Unique Melody 3DT Review – Très Bon
Pros — Coherent, organic sound with good tonal accuracy, great note definition and timbre; excellent build.
Cons — Elevated upper midrange may require micropore tape, not the greatest bass extension, a bit analytical; short nozzles/potential fit issue, mediocre cable.
In this Article
Executive Summary
The Unique Melody 3DT is a gently U-shaped, marginally warm-bright sounding triple-DD earphone of excellent articulation that will appeal to most of us.
Introduction
Unique Melody from Guandong Province of China have been around since 2007. In these almost 15 years, they have built a reputation of designing audio products of the highest quality. This is my first encounter with the brand. And since I am a dynamic-driver aficionado, the 3DT with its three independent dynamic drivers is a most interesting model for me to analyze.
Yep, the Unique Melody 3DT is innovative in that its largest (!) 10 mm CNT (carbon nanotube) driver is responsible for the treble and mids, and their two smaller 7 mm compound drivers are covering the low end. The idea behind the tri-dynamic design is minimizing distortion. And it works as we will see.
Specifications
| Drivers: three independent dynamic drivers (x2 7mm compound diaphragm dynamic drivers for bass and one 10mm CNT dynamic driver for mids and treble) |
| Impedance: 25.4 Ω |
| Sensitivity: 113 dB/mW @ 1 kHz |
| Frequency Range: 20-20,000 Hz |
| Cable/Connector: |
| Tested at: $259 (reduced from $399) |
| Product page: Unique Melody |
| Purchase Link: MusicTeck |
Physical Things and Usability
In the retail box are:
- Unique Melody x Dignis case x1
- Unique Melody 3DT x1
- 2-pin 0.78mm silver cable x1
- Warranty card x1
- Ear tips x8
- Unique Melody-branded cleaning cloth x1
The shells are 3D printed and their outer material is “stabilized wood”, a mixture of soft, porous wood and resin, which results in a dense, impervious material. Each of the shells is unique in appearance and therefore has a custom look.
The shells are bulbous and somewhat big but also light, very similar to the Shozy 1.4’s. They are therefore rather comfortable – and insulation is excellent. I did not find them to be fingerprint magnets so that the included cleaning cloth is a bonus.
The nozzles are found being too short by some, which can provide fit problems. This is easily fixed by replacing the short-stemmed stock tips with long-stemmed ones (Azla SednaEarfit Light, long stemmed, worked well for me). Unique Melody could have included a long-stemmed set at this price.
The cable…well…it works well, has no microphonics and there is nothing really wrong with it…in fact, it is almost identical to the one that comes with the $600 Sennheiser IE 500 PRO. But it is tightly braided with a rather hard-shell material so that is appears somewhat brittle. It is certainly not the most pliable one. And it tangles easily.
The zippered storage case is pure luxury. Very nice.
Tonality and Technicalities
Equipment used: Questyle QP1R; Sony NW-A55; MacBook Air & AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt/Astell & Kern PEE51; Azla SednaEarfit Light silicone eartips (long stemmed).
TL;DR: The 3DT’s overall signature is “well timbred”, marginally warm with a bright tilt, wrapped into a gentle U with slightly recessed vocals, and an overall excellent articulation and technical capabilities. All three drivers are rather nimble. Overall presentation is cohesive.
The low end is rather speedy for a dynamic-driver iem. The two 7 mm drivers create a controlled, well-textured bass that does not reach down as deep as some wished. This results in a subtle rumble at the bottom. A thumpy mid-bass hump is avoided – something my ears would not appreciated anyway. There is enough punch for me, decay is rather quick for a dynamic driver. I’d call the low end well dosed, articulate, and it does not smear upwards into the midrange.
This articulation continues into the midrange and treble. Vocals are a bit recessed and neither thick or thin but somewhere in between. They are well defined and sculptured and NOT aggressive, although they receive some energy from a boosted upper midrange. This elevation introduces some brightness to the overall warm signature. A mod is offered in the next chapter to mitigate this.
Treble extension and resolution are very good. There is great definition and body at the top end. The highest piano and violin notes are hit with accuracy, and cymbals sound rock solid. There is no sibilance.
Soundstage is rather wide and not so deep (but deep enough), and may not be the tallest. But it makes for good spatial cues. Note definition is great, note weight is intermediate. Timbre is excellent and layering and separation are good. The image could have some more air, however.
If I had a personal criticism it would be the driver speed pushing the signature towards analytical – it could be a tad more engaging. The three drivers interact flawlessly without an transition creating a coherent image.
Unique Melody 3DT modded
The 3DT’s 3-5 kHz area range may be a bit “spicy” for sensitive ears (but only a bit). Taping the nozzle screens off with surgical 3M micropore tape (don’t use Johnson & Johnson) removes some energy from this area without altering the bottom end. It also does not affect technicalities such as resolution and staging negatively.
The resulting frequency response is much more palatable to most ears and should have been implemented by the manufacturer. We have offered this technique for many earphone models and even dedicated an article to it. This mod is cheap, easy to do, and fully reversible.
Unique Melody 3DT Compared
I compare the Unique Melody 3DT to two single dynamic drivers, the $250 JVC HA-FDX1 and the $190 Moondrop KATO. The JVCs come sonically close to the 3DT but are a tad behind with a narrower stage, less clarity in the lower midrange, and not as tight a bass. The 3DT are slightly punchier with better spatial cues. These differences are, however, relatively small.
The Moondrop KATO are “fatter” and warmer sounding than the first two, which stems from their comparatively looser bass and a richer lower midrange. Vocals in the KATO sound fuller and more analog, but at the expense of note definition and midrange clarity. The 3DT sound more analytical and technical compared to the more relaxed and “casual” sounding KATO. An analogy would be a BMW M3 sportscar with a tight suspension vs. a Jeep Cherokee.
Concluding Remarks
The Unique Melody 3DT is a most interesting, innovate triple dynamic driver design packed in 3D-printed “stabilized wood” shells, with an articulate, organic sonic signature that will appeal to most listeners. It has no deal-breaking weaknesses and, unsurprisingly, comes with the recommendation of some audio forums.
As the company’s first offering to my ears, and considering their good reputation, my high expectations were met in full. The 3DT is one of these rare “Can’t-Go-Wrong” products. Very enjoyable.
Note: when I started this review, the Unique Melody 3DT was priced at $350, but the price had dropped to a rather competitive $259 at the time of publication.
Until next time…keep on listening!
Disclaimer
The Unique Melody 3DT was kindly provided by the manufacturer through MusikTeck – and I thank them for that.
Get the Unique Melody 3DT from MusicTeck
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