[fatko]

i am going to buy the Etymotic Black and soft foam tips for UM3x , do they fit ?
i think the Ety black foam tips can increase the size of soundstage of UM3x , i hope they can fit ...

 

[nc8000]

UM3X and ER4 have same nozzle diameter so all tips will physically fit but may not actually work since the UM3X does not allow nearly as deep insertion as the ER4 does.

 

[tigon_ridge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax /img/forum/go_quote.gif my personal take on the ER4S amped (with stock cable, of course), is that it really sounds fantastic top to bottom... with its trademark treble detail complemented by a bottom end that is very musical, if not impactful or entirely extended. the amped ER4 allows you to hear all the details and notes of the music, but it doesn't really allow you to feel it. this texture and impact in the bass and mid-range is where the UM3X, even unamped, brings something to the table that the ER4 simply can't, probably as a function of its single driver. i also find the soundstage of the UM3X to be slightly broader... this difference is even more noticeable with an amp.

Ah, that was almost exactly my supposition. Thanks for your confirmation.

 

[turnstyle]

Short of getting a USB DAC, is there a simple way to reduce hiss when the UM3x is plugged into a laptop? (Sansa Clip+, by contrast, is silent)

 

[vic225]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turnstyle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Short of getting a USB DAC, is there a simple way to reduce hiss when the UM3x is plugged into a laptop? (Sansa Clip+, by contrast, is silent)

i have the same problem.. so much hiss from my macbook!

 

[Hsiu]

same here I get hiss from almost anything except Clip+ and 5800XM which is why I didn't pull trigger on other DMP such as Sony Walkman or AMP3

 

[iponderous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax /img/forum/go_quote.gif hahaha... i'm sorry man, i really am. i did not mean to offend, but reading back on my post, i see that perhaps it did come off as too harsh. i have really been enjoying my jazz collection on the UM3X. if you have Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters, i highly recommend you give that a spin with them. it really shows how the UM3X shines with dynamics and texture. i have found that on a very few of my albums, a treble boost can help open up the soundstage when the UM3X is unamped. amped, i've found no need for any EQing on anything. and don't forget to experiment with different tips. hopefully, the UM3X will find a happy home with you.

Thanks for your apology, which is accepted of course. I can be a little feisty myself, so there's no hard feelings whatsoever.

With regard to the UM3X's, I've spent a few hours with them over the last two days both comparatively and exclusively. Despite my protracted indecision regarding acquiring a pair of these phones, my initial reaction to the UM3X's sound signature hasn't changed having spent more time with them.

There's really nothing glaringly wrong with the UM3X's to my ears. They are a very balanced sounding phone, with very good detail, imaging and instrument separation as many people in this thread have described.

I think the build quality and cable of the UM3X is excellent. I also like the look of them; they’re kind of cool. They fit snugly in my ears and it's easy to establish a good seal with them. Mine are flawless, with none of the over-glueing that has been reported. I'm not sure but I think mine might have the new cable, which looks like the W3 cable. It is completely black and appears stiffer and more tightly wound than I expected, based on descriptions of the UM3X's softer and somewhat loosely wound cable that I have read about in this thread.

However, I just don't find them engaging to listen to. There's just something lacking when I listen to these phones. I genuinely wanted to be impressed with them but I found their sound signature rather flat. I did persist but whenever I switched back to the SE530’s I just enjoyed them far more. I guess I lean towards more coloured sounding phones because I prefer the way that both the SE530's and the IE8's render the music that I like to listen to. These phones immerse me in the music in ways that the UM3X's don't, and I doubt that they ever will.

I suspect that the UM3X's would respond very well to amping, but as I have no wish to amp my IEMs, then its important that they should sound good coming straight from the source. I don’t feel a need to amp either the SE530 or the IE8.

At least I've finally satisfied my curiosity about the UM3X's.

PS My UM3X's are now in the "For Sale" thread - as new!

 

[turnstyle]

One more question -- I'm comparing a new UM3x to an Image S4 -- the UM3x certainly gives tracks more "presence" and "clarity" overall -- however, I also compared one particularly bass-heavy track, and I could "feel" the bass with the Image S4, but not really so much with the UM3x (almost like it wasn't there).

I don't want artificially booming bass, but I have also noticed that the Image S4 is spec'd to provide lower frequency than the UM3x (10Hz for the S4 vs. 20Hz for the UM3x) -- is that what I'm hearing? A missing 10-20Hz when I listen to the UM3x vs. S4? Is that because one uses a dynamic driver (the S4) and the other uses balanced armatures (UM3x)?

(On the other hand, my understanding is that the Westone 3 is considered to have "more" bass than the UM3x, but that IEM is also rated down to 20Hz.)

Or is there something I can do to get the UM3x to give that bottom when it's there? (ie, any particular tips and/or advice on how to position the tips in my ears?)

Thanks!

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turnstyle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't want artificially booming bass, but I have also noticed that the Image S4 is spec'd to provide lower frequency than the UM3x (10Hz for the S4 vs. 20Hz for the UM3x) -- is that what I'm hearing? A missing 10-20Hz when I listen to the UM3x vs. S4? Is that because one uses a dynamic driver (the S4) and the other uses balanced armatures (UM3x)

you're not going to "hear" anything between 10Hz and 20Hz, unless you're listening to a pure sine wave in isolation... in which case you may be able to hear as low as 12Hz... but that's still highly unlikely.

i also doubt any claim that an IEM can reach below 20Hz.

my guess is that the S4 has boosted bass response, which a lot of people like. i personally find most IEMs, even high-end ones, to have unnaturally accentuated bass response, probably to make up for the limitations of using a small driver (and because lots of people like it).

personally, the UM3X bass sounds about as natural as i've ever heard in a universal IEM (i've never listened to customs), although the treble can be a bit recessed on some recordings (for my taste).

 

[Spyro]

The only possible reason I could imagine a person not caring for the UM3X (because I find it so damn perfect in so many criteria) is the closed in small'ish soundstage which is normal for a monitor-type IEM.
It does not really bother me but I can certainly see someone wanting a much larger soundstage...a more headphone'ish and that is what W3 was made for....but that darn monster sized mid-bass hump!

 

[tigon_ridge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iponderous /img/forum/go_quote.gif They are a very balanced sounding phone, with very good detail, imaging and instrument separation as many people in this thread have described. However, I just don't find them engaging to listen to. There's just something lacking when I listen to these phones. I guess I lean towards more coloured sounding phones because I prefer the way that both the SE530's and the IE8's render the music that I like to listen to. These phones immerse me in the music in ways that the UM3X's don't, and I doubt that they ever will.

Some more detailed descriptions of the differences that you hear would really help. I, myself, am not sure of what IEM to purchase. So, if you could expound more on what you hear, that'd be great.

 

[A_Dying_Wren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turnstyle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Short of getting a USB DAC, is there a simple way to reduce hiss when the UM3x is plugged into a laptop? (Sansa Clip+, by contrast, is silent)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vic225 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i have the same problem.. so much hiss from my macbook!

Whyy? Laptops are typically bad for SQ. Its even worse when using a IEM known for being extremely source-dependent.

If you insist, you can get the Shure or UE flight adapters which can add impedance (and remove varying amounts of sound quality, not that you'd notice coming out of a laptop) or the Ety P->S adapter which is a resistor cable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hsiu /img/forum/go_quote.gif same here I get hiss from almost anything except Clip+ and 5800XM which is why I didn't pull trigger on other DMP such as Sony Walkman or AMP3

The Cowon D2+ has absolutely no hiss. Wouldn't trust the AMP3 though.

 

[3X0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turnstyle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't want artificially booming bass, but I have also noticed that the Image S4 is spec'd to provide lower frequency than the UM3x (10Hz for the S4 vs. 20Hz for the UM3x) -- is that what I'm hearing? A missing 10-20Hz when I listen to the UM3x vs. S4? Is that because one uses a dynamic driver (the S4) and the other uses balanced armatures (UM3x)

The S4 simply will not hit that low, it's a BS frequency response marketing gimmick. Dynamics are more visceral than balanced armatures by nature; the only IEMs that I've heard that deliver comparable visceral, tactile feel in bass is the JH13.

 

[soozieq]

Hi Ipondy

Glad you finally managed to get your hands on the UM3X and hear them for yourself. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much research you do beforehand, or how big the percentage is of people who love them, you can't know what they're like until they're in your own ears. It seems like you felt the same way about them as I did, ie; there was nothing actually 'wrong' with them, you just didn't warm to the sound signature or get drawn in by them. Have to say I found the impressions of most other owners to be pretty accurate, but of course I couldn't predict if I would like the presentation until I actually heard them. I didn't adjust to the smaller soundstage and I always found the vocals a little in my face. Anyway, each to his/her own... at least your curiosity has been sated for the time being

 

[iponderous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tigon_ridge /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some more detailed descriptions of the differences that you hear would really help. I, myself, am not sure of what IEM to purchase. So, if you could expound more on what you hear, that'd be great.

Hey tigon ridge,

Are you still trying to make up your mind? And I thought I was indecisive!

There's more than enough descriptive commentary about the sound signature of the UM3X in this thread for you to pour over (again). The UM3X v SE530 thread has some illuminating comparative posts if that's what you're after.

You've been frequenting these threads for quite some time now and you have asked many questions and participated in numerous discussions. But if you really are interested in acquiring an IEM, my advice to you is to back your own judgement, hunch, intuition, call it what you will and try and audition the ones that you are interested in. Or bite the bullet based on the extensive information and impressions that you have gathered and digested from these forum threads and elsewhere, and purchase the one that "speaks" to you.

I know it's stating the bleeding obvious but it really is the only way you'll know.