Oh my! Now this is a DAP!
This might just force me into the DAP market! 
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I got that email too… the FPGA seems like an interesting take, but I am not sure about the size/design.
Yes sir!
See? look at this mess!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RM1QG7B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Oof… that channels some memories about the wires I put in the garbage bin.
The color’s nice, I’ll give you that.
Right? I’m thinking about returning it. I love the color though. It will probably be fine when I’m listening to them.
Going to return it. Decided.
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Mest Mk2: A Love letter with a rant
So, I’ve been avoiding like hell talking about Mest Mk2 after I’ve heard it. Why? I think people will misunderstand or twist my opinion, since it’s a personal preference, as anything is in this hobby. So why, now? Well, just read @Tfaduh 's post about Mest and I decided why not paste it here.
First and foremost, let’s get something right out of the way. Mest Mk2 is one of the best IEMs money can buy and will fit 80% or more of the libraries. Also my experience with Mest and Mest Mk2 were limited, so my opinion count for not much, but it’s mine. Mest OG and Mest Mk2 are on my top 3 IEMs that I ever inserted on this ears.
- So, what makes Mest good?
First thing comes to mind is detail. OCD level of detail with secret sauce. Somehow, UM managed to make its detail god tier without rising it’s treble to high levels. It’s the true definition of detail and not some detailed IEM due to high treble peaks.
Then there’s the bass. Oh boy. Slams and kicks like a mule, without elevation or bloatness into the mids. Pretty sure BC helps with this, but don’t quote me since I can’t even tell what BC does after all. Drums and kicks done right, god texture, fast af.
Don’t even get me started on imaging and stage - heaven.
Tuning fits most libraries and offends no one.
It’s not cheap, but a cheap end-game compared to its competition.
- Wasn’t this a rant as well?
First world problems: Too much detail is bad for you, just like sugar. I can see my brain getting tired pretty fast after couple of hours of playtime. Not because of tuning like treble, which is usually the factor. You won’t be able to focus as good with these while multitasking. Your brain will glue into details and more details until it’s tired.
Fit is not easy and not for everyone. In fact, fit is usually important, but even more on these since there’s a BC. It’s kind of wizardry but you need to have it close to your lobe/head. Also, most people won’t be able to fit mest very good, specially OG. It’s a true “get a custom if you don’t mind to” type of case.
Mids presentation/female voices are not my favourite, and they didn’t feel the most natural to me. But this is a personal take, YMMV.
Any bad recorded song will sound even worse. This one will find every hole on it.
Treble heads will find the treble compressed or recessed. For me it’s more than enough, so we gucci.
- OK, I’m confused. Do you hate it? Do you love it? Will you buy it or not?
I’m still deciding, probably will, but this is not a simple yes or no question. In my opinion, you need complementary sets if you own Mest Mk2. Some people will probably find it enough, altho, I haven’t met someone that does. A guy once told me “Mest is my favourite IEM and the one I listen to the less”. I think there’s a place for Mest in every audiophile collection. My advise to everyone is to try it if they can. It’s hard to explain, but some people would change their minds about IEMs or even start value some of their cheaper sets a lot more after it.
I listen music for fun, and, while Mest might be fun to some, it’s only fun to me up to an extent. If I wanna grab a pair and listen to some jams while rocking around the house, I won’t grab Mest. If I wanna listen during work (like most of my listening time is done), I won’t grab Mest. But if I’m feeling a true audiophile ocd level replay, I’ll grab Mest. If I wanna A/B test sources or songs, I’ll grab Mest.
Now, I usually joke saying “money is paper” and while that’s true, 1 piece of paper weights nothing, but try carrying 1500 pieces of paper. There’s some weight into that. IEM speaking, 1500 is the price of three tribids. Or 5 300usd hibrids. Or 30 Meles. Or 60 DQ6/Blon-03/E1000/Tanyas. Take a reflection on it. Would you prefer 3 “end-game for most” tribids that fit your library or 1 OCD set, that will make you cry, but, in my opinion, need more sets to shine? If you add 1 tribid extra (your favourite) to mest, you’ve surpassed 2.000usd by now. Add in another single DD, planar or hibrid in your collection and we’re already past 3.000usd. Let’s not even go into sources, right?
Conclusion, do you have the funds to Mest not making a dent on your bank account? Get it, now. even if you get tired of it, you can easily flip it and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy your time with it. If you don’t, explore. You might even own your end-game already and you didn’t even knew because you’re just addicted to the next thing. Have fun, this is why it’s just an hobby about music and not a job about gear.
Oh, and buy some Mangird Teas 
6 Likes
sh1t, r4mbl3d
OMG, I gotta read all that! 
Nah, you can skip it. Pretty sure you wont agree since you eq it
Oh you piece of shit! 
You got me. I actually laughed out loud when I read that. You got me!
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I read it. For the first time I have to agree 100% I am very tormented by the question of adding another IEMs to MEST MK2. Detailed IEMs are really a bit tiring, but MK2 is worth a penny anyway! Every heavy audiophile should have it :)))
I didn’t know you were an owner.
Shit here goes my money.
I’m not, but if I get up I might need another complement. Or maybe I don’t need … I don’t know.
It’s a meme, but a truth.
@Resolution always says mest is his lonely island set. Mine is Teas. Or now 07m since they are close. But you got my point.
After earing mest i grabbes Variations. God they dont sound 1/3 of its price for sure. Then I grabbed teas. In that moment, I knew, I f*ckd up
How many times should I buy it … :)))))))
Well written sir. Being an owner myself, I agree with a lot if most everything you mentioned.
I try not to listen to the MEST MKII much because I enjoy the hobby and variety, although I did pop it into my ears earlier this week and was just wowed by it and lost myself into the music like I haven’t in quite some time.
It really is so good, it’s not fair to compare it to much anything else out there.
MEST MKII has endgame tuning, detail, slam, impact, stage, imaging, texture, smoothness. It checks more endgame checkboxes than any other IEM I’ve heard.
For the record, NO I DO NOT EQ THIS MASTERPIECE or any other IEM for that matter!
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For you, get dq6 or fh3, a nice source, leave this forums, be happy and less poor 
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There was a thread on “helping music sound better, without ruining it”. Where there is the idea at least that maybe there is a limit to how good of playback you might want for some songs.
While this is an extreme example. Early 90’s chiptunes designed for 8bit and 16bit consoles and handhelds are something where there is a limit to how good an IEM I want to listen to them with. There are technical limitations to the chips and the audio for the games were designed for early 90’s TV, bad handheld speakers, and cheap headphones. So yes I would gladly use the CCA NRA (very flawed IEM) to listen to retro games with then any of my “better” IEMs since it matches better with the source.
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I don’t need them, I have better ones :)))