Forte Ears Mefisto Review – High Definition

Comparisons –

Forte Ears Macbeth ($3999): Macbeth is more expensive and uses a more complex, equally novel driver system. However, in listening, the two feel like alternatives as opposed to Macbeth being a direct upgrade path. In summary, Macbeth is more W-shaped, Mefisto more U-shaped. Macbeth is warmer but also has more clarity in the top half, while Mefisto is cleaner throughout, leaner but more laid-back. Macbeth has more measurable bass, but in listening Mefisto is clearly bassier. Both are within the realms of a well-balanced and versatile amount. Mefisto has a bit more sub-bass focus; it has notably greater dynamics and sub-bass definition, rumble and detail. Macbeth has a warmer mid-bass and a more balanced upper bass and lower midrange. It has heaps of extension and slam too, but not the same degree of physicality at the very bottom.

Macbeth has a quicker decay and is slightly more responsive, yielding a touch more mid-bass texture and detail. The midrange is more forward on Macbeth, notably due to the upper-midrange tuning. Mefisto lacks the same clarity and immediacy but bolsters the centre midrange instead. In turn, its vocals are equally sized with male vocals, even being a tad more upfront. Where Macbeth has a euphonic warmth balanced out by higher clarity and articulation, Mefisto has smaller, leaner notes set to a lack of intensity. In turn, Mefisto has the advantage of being more separated and tonally transparent, while Macbeth is more revealing, liquid and slightly more resolving.

Macbeth has a bit more treble than Mefisto, but it doesn’t stand out quite as much as measurements may suggest, as it feels balanced with the more forward upper-mids. Mefisto is smoother and denser here but has a more isolated mid-upper treble boost. In turn, its treble often stands out a bit more in subjective listening, and it has a more energetic voicing. Though it is less articulate, Mefisto places greater focus on air and sparkle. Macbeth has more bite and crispness, feeling a bit more balanced in its presentation, but also with a bit more EST wisp, meaning it never sounds sharp either. Both have terrific extension and resolution, Macbeth has slightly greater speed and fine detail. The stage is wider and more holographic on Macbeth, Mefisto isn’t far behind and has greater separation.

Craft Ears Omnium (2500 EUR): The Omnium is a similar style of IEM that also uses an LCP bass driver and PMD driver, albeit for the midrange instead. The key difference is the Omnium’s more present midrange and more linear mid-bass to lower-midrange region. In turn, the Omnium is the generally brighter earphone. It is more neutral leaning in terms of note size and weight. Mefisto has greater bass emphasis overall. Omnium has almost as much sub-bass but set to a more reserved mid-bass. In turn, it is more separated but less inviting and punchy. Mefisto has notably greater physicality and dynamics. Omnium is slightly more responsive and picks up mid-bass details with greater definition. Mefisto is no slouch; its dual drivers offer equal texture and never get lost in complex passages despite the greater emphasis.

The Omnium has more midrange presence. It also has an earlier 1.5kHz boost, but set to a more present upper midrange. Though the Omnium is generally brighter and more revealing, it also has more body in the lower midrange. By comparison, Mefisto is more laid-back, smoother and more forgiving. However, it is still very defined, separated and transparent due to the lower-mid dip. In fact, it has similar definition to the Omnium despite having less brightness. The Omnium has slightly more resolving power in the midrange; admittedly, it is also brighter, which highlights this. It has more defined notes, and small details are more present and clear-cut. Mefisto offers similar layering and space, it keeps pace despite having a notably more easygoing tuning.

Similar to the midrange, the Omnium is once again a touch brighter in the treble. Both earphones offer standout extension, air and sparkle. Omnium has more lower-treble crunch and bite, delivering a harder-edge note presentation and slightly better fine detail retrieval. Mefisto has a smoother presentation with more focus on air. In turn, Mefisto doesn’t sound as “busy” as Omnium, but it does skip some fine details in so doing. Both have exceptional sparkle and resolution. Mefisto and Omnium are matched when it comes to soundstage width; Mefisto offers a bit more depth. Both also offer excellent separation. Omnium offers more holographic imaging, while Mefisto is a bit more layered in its presentation.

Soft Ears RS10 ($2500): The RS10 is a TOTL reference monitor sporting a nigh dead neutral tuning with a small sub-bass boost. It has a 10 BA setup with a passive pressure relief BA. Compared to Mefisto, it is more mid-forward with a notably lighter footed low-end. Its treble is also more linear and reserved. Mefisto immediately has more bass, and it has a more dynamic, physical nature. The RS10 has a hint of boldness to its notes but is otherwise wicked clean, being neutral in tone and size. Mefisto has a thicker texture and a lot more power and impact. RS10 has a tight attack and a lightning-fast decay typical of BA drivers, boasting superior note definition, speed and separation at the expense of dynamics and natural DD texture and decay.

The midrange is more present on the RS10 and more laid-back on Mefisto. Despite this, the actual voicing isn’t too dissimilar. The RS10 does sound more linear; its vocals and instruments are better balanced. Mefisto has a bit more colour to it, slightly more clarity to its vocals, and a bit more articulation. In turn, it sounds more contrasted and engaging. Mefisto is more relaxed and forgiving. Though it is highly defined and separated, the RS10 takes these qualities to the next level, boasting an advantage on micro details and layering at the expense of some intensity at times.

The top-end differs quite a bit between both. The RS10 has a bit more lower-treble bite, its percussion is more defined and etched. It offers a more pronounced foreground detail presentation. Mefisto offers more energy, sparkle and air above. It has better extension and brings micro details more to the fore. The RS10 offers more body and texture but doesn’t have the same emphasis on sparkle and background details, which are more neutral in presence. The soundstage is larger on Mefisto, and it has more multi-dimensional imaging. The RS10 offers more defined layers and better separation.

Jomo Instinct ($2999): A close competitor from Jomo, the Instinct similarly makes use of a dual DD setup set to 6 BA drivers and a piezo tweeter. The Instinct is a more V-shaped monitor with a notably warmer character overall. The Instinct has a larger bass shelf with more mid-bass bias; it features a similarly sharp lower mid/upper bass dip, which helps to clean up its midrange, albeit it remains quite warm and full by comparison. Mefisto is more balanced, with a more accurate note timbre. Both have awesome depth, dynamics and sub-bass detail. Mefisto is notably cleaner in its representation simply due to its tuning, while the Instinct is more fun with its thunderous mid-bass punch. Both have similar speed and note definition, so detail retrieval is strong on both, with this being more apparent on Mefisto due to its greater separation.

Similar to the low-end Mefisto offers the more balanced, present midrange, and it has a more transparent character. The Instinct is warmer, more laid-back and fuller. Though it is also more articulate, Mefisto has the advantage in clarity, definition and separation. The Instinct has impressive detail retrieval considering the lushness of its voicing, but Mefisto does layer better and picks out small details that the Instinct smooths over. The Instinct has a more present treble, albeit it doesn’t stand out as sharp or bright due to the similarly large bass boost.

The Instinct has a more vibrant, defined lower-treble. The PZT tweeter adds its magic here with profound speed and definition that Mefisto doesn’t match. Both also have a good amount of air and sparkle. Mefisto tends to sound a bit more open and energetic at the very top, but the Instinct doesn’t lack extension or resolving power of micro details either, it simply isn’t quite as strong in these regards as Mefisto. Mefisto offers a larger soundstage with more layers and separation. The Instinct has more depth, and it has more contrast between background and foreground due to its darker mid-treble giving its presentation a blacker ether.

Verdict –

Mefisto is the digital to Macbeth’s analogue. With the sacrifice of warmth and fuzz comes a cooler yet higher definition sound with more subterranean oomph and a clearer note presentation. It tones down the pivotal upper midrange and lower treble regions relative to its sibling, contributing to a presentation that is more laid-back despite being more analytical otherwise. This equates to a sound with excellent separation and transparency that still upholds great listenability. As before, the unboxing experience and overall design are marvellous and a testament to the exotic nature of the product. Riccardo has blown me away with the level of maturity and innovation his brand provides, now offering two highly distinguished IEMs that successfully compete at the highest level. Mefisto is a wonderful addition to the Forte Ears family that offers jaw-dropping technical performance at its extremities with a versatile and easygoing character in between.

Mefisto is available from Forte Ears (International) for $2,899 USD at the time of writing. I am not affiliated with Forte Ears or Eletech and receive no earnings from purchases made through these links.

Track List – 

Billie Eilish – dont smile at me

Bob Seger – Night Moves

Courtney Barnett – Rae Street

Cream – Wheels of Fire

Dire Straits – Communique

Dirty Loops – Next To You

Eagles – Hotel California

Elton John – Honky Chateau

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

H.E.R – I Used To Know Her

Jasen – BYE

John Mayer – Continuum

Kanye West – Ye

Missy Higgins – The Sound of White

Radiohead – OK Computer

TALA – ain’t leavin` without you

The Beatles – Abbey Road

The weeknd – After Hours

Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride