Tag: quick review

New toys Sunday #8 – Aroma Fei Wan

Aroma Fei Wan is a high-performance hybrid IEM (2DD, 10BA) that prioritizes extreme clarity, cinematic dynamism, and a sophisticated “bouncy” bass response. Sharing its ergonomic shell design with the Aroma Jewel and NGaudio classics Khaos and Erebus, it offers a comfortable fit paired with a sound signature that leans toward a balanced W-shaped profile.

Sound Profile

  • Bass: The standout feature is a powerful, elastic sub-bass that provides a “cinematic presence” and subtle liveliness. While the sub-bass is massive and well-controlled, it slightly veils the mid-bass, which—though fast and articulated—lacks the ultimate fine detail found in NGaudio Erebus.
  • Mids: Generally uncolored, with lower mids forward and the upper mids slightly recessed. Fei Wan creates a deep sense of space but can leave me wanting more steam in the lower-midrange instruments. While voices have good body and clarity, they can occasionally struggle to cut through congested passages in complex productions. However, for jazz and instrumentals, the mids feel perfectly placed.
  • Treble: Energetic and airy with a fast attack. It lacks the lingering shimmer of EST drivers, resulting in a “biting” character. This high initial energy can lead to occasional harshness or sibilance in specific tracks (e.g., acoustic guitar in Metallica’s fade to black or Dream Theater’s cover of Perfect Strangers), which may cause fatigue for some, though it remains highly detailed.
  • Technicalities: The soundstage is impressively wide and deep, with decent vertical height. Layering and instrument separation are “top-notch,” maintaining composure even during highly congested musical passages.

Synergy and Comparisons

The Feiwan is easy to drive and benefits from warmer, “analog” sources like the Nipo N2 or Audma Brioso to round out its energetic treble. Cable rolling is effective; the Eletech 5th Ode adds lushness and note thickness, while the Nightcraft Spectre tames harshness while maintaining air. The stock cable is good enough, though.

CompetitorComparison to Feiwan
Traillii JPMore “soul” in the bass and superior vocals, but lacks Feiwan’s extreme clarity.
Cadenza 12More balanced and cohesive treble, but feels dull and lacks the Feiwan’s “sparkle of life.”
NGaudio ErebusVery similar tuning, but smoother and more lush; the Feiwan is cleaner and airier.

It’s not the first I hear the Fei Wan, but the first time I get to dive deep into its immersive sound.

NGaudio Erebus (L) and Aroma Fei Wan (R)

New toys Sunday #7

Unique Melody Mest Fortune

Configuration: 1DD+4BA+2EST+3BCD, Quad-brid design.

Continuing the line of successful MEST IEMs, Unique Melody is back with the next iteration, the wonderfully coloured Mest Fortune (available also in red). The shells are virtually the same of the Mest 3, the same pattern, except a more appealing colour this time. Also, the rim is now matte and not shiny like it was on the Mest 3.

In terms of sound, the same lively presentation, with the treble as energetic but more detailed than Mest 3, maybe a bit closer to Mest Jet Black (MJB) than Mest 3.

The bass has learned some tricks from the older brother, Pentara, being also mid bass focused, fast and precise, with a rather dry tone, very good for metal. Mids are only slightly recessed, giving it a slight W profile. Lower mids stay slightly elevated compared to Mest 3 and even Maven 2, and have full bodied textures, possessing a very pleasant grit. Very slow rising pinna gain, shifting a lot of emphasis on the treble area, this being one of the most fun trebled UM. Where MJB had a relatively short fast attack of cymbals, followed by a short decay, Mest Fortune has a slightly slower attack, raising higher and decaying a bit slower. This adds some sizzle and splash to the cymbals, as opposed to the highly technical, perfectly controlled MJB. The results are mixed, with the ride having a natural sound, but during the congested passages, the splashes tend to turn into a continuous sound. This is, to me, the mark of Mest 3.

Stage is large, tall and reasonably deep. Layering is more pronounced than Maven’s, with less defined edges than MJB.

I think Mest Fortune stands between the utterly musical Maven 2 and the sober, technical MJB, combining technicalities with musicality, at a reasonable price.

Maven 2 still has the best price/value ratio, followed by Mest Fortune and MJB (which is cheaper than Mest Fortune, but it has a bit less wow factor, due to its more reference tuning). Pressed hard to choose one, I’d go for Fortune, as it’s got a bit of everything.

A weekend at the races!

New toys Sunday #6

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.