Unique Melody StarDust's Review - A very capable hybrid

 

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort
Unique Melody is a brand that needs no introduction, they do not rush their releases, they don’t churn out new products on a monthly basis, they take the time and make sure that the released products are polished. Their products are mainly targeted towards the mid to high end segment if we’re talking about the price. The StarDust that I have with me today is no exception, top notch finishing and definitely worthy to be called as top of the line product. It is an IEM with hybrid setup,featuring two dynamic drivers and four balanced armature, both the DDs and BAs are customised from what I gathered from the specification sheet.

Build quality is top notch, titanium shell with 3D Metal Printing technology, very beautiful to look at and to hold it as well.

Given the price of the product, I was a little let down by the presentation of the packaging, the included leather case is very premium looking and nice to touch of course, smells leather the moment you open up the box, but only one type of eartips included, and the Tunewire custom cable developed to complement the tuning of StarDust, my variant is the 4.4mm balanced jack. Haptic wise, it is very soft and not prone to tangle, solid build quality from the jacks and 2 pin connector to the Y splitter.

In terms of comfort, the Stardust fits very well, despite looking quite rough, but the surface is actually smooth and does not cause any discomfort when it is in your ear. 

Gears used for this review

• Earmen L-AMP

• Aune S9c Pro Dac/Amp

• iFi Zen Dac 3

• Aune S9C DAC -> Aune S17 Pro EVO Amp

• Unique Melody StarDust Stock cable and Eartips

Foreword

My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound
The StarDust tonality leans towards the warmer side of the spectrum with a slight bass boost, offering a balanced sound signature that avoids any harsh or overly bright elements with fairly natural timbre. As I mentioned earlier,  IEM's timbre is remarkably natural and free from any noticeable BA coloration. While there might be a subtle hint of BA timbre detectable upon close inspection, it's largely imperceptible during casual listening.

Bass

• The sub bass is rumbly and has good extension, but i wouldn’t say it is anywhere near basshead kind of rumble, it does rumble when the track calls for it, i have used it for movies and gaming and it is definitely more than enough to provide the rumble and impact from the scene

• Mid bass has good body and it doesn’t sound thin, double bass pedal doesn’t sound bloated or lacking in terms of texture, Slipknot’s People = Shit, during the fast drumming, every hit can be heard clearly

• Bass from the StarDust is tight and clean transition between the sub and mid bass is quite balanced without sounding incoherent

• I personally find the tuning of bass is done right to my preference, very little to no emphasis on the bass region

• But when i need to have additional fun, i just switch on the Xbass on my Zen Dac 3 or Bass+ on my Earmen’s L Amp and i am rewarded with tons of fun

Mids

• The mid range has plenty of details and they don’t sound recessed at all, very clean and lush sounding, this is definitely a set to consider if you’re a mid lover

• Vocal doesn’t sound recessed nor too forward, just right to my ears

• Male vocal in my opinion sounds full and well textured, female vocal on the other hand also has very good energy level to it, even when you crank the volume higher, it doesn’t sound “shouty”, with very good texture to it as well

• The upper mids are generally quite safe sounding, but again, it depends on your tolerance and sensitivity, and most importantly, the fit

• The note weight in the mids are definitely not thin nor overly thick, very very well done

Treble

• Now, the treble, while it does offers plenty of details, it is never harsh

• It is smooth overall with no hints of sibilant even when you crank the volume up

• Detail retrieval is good but can be better, but i can tell that this is definitely not the tuning direction of StarDust

• Note weight in this range is also very good, not thin sounding certainly

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage from Stardust is slightly out of your head, good depth, width, and height perception

• Imaging is very good,the instruments can be pinpointed easily in busy track like Slipknot’s Duality, without any effort, you can easily pinpoint where the instruments are coming from

• The technicalities

Driveability

• The StarDust is certainly not hard to drive and it does sound decently loud even from my Macbook Air M2’s 3.5mm Jack (with converter), what i want to stress is that, sounding loud is not equivalent to driving power

• StarDust does benefit quite a bit from source in terms of tone coloration, i have experimented with several dac/amps and each outputs different kind of tonality, it’s not drastic difference but the difference is certainly perceptible (at least for me)

• In terms of amping, switching it to Aune S9c Pro, the staging is slightly bigger sounding, and better dynamics as well as tighter bass and slightly better extension on the lows

Comparison (Dita’s Mecha)

• Switching over to the Mecha for the purpose of comparison,i would say the tonality between the Mecha and the StarDust is slightly different, it is also a single DD vs hybrid setup

• Priced at 899$ for the Mecha vs StarDust at 799$, in terms of value, both model definitely have a lot to offer at the asking price

• The tonality of the Mecha is leaning towards warmish and deeper sub bass extension/rumble compared to StarDust , the tuning is more fun and thicker note weight

• In terms of bass, the sub bass and mid bass definitely have more quantity and punch, it also extends quite deep compared to StarDust, StarDust’s bass is more on the fast and clean kind of bass response

• Mids are thick and lush, upper mids are on the safe side to me

• Treble is quite smooth with plenty of details despite only sporting a single DD 

• Technicalities i would say the StarDust is slightly ahead of Mecha

• Shell size, the Mecha and StarDust is more or less similar, i did not measure it with numbers to be exact, both using Titanium shell

Final Thoughts

Having tested StarDust for several weeks. It is safe to say that it offers a very good and enjoyable experience. For a top end product, it does almost everything right, of course there are some cons if I were to nitpick. The StarDust has been my daily driver since i received them, i have even put it up for comparison with some of the more expensive models from Spirit Torino which is the Twin Pulse IEM, and the StarDust is definitely holding its ground well. This is definitely another good release from Unique Melody for the mid range segment and I am definitely looking forward to testing out more of Unique Melody’s products. It certainly deserves a recommendation and worth a listen.

*The StarDust is offered by Unique Melody with discount for the purpose of this review and i appreciate the opportunity and discount given

Head over to the official store if you are interested in getting one

Unique Melody Stardust - Non Affiliated

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