Compared to Palavox Dark Knight (Review link)
Made by Palavox, the Dark Knight is another of the latest TOTL IEMs with surprisingly well-tuned, immersive sound. Priced at $2,499, Dark Knight uses 12-drivers per unit and has a 6BA+4MPD+2BCD setup. Both IEMs depict thorough airiness with a mid-centric sound signature, though the way they bring out such sound characters differs. Dark Knight generates airiness primarily through a roominess experience, utilizing its open-back chamber design. Using a larger air flow, Dark Knight creates a larger, more relaxed headroom and mids. The vocals are more organic and have a smoother tone, too.
On the other hand, Mest Fortune generates airiness through transparency and unveiling resolution. The headroom is more compact and personal than Dark Knight’s, though the spatial layering gives just as good soundstage, meanwhile providing a lot stronger intimacy and texture details than Dark Knight. A lot more linearity and analyticity is involved for Mest Fortune’s sound, featuring brighter-tone vocals and a lot crisper, resolution-demanding nature. Dark Knight has more sub-bass with warmer, fuller-bodied lower frequencies, so those who are treble-shy or want a thicker sound signature would find this one more appealing than Mest Fortune. The other way, Mest Fortune would fit better for those who seek a flatter, tighter sound that is more upper-frequency-orientated with stronger micro detailing.
Compared to Faith Audio Labs E1000 (Review link)
Faith Audio Lab E1000 is an exceptional flagship IEM that features a single dynamic driver with 80+ Layers Dual-Sided Titanium Sputtered diaphragm. Retailing at $3,799, the E1000 is one of the hottest IEMs in the scene that is gaining global attention. When you put Mest Fortune and E1000 side by side, their sound signatures and characteristics are surprisingly similar. With a sound signature oriented towards the upper frequencies, they sport a similar timbre and charming aspects. It’s impressive how they sound very similar despite the drastically different driver setups – one using 10 drivers and the other only using one.
However, there are some notable differences between them nonetheless. The large, holographic roominess is better portrayed by Mest Fortune, showing better depth of field and front-back separation, which contributes to the immersiveness of the sound. Mest Fortune brings out a bit more airiness and transparency, though the E1000 sounds more natural timbre and coherent phasing throughout the range – an innate advantage for a single driver IEM. Bass quantities are just about the same, sitting around being slightly v-shaped but not taking over the main stage. The target users for both IEMs are the same – the decision would come down to either choosing hybrid immersiveness and stronger transparency (Mest Fortune), or neutral coherency and further organic timbre (E1000).
Campfire Audio Andromeda 10 Gold (Review link)
The Andromeda 10 is Campfire Audio’s 10BA 10th anniversary flagship, priced at $1,799 for the Standard Edition and $2,499 for the Damascus Launch Edition. It’s the most refined and mature iteration of the Andromeda series to date, built on a neutral-warm foundation with the Andromeda DNA vocal character – that distinctive creamy, silvery quality in the mids that has defined the series for a decade.
Placing the Andromeda 10 next to Mest Fortune is an interesting matchup given that both sit in a close price range while showing very different sound signatures. Andro 10 is the warmer and darker of the two. The neutral-warm base gives the sound a rich, organic character and a fuller lower-mid range. Mest Fortune is noticeably brighter and more transparent-oriented. The gap in brightness and upper-frequency presence is immediately clear when switching between the two. For the bass, Andro 10 is spatial, musical, and stronger in quantity. Mest Fortune’s bass is snappier and focuses on bringing out clear vibrations and holographic depth.
Both are strong in their vocal presentations, though the tone and personality are clearly different. Andro 10 carries that warm, full-bodied Andromeda timbre with its silvery upper-mid shine – majestic and enveloping. Mest Fortune’s vocals are brighter and more analytically open, aired out rather than wrapped around. Treble-wise, Andro 10 is denser and fuller in tone, staying smooth and natural. Mest Fortune’s trebles are crisper and more unveiled, though equally tasteful in character.
Soundstage on Mest Fortune is more spherical and three-dimensional in expansion; Andro 10’s is roomy and well-proportioned but more conventional in its staging shape. For those who want the warm, organic, Andromeda character, Andro 10 is the natural choice. For those who want a brighter, more transparent, and holographically-staged presentation, Mest Fortune serves better.
“Being able to have these in the ears alone is a fortune…”
Mest Fortune is another stellar creation by Unique Melody that utilizes summit-fi tuning and technologies while trimmed down in price. The meticulous balance and tuning in tone and texture easily make Mest Fortune a successor IEM for many pre-owned TOTL IEMs – even possibly being an endgame choice for those seeking a reference-style, vocal-centric sound signature.
It’s a reflection that UM’s tuning maturity has only deepened over the years, and Mest Fortune is among the cleaner examples of that craft coming through at a price that doesn’t demand everything you have. For those who’ve been searching for an upper-frequency-oriented flagship that is holographic and transparent without sacrificing tonal richness or musical character, Mest Fortune shall be very well worth seeking out.
