I have been listening to mine which arrive almost 2 weeks ago. I love listening to these off of an Apple Dongle at work and frankly these sound amazing. The tuning easily matches my sound preferences for most of the songs I listen to.
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Hey folks! Took me a while, but here are my impressions on Mele. Iām new to this hobby, so please read with a grain of salt. On a related note, I am happy to learn from others, so feel free to leave a comment or DM me with suggestions!
Pre-amble
- Cable: Yinyoo silver plated copper, single-ended
- Tips: Kbear tips
- Music source: Spotify, highest quality. Iām not on other hi-res services as I have carefully curated playlists and also need to maintain the Family Plan. Fingers crossed
- DAC/amp: ifi zen dac & Qudelix-5k
- Reference & preferred sound: Hifiman Sundara, via ifi zen dac (bit warmer than the classic HD6XX reference, but thatās my preferred sound)
- Other IEMs for comparison: Moondrop Starfield
- Music library: rather eclectic, but most commonly listen to film scores, classical music, jazz & blues, indie acoustic, pop, rock
- Music experience: trained cellist and classical guitarist, but also a fan of live gigs at local pubs / small venues
Aesthetics & fit
This is a handsome set. Brushed aluminium body gives it a refined tone without being a fingerprint magnet. The faceplate looks stunning. One thing to keep in mind: the resin they used is a bit on the softer side, which means it could get scratched if it contacts something hard and sharp. So far though, no issues!
In terms of fit, this is super comfortable. I had no problems with the seal, even with stock tips, and even after my longest listening session (~3 hrs), I couldnāt feel the IEMs. Now, compare this to my Starfield, which is a pain in the a** to get a good seal, and I notice it after an hour or so. Comfort matters, folks! Since getting Mele, Iāve used my Starfield less than an hour in total.
Sound
Honestly, I agree with pretty much everything that this reviewer said: š¶ Tripowin X BGGAR Mele - #1235 by hawaiibadboy. Also, the review was written beautifully, so I would recommend you read that article before mine. I will add a few details, especially pertaining to my library.
Pros:
- Instruments like the guitar (any), cello (lower notes/frequencies), double bass, drums, brass (trumpet, sax) all sound natural and very good
- Male voice / lower register singers: Again, very good
- Female voice / higher register singers: Not fatiguing, easy to listen
- Some example tracks that made me go āwowwwā:
ā Paulās Dream, Hans Zimmer: Spotify
ā Mountains, Hans Zimmer: Spotify
ā St. Petersberg, by Martin Phipps: Spotify
ā Basin Street Blues: Spotify
ā Hey Gringo, by Kaleo: Spotify
ā Riptide, by Vance Joy: Spotify
Cons:
- The treble could be better. I want a bit more in quantity and less rolled off. My supporting evidence: violin sounds veiled, and higher notes on the cello also sound veiled. In Sibelius violin concerto in D minor, first movement (Spotify), at the 1:02 to 1:05, when that bow lifts off the string and comes back down, there is a bite to the sound that Mele lacks. Same in El Tango De Roxanne (Spotify): the guitar sounds great, but at 0:27, when the violin attacks, Mele lacks the bite, and at 0:31, the higher notes sound dull.
- Similar story with Adele or LP: needs some sparkle.
- Note: I didnāt have to listen really attentively to make these observations, but Iād love to hear from others!
Short comparison to Starfield
I said it above and will say again: since getting Mele, Iāve listened to my Starfield for less than an hour tops. This is partly due to comfort, but also because I just really enjoy the fun sound of Mele! I prefer a warmer sound signature, so Mele really suits my ears. That rumble you get in Mountains (see above) as the music crescendos from 1:00 to the full on organ + choir at 2:04 - Starfield just cannot compete with Mele. Even on the Sundara, I need that sweet bass boost to match the quantity!
Now, all the criticisms I made about the treble performance in Mele also apply to Starfield, so I donāt really know what IEMs will sound closer to Sundara (I think @nymz would say Mangird Tea or go kilobucks, and I canāt afford kilobucks, soā¦haha).
Conclusion
I would recommend Mele to people who prefer warmer sounds and a good bass response. I am going to keep this set for everyday listening (especially when itās too hot or too loud for the Sundara), and I plan to sell my Starfield. Iām going to pump those funds straight into a hybrid IEM that can match Mele in bass performance but has a better treble response. Of course, I expect such a set to much more expensive than Mele, which is why Iām going to save up for a while and keep enjoying Mele!
Thanks @hawaiibadboy for bringing Mele to life!
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Thanks for the review! Still waiting for my set to arrive 
Have you tried using tips with wider bores (or alternatively tip reversing)? It tends to give more extension in the upper frequencies (from my experience)
Thanks! I donāt have wider bores (the ones I use are as wide as the stock ones), but I am waiting for some tips that are supposed to be good for reversing (KZ starlines). So fingers crossed there, but of course I am mindful that there is a limit to how much treble you can squeeze out from tip / cable rolling.
I tried EQ with Qudelix, and it helps in quantity, but I fear the quality is still so-so. I mean, donāt get me wrong, treble is not bad, just not as good as I want (and I am probably being unreasonable for this price range!).
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Nope, the opposite. Iād say keep mele and Sundara and leave the internet. End game enough 
Great review, glad you loving them as much as I do.
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Haha āleave the internetā is probably akin to the worst exile in this day and age 
I think I need just one more IEM - so I can enjoy all types of music when I canāt use the Sundara - before I reach endgame 
. For now though, Mele travels with me to the office every day 
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aaa, the quote said by pretty much everyone here. 
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We lost him boys. We gave our best.
On the other hand, welcome to the club. May you jams be great and your wallet deep.
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Why not try the hzsound heartmirror ? ā¦.you probably have heard about it .
I have heard of it, and I believe it needs fair amount of modding to get more bass out of it. Do you have one?
Iām yet to have my first iemā¦.
You can try the Spinfit CP100 or Sednafit Ear Light for bit better treble sparkle and stage. The wide bore stock from Mele reduce the treble extension a bit.
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So much truth in this statement. Most will never know. Well said bro.
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Nice job and awesome photos.
Welcome to the hobby. I look forward to you chillin with us here at HIFI Guides.
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Hey, we tried š¤·
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I prefer a warmer sound signature, so Mele really suits my ears.
Does Starfield not sound warm to your ears 
Iām asking this cause many have said it sounds warm to their ears.
I donāt find it warm, no. It could be because Iāve been struggling to get a good seal with them. I know some reviewers have said itās a bit warm since itās the to the Harman target, but when I A/B with Mele, itās clear that there not enough bass, at least for my liking. The same songs sound too thin for me!
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Thst might happen more on sub bass focused songs, since sf try to roll off a bit and Mele keeps going up.
I see 
Didnāt know SF does roll off on the sub bassā¦ I know wonder if Aria rolls off as well since their tuning is nearly identical.
Roll off was a strong word.
Both have more mid than sub bass enphasis. Its all about tuning. All the 3 are good at what they do. If you cant get a seal, everything will sound bright, thats for sure. Mele has better fit for most of people it seems, but every ear and canal are different.
My point was, when a track hits the lower frequencies more, Mele will sound warmer due to the bass elevation vs treble.
Are you still trying to decide? Lol
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