FatFreq Grand Maestro

Build, comfort, unboxing experience:

The unboxing experience Grand Maestro provides is among the most grandiose I have seen. A few other IEMs that go such extravagant routes are the DITA Perpetua, Sony IER Z1R, and some Noble IEMs. I understand that the unboxing experience does not affect the sound quality and is only superficial to many people. That being said, an extravagant unboxing experience is also a testament to a manufacturer's pride and confidence in their product.





Removing the Grand Maestro's blue outer cardboard shell reveals the exquisitely polished large wooden box, which again reveals a gorgeous golden metal hockey puck-style case, some regular grey OEM tips, and a set of large bore tips, which I suspect are "Tri Clarions." The gold-plated modular upgrade cable feels high-end. The modules also feature a screw-in shroud mechanism which protects the 3.5mm/ 4.4mm modules from losing friction over time from continuous tug and pull.











The earpieces/shells are larger than usual, in stark contrast to the tiny Scarlet Mini/ Maestro mini earpieces. They are almost as large as the infamous Sony IER Z1R shells, though lightweight, thanks to their resin construction. I found them reasonably comfortable with the stock gray tips, Azla Sednaearfit Max, and Pentaconn Coreir Brass tips. There were minor SQ differences with each tip, which I will discuss in detail in the sound review section.



Sound:

Judging the Grand Maestro's sound is tricky. It offers four different configurations, and the type of ear tips you pair them with directly affects how they sound. I found my sweet spot with black NOAH modules with bass switches off and will base my review mainly on that.



The frequency graph here (courtesy of "Tone Deaf Monk") showcases each of the four possible tunings. The black Filter + Vocal switch-off combo is the bassiest of the bunch but also the second most elevated in the air frequencies. Turning the vocal switch on considerably tones down both the bass and treble region but slightly elevates the entire midrange band. The Blue NOAH module with vocal switches off is slightly reigned in the sub-bass compared to the black module. The midrange remains identical primarily, while the treble gets some minor boost. It is the most neutral-sounding config among the bunch, though the bass still remains as authoritative as ever. The Blue NOAH module with the vocal switches on has the least amount of bass and treble, while the midrange band is identical to the Black module + Vocal switch-on config.



It is a FATfreq IEM, so of course, the Grand Maestro offers fabulous endgame level bass that interestingly does not go as overboard in the bass region as their lower tier offerings. The bass here is not a mere mindless sub-bass shelf but offers nuance and texture with the perfect amount of fun. The bass lift is also strictly restricted in the lowest registers therefore, the Grand Maestro does not come off as obviously bassy in most tracks at all. When I played some old Kanye West and Daft Punk tracks on it, the bass instantly lit up and positively accentuated the said tracks.

Acoustic tracks and jazz, on the other hand, are not affected by any sort of bass overlap. In fact, the subtle bass undertones of the string instruments sound euphoric. Grand Maestro's bass knows precisely when to play the second fiddle and when to take center stage. It is definitely a proper basshead IEM but with cautious restraint.



Treble, I think, is one of the most overlooked aspects of this IEM. Most people view FATfreq as a basshead holy grail and do not notice how masterfully tuned the Grand Maestro’s treble is. It has proper restraint in the presence region without being overly velvety, handles the often troublesome lower treble region with polite finesse, and then adds some mid-treble sizzle and a generous amount of upper treble, rendering the presentation airy and spacious but not at the cost of fatigue or sibilance.

Sleeping Sun by Nightwish is a track where the excessive presence and treble get rowdy on maximum IEMs. On the Grand Maestro, the treble becomes much more civilized and sibilance-free, as if the entire track went through a fine whetstone.



The midrange is a common ground where all FATfreq IEMs shine. The mids here are present, transparent, and detailed, showing no signs of lean glassiness. In my opinion, the Grand Maestro easily outclasses the Subtonic Storm in the midrange department and stands on equal footing with the Craft Ears Omium and DITA Perpetua, both midrange masters in this price category. From my observation, vision Ears X and Aura (Astell and Kern collab with Vision Ears) also do midrange pretty well, but they do not have the overall clarity and refinement of the Grand Maestro.

That being said, I do not like the Grand Maestro’s midrange with the blue modules and vocal switches on as much as I do with the rest of the configs. The upper midrange gets too forward and messes up the timbre a bit. Blue module with vocal switches off sounds as good as black module with vocal switches off, albeit slightly less warm.



From a technical standpoint, Grand Maestro is a champion and leaves no room for complaints. It's impressively spacious and has excellent soundstage verticality (height and depth). It does not sound as wide as some other IEMs in this price range, but it does not come off as overly intimate. The Grand Maestro's imaging performance is easily among the best I have tried under $4000. The Images it can create are grandiose and headphone-like, reminiscent of the Empire Ears Odin. Granted, It does not sound as holographic as the Odin, but that only becomes apparent after intense A/B ing. Micro-contrasting abilities and resolution are as good as any other ToTL IEMs. Some anomalies like the Aroma Audio Jewel and Fei Wan can take detail and separation to a whole new level, but those IEMs also cost significantly more.



Grand Maestro is also a fantastic all-rounder without any particular penchant for specific genres. This is oddly a rare characteristic I find in ToTL IEMs, most of which are genre specialists. I enjoy old-school hip-hop on it as much as Jazz and heavy metal. It is genuinely a “Maestro” of all trades.

Drivability, Source Pairing, and Tip Rolling:

The Grand Maestro is very hard to drive, which seems to be a common trope associated with all IEMs from Singapore. The Subtonic Storm, for example, requires desktop-grade amplification to open up. The same goes for Symphonium and DITA IEMs. Dongles are definitely out of the question. The Questyle CMA 18 Portable, which is an otherwise very powerful portable device, required high gain and 26 out of its 32-step volume control to make the Grand Maestro sing. It required slightly more power than the Arya Organic, which is a full-sized planar magnetic headphone. I would highly recommend a portable amp paired with the DAP of your choice (preferably the Aroma Audio A100TB, iBasso Osprey DB5, or the Brise Audio Tsurangi) to churn the best out of the Grand Maestro.

With this IEM, I liked the Pentaconn Coreir brass tips the most. The Grand Maestro has huge earpieces, and I had difficulty getting a proper seal with most aftermarket ear tips. Coreir brass worked the best for me. Final Audio E type and Divinus velvet also worked well, though the latter often loses grip. Azla Sednaearfit Max worked well for comfort but made the treble a bit too aggressive for my liking.

Comparisons:

Craft Ears Omnium:

Hailing from Poland, Craft Ears is another highly sophisticated boutique brand offering both CIEMs and universal options. Omnium is the current flagship from Craft Ears. While the full Grand Maestro package is significantly more expensive than the Omnium, the base package is not too far off. Omnium is less pronounced in the low end compared to the Grand Maestro. Bass is more polite and subtle in the mix but gets some extra boost from certain amplifiers, the Aroma Audio A100TB, for example. Omnium has a slightly warmer and more organic midrange, though the level of clarity remains similar. Omnium's midrange is handled by a highly competent planar driver; therefore, picking apart background details is more effortless. Grand Maestro's treble is more airy and spacious compared to Omnium's. Trailing edges of notes are smoother on the Omnium, sometimes making it comparatively less exciting than the Grand Maestro.

Vision Ears x A&K Aura:

Priced almost identical to the Grand Maestro, this collab IEM boasts amazing timbre and technical performance. Aura is heavy, and getting a good seal can be bothersome. It is way less pronounced and less dynamic in the low end compared to the Grand Maestro and less refined in the treble as well. The upper treble of the Aura can cause fatigue occasionally. Midrange is warmer and more lush in the Aura than in the Grand Maestro. I find the Grand Maestro to be a better allrounder than the Aura.

Fir Audio XE6:

Fir Audio XE6 is another bass monster from the USA, but its presentation is wildly different. XE6 presents bass in a punchy, weighty, and brutal manner. It has a midbass tilted emphasis, while the Grand Maestro's bass sort of works counterclockwise. XE6 is a heavily colored set that requires a specific pair of ear tips (Symbio Mandarin Hybrids) to sound balanced. RN6 is less colored, but its bass tuning is similar to that of XE6.

DITA Perpetua:

Perpetua is the best single DD IEM one can get, period. It is very difficult for me to choose a clear favorite between the Grand Maestro and the Perpetua. Perpetua does not have the domineering bass response of the Grand Maestro, yet it does something special on its own. Perpetua has a very organic and natural decay in its low end, which I find unique to this particular set. DITA's low-cost Project M has some reminiscence of that bass. Midrange timbre is more natural on the Perpetua, while Grand Maestro has a markedly superior treble response. Perpetua retains its soundstage superiority, though the resolution level is a notch below the Grand Maestro.

Elysian Annihilator:

Annihilator is a specialist IEM catering to treble-heads. It is also one of the most technical IEMs you can buy, regardless of price. It is not an allrounder, though, and handily loses to the Grand Maestro in both bass and midrange. Bass is the weakest link of the Annihilator and A/B ing with the Grand Maestro makes that fact clear as a day. Annihilator also sports large shells, but it is not as comfortable as the Grand Maestro, from my experience.

Grand Maestro might have a hefty price tag, but I think it does more than enough to warrant that level of cost. It is a delightful set without any jarring flaws, minus maybe the large shell size if you have tiny ears (easily alleviated via the right ear tips). A "Maestro of all trades, Jack of none."