Sound Analysis.

I analyzed MM sound performance paired up with LPGT while playing a variety of test tracks, such as Agnes Obel “The curse”, Sandro Cavazza “So much better” (Avicii remix), C-Bool “Never go away”, Ed Sheeran “Shape of you”, Alan Walker “Darkside”, Galantis “Hunter”, Iggy Azalea “Black widow”, Indila “Boite en argent”, Dua Lipa “Love again”, Counting Crows “Big yellow taxi”, Bob Marley “Jamming”, David Elias “Vision of her”, and Michael Jackson “Dirty Diana”.  The sound analysis was done after 100hrs, so it has plenty of burn in time.  Yes, it doesn’t have DD so burn in is not as critical, but I still do it with every pair of IEMs.

I found MM to have a natural revealing tonality with a balanced W-shaped sound signature.  The natural part of the tonality comes from the fullness of the bass and the extra body in lower mids along with a natural detailed upper mids, while the revealing part is due to mid-treble emphasis that gives the sound more clarity and higher resolution with improvement in retrieval of details.  But overall, the sound is relatively balanced without any exaggerated emphasis on either lows, mids, or highs, making all 12 drivers work together in a unison of a coherent harmony.

Bass has a decent extension down to sub-bass rumble and average speed rounded bouncy mid-bass.  The mid-bass is more pronounced while the sub-bass is slightly attenuated down.  It is not rolled off, and you will need to pay close attention to eartips selection because if you are not getting a good seal, the level of the rumble will go down.  It is BA bass, but the performance is more of a hybrid nature.  Here, the texture and the decay speed are being typical of BA driver performance that gives the bass more control and articulation, while the attack of the notes is a little slower and more “rounded” which is typical of DD driver performance.

Mids are natural and detailed.  Lower mids have above average thickness which gives the sound more body and helps bass to blend in with lower mids through a more linear transition while still maintaining a tight control without introducing any muddiness.  Upper mids are a bit more relaxed to give the sound its natural tonality, but still resolving enough, thanks to mid-treble boost which brings out more details.  Lower treble is polite to avoid any sibilance and harshness, and then you have mid-treble boost to bring higher resolution to the sound.  I keep mentioning mid-treble because I think it is so well done that even without lower or upper treble emphasis, it still gives the sound plenty of clarity and natural crunch.

UM Mentor Multiverse vs UM Mason Fabled Sound

The soundstage expands in every direction with an exceptional width, height, and depth, giving the sound an immersive 3D holographic imaging that allows you to accurately pinpoint every instrument, vocals, and even subtle effects.  The layering and separation of instruments is very good, and I already mentioned there is no congestion or muddiness/veil.  But what I find interesting, the tuning doesn’t have the type of airy extension which usually contributes to “air” between the layers of the sound, yet, to my ears, sounds still have a clean separation.

As far as genres of music, I think it works with everything, regardless of what you play.  MM is a great example of well-tuned all-rounder IEM.  Yes, sometimes I might want a little extra sub-bass rumble or maybe a touch more air, but the tuning has a perfect blend of natural high-resolution tonality and a huge soundstage with 3D holographic imaging that just works with any genre of music.

Eartips Selection.

The selection of eartips is crucial to any universal in-ear monitors and will affect the sound, especially the bass impact depending on the seal.  Due to a large opening of my earcanals, I usually go for the largest size eartips to get a better seal.  Also, please keep in mind, eartips impressions are subjective and will be based on anatomy of your ears.  Here, I’m just describing what I’m hearing with mine (ears) while comparing MM stock eartips and other aftermarket alternatives.

Azla Xelastec (stock) – balanced sound sig with a bit less sub-bass rumble and a little thinner upper mids.  I prefer Azla Crystal which gives me a little more texture/rumble and a bit more body in mids.

Blue-core silicone tips (stock) – surprisingly, these gave me as good seal as Crystal and brought back a nice textured sub-bass rumble, stronger mid-bass impact, and slightly more body in upper mids.  The treble is just a touch brighter than with Crystal, but not too far off.

SpinFit W1 – these are more like Xelastec, giving the sound a balanced sound sig but with a little less sub-bass rumble and more transparency (less coloring) in mids.

Final Type-E – gives bass a tight punchy impact with more attenuated sub-bass.  These will be great if you want more focus on upper mids and treble.

Symbio F – with these I hear a bit less sub-bass, softer mid-bass, and smoother treble.  As a result, there is more focus on mids which sound smoother, more natural, more organic.

To my big surprise, blue-core silicone stock eartips gave me as good performance as Azla Crystal, but in general, I was happy with either of these eartips.

Page 3 – Cable pair up and Source Pair up.
Page 4 – Comparison and Conclusion.