Given that Mysticraft Myth was announced in the very select company of Tet and Hex, it is easy to dismiss it as not being up to snuff, compared to its bigger brothers. This, however, would be a mistake, for it is Myth that really pushes forward the boundaries of what we considered possible. Yes, Hex has unmatched details and separation, and yes, Tet has the most impressive mids known to audiophile world (in my opinion), but Myth is the one that achieves a level of quality, both in manufacturing, and sound, that simply wasn’t possible at this price until now.
Myth is tribrid, with 1DD, 4BAs (2 Knowles, 2 Sonion) and 2 microplanars, handling the highs, 6 ways crossover, all hosted in a Titanium shell. One has to pay 1052Eur for the pleasure of owning a Myth, available here.
The build quality is very good, but the unpacking experience is lacklustre at best. It does come with a box of Divinus Velvet tips, which is a plus.
The sound follows the general lines set by its more expensive brothers, but with an evident step down in stage and instrument separation. The next in line, Tet, is 6 times more expensive, so I find this cut more than justified.
Bass is strong, with good rumble, and some degree of elasticity, but doubled by impressive control. Even though there is plenty of sub bass, it rarely feels overwhelming. Mid bass is well articulated, but somehow it doesn’t jump right at you. Listen to Iron Maiden’s bass gallop and nothing is missing, though. Not only is the articulation of each note Steve is playing perfect, but that clanky sound is preserved and clearly audible. Or the excellent Rust in peace by Megadeth…Myth serves as reminder that Megadeth has always been more than just Dave Mustaine. In a way, Myth achieves something that eludes the grands, like Hercules Moses and even UM Pentara to some extent: a bass that is at the same time large sounding, but fast, not dry, but not oozy either.
Mids are maybe where the most cuts can be felt, with lower mids being slightly recessed, with a very faint lack of substance compared to the magnificent bass. The amount of grit, required for acts like Amon Amarth, Rotting Christ and so on, is average, Myth not being overly polished, but also not having quite the richest textures. With a healthy pinna gain, similar to that of Elysian X, Myth is one of those IEMs balancing on the edge of shoutiness. The balance is perfectly executed and at normal volumes, Myth remains safe at all times. Male voices sound a bit heady, a bit more “chest” would have increased the naturalness of the delivery. Female voices are somehow spared this slight lack of substance, sounding a bit fuller, by comparison, as highlighted by Lizzy Hale, this true angry powerhouse. Plenty of textures in this part of the spectrum, making for a very rewarding listening experience.
Highs are airy, and with a good deal of emphasis on mid treble. The question is: do they have planar timbre? Yes and no. In most cases, it is easy enough to ignore the light thinness/plasticness. Certain triggers are present, though: longer sounding cymbals (repeated ride strokes) show the limits of the current generation of planners, a slight sheen being present. Personally, I find the planar timbre better controlled than Forté Ears Mefisto, but maybe less so than Luxear Valor. Sibilance is mostly absent, but there is a very faint metallic tint in the places where I know the sibilance is expected. Still, much better to endure than a full blown sharp “S”.
The soundstage is fairly large, tall and with better than expected depth, with a caveat: the stock cable has to be replaced for best performance.
Pairing
With the stock cable delivering a modest quality, I have turned to the Pentaconn Sloflo cable. Tet cable is also good (I think it is also sold as a Myth upgrade cable). Myth is not power hungry, but like many other IEMs it scales up when given more juice. For the purpose of this mini-review, I have used the Astell&Kern SR35 and the Devastator Pro Max dongle. Both provided enough power, with the Devastator generating a bit of hissing.
With a solid build quality and a price that is at the same time prohibitive, but not crazy, Myth reminds me of another perfect gate opener product, the tiny DJI Neo 2 drone, a fun, easy to use, high capability drone that, like Myth, has become a staple of our family holidays.
