The Unique Melody Merlin in-ear headphones: when you listen to them, you close your eyes and Marilyn Monroe appears..

Do you believe in omens?? And for a good reason. Whatever you call the earbuds, that’s how they play… Today we continue our acquaintance with the Unique Melody brand. I already have the legendary UM Merlin on my head. Nothing shaken? Blonde all in white, with a dress in the wind… So, about the ears: the model is constructed on the basis of one dynamic radiator – for reproduction of bass, and two armature radiators – for average and high frequencies. The headphones are made exclusively in a custom-built casing and made in a custom mold of your ear. I had a chance to listen to this miracle in the form of samples, intended for the first acquaintance.

Unique Melody Merlin in-ear headphones

Specifications

Drivers: 5 1 dynamic driver for the lower frequencies, 2 armature drivers each for the mids and treble

Sensitivity: 108 dB

Frequency range: 10 Hz – 19000 Hz

Resistance: 12 ohms

Noise isolation: – 26 dB

Package and appearance

The Merlin kit consists of a replacement cable, a case, a special cleaning brush for the earpieces, and an AFC chart. The kit also included a mystical glass cube, but what function it served, not even Marilyn Monroe would have guessed.

The design and color you can choose at your discretion, to offer your options on colors and application of images, all options are available at the choice of order, at least molded rhinestones. In my version, the right earpiece was red-transparent, the left one blue-transparent, not to be confused.

The custom version is made from an impression of the ear. To do this you need to take an impression of the ear in a hearing center, then choose a model, design and send the whole thing to the company Unique Melody for the manufacture of headphones. They’ll do it all and send you a finished model. All in all, everything will be, a little fuss and voila – Merlin in your home!

I will not lie, although it is rare, but it happens that the finished mold did not sit right. Then you have to go for a second round, and the full program: casts, parcel, long wait and a full buzz in the end! The company gives 60 days for free reshelf – redesign of the case in simple terms.

Sound

Here I heard and saw the most interesting thing. I liked the headphones very much. Their sound can not be called correct or monitor, it’s rather multifaceted and full of colors, but Merlin are good, just like Merlin Monroe herself with a mole on the cover!

Listening was done with MyST DAC 1866OCU V.2, Hidizs AP100MM, QLS QA-360, Hifiman HM-601LE and MyST PortAMP-II amplifier. With the QLS QA-360 the sound is most even, but I would call it very boring and not interesting.

I liked how the headphones behave with the Hifiman HM-601LE and especially when I connect the 601LE to MyST PortAMP-II – a fairy tale! And the prize for Synergy goes to UM Merlin + stationary MyST DAC 1866OCU V.2.

The bass is played cool, very cool! I can feel the breath of the bass drum and the rolls of the drum kit amaze with each of his blows. The bass is punchy, deep, precise and quite fast. It doesn’t cut into the rest of the frequency range but works harmoniously with it.

The middle part is quite smooth, very musical and detailed. There is a slight peak in the upper middle. But here’s the thing, whether over time I learned to put them in my ear, or I got used to it, but now I practically can not feel it. Now it is perceived more as a nifty gimmick and no more. That’s the deal.

The high frequencies are crystal clear. They do not crumble, but there is to my ears a spark here, which on the one hand gives the sound airiness and width, but on the other, too obtrusive. It’s all a matter of taste though. Some people drink tea with three sugars, some with one sugar, but I prefer a strong Puer without sugar.

What else I would like to add? Merlin sounds beautiful and melodic – as they called it, so it sounds, bringing back exquisite images… If Mentor takes depth and immerses you in a kind of cinematography, Merlin ears, like the naive glamour of Monroe, returns you to the childhood dreams and joy with tears of resentment and happiness. I would not judge which model is better, Mentor or Merlin. Each of them has its own undeniable advantages. If you want to stay young, beautiful and with a Hollywood smile, Merlin will do it all for you, and very faithfully. If you want thoughtfulness, atmosphere and action – this is for Mentor.

Conclusion

I liked the headphones, very much. Definitely UM Merlin and Mentor, some of the best representatives of multidrivers. I would buy them for me? I think so, stops running around, associated with customization and a hefty price tag. The price for this model is $880. In principle, if the dollar exchange rate returns to two years ago, the purchase will be more than justified.

Sound, comfort, individual design.

For residents of the regions may be a problem taking casts, long wait for the finished product, price. Connoisseurs of smooth monitor sound may not like.