DITA Project M2

Broadly praised. Most hear a punchy, quick and textured low end led by the mid-bass, with enough sub-bass to rumble when a track asks for it and no bleed into the mids. A few wanted more sub-bass weight: one tour reviewer found the sub-bass audible but not felt, and a self-described basshead called the quantity light. Several note it is a step up in bass from the original Project M.

“Bass is well-extended and nicely textured, and while there’s a definite midbass emphasis, it feel tight and punchy rather than thick and bloated.”

Stephen Kostas, Bloom Audio

“Where the original reached down with that deep, effortless sub-bass rumble, the M2 shifts its attention ever so slightly towards the mid-bass.”

Scubadevils, Head-Fi

“The Sub-bass in the M2 is unfortunately not all there.”

savitr, Head-Fi

Sources split. The larger camp hears natural, full-bodied mids with excellent timbre and vocals placed forward enough to be engaging. Even some of these listeners note an upper-midrange rise that can bite on hot recordings. The other camp hears that rise as the main character: vocals that are thin, hollow, boxy or congested, and an upper midrange that turns shouty or painful at volume. Several reviewers say tips change how strong the peak sounds.

Three readings. The largest group hears smooth, polite, non-fatiguing treble with enough sparkle, much tamer than the original Project M. A second group finds it dull: short on air and lower-treble energy, with cymbals that sound plasticky. A third, including several show and tour listeners, finds it still too bright, with peaks around 5 kHz or in the upper treble that grow fatiguing at volume.

Most describe a warm, cohesive and musical tuning, variously called warm, neutral-warm or W-shaped, and a deliberate turn away from the original's bright, analytical balance. A substantial minority hear an uneven, coloured tuning instead: a V-shape with a thin midrange, or a lean, upper-mid-focused set. Jaytiss, who likes it, still warns it is not a safe pick for newcomers.

Sources split. One camp finds the stage a highlight, wide, deep and holographic for a single dynamic driver, and Bloom calls it among the best at the price. The other hears a moderate or intimate stage, with decent depth but limited width, that some find flat or cramped on orchestral music.

Generally good. Reviewers praise clean separation, stable placement and single-driver coherence, though a few say it lacks the razor-sharp precision of more technical sets.

“Project M2’s imaging and soundstage are very strong, with a sense of clean separation between instruments and voices and precise placement of each element on the stage.”

Stephen Kostas, Bloom Audio

“Imaging is fairly accurate, although it does not have the razor sharp precision that you can find on more technically focused IEMs.”

geeks, Head-Fi

Competent rather than standout for most. Detail comes through naturally rather than being pushed forward, and several prefer more technical sets for critical listening. A few hear outstanding resolution, including an owner who compared it with his other IEMs.

“Resolution is outstanding and deserves to be mentioned.”

shamo42 (owner), Head-Fi

“At a desk in a quiet room, there are IEMs that reveal more.”

Pseudonym031, Head-Fi

Praised. Reviewers describe uncompressed crescendos, quick transients and an energetic, engaging delivery. Several add that it is easy to drive but sounds better from a cleaner, stronger source.

“the climb from near silence to full fortissimo comes through with real headroom”

Avadhuta, Head-Fi

“Going from the most basic dongle DAC all the way up to the Quloos MUB5 brings significant improvements with every upgrade.”

nikbr, Head-Fi

Comfortable for most, and often for hours. The fit is medium-to-large and fairly deep, though, and smaller ears may struggle. One reviewer felt a bump in the shell and had pinna pain after about 45 minutes. Several needed some tip rolling to get a good seal.

“the fit is exceptionally comfortable for long sessions”

Scubadevils, Head-Fi

“For smaller ears, however, the size of the housing may become an issue and could make the fit less friendly.”

geeks, Head-Fi

“I did have some pinna pain after about 45 minutes of wearing them”

savitr, Head-Fi

The strongest point of agreement. The solid, bubble-free resin shell with its visible steel chamber is called beautiful and very sturdy, and the Cardas-made cable with swappable 3.5/4.4 mm plugs is well liked. Common nitpicks: no chin slider, and a case that is fiddly to close. Some owners of the original say its clear resin yellowed over time, and DITA's blue tint is meant to address that, but it is too early to know whether the M2 will hold up better.

“it is still reassuring to know that a pair is built like a small armoured vehicle.”

Pseudonym031, Head-Fi

“Case is still fiddly to close and the cable lacks a chin-slider”

Scubadevils, Head-Fi

“whether these gorgeous transparent blue-ish shells manage keeping their appearance fresh or start turning yellow-ish as the Project M did”

nikbr, Head-Fi

Good to very good. The fairly deep-fitting, resin-filled shell blocks a lot of noise with a proper seal.

“Works well for me and means isolation is among the best in the business.”

nikbr, Head-Fi

“it really isolates well for me and is super comfortable for many hours”

Tone Deaf Monk (video)

Sources split, along the same lines as the tuning debate. Fans call it one of the best sets under $500 and worth stretching for over cheaper single-driver sets. Critics say $329 is too much for the sound, pointing to cheaper single-driver sets that sound as good or better, including the Meze Alba, Letshuoer Astralis and Tangzu Fudu. Used units already sell for around three quarters of the list price.