Received the Multiverse Mentor kit from @circafreedom. Thanks to Rockwell for setting up the tour 
Watercooler Tour Thread - (New eligible participants welcome PM me for details.) - See second post for active tours.
- Thread starter Rockwell75
- Start date
On that note if there are any US tour members who have not had the Mentor yet or who would like some more time with it please speak up and you can get the kit after @Smirk 24 is done with it.
I wouldn't mind another stint with the Mentor. Sent mine off to UM 3 months ago for a reshell...
Sorry, scratch that. UM has informed me they'll be shipping my set out in the next few days. Thanks again @Rockwell75
MM listening notes.
Chain:
320MAX Ti DAP + MK475 amp + Azla Sedna Short tips.
Staging:
The feature that surprised me the most is the staging. I'm hearing a very "fleshed out", coherent stage (when the track allows) and some of the best imaging I've heard.
Bass:
Decent bass dynamics but can use more bass definition in the note edges and in general. Despite these issues, it offers a decent punch.
Tuning:
Neutral warm leaning tuning. I don't know if the treble squigs elevated, but at least on my chain, the treble sounds smooth without perceptible peaks.
Treble:
I really enjoy the treble response on this set which is more than I can say for most other IEMs I've heard. Really well-executed.
Mids:
Voicing sounds neutrally placed with good body and a smooth and analogue feel. Very non-fatiguing.
Cons:
Now a nitpick. With my listening so far, MM lacks resolution compared to sets like Anni 23. I plan on trying ear tips that offer more clarity (Velvets, SpinFit Omnis, SpinFit W1) to see if this makes any change.
The "Deep of Universe" cable is slightly microphonic as well. I'm assuming this comes stock with MM.
Summary:
Overall, MM is a great set. From a personal standpoint, it has some of my favorite tuning and everything I index for. I know some don't like MM's bass but I have no such issue, preferring it to the bass of something like the Annihilator 2023.
Additional notes:
My main gripe with MM is the pricing. Even with diminishing returns factored in, MM as an overall package (tuning + techs) is priced about 2k too high (IMO).
As much as I like it (and I really like it), I'd rather stretch an additional 1k for something like Storm than to overpay (IMO) for MM. A very different IEM, but I think something like Annihilator 2023 is much more competitively priced from a price-to-performance ratio.
Chain:
320MAX Ti DAP + MK475 amp + Azla Sedna Short tips.
Staging:
The feature that surprised me the most is the staging. I'm hearing a very "fleshed out", coherent stage (when the track allows) and some of the best imaging I've heard.
Bass:
Decent bass dynamics but can use more bass definition in the note edges and in general. Despite these issues, it offers a decent punch.
Tuning:
Neutral warm leaning tuning. I don't know if the treble squigs elevated, but at least on my chain, the treble sounds smooth without perceptible peaks.
Treble:
I really enjoy the treble response on this set which is more than I can say for most other IEMs I've heard. Really well-executed.
Mids:
Voicing sounds neutrally placed with good body and a smooth and analogue feel. Very non-fatiguing.
Cons:
Now a nitpick. With my listening so far, MM lacks resolution compared to sets like Anni 23. I plan on trying ear tips that offer more clarity (Velvets, SpinFit Omnis, SpinFit W1) to see if this makes any change.
The "Deep of Universe" cable is slightly microphonic as well. I'm assuming this comes stock with MM.
Summary:
Overall, MM is a great set. From a personal standpoint, it has some of my favorite tuning and everything I index for. I know some don't like MM's bass but I have no such issue, preferring it to the bass of something like the Annihilator 2023.
Additional notes:
My main gripe with MM is the pricing. Even with diminishing returns factored in, MM as an overall package (tuning + techs) is priced about 2k too high (IMO).
As much as I like it (and I really like it), I'd rather stretch an additional 1k for something like Storm than to overpay (IMO) for MM. A very different IEM, but I think something like Annihilator 2023 is much more competitively priced from a price-to-performance ratio.
Last edited:
gordec
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2006
- Posts
- 1,504
- Likes
- 916
A little late to the party. Can I still sign up for the MM tour?
jwilliamhurst
Headphoneus Supremus
Bonneville Tour shipped to @Skyediver today.
gordec
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2006
- Posts
- 1,504
- Likes
- 916
Interested in the tour.
Mentor Tour Day 3:
I wasn’t happy with the resolution/incisiveness of Mentor so I cable swapped to PW Silver Liars.
Silver Liars imparts significant staging and clarity to IEMs that I’ve paired it with at the cost of a slightly metallic timbre which makes it difficult to pair.
Paired with Mentor, it added the extra clarity and incisiveness I was looking for and the timbre didn’t take as big of a hit as I thought it would.
I paired it with my favorite ear tips, the somewhat obscure NF Audio MS42 tips. These impart a romantic tube-like timbre though they do have the effect of taking the bass down a touch and smoothing the treble ever so slightly. SpinFit W1s work nicely as well, adding clarity and staging but pushing the vocals forward.
These are the winningest pairings I’ve tried so far, though no matter the pairing, I'm noticing that Mentor has a slightly rounded transient attack to notes like guitar plucks and violin strings. This is a trick that the U12t also employs trading transient attack to minimize fatigue. I think this is one of the reasons why I thought Mentor lacked resolution initially, the other reason being the stock cable which I think acts as a bottleneck.
Overall, I’m enjoying the Mentor quite a bit more than I expected. I do still maintain that a new pair is significantly overpriced, however, I’m considering purchasing one if I can find one at a good price.
Thanks again to Rockwell for setting up the tour.
I wasn’t happy with the resolution/incisiveness of Mentor so I cable swapped to PW Silver Liars.
Silver Liars imparts significant staging and clarity to IEMs that I’ve paired it with at the cost of a slightly metallic timbre which makes it difficult to pair.
Paired with Mentor, it added the extra clarity and incisiveness I was looking for and the timbre didn’t take as big of a hit as I thought it would.
I paired it with my favorite ear tips, the somewhat obscure NF Audio MS42 tips. These impart a romantic tube-like timbre though they do have the effect of taking the bass down a touch and smoothing the treble ever so slightly. SpinFit W1s work nicely as well, adding clarity and staging but pushing the vocals forward.
These are the winningest pairings I’ve tried so far, though no matter the pairing, I'm noticing that Mentor has a slightly rounded transient attack to notes like guitar plucks and violin strings. This is a trick that the U12t also employs trading transient attack to minimize fatigue. I think this is one of the reasons why I thought Mentor lacked resolution initially, the other reason being the stock cable which I think acts as a bottleneck.
Overall, I’m enjoying the Mentor quite a bit more than I expected. I do still maintain that a new pair is significantly overpriced, however, I’m considering purchasing one if I can find one at a good price.
Thanks again to Rockwell for setting up the tour.
Last edited:
Indeed, I kinda like it. Reminds me of the expression “silver tongue” which can have a similar meaning.
Last edited:
@Andrew DiMarcangelo here is the list for the Purgatorio (so far):
@Garney
@Auricon
@timeslip
@emdeevee
@gordec
@main character
@Garney
@Auricon
@timeslip
@emdeevee
@gordec
@main character
Last edited:
Users who are viewing this thread
