MEE Audio was kind enough to lend me their Pinnacle P1 for review. I am getting nothing out of this review, besides the opportunity to hear MEE’s P1. I will not be a shill. They are a single 10mm dynamic driver design, with what I assume to a single small port. This is a wonderful unit, wonderfully built, great comfort, and great sound, and yes, I will compare it to my beloved Orion.

This unit comes with many accessories. Three sizes of standard eartips are included, along with two bi-flange, one triple-flange, and three sizes of Complys. Two cables are included, a cable with a one-button remote and mic, a standard cable, and a shirt clip to keep the cable in place. They also include a very nice travel case, with “Pinnacle” on it, and the unit’s serial number.

The unit itself is beautiful. The metal is silvery, with a nice shine to them. The cable is dark, contrasting the light-colored metallic housing, giving them a gorgeous look.

The build quality on these is fantastic; the actual housing is made of metal, and feels about as sturdy as my Campfire Orion, which is also made out of metal. The cable is detachable with MMCX, and we’ve gotta talk about this cable. This CABLE! This cable feels almost as well-built as the ALO Litz cable included with my Orion. It, like the Litz, is braided; like the Litz, it has a nice chin slider. It does not have the memory wire that the Litz does, which I count as a positive, as it sometimes feels weird, and can make packing it in a case harder. The MEE cable is very comfortable over the top of the ear, beating the Litz in comfort. The black color of their cable is also more aesthetically pleasing than the Litz in my opinion. I liked this cable so much that within ten minutes of using the P1, I purchased a P1 cable for my Orion.

Comfort on these is also pretty great, with the great variety of tips, it is inevitable you will find something that fits your ear. Spinfits do fit on these, though I personally settled on their triple-flange design after trying each design. The housing of the unit is also rather small and round, unlike my Orion, which is large and angular. The P1 housing does not touch my ear in any uncomfortable way. With the triple-flange tips, the seal is fantastic, and they do not feel loose in any way. Overall, these are the most comfortable IEM’s I have used, more comfortable than my Orion, which sometimes jabs my ear with its angles.

Isolation varies drastically from tip to tip. With the standard tips, isolation is nothing special, sounds are drowned out, but nothing crazy. The bi-flange simply did not fit my ear at all, so I could not test those. The triple flange, as expected, provides huge amounts of isolation, though not quite as good as my Etymotic MK5. The Complys also provide great isolation, but still behind the triple-flange.

Being an IEM, these do not require much power, though they do require a little more power than many IEM’s, but still considerably less than any of my full-sized cans. They have an impedance of 50 Ohms, and a sensitivity of 96db/mw. Any device will power them just fine, though they did benefit from being plugged into my Magni 2, and my evaluation of their sound is based on them being powered by my Schiitstack. They are, however, far less sensitive than my Orion, which force me to leave any volume nearly as low as it goes. These have not had any issue with noise floor whatsoever.

The sound of this unit is certainly not neutral, but is very pleasing. They have an overall V shaped sound, but is not exaggerated at all, and is tasteful in execution. The bass is tastefully elevated, and has a good amount of impact, without being overbearing. It feels very smooth, extending rather deep, revealing a few bass notes I have not heard on my HD600’s. The midrange is interesting, as there is a bit of a dip in the upper midrange, though sounds less pronounced than measurements would indicate. The entire midrange feels very smooth, nothing ever offends. Vocals sound very natural and fluid, though some female vocals can sometimes sound a little lacking due to the aforementioned dip, though this was very minor. Instruments sound crisp, though not so crisp as to draw attention away too much from the vocals. Despite the overall sound being a bit of a V shape, the midrange never feels sucked out or dry. The treble has a big elevation at about 4k, and it certainly leaves this IEM sounding brighter, though never offending. The treble is the one aspect of this IEM that is not smooth, the treble is sharp and accurate, some have called it harsh, but I hear no harshness. The presentation of the treble can lead it sound too separate from the rest of the spectrum, leading to a bit less overall cohesion in the sound. This issue is, however, not offensive to my ears. Despite this issue, the treble is still very pleasing and crisp. The treble is the one aspect of this unit that I take any issue with, though I do enjoy the fact that it is elevated. Overall, I still very much enjoy the treble of the P1, though imperfect it is. Soundstage is a bit wider than I would expect from an IEM, which is very welcome. Imaging is rather good, and makes Yosi Horikawa shine.

Alright, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the comparison, the showdown. In one corner, we have the Campfire Audio Orion, priced at 350USD. In the other corner, we have the MEE Pinnacle P1, priced at 200USD. Who will come out on top? Let’s compare them in each category:

Accessories: Both have excellent accessories, sport a stylish carry case, provide a plethora of tips, and a high-quality cable. The MEE does include a second cable, a more efficiently sized case, and more tip variety, and it wins this category.

Comfort: The MEE wins here as well, hands down; where the Orion is comfortable, it can jab your ear with its large body and sharp angles. The MEE cradles itself in your ear, being small and round.

Style: Both IEM’s are gorgeous, but the Orion’s design just feels even more premium. While the P1 certainly looks and feels its price, so does the Orion. The Orion wins here.

Bass: Both have tastefully elevated bass, with smoothness throughout. Both provide plenty of impact, and leave me not wanting. While the P1’s bass is gentler, I can declare no winner in the bass department.

Midrange: Here is where it gets complicated. The Orion certainly has a more balanced midrange, while the P1 has more lower mids than upper mids. The P1’s midrange is warmer, feels more liquid and natural, but is not as detailed. The Orion’s midrange is more detailed, more accurate, but colder. This is an apples and oranges situation here, I can declare no winner.

Treble: The Orion’s treble is very crisp, cohesive, and well-defined. The Orion also has a good bit more detail and definition. The P1’s slight lack of cohesion loses it this category. Orion victory here.

Soundstage: Both sound very good, with a good bit of width, though, being IEM’s, are not as wide as most full-sized cans, though both are wider than my HD600’s. The P1, however, edges out the Orion in the width department, barely winning.

Imaging: The P1 has very good imaging, but the Orion just does it a bit better; every instrument feels more locked into a spot, sounding a bit more distinct. Orion victory again.

Overall Sound: The Orion is certainly more neutral than the Pinnacle, though the P1 sounds more laid-back overall. They are two rather different IEM’s, and a choice between the two comes down to preference. Both are an excellent value, and I doubt anyone would be disappointed by either.

Well, between the two, I can declare no winner, both are excellent units. If you want absolute neutrality, and to be able to analyze music, pick the Orion. If you want to kick back and relax, the P1’s may be a better option. For this reason, I’m seriously considering selling my Orion to buy myself a P1.

The P1 is a wonderful IEM, and I’d like to thank MEE for lending it to me.

-TheOmegaCarrot