GETTING STARTED:-
Back in the days, when i started in around 2010, I used to be mesmerized by the brands who had multi driver earphones, Joker used to write reviews of those and I was like man.. They sound like something miraculous, 1964audio V6 and the Unique Melody Miracle had my full attention.
Unique Melody had some of the best earphones back then, they still have and the new UM Mirage is the proof of that. In the sea of earphones how do you find out something outstanding? You set yourself apart with something others tend to struggle big time with.
The Mirage is equipped with only 3 BA drivers and has a price tag of $1099. One is bound to think that, man, thats a heavy price for just 3 BA drivers, dig deeper and you will discover that it houses an OPEN BA driver just like the Tia drivers. And its well known that open BA drivers are in a different level of their own. And, you pay a fraction of the money for the Mirage compared to the Tia based earphones. Accompanying the open BA are two conventional drivers, one for bass and one for highs, its a 3way crossover after all. The openness of the Mirage caught me by surprise.
The Mirage comes in only one color, silver (titanium actually), it has the same 3D-printed ultra-thin titanium shells as the Maven ($1999), albeit with a different exterior design, you can expect the same lightweight, comfortable, yet sturdy shell.
Back in the days I would be grasping for air, but now I have more than enough experience to run through UM Mirage. I will be comparing the Mirage with two very capable earphones, Inear Stagediver SD5 and Nocturnal EDEN.
Where have I landed.. Heaven maybe.. I have plenty of things to say, stick with me.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Frequency response range: 20Hz-20KHz
Sensitivity: @1KHz 104dB
Impedance: 23ë©
Driver Count: 3BA
Crossover: 3-way crossover system
Driver Configuration: 1 low +1 custom open mid range +1 high
You can get one for yourself from here.
For my Asian friends, dive in here.
https://www.stereo.com.sg/unique-melody-mirage-universal.html
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:-
The UM mirage comes in a good looking, all black, small sized retail box. The first thing one will see upon opening the box is the cute looking carry case. The earphone is placed in the case with the cable already plugged into the 2pin socket. You can choose the termination of the cable, it can be 3.5mm or 2.5mm. In addition you can buy a 2.5mm to 4.4mm adapter.
You can find a cleaning cloth, 3 pairs of TSX series comply foam tips and 4 pairs of silicone tips in different sizes. the carry case is what sets the set of accessories apart from the rest, where brands tend to give heavy and rock solid metal cases the UM Mirage comes in a beautiful looking carry case of a nice size and height.
There is an insert in the case to make compartments in it, specially to keep extra tips and adapters sorted inside the case.
WHAT IT REALLY FEELS LIKE:-
There are many earphones who suffer from weight issues. To keep the weight down most of the brands tend to use plastic or resin shells but nothing compares to light weight metal.
There are no doubts about the looks of the Mirage, it looks very good, and as I have mentioned earlier, it has titanium in its shell, which gives it a very sturdy build quality while keeping the weight low.
The patterned design on back gives the mirage a distinct looks and adds more class and character to it. It is nicely fused into the body. The 2pin socket rises over the shell and is well covered by the cable.
The Mirage has 3 bore design, one can see the bores in the nozzle.
The full metal design makes the Mirage feel solid and one doesn’t need to worry about build quality.
HOW IS THE CABLE:-
I have been reviewing good quality earphones for a while, I have seen plenty of good stock cables. The HYLA Selenium cable was one of the best stock cable.
The 4 core braided cable that comes with the UM Mirage is of very good quality and lands it in the premium cable range. Still I have to say that it is not the supplest type, the layer of rubber on the cores is to blame here. It still is good enough and one of the best when it comes to stock cables, it compliments the Mirage nicely.
The cable guide at the 2pin end is very supple, it gives a very secure hold and isn’t bothering with the comfort at all. The 2pin itself is very sturdy. There is no conventional cable splitter here. Instead it is a piece of plastic pipe. The cable slider is made of the same material. The gold plated 2.5mm jack feels solid.
Most of the brands don’t have Jack termination options but here one can chose 3.5mm or 2.5mm cables. I went of the 2.5mm version.
