Review: Unique Melody ME1 – Planar Bliss

Sources

From the Astell&Kern SP1000, the speed, precision and clarity are as good as it gets. You get a detailed, tight and fast sound that still is musical at all times. Body-wise the SP1000 has a lighter character and that shows when using this DAP as source, but this combination for me is extremely good with top level dynamics and transparency.

With Sony’s NW-WM1Z DAP, another of my favs, you get a fuller body from bass to treble but it’s especially noticeable in the bass area. The ME1’s sound a tad slower and warmer but the depth and timbre are excellent. All the detail is still there, it’s just a warmer and more natural presentation compared to the SP1000 and this is mostly audible in the mids and the softer treble. Quite a different end result as with the SP1000, but that’s exactly why some audiophiles prefer the Sony over the AK. Me? I love them both.

From Cayin’s newest N5ii, the ME1 also gets a full bodied sound with great timbre and excellent L/R balance. The N5ii isn’t as dynamic, spacious or transparent as the above sources, but the foot tapping/musicality factor is very high. Bass body and impact now is a little bigger but bass isn’t as tight or fast. The mids are the part where the N5ii shines and that’s immediately audible with the N5ii. The voices and upper mids are softer with the N5ii but you can still notice the ME1s focus on them. The ME1 sounds less spacious compared to with the TOTL players but the separation is good enough not to get that inside your head kind of sound. Of course the ME1 still is an open back IEM, so this will always be good.

The new AK70ii from Astell&Kern to me sounds more extended and rich than the N5ii, but it’s even softer and smoother in presentation. On the ME1, bass and mid body is comparable to the Cayin but the treble section is even softer and less dynamic/sparkling. I actually prefer the layering and L/R balance of that last one. The AK70ii most of all is musical as we know it and the 2^nd revision still has that warm and smooth touch to it. So in short, better extension and depth but less clarity and a slower presentation in combination with the ME1.

Amplification

While the UM ME1 doesn’t need extra amplification, it does scale up quite nicely when hooking it up to an external amplifier.

One amplifier that always scores well with planar magnetic topology ear- and headphones is the Bakoon International HPA-01M, and that’s especially the case with the current output. With the ME1 that results in incredible richness, a fast pace, very good clarity and the best extension and layering. You get a tight sound with good body and impact overall but you at the same time also get even more focus on the vocals and upper mids. Treble is very lively and energetic, but it for some might be too much. It does make the ME1 very energetic though. In the end I don’t love this combination as much as I do with other planar devices, the brighter and more forward upper mids/treble are just too much for me here. From the voltage output this is better but you lose the richness, extension, depth and layering as well. So the voltage output certainly didn’t “do it” for me.

The Mojo – everyone’s favorite –  presents the ME1 with great speed and clarity. The depth and layering are really good, as is the level of detail but the focus on the vocals and upper treble here is very obvious as well. The energy level, dynamics and the extension are really good though. Body wise the ME1 turns a bit lighter as well. Chord’s Hugo 2 does better in this regard and has slightly bigger body, with a more natural (dare I say less digital?) presentation. The upper mids and vocals here are presented in a softer way but with all the great things the Mojo already did. And better. As a result I prefer this combination of the ME1 a Mojo pairing, it just sounds better and more natural.

My ideal pairing however turned out to be with the Lehmann Audio Drachenfels amplifier with the SP1000 as source. Great depth, detail, layering and extension. The amount of body for my ears is just right and the presentation is effortless and natural. Like the Hugo 2 but even better. The Drachenfels amp hasn’t disappointed me yet and it also makes the ME1 perform at it’s very best. A fully recommended combo!

Audeze

The cable used with the iSine is the Effect Audio Leonidas cable.

Both of the Audeze iSine are lighter to wear. Their sound signature is also darker than that of the clear ME1. Of course the Isine also are clear sounding but hey have that typical ortho darkness the LCD2 is most famous for.

The iSine 10 doesn’t have the extension, depth or layering the ME1 does and to me the bass isn’t as tight either. Vocals are softer to the ears but the treble section also is less extended and sparkling.  The iSine20 compared to the 10 is more extended and goes wider and deeper. It has better separation, layering and has a more natural, spacious presentation. The vocals still are as soft and that of course is very different form the ME1. Treble on the ME1 is more extended, energetic and sparkling. The Audeze models are softer on the ear and for some that might mean they’re easier to listen to. The ME1 is technically so strong but it has a less of that “easy to like tuning” in it.

As a result the iSine 20 and the UM ME1 are very compatible. They’re both excellent sounding but they’re strengths partly are in different areas. I can see both of these excellent monitors living perfectly together in one’s collection. Luckily for me I don’t have to choose. The iSine 20 might be the easiest to like for a bigger crowd, but the ME1 has it beat on technicalities. It’s closer to the tuning so many call audiophile.

Conclusion

Unique Melody have made a really great sounding planar magnetic IEM that is really strong on a technical level. With its focus on the upper mids and vocals this might not be the perfect inear for everyone, but it is a really strong IEM. For only $759 you get an audiophile level universal monitor that actually deserves a flagship status. It simply sounds this good and as such, it goes to our recommended list!.

You partly can influence the sound signature (those upper mids and vocals) by switching the DAP or amp used, but you of course cancel it out. While I really enjoy the iSine20 myself, I find myself reaching for the ME1 more often. The ME1 is also easier to use when on the go and that could play a big role in your buying decision as well. If you’re not that much in to treble and vocals you probably will prefer the softer sounding iSine20 but that ME1 just has that je ne sais quoi that keeps me drawing back to it.