I know you by now to know that’s your nature. To seek the “true audiophile” replay,if that even exists.
But what if you just wanna have fun while doing it? What if someone thinks true audiophile replay is a flat line?
Also, my point was not to shame on mest, but if someone should buy it.
Lets imagine there was a mest mk10 that costed 10k, but you auditioned it and its plain better. Would you get it if you have mk2? (had to increase values for point given your wallet)
Would you listen to as much music if you could only own mest?
I’m playing devils advocate a little. You know how I really feel. I like the hobby. I enjoy hearing different IEMs generally and understanding what they have to offer. I’m a collector. There is no perfect IEM that does everything and will make everyone 100% happy. But what I am trying to say that if your goal is to hear the music as accurately as possible, the MEST MKII is the best IEM I have ever heard for that. That can be defined as authentic audiophile replay. When I heard it for the first time, I could not deny what I was hearing. I’ve been around pro audio all my life. I don’t think anyone who has heard the MEST MKII can say that they don’t like anything about the way it replays music. They have to accept that that’s how the music sounds. Everyone who enjoys music should have the opportunity to know and understand what that sounds like so they can then determine if they like more bass or less treble, etc. but all of that is outside of the audiophile goal of attempting to hear the music as authentically as possible.
I’d determine that at the time and if I could afford it or not. As you know. I’m currently doing that exact thing with the Susvara.
Absolutely. Probably more since I would probably be more interested in the music instead of playing around with different transducers in my ears. I have a few different sets of JBL professional monitor speakers that I listen to music on probably more than anything. I haven’t changed my speakers in the last year and a half and I listen to most of my music on them and LOVE them too!
I have come to realize that my definition of “audiophile” does not correspond to others.
People think I am crazy to prefer my qudelix over stuff like the bifrost/jot or a90/d90 stack. I sent both back with a “meh”
There is an assumption that an audiophile seeks absolute sound quality. That clearly is not my goal.
I want to enjoy what I am listening to. And I want to enjoy it as often as possible. Absolute sound quality has not translated into joy for me. Fun engaging and often colored sound brings joy. When it’s easily accessible, it brings even more joy.
This is what excites me most about the hobby. I am completely excited about this KZ-DQ6 discovery. I think it sounds incredibly good for only 30 bucks. Same with Mele. You’re getting to hear Clairvoyance style tuning in a 50 dollar IEM. That is very exciting to me.
I know, me too. Just changing opinions. This is really important for my brain, believe it or not.
Yes, but if you could, would you do it? Was it worth?
Yeah, thats my end goal. Can you only listen to mest for, lets say, two days straight and see if you get fatigued or wanting also hearing some other sets? This is rly important for me. 1.5k usd is no joke
Nothing wrong with that in my book. Im 50/50. I want the best experience for what gives me joy. Thats how I got here. Fun came first for me. My target has been shifting the more sets I try tho.
We’re delving into hypotheticals and the water is no longer clear so I won’t be able to answer those questions straightforward or easily. SO instead I’ll go backwards a little to help you understand that I already have made those types of decisions with my current collection.
When I bought the MEST MKII, I already had just about every IEM Thieaudio makes including every tribrid, which all rank very highly on many well know tier lists. Knowing that, I purchased the MEST MKII without blinking an eye and I am glad I did because it has become my personal favorite IEM that if I had to choose only one, it would be the MEST MKII.
So, the answer will be a yes. Yes I would want to collect what I consider the best. Why wouldn’t I? Is it the best in every circumstance? No. Does it have the best price? Hell no! Was it worth it? hell yes. I’ve thought about buying a custom and I am not one who believes in them generally.
I hope I answered your questions. Hypotheticals are tricky especially if you’re talking about something costing over 10,000.00 that I’m sticking in my ears. At that point I would have to weigh if my enjoyment of a device so expensive would be warranted or not.
I’ve spent more than you’d probably imaging just on my guitars, amps, cabs and recording equipment too.
My tier list is all fucked up now. Mele and now the DQ6 have changed things. The Blon BL-03 is out and the Mele is in. I’d probably now just remove the FH3 from the list completely and say that the DQ6 is my overall budget rec especially for metal/rock.
I don’t think it makes any sense to rec the FH3 over the DQ6.
I love that great sound is getting so inexpensive. But for me, the accessibility is literal. I can connect my Qudelix to any of my headphones and stream music anywhere with obscenely good sound. To do better, and not much better in my opinion, I have to tie myself to a desk. Or buy an ungodly expensive dap (I dislike daps)
I may choose to buy a mest one day. But, if I do, and choose to keep it, it will be because it gives me more joy than anything previously. High end audiophile stuff tends to not interest me because the fun and joy is not the focus. Arya was like that for me. The most beautiful and least joyful headphone I have heard.
Moral of the story, qudelix let me listen to incredibly joyful headphones nearly anywhere.
It’s amazing how quickly things change. I wish I had heard the DQ6 a long time ago. I would have been talking about that IEM in place of a few others if I had.
It kinda makes me what ton just nix the list all together and just give recommendations as they come.
And you are trying to rank so many IEMS. That’s gotta be a lot of pressure.
I’m never on the go and in front of a desk so desktop units work from me. When I get back to the office, IEMs will have even much more importance to me.
I write, record, mix and master music, so being able to really hear and know how the music is supposed to sound is super important to me. With the MEST MKII, when I listen to it, I don’t feel it’s missing anything. I have called it the most complete sounding set I’ve ever heard and I can’t really even explain why but it is.
I enjoy different tunings with different genres, but generally, the MEST MKII just does everything right.
I’ll be honest, when I was listening to the MEST MKII earlier this week, I literally lost track of time, couldn’t even tell you what song was being played… I totally lost myself in the music and was just enjoying everything that was being presented to my ears almost like in a zen state. I think I was listening to a huge playlist of Chris Cornell recordings.
None of this rarely occurs with other sets if ever. So yeah, if you’re wanting listening enjoyment on another level, the MEST provides that to me in spades. It just also happens to depict the music the way it was meant to be heard.
When I’m listening to my MEST MKII, I’m not concerned with thinking I could use a little more bass or the treble seemed a little bit harsh there, I’m transported to the fucking venue and I’m in the room with Chris and I can hear everything in perfect clarity and detail as if I were there. It’s that kind of audiophile replay. None of my other IEMs really get that close to that kind of experience.
Sorry, I usually don’t gush over the MKII because I don’t like the idea of me shilling anything too hard but I think I just did, but I was being honest. That’s my take on my MEST MKII.
When I started I thought I wanted that neutral planar hifiman sound. And it was sonically amazing, but I was never really satisfied. The pendulum swung into warmer darker closed back bassy dynamics that just ooze fun. And that was it. I put music on and just enjoy it.
Now I am expanding the target a bit to see what else I enjoy. The timeless is a wonderful example. It lacks some of the things that were fairly important to me (slam) but is still extremely enjoyable. And it has made me appreciate something I didn’t care much about before: extensive detail and soundstage. Soundstage more because of movies than music. But still.
I think it is important to try not to get stuck. Just keep enjoying stuff.
Exactly. I try to not listen to the MEST MKII because the hobby would be over for me. I just want to continue to enjoy other sets but I always have my MEST MKII if I ever want to hear the best I have.
I know master! You are wise. I have much to learn.
