UM3X Vs. ES3X

Avoid bumping the same thread multiple times on the same day. I haven't heard the ES3X, but from what I've read, it retains the UM3X sound signature while improving on certain parts of the frequency spectrum. It is a "better" UM3X with more comfort because it is a custom IEM.

You have fallen in love with something your ears cannot stand for more than an hour at a time?

 

Join the club.

Check with Music_4321, as he has the ES3X and has rebought the UM3X after trying other top tier IEMs.

I don't know sound wise but they both have the same internals I believe. They definitely have the same drivers (TWFK, CI22955) and I *think* they have the same crossover but not sure about that. The only difference is the dual bore in the ES3X and of course them being made to fit your ears. I may be incorrect about the crossover however.

JH13Pro willbe better upgrade if going to custom IEMs route.......

Consider my advice. Ue, Jh, and westone makes good but pricy customs. Alien Ears and Livewire are much better choices. And I own all these names (triple drivers).

WRONG! (mostly)

 

I have had 8 pairs of custom IEM (still have 6 of them).  I don't have the Livewires Triples, but rather the Livewires T1 - they are very nice but they not even in the same league as my ES5, ES3X, JH13Pro, or UE11Pro.  The T1 beat my Freq Show 3-driver and Alien Ears C3 hands down, but they don't have the refinement and balance of the higher end customs.  They also sound better balanced than my SE530 in a Livewires custom shell.  The Freq Show were horrible before some of the drivers died, and my Alien Ears C3 had painfully bright treble that was so bad I loaned them to someone and never asked for them back.  I probably should get them back just to send to Alien Ears and ask them to make them better.

 

With all these custom IEM, I find the ES5 and JH13Pro to be my best two, with ES3X very close behind - I can enjoy any of these, but the ES5 are definitely my favorite.  For someone who loves the UM3X, the ES3X will be a noticeable step upwards in transparency, bass extension, balance and clarity due to the custom fit and dual bores. 

Well, that's kinda strange. Are you comparing the iems with the same number of drivers? My triple drivers from livewires and alienears didn't sound much different from ue, Jh, westones, and sensaphonics. Make sure that the molds are perfectly done. I visited an audiologist to do all the molds for a perfect fit. Maybe you got a defective pair. Ue, westones, and other popular custom companies charge $800+ for a nice pair of triple drivers. Livewires and alienears are like $350-450. My fav is the ue reference, the flattest and most uncolored iems Ive come across. Very much like the er4p but louder.

I don't think the number of drivers has to be more for it to sound better, although it can help. It's all in how it's tuned and the quality of the parts, I think.  My 2-driver Livewires sounded better than my 3-driverFreq Show and Alien Ears.  And they are close to the performance of the Westone 3 (which are slightly better than LW if I use custom tips), or UE Triple.fi 10 Pro which are slightly below the LW in the midrange.