Westone UM2

(With regard to any negativity early on, please read further in this whole thread, all the posts. Things do greatly improve)

Here they are, I received them today and have opened and pictured them.

I already see one thing I don't like about them, they won't use the Klipsch gels successfully till I make some stops. The gels go on the nozzle so far the the shape of the phone keeps them from going deep enough into the ear for a seal.

I'm using the "P" Standard Complys right now.

Hehe...no monopoly here, just love for clear, pure sound and the best way to find that is sampling all available sources.

I am finding a use for the Etymotic tri-flanges, though. The first and only time I've found a canalphone that these 3Fs will satisfactorily work with to fit me. I've already gone through quite a few sleeves and these are what I've come upon so far that work for me. The Comply "P"s work but I don't like them because they get soft after a little bit and it becomes difficult getting them back in comfortably if an itch occurs.

I'm only just now beginning to evaluate them but I'm also coming off of some of the finest canalphones my ears have ever been graced by, the Sleek-Audio SA6. I had been using them non-stop for more than 24 hours at least and my ears are still a bit skewed by there lovely sound.

I will say initially, these seem to have a bit less high end ...seems more constricted. I switched back to the Comply "P"s because the tri's were constricting the whole sound.

These UM2s do sound great the more I adjust to them.

More to come

Boy I'll tell ya', Dave Brubeck's take Five is really sounding good with these UM2s. There's a drum sequence in the song that really shows these UM2's ability to produce such deep, impacting drums. The clarity that went along with the sequence was outstanding.

More to come

They are over-the-ear canalphones but the bass I won't comment on yet because I haven't heard enough of my music.

I also wanted to comment, I bought the UM2s from earphone Solutions and was amazed how quickly they shipped them out. I received them by USPS Priority Mail in 3 days. The package was perfect and dealing with ES was a breeze. Great CS, they have.

I can't say they are extremely good on isolation but they seem to be about average. My issue with them is getting the proper sleeve/foam so that they will seal and will feel comfortable. It's a pain in the rear trying to get an equal feeling seal; getting both phones to feel the same amount of seal.

Right now I'm trying to achieve that with some medium olives but it's very touchy. One ear will feel more sealed off than the other and one ear will have a bit higher noise level attenuation. That bugs the crap out of me. And it's because the nozzle is too short for the shape of the body not allowing the sleeve/seal to go in the ear canal deep enough.

I'll have more on them when I become accustomed to them.

Okay, here's where it's at right now. These are quite excellent canalphones, once you are able to get a satisfying fit and seal.

Instrument separation is really good, better than I've heard yet. The sound of drum cymbals is dead on and incredibly detailed and clear. The highs are starting to shine to me and are very clear and detailed. So far the one thing that has really stood out is the impact of the lower mids or whatever region of the sound spectrum drums usually inhabit. The sound is powerful and dramatic.

I am really digging these things. Bass is great. It's about the same as the SA6 with the Bass= plug. It sounds tight and well controlled. The fit is generally comfortable as far as the shape of the phones go. I would love for them to have a longer nozzle so I could use some Klipsch gels, though. As it stands, the absolute only thing I've found I can use, and with trouble, is the Comply "P" Standard foams. If I'm fortunate and hold my tongue just right I can get both sides to feel and seal the same. But it takes work. Comply foams may be comfortable up front and initially but the are very unreliable for sealing and durability. It's a shame Westone has tied itself with Comply. I feel they would be better off making their own sealing devices.

Nevertheless, these are some incredible canalphones. They sound awesome, especially for music that has a lot of high impact drumming. Oh man! The person that wants that will be in pure heaven.

More to come as time goes by.