UM MEXT

A great value and great listen especially at their price point.

Warm, engaging, non-fatiguing, enjoyable pair of IEMs. Good bass, they are bass heavy, and midrange. They are not meant to be a technical beast, but perform admirably.

I paired them with: Fiio M17 & M15, Shanling M8, AK SE200 & AK SA700, and iBasso 300DX. Enjoy listening to them on each!

I would recommend these to anyone looking for a fun and engaging music listening session.

These are stellar. I found them to be tip dependent and did go through a few. I finally settled on the AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal Standards. They are a great match for me. Source is AK KANN Alpha on mid gain (I feel these like a little bit of power).

These, like the whole MEXT/MEST series are an engaging listen. I have the OG Mest and now MEXT and I would describe the MEXT/MEST FR scale as this:

MEXT: strengths are lows to mid. To me they are unmatched with anything I've heard in this region. Warm to borderline dark, but not dark, but warm. Very engaging in this region of the FR.

OG MEST is more neutral but highlights the other side of the FR scale. Really engaging top end making it the MEXT's alter-ego. To me these hit two different FRs that are very complementary. But they are polar ends of the FR for my collection.

I would have to assume and from what I've read the Mest MKII sits in the middle of the MEXT/OG MEST line. For that region I might go with the U12T for a more balanced/neutral listen (but haven't heard the Mest MKII).

Equipment:
DAP: FiiO M11 Plus Ltd
IFI Micro IDSD Signature & iPhone 12 Pro

Tracks:
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing (symbol strikes)
Talking Heads - House in Motion (a lot of movement, layered)
Michael Jackson - Off the Wall (well produced, very layered, nice bass)
Steely Dan - Hey Nineteen (DSD, extremely well produced, vocals)
Los Lobos - Dream in Blue (The Bass drop, Guitars)
Neil Young - Old man (the bass guitar), and Harvest Moon (mainly the drum brush)
Pod Cast EDM - Cosmic Gate #409 - Love EMD. Bass and the 3D Imaging

At one point my M11's battery was done for so switched to my iPhone 12Pro with the IFI Micro IDSD Signature.
Track: Aaron Copland & The London Symphony Orchestra - Fanfare for the common man - Treble and Mids., the Kettle drums and of course the Brass!!!
I am a trumpet player so there ya go!!
Let me start by saying that I don't do a lot of reviews, I don't use graphs, and I do not EQ for the most part. I will also admit that I am a fanboy of Unique Melody, I own the Mest Mini, Mest Gen 1, the Mk2s, and now the MEXTs. Love them all.
I listened through the tracks listed above all the way through on the MEXT then switched to the MEST MK2, well except Fanfare for the common man. I listened to Fanfare
for the common man on my iPhone though the IFI IDSD Signature in the same order as above. My first impression is that the MEXT have a wider sound stage were as the MK2's
have a deeper sound stage. The 3D imaging is very good on both sets, but I give an edge to the MEXT due to the wider stage, they have a nice airiness to them. For the bass, I would also give an edge to the MEXT it’s not that they are deeper or hit harder, they just seem to be fuller, and more textured. Because the way the Bone conduction is handled on the MEXT the mids are clear winners too. There is a smoothness to the MEXT that the MK2s don't have. To me their mids are a little recessed compared to the MEXT.
The treble is very nice on the MEXT, tight, sharp, not harsh at all, but here is where the MK2s really shine. The treble on the MK2s is fantastic, they are non-fatiguing and take you right up to the edge of sibilance/brightness but never go over. they have a weight, a substance, a power behind them that are not matched by the MEXT.
It sounds like the MEXT are the winners, but I don't think so, I love them both and to me the MK2s are my favorite IEMs I own. To me the MEXTs are physically bigger, might
just be me but I think the bores are a little larger as well. I have small ears, and ear canals so they get a little uncomfortable after a while. Not that they are that much
bigger than the MK2s. Listening experience the MEXT are a more laid back an all bases covered experience. They do everything really well. The MK2s are a more exciting experience to me, just more fun! It feels like the notes have more weight. Both are very detailed, I give a node to the MEXT due to the mids, they both will surprise you with the details they expose/present. With either of these you should be happy, and satisfied. I know I am, like I said a Fanboy!

This is one of the best iems i've heard, if not the best. They have an engaging response that isn't fatiguing. Nozzle is a little large so fit may be an issue for some. No issues w tonality, staging or detail retrieval. This is a high-end set and they sure sound like it. Very happy w the purchase!

Bass: Sub Bass extends low, good quantity and quality, retains some texture, it can be a bit boomy when called upon.
I find the mid bass to be very adaptable. It’s overall smooth, well managed and has good texture and definition, but it can also step up with decent impact and rumble.
Carries into lower mids.
- Mids: Lower mids are slightly recessed and warm, upper mids recover and pull the mids forward. They are detailed with good clarity, and have an overall smoothness to the timbre.
- Vocals: Present forward and both male and female vocals have a natural and accurate presence.
- Highs: Are crisp and clear with very good detail retrieval, they roll off at the upper end which limits micro detail retrieval and upper air to some degree, which fits well with the over all smooth sound of the MEXT.
Highs are not lacking they rise effortlessly above the bass and mids and present very well.
- Soundstage: width is between the ears, maybe just slightly outside the head. Height is good, sub bass goes low, rolled of treble reduces upper air a bit. Depth is good, vocals and mids are forward, depth to the rear could be a bit better. Imaging and layering are good left to right, high and low, and front to rear, I can accurately place individual instruments on the stage. Spaciousness is good, although on some tracks my perception is it can sound, not congested, but a bit “busy”.

The MEXT faithfully follows the sound signature of the source.

Summary: There is no “perfect” IEM but the MEXT fit my listening preference very well.
I had some difficulty putting these thoughts together. I would be sitting back trying to concentrate and critically listen to evaluate a certain part of a song, and next thing I knew the song was over and I had missed my opportunity. The MEXT had engaged and drawn me into listening for simple enjoyment. Not a bad problem to have.
This is not to say everyone will find them engaging and enjoyable, but more a testament to how well they fit my preference.
Overall these are a smooth and slightly warm IEM. The bass is very well done, the mids clear and detailed, and although the treble rolls off a bit early, it really is not lacking and holds its own. Treble fans would likely disagree.
I find these to be a pretty balanced sound signature with excellent coherence between the drivers, the sound flows nicely.
This is my fourth experience with Bone Conduction drivers (UM Mest mkII, EE EVO, and a Shokz head band) and, on the IEMs I still can’t focus on the sound and say “yup, that right there… THAT’s the BC driver I’m hearing”. If it sounds good, I can only accept that the BC is blended in and making a positive contribution.

I’m not going to leave any comparisons here. But since I mentioned the Mest MKII I know I will get asked…..
I only had the Mest II in my possession for a few weeks, so I can’t AB compare the two.
Going back and reviewing the thoughts I posted on the Mest II, I can say there are similarities between the two, and some differences. (Please Note: these comments are based on reviewing my previous post, and on memory.. and by 4 o’clock I can’t remember what I had for lunch, so don’t place too much faith on the comments below)
Bass is similar, but MEXT maybe has some added sub bass extension.
Mids and vocals present more forward on the MEXT.
Highs also present more forward on the MEXT, perhaps not as bright and airy without the EST driver support of the Mest II, just more prominent.
One thing I do recall for certain is, that as good as the Mest MKII was, it really didn’t wow me personally.
The MEXT on the other hand really draws me into the music.
Which means for me, the MEXT is a good fit.