[snapandslide]

Since I had the opportunity to audition UM MEXT for a few days, Thanks to Musicteck, I decided to post a little write up about it. But as soon as I mentioned that I heard MEXT, I got a ton of questions asking me how it compares to Mest MKII and Indigo. So, I decided to write something different from my usual mini-reviews, breaking down the comparison between these into Bass/Lower Mids/Upper Mids/Treble and Soundstage categories. Please keep in mind, when I say “=” or ”>”, I don’t mean it as one being the same or better than the other. It is all relative to how I hear it, and under each category I have a short write up with a more detailed explanation.

Mest MKII vs Indigo vs MEXT



Bass: MEXT > Indigo = MKII

When it comes to bass comparison between these 3, it is all about the perception. MEXT bass sounds more elevated, with more weight and stronger impact due to its warmer tonality, less forward mids, and smoother treble. Indigo and MKII have similar low end response and due to their more revealing tonality, as well as Indigo's more forward mids, their bass perception is lower in quantity when compared to MEXT.

Lower Mids: MEXT > Indigo > MKII

In terms of the amount of body and tonality, MEXT lower mids are the fullest and the warmest in comparison to Indigo lower mids being a little north of neutral and MKII being closer to neutral.

Upper Mids: Indigo > MEXT = MKII

Indisputably, Indigo has more forward upper mids which shape its sound sig to be more balanced. MEXT and MKII upper mids are nearly the same in quantity, but MEXT sounds smoother because of its less aggressive treble, while MKII upper mids/vocals are brighter and more revealing due to its more energetic treble.

Treble: MKII > Indigo > MEXT

MKII treble is the brightest, being more crisp and more energetic. Indigo treble quantity is the same as MKII, but due to a more forward upper mids, its treble sounds less aggressive. MEXT is the smoothest due to a more attenuated mid-treble response since it is lacking EST drivers. MEXT treble is not rolled off or “missing”, it's still detailed and has a good definition, presence, and clarity. But its tonality is noticeably smoother in comparison to Indigo and MKII, making MEXT less fatigue in longer listening sessions.

Soundstage: MEXT = Indigo > MKII

MEXT soundstage is as wide open and as holographic as Indigo, but it also adds a little bit of reverberation effect on top of it, especially noticeable when you hit the pause in the middle of the playback when you hear the tail of the reverb. In comparison, MKII soundstage sounds a bit intimate due to having more depth than width. By itself, MKII soundstage is wide, but not on the same level as MEXT and Indigo.

Thanks for that very informative! Do you have thoughts on imaging and other technicalities like timbre and more on detail retrieval? Imaging seems to be the thing about indigo so intrigued

 

[twister6]

Thanks for that very informative! Do you have thoughts on imaging and other technicalities like timbre and more on detail retrieval? Imaging seems to be the thing about indigo so intrigued

That's what I meant by holographic, referring to imaging. Also, sorry, don't have MEST with me anymore.

 

[weexisttocease]

Since I had the opportunity to audition UM MEXT for a few days, Thanks to Musicteck, I decided to post a little write up about it. But as soon as I mentioned that I heard MEXT, I got a ton of questions asking me how it compares to Mest MKII and Indigo. So, I decided to write something different from my usual mini-reviews, breaking down the comparison between these into Bass/Lower Mids/Upper Mids/Treble and Soundstage categories. Please keep in mind, when I say “=” or ”>”, I don’t mean it as one being the same or better than the other. It is all relative to how I hear it, and under each category I have a short write up with a more detailed explanation.

Mest MKII vs Indigo vs MEXT



Bass: MEXT > Indigo = MKII

When it comes to bass comparison between these 3, it is all about the perception. MEXT bass sounds more elevated, with more weight and stronger impact due to its warmer tonality, less forward mids, and smoother treble. Indigo and MKII have similar low end response and due to their more revealing tonality, as well as Indigo's more forward mids, their bass perception is lower in quantity when compared to MEXT.

Lower Mids: MEXT > Indigo > MKII

In terms of the amount of body and tonality, MEXT lower mids are the fullest and the warmest in comparison to Indigo lower mids being a little north of neutral and MKII being closer to neutral.

Upper Mids: Indigo > MEXT = MKII

Indisputably, Indigo has more forward upper mids which shape its sound sig to be more balanced. MEXT and MKII upper mids are nearly the same in quantity, but MEXT sounds smoother because of its less aggressive treble, while MKII upper mids/vocals are brighter and more revealing due to its more energetic treble.

Treble: MKII > Indigo > MEXT

MKII treble is the brightest, being more crisp and more energetic. Indigo treble quantity is the same as MKII, but due to a more forward upper mids, its treble sounds less aggressive. MEXT is the smoothest due to a more attenuated mid-treble response since it is lacking EST drivers. MEXT treble is not rolled off or “missing”, it's still detailed and has a good definition, presence, and clarity. But its tonality is noticeably smoother in comparison to Indigo and MKII, making MEXT less fatigue in longer listening sessions.

Soundstage: MEXT = Indigo > MKII

MEXT soundstage is as wide open and as holographic as Indigo, but it also adds a little bit of reverberation effect on top of it, especially noticeable when you hit the pause in the middle of the playback when you hear the tail of the reverb. In comparison, MKII soundstage sounds a bit intimate due to having more depth than width. By itself, MKII soundstage is wide, but not on the same level as MEXT and Indigo.

How is the fit? It looks bigger than MKII and Indigo.

 

[Neweymatt]

How is the fit? It looks bigger than MKII and Indigo.

My first thought looking at the MEXT shell is how much it resembles 3DT in shape and size, which is somewhat large but surprisingly light. 3DT is a shallow fit for me, but with the large bore of the nozzle stays nice and snug in my outer ear canal...

 

[Frainen]

Thanks for the comparison @twister6
Happy to read that the MEXT is not just a bass canon and brings more to the table.
Considering the price twice lower than the Indigo, it is welcome.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Thank you very much Alex, very helpful!!!
Make sense compare EXT to MEXT?

 

[raylu]

feel like the comparison between mext and evo will be interesting as well

 

[OhmsClaw]

I assume this language is meant to imply they are lower cost than their own and competitors offerings, and therefore more accessible to the market, without using the word "cheap".

They're still a grand haha. If you're gonna spend 1100 then 1500 or 1700 is just waiting a pay check.

 

[Ace Bee]

Since I had the opportunity to audition UM MEXT for a few days, Thanks to Musicteck, I decided to post a little write up about it. But as soon as I mentioned that I heard MEXT, I got a ton of questions asking me how it compares to Mest MKII and Indigo. So, I decided to write something different from my usual mini-reviews, breaking down the comparison between these into Bass/Lower Mids/Upper Mids/Treble and Soundstage categories. Please keep in mind, when I say “=” or ”>”, I don’t mean it as one being the same or better than the other. It is all relative to how I hear it, and under each category I have a short write up with a more detailed explanation.

Mest MKII vs Indigo vs MEXT



Bass: MEXT > Indigo = MKII

When it comes to bass comparison between these 3, it is all about the perception. MEXT bass sounds more elevated, with more weight and stronger impact due to its warmer tonality, less forward mids, and smoother treble. Indigo and MKII have similar low end response and due to their more revealing tonality, as well as Indigo's more forward mids, their bass perception is lower in quantity when compared to MEXT.

Lower Mids: MEXT > Indigo > MKII

In terms of the amount of body and tonality, MEXT lower mids are the fullest and the warmest in comparison to Indigo lower mids being a little north of neutral and MKII being closer to neutral.

Upper Mids: Indigo > MEXT = MKII

Indisputably, Indigo has more forward upper mids which shape its sound sig to be more balanced. MEXT and MKII upper mids are nearly the same in quantity, but MEXT sounds smoother because of its less aggressive treble, while MKII upper mids/vocals are brighter and more revealing due to its more energetic treble.

Treble: MKII > Indigo > MEXT

MKII treble is the brightest, being more crisp and more energetic. Indigo treble quantity is the same as MKII, but due to a more forward upper mids, its treble sounds less aggressive. MEXT is the smoothest due to a more attenuated mid-treble response since it is lacking EST drivers. MEXT treble is not rolled off or “missing”, it's still detailed and has a good definition, presence, and clarity. But its tonality is noticeably smoother in comparison to Indigo and MKII, making MEXT less fatigue in longer listening sessions.

Soundstage: MEXT = Indigo > MKII

MEXT soundstage is as wide open and as holographic as Indigo, but it also adds a little bit of reverberation effect on top of it, especially noticeable when you hit the pause in the middle of the playback when you hear the tail of the reverb. In comparison, MKII soundstage sounds a bit intimate due to having more depth than width. By itself, MKII soundstage is wide, but not on the same level as MEXT and Indigo.

And with that, MEXT has started to look more attractive to me than Dark Sky! Damn my pocket...

 

[Ahmad313]

Since I had the opportunity to audition UM MEXT for a few days, Thanks to Musicteck, I decided to post a little write up about it. But as soon as I mentioned that I heard MEXT, I got a ton of questions asking me how it compares to Mest MKII and Indigo. So, I decided to write something different from my usual mini-reviews, breaking down the comparison between these into Bass/Lower Mids/Upper Mids/Treble and Soundstage categories. Please keep in mind, when I say “=” or ”>”, I don’t mean it as one being the same or better than the other. It is all relative to how I hear it, and under each category I have a short write up with a more detailed explanation.

Mest MKII vs Indigo vs MEXT



Bass: MEXT > Indigo = MKII

When it comes to bass comparison between these 3, it is all about the perception. MEXT bass sounds more elevated, with more weight and stronger impact due to its warmer tonality, less forward mids, and smoother treble. Indigo and MKII have similar low end response and due to their more revealing tonality, as well as Indigo's more forward mids, their bass perception is lower in quantity when compared to MEXT.

Lower Mids: MEXT > Indigo > MKII

In terms of the amount of body and tonality, MEXT lower mids are the fullest and the warmest in comparison to Indigo lower mids being a little north of neutral and MKII being closer to neutral.

Upper Mids: Indigo > MEXT = MKII

Indisputably, Indigo has more forward upper mids which shape its sound sig to be more balanced. MEXT and MKII upper mids are nearly the same in quantity, but MEXT sounds smoother because of its less aggressive treble, while MKII upper mids/vocals are brighter and more revealing due to its more energetic treble.

Treble: MKII > Indigo > MEXT

MKII treble is the brightest, being more crisp and more energetic. Indigo treble quantity is the same as MKII, but due to a more forward upper mids, its treble sounds less aggressive. MEXT is the smoothest due to a more attenuated mid-treble response since it is lacking EST drivers. MEXT treble is not rolled off or “missing”, it's still detailed and has a good definition, presence, and clarity. But its tonality is noticeably smoother in comparison to Indigo and MKII, making MEXT less fatigue in longer listening sessions.

Soundstage: MEXT = Indigo > MKII

MEXT soundstage is as wide open and as holographic as Indigo, but it also adds a little bit of reverberation effect on top of it, especially noticeable when you hit the pause in the middle of the playback when you hear the tail of the reverb. In comparison, MKII soundstage sounds a bit intimate due to having more depth than width. By itself, MKII soundstage is wide, but not on the same level as MEXT and Indigo.

Please share your impressions a lil bit more about the vocals ( male and female ) quality and positioning ,

Thanks for your time

 

[twister6]

Sorry, I don't have MEXT with me anymore, and I don't want to mislead anybody going by memory.

 

[mochill]

Definitely interested

 

[Xinlisupreme]

@Skullar did you receive MEXT?

 

[weexisttocease]

Any further impressions?

 

[Frainen]

Not received yet here, Preordered early.