[piotrus-g]

Hey @Kagelou I would indeed recommend FIBAE2 or FIBAE ME. We are starting to process the previous Massdrop orders, which means the new drop should happen fairly soon.
FIBAE 2 is smooth and warm sounding IEM, but as I mentioned few pages back, the jump in quality and the fun-factor in FIBAE ME is really big. The ME sounds competitive to some of the current offerings from competitors costing 2 or 3 times more. It's just pure fun, musicality and enjoyment type of sound.

In other words if you go to E-Earphone and find that FIBAE2 is lacking bass for you, then FIBAE ME will be best pick from our line up.

RE Ei.3 - it's great all-rounder IEM if you are on the budget. It has very easy going sound with some fun factor, but it looses in terms of resolution, sound-staging etc to FIBAE2.

 

[Kagelou]

I compared the FIBAE 2 and the ME earlier in the thread, with some input from @piotrus-g himself as well. I think it's a page or two back, but please keep in mind that my F2 is custom silicone and the ME I tried was an acrylic universal demo. The previous drop was indeed the very first drop and it ended a few weeks ago IIRC. The previous Massdrop-exclusive Custom Art IEM - the Ei.XX - had multiple drops every few months spanning a year or two, so you have nothing to worry about. In Japan, I'd recommend visiting E-Earphone. The one I visited in Akihabara had a pretty impressive inventory. Keep in mind that E-Earphone's CIEM store is separate from their main store. They should have all the info you need on their webpage.

Thanks, found the posts on pages 60~62 with some input from @PinkyPowers as well. Looking forward to his in-depth review of the custom version, I'm sure a perfect fit will give a more accurate representation of the bass power the ME has to offer.
You mentioned that there is a upper-mid range peak, did you notice this affect any vocals, mainly female, at all? While I do like good, punchy bass, I enjoy vocals as well, so don't want the bass to over-power and drown them out.

Good to hear that the ME will drop again! Will be on the lookout

I did notice that you mentioned your F2s are silicone, not acrylic as your past CIEMs. CustomArt does have a comparison guide of silicone vs acrylic and it seems the main points are silicone isolates more but has less durability (since it is softer) and requires high maintenance. Does silicone really have the edge in isolation compared to acrylic?
(was planning to go with acrylic, not really a choice if I go with the ME anyways)

Yep, I went to E-Earphone in Akiba a long time ago, didn't know they had a custom shop!
I will drop by within this week to test out the CIEMs, mainly Ei.3, F2, and F3.

Quick question on your F3; did you use a light turquoise with clear tips, or light turquoise through the entire body?
The mirror foil face plates look really nice as well, wonder when they will be an official option for regular consumers o.o

Hey @Kagelou I would indeed recommend FIBAE2 or FIBAE ME. We are starting to process the previous Massdrop orders, which means the new drop should happen fairly soon.
FIBAE 2 is smooth and warm sounding IEM, but as I mentioned few pages back, the jump in quality and the fun-factor in FIBAE ME is really big. The ME sounds competitive to some of the current offerings from competitors costing 2 or 3 times more. It's just pure fun, musicality and enjoyment type of sound.

In other words if you go to E-Earphone and find that FIBAE2 is lacking bass for you, then FIBAE ME will be best pick from our line up.

RE Ei.3 - it's great all-rounder IEM if you are on the budget. It has very easy going sound with some fun factor, but it looses in terms of resolution, sound-staging etc to FIBAE2.

Hi @piotrus-g
Thank you for your input! Apologies if this isn't the place to ask, but is the "drop" first come first serve, or do you just need to order within the drop period?
Also, I assume the "Massdrop" logo is Massdrop exclusive, right?

I see, so the ME really does offer the deep, warm, fun sound that is usually found in bass~mid centered dynamic IEMs.
Did notice on the Massdrop page that the drivers are leaned towards the lower spectrum so makes sense.

 

[PinkyPowers]

Thanks, found the posts on pages 60~62 with some input from @PinkyPowers as well. Looking forward to his in-depth review of the custom version, I'm sure a perfect fit will give a more accurate representation of the bass power the ME has to offer.
You mentioned that there is a upper-mid range peak, did you notice this affect any vocals, mainly female, at all? While I do like good, punchy bass, I enjoy vocals as well, so don't want the bass to over-power and drown them out.

Good to hear that the ME will drop again! Will be on the lookout

I did notice that you mentioned your F2s are silicone, not acrylic as your past CIEMs. CustomArt does have a comparison guide of silicone vs acrylic and it seems the main points are silicone isolates more but has less durability (since it is softer) and requires high maintenance. Does silicone really have the edge in isolation compared to acrylic?
(was planning to go with acrylic, not really a choice if I go with the ME anyways)

Yep, I went to E-Earphone in Akiba a long time ago, didn't know they had a custom shop!
I will drop by within this week to test out the CIEMs, mainly Ei.3, F2, and F3.

Quick question on your F3; did you use a light turquoise with clear tips, or light turquoise through the entire body?
The mirror foil face plates look really nice as well, wonder when they will be an official option for regular consumers o.o



Hi @piotrus-g
Thank you for your input! Apologies if this isn't the place to ask, but is the "drop" first come first serve, or do you just need to order within the drop period?
Also, I assume the "Massdrop" logo is Massdrop exclusive, right?

I see, so the ME really does offer the deep, warm, fun sound that is usually found in bass~mid centered dynamic IEMs.
Did notice on the Massdrop page that the drivers are leaned towards the lower spectrum so makes sense.

My review is coming. But it's still a ways off, sadly.

Vocals are certainly not drowned out by the bass, but they are warmed up and given serious body.

 

[Deezel177]

Thanks, found the posts on pages 60~62 with some input from @PinkyPowers as well. Looking forward to his in-depth review of the custom version, I'm sure a perfect fit will give a more accurate representation of the bass power the ME has to offer.
You mentioned that there is a upper-mid range peak, did you notice this affect any vocals, mainly female, at all? While I do like good, punchy bass, I enjoy vocals as well, so don't want the bass to over-power and drown them out.

Good to hear that the ME will drop again! Will be on the lookout

I did notice that you mentioned your F2s are silicone, not acrylic as your past CIEMs. CustomArt does have a comparison guide of silicone vs acrylic and it seems the main points are silicone isolates more but has less durability (since it is softer) and requires high maintenance. Does silicone really have the edge in isolation compared to acrylic?
(was planning to go with acrylic, not really a choice if I go with the ME anyways)

Yep, I went to E-Earphone in Akiba a long time ago, didn't know they had a custom shop!
I will drop by within this week to test out the CIEMs, mainly Ei.3, F2, and F3.

Quick question on your F3; did you use a light turquoise with clear tips, or light turquoise through the entire body?
The mirror foil face plates look really nice as well, wonder when they will be an official option for regular consumers o.o



Hi @piotrus-g
Thank you for your input! Apologies if this isn't the place to ask, but is the "drop" first come first serve, or do you just need to order within the drop period?
Also, I assume the "Massdrop" logo is Massdrop exclusive, right?

I see, so the ME really does offer the deep, warm, fun sound that is usually found in bass~mid centered dynamic IEMs.
Did notice on the Massdrop page that the drivers are leaned towards the lower spectrum so makes sense.

The upper-midrange peak is just to help vocal articulation and clarity; it’s neither sibilant nor unnatural so you have nothing to worry about - vocals are very much present and beautifully bodied as well because of the bass.

Yes, silicone does provide greater isolation and a better feeling of seamlessness between the IEM and the skin, but it’s more difficult to insert and remove. If you have to do this often and you’d rather avoid the hassle of maintenance, I’d suggest acrylic. Correct me if I’m wrong, @piotrus-g, but are the ME’s acrylic like the Ei.XX or available in silicone as well?

To get to the custom shop, all you have to do is turn the corner from the building where the main store is held. From the main store building, facing the alley outside, you turn right, go straight ‘til you reach the sidewalk, turn right again and walk straight. You should walk right past it within 10-20 metres. I can send you a Google Maps link if necessary, but I think you’ll be able to find it no problem.

 

[piotrus-g]

Does silicone really have the edge in isolation compared to acrylic?

Minimal

Thank you for your input! Apologies if this isn't the place to ask, but is the "drop" first come first serve, or do you just need to order within the drop period?

Kind of both. Drop is limited to 50pcs, orders are processed according to when the ear impressions came to our lab. And you have to purchase within limited time (7days) when the drop is active.

Also, I assume the "Massdrop" logo is Massdrop exclusive, right?

Well yeah.

Correct me if I’m wrong, @piotrus-g, but are the ME’s acrylic like the Ei.XX or available in silicone as well?

Acrylic only.

 

[Kagelou]

My review is coming. But it's still a ways off, sadly.

Vocals are certainly not drowned out by the bass, but they are warmed up and given serious body.

Awesome, looking forward to the review!
I assume you will give a heads on up on this too, but will be on the look-out on theheadphonelist as well!

The upper-midrange peak is just to help vocal articulation and clarity; it’s neither sibilant nor unnatural so you have nothing to worry about - vocals are very much present and beautifully bodied as well because of the bass.

Yes, silicone does provide greater isolation and a better feeling of seamlessness between the IEM and the skin, but it’s more difficult to insert and remove. If you have to do this often and you’d rather avoid the hassle of maintenance, I’d suggest acrylic. Correct me if I’m wrong, @piotrus-g, but are the ME’s acrylic like the Ei.XX or available in silicone as well?

To get to the custom shop, all you have to do is turn the corner from the building where the main store is held. From the main store building, facing the alley outside, you turn right, go straight ‘til you reach the sidewalk, turn right again and walk straight. You should walk right past it within 10-20 metres. I can send you a Google Maps link if necessary, but I think you’ll be able to find it no problem.

Good to hear, getting excited for the next drop and trying out the F2s as well!

I did notice with my Ety ACS tips that it was a bit difficult to insert and remove due to the "stickyness" of silicone.
Seems like ME only comes in with acrylic, will probably go with acrylic if I decide on the F2s, thanks!

I checked out the map, dunno how I even missed the custom shop last time I went since you need to go past it to get to the main store building!
Doubt I will have any issue finding it, thanks.

Minimal

Kind of both. Drop is limited to 50pcs, orders are processed according to when the ear impressions came to our lab. And you have to purchase within limited time (7days) when the drop is active.

Well yeah.

Acrylic only.

I see, will go with acrylic then, I would prefer the durability and ease of maintenance.

Oh, limited to 50pcs and 225 people have requested the drop, guess I need to hurry and test out the F2s before the next drop.
It seems that E-Earphone custom shop can do impressions as well, so will go there once I decide.

 

[TokyoEvilBird]

E-earphone custom shop have a specialist at the basement that does CIEM impressions. Been there too many times. They close on Mondays I think. Best to check the availability on e-earphone.jp site. At the custom shops, if you don't speak Japanese, there is a nice lady Kato-san who can speak English. You might have to ask one of the Japanese staff there whether she is available. Best of luck and do tell about your impression of the F2 and F3. I am also interested to get it this year.

 

[Kagelou]

E-earphone custom shop have a specialist at the basement that does CIEM impressions. Been there too many times. They close on Mondays I think. Best to check the availability on e-earphone.jp site. At the custom shops, if you don't speak Japanese, there is a nice lady Kato-san who can speak English. You might have to ask one of the Japanese staff there whether she is available. Best of luck and do tell about your impression of the F2 and F3. I am also interested to get it this year.

Yep, saw on their site, does seem like they are closed on Monday and Tuesday.
I can speak Japanese so won't have an issue there.
Will do, I will likely try out some other uni-versions of CIEMs as well! Anyone have recommendations on warm, fun, dynamic-like CIEMs (or uni IEMs) that may be similar to the Fibae ME?

Also, I noticed on page 59 that a user was able to get a clock-work type design on the face plate of their F3.
Can't seem to find this option on CustomArts CIEM design page, is this some sort of special design @piotrus-g ?
Was looking through E-Earphone's list of CIEMs and noticed Jomo has the cool design, was wondering whether CustomArts offers a similar one o.o

 

[Deezel177]

Yep, saw on their site, does seem like they are closed on Monday and Tuesday.
I can speak Japanese so won't have an issue there.
Will do, I will likely try out some other uni-versions of CIEMs as well! Anyone have recommendations on warm, fun, dynamic-like CIEMs (or uni IEMs) that may be similar to the Fibae ME?

Also, I noticed on page 59 that a user was able to get a clock-work type design on the face plate of their F3.
Can't seem to find this option on CustomArts CIEM design page, is this some sort of special design @piotrus-g ?
Was looking through E-Earphone's list of CIEMs and noticed Jomo has the cool design, was wondering whether CustomArts offers a similar one o.o

You can try the Empire Ears hybrids over there as well as the Lime Ears Aether and Model X. The watch-part design is a special that you can request so long as the IEM is acrylic. And, considering the ME only comes in acrylic, you can definitely ask for one from Piotr.

 

[Kagelou]

You can try the Empire Ears hybrids over there as well as the Lime Ears Aether and Model X. The watch-part design is a special that you can request so long as the IEM is acrylic. And, considering the ME only comes in acrylic, you can definitely ask for one from Piotr.

Noted, does seem like they have those models so will try them out, thanks!
Lime Ears Aether is a bit out of my budget but was curious about the Model X, saw that you tried them out at CanJam as well.
Empire Ears, Bravado would probably be the only one in range, man those hybrids are costly (but I assume best of both worlds).

I see, so it isn't on the design maker.
Should probably play around and make a design before-hand so that if I get the F2 or ME, I can shorten the lead time even a little bit haha
Still trying to decide on color, will take looks at their facebook page but I tried a red transparent body, amber transparent canal tip, and wood or red wine transparent face plate on the design and it does look quite nice.
Then again, I see that there are options that aren't on the design tool such as the watch part design, "galaxy" color, and marble swirls!

 

[Deezel177]

Noted, does seem like they have those models so will try them out, thanks!
Lime Ears Aether is a bit out of my budget but was curious about the Model X, saw that you tried them out at CanJam as well.
Empire Ears, Bravado would probably be the only one in range, man those hybrids are costly (but I assume best of both worlds).

I see, so it isn't on the design maker.
Should probably play around and make a design before-hand so that if I get the F2 or ME, I can shorten the lead time even a little bit haha
Still trying to decide on color, will take looks at their facebook page but I tried a red transparent body, amber transparent canal tip, and wood or red wine transparent face plate on the design and it does look quite nice.
Then again, I see that there are options that aren't on the design tool such as the watch part design, "galaxy" color, and marble swirls!

Custom Art are fantastic to work with design-wise. I'd recommend you e-mail/message them directly with any ideas you have to see if they're feasible. More often than not, they are. Also, your impressions take about a week to ship from Japan to Poland, so you don't have to rush a design as soon as you order. You can either let the shopkeeper know you're discussing designs with Piotr directly (and let him charge you for custom colours and watch parts), or talk to Piotr beforehand about a design to get a quote on price.

 

[piotrus-g]

Yeah, the time-machine design is special request only. And we can do crazy designs too, so just shoot me an email with some inspiration and I will let you know if it's possible or not.

Also one note, if you are ordering from Japan (with delivery to Japan) the regular line up (except Massdrop Edition) can only be ordered through E-Earphone - so if you like FIBAE2 please order them on spot in the store, as we won't accept direct order.

 

[davidcotton]

God I wish there were more stores like that in Europe/uk

 

[Kagelou]

Custom Art are fantastic to work with design-wise. I'd recommend you e-mail/message them directly with any ideas you have to see if they're feasible. More often than not, they are. Also, your impressions take about a week to ship from Japan to Poland, so you don't have to rush a design as soon as you order. You can either let the shopkeeper know you're discussing designs with Piotr directly (and let him charge you for custom colours and watch parts), or talk to Piotr beforehand about a design to get a quote on price.

Ah, further expansion of the design options! Really wish I was the artistic type so that I could create the exact design I want haha
Yea I will discuss with Piotr directly if I have any special design requests since it seems customization of the ME is done at checkout.

Yeah, the time-machine design is special request only. And we can do crazy designs too, so just shoot me an email with some inspiration and I will let you know if it's possible or not.

Also one note, if you are ordering from Japan (with delivery to Japan) the regular line up (except Massdrop Edition) can only be ordered through E-Earphone - so if you like FIBAE2 please order them on spot in the store, as we won't accept direct order.

I see, so you have other special designs other than the time-machine and metallic face plate! Thanks, will likely contact you once I decide on a CIEM and/or decide to go with a special design.

Noted on the regular lineup, I was actually curious as to whether it is possible to do a direct order even though E-Earphone is a local shop.
They have CustomArt listed as a 2 month wait from receiving impressions to finish.

 

[davidcotton]

They have CustomArt listed as a 2 month wait from receiving impressions to finish.

If you read back through the thread Piotrus has said that it's a 7-8 turn around for most builds atm anyway due to various things.

Have fun choosing!