Unique Melody MEXT Review

Disclaimer:

I purchased the MEXT over the deal by MusicTeck at a discount for reviewers. I have no other conflict-of-interests.

Initial Impressions

Bass-head iem no doubt, with an encompassing warmth to follow it. Do have last octave treble extension.

Packaging

Nice presentation for something with such a small footprint. This is really well designed for simply packaging. Also has a pull-out drawer for accessories that feels luxurious.

AZLA Xelastec tips are extremely isolating & did best against other third party tips I had around.






The iems in the carrying case: There is a removable Velcro-divider to keep the L & R units separate.





Cable:

Sheathing is a little glossy and has a chemical smell that you will need to air out.





Y-splitter is really solid and premium feeling:





Chin strip detached:

Sound

Gear USED

Ibasso Dx300 dap with amp11mki amp module.

Ibasso Dx300MAX Stainless Steel edition iem.

In this IEM's case I didn't find a major shift in presentation with swapping sources. IEM seems pretty stable in presentation.

Staging & Tech

This iem does everything in its staging balance. Its is not specialized in depth nor is it specialized in wide stereo panning. It is both passable in Depth & Width that doesn't give an uncanny valley feeling from any extreme in either direction.

That said, the microdetails does a good job not neglecting details in music. Details are surrounding you, though they are reasonable and not wow you about it.

There is one speciality it has is in bass string instruments can kind of pop out even if its meant to be quite in a track. Interesting how subtly it can pop out these string plucks from a gradient of very quiet to loud without it getting masked; these are lower tones.

The upper-register instruments don't present with such a control at lower volume dynamics like the bass string instrumentals. They are the usual, binary on/off either their in the track or not; I mean it is normal in this sense. It is the bass strings you can hear be unique in that they can gradually present in very quiet to very loud.

I do not think these techs are representative of the bone condunction driver. I feel it is associated to the bass drive; a bass driver so tuned with intent that it kind of gives you driver-flex as you put the iem on (thedriver flex is not a problem in this case, but how its tuned).

Bass

There is driver flex, and if you don't adjust for fit it will block the sound. So make sure to find a good tip size for your size. The AZLA Xelastecs especially make this issue more obvious by how well they seal. But these Xelastec tpis isolate so well it is a shame not to use them. Especially since this iem has significant bass ports that will not isolate outside people's voices from you (when the music is paused).

Again, no doubt a basshead iem. With a decadent warmth that will outshine other parts of the presentation. I did not find it masking things, but the bass does give a minimal boxy feeling to the playback (but that is reasonable & intentional for this iem's sound signature).

Bass can feel wet in the presentation whilst focusing on the subbass. Slam is quite satisfying, except when it comes to tom drums, where it is polite in the snap. Subbass slam is quite satisfying.

Mids

Bass transitions into the mids with lots of warmth.

Voices depict a forwardness and are not lost to a track. No worries about sibilance. Not only is it not sibilant, but it feels like the presence region/later-mids are not as raised for people who love their shout. Female vocals and overtones to male-voices are defintly polite.

Piano notes in the lower register are quite satisfying, but when it comes to notes in the higher register, they are not as clear.

Treble

Mids-to-Treble trasition happens with a lack of presence region between them and the lower treble region.

Voices are not sibilant or shouty, but neither are their overtones being given much "sweet" clarity.

Upper-register instruments don't have much "bite" to them. Violin main notes will encompass you in strength & the overtones will not get neglected, but neither will the violin notes feel positively-piercing to you.

Upper-piano notes have a twang; there is too much air/overtones noise that almost feels like the presentation of old-gen Balanced Armature's last octave treble seen in older IEMs. That twang feels off in timbre.

This treble timbre problem doesn't present in other things in the playback. So not a problem for rock music, and not a problem from modern music (EDM, etc.). Or for older more synth tracks (ie., techno, old rap like Ludicris, etc.).

COMPARISONS A/B

After noticing that this iem has warmth but with less upper-mids, I decided to compare to similar tuned iems I had around. IEMs also famous for being successful with their derivatives of such a sound signature: Sony ier-z1r, Sennheiser ie900, and my old Ultimate Ears TripleFis.

w/ Sony IER-Z1R

Being challenged in size. But the MEXT is the more comfortable to wear over. Both got similar passive isolating.

IER-Z1R feels thinner and with a more treble tilt. Better worded, that MEXT has more forward low-end quantity, while both maintain a similar ratio for the bass as they hit similarly. IER-Z1R may seem thin, but that is when put relatively to the MEXT it seems so.

Vocals have more shout on the IER-Z1R. Also more borderline sibilance & metallic hit to things on teh IER-Z1R.

Staging is similar on both iems, but there is more treble standing out on the IER-Z1R. But the IER-Z1R sibilance & metallic feeling are both pleasant as they play it close to fatiguing tolerance levels. No issue with upper piano notes like in the MEXT.

w/ Sennheiser ie900

About the same in isolation to MEXT.

Similar to the ier-Z1R iem feels thinner & more treble tilted when in comparison to the MEXT. Sennheisser ie900 defintely has the bigger slam bass hit between the two of them. Bass on the ie900 also has a similar ratio of wetness to the Bass.

But when it comes to the mids, the ie900 details are getting masked more, despite being less thick and forward to the bass overall. MEXT has the advantage here.

Treble is definetly greater in quanitity on the ie900. Right away you feel the sibilance in vocals. Instruments overtones and air are more piercing and w/ sizzle. Despite ie900 having more treble quanitity than MEXT, I dont find the ie900 has the same problem I noticed with the piano-notes.

w/ UltimateEars Triple-FI TF10

These MEXT made me remember these old hit iems. I had to pull out from a back drawer of memories.

Okay this is really similar, but boy is the Triple-Fi showing off its age. This absolutely doesn't hold up.

Lots of bass but less in quantity & slam to the subbass in the TF10. More importantly, the bass overall has less control in presentation. Bass sounds drier and is waay to quick in how it resolves.

Mids are alot more masked in the TF10, with a less ideal transtion to the bass. Triple-Fi is just much worse in the mids.

Vocals are unforgivingly honky on the Triple-Fis. No sibilance on either iem or shout, both polite.

The treble indeed reminds me of the MEXT, these BAs depict the same timbre I get from the MEXT; I wonder if the BAs being used share some pedigree. Piano notes on both of these IEMs really got that twang like that are clipping in the high notes. They are being pushed too hard to implement for the iems. The do have some strengths though, they image well; though that cuold be just how it contrasts with the less upper-mids.

Closing Notes

Only downside is the treble extension; it feels like it's clipping in certain treble notes, like they can't handle being even at the little loudness they are currently at. Still this is not a problem unless you listen to solo piano tracks; this is something I only took notice of to put into the review, but will not hold as practical signifigance to you. So please don't let this be a decision breaker before giving the MEXT a chance. I truly feel like these have a pleasant tonality and good staging that will match many people's preferences as their favorite.

This IEM has a specialty where you can feel it has extra control in the microdetails of the lower mids. Where it can present things in this range with so much control , that the imaging pops with details presenting from quiet to loud if the track calls for it.

Unique Melody MEXT is a pleasantly warm iem. That are a great value for their price; especially being cheaper than the similar tonality iems I compared it to earlier. Its got a satisfying bass, mids are not masked despite the warmth, and the treble has great extension. Good chance it will be the favorite for many people out there.

Supplementary

How they looks worn. The Fit is very nice, though they are big. But they don't have any difficult bulging to their shape that will be problematic.

Beware of Magnets! Pulled out of the drawer like this. x_X;