UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III: Completely A Superlative One

"The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety."

~Jakub Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn, German pianist, composer and conductor in the Romantic Period.

The brand UNIQUE MELODY is considered as one of the top dogs in the realm of high-end audio brands out there that specialises on producing both universal or custom in-ear monitors. They have been in business since 2007 and are considered as one of the pioneers in China's portable audio industry.  They continue to specialise on putting the best available materials to be implemented on their products to give the best possible sonic performance and the longevity of the parts and components that they have been used. All of their products that I have tested are of a bespoke quality and a masterpiece that will always astonish us.

I'm already familiar with this audio brand as I have tested before some of their products like the MEST MK.II and also the MASON FU SANG. The MASON FU SANG leaves me a long lasting impression as a total package one as it redefines the qualities of a TOTL set should have by having an excellent build quality, exceptional tonality and unparalleled technical performance that it became my reference set in a TOTL segment and eventually displaces my previous favourite flagship set.

What I have here right now is the latest model from their MEST line-up, The UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III CF. The MEST MK.III is a successor model of their highly popular MEST MK.II and at this time, UNIQUE MELODY furthers to continue the development of this model line-up by improving some shortcomings of MEST MK.II based on the feedbacks from their customers and portable audio reviewers.

Like its predecessors, UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III still follows the multi hybrid driver template consisting of four (4) types of transducers; Dynamic driver, Balanced armature drivers, Bone conduction driver and Electret/"Electrostatic" driver. These drivers are also connected into a passive 5-way crossover and integrated into the gold-plated PCB circuit board to achieve rigidity, stability and consistent conductivity performance of all parts and components embedded there.

On each side of this IEM, it has a single dynamic driver along with its four (4) custom balanced armature drivers (probably some unspecified models from premium balanced armature manufacturer, either from Knowles or Sonion) are the ones who handle the majority frequency range response from bass to treble, two (2) balanced armatures for midrange frequency and the two remaining balanced armature drivers handles specifically the treble frequency. In that process it will deliver a tactile and slamming bass response, an exuberant and well-textured midrange and then a crisp, shimmering and well-detailed treble quality. The proprietary piezoelectric bone conduction drivers' metal alloy that compensates a certain frequency range from 500 Hz up to 16 kHz  according to the marketing product info released by UNIQUE MELODY, are made from rare materials like silver and palladium with multi ceramic coatings, will give a better conductivity and at the same time, has a potent catalysis properties as it has an excellent resistance against tarnishing and corrosion. The implementation of piezoelectric bone conduction drivers will also add a unique cohesive listening experience to its listeners by harnessing its technology and we are also aware that bone conduction has a different principle compare to a typical air conduction system as bone conduction will deliver a sonic wave via vibration through our skulls to serve as a "resonance chamber" and MEST MK.III will give us the most engaging and immersive listening experience that this set can offer. The quad Sonion Electret/"Electrostatic" drivers will handle the ultra-high frequencies which sets around 10 kHz and beyond as it will deliver a more sparkle and tons of harmonics to give a more airier and expansive treble range.

The transducers and other internal components were encapsulated in a UIEM-style shell chassis made of composite materials. The base cavity part is made of solid and yet smooth carbon-fibre in an indigo blue colourway with a metal alloy nozzle, while the face plate is made of laminated wood in a darker indigo blue which is quite similar to an ultramarine blue and it has bronze coloured metal alloy frame on its outline accent of its contours. There is a single vent hole at the lower middle part besides the face plate alloy frame that aligns with the nozzle. This is the part where I really like on UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III that UNIQUE MELODY continues to use the 2-pin connector as its interlocking mechanism for an ease of interchangeable of other cables and 2-pin connectors are the most common and a proven one when it comes to rigidity and longevity.

The said stock cable of UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III was produced by PWAudio, a Hong Kong-based premium custom cable maker and this one is quite hefty, a bit cumbersome due its stiffness and sturdiness but its overall build quality exudes its quality and premium-grade one. It has a black-coloured nylon-like sleeve that shields the four (4)-core high purity, 26AWG gauge-rated OCC copper wiring insulated with a PVC coating. This cable, according to UNIQUE MELODY, will offer a very minuscule resistance and distortion to deliver a seamless, good clarity and a cleaner audio output. The termination plugs are available in 3.5mm single-ended, 2.5mm balanced and 4.4mm balanced.

Furthermore, another thing that UNIQUE MELODY has to offer was its stock ear tips. There are two types of stock ear tips that were included, these are the perforated Open Tips and the non-perforated Petal Tips. The Open Tips have six holes situated at the edge of the bore to reduce pressure and be breathable in our lugholes, the other one works like just another ear tips which reminds me of an Azla ear tips that I have. These ear tips are made of liquid silicone which are soft and more flexible materials that don't alter even for a long use unlike latex. Liquid silicone ear tips have good benefits for audio enthusiasts for long listening sessions as it provides the best comfort while it maintains spatial awareness of sounds coming from its environs.

The sizes of UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III's shells are quite large given on how many drivers and other components that were implemented inside. But despite its sizes, it doesn't bother me as it doesn't give me a listening fatigue as I can wear them for a long listening session. It has a good passive isolation as it seals well into my lugholes and blocks some ambient noises coming from the outside.

For a TOTL set, the product packaging of  UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III is rather elementary and minimalist in presentation compared to some TOTL and even midrange sets that I have unboxed before. They are neither too rudimentary nor pedestrian per se as it has some sense of sophistication and elegance with a substantial amount of high quality inclusions. The packaging box of MEST MK.III is of a medium-sized and it has a blue accent with some geometric pattern that makes it more suave and an avant-garde vibe on it.

Here the following inclusions from the box:

■  a pair of UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III IEMs.

■  a premium and thick stock cable with a 4.4mm balanced output termination plug.

■ Blue-coloured mesh bags for protection from scratches, smudges and dings.

■ 3 pairs of perforated Open Tips in different standard sizes.

■ 3 pairs of unperforated Petal Tips in different standard sizes.

■ a circular hardbound PU leather IEM container.

■ Cleaning cloth.

■ PU leather cable organiser.

■ a black-coloured PVC card that integrates warranty period and social media contacts of UNIQUE MELODY.

With a substantial number of drivers inside, MEST MK.III is still easy to drive from my primary sources, the USB DAC/Amp dongles with 4.4mm balanced output on either normal gain mode or high gain mode. At around 20-30% volume level, it already sounds very dynamic with its fullest range that encompasses the ends of frequency range spectrum.

To ascertain its tonal make-up and its sonic properties, The UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III certainly has a balanced-neutral sound profile based on my comprehensive tonal vocabularies on determining a sound signature of a certain head/ear gear. It has tad elevation on bass region, a neutral yet textured midrange and just a slight elevation on the treble region.

Here are some of my observations on its sound characteristics from each part of the frequency range spectrum.

LOWS/BASS:

The bass properties of MEST MK.III pivots towards quality over quantity. It has a sufficient punch, incisive, clean and exceptionally detailed on delivering the best possible sub bass reverberations and a well-defined mid bass strike with its ample impact. For sure that it has a mild boost on the low end but it doesn't deviate to sound exaggerated.

The rumbling and reverberations along with resonating effects from bone conduction technology (Which makes me wonder that bone conduction drivers usually encompasses a full frequency range spectrum. And the bone conduction driver technology that UM utilises was described as it was able to hit only at the region range of 500 Hz which is a midrange minor or lower midrange.) as it will even amplify it even further that adds more ambience. Sub bass focus instruments like synthesisers, drum machines, low toned bass guitar and octabass will sound even deeper and thrumming.

Mid bass has a sufficient texture to give an ample note weight on some instruments like bass guitars, violas, bass kicks and bass-baritone vocals. Bass guitars have its raspiness, resonant and broad sound that I was able to feel every fingering and strumming on its adjacent note strings, either a fretless bass line of Steve DiGiorgio of  Sadus or slapping techniques of Les Claypool of Primus. Violas sounds so sensuous, resonant and "stately" that I was able to enjoy its austere charm when I listened to some orchestral tracks in my playlist while I appreciate the sound quality of bass kick drums as they have a good thudding, resonating and sonorous as I listened to some iconic drum lines like John Bonham's "When the Levee Break", blazing fast double bass drummings of Gene Hoglan's "Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)" and Dave Lombardo's "Raining Blood" and that disco-ish drum kick beats of Marduk's "The Blond Beast". This is the most interesting part on analysing the mid bass quality of a certain element, the bass-baritone vocals. These type of vocals doesn't that woolly nor dense sounding that I really want but they have this guttural and sufficient warmth to give the detail and espresso-like texture on voices of Andrew Eldritch, Peter Steele, Barry White and Louis Armstrong. With its clean and well-segmented lows, MEST MK.III definitely won't smear across other frequencies.

MIDRANGE:

Pristine, immaculate, transparent and neutral, those characteristics that come up momentarily in my thoughts in my initial then a long listening session. It has a sufficient texture that gives an ample dense on note weight for vocals and instruments.

Both male and female vocals will sound very pleasant, mellow, ethereal and sweet. I think that I was even able to hear clearly the breathing and modulation of the voice qualities of both genders. On male vocals it will give a decent depth, sufficient weight and husky characteristics on baritones as they sound velvety and smooth in my ears. But there are some particular types of baritones like bel cantos, lyrical baritones and light baritones that sound so sublime and I even hear the evenness of its tone, Gackt is one of prime examples to have this type of baritone vocal during his tenure in Malice Mizer. Modern baritones with more emphasis on depth and weight like the voices of Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Jimmy Hendrix and Billy Idol will have a milder and richer texture. Countertenors and tenors will even fare better on this set on how it projects its vocal quality on these types of male voices. Countertenors which are akin to castrati vocals have a light, smooth and agile quality on how they modulate the high pitch with their falsettos. Geddy Lee of Rush, King Diamond of Mercyful Fate and Giannis Papadopoulos of Beast In Black have these types of vocals on the rock and metal scene while on the classical or operatic side,  Andreas Scholl and James Bowman are well-known singers in this category. Tenors have its spiciness, brassy and metallic vocal qualities that gives a bright and shining timbre on the voices of Justin Timberlake, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Freddie Mercury. Then on the operatic side where there are many subtypes of tenor vocals like spinto, lyrical and dramatic. Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo are famous tenor singers and the MEST MK.III was able to capture their tonal colours in a very detailed manner.

On the female vocals, contraltos singers like Annie Lennox, Tracy Chapman and Toni Braxton have tad milder on its rich, deep and husky vocals which make them sounds more pleasant and comforting to listen. Meanwhile, on mezzo-sopranos, the MEST MK.III excels on presenting the vocal tone and timbre as Mezzo-sopranos are known to have a variety of pitch characteristics which make them the most versatile among the female vocal types. They are usually characterised to have semi-dark timbre, rounded, velvety, smooth and tender sound that always give us a captivate and sultry feel. Artists like Andrea Corr, Enya, Dolores O'Riordan, Edie Brickell and Sharon Del Adel were usually categorised under the list of mezzo-sopranos singers. This is where MEST MK.III truly excels in vocal clarity and it is the soprano range. Sopranos have the usual vocal characteristics as they sound creamy, silky, gleaming and silvery which I'm paying attention to on this particular type of female vocals. I always adore soprano-level singers like Mariah Carey, Tarja Turunen, Allison Kraus and Sarah Brightman. Concurrently, I also observed the quality of coloratura sopranos which should have a bell and flute-like sound with fluidity and airiness as this set was able to depict it accurately. Cecilia Bartoli, Olga Pereyatko and Diana Damrau are prime examples of coloratura sopranos.

As for instruments. MEST MK.III almost perfectly portrays the tonal quality and timbre of all types of instruments as this particular facet was its strongest asset. On brasses, trumpets have metallic, sonorous, brilliant and bright depending on notation registers while trombones have an intense, penetrating and eruptive sound on them. Meanwhile on string instruments, acoustic and electric guitars have this crisp, bright and lingering tone that I was able to discerningly hear the plucking in a very detail way, and then on violins, it has a very vibrant, lively lustrous and sparkling sound as it will an emotion and passion. Woodwinds like flutes, clarinets, bassoons and saxophones. flutes have an airy and graceful sound, then clarinets have rich, throaty and expressive sound while bassoons have a warm, mellow and delicate sound on them and saxophones have warm, shrilly and reedy on them as I listen to them either woodwind section of the orchestra or in a jazz ensemble. And then on percussions either drum types or mallets, snares have precise, sharp and bright sound, while timpanis have deep and resonant sound on them. Then on toms and field drums, both have a resonant, sonorous and menacing sound on them. Marimbas have an earthy and resonant sound on them, while glockenspiels have jingling and penetrating sound. Chordophones like celestas, organ and pianos. Celestas have its heavenly feel as it sounds so pure, lustrous and ethereal. While organ and pianos give some atmosphere expression as they sound warm, rich, brilliant and bright depending on the varying notations.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

While I consider the treble quality as a substantially a tad bright sounding set. MEST MK.III is probably the most refined bright sounding set that I have experienced so far. As we all know that bright sounding or colloquially a treble-focus tuning will have its caveats that it might produce sibilance or harsh sounds but this set doesn't have those issues after all. Sibilances are kept under control while there are some sleek and mild slopes on some parts between upper mids to the presence part of the treble region to avoid harshness and stridency.

It also noted that MEST MK.III has an excellent airy extension due to the implementation of Sonion Electrets/"Electrostatic" drivers. It gives a more sparkling with an enormous amount of harmonics that signifies its excellent performance on the brilliance part of the treble region. Cymbals have a shimmering and brilliant sound on them with good sizzle on it while hi-hats have shortened, undulating crisp sound on them.

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

Overall, this is a definitive moment on how a TOTL set should perform and execute with its technical performance and MEST MK.III gets an excellent mark as it has a flawless technical performance since I've tested its more pricey elder sister before, The UNIQUE MELODY MASON FU SANG.

MEST MK.III have a very spacious and cavernous sound/speaker stage with a well-extended lateral orientation, excellent height reach and exceptional depth distance from front to back in which it gives me a vast spatial expanse of head room beyond my aural sphere.

The imaging display of MEST MK.III has a very atmospheric, three-dimensional and holographic presentation. This type of presentation will be excellent on perceiving location, distance and arrangement of instruments and vocals particularly on live concert sessions, jazz ensembles and orchestras where you will be able to pinpoint accurately the placements of instrument sections. Separation of instruments is also terrific on this set as it has gaping and spacing of each element. The layering capabilities of this set is outstanding as it gives a fine distinction on the arrangement of each part of layers, either on tonal dynamics of instruments or layers of frequencies in a clean, black sonic canvas. So playing some complex multi-instrumental tracks will be easy-peasy on UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III.

Coherency of drivers are excellent and pretty well-executed on how all drivers performs a very cohesive and homogenous sound quality that has an outstanding transient speed to attain that marvellous envelopment of a sound without any phasing issues.

Resolution capabilities-wise, it has a solid macro-dynamics and an exceptional dissecting of a substantial amount of audio track information like details, nuances and subtleties from an audio track data which gives an excellent micro-detail retrieval in a very sharp definition and almost surgical precision. The tonality of this set leans toward a balanced tone with a tad brighter side of natural tone.

PEER COMPARISONS:

UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.II (DEMO)

◆ This is MEST MK.III's predecessor, both have a "quad-brid" driver set-up but the difference is the design of its shell chassis as it looks like a more typical UIEM shell from other product contemporaries. Its face plate has a black-coloured accent resin shell reinforced with carbon-fibre on its cavity base has speckles of gold flakes.

◆ The tonality of MEST MK.II is a bit coloured as it has more mild-U shaped sound signature, it has a more tighter, sub bass focus low frequency, a bit recessed and leaner midrange, and some noticeable peaks on the upper mids that there are some instances of being a tad screechy and shrilly particularly on female vocals then some inconsistencies on timbres from certain types of instruments that hits the treble region like cymbals and triangles.

◆ As far as I remember, I'm not particularly impressed with MEST MK.II's technical performance. It has an above average sound/speaker stage. A more concave presentation on imaging rather than a holographic and 3D that a TOTL set should have albeit it has a good accuracy on determining the exact placement of elements. It has bit softer and blunted on resolution capabilities particularly on micro-details.

NOBLE AUDIO KATANA (2017) (DEMO)

◆ This is an old all-BA flagship from Noble Audio. There are 9 balanced armatures implemented inside. Its shells are made of high quality aluminium alloy and surprisingly it is quite lightweight.

◆ Its tonal signature is leaning to a balanced-neutral tuning which is also a sound profile of MEST MK.III. It has an ample bass boost albeit it has a bit softer impact, a well-presented, sufficiently textured and transparent midrange and a smooth and balanced treble response but compare to MEST MK.III, it was somehow less airy.

◆ On technicalities, the overall soundstage dimensions are pretty above average. It has above average in wideness, decent depth and good height. It also has a holographic imaging with good separation and commendable layering capability. The resolution capability is either soft or balanced on definition of its fundamental notation on either macro-dynamics or micro-detail retrieval.

LETSHUOER CADENZA 12

◆ This is one of the true rivals of MEST MK.III in the thousand grand category. It also has hybrid driver set-up albeit it doesn't have either a bone conduction driver or an EST/Electret drivers. It has a single dynamic driver with a liquid silicone and a reinforced kevlar diaphragm and 11 premium balanced armature drivers from Knowles and Sonion and they are housed in titanium alloy shell chassis. It has a quantitative edge when it comes to product presentation and number of included inclusions inside. Also, it has a modular cable which makes it more versatile.

◆ The Cadenza 12 has a warmish-neutral tuning that gives a more organic, lusher and yet with good details on sound quality. It has a sufficient punchy and balanced bass, a warmer, smooth and well-bodied midrange and smooth and coherent treble response but less airy compare to MEST MK.III.

◆ On technicalities, it has an above average to wide soundstage dimensions but compare to MEST MK.III, it will be less narrow. It has similar imaging, separation and layering performance as it also has an atmospheric 3D-like presentation with excellent gaping of instruments and vocals then an impressive layering capabilities. Its tonality takes a warmer and organic approach as it can be considered a clean analogue-ish sound.

As I put up a conclusion regarding UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III, I can confidently declare that MEST MK.III is truly a successor model along the lines of MEST series. It even outpaces and exceeding its predecessor, The UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.II both in tonal aspect and technical capabilities. This is a testament of UNIQUE MELODY's superb product craftsmanship and well-refined tuning.

It is also noted that it is given that UNIQUE MELODY's products like the MEST series gradually increase the prices in every generation of its product model, is it justified enough for some customers who can afford this set? In my opinion, it is certainly a justified and it will be a well-spent one that will definitely satisfy the cravings of some deep-pocketed audio enthusiasts on pursuing high fidelity experience on a portable and mobile audio set-up due to set-up improvements of its tuning and more refined and a total overhaul design on its shells along with choices of accesories.

For sure that I will highly recommend this set for those audio enthusiasts who can afford it. but for audio enthusiasts who wants a transition from midrange to TOTL category, is it viable to leap further? It still depends on your preferences and rationale as you really need to think critically to decide on purchasing a thousand grand flagship IEM, but in my opinion, I think that it is a worthwhile investment to continue pursuing a high fidelity experience (if sky's the limit).

UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III is now available at MusicTeck. If you are interested in purchasing this set, There's a non-affiliated link below after this statement.

★★UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III - MUSICTECK★★

For more information regarding UNIQUE MELODY. Check out the link below.

⊙⊙UNIQUE MELODY OFFICIAL SITE⊙⊙

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: UNIQUE MELODY MEST MK.III

IMPEDANCE: 14Ω

SENSITIVITY: ?dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 70KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M

PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE: 3.5MM, 4.4MM, 2.5MM

DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (4) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS + (4) ELECTRET DRIVERS + (1) BONE CONDUCTION DRIVER

PROS:

△ An improvement over its predecessor in both tonality and technical performance.

△  Premium looking, high quality carbon-fibre shell chassis.

△ Elegant looking face plates that exudes sophistication and elan.

△ High quality, custom-made nylon-sheated thick cable.

△ Two types of liquid silicone ear tips to choose from for remarkable fitting and comfort.

△ A circular, hard-bound PU leather IEM container for storage.

△ It has a "quad-brid" drivers set-up to give an exceptional and an impeccable unique listening experience.

△ That resonating bone conduction experience.

△ a balanced-neutral tuning that is well-suitable to some experienced audio enthusiasts out there.

△ Excellent bass haptics.

△ Clean and clear midrange.

△ Almost tonally perfect rendition of both male and female vocals. Sweet and captivating coloratura soprano vocals.

△ Nearly tonal accurate timbre of most instruments.

△ Shimmering, airy yet inoffensive treble response.

△ Unmatched technical performance.

△ Good quality included accesories.

CONS:

▽ Wishing for a modular cable and also quite inflexible and unwieldy too.

▽ Not for listeners who wants a more coloured tonality.

▽ Treble-sensitive blokes should stay cautious regarding this type of tuning as they might be a bit delicate on high frequencies.

▽ I'll be frank on this one, very pricey and expensive unless you are a deep pocketed audiophile who can wad a dosh for it. 

Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**

Suzanne Vega – Luka **

Lauren Christy – Steep *

Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *

Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*

Type O Negative - Black No.1 *

Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **

P.S.

I am not affiliated to UNIQUE MELODY or MUSICTECK nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to my fellow audio mate, Edz Cuizon a.k.a @RemedyMusic  for lending this review unit. I truly appreciate his generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.