Mega5-EST 5-Drivers Hybrid IEM (Universal)

Best earphones I have ever heard. Sound fantastic, full, fun and detailed whether I’m listening to my iBasso DX340 or my professionally refurbished high end personal cassette players. There is real depth and sparkle to the sound. The fit of the ear tips makes a huge difference to the bass level and I recommend trying them all to see which best fit your ears to get the sound balance you want. My best earphones previously were a set of Shure SE535s and they are now firmly relegated to a drawer.

Impressions after 2 weeks of listening.

eartips:
Mostly using AZLA SednaEarfit XELASTEC II and stock foam tips. Foam tips result in a more dark presentation. With other silicone stock tips — the treble was either a pinch too much or a bit unnatural for my ears (bear in mind I'm HIGHLY sensitive to peaks in treble). Both Azla and foam tips are improving the treble response for my specific tastes and anatomy. That's the part that might be different for most :)

sources:
Fiio K13 R2R, Fiio KA15, Hibby R3 (I didn’t notice any significant improvements across those 3 units - it’s maybe has 5% better controlled bass on K13)

I'll try to compare it to both Tea Pro and DUSK in DSP mode (my two favorite IEMs so far).

REVIEW/IMPRESSION
Laid-back in terms of overall presentation. Bass is the weakest part, not very defined (pillowy); at the same time, it makes music very well integrated, pleasant, and cohesive. The amount of bass is definitely enough; I would like it to be a bit more defined/controlled. It has a nice punch and slow decay; I would say — not really suitable for EQ. It's a very specific presentation that can be called more natural but less impressive overall when compared to DUSK and Tea Pro.

Overall it's a warmer listen than DUSK and not as warm as Tea Pro (they are close though) — Mega5est has less bass but a slower decay that makes the tonal balance seem more warm. Tea Pro has more bass that punches harder, faster, and decays faster, which "cleans up" the sound a bit.

Treble, while being very accurate and natural sounding, stays perfectly integrated. (Some may say it lacks contrast).
Before listening to Mega5est, I've considered DUSK as the best treble I've heard; it's so smooth and yet extended. After a few days of listening to Mega5est, I went back to the DUSK. The treble still seemed smoother than on Mega5est — but I've noticed it's not as "even." Never noticed it before, but the DUSK treble is smooth because it's scooped. Mega5est, while not sounding this smooth and at moments not as extended, is MUCH more evenly presented. It just sounds the most natural. Tea Pro doesn't really compare here; it's nowhere close to DUSK and Mega5est in terms of being natural and neutral. It's a very different presentation — colored in a very pleasantly incisive way. If you want to hear a treble that is very well contoured and paints a defined and exciting picture, while not being natural — Tea Pro works there.

The vocal presentation is just amazing; I really don't know what to say here. It's the best vocal sounding IEM. Incredibly well integrated in the mix; DUSK and Tea Pro seem detached by comparison. It's not an exciting forward-sounding vocal set. It's just there — the way it’s supposed to be.

Overall, incredibly cohesive sound that blends everything together while keeping the amazing clarity of the sound thanks to the incredible tonal balance. But be warned — it's the LEAST impressive set I've heard in a while. It gives me the 6XX vibes — there is nothing to be excited about, nothing really amazing happening, the music is just flowing in a very inoffensive way. But the longer I listen and the more headphones I go back to, the more I notice the flaws they have - that I never noticed before. Mega5est just keeps revealing how flawed everything else is.

It's an ultimate BORING IEM; it does everything right while not trying to impress or excite you with its presentation.

It just leaves you, your imagination, and your music to do the rest.

I bought my second pair of mega5-EST Bass+ headphones from Hisenor. I got the custom design universal option. All of my e-mail correspondence was prompt, easy and respectful. The design turned out beautiful, and these IEMs are by far the best that I've ever heard. This is also the most I've spent on any headphones, but well worth the cost!

Tuned to perfection. Customizable, a truly excellent audio experience

I've had the pleasure of owning these IEMs for almost 1 year now. What impresses me the most is how natural it sounds. The timbre is almost perfect. Technicalities aren't the best-in-class, but it's still very good. As someone who listens to almost all genres of music, this is perfect. It's extremely well-tuned, smooth, balanced, with spot-on timbre, and enough detail & technical performance that you won't get bored of it, even after a year.

What would make these the perfect IEM for me, personally, is a bit more emphasis on the upper mids and highs, maybe 1 or 2 dB less sub-bass, and a touch more mid-bass kick. But everyone hears slightly differently, especially with universal IEMs. And that's what's great about these IEMs. They are almost guaranteed to sound good for everyone. It's a very safe tuning.

The build quality is phenomenal, too. The shells feel premium, with some heft, it doesn't feel hollow. The nozzle is a bit large, but thankfully it still fits me. The cable looks amazing, and even as a sweaty person who lives in a hot, desert climate, it still looks great.

They come with an assortment of tips, a cleaning cloth, and a nice Pelican case. I do recommend trying out other eartips, as the ones that they come with are rather thin. Ultimately I settled with Azla SednaEarfit Crystals and Divinus Velvet Wide Bore eartips. The Crystals grip my canals better outdoors, but the Velvets are very comfy and I prefer their ease of insertion indoors.

Been rocking the Mega5est for around 10 weeks now, and I absolutely love them. They're absolute monster allrounders, plays all genres of music really nicely, and if you're treble sensitive, then these are safe as well, since treble is just slightly recessed, but still present. Sub bass and mids is the star of this IEM, while mid bass is more than good enough and has punch. Sound in my games like Battlefield and Arma Reforger is absolute pin-point accurate. Absolutely in love with them. My #1 by far, but also as of now my most expensive IEMs, looking forward to seeing what else Hi-Senior(Febos) makes!

More and more manufacturers are now taming the high end and upper mids so your ears don’t BLEED listening to Normal Music …
I put a Moon Audio Set of Silver Dragons on mine for kicks and dang if it doesn’t make these My Favorite IEM’s I have heard in a long long long time

From start to finish my experience with Hi-senior was excellent. I ordered custom shells and the communication and ordering process was easy and fast. It took about a month. I own many high end IEM’s and audio gear and these are the best all around IEM’s I have heard. It has become my everyday go to iem. I have other iem’s that are better in one or two aspects of music but none that are this good all around. I could only own the Mega5 est and be happy. Everything sounds great from hip hop to classical. I am beyond any honeymoon period and I love it as much today as when I first got it.

Can't stress enough how great these perform. Regardless at what volume they are set to and how far they're pushed, they never distort. Sound stage is tight with a heavy emphasis in the lower frequency. They pair nicely with my HiBy R5 Gen 2 and are my go-to for everything I do. From work and home to backpacking trips deep in national forests, these always perform very well.

Mega5EST

After so many IEMs my first CIEM.
The sound quality and workmanship are very good.The CIEMs fit perfectly.

Hisenior has been around longer than other brands in China.
And so also has a lot of experience in it.

The boss is always helpful and communicative and you can write to him at any time.

I will probably buy more iems from Hisenior. The T4 or even more likely a new flagship.

These are my first serious IEMs venturing past AirPod Pros. I ordered these after hearing so much about them on YouTube. The headphone.com review really left a mark with me. The nozzle is bigger than what I’m used to, and I had to pick up some accessories (4.4 to 3.5 and 4.4 to USB-C) before I could try them out. With the included tips, I find the sound very clean with male and female vocals front and center. I’ve ordered some recommended tips as I hear they can make a big difference with this set. I love the personalized color! Overall a great sounding pair that I look forward to using and exploring further!

About the Mega5-EST

I am addicted to the Mega5-EST. They are ridiculously good. It’s the one IEM, I choose, the most, to listen to my music. It’s the perfect all rounder for my different genres in my library. The tuning is maybe a little safe for some people, but it’s definitely NOT boring. The Bass is lush , rich , balanced, and has rumble and slam. The upper mids and treble are relaxed and feel smooth like velvet. I’m taken by how Natural everything sounds. “Transporting me to the exact moment in time the music was recorded “. It’s like a camera capturing a photo. I feel like I’m there with the artist. The musical realism is evident. To me everything feels like you can hear the size of the room the recording was performed in. It’s just that good. I love the Mega5-EST. I’m sure you will too. 5 STARS ⭐️ from me.

About Hisenior Customer Service.

From the initial purchase to receiving the shipping. It was all seamless. Unfortunately something must have happened during shipping. I had to contact Hisenior. Even though it seemed beyond Hisenior ‘s control, they were very fast to respond with a solution via email. I was in contact with them throughout the whole return process. It was handled very well. Hisenior made me feel very confident, supported and when I would receive my replacement Mega5-EST . I really want to thank the whole Hisenior team . Especially Gareth who was so helpful throughout the process. The commitment to customer satisfaction was so evident. I would totally recommend Hisenior to purchase an IEM.

Hisenior Mega5EST 7th Anniversary Edition

The Mega5EST is perhaps one of the best value IEMs for the one who wants a natural sounding tribrid.

In short the Hisenior Mega5EST is a very natural sounding IEM, that keeps itself from being either boring or fatiguing. More or less a jack of all trades, that does everything very correctly without being master of anything. Also means that it excels at most music you throw at it, perfect for putting your music library on random and enjoy.

It's clearly the best IEM I have used from Hisenior, and excels in coherency thanks to good drivers and tuning. Mega5EST has the right amount of warmth and brightness to make it musical and enjoyable for me.

Solid 5 star for the money.

Pros: Tuned neutral warm
Tonality that suit most music
Excellent clarity throughout
Elastic and deep bass quality
Natural and clean midrange
Natural highs without being too forward
Not sharp or piercing
Natural amount of air and treble
Good price for a tribrid
Elegant blue design
Ergonomic shell with metal nozzle
Good build Quality
Good accessories, specially the White Whale cable
Purchasable as CIEM or just Custom designed Universal

Cons: Slightly large nozzle
Hard Case is not very practical for day to day use
Jack of all trades, master of none
Some would probably like more high range
Same that some would want more bass

Great headphones! Musical ones don't tire you. Wide stage! Excellent instrument separation. Universal to music genres. For my taste, the mid-range is a little lacking, but that varies from person to person. The included attachments didn’t fit, but that’s not a problem; I found suitable ones at home. Very comfortable! The included cable is flexible enough and does not tangle.

My week with the Hisenior Mega5EST 7th Anniversary Edition. I LOVE THIS IEM!
Disclaimer: I bought these IEM’s with my own money. I’m not being incentivised to write this review and my thoughts are my own
Why this set? I bought the Hisenior Okavango 2 months ago and thought they were great value for money. There’s a review on these as well. Hisenior, being a smaller company, dedicated to making custom IEM’s for musicians, seemed a no brainer to try the next step up in the series.
1DD+2BAs+2Est (same as the Thieaudio Oracle MKII)
Configuration: 1Low + 2Mid-highs + 2S-highs
Tuning: 4 Ways/ Triple Bores/ 3 Dampers
Freq Response:10Hz-50Khz
Sensitivity: 110dB/mW
Impedance: 38Ω
Isolation: -20db

I bought this during the black Friday sale on Aliexpress from Angelears. 2 weeks later the set arrived
What’s in the Box: Hisenior use pelican like cases, see the photo. This set also comes with their highest quality cable, the White Whale. The cable is premium quality, silky smooth, lays flat and has premium hardware, with a 4.4mm plug. There are 4 sets of tips, but I put these aside and used both the Dunu Candy L and Divinus Velvet ML (more on that later).
DAP – Fiio M17, with FLAC Lossless Library, running through Poweramp
I normally Parametric EQ everything to the 5128 10dB target and bump up the bass 30%. I have the MMKIII, SA6 MKII, Performer8, Okavango, Heyday, Galileo, Phoenix Call, Hexa, Fudu etc. and I EQ them all.
I DID NOT EQ the Mega5EST. I tried, but quickly realised it didn’t improve the sound. I was Shocked! This set is as close to perfect, for my library and hearing preference, as I’ve every heard and it’s ½ the price of the Monarch MKIII. Punches way above its weight class!
Frequency Graph: There are only 2 measures on squiglink and they both look slightly different in the upper treble. What they both show is a signature that mirrors the Oracle at lower frequencies, transitions into the lower mids smoothly and has more extension in the upper mids, before rising, than most any other set I’ve listened to. This slightly later rise was a concern when I bought the set, but the graphs need a grain of salt. The treble and upper treble regions have modest energy and I know this set wouldn’t be too spicy.
Sub Bass: This set will rattle your teeth, handling rap and hip-hop with ease RATE: 8
Bass: The DD in this set does its job and does it well! Lots of slam and punch, but the bass doesn’t bleed into the lower mids at all. Best balanced transition of any set I’ve heard. RATE: 8
Lower Mids: Male vocals are clear and easily distinguishable during busy tracks, without being forward. Rate:9
Upper Mids: Female vocals are slightly recessed, but I like this. I find when the female vocals are slightly recessed the set is less fatiguing. Zero sibilance. Again best I’ve heard RATE:9
Treble Region: Balanced and detailed. The EST’s they’ve used are top quality. RATE: 8
I originally use the Dunu Candy L tips (love them), but the bore is narrow and added more bass to something that just didn’t need it. I swapped to the Divinus Velvet ML Tips, which match the nozzle diameter, and the sound balance was perfect and gave slightly more air.
Sibilance, Note weight, Slam, tonality, detail, balance, all Excellent. They are a bit hard to drive at 38 Ω.
At $500, with the White Whale Cable, this set is a bargain and rivals other “End Game” sets. I ranked the MMKIII as the best set of 2023, but this set without EQ is better. I enjoy the MMKIII equally, but only after EQ. 42/50 sound ranking. 4.5 Stars… S class.

Library: This was a full week of listening, so I’m going by artist only.
Peter Gabriel
Chicago
Chris Cornell
Soundgarden
Rod Stewart
Beastie Boys
U2
Sade
Smashing Pumpkins
Radiohead
Eagles
Duran Duran
Prince
Prodigy
David Bowie
The Cure
Depeche Mode
The Doors