UM Unique Melody x MusicTeck - Pentara

Listening with Leo's switch tuning 'ON', if I were to describe it in one sentence - very coherent, natural, musical tuning with top tier technicalities in the best possible way. If you are looking for a top tier all-rounder, look no further than the Pentara. With the amount of drivers and crossovers, it is impressive to achieve such technical details and tuning at a truly flagship level. Buy with confidence if this is what you look for

Pronounced and very high quality, tight, punchy, textured, controlled bass. Mids with enough warmth, emotion, note weight. Never thin or analyctical. Treble that provides clarity, detail, and air without sharpness and fatigue for me. Very deep and wide soundstage that expands like a sphere. Excellent resolution and imaging. No congestion. I do not have issues with anything in the frequency range that I can fault personally like I do with other IEMs. Everything just sounds right. Nothing sounds artificial or weird. Not recommended for bassheads seeking for more bass but rather for those that want neutral-warm leaning sound with pronounced and elevated bass.

UM's tuning switch '1' leans slightly less bass quantity, more clarity, and opens up the soundstage a little bit

Two different tunings that are noticeably different but useful from each other rather than being inferior. Easy to use the switches that compliment each other with tacticle sound

90% of the time I will prefer the switch on with Leo's tuning because it invokes a lot more emotion and dynamics with the elevated bass and warmth in the mids. Just my preference

Fairly easy to drive but scales with power or better DAC/AMP

Only major gripe I have is that the stock cable sucks tbh. Not ergonomic, heavy, stiff, minor microphonics, emits a minor sinewave hiss with my DAP as a USB DAC which I do not have with other cables. Recommend using a better cable up to user's choice

I notice that the treble does get a little spicy with poorly mastered songs with elevated treble though that is fairly rare

Lack of accessories and unboxing experience is not a big deal if you are ultimately chasing the sound anyway

Sometimes at stratospheric pricing comes esoteric tuning that truly make you wonder if it's about the music anymore. Pentara is not one of those head-scratchers.

Happy to report that these are some of the best IEM's the world has to offer when valuing musical engagement, Bass Quality, Texture and Tonality. Has nice wide stage with great imaging, treble is snappy and bite-y, but remain effortlessly rendered with realistic voicing.

Never shouty since midrange is more on the rich/ dense site of things.

More of a departure from the Mentor Multiverse than expected, but playing at a higher plane of fidelity.

Hi-Fidelity done right.

The overall tuning feels flawless to me. The soundstage is very 3D with impressive width and height. Mid-bass has satisfying slam, and the sub-bass is the star of the show: textured, detailed, and full of rumble. The mids are lush and smooth with slightly forward vocals that never overshadow other details. Both low and upper mids carry enough weight to keep vocals sounding full-bodied.
Treble is airy, well-extended, and detailed without being fatiguing or overly bright.
Huge thanks to Leo and Andrew for the work they put into this set—it truly stands out.

Pros:
Truly immersive, spherical soundstage that wraps around you
Exceptionally controlled, addictive bass
Two genuinely useful tuning switches
Can listen for hours without fatigue or discomfort
Outstanding technical performance (imaging, staging, resolution)

Cons:
Bass quantity won't satisfy those seeking maximum rumble

Sources
iBasso D17 (OS/L, AMP/L, Line Out, Volume 95)
Luxury & Precision EA4 (amplifier)

Summary
For context on where I'm coming from: my main priorities are soundstage, imaging, and layered bass—not boosted, just well-textured and controlled. I'm not chasing maximum slam or the most forward vocals. I want to feel like I'm inside the music.
The Pentara checked every box. It's replaced my FiR Audio Radon 6 as my daily driver and effectively retired both my Symphonium Crimson and Unique Melody Asahi. I just don't reach for them anymore.

Sound Signature & Comparisons

vs. FiR Audio Radon 6 (Previous Daily Driver)
The RN6 was my daily for a reason—that Kinetic Bass hits deep, and the soundstage is genuinely wide. But I always felt like the staging was a bit egg-shaped. Plenty of width, not as much depth or height.
The Pentara fixes this. It's the first IEM where I feel like the music actually surrounds me rather than just stretching left to right. The bass doesn't slam as hard as the RN6's Kinetic Bass, but honestly? I don't miss it. The Pentara's low end is so well-controlled and textured that it's become addictive in its own way. Throw on Yosi Horikawa's Fluid and you'll hear what I mean—there's real nuance down there.

vs. Symphonium Audio Crimson
Look, the Crimson is a fantastic value. Fun signature, punches way above its price. But I could never wear it for more than an hour or two before needing a break—partly fatigue, partly comfort.
With the Pentara, that problem doesn't exist. I can keep these in indefinitely. And beyond just comfort, the technical gap is real. Staging, imaging, overall presentation—it's a different league. I haven't touched the Crimson since getting the Pentara.

vs. Unique Melody Asahi
This one's straightforward. I only ever used the Asahi when I wanted something more mid-focused. The Pentara's Switch 1 gives me basically the same thing, so the Asahi became redundant overnight.
I keep the switch set to On most of the time for the extra bass and dynamics. When I'm in the mood for acapella or vocal-heavy tracks, I flip to Switch 1. Works perfectly. The Asahi now belongs to a friend.

Verdict
The Pentara turned out to be exactly what I wanted: the immersive staging the RN6 was missing, the technical chops the Crimson couldn't deliver, and enough versatility to make the Asahi unnecessary. If your priorities line up with mine—soundstage, imaging, textured bass—this one's worth a serious listen.