Introduction:
Unique Melody, located in China, is one of the most successful in-ear monitor manufacturers in the audiophile world. So far, they have reached impressive sales figures; they continue to design and produce new monitors. Until now, they have released a series of models including the famous Miracle, Mentor, and Merlin.
I auditioned Mentor universal a while ago. It had an impressive center midrange presentation and a quite small shell for a 10-BA monitor. Now, it is time to review UM’s new flagship monitor called ‘’Maestro’’. As a new feature, it has a V2 mark on the body and newly designed acoustic tubes. The monitor still has 12 balanced armature drivers, but the company says that the sound is improved.
Build Quality, Design and Accessories:
The reviewed monitor has an acrylic body and a relatively long canal part. Needless to say, the craftsmanship can be considered as one of the best in the monitor industry. No signs of error…
On the other hand, some may want the canal part to be shorter in order to get a more comfortable fit. Still, the monitor fits my ears very well after getting some listening time with it. Please note that the tip part is not as thick as the rest of the canal; that results in a better comfort and the fit.
Maestro v2 has twelve BA drivers like its predecessor. The successor also uses a 4-way passive crossover system and three newly designed and metal acoustic tubes. Two of them are smaller and the one of them is bigger. UM seems to have changed the traditional sockets of their monitors. Instead of recessed sockets, they now utilize the UE type of sockets that seems stronger to me.
As seen in the UM websites, the company offers impressive and rich design options such as more than 20 different colors, wooden and carbon fiber faceplates, special artworks, and six different UM logos.
The monitor comes with two different cables. One of them is standard, but the other one is a newly designed hybrid cable that consists of four copper and four silver conductors. The overall build quality is good for a standard cable, but it might be a little more flexible and the memory wire might be shorter. Still, it is not disturbing.
In addition, Maestro has an impressive metal hard case that is different than the industry standard. Some may prefer a plastic hard case such as a Pelican case, but the current UM case looks chic and premium. There are also a cleaning tool, 3.5 to 6.3 and airplane adapters. In sum, UM has chosen to send the monitor with a rich packaging.
