Selected Comparisons
The following comparisons to 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.
Unique Melody Maven Pro
The Unique Melody Maven Pro was launched in 2022, with my custom design sample reviewed in early 2023. It can be considered a sibling to the Maven II with a similar price point for the universal and slightly cheaper for the custom design variant.
Technical
Unlike the Maven II, the Maven Pro does not use dynamic drivers, but it is a hybrid nonetheless. Inside, you get 10 non-vented balanced armature drivers per side, along with an additional dual electrostatic driver complete with its transformer module.
The precise driver grouping inside the Maven Pro is 4 larger woofer armature drivers for the lows instead of the Maven II’s dual dynamic design.
Beyond that, both monitors have two full-range drivers for the mids, with the Maven Pro using a quad pack of BAs for the highs up to around 8- 10k and the Maven II using a dual BA setup that might crossover a little earlier at 8k
Both monitors have EST drivers for their ultra-high tuning, with the Maven Pro using 2 and the Maven II using 4. The Maven II 5-way crossover is a little more complex than the 4-way inside the Maven Pro.
The Maven Pro has a higher load with an impedance rating of 30Ω compared to 10.7Ω, though both are fairly efficient and can be driven well from dongles and DAPs.
The Maven Pro is slightly more sensitive at 112 dB/mW@1KHz compared to 106 dB/mW for the Maven II. In reality, I found the Maven II a bit more sensitive from my DX320 MAX Ti test unit, but small volume adjustments were more keenly felt with the Pro pairing.
Design
Both monitors are custom-designed to fit my ears, but I also had some specific instructions for the Maven II that differed from the Maven Pro.
The main difference is size, with the Maven II being bulkier than the Maven Pro. However, this is by decision, as I asked for a longer nozzle fit. The Pro Version has a more relaxed, shorter nozzle, which shaves a bit of weight and size off the form factor.
The longer Maven II nozzle provides a more secure fit, though I give the edge to the Maven Pro for its powerful isolation performance courtesy of not having shell venting. The Maven II isolation is still incredibly good and just a whisper behind the Pro.
Due to the longer nozzle, you will notice the Maven II more in your ear canal as it penetrates further down.
If that doesn’t bother you, get that one, as it delivers the optimal performance. If you need something more physically soothing, ask for a relaxed fit, similar to my Maven Pro version.
Both monitors are built with 3D-printed medical-grade titanium metal alloy with the Maven Pro finished in a PVD coating to give it a smoother feel. The universal version has blue, with the custom versions available in black or gold.
I prefer the newer Maven II ‘raw’ titanium look. I like that slightly rawer look and tactile feel, with all the contouring and curves more visible than the black of the Maven Pro.
One small note on the cables: they are almost the same save for the minor upgrades in the matching barrels on the Maven II M2 RE cable edition.
The sockets on the Maven II are flush rather than slightly recessed, which also changes the 2-pin connector termination finishing on the newer M2 RE.
Performance
If you want the TLDR, then based on my preferences, the Maven II is a better-tuned monitor than the Maven Pro.
The key reason for that is the switch to the dual dynamic driver setup over the Maven Pro quad-BA array for the lows combined with shifting the emphasis away from the mid-bass to the sub-bass presence.
The Maven II bass shelf is more elevated than the Maven Pro sub-80Hz down to 20Hz but drops off quicker post-100Hz. This creates a comparatively neutral upper bass to lower-mids frequency response that strips the bloom and warmth out of the coloration, something which the Maven Pro has a lot more of.
As a result, the Maven Pro is mid-bass punchy but slightly bloated and warmer through the lower mids and more rounded and even-harmonic biased in its midrange timbre.
The Maven II bass-to-mids separation is stronger, the lower-mids a bit leaner and more accurate, with improved contrast on note timbre throughout the rest of the mids.
Neither monitor is shouty; both have nice vocal presence, but the space afforded by that calmer lower-mids mix on the Maven II creates a stronger perception of clarity and openness in the midrange.
The Maven Pro does not have quite the same level of lower-treble fill, nor does it convey quite the same level of headroom and upper treble extension as the Maven II.
Combined with the additional bass density and depth, the Maven II sounds the taller and deeper sounding monitor, whereas the Maven Pro sounds comparatively more intimate.
Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor
The Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor was launched in 2022, and we reviewed it in 2023. It is the next step up in the company’s product range and won our Top Gear 2023 Best Custom IEM Award.
Technical
Like the Maven II, the Multiverse Mentor is a hybrid monitor with custom and universal formats (custom format discussed here).
However, the Mentor has more in common with the Maven Pro, with 12 BA drivers, rather than the dynamic driver, BA, and EST tribrid mix of the Maven II.
It also has a Frequency Shift piezoelectric bone conduction driver for that hybrid slant, an upgraded version of the BC driver inside the MEST series.
The precise grouping is 4 BA drivers for the lows as opposed to dual dynamic, 2 for the mids, 2 more for the mid-highs, and 4 BA instead of EST for the highs and ultra-highs with a similar 5-way crossover.
The Multiverse Mentor bone conduction driver has no specific targeted frequency range, so the scope seems to be 20Hz to 20KHz, adding a layer of coloration over the 12 BA drivers.
Both monitors are efficient to drive and not hugely insensitive, either. The Maven II has the lighter load at 10.7Ω compared to 22Ω but is slightly less sensitive at 106 dB/mW @1kHz so volume knobs have to be adjusted slightly to match their respective listening levels.
Design
Although I am quite fond of the aesthetics of the custom design version of the Mentor, it is not without controversy. I believe this might be similar to the universal format when it first came out with the resin-coated plate insert inspired by Banksia Seeds.
The controversy comes from the ‘photoshopped’ marketing collaterals, which blew out the highlights and filters, creating more of a lava-type nebula effect. So, not that there is anything wrong with the reality; rather, people bought thinking it would look quite different.
Having said all that, the Maven II titanium shells are stunning, putting the higher-end 3-piece Mentor carbon fiber shells, grey titanium frame divider, and Bankia seed design into the shade in terms of intricacy or ‘wow’ factor.
The Maven II is a heavier custom design and a slightly larger form factor. Similar to the Maven Pro sample I have here, the Multiverse Mentor nozzle is more relaxed and shorter, though not as short as the Maven Pro.
Still, the Mentor is a comfier fit with better isolation courtesy of the lack of venting holes required due to using BA instead of dynamic drivers.
The Multiverse Mentor “Deep of Universe” stock cable is also a big step up over the Maven II’s stock M2 RE version. Granted, the “Deep of Universe” is physically bigger, which for some might not be ideal.
However, its 4-core 26AWG independently shielded ultra-pure copper and silver-plated copper wire and blue fabric and matching 4.4mm balanced jack barrel, chin cinch, and splitter finish look the business.
Performance
I have a feeling there will be people who prefer the Maven II because it has what the Mentor is missing and vice versa for Mentor fans.
The Maven II is taller and deeper in its staging, a little cleaner in its tonal coloration, with neutral vocal imaging and stronger upper-treble presence courtesy of its EST driver array.
The Multiverse Mentor is much wider and almost grandiose in its imaging, with a smoother tonal coloration and slightly stronger vocal presence for some recordings, though not all vocal registers.
The Maven II’s enhanced upper treble creates a more neutral sound quality and enhances note timbre contrast. It stretches the stage deep but just can’t compete with the Mentor’s width.
The Mentor can suck you into recordings with such intricate and beautiful layering. The level of detail is outstanding, but it helps the coloration is more euphonic than high-contrast side to reduce listener fatigue. A facet that has allowed me to do many a marathon listening session with these flagship monitors.
The Maven II has more low-end gravitas from its dynamic drivers, emphasizing an excellent fundamental frequency when called upon. With modern R&B and pop, it is more convincing and heavier sounding for synth-bass than the Mentor BA sub-woofers.
With recordings that lack a deep extension, the Maven II can come across as leaner sounding than the Mentor with its relatively neutral set of lower-mids and lack of huge mid-bass punch or upper-bass warmth.
Unique Melody MEST MKIII CF
The MEST MKIII CF came out in 2023 and is the third generation of the company’s very popular MEST IEM range, which was first launched in 2020.
Technical
The Unique Melody MEST MKIII CF has a bit of everything inside it, save for planar.
This is a ‘quad-brid’ mix of dynamic, BA, EST, and bone conduction, though it is just one 10mm dynamic driver as opposed to the Maven II dual 9.8mm and 6.9mm driver implementation.
The MEST MKIII CF is what I call a 9+1 driver configuration, where the +1 is the passive bone conductor. The precise grouping is a single 10mm dynamic driver for the lows, 2 BA for the mids, 2 BA for the highs, and a quad-EST array for the ultra-highs using a 5-way crossover.
As you can read above, there is a strong overlap with the Maven II with essentially the same BA and EST configuration for the mids and highs, with the main difference being the dual BA instead of a single driver combined with bone conduction.
The official rating of the MEST MKIII CF is 14Ω for impedance, so it is just a tiny bit higher than the Maven II 10.7Ω rating, meaning efficiency differences are almost negligible.
The MEST MKIII CF sensitivity is lower by 2 dB at 104 dB/mW @1kHz from 106 dB, so a small difference in listening level matching, but otherwise, neither is going to present any problems from dongles and DAPs.
Design
The MEST MKIII CF design and materials are like a toned-down version of the Multiverse Mentor. It is a 3-piece shell, using molded carbon fiber shells, gold rims, and a unique dark red fruitwood plate faceplate.
It’s a beautiful contrast to the monotone color of the Maven II titanium shells, but the intricacy of the titanium design places it many leagues above in terms of uniqueness. People will talk about the Maven II custom shells more than the MEST MKIII CF shells.
Like the Mentor, the MEST MKIII CF is lighter and comfier due to the better shell temperature control from the carbon fiber shells, providing less firmness in the ears.
My sample of the MEST MKIII CF is almost the same size as the Maven II, with equally long nozzles. The main difference is a slightly shallower MEST MKIII main shell, perhaps due to having to fit only one dynamic driver rather than two.
They are hybrids, so both have venting, but I give a slight edge in isolation to the MEST MKIII, most likely due to using less rigid materials that can gel easier with the ear canal.
The MEST MKIII CF Melon Red stock cable is a point of debate. It looks really nice and fits the aesthetics of the shells perfectly. Like the M2 RE, it uses a 4-core OCC Copper with 4.4mm plugs, but the gauge is slightly smaller at 26AWG as opposed to 24AWG.
The controversy is in the handling of the Melon Red cable. The internal geometry, with the cores placed side by side or in parallel, gives it a very flat appearance. This flatness makes handling tricky, and ‘kinks’ when trying to control the shape to suit your needs.
Performance
Bear in mind that this is custom versus custom, and as such, I find the performance of my two samples here quite different from several universal format comparisons.
The Maven II is heavier on the lows compared to the more full but controlled sound of the MEST MKIII CF dynamic driver. That allows the MKIII CF to present a better vocal and midrange focus, and overall, it delivers a comparatively balanced sound signature.
The MEST MKIII CF coloration is still a bit more to the warm side. It drops both ends by a few dB and creates a bit more bloom in the lower mids, and that seems to enhance the midrange body quite nicely, especially for vocal sweetness and presence.
The Maven II is more emphasized in the highs and lows, with a stronger sub-bass presence and a better bass fundamental. It leans more to a reference or more neutral tonal quality with more contrast in its note timbre, creating a stronger perception of detail.
I would argue its headroom is also superior, but the leaner lower-mids don’t work quite as well with rock and metal standards when compared to the balance of the MEST MKIII CF.
The MEST MKIII CF tuning has more space for lower-mid instruments and rock vocals to shine, whereas the Maven II’s fundamental frequency can sometimes dominate above all else.
Overall, the MEST MKIII CF might have more flexibility in its tuning for a wider range of genres, but the cleaner, more bombastic sound of the Maven II gives it a more exciting quality for modern pop, synth wave, and R’n’B.
My Verdict
The Unique Melody Maven II towers over the previous Maven and MEST hybrid monitor variants with a firmer eye on accuracy, a stellar mix of bass control and power, and, for the custom variant, an exquisite design.
As a custom, you also get excellent passive isolation and a fairly comfortable fit. However, the drawbacks of titanium are that it can be initially quite chilly in your ear and a bit heavier than resin alternatives. The shells feel robust, however, especially for any dreaded fumbles and drops on hard floors.
Yes, there is a big price difference between the universal and custom version, so you have to be pretty hardcore into custom designs to want to go this route.
Quite a few are, and from what I am reading on the universal performance, the custom tuning might well be the most complete or optimal sound signature of the Maven II.
Unique Melody Maven II Technical Specifications
- 9.8mm Dynamic Driver Responsible for Core Bass
- 6.9mm Dynamic Driver Responsible for Ultra-Low Frequency and Bass
- 2 BA Mid-High Frequency, 2 BA High Frequency
- 4 Electrostatic Ultra-High Frequency Driver
- 5-way crossover
- Impedance: 10.7Ω
- Sensitivity: 106 dB/mW @1kHz
- Frequency Response 20Hz-70kHz
- Cable: UM Copper M2 Custom Cable
- Materials: Aerospace-Grade Native Titanium
