DITA Audio Project M | Hybrid Dynamic + BA Universal IEMs

DISCLAIMER: Although I did not buy these from Bloom Audio, I did audition them for a full day, and decided to type this review as a small favour to Stephen Kostas, the Bloom sales agent who kindly provided much-needed assistance to me when I received a dud amplifier earlier this year (2024), not to mention the fact that the DITA simply astonished me, as you will read.

DITA is a Singaporean company but there is no mention in or on the packaging of where their products are actually manufactured. Only their Singaporean address is mentioned but not the phrase "Made in...". The cable, as far as I can ascertain is made by Cardas in the USA (although it is also possible that DITA simply fabricated the cables from Cardas bulk stock, at their own production facility in Singapore/China). The "M" in "Project M" is the initial of "Michael", a teenage audiophile in the Lion City ("Singapore" is a Sanskrit term for "Lion City") who was drawn to the DITA brand several years back and eventually joined their team. Most of their line-up consist of high-end models (around the USD$2,000 mark). Previously, I auditioned The Answer, Truth Edition earphone for a few minutes and liked the bass especially, although, to be fair, it was in a busy pizzaria, so I wouldn't presume to give any conclusive remarks regarding the sound quality of those.

Firstly, let me get the negatives out of the way (the relatively TRIVIAL flaws, mind you). The case, although a well-made German case from Tanos (known for their stackable tool boxes, I later came to learn), cannot easily accommodate both the cable and the earpieces. The second problem is that the cable does not feature a neck cinch, although, to be honest, I did not miss using one in the case of the DITA, as they stayed in the ears better than any other IEM I've ever used (by far!). Finally, the included eartips (Final Audio tips, from Japan), although very attractive (they glow in the dark!) and colour-matched to the earpieces, are not the best for attaining sufficient bass response.

Starting with the first positive remark about the Project M, the bass response is actually amazing, once a proper seal has been achieved. One head-fi.com review gave the DITA a wholely negative review for the aforementioned reason (stock tips not sealing well). If only he had a pair of FiiO HS18 eartips on hand, he would have realized just how wrong he was in this respect! Perhaps the MOST amazing fact about the bass is that one can actually adjust the bass quantity simply by moving the earpieces in and out of the ear canals. But wait, isn't that true of any IEM? Yes, but with other earphones, if you push-in the earpieces too far, they will hurt, whilst if you pull-out the earpieces too far, they will fall out. With the Project M, there is an "enormous" distance (comparative to other models) that one can position the tips while still keeping them secure in the ears. In my case, if I push-in the pieces as far as I do any other (non-Sennheiser) IEM, I get decent bass, but if I then pull them out a couple of millimeters I get a perfect bass response (and of course, a perfectly-comfortable fit - can easily wear them all day long!). In short, these are by far the most comfortable in-ear monitors that I have ever worn, even more than the Sennheiser IE series (of which I have either purchased or auditioned all of them, except the discontinued IE800).

The merger between the dynamic bass driver and the balanced armature treble driver is so incredibly smooth, that it sounds like a single driver. There is only one discernable flaw in the treble (like most all earphones/headphones) and that is in the hi-hat cymbal frequency range, in which there is a noticeable peak, but fortunately (at least in my case) it does not detract from the enjoyment of the music, once one's ears accommodates the problem. After all, these are a USD$325 unit, not a $3,250 unit (and even that is relatively cheap compared with the most expensive IEMs on the market).

Usually, when I audition a pair of earphones, I compare them with others that I have at hand but when I heard the DITA Project M, I felt no need to do this, since I immediately knew (after replacing the eartips, mind you) how impressive they sounded. My initial hearing, with the Final Audio eartips, was distinctly underwhelming, and I simply assumed that the sound I heard was their intended sound signature, since the fit was good. Again, one should understand that the fit of these IEMs is so incredibly good, that one can easily be fooled into believing that whatever tips one is using is suitable, when in fact, they may not be.

In summary, anyone who buys this product is assured of getting a first-rate pair of earphones, that should last a lifetime!

Easily 4.5 out of 5!