IEM Comparison: Westone UM1 UM2 vs Shure E2C E4 E500

[smoka]

I would just like to share a comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the Westone 7 Shure IEMs. The reviews are not technical in nature nor use head-fi jargon such as 'equally balanced' or 'mids/highs/lows'.

There are 3 ratings for each headphone on a (1-10) scale based on: Sound, Comfort, and Value. The average of the 3 values is used to determine an overall score.

Also included are the average retail & street prices (as of December 2006). Street prices may reflect the going used prices on the forums as well.

All tests were done on the following sources (unamped):
Source # 1: Dell Inspiron 9300 Laptop, Windows Vista, WMP11
Source # 2: Samsung YP-T9JQB


Shure E2C
Retail: $100
Street Price: $50-$60
Included Accessories: Case, Orange Foam Sleeves (S/M/L), Clear Flex Sleeves (S/M/L), 10 Wax guards
Comments: This was my first IEM and it handled many jogging sessions without any problems. The design is great. It took me a little while to get used to them, but found I get best sound and seal from the foamies (which require replacement).
Sound: 7 (Good entry-level headphones)
Comfort: 8 (Due to round shape and orientation in-ear)
Value: 9 (Great bargain for entry level IEMs)
Advantages: Price, comfort, durability
Disadvantages: Bass needs improvement


Shure E4
Retail: $299
Street Price: $130-$160
Included Accessories: Volume Attenuator, Case, 1 Pair Yellow Foam Sleeve, 1 Pair Tri-Flange, Clear Flex Sleeves (S/M/L), Soft Grey Sleeves (S/M/L), Replacement Nozzle, Filter Cleaner
Comments: Great upgrade to the E2C in terms of bass (more punchy) and overall sound quality (cleaner and more refined). The only disadvatage is the fit/comfort. These headphones seem to stick out for me rather than rest on the eardrum. I also got the best result with foamies here (only 1 is included, so plan on buying more). I actually found these to be the least comfortable IEMs out of all the ones I tried (may be a personal opinion). Sold due to lack of comfort.
Sound: 9 (Lots of detail/clarity. Just fun to listen to)
Comfort: 5 (Feels like a stick coming out of my ears!!)
Value: 7 (Mid-range price for quality. I can't justify paying the retail price of $299 for these)
Advantages: Clear improvement in sound quality over E2C
Disadvantages: Does not sit flush in ear (not as comfortable as E2C)


Shure E500 PTH
Retail: $499
Street Price: $300-$400
Included Accessories: PTH Device, Volume Attenuator, Headphone Extension, Case, 1 Pair Yellow Foam Sleeve, 1 Pair Tri-Flange, Grey Foam Sleeve, Clear Flex Sleeves (S/M/L), Soft Grey Sleeves (S/M/L), 1/4" Adapter
Comments: The first notable difference is the packaging ans accessories; Shure did a really nice job with the compact aluminum box, PTH device, and large array of tips. The finish on the casing is really clean and the E500 is the coolest looking pair of IEMs I've seen. The best features about the E500 is it's easily driven by a portable source and sits comfortably in the ear. This is what makes me justify keeping them at that price.
The biggest downside has to be the price. Also, the chord with the headphones is really short and needs to be daisy-chained with an extension chord, volume attenuator, or PTH device. Due to the daisy chaining, all plugs are straight plugs instead of Y-shaped. Overall, these are recommended for a critical listener or someone who wants the best sound output on the road without carrying an amp. You can get great sound with pretty much any tip with these. Sold due to high price and the sound signature just not appealing to me so much.
Sound: 10 (Triple-driver provides lots of detail ad clarity. Depending on your listening preference, you may not like the sound signature)
Comfort: 9 (Great design)
Value: 6 (Expensive)
Advantages: Easily driven by portable source, PTH device is good, amazing clarity, comfort
Disadvantages: Price, too much detail causes sound to be fatiuging


Westone UM1
Retail: $109
Street Price: $80-$100
Included Accessories: 3 Orange Comply Foam Sleeves, nozzle cleaner, Case
Comments: The first thing I likes about these is how well they rest in the ear and their design. I agree to the points mentioned by other people that Westones are more fun and less critical than Shures, but I also find them less fatiguing, which is great. I found the UM1s a little lacking on bass compared to the E500s, but with both of my portable player and laptop, they gave more than enough punch. They offer the best price/quality combination out of any IEM.
Sound: 9 (Great sound)
Comfort: 9 (Sits flush in-ear)
Value: 9 (Best bargain IEMs in my opinion)
Advantages: Design/Comfort, great bass, very laid back presentation
Disadvantage: Not as detailed as E4 or E500


Westone UM2
Retail: $299
Street Price: $190-$220
Included Accessories: 3 Orange Comply Foam Sleeves, nozzle cleaner, Case
Comments: More bass and detail than the UM1 but at 3x the cost. Comfort is about the same as UM1. Very solid IEM.
Sound: 10 (Great balance. Love the sound signature)
Comfort: 9 (Also sits flush on-ear, although slightly bulkier than UM1)
Value: 8 (Good IEMs for the price. These tend to also hold their value well considering how long they have been out - this may change with Westone 3 release)

Ultimate Ears UE10 Pro Triple Fi
Retail: $399
Street Price: $300-$350
Included Accessories: Three pairs single silicone flanges (S/M/L), one double-flange, one pair foam tips, 1/8"-->1/4" converter, extension cable, case, and cleaning tool.
Comments: Not quite as detailed as the E500/SE530. I could not get them to work as behind-the-ear (unless I switch sides).
Sound: 9 (Good balance and detail)
Comfort: 7 (The fit is somewhat awkward)
Value: 7 (Sort of expensive)

Ranking/Rating:
#1 Westone UM1 (90%)= Best budget IEMs (In my opinion). Great sound, comfort, and price.

#1 Westone UM2 (90%)= Best high-end (Improved bass & trebile over UM1 while keeping the same great balanced sound signature). These are currently my favorite pair of IEMs.

#2 Shure E500 (83%)= Best for portability & bundled accessories (Great detail, best unamped portable headphones, PTH can be useful)

#3 Shure E2C (80%)= Best price. One of the cheapest entry-level quality IEMs, very durable.

#4 UE10 Universal (77%)= Great triple-driver sound. Fit may take some getting used to.

#5 Shure E4 (70%)= Great sounding but not too comfortable.

[tmoth]

Where do you get your street prices from? Im looking for a pair of UM2's and would love to pay $190-$220 for them!!! Never seen them that low though...

[LFC_SL]

No offence, I know you didn't want to get too in-depth and meant well but numbers alone mean nothing. A couple of interesting lines only isn't very useful. The only thing I've taken from this thread is that the grey E4 is darker than I thought it was. What music did you use? What are your musical preferences?

Example:

Originally Posted by smoka

Westone UM2
Retail: $299
Street Price: $190-$220
Included Accessories: 3 Orange Comply Foam Sleeves, nozzle cleaner
Sound: 10
Comfort: 9
Value: 7

And from that alone we get 2nd place and "Best high-end (Improved bass & trebile over UM1 while keeping the same great balanced sound signature)"? I'm not saying you have to write as much as others do, but come on!

P.S. I promise its all constructive criticism

[jant71]

Interesting comparison but... "too much detail causes sound to be fatiguing." I've never heard that one before.

[BrentRS]

Originally Posted by tmoth

Where do you get your street prices from? Im looking for a pair of UM2's and would love to pay $190-$220 for them!!! Never seen them that low though...

Write vendors and ask what their prices are.

Road Dog and Earphone Solutions are two examples.

[kuden]

Originally Posted by BrentRS

Write vendors and ask what their prices are.

Road Dog and Earphone Solutions are two examples.

oh vendor's will go that low from 299$ on best offers and such? (wouldn't want to low ball as it were)

[smoka]

Originally Posted by tmoth

Where do you get your street prices from? Im looking for a pair of UM2's and would love to pay $190-$220 for them!!! Never seen them that low though...

That's the average price on these forums when I was searching to buy them. Westone IEMs are pretty popular around here though, so they don't last too long. While $299 is the retail price and authorized retailers are not allowed to advertize them lower than that, they will sell them for lower if you ask. With the margin on the UM1s and UM2s, I would buy new and get the warranty just in case. They should hold up their value pretty well unless Westone releases a triple-driver (UM3) and all the head-fiers get upgraditis

[smoka]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

No offence, I know you didn't want to get too in-depth and meant well but numbers alone mean nothing. A couple of interesting lines only isn't very useful. The only thing I've taken from this thread is that the grey E4 is darker than I thought it was. What music did you use? What are your musical preferences?

Example:

And from that alone we get 2nd place and "Best high-end (Improved bass & trebile over UM1 while keeping the same great balanced sound signature)"? I'm not saying you have to write as much as others do, but come on!

P.S. I promise its all constructive criticism

Thanks for the feedback.. I listen to and did my comparison with r&b, alternative, and arabic music (mostly drums and vocals)! My biggest complaint about the E4s was the comfort (they just didn't fit right after trying all tips over the period of 1 month). The UM2s only placed lower than the UM1s due to price, otherwise they would be #1.

[Jokieman]

I'm curious to know if anyone else has tried the E4's. When I tested the E4c's out I found them to be rather comfy.

[LFC_SL]

I'm fine with my E4 with foamies. I'm OK with the comfort ratings - if one person can't get a good fit, there's not a lot you can say.. well other than get customs lol. Saying that I wouldn't say they stick out a lot. They're not flush like my UM2s but they're not handlebars like my now sold UE 5Pro's lol