Hello! I've crafted this first review in Notion, so it will only be viewable as a PDF. My apologies for the inconvenience. I will try to find a much more elegant solution to view any future reviews I write up.
The link is right here!
EDIT
For those who want a summary of my review, here it is!
The first thing you'll notice with this IEM is that it looks damn pretty. Worthy of being worn as audio jewelry, from the gorgeous faceplate right down to the metal terminations. Cable is slightly tacky to my hands, but it's flexibility helps mitigate microphonics. Other than that, it's one of the best cables I've seen bundled with an in-ear.
Comfort is also a major plus for my ears, as its aluminum chassis is shaped just right to fit me. Ear hooks did not pose any comfort issues, nor did the eartips. It should be noted that condensation may form when using this IEM, and I found that using tips with taller stems may help alleviate the issue, though it will not completely solve it.
The bass is a gentle giant — mighty in its presence yet somewhat delicate in its presentation. Never too overwhelming where it muddies the rest of the frequency response, though it can bleed a little in certain tracks. In my listening tests, I did find myself wanting less of it, but it's only a nuisance and never a glaring issue.
Mids and lower treble are just like my beloved Starfield, and they are sublime in their tonality. A fine balance struck to keep it from traversing into shouty nor overly recessed territory. Present is its vocals, but never to the point of them screaming in your face nor belting behind a concrete wall. Easily my favourite aspect of this IEM.
Treble is where it can get a little dicey. Mid-highs are just fine, providing the needed spice to keep crash and splash cymbals from sounding more like gongs. The real problem, however, lies in the upper region, where it is recessed and dark. I love the sense of airiness and pseudo-resolution, and I did not find a lot of that here.
Soundstaging is as one would expect from a closed-back IEM: decently wide and far, but nothing that extends past what is usually found in in-ears. Imaging is also alright, never presenting nanometer precision but also panning left and right reasonably well. Resolution is slightly above average to my ears, even if I have to admit to possessing ears in-training. Still, mushiness is something I didn't seem to find, and I could still somewhat pick detail inside a well-mastered track.
Overall, this IEM has its noticeable weaknesses, but past that lies a very potent piece of kit. It fascinates me to see just how far IEMs have come, and the appearance of the Mele alone might be worth the $50 it costs. And it just so happens to sound pretty damn nice for its price too. Electrifying potential is on the horizon for Tripowin and HBB, and hopefully their IEM is even better than this one. And given how well their first shot did, one can safely be hopeful of their future.
