[bluestorm1992]

I’ve been listening to the MFS for the past week and I’m now better understanding what I’m hearing. When I first got it and listened, it sounded so different than anything I’ve ever owned, I felt confused so I set it aside for awhile to rotate my new collection. On the second go around I’ve come to one certainty: I’m totally smitten!

One of the changes I made between listens was ordering an adaptor so I could hear the MFS on my AK SA700. Prior, I was using the ZX300 with custom firmware and I was pretty happy with it, but after listening on the SA700, I’m very satisfied although I now know I will have to buy a better source down the road to hear the MFS at its best … I questioned early on whether there would be much of a difference as well as the necessity of buying a flagship dap when driving iems.

The other difference that contributed to better sound as well as comfort was trying out the included Comply TSX tips. I used Comply when I first got into iems but ultimately I moved on to final E tips. The new Comply tips have changed a bit where they are more comfortable than I remember and they create a great seal with my ears with its rounder shape. A side advantage is the wax filter; I worry about getting earwax into a couple iems in my collection that have exposed bores, so one less thing to worry about. The filters are very thin with an open cell design, so I can’t imagine there being any detrimental effect. Finally, the outer foam portion of the tips have a sheen to it as if it has been coated. If this is the case, that might mean greater longevity which was a problem with the originals I used long ago.

I mentioned in the Shichiku.Kangen thread I was also quite happy with this set even suggesting it was my favorite, but now that I have a better source and some lengthy listening sessions behind me, The Mason FS is the King!



Check out the last track if so moved.

Happy listening buddy! I share almost the same journey. It took me a while to understand and get used to FS’s signature. When my brain burn-in finishes, and when I found my favorite source with it, it sounds absolutely fantastic and can triumph any other TOTL/summit-fi IEMs.

 

[jwilliamhurst]

Happy listening buddy! I share almost the same journey. It took me a while to understand and get used to FS’s signature. When my brain burn-in finishes, and when I found my favorite source with it, it sounds absolutely fantastic and can triumph any other TOTL/summit-fi IEMs.

Until….the bird swoops in and lands on that cactus. Hah! Just teasing. I haven’t heard the FS. But I’m so highly intrigued.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Until….the bird swoops in and lands on that cactus. Hah! Just teasing. I haven’t heard the FS. But I’m so highly intrigued.

You know I have done the auditioned before and wrote a glowing review of the bird, so I definitely appreciate the bird. It is just that Traillii and FS complement each other so well in my preference.

 

[jwilliamhurst]

@bluestorm1992 Yes I do, I was just being silly. It really seems they do compliment each other well from what I’ve read. Been so close to purchasing the FS but can’t seem to make myself go through with it. 10 grand on two iems seems kinda frivolous in these times…at least for me. Most days I want to throw caution to the wind but my Lady would crucify me…

 

[bluestorm1992]

@bluestorm1992 Yes I do, I was just being silly. It really seems they do compliment each other well from what I’ve read. Been so close to purchasing the FS but can’t seem to make myself go through with it. 10 grand on two iems seems kinda frivolous in these times…at least for me. Most days I want to throw caution to the wind but my Lady would crucify me…

Totally, this is a HUGE investment into just a couple of IEMs. If you get intrigued, perhaps you can reach out to Andrew and arrange an audition of Fusang? That should give you a good idea about FS/Fusang’s sound signature and satisfy your curiosity.

 

[bigbeans]

Am listening to Mason FS this morning, taking some notes on what I'm listening. Decided to try rock with Mason FS. Holy hell, I can feel this in my jaw.

Traillii reminds me of Agent Smith from the Matrix. Perfection personified within the bounds of existing standards.
The Mason FS would be Neo. The disruptive rebel, one who can battle Agent Smith on equal footing.

Listen to Sugar by System of a Down on Mason FS and you'll see what I mean

 

[SilverLodestar]

A major thanks to Andrew at MusicTeck for the FuSang!

I’ve been listening to these for the last few days, comparing them to the MEST and MEST MK2. So far, I’m impressed with the FuSang, but I have some gripes that I feel should be addressed.

The midrange on these is scary good. Layering and separation are a couple steps up from the MK2 and OG MEST; vocals feel surreal, textured, and dense; instruments have authority and power. Resolution throughout is also insane and makes some of my other IEMs feel artificial-sounding. Though, on quite a few tracks, I feel like the bass can encroach on the midrange, namely the midbass. For anyone who’s seen my impressions on the MEST MK2, the bass in general was a complaint I had since it felt slightly overpowering on tracks that had a little bit of warmth to them. I’m not against boosted bass, but I feel like the OG’s hit perfectly with me and didn’t need any changes. With the FuSang, this issue has gotten worse for me. I like extra bass here and there, but not the kind that overpowers the midrange. Sometimes the bass drones and blends in any tracks that have heavier basslines or are mixed with some extra midbass, which frankly gives me headaches. This boost also seems to add bluntness to instruments and percussion, but that might be in part to the slightly more de-emphasized upper midrange (compared to the other MESTs). I’m wondering if this has something to do with my setup: FiiO M11 Pro (low gain, sharp roll-off filter, Tidal) -> 4.4 mm stock cable -> included Xelastec SS tips. If anyone has some pointers to improve my setup or reduce midbass or bass in general, I’d greatly appreciate it since I absolutely love everything else about the FuSang!

Alright, enough with the negatives; I think I got that out of my system. I really do love everything else that these IEMs do. The density and texture in the midrange is on another level from anything I’ve heard in something so portable. Distortions from electric guitars are so tactile and stand out, making these awesome for metal and rock tracks. Invisible Enemy by August Burns Red gives me so many chills just from how coherent it sounds on the FuSang. Bass, while too emphasized for a good potion of my library does sound incredible with select tracks. It packs a lot of punch and has authority. Bass heads will adore it for sure. The treble is safe, yet still distinct which helps add some brightness to an otherwise warm-neutral monitor. I hear that familiar MEST/MK2 peak at around 6 kHz, though to a considerably lesser degree. Anyone who found this too harsh in the MEST will like it here. I personally liked the 6 kHz peak.

These also have to be the best shell designs from anything I’ve worn. I love the semi-custom design and the Xelastec tips. I can wear these IEMs for hours at a time (or at least until I accidentally tear the xelastecs like an idiot).

While the FuSang boasts extreme tactility and technical ability, I feel like UM is making every new IEM bassier and bassier. I really want to love the FuSang and call it my endgame, but the unnecessarily boosted midbass is making it a bit hard. Now if only I had enough to get the Traillii for comparison…

 

[max1236]

I find xelastecs add a lot of bass but I've also seen people say the opposite so ymmv

 

[SilverLodestar]

I find xelastecs add a lot of bass but I've also seen people say the opposite so ymmv

I’ve read the same on multiple threads, but it seems to vary from IEM to IEM. The xelastecs on MEST MK2 reduce bass considerably while they don’t reduce much, if at all, on the FuSang.

 

[tawmizzzz]

A major thanks to Andrew at MusicTeck for the FuSang!

I’ve been listening to these for the last few days, comparing them to the MEST and MEST MK2. So far, I’m impressed with the FuSang, but I have some gripes that I feel should be addressed.

The midrange on these is scary good. Layering and separation are a couple steps up from the MK2 and OG MEST; vocals feel surreal, textured, and dense; instruments have authority and power. Resolution throughout is also insane and makes some of my other IEMs feel artificial-sounding. Though, on quite a few tracks, I feel like the bass can encroach on the midrange, namely the midbass. For anyone who’s seen my impressions on the MEST MK2, the bass in general was a complaint I had since it felt slightly overpowering on tracks that had a little bit of warmth to them. I’m not against boosted bass, but I feel like the OG’s hit perfectly with me and didn’t need any changes. With the FuSang, this issue has gotten worse for me. I like extra bass here and there, but not the kind that overpowers the midrange. Sometimes the bass drones and blends in any tracks that have heavier basslines or are mixed with some extra midbass, which frankly gives me headaches. This boost also seems to add bluntness to instruments and percussion, but that might be in part to the slightly more de-emphasized upper midrange (compared to the other MESTs). I’m wondering if this has something to do with my setup: FiiO M11 Pro (low gain, sharp roll-off filter, Tidal) -> 4.4 mm stock cable -> included Xelastec SS tips. If anyone has some pointers to improve my setup or reduce midbass or bass in general, I’d greatly appreciate it since I absolutely love everything else about the FuSang!

Alright, enough with the negatives; I think I got that out of my system. I really do love everything else that these IEMs do. The density and texture in the midrange is on another level from anything I’ve heard in something so portable. Distortions from electric guitars are so tactile and stand out, making these awesome for metal and rock tracks. Invisible Enemy by August Burns Red gives me so many chills just from how coherent it sounds on the FuSang. Bass, while too emphasized for a good potion of my library does sound incredible with select tracks. It packs a lot of punch and has authority. Bass heads will adore it for sure. The treble is safe, yet still distinct which helps add some brightness to an otherwise warm-neutral monitor. I hear that familiar MEST/MK2 peak at around 6 kHz, though to a considerably lesser degree. Anyone who found this too harsh in the MEST will like it here. I personally liked the 6 kHz peak.

These also have to be the best shell designs from anything I’ve worn. I love the semi-custom design and the Xelastec tips. I can wear these IEMs for hours at a time (or at least until I accidentally tear the xelastecs like an idiot).

While the FuSang boasts extreme tactility and technical ability, I feel like UM is making every new IEM bassier and bassier. I really want to love the FuSang and call it my endgame, but the unnecessarily boosted midbass is making it a bit hard. Now if only I had enough to get the Traillii for comparison…

FS is very source dependent so I'd imagine it is a M11 synergy. It seems to adopt the general SQ-characteristics of the DAP consistently; e.g., upper mids/neutral for R8, warmer/tube from P6pro, etc. I actually thought the bass was laid-back, so Traillii bass might actually be too much for you depending on bass tolerance (albeit more subbass>midbass) which is also less fatiguing for me.

+1 to Xelestecs tending to promote bass regions and lower-midrange for my ears too.

Btw, big fan of August Burns Red-wish I got to test them with FS!

 

[bigbeans]

Has anyone used LP W2 on Mason FS? I'm looking into the W2 but haven't found impressions on the synergy between FS and W2.

 

[tawmizzzz]

Has anyone used LP W2 on Mason FS? I'm looking into the W2 but haven't found impressions on the synergy between FS and W2.

@bluestorm1992 should be able to officially check. We didn't try it in our session together but if FS adopts the W2 general's SQ-characteristics, I don't think it'll be an ideal pairing. Probably on the brighter side with upper mids + lower treble, could help with the subbass. We felt FS did better with warmer sources that supported the full, textured mid-range such as P6pro, but of course will vary on preferences.

 

[bluestorm1992]

A major thanks to Andrew at MusicTeck for the FuSang!

I’ve been listening to these for the last few days, comparing them to the MEST and MEST MK2. So far, I’m impressed with the FuSang, but I have some gripes that I feel should be addressed.

The midrange on these is scary good. Layering and separation are a couple steps up from the MK2 and OG MEST; vocals feel surreal, textured, and dense; instruments have authority and power. Resolution throughout is also insane and makes some of my other IEMs feel artificial-sounding. Though, on quite a few tracks, I feel like the bass can encroach on the midrange, namely the midbass. For anyone who’s seen my impressions on the MEST MK2, the bass in general was a complaint I had since it felt slightly overpowering on tracks that had a little bit of warmth to them. I’m not against boosted bass, but I feel like the OG’s hit perfectly with me and didn’t need any changes. With the FuSang, this issue has gotten worse for me. I like extra bass here and there, but not the kind that overpowers the midrange. Sometimes the bass drones and blends in any tracks that have heavier basslines or are mixed with some extra midbass, which frankly gives me headaches. This boost also seems to add bluntness to instruments and percussion, but that might be in part to the slightly more de-emphasized upper midrange (compared to the other MESTs). I’m wondering if this has something to do with my setup: FiiO M11 Pro (low gain, sharp roll-off filter, Tidal) -> 4.4 mm stock cable -> included Xelastec SS tips. If anyone has some pointers to improve my setup or reduce midbass or bass in general, I’d greatly appreciate it since I absolutely love everything else about the FuSang!

Alright, enough with the negatives; I think I got that out of my system. I really do love everything else that these IEMs do. The density and texture in the midrange is on another level from anything I’ve heard in something so portable. Distortions from electric guitars are so tactile and stand out, making these awesome for metal and rock tracks. Invisible Enemy by August Burns Red gives me so many chills just from how coherent it sounds on the FuSang. Bass, while too emphasized for a good potion of my library does sound incredible with select tracks. It packs a lot of punch and has authority. Bass heads will adore it for sure. The treble is safe, yet still distinct which helps add some brightness to an otherwise warm-neutral monitor. I hear that familiar MEST/MK2 peak at around 6 kHz, though to a considerably lesser degree. Anyone who found this too harsh in the MEST will like it here. I personally liked the 6 kHz peak.

These also have to be the best shell designs from anything I’ve worn. I love the semi-custom design and the Xelastec tips. I can wear these IEMs for hours at a time (or at least until I accidentally tear the xelastecs like an idiot).

While the FuSang boasts extreme tactility and technical ability, I feel like UM is making every new IEM bassier and bassier. I really want to love the FuSang and call it my endgame, but the unnecessarily boosted midbass is making it a bit hard. Now if only I had enough to get the Traillii for comparison…

I would second @tawmizzzz, it really seems that bass is the controversial part of FS. @tawmizzzz and I found the bass to be laid back (from R8 iirc), some found it to spill over into the mids, some found it to be really well-controlled.

I suspect this is all due to the fact that FS/Fusang is very revealing of the source signature, and is therefore reflective of how the bass is defined by the DAP. Perhaps M11 Pro just have too much of a bass/not so good bass control? If you find this pairing to be of too much bass, perhaps consider an AK dap or Hiby R8? My SP2000 gives a relatively soft bass, but it is a while since I used this pairing so I will check and make sure again later.

 

[SilverLodestar]

FS is very source dependent so I'd imagine it is a M11 synergy. It seems to adopt the general SQ-characteristics of the DAP consistently; e.g., upper mids/neutral for R8, warmer/tube from P6pro, etc. I actually thought the bass was laid-back, so Traillii bass might actually be too much for you depending on bass tolerance (albeit more subbass>midbass) which is also less fatiguing for me.

+1 to Xelestecs tending to promote bass regions and lower-midrange for my ears too.

Btw, big fan of August Burns Red-wish I got to test them with FS!

Hmm, it could be the M11 Pro not having good synergy with the FS. I tried almost every eartip in my collection and cable-swapped a bit but nothing seemed to tame the midbass. I upgraded to the M11 Pro from the regular M11 and did notice an increase in bass, but I’ve never heard of anyone mentioning it being a bassy DAP. Although, I’d hate to go on the long search for a new DAP for just the FS.

The Xelestecs definitely seem to be doing that for me as well. Weird how they alter the FS differently from the MEST MK2 considering how the shells are almost exactly identical haha.

Always good to see another ABR fan! I’ve been a huge fan since Constellations released and haven’t missed an album release yet.

 

[SilverLodestar]

I would second @tawmizzzz, it really seems that bass is the controversial part of FS. @tawmizzzz and I found the bass to be laid back (from R8 iirc), some found it to spill over into the mids, some found it to be really well-controlled.

I suspect this is all due to the fact that FS/Fusang is very revealing of the source signature, and is therefore reflective of how the bass is defined by the DAP. Perhaps M11 Pro just have too much of a bass/not so good bass control? If you find this pairing to be of too much bass, perhaps consider an AK dap or Hiby R8? My SP2000 gives a relatively soft bass, but it is a while since I used this pairing so I will check and make sure again later.

I feel like it has to be some bad synergy with the source. FS seems to be very picky since everyone has varying impressions of them. I noticed an increase of bass overall when I upgraded from the M11 to the M11 Pro, so it could just be the M11 Pro having poor bass control. I’ve been looking at the Hiby R6 2020 since someone on Reddit mentioned that it’s a more analytical/neutral source, but the last thing I’d want is a wild goose chase for a new DAP that could improve the FS.