incoming noob question… What are these Mega5-est BASS iems? was looking at their website to get an idea on the price and couldn’t find it.
They’re the Mega5est 7th edition with more bass hahaha, not sure when it goes on sale this was a loan unit from da legend @Jaytiss
I think Cantor is the only IEM that gave me an actual headache…
Going to bed
I’ll give it another shot tomorrow
Mine is on the way , kinda digging that nozzle thing.
Let’s see if tips make any difference or not.
Offset it with that Mega5 bass
You can ask for a custom tuned one but it is a bit expensive at 600 or 50 dollars more.
Every part of my being says that the EST Bass should sound absolutely exceptional.
What say you, brother Jay?
isnt that the model that has gone through a few stealth revisions?
LETSHUOER S12 2024 EDITION REVIEW:
A brief history of the S12
So, there have been A LOT of S12s in the past few years… You got your OG S12 that broke the market, then the Pro version, and then the Z12 after that - all very similar in their overall sound with slight adjustments in the bass and treble and all them having that noticeable planar timbre. The 2024 version on the other hand, is the most refined out of all of them.
TIMBRE
On the planar timbre scale at the very top is the S08 and the S15 with both having the most natural tuning and the least planar like, and then near the end you have Z12, the OG S12, and then the Pro. The 2024 edition comparatively falls right after the S08 and S15 and a step ahead of all the other Letshuoer planars in-terms of timbre.
The main issue some people had with the other S12s was that they just had a little too much energy which made the lightness and sharpness of the planar driver even more noticeable. The S15 and S08 addressed those issues by doing the polar opposite and just removing a chunk of the uppermids and treble which helped improve the overall timbre, but at the same time the change also brought up some nitpicks as some people found them a bit too relaxing and borderline boring since the S15 was more neutral, whereas the S08 leaned on the darker side of things.
S12 2024 SOUND
However, the 2024 edition addresses those nitpicks and combines the good timbre from the S08 and S15 with the liviness from the other S12s as it strikes a fine balance between the other S12s that had too much treble and really making the planar nature obvious, but also not completely gimped when it comes to the uppermids/treble extension. The 2024 Edition is more exciting than both the S15 and S08, but also not as shouty as the other S12s, making it a very great all-rounder set.
I don’t notice much of the lightness and energy like I do with the other S12s and other planars like the Timeless, T10, Klanar, and F1 Pro. The dip around 3K and after 10K helps remove a lot of the fatigue and air that usually affects the noteweight while still being extended enough as it’s followed by the 5K and 15K rise afterwards. Although treble detail does take a slight hit vs the other S12s since it’s still using the same driver but just less highlighted now, however, the tradeoff to that is the 2024 version is now just much smoother, less shouty and thin, and just more enjoyable to me tuning wise.
BASS
The low-end impact also feels heavier due to removing some of the air and treble which shifts the overall focus more onto the bass, obviously it’s still not beating a DD when it comes to the tactility and slam, but there’s a good amount of low-end to be satisfying, you get a good and tight rumble with separation being one of its strong points, and the 2024 version is an improvement when it comes to the overall noteweight compared to the previous S12s.
POTENTIAL ISSUES
As for some potential things you should look out for - #1, the 3K region is scooped and the vocal gain is shifted towards an earlier rise in the 1K instead. What this does is that the 2024 S12 brings the vocals closer without the extra “harman shout” that some find shouty. The vocals feel heavier now and not floaty as the other planars, but at the cost of slight nasaliness that doesn’t feel as open as they could be if you had the 3K filled in. Although vocals overall are still very enjoyable since after 5K the extension comes back with that airiness in the end transients to give end transients that slight shimmer to them, but if you’re a 3K-harman kinda guy then maybe go for something else.
vs Planars
Compared to some other planars such as the T10, Klanar, F1 Pro the 2024 S12 is more natural than them with around the same levels of resolution and technical performance. The low-end also feels more grounded and less light, and basically aside from being a collector’s piece, what you’re really paying for over the cheaper planars is the timbre, note-weight, and just a more refined, smoother listen. Obviously the T10 is still a value monster when it comes to price to performance, but it is noticeably more planar, peakier, and again, not as refined.
Versus the Canta the Canta feels evidently lighter in the note-weight and brighter as well, it has a lot more treble detail as it has that extra airy and shimmery vibe to the sound, but in-terms of timbre the 2024 S12 is more natural in that regards, it’s more grounded in the note-weight as well as slamming harder in the low-end, and vocals overall doesn’t feel as light and more powerful.
vs S08 and S15
To me the 2024 S12 is a more complete version of the S08 since that can be a bit dark with the uppermids and vocals lacking in the final extension as well as the last bit of air in the treble. Although if you want something more relaxing and super smooth, so like Explorer levels of non-fatiguing, then the S08 is still great at what it does, but if you want something more balanced and a better all-rounder then the 2024 S12 would be the direct upgrade in that sense
However, if you’re looking for something more neutral, but not quite completely straight lines level like the P8 or Cinno, so still a good amount of bass and vocal gain, then the S15 still remains as one of the cleanest and most neutral planar I’ve heard with great timbre, although it does cost $100 more.
Here are the final rankings for the S12 2024 Edition:
Tuning: A (7/10)
Tech: A-/A (6.5/10)
Overall: A- (6.5/10)
Thanks for reading!
The mega5est? Not sure, but I do remember TDM saying something about it
I say I give it another shot today and get back to you
I don’t see the point of fixing only the FR without improving the technical performance… So I have forgotten the planars for ages . But that’s just imo.
Yeah they did a few and the Hisenion official word on the MEGA5EST is they will ask you what you prefer ? The Bass version is just a boosted OG version.
I personally dont understand that decision as I found that DD to be rather soft sounding and lacked dynamics.
Not sure why this set gets as much attention as it does if there was ever a over priced MID set this is it.
Atleast an upgrade cable should’ve been included with the package as an apology
Most of the people pushing the EST don’t really like bass that much
Hey guys,
today i wanna write a few words about Estrella.
Thank you so much Jay for making this happen and providing a unit for our german review group, we are grateful for this opportunity!
Not everybody in this group is registered here but I will post all reviews here with a link to the original.
First of all I wanna say that I am not a professional reviewer, neither is anybody else within our group
We are simply audio enthusiasts sharing the same hobby and are sharing our honest opinions.
I´m not big into writing flowery descriptions so don´t expect anything special, I will mostly keep it short and simple.
I´ve spent the last week listening to Estrella and here is my summary:
- beautiful, small shell with great fit and comfort for my ears.
- cable is good and ergonomic but nothing special
I would describe the sound signature as an energetic V-Shape and not necessarily as an overall balanced tuning.
The bass and treble stand out quite a bit but balance out each other, so in that way it is a balanced tuning but not across the whole range imho.
Estrella sounds open, exciting and very impressive at first listen.
Bass is very fast and thunderous with a nice texture to it.
I particularly enjoyed it with fast technical metal but also techno and psytrance
The sub bass can get a little bit much sometimes, same as the treble but then again on other occasions it is just perfect how it is and adds some sweet sauce and excitement to Estrella.
Overall i probably would have prefered a little less V.
Midbass is there but I did not find it to be as impressive and textured as the subbass, could have used a little more of it in exchange for a little less subbass.
The midrange is pretty well done and vocals, especially female, come across lively, natural and engaging.
Upper mids can be a little edgy on certain occasions but overall i very much enjoyed vocals with Estrella.
A song that stood out was Joss Stone - The Choking kind, it sounded very lifelike and direct…loved it!
Treble is very well extended and together with the sub bass it gives Estrella that wow factor which is very exciting but it can also sound a little unnatural from time to time and can become fatiguing especially in the upper treble.
Technically Estrella is really impressive, especially for its price.
It´s a highly resolving and very detailed set and can compete with or beat stuff like EJ07m/Mahina/Top/Meteor
Seperation is an absolute standout and I would say it beats EJ07m here
It can produce very nice 3D like effects on certain tracks and made me go “wow” a few times.
The panning effect in “Kasphitzky - Infection” starting at ~1:24min is very easy to pick up, much easier than with EJ07m, i found that pretty impressive.
The stage is very open and wide enough, I don´t need any more to be honest.
It´s a little wider and deeper than EJ07m imho.
In conclusion I would say that Estrella is a very fun sounding and technically capable set and can absolutely compete with sets costing twice as much.
Even though I´m not 100% satisfyed with the tuning I enjoyed listening through my playlist and very much enjoyed what i was hearing most of the time.
For certain occasions a little EQ can come in handy but that is true for most IEMs and I personally eq every IEM or headphone I own to get the last bit of enjoyment out of my gear.
With all that in mind and at that price point it is pretty hard to not recommend Estrella.
Of course it´s always best to demo before buying but you can not really go wrong with that set, especially if you use a little EQ (just in case)
Well done Jay and Ziigaat!
Nice review. I also use this track for panning effect.
Would you say it lacks mid bass overall?