Daneel
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2005
- Posts
- 29
- Likes
- 11
http://www.masterdynamic.co.uk/products/me05-earphones
I picked these up yesterday, trying what were potentially high quality IEMs for the first time. I paid considerably less than retail price ($199).
Summary
+ Good sound quality
+ Capable mic for voice calls
+ Wire generally doesn’t tangle
+ Microphony is present but less than other earphones I’ve used
+ Packaging is high quality
- None of the silicone tips are a perfect fit for me. When I haven’t got a good seal, sound quality dips noticeably
- The ME05 doesn’t fall out easily, but loses its seal through movement. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need an additional mechanism like ear hooks, as this is the case for 95% of the earphones I’ve tried. The Bose QC20 is fantastic at this, being both comfortable and stable in my ear
- The ME05, while well made, looks fragile – thin cable and mildly reinforced joints. I don’t have high hopes for its longevity if I use it on the move
- Volume controls don’t work on android, and the buttons are difficult to press
Overall
If you are looking for good sound quality from a small package and these fit you well, they are very capable earphones. Though I’ve compared nothing in the IEM space at a similar price. Thankfully, this is what I bought them for. If I want to lie down and listen, headphones just don’t work because of their bulk. For outdoors, in the noisy environment of London, I don’t think they will be able to beat my Bose QC20. The active noise cancelling I expect will more than make up for that earphone’s failings sonically. The improved sound quality of the ME05 just won’t be audible unless I have the volume very high.
Sound Quality
I’m impressed. Highs are well done with solid extension. There’s good instrument separation, and piano, and high-hats sound like themselves. The midrange is also good, though not to the same extent as the highs. It’s a little thin, but mostly clean and clear. Bass extension is noticeably less than my headphones, and the sound is not as detailed. The bass has surprising “punch”. Bear in mind however that this is not a remotely level comparison physically or by price point, and the absolute quality of the bass is very reasonable - much better than I’ve heard on earphones before. As far as balance goes, the upper bass is emphasised, but not too much.
The ME05 destroys my Bose QC20 for sound quality at a similar price point, at the cost of lack of active noise cancelling (makes a big difference in noisy environments), lower comfort, poorer fit, and I suspect, robustness. It’s particularly noticeable in the highs, which are almost non-existent by comparison on the QC20, but there’s a significant step up across the board.
Build and design
The finish is good, but the cable just looks so thin, and while there are supports at each of the connections, from past experience of earphones constructed in a similar manner, the cable fails where the support ends, or where they meet the control buttons.
The brass construction strikes me as a gimmick, adding little but weight. The cable is flat and is good at avoiding tangle. Length is about right for me at 1.2m. There are four silicon tips of various sizes. They come with the second largest tips fitted, which were a little too large for me, so I’ve been using the next step down. There’s a carrying box, though it’s fairly heavy due to the construction. I can’t see it ever leaving the house.
Splitting controls from the mic is a good idea, allowing better positioning of both. I tried a call yesterday while walking through central London, and the person I was talking to had no problem hearing me - that’s very unusual.
Impedance is low at 16 Ohms, as you would expect for mobile earphones, so there will be no problem driving these from a phone.
Equipment and Points of Comparison
My reference points are the Sennhesier HD 650, HIFIMAN HE-560, AKG K701, Bose QuietComfort 20 (active noise cancelling earphones), and the JESBOD QY19 budget Bluetooth earhones. I used my Schiit Magni 2 Uber and Modi 2 Uber for the headphones, and my Samsung Galaxy S7 for the earphones. I’ve ordered a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adaptor so I can try the ME05 with a headphone amp.
I picked these up yesterday, trying what were potentially high quality IEMs for the first time. I paid considerably less than retail price ($199).
Summary
+ Good sound quality
+ Capable mic for voice calls
+ Wire generally doesn’t tangle
+ Microphony is present but less than other earphones I’ve used
+ Packaging is high quality
- None of the silicone tips are a perfect fit for me. When I haven’t got a good seal, sound quality dips noticeably
- The ME05 doesn’t fall out easily, but loses its seal through movement. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need an additional mechanism like ear hooks, as this is the case for 95% of the earphones I’ve tried. The Bose QC20 is fantastic at this, being both comfortable and stable in my ear
- The ME05, while well made, looks fragile – thin cable and mildly reinforced joints. I don’t have high hopes for its longevity if I use it on the move
- Volume controls don’t work on android, and the buttons are difficult to press
Overall
If you are looking for good sound quality from a small package and these fit you well, they are very capable earphones. Though I’ve compared nothing in the IEM space at a similar price. Thankfully, this is what I bought them for. If I want to lie down and listen, headphones just don’t work because of their bulk. For outdoors, in the noisy environment of London, I don’t think they will be able to beat my Bose QC20. The active noise cancelling I expect will more than make up for that earphone’s failings sonically. The improved sound quality of the ME05 just won’t be audible unless I have the volume very high.
Sound Quality
I’m impressed. Highs are well done with solid extension. There’s good instrument separation, and piano, and high-hats sound like themselves. The midrange is also good, though not to the same extent as the highs. It’s a little thin, but mostly clean and clear. Bass extension is noticeably less than my headphones, and the sound is not as detailed. The bass has surprising “punch”. Bear in mind however that this is not a remotely level comparison physically or by price point, and the absolute quality of the bass is very reasonable - much better than I’ve heard on earphones before. As far as balance goes, the upper bass is emphasised, but not too much.
The ME05 destroys my Bose QC20 for sound quality at a similar price point, at the cost of lack of active noise cancelling (makes a big difference in noisy environments), lower comfort, poorer fit, and I suspect, robustness. It’s particularly noticeable in the highs, which are almost non-existent by comparison on the QC20, but there’s a significant step up across the board.
Build and design
The finish is good, but the cable just looks so thin, and while there are supports at each of the connections, from past experience of earphones constructed in a similar manner, the cable fails where the support ends, or where they meet the control buttons.
The brass construction strikes me as a gimmick, adding little but weight. The cable is flat and is good at avoiding tangle. Length is about right for me at 1.2m. There are four silicon tips of various sizes. They come with the second largest tips fitted, which were a little too large for me, so I’ve been using the next step down. There’s a carrying box, though it’s fairly heavy due to the construction. I can’t see it ever leaving the house.
Splitting controls from the mic is a good idea, allowing better positioning of both. I tried a call yesterday while walking through central London, and the person I was talking to had no problem hearing me - that’s very unusual.
Impedance is low at 16 Ohms, as you would expect for mobile earphones, so there will be no problem driving these from a phone.
Equipment and Points of Comparison
My reference points are the Sennhesier HD 650, HIFIMAN HE-560, AKG K701, Bose QuietComfort 20 (active noise cancelling earphones), and the JESBOD QY19 budget Bluetooth earhones. I used my Schiit Magni 2 Uber and Modi 2 Uber for the headphones, and my Samsung Galaxy S7 for the earphones. I’ve ordered a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adaptor so I can try the ME05 with a headphone amp.
