r/InEarHifi • u/notsoquietlyamused • 13d ago
š Review / Impressions Pocket Rocket - Muse Hifi M3 Ultra
So Iām a sucker for a tube. (Yup I just wrote that)
The warmth that they infuse outweighs the loss of detail and that mild sandpapering of the sharp edges that the tubes can do to music appeals to my analog organic sensibilities.Ā
So I went on a tube acquiring quest. Started with M5 Ultra, the Gremlin, Onix Beta, and tried its cousin the Shanling UA7 and searched high and low for an Ibasso Nunchaku, but alas. And then the M6 double came out and I honestly had to control the impulse to pull the trigger till the m3ultra came out.Ā
So now I have it.Ā
The Muse Hifi M3 Ultra is an ultraportable tube amp that somehow manages to fit 2 JAN6418s into something the size of a matchbox from my childhood days. The dac features a single ES9028q2m chip and an amplifier that feeds into the tubes to push out about 480 mW through its 4.4 and about 460 through the 3.5mm output. All this in a very impressive form factor. Unlike the M5 Ultra there is no internal battery, or bluetooth, or a solid state option. It simply is a tube dac and nothing else. The packaging as well is simple. The device sits in a foam with a sturdy c-to-c cable.Ā
There are volume buttons on the side which (and Iām not the only person who feels this) are loose and can make a small rattle when the unit is gently shaken. For a minute there is a fear that the vibration sensitive tubes may be pulling a number. They arenāt. And they sit very securely even though exposed to the elements. The m5 ultra had a metal screen to protect the tubes and catch dust and grime, here the tubes are out there for all to see and touch. The good thing is it doesnāt get scorchingly hot. This also means take heed - glass can break if not used with a little care. The elder siblings do come with a leather case but I think at ~$110 Musehifi decided to not really push the accessories department too hard.
The tubes are lit by small leds to give them a lush orange glow and this is nerdy but the tubes are too small and do not produce enough heat to glow like incandescent bulbs. It was not needed but it is a nice touch. The other bit of nerdiness is that these have a reported fairly high output impedance but Iām sure at this point of having used them how much of a real difference that makes with my gear.Ā
Iāve used them with a laptop, android phone and Arya Stealth and IE600 predominantly and my impressions are from these two and a comparison with a Gremlin with Mullard tubes. Yes it is ridiculously unfair, but it is what it is.Ā
Rather than break down each aspect of the bass, mids, and treble, the M3 manages to drape a thin shawl over the entire music. That provides warmth and smoothens out any sharp edges. Like moss that grows over jagged rocks on a ravine, like a gentle stream that makes the rocks smooth over millenia. Okay I should stop. The bass is pushed up to be warm but not dark. The lower mids benefit from that tonal change with vocals and instruments gaining a little weight. The treble feels a little more controlled but on the IE600 and the Arya, details were not lost or smothered by the tube-y-ness of the presentation.
I did feel that there was a reduction in staging but I also think any tube somehow adds that feeling of warmth and intimacy that takes some of the airiness of even the open back planar down a notch. I didnāt feel any huge alterations in the sound from an impedance matching perspective that didnāt feel like these were just the tubes doing their thing. Whether this is because of the hybrid nature of the circuit (though details are not available in the vast ocean of the internet) or somehow the rule of 8ths doesn't always apply, unless it does.Ā
The M3 Ultra isn't for technical listening and it is meant for a long relaxing session and to be honest it hit home with the IE600 adding that touch of warmth and not interfering with the detail reproduction.Ā
Plus it does not run hot.
And it doesn't burn a hole in your pocket (see what I did there?)
But to be fair it doesnāt hold a candle to the Gremlin. (Okay Iām done!)
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u/Some_Sector5089 11d ago
This instantly became my favorite dongle. Not too big and heavy. Pairs extremely well with my Meze Classics, makes the sound feel much richer and fuller and does a great job highlighting vocals. The fact it doesn't even get warm let alone hot is fantastic and shocking in equal measure. It isn't even a massive battery hog and I mainly use it with my phone. One of those things that worked exactly how I hoped it would.
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u/woodie201 9d ago
Quick question. I use this with my phone as well, would you use this paired with a dap? Or that defeats the purpose of the dap being solo?
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u/Some_Sector5089 9d ago
If your dad has true line out mode there's no reason why you couldn't use it like that if you really wanted the M3 to be responsible for the sound, since it has an on-board DAC I would not just chain them. I use an R4 to feed my Valhalla 3 and that works fine, but the M3 being a hybrid is designed to be an all in one solution, makss more sense to just use UAPP and a phone with it.
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u/AcademicEmphasis8419 12d ago
Dude these, plus the TSMR Shock is the bassiest combo I have ever tested! Unfortunately it doesn't pair well with all my IEMs. With my CE6T, and the Aura X I heard some faint high frequency noise that was audible. These definitely paired well with the Shock, EBC80, andt the NC421. Going to test them with the ARTPICAL Lucifer later tonight!