impressions later. Eagerly awaiting to try them!

wow..this is insanely fast~mine took 4 weeks..

Yeah, I was so surprised when Stereo called me earlier today. They gave me an initial turnaround time of about 4-6 weeks, which is par for the course for UM.

Getting my Mentors so soon is a good thing, but I hope that they weren't rushed during production. Will check in again later.

 

[Malevolent]

Hi guys, here are some short impressions about my Mentor.
 
They look exactly as I wanted them to be. Build quality is pretty much perfect, with hardly a blemish to be found anywhere. The fit is spot on, and it forms a strong seal in my ear that is only broken if I simulate a rapid chewing action.
 
Anyway, I haven't had much time to test them, but they sound just as good as the universals, if not a little cleaner. Sound seems to be a bit tighter in the bass department, and the smooth but extended highs that I fell in love with are still there.
 
Will post more detailed impressions when I get adequate playing time on them. For now, all I can say is that this is musical bliss.
 
Some photos of my Mentors -
 

 

[Eugguy]

  Hi guys, here are some short impressions about my Mentor.
 
They look exactly as I wanted them to be. Build quality is pretty much perfect, with hardly a blemish to be found anywhere. The fit is spot on, and it forms a strong seal in my ear that is only broken if I simulate a rapid chewing action.
 
Anyway, I haven't had much time to test them, but they sound just as good as the universals, if not a little cleaner. Sound seems to be a bit tighter in the bass department, and the smooth but extended highs that I fell in love with are still there.
 
Will post more detailed impressions when I get adequate playing time on them. For now, all I can say is that this is musical bliss.
 
Some photos of my Mentors -
 

That was a tease...more, more, more impressions!

 

[Shini44]

i got my 2nd CIEM Mentor today too ;3   i liked the idea of the Small black pouch, cause i didn't like when my 1st CIEM had small hair inside it, it was a huge pain!! lol  i did point out this to Stephen and glad to see it changed

when i saw the box today i was like OMG will i go the crazy intense cleaning again???? and the answer was no :3 

 

[Malevolent]

That was a tease...more, more, more impressions!

 
Will do, if I ever take these IEMs off. 

 
Anyway, I notice that you have both the universal Roxanne and the universal Mentor. Could you provide a short comparison between the 2? Thanks!
 

  i got my 2nd CIEM Mentor today too ;3   i liked the idea of the Small black pouch, cause i didn't like when my 1st CIEM had small hair inside it, it was a huge pain!! lol  i did point out this to Stephen and glad to see it changed

 
The black pouch is really too small, IMO. Thankfully, I purchased a Pelican 1020 case to store my Mentors in.

 

[Eugguy]

I'm getting my Universal Mentors in sometime this week. (I posted that I owned the Mentors prematurely, lol.) I love the Universal Roxanne's though...at first I didn't like them...now they are #1 for me. Let's see what the Mentor can do. When I get the Mentors I will post impressions as well as a comparison to the Rox.