Sound Impressions
The following sound impressions of the Unique Melody Maven II were completed using a mix of the iBasso DX320 MAX Ti and the Cayin N6iii with the E203 motherboard in a balanced mode output with the stock M2 RE cable.
Summary
The Unique Melody Maven II is probably the most exciting but also the most nuanced sounding monitor in their Maven/MEST range to date.
Eschewing the generally balanced yet warm and fulsome tone of the MEST MKIII CF and the more mid-bass-driven Maven Pro, the Maven II projects excellent headroom and a natural yet deep sounding soundstage.
It also has a clean and accurate tonal quality and stellar bass-to-mids separation that, combined with those sparkling EST drivers, help create a much stronger perception of space and clarity.
It might not be as wide or as atmospheric sounding as the Multiverse Mentor, but it’s the most immersive of their ‘mid-priced’ bunch of monitors. Especially for synthwave and R’n’B, where that dual dynamic driver set of lows hits with an addictive combination of presence and control.
The overall coloration is neutral to natural, with less bass bloom than the last few equivalent UM models. There is more sub-bass emphasis with a gentle life in an otherwise fairly neutral sounding upper-bass and lower-mids presentation.
Vocals are more to the fore than the Multiverse Mentor, though they are not quite as rich-sounding. I also find them more resolving than the Maven Pro, but in truth, I find the entire Maven II midrange and treble performance more accurate and articulate than the older model.
This monitor has some excellent highs and headroom with nicely-tuned EST drivers that never sound overly harsh or brittle in their delivery.
One thing I would recommend is pairing the Maven II with a clean and dynamic sounding source or a DAP with decent Vrms output and even throwing it on a high gain setting. Not that it needs power, but rather that dynamic drivers tighten up beautifully, delivering a taut and well-defined performance.
Frequency Response
Save for UM’s trademark relaxed pinna gain region, the Maven II largely follows the Harman Target Curve up to 2k with excellent bass-to-mids separation.
It has a stronger sub-bass shelf around 2-3 dB above the target sub-50Hz and less mid-bass presence or upper-bass bloom by up to 5 dB from 100Hz to 300Hz than the Maven Pro.
That drop reduces the mid-bass shelf, which in previous models sounded more extended and warmer, masking some detail in the process.
That separation is also helped by a relatively linear neutral set of lower-mids, which drains any potential bass bleed before it hits the mids. At most, it’s about 1-2 dB above the target curve, which helps prevent notes from sounding too lean.
The dip still creates a relatively lighter note weight and warmth than the Maven Pro and MEST MKIII CF. However, it also means UM doesn’t have to tinker too much with their preferred relaxed mids without sacrificing the presence and clarity that was an issue on the warmer Maven Pro.
From 2k up to almost 8k, the Maven II measures a bit relaxed in its pinna gain, but subjectively, it never sounded dark, struggling for air, or lacking any upper-mid fill. Ranged against the Multiverse Mentor, vocal imaging is cleaner and more forward sounding to my ear.
A great mid-to-upper treble extension helps a lot here. From 6-10k, the Maven II is tuned slightly above the curve, and you can pick it up subjectively in the tonal contrast and delicate sparkle or treble overtone on upper-register timbre and general note definition.
I think it’s tastefully done on the custom version, though I have read that the universal version sounds feistier. This might be the benefit of going custom with the Maven II, as it produces a nice treble balance.
Staging & Dynamics
The Maven II delivers excellent height and depth, backed by an excellent fundamental frequency response and a neutral to slightly forward vocal imaging experience.
I call this a ‘tall’ sound that lacks congestion with plenty of air, especially with that heavy sub-bass response and excellent mid-separation. Perhaps not as much width as the Multiverse Mentor, but I have to admit, I prefer the enhanced vocal imaging on the Maven II over the Mentor’s very relaxed equivalent.
Those dynamic drivers will also respond to quality power. The more you feed them, the tighter and more defined they will become. The last thing you want is a flat sound from the Maven II lows, as it’s far less impressive if the lows remain quiet or soft sounding.
Some might feel the lower-mids are more toward the neutral to slightly leaner side compared to the richer MEST MKIII CF, and true enough, if the lows are not pumping out some energy, the Maven II is going to sound a bit on the flatter side.
However, the midrange openness and clarity are excellent compared to the current MEST lineup and the older Maven Pro, which sounds less revealing or articulate through the same frequency range.
The lack of a bass bloom and the superior EST driver upper treble extension is a big factor here.
Synergy
Efficiency & Sensitivity
The Unique Melody Maven II is rated 10.7Ω for impedance with an SPL of 106 dB/mW @1kHz. This is largely consistent with their recent offerings, such as the Multiverse Mentor and the Maven Pro, so you will not have to replace or upgrade your existing gear to accommodate the Maven II.
I would describe the Maven II as reasonably sensitive, though not super sensitive in the same class as the Campfire Audio Andromeda or the more recent hybrid Vision Ears VE10.
That means Dongles and DAPs should have no issues driving the Maven II, though, as you will read below, I have my preferences regarding how well it pairs with each.
One thing I did note across most pairings, aside from a very black background and a lack of hiss, was a slight preference for slipping DAPs (and dongles by default) into their respective Hyper, P+, or high gain mode.
It’s not that the Maven II needs this amount of gain, but rather, the bass response becomes very taught and beautifully defined, giving it an extra bit of ‘zing’ from those dual dynamic drivers.
The Maven II custom version has a bombastic low-end tuning that works well with modern pop and R’n’B, so giving those two dynamic drivers ‘both barrels’ sounds very satisfying.
DAP Pairings
I tested 5 DAPs, and save for one or two exceptions, the best pairings always seem to be those with the best Vrms output and the cleanest dynamic tuning.
The less attention-grabbing ones were the smoother or warmer options or didn’t tease out a deep enough bass extension.
The clear winner was the DX320 MAX Ti with a neutral, clean tuning and excellent dynamic range. It produced the tightest and fastest sub-bass response from the Maven II combined with open mids and highs that sparkled without harshness.
This is an expensive combo, but the dropping down to the DX260 didn’t produce the sub-bass response I hoped for. It’s punchy and clean with articulate, detailed mids and highs from the Maven II, but the bass sounds too flat.
The HiBy R8 II and the Cayin N7 were better choices for different reasons. Again, we go back to the Maven II’s sub-bass response, which the HiBy R8 II does better using its Turbo mode in high gain.
The Cayin N7 is a little softer and less accentuated here, but it widens out the soundstage more than the HiBy R8 II/Maven II pairing with a richer set of mids and highs.
The N6iii/E203 with Hyper Mode delivers a credible sub-bass response but not as dynamic and punchy as the R8 II. Hyper Mode does better with the Maven II mids if you feel they lack body on the more neutral DAPs.
If you feel the E203 produces a slightly claustrophobic soundstage or too much bass bloom, then the C201 motherboard will strip that out and widen the soundstage, producing a punchy set of lows. The downside is the lack of body in the mids.
Dongle Pairings
I tested four dongles with the Maven II, including the iBasso DC-Elite, the Cayin RU7 and RU6, and the HiBy FC6.
It was a close call between the DC-Elite and the RU7 for the best pairing, as both brought something quite different to the Maven II. If you are after the tightest, cleanest sound signature with the best dynamic range, then the DC-Elite is going to be my recommended choice.
It has a stronger sense of urgency with the Maven II, delivering a high contrast price, detailed performance, and a punchier set of lows. The extension in the highs is more revealing than the RU7 also.
Surprisingly, the RU7 delivered a fuller sub-bass presence with the Maven II, which I was not expecting. It also pushes the imaging out wider, creating a bigger soundstage with a more relaxed and smoother vocal sound from the Maven II.
The HiBy FC6 and the RU6 lost out on detail, mainly with the FC6 sounding fairly compressed and one-dimensional paired with the Maven II. Switching to an SE output can reduce channel separation a little, but even so, the texture and clarity of the mids of the Maven II sounded blunted.
The RU6 does better with microdetail from the Maven II with more extended highs, but its Achilles heel is the tapered lows with the sub-bass performance a bit anemic-sounding from the Maven II. It’s punchy enough but doesn’t excite or involve you as much as the RU7 and the DC-Elite.
