[luckyshot]

I appreciate your impressions. I can see what you mean with EA Ares II and PW Audio cable. I have Ares 4, 8, and PW No5 and PW generally gives me meatier sound on my Oriolus Mk2.

This is looking like a must try item! Thanks!

Yes, your right meaty sounds good to me. It adds warmth and body to the mid range that I like.

 

[luckyshot]

Yes, your right meaty sounds good to me. It adds warmth and body to the mid range that I like.

Someone here or elsewhere called TiaTrio boring, I’m fine with that, I didn’t panic i Could see what they were trying to explain. I just removed the bottle neck which is the stock cable and Replaced it EA Eros2 and it sounds so good I can’t believe the level of performance Im getting.

 

[Darkestred]

From my experience with both the Mest and the LX, I can tell you that are quite the opposite.
The LX has some of the strongest bass around while this one area that the Mest is lacking, on the other side the Mest is quite bright, for sure brighter than the LX.
Mids wise, I prefer the LX, but take into consideration that I have an LX custom and tried the universal Mest, different tips open the bass and improve (for me) the overall signature.

LX definitely has better mids but that isnt a bad thing, either. LX just does it better.

 

[kubig123]

LX definitely has better mids but that isnt a bad thing, either. LX just does it better.

No, the Mest mids are good, I think experimenting with different tips and cables you might find the perfect balance. BTW I really like the soundstage of the Mest, I would describe it spherical and wider than the LX.

 

[Niyologist]

I used the Spinfit eartips (Medium) to achieve a good seal.

 

[Layman1]

It's great to hear all these varied impressions and comparisons of the MEST!

I received mine a couple of days ago and will be writing a full review!

In the meantime, I'll try to drop by here and share some impressions with you and comparisons!
I've listened extensively to the EE Legend X and own the EE Nemesis.
I've also got the Itsfit Fusion, which I think is probably the most 'like for like' comparison out of all my IEMs in terms of price and driver configuration (and tuning, to some extent).
Finally, the $1150 Stealth Sonics U9 Hybrid IEM too.
Oh, I've also got the Final Audio A8000 on loan, which I'm currently finishing up reviewing.

I'll save my main impressions until I've listened more, but my immediate impressions after a few hours of listening were:
1) huge relief! Since listening to the Nemesis, most other IEM's just sound weak in the bass in comparison.

The EE Phantom and Stealth Sonics U4 have good bass but they are all-BA IEMs so it's not really a fair comparison.

So I was kind of praying fervently that the MEST wouldn't disappoint me in that regard, and I'm delighted to report that it didn't

I have yet to compare it back to back with the Nemesis (although I've listened to the Nemesis a LOT prior to that session with the MEST), but the MEST low end seemed engaging, powerful and rich, but not bloated or bleeding into the mids

I think to some extent it's never going to be entirely fair to compare the bass of any other current IEM's with that of the Legend X or Nemesis!
EE designed a custom DD (the WeaponX) especially for low end impact and extension. Then they crammed TWO per side of them into the IEM's
I can't imagine any single DD IEM (hybrid or otherwise) is going to reach that same level of low end impact, slam, rumble etc.
Yes, some may come close, but I think from an engineering viewpoint, I'd be very surprised if anyone matched it.

So I will try to keep that in mind objectively when comparing

2) MEST has a big, open soundstage, generally a very good technical performance and, importantly, a hugely engaging sound signature that brings so much enjoyment to my music

More to follow in the coming days, happy to answer questions or post comparisons; just ask

 

[szore]

Anyone know what the cable is made of?

 

[rodel808]

Anyone know what the cable is made of?

I couldn't find any information about the cables that came with the MEST but I noticed this cable on AliExpress looks (just the wires) exactly like it. 7N UPOCC Silver Plated. There are other cables on AliExpress that looks the same and some of the descriptions says made by a company named Neotech.

The cable that came with mines is very diy build quality. The splitter and "slider" is comprised of just heat shrink. However I kinda like it as it keeps the weight down and is still very functional. The cable itself is of good quality and isn't too stiff nor too flexible. It sounds great and ergonomics are good as well. I compared it to an Effects Audio Cleopatra cable and I couldn't pick up any differences sound wise.

 

[szore]

I couldn't find any information about the cables that came with the MEST but I noticed this cable on AliExpress looks (just the wires) exactly like it. 7N UPOCC Silver Plated. There are other cables on AliExpress that looks the same and some of the descriptions says made by a company named Neotech.

The cable that came with mines is very diy build quality. The splitter and "slider" is comprised of just heat shrink. However I kinda like it as it keeps the weight down and is still very functional. The cable itself is of good quality and isn't too stiff nor too flexible. It sounds great and ergonomics are good as well. I compared it to an Effects Audio Cleopatra cable and I couldn't pick up any differences sound wise.

Really? I have the MEST review unit now, and my first impression with stock cable was that it was way too hot.

i put on my Eros II hybrid, and the treble sounds MUCH smoother. I figured the stock cable was SPC...SPC always sounds harsh to me.

 

[rodel808]

Really? I have the MEST review unit now, and my first impression with stock cable was that it was way too hot.

i put on my Eros II hybrid, and the treble sounds MUCH smoother. I figured the stock cable was SPC...SPC always sounds harsh to me.

I guess "silver" cables sound similar to me. I did briefly listen to the MEST with an Impact Audio copper litz cable and thought it did sound a tad warmer but still kept that super wide soundstage and clarity. Truly enjoying listening to the MEST. I feel these are not meant to be listened to at low volume. They come alive at higher listening levels.

 

[szore]

I guess "silver" cables sound similar to me. I did briefly listen to the MEST with an Impact Audio copper litz cable and thought it did sound a tad warmer but still kept that super wide soundstage and clarity. Truly enjoying listening to the MEST. I feel these are not meant to be listened to at low volume. They come alive at higher listening levels.

I agree, but ive only had them for a few hours, but they sound too 'busy' to me, its fatiguing. I like the simple elegance of the Valkyrie...

 

[rodel808]

I agree, but ive only had them for a few hours, but they sound too 'busy' to me, its fatiguing. I like the simple elegance of the Valkyrie...

What kind of music are you listening to that makes it sound like that? Perhaps spending a bit more time with it and allowing some "brain burned in" will level it off. My initial impressions was the same. Then I started tip rolling and currently settled down with the tips that came with the Intime Sora Light. I think wide bore tips tend to make it sound "hot" in the trebles.

 

[szore]

What kind of music are you listening to that makes it sound like that? Perhaps spending a bit more time with it and allowing some "brain burned in" will level it off. My initial impressions was the same. Then I started tip rolling and currently settled down with the tips that came with the Intime Sora Light. I think wide bore tips tend to make it sound "hot" in the trebles.

Yes, I agree. I put my Eros II cable on and the silicone tips that came with my CL2 (of all the tips I've tried over the years, the stock CL2 tips are by far the best for me) and they sounded great. But everything is relative. The MEST has great detail, dynamic, good layering and sound stage, the bass is punchy; but the MEST presentation lacks coherency. There is a ham-fisted, crude, "constructed" quality about it. It seems they do every individual thing well in isolation, but when they put it all together it doesn't 'transcend'; the whole is not greater than the sum of it's parts. Then, in general the MEST has a W signature, which is ok in itself, but with the emphasis on all three ranges, bass, mids, and treble, it seems like they are trying too hard...There is no 'air' to the sound signature, there is no integration, it doesn't 'breath'; its just a collection of good elements that never quite seem to come together.

 

[Ojisan]

I was worried after reading szore's impression just above but I pulled the trigger and the MEST is in the house!

I'll see if this will stay with (or displace) the family. My first impression is that there is a character to the mids-low treble. I think this might hit a sweet spot in terms of balance. Fits like a glove too.

 

[szore]

I was worried after reading szore's impression just above but I pulled the trigger and the MEST is in the house!

I'll see if this will stay with (or displace) the family. My first impression is that there is a character to the mids-low treble. I think this might hit a sweet spot in terms of balance. Fits like a glove too.

I find it sounds best for me with my PWAudio copper cable and Type E tips. The treble needs to be tamed.