bluestorm1992
Headphoneus Supremus
Send Andrew a message! They should replace/repair that for youwell, my “raw material” came already broken
I think they under-watered my cactus! Good time for someone to swoop in with a broken wood joke…
Unique Melody Newest Flagship-- Mason Fabled Sound Special Edition/Mason Fusang CIEM&UIEM
- Thread starter UniqueMelody
- Start date
'K....I'm adolescent like that:well, my “raw material” came already broken
I think they under-watered my cactus! Good time for someone to swoop in with a broken wood joke…
Here, this'll fix your lack of wood integrity problem --
Tanalasta
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 15, 2003
- Posts
- 1,043
- Likes
- 1,822
Just needs some loving to get it in the right place.well, my “raw material” came already broken
I think they under-watered my cactus! Good time for someone to swoop in with a broken wood joke…
bluestorm1992
Headphoneus Supremus
I happened to be chatting with Mr Li just now, UM’s lead engineer. He was very sorry for the situation, and said that this is the exact extra material used to build your FS’s shell, so wouldn’t make sense to send you another one. Some parts of it is slimmer due to the manufacturing process.well, my “raw material” came already broken
I think they under-watered my cactus! Good time for someone to swoop in with a broken wood joke…
Maybe some glue can help with this?
SeeSax
Headphoneus Supremus
@feverfive and @Tanalasta you guys did not disappoint LOL!
@bluestorm1992 no worries, appreciate you inquiring. It's not a big deal, not like I'm going to do anything with that piece. It's a creative way to pay tribute to the natural materials used and it's nice of UM to include this.
Sooooo, the sound, had a few hours to listen today. I've owned mostly every TOTL in the last three years and these are the ones that take the most time to form an opinion on so far. Right out of the box, I love them, but I want to give meaningful impressions rather than just "buy them" or "don't buy them." Maybe it's the bone conductor driver, or maybe it's that I've owned every iteration of Mason before these, but these are very special to my ears. I should mention that I own the Traillii as well and I see that as a common comparison here, but I haven't done a lot of A/B between those yet. My time has been spent understanding the sound from these, and a little bit of comparison with the Mason V3+ and Phanes cable (which I am selling for one third the price of FS, you should buy it, end of of shameless plug).
In comparison to V3+, I hear the FS being more neutral, more reference with a little more air in the entire signature. Every note is effortless and light on its feet, but there is also a physicality from the BCD that makes you almost feel certain notes. I chatted with @aaf evo about this and echo his thoughts in that you can feel the air in the voices. Hard to describe and it is very much not a gimmick, but a welcome addition to an incredibly-tuned IEM. On the V3+ side, I hear a denser, weightier note that sounds a touch more natural, only in that it's timbre is thicker. There is no unnaturalness (is that a word? autocorrect let it pass...) in the FS, but the V3+ is a warmer and thicker sound. Bass is a little fuller and mids a tad denser, but treble is more sparkly, airy and extended on FS. FS also has that special sauce where you can feel the notes and that's the biggest difference between them.
I love bass and I could use a touch more sub-bass with FS, but I suppose that was a conscious tuning decision that the engineers made. It's a fast, tight bass, with an emphasis on mid-bass, but the BCD adds a sensation of actual air being moved not unlike a dynamic driver. Pretty damn cool! Into the mids, there is precision, clarity and space that are absolutely top notch. Agree with @aaf evo that vocals are the star of the show, and wow do some female vocals really sing. I need way, way more time to fully understand and appreciate this, but listening to Dua Lipa and having the feeling that she's here in my room with me is worth the price of entry (despite my wife's disagreement on this topic). Really special vocals without question. Highs are sparkly, airy and smooth all at the same time. They don't have the wet and thick texture of estats that I've heard in recent flagships, but the treble is fast, precise and again light on its feet. I love it, and find this to be a very strong point. Adding in the BCD, you both feel and hear the precision that enters your ears. Quantity-wise, I cannot imagine these will offend many treble-sensitive people, but treble is present and prominent at times. I personally love it (and could tolerate plenty more), but I would say these are right in the ideal range for most listeners.
Stage is incredibly hard for me to gauge or compare, especially against Traillii. I think the BCD adding in this extra dimension of sound makes this not sound like a traditional IEM, so it's hard for me to measure axis depth. I will say this: songs sound VAST to my ears. Whether it's the texture from the BCD or the 12BAs doing their thing with proper tuning I don't know, but I never felt like this was an "intimate" presentation at all. It's different from Traillii's insane out of head experience, but it's no smaller in my opinion. Burn me at the stake if needed on that one.
Comfort is good for me. They're on the large side, but they totally fit inside my ears. The Erlkonig was virtually unwearable for me, where these are incredibly comfortable. I know the cable is top notch from SQ perspective, but darn it's a little more stiff than I would like. We'll see if I get used to it, and hopefully I do because it's way too nice of a cable to sit in a drawer.
That's about it - feel free to ask for any specifics. Cheers friends,
-Collin-
P.S. I forgot to give a big shoutout to Andrew at @MusicTeck for stellar service, communication and information. Been dealing with MusicTeck for years now and have nothing but positive experiences.
@bluestorm1992 no worries, appreciate you inquiring. It's not a big deal, not like I'm going to do anything with that piece. It's a creative way to pay tribute to the natural materials used and it's nice of UM to include this.
Sooooo, the sound, had a few hours to listen today. I've owned mostly every TOTL in the last three years and these are the ones that take the most time to form an opinion on so far. Right out of the box, I love them, but I want to give meaningful impressions rather than just "buy them" or "don't buy them." Maybe it's the bone conductor driver, or maybe it's that I've owned every iteration of Mason before these, but these are very special to my ears. I should mention that I own the Traillii as well and I see that as a common comparison here, but I haven't done a lot of A/B between those yet. My time has been spent understanding the sound from these, and a little bit of comparison with the Mason V3+ and Phanes cable (which I am selling for one third the price of FS, you should buy it, end of of shameless plug).
In comparison to V3+, I hear the FS being more neutral, more reference with a little more air in the entire signature. Every note is effortless and light on its feet, but there is also a physicality from the BCD that makes you almost feel certain notes. I chatted with @aaf evo about this and echo his thoughts in that you can feel the air in the voices. Hard to describe and it is very much not a gimmick, but a welcome addition to an incredibly-tuned IEM. On the V3+ side, I hear a denser, weightier note that sounds a touch more natural, only in that it's timbre is thicker. There is no unnaturalness (is that a word? autocorrect let it pass...) in the FS, but the V3+ is a warmer and thicker sound. Bass is a little fuller and mids a tad denser, but treble is more sparkly, airy and extended on FS. FS also has that special sauce where you can feel the notes and that's the biggest difference between them.
I love bass and I could use a touch more sub-bass with FS, but I suppose that was a conscious tuning decision that the engineers made. It's a fast, tight bass, with an emphasis on mid-bass, but the BCD adds a sensation of actual air being moved not unlike a dynamic driver. Pretty damn cool! Into the mids, there is precision, clarity and space that are absolutely top notch. Agree with @aaf evo that vocals are the star of the show, and wow do some female vocals really sing. I need way, way more time to fully understand and appreciate this, but listening to Dua Lipa and having the feeling that she's here in my room with me is worth the price of entry (despite my wife's disagreement on this topic). Really special vocals without question. Highs are sparkly, airy and smooth all at the same time. They don't have the wet and thick texture of estats that I've heard in recent flagships, but the treble is fast, precise and again light on its feet. I love it, and find this to be a very strong point. Adding in the BCD, you both feel and hear the precision that enters your ears. Quantity-wise, I cannot imagine these will offend many treble-sensitive people, but treble is present and prominent at times. I personally love it (and could tolerate plenty more), but I would say these are right in the ideal range for most listeners.
Stage is incredibly hard for me to gauge or compare, especially against Traillii. I think the BCD adding in this extra dimension of sound makes this not sound like a traditional IEM, so it's hard for me to measure axis depth. I will say this: songs sound VAST to my ears. Whether it's the texture from the BCD or the 12BAs doing their thing with proper tuning I don't know, but I never felt like this was an "intimate" presentation at all. It's different from Traillii's insane out of head experience, but it's no smaller in my opinion. Burn me at the stake if needed on that one.
Comfort is good for me. They're on the large side, but they totally fit inside my ears. The Erlkonig was virtually unwearable for me, where these are incredibly comfortable. I know the cable is top notch from SQ perspective, but darn it's a little more stiff than I would like. We'll see if I get used to it, and hopefully I do because it's way too nice of a cable to sit in a drawer.
That's about it - feel free to ask for any specifics. Cheers friends,
-Collin-
P.S. I forgot to give a big shoutout to Andrew at @MusicTeck for stellar service, communication and information. Been dealing with MusicTeck for years now and have nothing but positive experiences.
Last edited:
I asked Andrew if UM is selling the FS cable separately, and they are for $1,999. That’s about the same price as the 1960s 4-wire. It would be interesting to me what the difference is since @bluestorm1992 mentioned earlier he was told they are not the same cable.
They definitely do not feel the same. The Mason FS cable reminded me of the 1950s in the sense that it was stiffer and retained shape more, whereas the 1960s 4 wire is a little more supple and free flowing.
SeeSax
Headphoneus Supremus
Yeah, looks-wise it's closer to the 1960, but it does feel different (and different hardware obviously). I'm sure it's a top-notch sounding cable and I'm a way's off from cable rolling on these, so I will wrestle the cable into submission.
OK then...well, my “raw material” came already broken
I think they under-watered my cactus! Good time for someone to swoop in with a broken wood joke…
'Yew' are so lucky to have a lovely grained finish on your FS... you could fix your broken wood with a bit of glue and a 'strap on'.... has the FS got good 'timber?
Sorry.... I'll get my coat now....
@SeeSax I really appreciate your patient and considered approach to forming your impressions, many thanks!@feverfive and @Tanalasta you guys did not disappoint LOL!
@bluestorm1992 no worries, appreciate you inquiring. It's not a big deal, not like I'm going to do anything with that piece. It's a creative way to pay tribute to the natural materials used and it's nice of UM to include this.
Sooooo, the sound, had a few hours to listen today. I've owned mostly every TOTL in the last three years and these are the ones that take the most time to form an opinion on so far. Right out of the box, I love them, but I want to give meaningful impressions rather than just "buy them" or "don't buy them." Maybe it's the bone conductor driver, or maybe it's that I've owned every iteration of Mason before these, but these are very special to my ears. I should mention that I own the Traillii as well and I see that as a common comparison here, but I haven't done a lot of A/B between those yet. My time has been spent understanding the sound from these, and a little bit of comparison with the Mason V3+ and Phanes cable (which I am selling for one third the price of FS, you should buy it, end of of shameless plug).
In comparison to V3+, I hear the FS being more neutral, more reference with a little more air in the entire signature. Every note is effortless and light on its feet, but there is also a physicality from the BCD that makes you almost feel certain notes. I chatted with @aaf evo about this and echo his thoughts in that you can feel the air in the voices. Hard to describe and it is very much not a gimmick, but a welcome addition to an incredibly-tuned IEM. On the V3+ side, I hear a denser, weightier note that sounds a touch more natural, only in that it's timbre is thicker. There is no unnaturalness (is that a word? autocorrect let it pass...) in the FS, but the V3+ is a warmer and thicker sound. Bass is a little fuller and mids a tad denser, but treble is more sparkly, airy and extended on FS. FS also has that special sauce where you can feel the notes and that's the biggest difference between them.
I love bass and I could use a touch more sub-bass with FS, but I suppose that was a conscious tuning decision that the engineers made. It's a fast, tight bass, with an emphasis on mid-bass, but the BCD adds a sensation of actual air being moved not unlike a dynamic driver. Pretty damn cool! Into the mids, there is precision, clarity and space that are absolutely top notch. Agree with @aaf evo that vocals are the star of the show, and wow do some female vocals really sing. I need way, way more time to fully understand and appreciate this, but listening to Dua Lipa and having the feeling that she's here in my room with me is worth the price of entry (despite my wife's disagreement on this topic). Really special vocals without question. Highs are sparkly, airy and smooth all at the same time. They don't have the wet and thick texture of estats that I've heard in recent flagships, but the treble is fast, precise and again light on its feet. I love it, and find this to be a very strong point. Adding in the BCD, you both feel and hear the precision that enters your ears. Quantity-wise, I cannot imagine these will offend many treble-sensitive people, but treble is present and prominent at times. I personally love it (and could tolerate plenty more), but I would say these are right in the ideal range for most listeners.
Stage is incredibly hard for me to gauge or compare, especially against Traillii. I think the BCD adding in this extra dimension of sound makes this not sound like a traditional IEM, so it's hard for me to measure axis depth. I will say this: songs sound VAST to my ears. Whether it's the texture from the BCD or the 12BAs doing their thing with proper tuning I don't know, but I never felt like this was an "intimate" presentation at all. It's different from Traillii's insane out of head experience, but it's no smaller in my opinion. Burn me at the stake if needed on that one.
Comfort is good for me. They're on the large side, but they totally fit inside my ears. The Erlkonig was virtually unwearable for me, where these are incredibly comfortable. I know the cable is top notch from SQ perspective, but darn it's a little more stiff than I would like. We'll see if I get used to it, and hopefully I do because it's way too nice of a cable to sit in a drawer.
That's about it - feel free to ask for any specifics. Cheers friends,
-Collin-
P.S. I forgot to give a big shoutout to Andrew at @MusicTeck for stellar service, communication and information. Been dealing with MusicTeck for years now and have nothing but positive experiences.
Look forward to more (but no rush!)
Do you have the MEST (original or MkII)? Can't remember, but given the price point of the Mason FS, a lot of impressions have been vs the Trailii, so it would be good to hear more comparisons with the MEST models, since I have both!
Am especially interested to follow the evolution of the BCD and the effect it's having on the IEMs in each model!
bluestorm1992
Headphoneus Supremus
Doing a bit of DAP/amp rolling with FS.
N6ii (A02) + C9: I was using the tube class A mode before. Getting a vocal that is a bit too recessed. Tried out the SS + class A today and it became much better. Seems that the tube-ish sound is too soft for FS.
SP2000: overall OK but nothing surprise me. The separation seems better, but the mid is not as focused as SS class A from C9. Will try SP2000 + C9 tomorrow.
Two demo units on the way: Shanling M8 and LP P6 Pro. Will want to see if these more musical options will resonate well with FS. I am particularly hopeful for M8. Will report back the results next week.
N6ii (A02) + C9: I was using the tube class A mode before. Getting a vocal that is a bit too recessed. Tried out the SS + class A today and it became much better. Seems that the tube-ish sound is too soft for FS.
SP2000: overall OK but nothing surprise me. The separation seems better, but the mid is not as focused as SS class A from C9. Will try SP2000 + C9 tomorrow.
Two demo units on the way: Shanling M8 and LP P6 Pro. Will want to see if these more musical options will resonate well with FS. I am particularly hopeful for M8. Will report back the results next week.
Doing a bit of DAP/amp rolling with FS.
N6ii (A02) + C9: I was using the tube class A mode before. Getting a vocal that is a bit too recessed. Tried out the SS + class A today and it became much better. Seems that the tube-ish sound is too soft for FS.
SP2000: overall OK but nothing surprise me. The separation seems better, but the mid is not as focused as SS class A from C9. Will try SP2000 + C9 tomorrow.
Two demo units on the way: Shanling M8 and LP P6 Pro. Will want to see if these more musical options will resonate well with FS. I am particularly hopeful for M8. Will report back the results next week.
Makes sense not to use a warm source, the FS is plenty warm enough for me.
M8 + C9 sounds like a possibility in that case. Despite the logic of both being warm + warm, I've found the addition of the C9 (line in) opens things up, tightens dynamics and makes things more transparent than M8 alone, and not too warm to my ear.
M8 alone may not synergise, but I look forward to hearing @bluestorm1992 thoughts.