Sound Impressions: Bass
MSX+ has a neutral, warm, w-shaped sound signature that is balanced with enhanced sub-bass and warmth. Embracing the spirit of Motivate Ear’s spirit and branding, as the title says, the MSX+ reminds me of a lush pair of speakers being played within a well-designed studio room. Let’s start with the bass. Bone conduction is the latest hit, especially for IEM woofers, yet a nicely tuned dynamic driver never disappoints me – and the same applies to the MSX+.
The bass is tight, elastic, and meaty, that type of bass where you could just feel the diaphragm bouncing with groove and liveliness. The reverbs are quite generous (with the bass switch on) but never overdone or seeps into the lower mids. I generally tend to prefer IEMs not to have switches or to have them turned off for the most default tuning, yet I’m doing just fine and actually prefer the bass switches to be turned on. The low-end timbre is thoroughly organic, deep, and warm while retaining liveliness and taste, and it definitely doesn’t sound drowsy or too old-school.
Sound Impressions: Mids
The midrange is tuned to be both monitoring-like and musical. Position-wise, MSX+ brings the vocals close enough to the ears but not deliberately pulled forward. Vocals are nuanced and clean in presentation and are thoroughly accurate in phasing. Mids in whole sound warm and smooth, though they have this particular, subtle brilliance and silvery touch to the timbre; MSX+ would’ve lacked transparency or gotten stuffy if it weren’t for this. Sibilance simply does not exist in MSX+, keeping a steady, homogeneous sound flow across the spectrum.
One part that I appreciate from MSX+ is that the vocals are extremely comfortable to listen to while yielding a generous amount of transparency and air. Perhaps the most compelling feature of this IEM is its ability to deliver a fatigue-free environment for prolonged listening, all while preserving the intricate micro details that elevate the audio experience.
However, lower mids may not be resolving if you’re into or have been listening to IEMs that strongly spotlight vocal clarity, like AME Gaia or Canpur CP74E. Mids of MSX+ may be a tad laid back for your taste if that’s the case. However, if you prefer warmer, smoother-sounding IEMs, the MSX+ would surely fit you better. Another thing I greatly appreciate from MSX+ is the precisely adjusted fullness of the vocal body. It has meat and thickness to it, but is also agile and tight. Vocals give that satisfying, full, and rich scale while not overflowing the room or getting dull.
Sound Impressions: Highs / Soundstage
Highs are on the smoother side, but they still keep the ‘al dente’ tight and bite. MSX+ has a very organic treble texture as if playing from a dynamic driver tweeter. Trebles have that gentle, solemn timbre, carrying good weight and atmospheric taste. Extension and separation are superb as expected from using EST drivers, nicely catching the small treble splashes and tingles. Due to MSX+’s fatigue-free nature, I wouldn’t say trebles are the main character here despite their pleasant presence.
Trebles are gently laid back from the mids and are thoroughly controlled in quantity and intensity. MSX’s trebles always keep themselves tamed and as an “instrument” for mids and lows. The trebles are a bit more prominent than SoftEars Cerberus, which had even calmer trebles, though definitely not as bright as Forte Ears Macbeth or Canpur CP622B. Retaining the brilliance, transience, and extensive atmosphere, MSX+’s trebles would satisfy most users unless you’re a treble-head or extra treble-shy.
As for the soundstage, MSX+ creates a studio-like ambiance, where pitch black darkness (or quietness) underlies in the background. Not exaggerated or minimized; a roomy headroom that is enough to provide the immersive staging experience, but also compact enough to analyze and appreciate the micro details.
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