Ambient Acoustics MAD24

The Grand Symphony (aka Ambient Acoustics MAD24c’s)



Have you ever listened to a sound so remarkable that when it’s met with silence it makes you wonder how?

How does this universe - the complex infinite atomic mass blinking in and out of existence at speeds beyond light sliced by vast empty space time spanning distances both macro to the atomic scale and micro to the observable scale being surrounded by quantum potential only in the mind of you who witness its energy on the screen you're observing at this moment - continue to exist?

When the glove fit custom MAD24’s snap into my ears and energy waves begin to pulsate my thoughts go to places where joy, wonder and amazement take hold and as I close my eyes to the world, magnificent imagery is encountered. Large sailing ships adorned in the purest white sails sailing on a sea of wind, seas of pale blue glass with orbs of soft light coming from within hovering silently to the pulsating energy of the sound as they approach only to vanish beyond the periphery. Men standing at large concert bass drums as if on stage with Hanns Zimmer orchestrating a dim light 48 instrument chorus pacing and demanding perfection with every next moment.

That, just for tonight, listening to the Tron Legacy Soundtrack - hearing the faint inhales of the wind instrument blowers, and rustling pages of music notes. The depth of the arena and the grandeur of the unrelenting bass from an epic cinematic masterpiece of audio brilliance.

The last 4 months have been an endeavor of discovery, passion, and determination with the Ambient Acoustic MAD24c’s being the treasure at the end of the rainbow.

Background
- I reached out to Ambient Acoustics via email and that quickly became a telegram chat in which I later found out was with Yulia from Ambient Acoustics answering all my questions on the MAD24’s. The proceeding weeks consisted of discussion with Yulia on custom vs. universals, costs, SQ differences, time frames, design elements, and concern of the on-going war + shipping in and out of Ukraine. I decided to go with customs when I was told they offered about +2db bass compared to universals - the commitment knowing there is no resale market for customs was made with hope and desire they would be transcendent.

Molds/Scans
- I've never had custom ear molds made before. There is a guide on Ambient Acoustic’s website on what needs to be included when the mold is captured. Due to the concern on shipping time on my behalf Yulia suggested the idea of supplying .STL(3d printer files) files of the ear molds. Thinking this was somewhat standard to obtain, I called a dozen audiologists in the area and none of them knew what a .STL file was even though they did offer molds as a service. Eventually I discovered all of the audiologists send the molds to custom IME/hearing aid manufacturers who do all the scanning in house and do not share the files they create and use. This prompted me to look for a local company who did 3D scanning. I found OnPoint Inspection here in AZ-USA - I called them and asked them if they had scanning tech good enough to scan ear molds for custom IEM’s and they said they had done it once a year prior and the accuracy of their equipment was reverse engineering grade (highly accurate). After securing a company to scan them, I had molds done - the audiologist I used served mostly elderly and he only had a mold material that was more viscous than a foam based mold. This created a bit of an issue as the first set of molds he made came out with gaps/divots because it does not fill in as well as a foam base would. Yulia saw the molds after I sent her pictures and sent back a facepalm emoji lol. So I had them remade within the hour and had the audiologist make extra effort to get a better fill - and he did. I shipped them off to OnPoint Inspection who had my scans in .STL delivered within a couple days and they came out fantastic. Having all this done locally and being able to send the .STL files to Ambient saved me about 3 weeks shipping time to Ukraine.


Design
- Yulia provided a multitude of options for face plates, literally wetting and holding up entire blocks of materials in their shop one by one helping me to find something I liked. I think I chose the most unlikely and difficult option which wasn't even an option in reality - but Ambient was up to the task and ultimately absolutely nailed it to perfection. I wanted a black/metallic dark blue pigment that was weaved in with another block and there was a section that looked like I would be able to possibly have just that black/blue portion without any of the red or yellow specs which the majority of rest of the block (I’ll attach a picture to better explain). Needless to say further - Ambient Made it happen and I'm grateful to them for it. At first glance the IEM’s look fully black but when looking at certain angles with light you see a luminescent sheen of metallic blues - I love it.


The Fit
- Couldn't have been any better. I mentioned above the set I have “snap” into my ears. Imagine a magnet approaching metal. Just before contact the force of the atoms aligning in the magnet causes it to attract to the metal. The fit of these is such that you begin placing them into your ear and with a slight nudge and wiggle they “snap” into place and it’s instantly comfortable and at rest. My first reaction to having them in was imagining they would stay firmly in place even if I took a right (or left) hook from Mike Tyson - they are snug, and other than some pressure in the ear area they are extremely comfortable. My very first listen was a six hour session and I was not fatigued or sore. The fit is pleasing.


Gear
- Holo May KTE / Holo Bliss KTE / 4.4mm Balanced SPC cable



The Sound
- If I had to use a single word to capture all of what I am about to say…. Transcendent.
The technical ability the MAD24’s achieve seems impossible to me. I am forced to believe what I hear and I can’t describe it any better than saying it’s a transcendent experience, every time. The sound is in my head, in my ears, in my room, behind my eyeballs, deep, close, far, wide, up, down, here, and seemingly everyone all at once. How? It’s gotten to the point that everything, it doesn't matter what, sounds holographically layered. Is it also odd to say that I’ve now fallen asleep with music playing through my MAD24’s a handful of times. I bring that up because the sound is both vivid, and relaxing at the same time. They have never been fatiguing, they have never been harsh, they have never been so laid back they are boring. They are highly engaging and really present music in a way that feels like discovery every time.

Bass
- Placing dual subwoofers in your home theater creates a full, more even bass - this is what the MAD 24’s bass reminds me of with its four subwoofers per channel. The bass is meaty, thick, full, even, masterfully articulated and BAM!...punchy when you least expect with grip and finesse and it can be driven harder than your ears drums can handle before it breaks up. There have been moments in songs where the bass has gotten low enough to convince me that my head or chest is feeling the vibration as if being produced by a home theater subwoofer.. I then have to snap back to reality and convince myself it's not possible. Tight and controlled are understatements, but necessary in attempting to describe how detailed the bass is on the MAD 24’s. Unreal.

Imaging and Layering
- While the DJ’s and ravers I’m convinced exist within the MAD24’s have fun with their bass party there is a phenomenon happening with the twenty other drivers creating layers of separation and depth that can only be heard to be believed. Every frequency of reverb becomes a layer so one note with reverb sounds like you’re seeing the entirety of the note with supreme detail and depth. This effect which I’ve never encountered prior to the MAD 24’s creates complete images of what you’re listening to and allows transcendence to commence, getting lost into music you’ve never needed a map for. MAD 24’s do this in their spare time it seems. They do not tire of displaying all of the details with careful balance and well defined placement and tone.

Soundstage and Separation
- I'm not sure separation is much different than layering in my mind, but I need to mention that the soundstage is everywhere all at once. The miracle of engineering a twenty four driver array can place sounds with such resolution all over as far as you can imagine and as intimately as you would want all instantly at the same time and maintain the level of detail in each of the sounds without breaking a sweat, or getting tangled up is a breathtaking experience. I often wonder now, if the artist who produced the music knew it could sound this good. There is a certain ability i've come to visualize as a large sound stage in which you can pick and choose which sound you prefer to observe, or you can step back and listen to the whole. Its almost as if you can walk around the sound stage taking your time while you observe all the detail for any of the instruments or sounds with no pressure to move on to the next(This is the “relaxing” feel I mentioned). I attribute some of this to the May/Biss stack which is extraordinarily holographic as well but the 24’s are engineered with such a massive soundstage that it's a synergy I do not want to live without.

Dynamics
- The dynamic range is humongous. From the massive bass slam and grippy texture of the sub frequencies to the harmonious complexity of twenty mid and high drivers the MAD24 can apply interesting techniques to fill the vast emptiness of space time with different levels of output per driver in their own time domain - I have to believe this is the magic and sweetness to the MAD 24. Dynamics here involves output per frequency, output per driver, and location of sound. I want to emphasize “location of sound” since these IEM’s are determined to place sounds in locations, it’s one of if not the most enjoyable feature. The way MAD24 has been implemented takes advantage of all of these attributes and paints an exhilarating picture when you close your eyes and watch the paintbrush strokes.
I also want to make it a point to mention that I have the urge to drive the 24’s to my ear drums limits as the harder you drive them the sweeter they become - really allowing you to take everything I said above to its full potential and limit. I listened to them for two weeks, absolutely pushing them to the loudest levels I could stand and everything just got better, except my hearing - that feels like potential permanent damage.
Fortunately the 85db recommended limit to keep you in the audiophile game for longer so you don't destroy your hearing happens to be a sweet spot where dynamics really shine. It’s highly recording and source dependent but the Grand Symphony of full sound stage and dynamics strikes again and offers several distinct volume levels, and locations for each of the instruments or sounds.

When I close my eyes and try to better capture the dynamics in visual form you can think of it like this. In a rock song (Listening to Seether ATM) - every drum beat and cymbal clash is its own straight line consisting of 100 dashes. When that drum is silent the line is flat. When the drum or cymbal hit, imagine the center of the line spikes up like a frequency spectrum analyzer - the center dash spike is the peak dynamics of that drum hit, the dashes to the left and right of the center also raise in conjunction but they don't quite match the volume output of the center dash’s peak height. The subsequent dashes that define the note have their own levels also and when you get to the edges of the note’s dashes you get a tight and controlled ever so slightly rounded edge that keeps that particular note nice and contained .The rounded edge may be coming from my May/Bliss stack - but its displayed well on the 24’s. You get this all for every bass kick, every cymbal, guitar pluck, all while the vocals are separated in their own spectrum, and bass is digging deeper and deeper continually, surprising how well defined it is across the range not to interfere with the dynamics of all the other notes.

Wrap-Up
- Here we are at the end of trying to define one's interpretation of transcendence with a 100% subjective, exceedingly gushing review of what I can’t help but deem “The Grand Symphony” - The Ambient Acoustic MAD24’s.

AMBIENT ACOUSTICS MAD24 & MAD16​

Overview​

A few months back I had a chance to demo the prototypes of the MAD24, MAD16 and MAD10 from Ambient Acoustics, to say the least, I was impressed at the time but I felt a prototype isn’t something that warrants how the final product will sound. Thankfully, Ambient Acoustics were kind enough to send over the final production models of the MAD24 and MAD16 for review.

The MAD24 and MAD16 use 24 and 16 balanced armatures per side respectively, both use a crossover-less design utilising their “Main Audio Destination” technology for phase matching and splitting of FR bands between drivers.

I rarely review multiple products at once, but in this case, the packaging, build and accessories of both of the IEMs are identical which makes it an ideal candidate for such a special review.

Thank you to Ambient Acoustics for this review opportunity.

In the box​

Build quality and accessories​

Let us start with the IEMs themselves. The faceplates are beautiful, whether you like the design or not. It’s clear there was some thought put into making them look the way they do.



The rest of the shell is quite generic, the plastic it’s made out of feels solid and all edges are nicely polished for a seamless transition between the shell and the faceplates. Each shell has a serial number and side engraved on it, somehow this makes them feel a bit more unique than just a printed serial number under the lacquer.



The case is solid, while the design isn’t flashy or innovative the execution is very good. Not only it provides a good amount of protection in terms of how crush-resistance, but it is also lined with a thicker soft material that should prevent scratching. It also came with a big desiccant to help with any moisture.


If there’s an elephant in the room, this is definitely it, the cable. Getting IEMs that cost multiple thousands I generally don’t expect the cable to be as good as aftermarket offerings, but, I also expect something better than the cable provided here. The plugs are cheap, they look like they have been taken some generic cables thrown in with a 30$ set of IEMs. The wire itself is soft and as long as it doesn’t oxidise quickly I don’t have an issue with it.
I have spoken about this to Ambient Acoustics, they have assured me they will upgrade the plugs to something better in the coming months.
In general, the accessories are average considering the price point those two models come at, an improved cable (or multiple cables) would be a good start.

Fit and comfort​

The shells of the IEMs are shaped well, albeit for me a bit too aggressively in terms of the part going into the “cymba concha” part of the ear. For me they were never quite comfortable, I could use them for a couple of hours at a time but then I’d get discomfort in the area mentioned above. Part of that comes from the fact the shells are very large, I can’t really hold that against Ambient Acoustics, they managed to fit 24 and 16 drivers into an IEM which is a feat of itself. I wish the nozzle was smaller too, a lot of tips don’t fit them due to not being able to be stretched onto the nozzle.

Sound​

The part everyone came here for, the sound.

The MAD24 is a variation of a neutral/natural tuning, without being dull or lifeless in the process.

The MAD16 is more of a warm IEM with a richer and thicker presentation.

Bass​

MAD24: Fast, punchy yet never dry. This is one of the rare cases where BA bass is done right, with just the right amount of decay and attack to feel snappy but not artificial. The extension is fantastic, listening to “Bonefield – Window” the initial notes have a good amount of weight and don’t fall off when going into the deep subbass region. They also manage to do something quite rare, they make the bass sound “big” as if it wasn’t produced by a small driver.
MAD16: Slightly slower but more weighty and rich. While MAD24 can keep up with pretty much everything you throw at it, the MAD16 can, especially at slightly higher volume get a little bit overwhelmed on things like “Hans Zimmer – Mountains” crescendo where there’s a lot of instruments, really high dynamic range with a lot of nuances. Don’t get me wrong, it still performs like an extremely good IEM, but it does fall behind its big brother.

Midrange​

MAD24: Again, those show that “balanced armature timbre” is just a question of implementation rather than an inherent issue. They, at least to me, get rid of it completely. The midrange is detailed, smooth yet textured with extremely good layering and presence. They lean towards a neutral presentation while still being articulate and showing everything in the mix with clarity. Listening to “Pink Floyd – On The Run” reveals everything that’s effortlessly hidden in that busy mix.
MAD16: Similar to the MAD24, the MAD16 doesn’t suffer from the “BA timbre”. It has a richer and warmer timbre than the MAD24 with a bit more body injected into each instrument and vocal. While I can tell they aren’t quite as resolving as the MAD24, they are more of a pleasure listen. Vocals on “Fleetwood Mac – The Chain” are rich and smooth without clouding the other instruments.

Treble​

MAD24: Extremely fast and detailed, with a great sparkle. Those are one of the smoothest yet most detailed IEMs I’ve heard, usually those super high detail IEMs tend to be fatiguing, MAD24 doesn’t do that, it presents the detail in a smooth yet clear manner. It comes down to how effortless it is in doing so, nothing is forced, everything is just there. The timbre is also very good.
MAD16. Here’s where the difference between the two is the biggest in terms of technicalities, the MAD16 feels like it doesn’t quite have the same extension and detail retrieval as the MAD24. That’s not to say it’s bad, far from that, it still has a ton of detail, but comparing the two side by side there’s a clear difference. To me, the cymbals on the MAD16 had a bit too slow of a decay which sometimes made them sound a bit crowded, especially on busy metal tracks like “Judas Priest – Painkiller” (intro drum solo).

Imaging and Soundstage​

MAD24: Vast soundstage with an ability to get really close and intimate when needed. Extremely precise imaging within a sphere around the head rather than just in 2 dimensions. Thanks to the amount of air it also maintains a clear separation between instruments witch help the stage feel vast even more.
MAD16: About 70-80% of the stage of the MAD24, still relatively big for an IEM, but due to a warmer and richer natural with less air it doesn’t have that grand nature. It can, however, present certain tracks with a greater sense of intimacy than the MAD24 do.

Conclusion​

Do I then recommend the MAD24 and MAD16? In terms of sound, wholeheartedly yes, both of them are distinct, extremely well-performing IEMs with a crazy amount of cool technology inside.
What makes it more difficult to recommend is the fit and somewhat limited accessories. The IEMs are big, really big, so they definitely won’t fit everyone and the whole package needs a bit more “value” added to it to feel like a 3500$ (MAD24) or 2500$ (MAD16).

I would love to compare the universal fit to the custom fit and see how much better those IEMs can get.

Mad 24 and Mad 16 impressions

Introduction

I’m MAD. I’m MAD these IEMs are so good. I’m MAD I like them this much. And most importantly I’m MAD I was sent them as it led to me buying a pair.

Full disclosure: I was sent these both IEMs from Ambient Acoustics as part of the US based tour and ended up buying a pair of the Mad 24. This might allow some foresight into my opinions, but I will give them to you anyway.

Both models are unique in terms of offering an enormous number of drivers per ear. The 16s have… you guessed it! 16 balanced armatures per ear and the 24s have 24 balanced armatures per ear. If you have an irrational fear of balanced armatures, then leave now.

The MAD 24 is their TOTL offering amongst a decent offering of other IEMs.



Links to Ambient Acoustics page:

MAD 16

MAD 24

Background

I had never heard of Ambient acoustics 6 months ago. A friend of mind was also part of the tour and turned me onto them. From their website it seems they have quite a wide range of offerings both in terms of sound signature and price.

Ambient acoustics is a company based in the Ukraine and on top of producing great IEMs, also have great customer service. During the process of receiving the IEMs, the shipment went missing. Within days, Yulia, had sent another complete set of production units had been sent out. My whole experience dealing with Yulia was one of the best I have ever had. They are an absolute class act of a company, and I would not hesitate to buy from them again knowing who I’m supporting.

Looks:

From their website, they do a lot of unique things with custom shells. You could get a pair of IEMs to match every outfit of the year. They really have some beautiful looking shells. The ones I was sent were slightly plainer than some of the craziness in their gallery but no less beautiful. Both shells are tastefully done with a nice pseudo custom shape. The MAD 24 are slightly larger than the 16 to house the extra drivers but not overly so.

Packaging:

The packaging they come in feels very premium. Since I ended up receiving the production units, I was able to see what the full packaging looks like. The whole packaging feels very premium. I really like the aesthetic of the box. Each set of IEMs comes with a sturdy feeling case, cleaning tool and cloth, ¼ in adapter, a packet of silica gel, and an extremely limited number of tips. I could not get a decent fit with the tips included and had to use my own. I wish that they had come with a few more tip options or sizes but its decent to get you started. The cable is decent. It’s a cheap litz wire in an 8-core braid. Better than some cables but the connectors are cheap and could be a little better to complete the premium feel and price.




Fit and Comfort:

I won’t comment to much as I assume a lot of people will be opting for the custom version. However, the pseudo custom shell is absolutely perfect for my ears. The odd wing off the back hooks right into my ear and they stay no matter what. I have worn both the 24s and 16s for upwards of 8 hours at a time with no issues at all. I have noticed that the universals are decently tip dependent and fit. As stated previously I had a tough time getting a good fit with the included tips, however, once I dug through my cavernous desk drawer for my other tips, I found one that fit well.

Sound:

What does 24 BAs sound like. In a word, “grand.” I could not have asked for anything more out of an IEM than these provide, and I have enjoyed every second listening to them. If that is enough to convince you stop reading. For those that want a little more detail, I will explain below.

Soundstage and Imaging

Both the 16s and the 24s have extremely precise imaging with the 24s edging ahead slightly. Instruments are well separated and perfectly placed. The 16s can be a little more cluttered in their presentation where the mad 24 handles even the most chaotic songs with ease. Secondly, the staging on the 24s is decidedly wider. The “default” width, if you will, is wider than the 16. They are capable of intimacy but not overly so. If you are looking for a more intimate experience, then the 16s might be more your interest in this department. Once the IEMs are situated properly, they have an amazing to just disappear. Music just appears effortlessly. Both models do this. The staging and everything else takes over and you are sitting there listening to a concert instead of listening to drivers.

Listening to “What kind of man” by Florence + the machine, the MAD 24 shows of its incredible width and airiness. Florence’s vocals have an ethereal quality to them and the 24 shows that off perfectly leaving sufficient air behind the vocals.

Treble

If you like treble, this is where the MAD 16 might win out for you. The 16s have much more emphasis in this region. Not overly sibilant but defiantly more noticeable than the 24s. The treble of the 24s is gorgeous, natural, and airy. However, they are slightly more controlled on the 24s than the 16s. I think this is nice for longer listening sessions to prevent fatigue. The treble increase and energy on the 16s though make them an extremely fun listen.

Mids

Vocals are absolutely stunning on the MAD 24. Vocal texture is perfect and rivals some of the best cans I’ve heard. The midrange is extremely lush and accurate. All vocals on these have perfect intensity and realism. The 16s on the other hand are a bit thicker. Male vocals feel a bit warmer and overall, less detailed and refined.

Listening to “Delete Forever” by Grimes, the raspy character of her voice is perfectly captured and absolutely intoxicating to listen to.

Bass

In a word perfect. Well near perfect. The one thing I would want out of the 24s is a little better sub bass texture but beyond that bass is handled amazing. The 24s have such good control, speed, and bass texture. It is a bit more refined and controlled than the 16s. Still the bass is some of the best I have heard and was one of the first things that blew me away on first listen. Every bass note sounds so natural with enough authority to make it impactful.

Overall Impressions

Mad 24

The 24s are amazing. They have amazing technical abilities and are perfectly balanced. The soundstage is wide, and imaging is stunning. The bass is fast and responsive. Its all you could really ask for. Above all else, the mid-range is absolutely stunning. The timbre and dynamics never cease to amaze me. They have easily become my new daily driver and are a perfect addition to any collection.

Mad 16

The 16s are great in their own right. They are defiantly more energetic and brighter than the 24s. On certain songs I even prefer them. However, they are less balanced overall. They can be slightly more fatiguing when wearing for longer periods of time, but overall a really fun listen. The bass is still good with decent texture and good presence. The mids are a little thicker and less accurate with more focus placed on treble. The treble is where they really shine with good emphasis and texture.