Thanks, that sounds like it could be it. I will look deeper into it 
(also as a side note: I believe the BC wouldnât even show on all the graphs, right?)
I believe I have seen most people say that the BC isnt really graphed and is something you have to hear for yourself.
Right now I feel like an idiot, but some of you might get a chuckle out of it:
Until I got the MEST MK2 I thought that source doesnât matter a lot and that stage is more of a meme, as there is no huge difference between IEMs (at least to my ears)
Then I got the MEST MK2 and wasnât too impressed when I connected it to my smartphone at first, but when I connected it to my dac/amp connected to my PC it was a whole different story. Not just was the resolution on a whole other level, but the stage was insane. I frequently had the thought, that the stage is soo impressive, that it sounds like the MEST has some inbuilt DSP. So I was rather happy with my MEST purchase, but went insane over how much I was missing with the smartphone and was looking at couple hundred dollars DACs, AMPs and DAPs.
Couple of days later I just got a new IEM today and did some testing⌠I compared that new IEM with CRA and by chance switched the CRA from smartphone to desk setup, which I did many times before, but this time the CRA sounded completely different. I was shocked and thought âwtf⌠did something in my brain click? I did this test dozens of times and never could tell the difference, but suddenly it is very clearâ⌠but that canât be or can it?
It canât⌠my fucking dac/amp driver turned off the direct mode and turned on some SBX special DSP effect stack -_- no clue how long it was turned on, but probably at least since I got the MEST⌠I feel so dumb right now 
EDIT: Everything I said about the MEST is a lie now, I guess 
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All that A/BâingâŚlol
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That is funny, I was experimenting a couple plugins on APO, and apparently left âStereo Touchâ on, also while listening to a pair of CRA as well ( bought them on the same order as Olina ). It does some DSP magic to synthetically make it wider. The following morning put Olina in and started listening, and was just like that is just too freakin wide. I spotted it pretty quick, but I could see missing it depending on the IEM switch.
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What threw me off was the fact that the MEST MK2 - I would still say - is pretty source dependent. It is not as extreme as I stated earlier in the thread and probably not as extreme as other IEMs (like the Volume or Andromeda), but there is a very clear difference. Some of the graphs posted earlier give the idea: some sources lower the treble energy, raising bass and making the bass bleed more into the mids⌠all resulting in a loss of detail/clarity and tilting the tonality away from my preference. I tried 6 different sources so far with the best being the Apple dongle. Hopefully soon I will be able to test drive one of the new Topping devices.
After doing more listening and A/B testing without the DSP, my feeling towards the MEST is now somewhat ambivalent:
- for me the perfect IEM has to be convenient. The MEST isnât that because I can enjoy itâs full potential only on certain sources which sours the experience with others. EQ helps, but is inconvenient in itself.
- with some of the worse sources I tried (even ones specified with <1 Ohm Output Impedance) the MEST doesnât hit my tonality preference. Sometimes I feel like there is a lack of treble extension/energy and a lack of clarity. Comparing it with the CRA, the CRA can be more fun tonality wise. The timeless maybe overshoots my preference, but I still like that side of the spectrum better.
- on the other hand: a cheap source like the Apple dongle is enough to solve most of those issues⌠to bad my phone has no USB-C
- going from the MEST to any other of my IEMs, they all sound somewhat broken. Itâs a little bit like going from HD to DVD Quality. DVD Quality looks great, if you never saw an HD movie. When going from MEST to CRA/Timeless I start hearing all the things they do worse (e.g. how they replay voices more unnaturally). The MEST comes across simply more refined on a technical level (shocker, I knowâŚ).
Overall I guess the MEST is still the best IEM I have listened to and I wouldnât know from reading reviews/impressions which IEM would top that. I still think there is a slight chance that I would like the Variations better, but canât justify spending even more money on IEMs right now.
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Are your MEST broken-in yet?
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Iâll go with: Yes 
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Someone talk me out of selling my mest OG and buying a Ej07 HBB Kinda lava
Most likely can sell the OG and get the KL for the same price . Love the mest OG! good fit , impresses me everytime i put them on with the very wide genre range i listen to but still very intrigued by the hbb KL
And how it fits BGGA library as we share the same exact list .
(Can only afford 1 iem at a time
Have only Been able to hear 3 iem in my short audiophile journey thieaudio L4, clairvoyance, mest OG)
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If you would be selling your MEST OG for the price of lava (619$) let me know, I would hit you up immediately 
But honestly I would consider keeping it up as it is quite unique set and discontinued, so the value should not drop anytime soon
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I highly, highly preferred the MEST MK2 over the Kinda Lava, if that helps.
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Even if you can only keep 1 IEM, Iâd suggest you try to buy the ej07m BEFORE you sell the Mest. This way you get to compare the two side by side and are still able to sell the ej07m in case you donât like it. (because going back from the ej07m to the OG Mest will probably be waaaay harder than the other way around).
But as @pylaczynski said. A used MEST is probably more worth than the ej07m. So especially if you are tight on cash, donât undersell what you have.
@Rcayn Thanks for that comment. I am also interested in testing the ej07m, so your impression helps kill stupid ideas I have
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Couldnât go back to regular imaging and staging after the MEST MK2. OG MEST is supposed to be even more impressive if not more disjointed in that regard.
Kinda Lava had the upper hand in one single area over the MEST MK2 and that is the midrange which is more lush, human, soulful, powerful, meaty etc.
MEST MK2 mids still very clearly beats it in terms of clarity but almost to a fault, itâs a fair bit too heavy on the articulation and intricacies for optimal musical enjoyment, imo.
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The original MEST does beat the MK2 in terms of staging and imaging, but there are certain qualities of the MK2 that make it the better choice in my opinion. The mids, being an example, can come off as quite dry in the MK1 whereas the MK2 fixes that problem (for my tastes, you might see it differently).
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As I just ordered MEST OG I asked my local forum what do they think about using them from Spotify streaming via BT on Q5k and was nearly anihilated that for that kind of hi end set I need proper source, because it is like using Ferrari engine in Dacia Logan.
So I am just looking around - it seems like your experience is similar! What kind of BT dongle did you use with them? Did you upgrade from Apple Dongle to something better sounding for mobile usage?
I honestly cannot go back to having the dedicated DAP because of the comfort I have while using unlimited library of Spotify + having one large device with me. I wonât necessarily be using MEST on the go, because they are too expensive, but rather at home/in the office, but still - I donât want to build stationary setup just for that
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- I tried the Mest MKII on the Q5k and thought it wasnât too bad, even though not at itâs best
- I also tried the Shanling UP5 and while the difference wasnât hughe, at least to me it sounded noticeably brigther/cleaner
- I think the Apple Dongle still sounded better than the UP5 but the difference was very small (maybe placebo)
However if you prefer a slighlty bassier, darker sound (which I donât), you might even prefer the Q5k over the Apple Dongle (a test you can simply do without spending much money to see where your preference is).
From my current understanding I am still back to the hypothesis to lower output impedance = brighter/cleaner sound. From that perspective some things I considered/planning to do:
- The Shanling M0 is pretty cheap, has BT capability and is specified with a very low output impedance of 0.16Ohm (but I donât necessarily believe those specs)
- The E1DA seems to be also a pretty good source and worth checking out
- The NX7 has also a low spec and gets recommended by @nymz âŚ
- If I am lucky I will get to try the Topping DX5 for free
I just ordered a smartphone with USB-C for Apple Dongle support, which will be my solution for the time being. I have a local collection of mostly 320kbps mp3s as I donât hear a difference between that and flac. I think apart from the IEM, the biggest influence on the sound has the recording/mixing/mastering, which you have no control over, so donât stress about using spotify or whatever. Also keep in mind, that what applies to the MK2, doesnât necessarily apply to the OG. At least sound wise I think I might would have prefered the OG over the MK2.
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Damn, I just got rid of Shanling Q1 (which is basically larger version of M0), but I did not like using it as BT receiver anyway, something was just plain wrong with my UX (especially comparing to how seamlessly Q5k works for me).
For me the comfort of usage for IEMs is the most important aspect, and having to carry around extra bricks (I was suggested Shanling M9 or Ibasso DX300 as sounding the best - which I donât doubt, but the sizeâŚ).
I would check Q5k, I would check powering it straight off my phone and maybe I would reconsider Sony A55 with Mr Walkman as it was described to me as cheapest option for good quality sound (next being WM1A used for 600$ :D). I always loved how it looks and the battery life, but no USB-C was kind of a killer
Still works fine just Split in the middle but the qdc wire when inserted holds it together.
Emailed andrew to see the cost but pretty sure i cant afford to ship it out , fix it and return shipping with the crazy prices india charges us
âŚput all my saving on one end game iem ,might start a go fund my repairs page LOL
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Duuuuude I am so sorry. That truly sucks. I felt that in my soul.
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Iâd just hit it with some superglue, but yeah that sucks, how did it break?
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