Sound Impressions: Bass
Project M has an energetic W-shaped sound signature. Let’s first talk about the bass. With a bass quantity that is powerful yet not overwhelming, lows are presented clean, clear, and rock solid. There’s a nice balance between solidity and smoothness, making Project M’s bass response feel both tight and meaty. The bass also dives deep and cleanly, thanks to the dark, condensed background which further develops the low-end depth.
The strike and decay feel agile but with adequately respected reverbs to give the bass a fuller body. While the ultra-low quantity isn’t strong, Project M shows quite an impressive low-end extension. The ultra-low details are cleanly heard but remain calm and gentle, not getting any boomy.
Sound Impressions: Mids & Vocals
While mids are placed close to the ears and gain a tone up in brightness, I especially appreciate the fact that the lower mids are not weakened in density or shadowed by the upper mids. Its weighty nature continues on the lower mids, making a natural yet distinguishable transition from the lows.
So the thickness for the lower mids is meaty while the upper mids are close to being neutral – in other words, the thickness would gradually thin out to be neutral as the vocal approaches the upper mids. Though the thickness is neutral, the upper mids are still kept with good density and would not cause the overall thickness to be imbalanced, or the upper mids to feel hollow.
Mids take a slight step forward and sport a shiny, lush tone. A generous amount of air is present throughout the mid-range for extra transparency. The vocal thickness is neutral which is neither thin nor thick. If you prefer thick vocals Project M’s mid-range may not sound full enough but otherwise should be sufficient.
There’s also a particular range on the upper mids where there’s a small timbre change that gets the sibilance a bit pointy on certain tracks. It doesn’t pierce sharply into the ears but still does feel pointy if it happens, so it’s worth knowing if you’re especially sensitive to trebles. Apart from that, Project M does a fantastic job of bringing out the original color and tone of the music.
Sound Impressions: Highs, etc.
Highs are crisp prominent and pronounced, offering fine details and openness. There are good hints of tacky BA technicality while keeping the timbre harmonious with the dynamic driver. Project M’s use of the BA driver differs from general 1BA+1DD IEMs. The BA tweeters on Project M feel closer to an EST driver, especially in texture and timbre.
The textures are very refined and detailed, allowing the micro details to pop out while not having the high frequencies overly boosted. Speaking of refined texture, the resolution and smoothness that Project M produces with this single BA are shockingly impressive. While the trebles may not be articulated and full as some dozen BA IEMs, the trebles on Project M do provide precise and rich details.
Compared to DITA Perpetua (Review link)
I’d say Project M is like a mini Perpetua. While there are inevitable performance gaps between Perpetua and Project M, Project M rushes in competitively in tuning and performance. Project M has a significant resemblance with Perpetua’s sound signature and overall nuance. Besides, highs on Project M are crisper and finer than Perpetua which is nice in case you wanted extra fineness on the upper ends. While Perpetua brings out a larger headroom and body for the trebles, Project M’s extension and resolution come surprisingly close to Perpetua.
The vocals on Project M even resemble Perpetua for having a small upper-mid peak (although Perpetua is smoother and better controlled) to give an extra edge and crispiness to the vocals. Vocals are more neutral which makes Project M thinner in sound yet the mid-range is still packed with enough density to throw a good thump for the low-mids. The bass timbre is quite similar to Perpetua except slightly lesser sub-bass and fullness.
Compared to DITA Project 71
While Project 71 (P71) is closer to having a smooth, analog, and tube-like sound, Project M (PM) has a brighter, modern, and technical tuning. Project 71 is bassier, darker, and warmer in sound. The bass is smoother and fuller than PM but less revealing in texture. On the other hand, Project M is brighter and crispier in tone. PM’s overall sound is noticeably less veiled and higher in resolution.
The neutral tuning on PM makes the vocals sound thinner than P71, yet the upside is that the vocals are much more detailed, technical, and agile. The sub-bass quantity and reverbs are lesser than P71, drawing out a tighter, flatter sound. There’s also much more air going on with PM’s upper frequencies along with superior treble extension, making PM technically superior in treble details and instrumental separation.
Verdicts
Project M is DITA’s first-ever take on a hybrid IEM and the results turned out outstanding. DITA has been persisting in the usage of a single dynamic driver as they believe it creates the most ideal and accurate sound.
While this remains true for their products, DITA made a bold decision to implement hybrid drivers for the first time as Project M managed to create a sound that has hybrid lush and the accuracy level of a single driver. Not only is Project M tuned with high accuracy but also with exceptional performance, making it one of the most cost-effective IEMs that are capable of providing a flagship sound at an affordable price.
Project M is Dita Audio’s take on the current trend of IEM as well as budget IEMs, and they’ve brought a serious one that could shake up the market. If you’ve loved the sound of their upper models or simply looking for a stellar IEM in the $300 range, this may be one of the best purchases you could make.
