Unique Melody MEST Review

Sound Classics

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If you like a good amount of bass but also bass with good quality, you will love the MEST.

Bass is delivered by the dynamic driver and it simply is very impressive: full, deep and detailed. Bass is tight, punchy and reaches down extremely low if needed, with great layering on top of that. MEST’s sub rumble is incredible.

This to me really is bass at its best. It’s not the kind of bass that overpowers everything but it’s just of such high quality technically. When needed it will come in with big body and punch, but it can also be very subtle, yet deep with great sub bass and rumble. Bass is tight, fast, punchy and very engaging. I absolutely love it.

The (lower) mids section – delivered by a double BA-driver – connects really well to the bass and you get a full and musical sound at all times. The vocals stand out a bit and if you’re into vocals, you’ll really appreciate this. The mid timbre, vibration and extension as well as the depth and layering, again are impressive.

There is so much emotion in these mids, it’s just really special. In these mids you get the perfect blend of technicalities and musicality, with a smooth and romantic delivery. It’s gorgeous.

The treble section is lively, detailed, extended and highly energetic thanks to the double BA and double EST drivers. The balance with the mids and especially the contrast to the bass is remarkable. If you like full, yet lively and technically strong treble, the MEST will impress.

I never had the feeling the high section was too energetic sounding and I haven’t experienced any sharpness either. Actually the full sounding treble region is quite addictive with its airy and extensive delivery and smooth finish.

Unique Melody MEST

Sound Conclusion

For me the MEST is an incredible monitor, which gave me so much more as I was expecting from it. The Unique Melody MEST simply is a top-level all-round IEM that will be the end game for many audiophiles.

The UM MEST is not the cheapest but once you see, well hear, what it does and how it does that, you’ll be sold in no-time. The only down side for some could be the very clear and strict separation between bass, mids and treble. Most IEMS prefer a more fluent delivery but it’s something which grows on you. I myself don’t see it as something bad, it’s just a different kind of flavour.

All-in-all the UM MEST is really impressive. It’s a great all-round monitor for all musical styles. It’s musical, addictive and technically very strong. The bone conduction driver adds a layer of magic to the MEST and the end result is a performance way above its price point.

Unique Melody MEST

7. Comparisons

What to compare the MEST to? Hybrids of course! And then the first ones that come into mind are the award winning Vision Ears Elysium and The Shozy Pola39.

The Elysium is a four-driver monitor selling for €2900 Euro and it has the following configuration: 1 balanced armature driver for bass, 1 dynamic driver for the mids and a double electrostat driver for the highs. Normally in hybrid monitors, companies use a dynamic driver for the bass section, but the Elysium does it the other way round.

The Elysium is also very strong when it comes left-right balance and stereo imaging. Elysium overall has a smoother delivery compared to the MEST. Where the Elysium scores better is in the flow from bass to treble. Like I said this is the MEST is very separated where it here sounds more natural. Bass also goes really deep here and there is bass rumble but you don’t get the same tight punch. When coming from the MEST you also miss the bone conduction experience and especially the lower mid presence. The treble section is nice, energetic and extended in the Elysium, but the MEST does take it a few steps further. The Elysium’s presentation is smoother and slower, but extremely musical. The MEST focuses more on the technicalities than on the smoothness and musicality, but it’s no slouch in these areas either.

Unique Melody MEST

Pola 39 is selling for $1,050 USD and it features a 10 mm high-flux dynamic driver as well as dual electrostatic drivers. Pola 39 is the cheapest of the 3 hybrid monitors in this comparison and it probably is the most balanced and linear one of the three. At he same time it also is the least technically strong one. Both the Elysium and the MEST extend wider and deeper and have better layering. The detail retrieval, clarity and precision is also better on the two other models. The Elysium is over double the price of Pola 39 so that makes sense, but the MEST is only a few hundred USD away and it delivers a higher end performance.

Pola 39 is smooth and has nice mid warmth, making it extremely easy to listen to. The timbre here is really good and the result is a musical, smooth presentation. Body-wise Pola 39 is lighter and you don’t have the punch and tightness of the other 2 hybrids. Bass reaches low but the sub rumble isn’t as present as in the other 2 models. Same goes for the impact, layering and extension and that from top to bottom. The energy level of the POLA 39 and the excitement you get from it is also less present in Shozy’s design. That being said it’s still a really good monitor for the price, though the MEST and Elysium are ahead of it.

On the last page HERE you will find more on sound including comparisons, and the conclusion.