Total Score: 7.36/10

Enjoyment Score: 7/10

Price: $549

PROS:

• One of the most versatile-tuned IEMs I’ve heard
• Superb tonal balance
• Fantastic timbre and coherency 
• Rich but non-overwhelming tone
• Smooth, fatigue-free but provides fine detail retrieval
• Great instrument and vocal separation and layering
• Comfortable fit and great seal
• Very sturdy case
• Good quantity of accessories
• Good stock cable

CONS:

• Can sound too “safe” for people who want a fun sounding IEM
• Quality of inclusions is sub par
• Case internals feel too cramped
• Lacks low end texture

WHO THIS UNIT IS FOR:

• People who want a non-distracting listening experience
• People who want the most versatile sounding IEM
• People who like the Meta target

WHO THIS UNIT ISN’T FOR:

• People who want a more engaging and fun sounding IEM
• People who want a more energetic bass and treble presentation
• People who want higher quality inclusions

GENRES:

• Quite literally anything works with this IEM

SHORT REVIEW:

I didn’t expect to like the Mega5 EST as much as I did with its safe, non-distracting but extremely consistent and coherent sound that literally got me listening to this IEM for hours on end without me feeling like I needed to remove it in any way whatsoever. It’s legitimately one of the most versatile IEMs I’ve heard, which is a breath of fresh air from my usual bombastic and sparkly preferences. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

FULL REVIEW:

Hisenior is one of the special brands that, whether or not they knew, cemented themselves in the audiophile world through the special mention of the likes of The Headphone Show and Crinacle due to its “near-perfect” frequency response graph of the Mega5EST. It was heralded as one of the most “compliant” IEMs to the B&K 5128 at the time and all the nerds raved about it. 

This fame lead to many people hyping the IEM and bringing Hisenior from an obscure CIEM maker to a “must have” for any audiophiles wanting the most “natural sound”. 

A year or so after, Hisenior hits their 7th anniversary. To celebrate, they created what could possibly be the ultimate Mega5EST. Improved shape, upgraded techs, better fit. Does this mean better sound?

NEVER GETTING OLD

Hisenior may seem like a relatively new player in the market, but they’ve been making universal and custom in-ear monitors since 2016. For the longest time, this was the only thing they were known for. And in a market that is as competitive as the portable audio market, this is quite literally not enough. That is, until they began to release their Mega5 series of IEMs. 

Despite having tried a Hisenior product long before the Mega5 series came out, I wasn’t quite impressed with their IEMs. At least, I wasn’t impressed with the T2U. I was impressed with how unique it sounded, but it proved to be too niche for my tastes. 

The Mega5P, however, was something else. Such a rich and natural tone for a hybrid that I haven’t heard before and to a point, since. It was such a beautifully tuned IEM with the perfect balance of musicality and technicalities. It’s still a favorite of mine today. 

But then came the release of the Mega5EST. I did not know what to anticipate, but these were the days before the “hype” of the 5128 so I had no preconceived notions. And I was slightly disappointed. It was very “normal” sounding. Nothing stood out. I didn’t feel “excited” listening to music. And this was when the lore of the 5128 and the JM-1 began to kick up and the rabbit hole went to the center of the Earth. 

Nearly a year after I first tried it, I was given the opportunity to review the Mega5EST 7th Anniversary. This $550 1DD + 2BA + 2EST hybrid is the “answer” to people’s comments about the first Mega5EST with a bunch of new upgrades. But can this limited anniversary edition impress like the original release?

UNBOXING

It’s honestly a rather normal unboxing experience on the outside for the Mega5EST, but it sets itself apart the moment you open the case. 

Here’s a full list of the accessories:

• IEMs
• Cable
• A lot of eartips
• Pelican-like case
• Cleaning tool
• Shirt clip

Is that a damn pelican waterproof case? It sure looks like it, but I’m not testing to find out whether this can or can’t protect my IEMs under water. The point is, this is a damn sturdy case. Pocketable? Absolutely not. But it puts the protective in protective case. My only gripe is the foam taking up way too much space and prevents me from putting more stuff in the case. You can’t remove this foam either, so you either break it off or you cope with forcing your IEMs into a specific position. 

The rest of the accessories are arguably pretty basic. A lot of eartips varying from narrow and widebores with a couple of foam eartips. Nothing special, but it’s nice to see a complete set like this. 

BUILD & FIT

Unfortunately, I don’t have the original Mega5EST to compare with this 7th Anniversary version, but I can talk about it as its own entity and my personal experience. 

And it’s good! Whatever the original Mega5EST felt like in the ear, it must have not stood out to me to remember complaining about it. The same goes for this 7th Anniversary edition in the sense that I am able to wear this IEM for hours on end without any issue. 

This is probably due to the full resin shell with a separate nozzle piece that houses the single DD, 2 balanced armatures and 2 electrostatic drivers. One thing to highlight here is that Hisenior mentioned that the Mega5EST 7th Anniversary is an upgrade not only externally but also internally. The dynamic driver is improved to go as low as 5hz and they improved upper mids to treble region coherency above 3kHz to be smoother and cleaner. We’ll talk more about sound later, but companies that make an active effort to improve the tuning without changing the fundamental tuning is something that I appreciate as long as they specifically state that a change has been made. 

Going back to the fit, I really enjoyed my time wearing the Mega5EST. Hours on end and I did not find it uncomfortable whatsoever. Your mileage may (and will) vary depending on the size of your ears. But if you have medium sized ears like I do, you’ll fair well with this. People with smaller ears might find the wings to be a bit too aggressive, but it was perfect in my ears. 

The cable is their White Whale cable and it’s pretty damn good. I love the thickness and feel as it doesn’t feel like I’m lugging a rope around my ears but it still feels premium and looks damn good. The interface feels premium and sturdy. I feel confident using this cable. 

SOUND

Sound Signature

The Mega5EST is what the modern definition of “neutral” sounds like. The difference between older definitions of neutral is that the Mega5EST has low end to compensate and does not sound entirely flat all the way. The low end is full and punchy, the mids are linear and neutral and the treble is smooth and crisp with good extension. The name of the game here is consistency. 

Source Pairing

This way the Mega5EST’s drivers were tuned so that even in cheaper or lower quality sources, you get to have a nice listening experience regardless of sources. Obviously the better your source is, the better your listening experience is. But it’s not necessary. Colored sources also shine with the Mega5EST because it responds really well to the likes of tube amplifiers without much noise compared to other hybrids. 

Volume Levels

Once again, this kind of tuning allows for high listening volume due to just how well its tuned. The best kind of tuning for most people who follow any variant of the JM-1 allows for very high volume levels with minimal discomfort. The Mega5EST is the perfect IEM for that as it doesn’t exaggerate any unnecessary frequency.

Listening Experience

This is the part of the review I really struggled the most because how do you talk about an IEM that sounds great with basically any genre you throw at it? From relaxed vocal pop to complex metal tracks, the Mega5EST somehow finds the perfect balance of sounding engaging and sounding clean. 

However, this is quite literally what I and many found issue with the original Mega5EST. It’s such an uncolored and clean listening experience that people who were used to a more energetic, bassy or fun sounding IEMs would find this a bit boring. 

But realistically speaking, it doesn’t sound “boring”. As much as it pains me, I have to agree with a certain individual who said “it’s not the IEM that’s boring, it’s the music.” But on the contrary, I experienced what made the Mega5EST such a great set but one that I know not everyone would like. 

I received the Mega5EST and Volume S at the same time. I tested the Volume S because it was the cheaper and, quite frankly, the more interesting set between the two. Who can’t deny a midrange IEM with a beautiful DF tuning and tuning switches? I spent probably 1-2 hours testing and listening to the Volume S actively, playing around the tuning switches and writing everything I thought about the IEM. And boy, I had so much to say about that IEM. I even got in a conversation with a good friend about the genres that work well with the Volume S and those that don’t. I basically wrote my entire review on day 1 of testing.

After my testing, I then popped on the Mega5EST. What do you think happened? Do you think I tested it the same way, no, more than the Volume S with how versatile the IEM is? Nope, I popped it on, listened to a couple of tracks and I kid you not, I ended up forgetting I had the Mega5EST on and that single song became a series of songs that spanned the entire afternoon along with a couple of work and gaming sessions that, only when I remembered that I needed to create a BTB for both IEMs, did I remember that I was still wearing the Mega5EST. 

It’s quite literally an effortless IEM that you put on and feel absolutely no distractions with how it sounds. It, quite literally, just sounds right. And for better or worse, that’s what makes the Mega5EST stand out. Other sets that sound “neutral” sometimes blend in but for the wrong reasons. You want to forget how they sound. The Mega5EST is not one of those IEMs. It’s an IEM that’s easy to get into and easy to like and easy to forget that you’re using. 

That kind of description probably sounds more negative than I want it to, but that’s really just how the Mega5EST performs. Throwing this into my favorite albums like Basically Saturday Night’s self titled album doesn’t really give me a “new” appreciation for the album because the album with this IEM just sounds right. Same goes for Linger Awhile by Samara Joy. Amazing album that sounds just as amazing on the Mega5EST, but it doesn’t really sound like a “new” experience. It all just sounds right. 

Even technically speaking, the Mega5EST is just right. It doesn’t sound distractingly analytical, but it doesn’t skimp out on more complex tracks like August Burns Red’s Mariana’s Trench. It’s able to separate the low end kick drums and bass guitars flawlessly from the mids and most impressively, keep the treble well-contained. 

All-in-all, this is just a very safe IEM without sounding boring. Not distracting does not mean boring, but some people will definitely feel that way towards the Mega5EST. 

COMPARISONS

vs Kiwi Ears KE4

Immediately, the first IEM that came to mind was the Kiwi Ears KE4. How can you not talk about meta tuned IEMs without talking about the KE4, arguably the best budget-oriented “meta’ IEM in the market. It was my first foray into meta tuned IEMs and, for the most part, I felt that the KE4 was just alright. Like the Mega5EST, it does not excel at anything. However, the main difference in their sound is just how much more refined the Mega5EST sounds. The KE4’s midrange can sound a little honky and the lack of treble sounds dull on tracks that really needs that sparkle. The Mega5EST does not have any of those issues and actually provides a right amount of sparkle when the track calls for. But you alost have to expect this for an IEM that’s nearly twice as much as the KE4. The upgrade in price is justifiable and the experience is still marginally better than the cheaper of the two, but this is where I believe diminishing returns begin as the KE4 still sounds great for the price. 

vs Dunu DK3001BD

From excessively neutral to excessively bright, the DK3001BD is the Mega5EST’s louder, more extravagant, smarter (get it, cus bright?) brother. They’re both midrange IEMs with a focus on their own niche and achieving similar levels of success on their own. Fundamentally, the DK3001BD is an analytical, bright and detailed IEM that throws quite literally every single detail in the music you listen to without your consent. It’s a vibrant, exciting but easily fatiguing listening experience that is best saved for specific mods and tracks. The Mega5EST contrasts that by being the serious middle child with their career in mind and a determined focus on achieving what it needs to without extra. It’s safe, it’s smooth, it’s clean but it doesn’t step out from its comfort zone at all. It can handle anything you give him, but he’ll only give you 100%. Not more, not less. I hope that analogy helped you better understand how the two compared. 

vs Moritz Paradise

In a similar vain to the DK3001BD, the Moritz Paradise ends up being the more “fun” set between the two with all the imperfections that a V-Shaped IEM has. The Paradise is bigger, bolder but also more colored, edgier and not quite as refined as the Mega5EST. I find that most situations, the Paradise can play through most genres but without the consistency that the Mega5EST has. The sudden jump from hip-hop to classical on the Paradise isn’t as gradual compared to the Mega5EST’s smooth transition

vs Yanyin Canon II

This is an IEM that I want to mentioned because of how close it almost became a “meta” IEM. A couple of DB down in the bass and a slightly smoother treble and it would’ve been a meta IEM by definition. Heck, one of its modes already look like a slightly leaner Meta tuning, so you’d expect a very similar tone, right? Nope, the Canon II sounds CONSIDERABLY more enjoyable to listen to for genres that have a lot of low end. I particularly want to bring back Mariana’s Trench because the Canon II is one of the few IEMs to render the kick drum-bass guitar combo with such finesse. The Mega5EST does it to an extent, but not as well as the Canon II. Technically speaking however, the Mega5EST is a step up from the Canon II, especially in the separation department

vs Softears Volume S

Obviously, I have to compare the Mega5EST to the IEM that got me to post the “Tale of Two Tastes” in the first place. The Volume S is a perfectly imperfect IEM that specifically excels in vocal-centric genres and bringing the best in all levels of vocals. More complex genres aren’t quite as euphonic on the Volume S. Add to the timbre issue that the IEM has, especially for brighter genres and you get an IEM that one tricks vocals and not much else. Complete contrast to the Mega5EST. The one aspect that really stood out is the detail and technical department. The level of cleanliness and refinement that the Mega5EST has over the Volume S is insane, but the coloration and inconsistency that the Volume S is also one that I really grew to love. 

CONCLUSION

Meta IEMs are made for people who want a safe, focused and clean sounding IEMs that slowly blend into the background. However, the Mega5EST does that while balancing solid techs and a seriously comfortable fit that you can enjoy music for a long time without issues. This also means that the IEM is not for thrill seekers or bassheads who are specifically looking for a fun time. This is the IEM you’d wear if you were discovering new artists and you wanted the best IEM to experience their music for the first time. 

I quite liked the Mega5EST, even if it wasn’t really my intention to. I’ve always thought that Meta IEMs were uninteresting because they didn’t excel at one thing and did not make the music feel “alive”. But the Mega5EST made me realize that maybe, that’s not such a bad thing for most scenarios. 

Thank you for reading my full review on the Hisenior Mega5EST 7th Anniversary. 

NON-AFFILIATE LINK: https://www.hisenior-iem.com/products/mega5est-hybrid-iem?variant=40709004427300