Cable pair up.

I’m aware that some people don’t believe in cables and have a very strong opinion about it.  It’s not my intent to start an argument here.  Instead, I would like to share what I hear during my testing.  What makes sense to me, a metal wire is a material with physical properties of resistivity, conductivity, and purity, all of which put together act as a filter between your source and earphones.  Variations of these physical properties can affect the conductivity of analog signal, resulting in a sound change, from a subtle to a more noticeable level.  If the talk about cables upsets you, you are welcome to skip this section.

stock to PWA FT – very similar, nearly identical sound performance, maybe just a touch more sparkle in treble.

stock to EA Chiron – mid-treble is more piercing in this pair up and I hear less sub-bass.

stock to Eletech Ode to Laura – very similar performance, just a little more body in lower mids and sparkle in mid treble.

stock to PlusSound PPH8 – very similar, just a little more sub-bass rumble and sparkle in mid-treble.

MM already comes with a premium PWA cable, so no upgrade is necessary.  But if you have other cables, you are always welcome to try it, especially if microphonics of PWA cables bothers you.

Source Pair up.

MM has 22ohm impedance and average sensitivity of 114dB, making it quite easy to drive.  Also, with all the DAPs no hissing was detected.  For your reference, here are my brief pair up notes.  And by brief, I just focus on any changes related to a sound sig and general tonality.

Lotoo LPGT – baseline sound with a balanced tuning and natural revealing tonality.  Big, expanded soundstage.

Cayin N8ii – enjoyed this pair up with Class AB, NuTubes, and P output.  Pushing it to higher voltage P+ made the sound a bit brighter, while keeping it at P output made it more natural, more organic.  Huge soundstage expansion.

Shanling M9 – bass sounds deeper, more textured, and I can even hear more sub-bass rumble.  But at the same time, treble is pushed more forward, sounds brighter and with a lot more crunch.  The sound sig went from balanced to more V-shaped here.  Soundstage is still very big.

Hiby RS8 – the sound signature and tonality are closer to LPGT, balanced tuning with a natural revealing tonality.  I had it set to Class AB, but had to turn off the Turbo switch, otherwise mid-treble energy was a bit overwhelming.  The soundstage is big and expanded.

iBasso DX320 w/amp14 – the sound sig is still balanced but tonality is a little more revealing, especially in mids where I hear it to be a little bit brighter.  Then, I realized I had it on high gain and switched to medium which brought the tonal balanced back to a more natural tonality.

A&K SP3000 – the sound sig is perfectly balanced, and the tonality is smoother, warmer, and more organic.  Bass gains more DD-like texture, and lower mids are fuller which gives more coloring to the upper mids.  Treble is also a little smoother.  The resolution and retrieval of details is still high, just the tonality changes to be smoother and more natural.  Soundstage remains the same.  I did have DAR filter enabled which gives the sound a more natural tonality here.

Based on my test results, a higher power output of any source makes MM sound brighter, more revealing, and a bit harsher in treble.  Turning off turbo mode, voltage booster, or just switching from high gain to medium made the tonality smoother and more natural in mids which also results in a more balanced sound sig.

Page 4 – Comparison and Conclusion.