I was torn before giving 5 stars or 4 stars - will explain why below. Finally I settled on five stars because of product itself is fantastic absolutely best base and rumble compare compared to anything and I mean ANYTHING on the market today. Now i do NOT claim that it has best sound out of the box - but it sure has amazing base and sun base AND it has potential to sound amazing all overall yet requires tweaking it and replacing ear tips and cable and using either EQ to assure that massive sub base and base do not spills to mid. frequencies or to use DAC with that options- i choose later - i use iFI Go Kensei with xSpace to make this small IEMs sound more spacious and to cobtrol its GROUND-SHAKING sub base and base.
So to more specific details why change cable ear tips et cetera- well cable because it came with 3.5 connectors and i use 4.4 for all of my IEMs and not for readons that most people think 4.4mm is good for - yes it is fully balanced connector and in general will prevent artifacts and interference yet it is more an issue if you have a long connection when you're only using 4 to 5 feet cable to connect your IMS to your phone or player it doesn't really matter that much but what it's really shined he is to provide enough power in enough juice for power hungry I am to be able to sound right to its full potential instead of that thin sound which indicate that your headphones or IEM does not have enough juice to be able to move it drivers.
Then ear tips - this one is REALLY important because of seal and way to control/smooth high frequencies spikes especially between 3 kHz to 10 kHz area - without good seal you losing that signature base and sub base that Scarlet Mini know for. Also original silicon ear tips really SUCK on providing good seal at least for me. Also memory foam ear tips help to smooth out I frequency as I mentioned due to its foam material absorbed all those HF spikes - and it's important for cable when you choose it you need to be sure it doesn't sound warm instead you should look for something that has as least as possible resistance to promote the air the space you definitely do not want more warmth or more emphasize the base on these IEM at least- so i opt out for higher silver content cables that promotes brightness of IEMs - higher copper will do opposite it will make it warm and for these specific IEMs warm equal muddy.
No one can ask why bother was old is why not something else well I tried many other earbuds including Sennheiser iIE900 that considered top choice for audiophiles yet in my personal opinion it sounded like crap! it sounded plain flat and non-engaging. Size was right I really enjoyed small size of Sennheiser IE900 then I tried around 20 different high end IEMs including planner magnetic such as Campfire Audio Supermoon - and it's always one thing or another and most importantly anything above size of Fat Freq x HDD Deuce is too big for me. And by the way in my opinion that one is one of the best IMS I ever listened to but it is a little bit on a big side and hard to sleep wearing it and I'm a side sleeper - so I was looking for something that is small in size and yet has a strong base and sub base and able to retain it quality of sound even was very low Williams which I prefer when I'm listening to music I'm ready to fall asleep and after long research in trying so many different earbuds it's became clear that only Scarlet mini actually has all those options i was looking for. Because it is scientific fact that first thing you're losing is a base when you decreasing your sound to very low volume - and yet Scarlet Mini due to its enormous sub base/base able to retain vase even on low volume. So it was clear that Scarlet Mini is my preferred IEM for every night bed time music session and sleep while Fat freq x HBB Deuce is my day time favorite IEM. Both have amazing base , both are fun and both required some tweaks to sound spacious. Leadt you can do is to get yourself good memory foam ear tips for both of them to prevent listening fatigue because both of them have those high frequencies peaks in the region of 3 kHz to 10 kHz so without controlling it so most likely will get listening fatigue rather sooner than later. Cable changing is up to u though- - some might don't hear much difference- i unfortunately do hear noticeable difference so cable swapping for me is almost mandatory and not just one of the options.
TL:DR I want to sit in the Bass competition van; these are for you
I like a rich low end; there are more balanced/lowend options.
I’m a long time bass head (started in the IEM game in the 2000s), and the “bass chase” has taken me to all corners of the personal audio world. I’ve had Bose TP1a-triport, Shure SE102, SE210, SE425, SE535LTD; UE2, UE4 UEB4 pro; KZ (multiple, not sure the model), Basn Mix PD; ThieAudio Hype2, Hype 4.
The Hype 4 was my benchmark of deep, fat bass.
The scarlet mini are on a different level, no… a different reality. It’s not better bass, it’s not bigger bass; it’s “Actual” bass.
The difference in low end performance between them and the H4 can’t be measured in a “1-5 star” rating. The difference is so great it’s incomparable. If you like nasty, dirty wubwubs, or brain tickling ridum, to the point of almost uncomfortable, these are for you.
If you want balanced, low end focus; I would go with the Hype 4 MK2 or Tea Pro.
There's very few things in life that can live up to the hype, that's why they say never meet your heroes.. These live up to the hype, you want to meet the Scarlet minis. They are simply awesome and will instantly make you involuntarily smile. It's like the first time you ride a motorcycle or shoot a machine gun... It's an experience.
The Scarlet mini is the first set of sound makers in my life that I was fully excited about and happy with without needing a single touch of an EQ. I'm the type that always had to maximize the low frequencies and adjust the rest.
They have such a full, rich, beautiful tone with a crisp upper end and bass that you can feel on every level. You cannot just take another set of ear buds and max the EQ to create the sound these produce, it's far better than that. It's like a magically Harry Potter case that looks small but if you were to reach into it, there's a huge cavernous area with a real sub woofer inside allowing it to breathe and push air. It's a physical performance thing that I've never heard any other ear bud come close to, including the maestro mini, devialet Gemini 2, or moondrop variations which all have insanely good bass, until you try these. I also bought the maestro minis and these are way better at everything, throughout the range.. So if you're deciding between the two, I recommend these.
If you want to quench your endless thirst for the boom and rumble without sacrificing listening to beautiful vocals, this is your answer. Highly recommend.
PS, you will need a DAC/amp like the jm20 max to run the Scarlet minis or the maestro minis at a proper level from your phone.
Awesome service, very helpful with question, product is 10/10
TL:DR
Unimaginable low end (duh), other sets come close, niche
I’ll begin with some context; Currently I daily use (6-8 hours) ThieAudio Hype2’s, my “home set” was Hype 4’s. I’ve been in the IEM game since 2008 and have had a plethora of different sets from UE10s to Shure 535SELTD.
Scarlet Mini; The last 10%
I’m a bass head, I almost exclusively listen to hard dubstep and early 2000s trance. For the last 3 years the ThieAudio Hype4s have been my benchmark for deep, nasty bass (especially when EQd), but there was always that other set looming over me; the Scarlet Mini. I would read about it and watch reviews but couldn’t bring myself to drop the $. After a particularly good paycheck and tax return I decided to pull the trigger and it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve always known the Hype 4 was a bass cannon but I never could have imagined the difference 10% more “boom” could make. The scarlet minis bring a level of bass that seems impossible, especially when you consider the shell size is smaller than the Hype. When I first tried them I involuntarily burst out laughing at the bass. I’m not exaggerating when I say they will make your eyeballs rattle.
Why “The last 10%”?
Because they’re not THAT much better than the Hype 4s (or Hype 2) all around. They are definitely for a very specific clientele that value low end over anything else. These are for the people that lean on the speakers at raves, people who want bass so hard it’s almost hurts.
Conclusion;
You want aggressive, nasty, unrelenting bass? These are the set for you.
You want deep low end while maintaining over all performance and resolution? Look elsewhere



