MMR Balmung
Thanks to a good friend, I had a chance to borrow MMR Balmung for an extended period of time. This is an all BA IEM, containing a number of 12 drivers.
These little guys have a mighty bass, that comes very close to a DD bass. What is missing is that one last drop of physical sensation. The amount is as impressive as Trifecta’s. But, because this is all BA, the bass is very fast. I believe only BA or a planar could have so much bass while maintaining decent speed. Something’s gotta give, and in this case it is the drums impact, getting a bit drowned out.
The mids are only slightly depressed, but they have good note weight. They are not 100% free from bass incursions, but these are kept to a minimum. Overall, the mids are very smooth, meaning there is not much grit. Said grit is important for metal, so I can safely say that metal is not their main focus.
Treble has good extension and air. The cymbals sound lively and nicely textured. The tall stage gives them enough air, but there isn’t much sparkle. I’d say the highs are tuned for balance and accuracy rather than sparkle.
The stage is quite wide and tall, with some depth, but not quite spherical. More like elipsoidal. The separation is good, most instruments being a
Listening to Death Spiritual healing, Balmnung sounds like a well done V, with ample bass, mostly in the sub bass range for this piece, and energetic treble. The hook is the mid bass. Muscular and articulated, with a smooth transition to the mids, such that nothing feels bloated, despite Balmung having a considerable bass shelf. You only notice when the music stops and the constant rumble is gone. Listening the bass underlying the pre-solo bridge, is a great experience, just like the clunky bass line after the solo. And speaking of solos, they are loud and clear. The upper mids are quite elevated, so the guitar solos are sparkly, but somehow remote. What this means is that you get a bit of a pumping effect. The lower notes are quieter than the higher ones.
For some genres, like the Ethereal Treason’s All is vanity, the bass is simply too much. At low volume it bleeds into the mids more noticeable. For this metalcore subgenre, I prefer less bass and more grit, as the low end and lower mids are quite crowded and they start blending into a perfect cacophony if the bass is too much or too slow, or in general, anything other than perfectly dosaged.
They pass the 2Pac test with flying colours, being almost as bassy as Trifecta. This is as closest as BA bass ever got to DD for me. As the volume goes up, a slight trace of sibilance is present, but well within tolerablelimits. The voice is central, forward, loud and clear and the words are easy to understand.
Melissa Aldana’s La Sentencia reveals a lot of details, but the star is the way that tenor sax sounds. The richness of textures, the split sound, sometimes at the breaking point is all very life-like. While the saxophone is doing its thing, there are enough details from the drum brushes and bass. In yet another layer, you have the cymbals, delicate, a bit dark, but with good note thickness. I would have loved a bit more energy in the treble, but for an evening session, these are perfect.
