Member Reviews: UE 11 Pro

This is my very first pair of custom IEMs after trying almost all of the high end universal IEMs -- SE530,  UE Super Fi 10, Etymotics etc.  The sound of these UE11 Pros is superior in every way to all of the universal ones I had, but even more important they stay in my ear and provide a proper seal.  Since my ear canals get very narrow, I found it very difficult to get any of my universals to stay in my ear and maintain a proper seal.  As you all know, a proper seal is crucial to achieve good full sound with an IEM.  I found UE to be an easy and helpful company to order from.  The fit is great, although it took me a while to figure out how to get these into my ears, and then I hurt...

this is a super high quality IEM, very comfortable and isolating, with sparkly and punchy sound that lends itself best to bass-intensive recordings - whether this means reggae or rock, church organ or rhythm&blues is up to you to decide. it's a little less dependent on amplification in my opinion than the UERM. you'll be surprised to listen to a piano, for instance, on this one: it acquires bigger stomp without being thrown off balance completely. really good also with some classical recordings of big orchestras. watch the volume control, this is a very dynamic IEM!

Previous IEM was the Shure 530, which I'd thought was good. The UE11 Pro was a revelation. Music sounded clearer with a better sound stage. I listen to loss-less digital off my Mac thru an off-board DAC. Base does seem to be heavy directly off of iPad or the Mac.  This goes away with the Off-board DAC revealing deep solid base with tone and pitch. The supplied cables tend to oxidize over time. This tends to muffle the high-end and loses detail. I replace the cables every 6 to 8 months (or when I  realize it needs new cables). I am very happy with these.  

I've owned E2cs then e4cs, then E500's (Se530's), and then moved to UE-11's. I have to say I was unhappy with the sound moving up from my E500's. They were clearly better, but not as much better as I hoped. The UE-11's had a sharper sound to them and I guess I like the warmer sound signature if that means anything. But after listening for a while and trying the E500's again, I couldn't listen to them. Regardless of how I liked the type of signature, the UE-11's were just that much better.    I'd say they're worth the price for sure but definitely not a value headphone.