Great review dude, its very tempting, your description make these sound wonderful. I don't have a BA or EST based set yet, only planar and DD. But I am going to hold off a little to see how the IOAUDIO VOLARE stacks up.

Have heard so many positive things about these. I'm very impressed by your review and even more amazed by your gushing over these. For me my end game iems will be around $600, what my budget can take. Maybe these are the ones....

SO glad this is finally out. Mega5EST is MegaBEST!

AGREED! Loooooove my set sm! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Honestly, that is how I felt when I first listened to the IER-Z1R. They’ve been my default go to ever since.

Very interesting. Need to try these.

So glad I got mine before this hit, such a fantastic IEM. Glad to see it is getting the hype it deserves. Honestly, I have not picked up any of my other items since receiving my pair. If the honeymoon phase lasts as you suggest, I can see myself selling off my stable. I am curious to see if any other reviewers do an OG Oracle comparison. Lol, company likely did a WTF with all the orders rolling in after this was posted.

Great now I have another pair added to my wish list and it's already pretty full.

I received my set and just wanted to say that these are the real deal. Finally there’s an IEM that sounds detailed without being fatiguing. No shouty mids or scratchy highs. No weird BA timbre. Punchy bass from the biodyna driver. These just sound natural without noticeable coloration so you can listen to the music vs listen to some IEMs. These IEMs just get out of the way so you can plug your brain into some beats. I know you’ve gotten some crap for hyping these up but I’m glad you did because I probably wouldn’t have tried these if you hadn’t.

I've never really considered low pinna gain IEM b/c I had assumed that low pinna meant recessed vocals. This vid inspired me to reconsider, in case I were wrong in that assumption I experimented today with my Canon2, 1up 1down switches... EQ to resemble the Mega5est... down 2db at 125 to get rid of the midbass hump, down 2.7db at 2k, down 1db at 4k, to experiment with relaxed pinna region. What a difference, in a good way. The vocals on the Canon2 are still forward, but they are more organic sounding and less sheeny. This lower pinna gain has the secondary effect of making horns sound more relaxed and enjoyable as well. Not sure if that is even realistic... not sure horns are supposed to be more relaxed sounding, but I prefer it anyway.

Awesome review! - It will be interesting to see how it compares to the Dusk X, adjusted for the price. - And how well it scales with better amp/DAC. - Congrats on the new Mac? :)

I have just bought a mega5est. I own the hype 4, the elysian pilgrim and some cheaper models. The mega5est just blew my mind. I loved the hype 4 but the mega5 has cleaner bass and is much clearer with stunningly clear and substantial vocals. The treble is beautifully extended and never harsh. The hype 4 is great until you hear the mega5est. The pilgrim falls behind both and really only shines with vocals. The hype4 has the most bass but it has recessed vocals. The mega5est has detail retrieval on another level. I am just stunned... hype justified...

Its a pity I don't have the name you have. I have been saying the EST is good from the first gen model almost 2 years ago. That one had EJ07M vibes. Then the gen two came 10 months ago and that was better even.....smoother .....more musical.....with a magical seduction. This version which i hopefully will have next week is a Gen Two with a little extra gravy so i can only imagine good it is.

Do you have a link to those ear tips that you liked with these? Just ordered the megafest, figure I’ll try those tips with it. Thanks. 😊

been a while since DMS reviewed an IEM.. was expecting a resolve's video hahaha

So fat the SA6 ultra has been my go to IEM, how do you think they compare?

I own a Mega5p Ultra for more than 6 months and I love them. For 240$, I’m really pleased. Now I swap the sources and the tips to have a slight colour change. Used with DDHIFI st35 and Cayin RU7.

bought this and hes right this is the best thing ive ever heard

can u provide link to the eartips? the one on amazon says currently unavailable.

Wow! I wanna listen❤

Could you compare them to the IE600?

So glad I can demo this IEM as long as I want here in my country.. This is a bit better vocal IEM for me, than the Thieaudio Oracle Mk1

You should make an overview video for the sub 500$ IEMs in the current state. So many good options now, some with more complex driver setups. (Mega5est, Dusk, Hype 4, IE600(when on sales, etc.)

Thanks for the video, do you recommend use dac amp for these? I have Moondrop dawm and i am not sure i should buy something like Cayin RU7 for these. Thanks for answer.

Awww crap, I was going to buy a new Apple Watch and I already love my Senns IE200 with Dunu S&S tips, DMS recommendations have been spot on for me.

How do these compare to the ie 600 in terms of sound quality, performance, and durability? I am deciding between them!

Rewatching this review on my fresh out of the box Mega5EST. Wow! This is an excellent IEM. Sounds very open with very good imaging as described with amazing natural lush sound. The vertical stage is also some of the best I've heard.

The M5E is a great iem, the best iem I’ve owned or heard for around $500.

Too bad my wallet is far too mega-empty for these.

would a custom molded monitor remove length mode due to deeper insertion? or have i misunderstood length mode?

Hi DMS, based on your review, I bought a pair and I received them today. Out of the box they sound stunning. As you remarked, the plug in system is a bit quirky. I seemed to have got the L and R correct, confirmed by my other set of headphones. I have one more question, which I wonder if you can ask the boffins? What about polarity of the two pin plug - can one earphone be out of phase with the other? Anyway, this set gives my ZMF Arium cans a run for their money, which says a lot.

I am watching this video listening to my Mega5-ESTs!

Seems like a new trend has been launched. This one, then the Dusk (dsp default tuning) and now the Dunu Davinci are all very similar (FR graph). "Relaxed Harman", they call it. I guess I'll wait it continues to trickle down to a more budget friendly price range. 😀

Would this be the IEM version of the ZMF atrium?? Should I use my DS Tungsten for technical and this for the purpose of the Atrium? I already have an Hd600, and I'll eventually buy the mm500 for my professional purpose of cinematic scoring.

Aren't the vocals too recessed? I tried to autoEQ my Artti T10s to the mega5 since I cannot demo them right now and the vocals sound a bit too recessed. Thoughts?

The Bose QC Ultra earbuds play a sound to read and correct response of your ear canal when you put them in

Oh wow…. this is super high praise, even with all the caveats thrown in. I wasn’t in the market for one coz my wallets hurting….so I’m hoping these stay in production till Black Friday or 11.11 this year

I bought it based on Listener's review + your praise for it on twitter and it's the best purchase I've made this year! The tuning and tonal balance is near perfect for me and the value is incredible (relative to what it costs). Thanks for uncovering a hidden gem!

You’ve got to love an audiophile not too proud to plug directly into an iPod in public. I can see your colleagues scoffing. I can also see them failing a blindfolded test as to whether or not the sound was coming direct, or via a two hundred dollar dongle. Years back, I bought Moondrop Arias based on your gushing, and I was not disappointed. This tempts me to spring for a pair of these. Apparently our hearing is similar.

The reason why I trust this review... Is that the claims he states are so wild, that if he was not completely sure that this was in fact the best product he ever tested "for him" the mistrust in his channel would be devastating.. And he would never risk that.... I'm in 👌😊

I've been loving the Letshuoer S12 for the better part of six months, and I've wanted to step it up. I think this one will be it.

How do they compare with the UM Mest MKII?

I don’t know why but I feel this way with the Mark Levinson 5909’s. I’ve heard countless high end headphones, but I just love how these sound, and prefer them to many more expensive phones. There’s just something about the sound signature that I gel with!

It's a great set of IEM. Baited by the measurement and compliments from everywhere and after I tried it myself, it was one of the most well tuned IEM I've tried. Glad to see these half a grand priced IEMs like Mega5est and Dusk started to show TOTL tuning, can't wait to see the IEMs with TOTL tuning getting cheaper.

You recommend this to treble sensative and insane loud volumes?

Can anyone tell me what model/brand the thin tips he's using are? I think they would suit me also and would like to buy some.

could we get another tier list,but about best value headphones? I've heard iems have really good value when it comes to sound,but I also don't know much about them.

Would these by an upgrade from the seeaudio bravery but with a similar soundsignature?

You should listen Variations with poweramp eq for perfect

For me, the most important thing is comfort given that I seem to have small ears and narrow ear canals. To date, the most comfortable IEM's that I have found are the Sennheiser IE range with the small tips and I have tried many others. Size and nozzle wise, how do these compare? Or should I just accept that my IE600's are end game? I'm waiting for my Dusk pre order to be fulfilled.

You should compare them to Penon's 10AE & EPZ 530, I think you'll like those too.

Are these useful for music producers/mixers or are they making everything sound good?

Could you compare these to Dunu Mirai if possible? :) Thank you

Where can I find a case that fits an ipod like the one you have. It looks like a great kit with these IEM.

can't wait for your review on the new dusk

Wish he talked about staging beyond the FR. That to me is what seperates the A/B tier iems from the S tier IEMs

I wish you had gone into more detail about length mode and how the response characteristic would be to your ear canal very specifically and making a semi general rec on that without caveats would be disingenous. You just got lucky. I hope im wrong on this interpretation - please let me know so I could pick these up next :) I appreciate all your reviews and esp the effort you put into audio.

Hi, please, where did you get the 3.5 adapter?

Excellent review! I was going to order the new X Crinacle dusk but this now got me confused. Can you give us a quick comparison between these and the cheaper x Crinacle dusk (dsp default and maybe the V setting) please? Is it possible to eq the dusk to sound as good as the mega5 est?

i bought them and agree they are great, if you tip roll between the 3.9mm small bore ( neutral) and the wide bore short light blue tips provided (v-shaped fun/spicy) is where I am lost which is the metas of it, because the written review like the neutral better but the coffee tips of DMS are similar to the light blue one offered in the packaging of hisenior so up to each own I guess.

Why can't we get an estat / dynamic hybrid driver full-sized headphone?

kinda don't fully understand the length mode thing. Can anyone explain like i'm 5?

Wow, better than the subtonic storm?? That's a big claim! I have to try them now!🔥

Are these worth picking up for reference monitoring/studio use if I already have the U12Ts?

Hype. Hype. Hype.

How does this compare to something like the THIEAUDIO Oracle?

I am falling down the flathead rabbit hole, and saving up some money for either project Omega, or a TGXear Desolation Sound.

Can anyone identify the 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter he's using in this video?

Does anyone know how this set compares to the Thieaudio Oracle og iem?

Seems to check all the boxes, which makes them an incredible value.

Would be interesting to hear Precog's take on this as well..

I own the Monarch MK3 and MEST MK2. I enjoy the MEST for its fun, holographic presentation, especially with Rock, and POP. The Monarch for more vocal, laid back, better mixed, and mastered music. I'm curious where the Mega5est falls. Does it offer anything more, Does it do anything better than the MEST and Monarch? Or should I save my money? Cheers.

Yo dms.. are you using alac on your ipod? Will your classic run any tracks above 24bit/48kz? Xx

how does it sound with default tips?

Mega5est or sennheiser ie600 , overall sound best ?

What are those tips called?

When talking about matching your sound profile, can you explain more? because most other positive reviews still consider this a very good mid-fi at most and even one positive review states "Not very detailed for its price range" and not airy enough. It seems to be around a B grade from HBB. It appears to almost everyone else, their sound profile doesn't match yours, so more info on that would be appreciated. At first after watching this video, I almost blind buy.

vs Oracle OG? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

How good are these for gaming?

Wonder how they will compare to the monarch mk3

I am thinking, are u serious? But when I look back at most of your reviews, u were critical in your assessment and I believe u really mean it. 😊

I have tried these from a friend and they're awesome. Almost made me want to sell my Zero Reds and upgrade to this pair. If only I have spare money for these I definitely would have lol

Maan, I just bought the Mangird Xenns Top for just a little under what these cost. They are great though.

🤩👍✌🤘 Thumbs up!

leap of faith.

I wanna get as many opinions on the Hisenior Mega 5 EST vs the Thieaudio Hype 4, thank you to anyone who chimes in!

is this an end game iem , I hope this is what i'm looking for !

What’s the best portable DAC / AMP for these? It would not work with a Qudelix 5K because it is using 4.4 right?

So these vs ie600 from a technical performance perspective? I don’t mean objective frequency response curves. I mean detail retrieval, timbre, bass slam, texture, thin vocals, and spacial information.

Had to buy them... Let see 😮

Have you tried the Pula PA02? Still can’t believe how good they are.

I would love a review of the Cadenza 4. They seem to be a more affordable neutral king Studio 4. 200usd cheaper and a DD doing the low end instead of a BA.

Im only seeing the anniversary edition on their site. Does anyone know if they sound different than these? Ive seen a graph thay looks pretty different

curious if youd tried storm or mad24 dms?

Instead of using a 4.4mm to 3.5 adapter. Could I just switch out the cable with any other 2mm 0.78 pin cable?

what few IEMs do today, is represent the dynamic impact of live music. Many just load up on soft low bass, and then add a spiky treble peak for "balance". One hopes that this IEM fights against that trend. One more observation: you should let the viewer know what music you listen to. There is some dude called "Precog" that only listens to EDM, so how does that tell us anything about an IEM's sound??

Yup, saving up for these. Gonna avoid any and all audio purchases for them. They are actually only about $460 where I am (considering dollar conversion rates), so imho, a steal. It's really between these and the Hype 4, but I think these are probably a tick better.

Still super disappointed with the Dusk. I think this thing was extremely artificially hyped by popular reviewers, for all the faults it has. Had to send it back because it was so annoying to deal with, now I gotta eat the shipping plus restocking cost. I have learned my lesson, hopefully.

Is there any difference between the standard version and this model, the anniversary one?

So...this is weird... I decided to give these a try. I've spent about 15 years in the pursuit of the perfect IEM, so why not. They arrived a couple days ago, and I've been doing some listening, and I found something very interesting. I'm just not sure if it was their intent...so...it's kind of weird. I don't think these are meant to be listened to a high power source. It sounds like these were tuned for a general use audience, more specifically for folks listening to them on the common hardware they have, like a cell phone. And with most modern phones, that's a Snapdragon onboard audio setup that's, well, fine. It lacks a number of elements like appreciable power, dynamic range, and is kind of bad with sound stage separation and presence for it. But, it favors a product TUNED for it. And I think that's what they did. MANY (most) IEMs benefit from a good DAC and available amperage overhead. There's very few I've used that don't benefit to some degree. But the Mega5-EST is different. It seemed tuned for a mid-fi source device. On a desktop DAC/amp, on a portable player with high power overhead, the MEGA5-EST is low frequency dominant. The bass driver is loose and tuned deep. It also doesn't specifically have the motor for it, nor the motor for high control and articulation when given power. It just gets kind of boomy. With a highly competent source, the bass is both unbalanced and oddly out of place with the rest of the presentation. You can EQ down the bottom end a bit to dial out a chunk, but then it loses that depth and needs more than a couple bands to really tune it well. It's oddly a bad woofer in this use case, and I'd think there'd be better options if higher end hifi was truly the target. But I don't think it was targeted for this. The IEM has a lot of clarity but is uncharacteristically thin in note versus other options. The transparency is high, clarity is high, it's clean but not analytical, not articulate, not super detailed. The sound stage is excellent, extremely good, especially with slight EQing to round it out for how my ears affect the response curve, although I could also likely tune this a bit with tip changes to dial that in. The bass may also be a part of that too. The too much bass driver without the motor to really back it up, the light and clean mids and highs that don't make significant use of high power sources, the level of detail forgiveness that softens lesser quality source material and artifacts, it all caters to being tuned for something else. And that something else is a mid-fi source like a common cell phone or similar device. Lower power, lower dynamics, a flattening of the dynamic range and sound stage, weaker bass and especially deep bass, and all the little bits just come together on the MEGA5-EST. Every shortcoming on a high level source is a strong point on a lesser source. The cleanliness and thinness spreads out and sounds more natural. The bass especially balances out and the bottom end is no longer overpowering, nor tonally unbalanced. The tuning actually works with low power. It also acts like an automatic Loud feature because it will enhance at quiet volumes and then level off at higher volumes presenting a pretty consistent tonal and range response at a wide volume selection. More importantly, the motor and suspension design works well at low power. It retains good control and definition and doesn't get muddy and poorly controlled like a whole lot of other IEMs. It's GEARED for it, which is super interesting. It feels planned. It feels deliberate. I've listened to more than 50 different IEMs and none are configured like this. This feels like it was designed specifically for this consumer use case. Every aspect of the design balances out, sounds natural, and feels appropriate. There's many high end IEMs that scale really well with the source device, magical on a very high end source. But these work the opposite. They don't sound good on a high end source. They sound off and odd. But on a middle of the range source like a common cell phone, holy cow these dial right in to one of the better balanced and sounding IEMs on that kind of device. I have better IEMs that sound worse in that application. So, yeah, it's kind of weird. And I'm really curious if it's by design. It feels like there were very specific choices made for very specific reasons and a very specific audience it was aimed for. Weird right? But give it a try if you've got a pair and a variety of source devices.