Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors (Capitol Studios Collaboration): Announcement and First... - Page 15

Quote:

Originally Posted by melomaniac 

okay, so true to the head-fi rules, I'll invest in my own learning experience. twag cable is here, and I'll report back if it makes sense for UERM and/or UE11pro.

Nice.

Good for you. Staging is not a quality that I emphasize so much anyway. But I appreciate the UE4s' clarity, resolution. It's as if I could see the musician "attacking" his instrument.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooperpwc 

That does not describe my experence with the Westone ES5 at all. The soundstage is wide and three dimensional, residing well outside my head. Instrument placement is excellent. From my readings on here, others have similar experiences with high end IEMs.
 

Any updates on availability of the soft tips?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nabil 

Any updates on availability of the soft tips?

why not contact UE and let us know? 
 

Well, I've had my reference monitor's for quite a while now and I listen to them everyday.  Oddly enough, I'm still excited and in love every time I listen to them.  Seriously, I can't believe I don't take them for granted yet.  I've spend thousands of dollars on universals over the years and every single one was a compromise.  These $1000 IEMs are such a better value to me than the $200-$400 universal's I've purchased in the past.

^What about the other customs?

Are the IERMs like the etymotic ER4Ss on crack?

My UERM universal demo impressions here.

The designer isn't happy with the current silicone iteration and they are refining their second generation product now.  UE is sending me a set of the 18s and the RM so hopefully I'll be able to check out the silicone version as well in the near future.

I got my UERM's the other day and I'm still adjusting.  They are amazingly clear and detailed but because they are designed to be flat and analytical they aren't as hyped and aggressive as consumer IEM's I'm used to hearing.

Unfortunately I think something went wrong in the impression/fit.  My left monitor fits like a glove and sounds fantastic.  My right monitor feels too large and won't seat well in my ear shell, and it hurts after wearing for a while.  I wonder if getting the soft silicon would have prevented this problem.  The acrylic is so hard that the fit has to be perfect.  I won't be able to really enjoy these until I can solve the fit problem.

My audiologist is really experience and is in NYC, so she does hundreds for engineers and producers (and top name artists).  I'd be surprised if she got the impression wrong.

Anyone else have this kind of experience with customs??

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveDerek 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nabil 

Any updates on availability of the soft tips?

 

why not contact UE and let us know? 
 

I have, and here's what I learned: They weren't perfectly happy with their current silicone option, so they decided to pull it out. Now they're taking advantage of the much larger Logitech R&D to experiment with different materials, coatings, and structural changes. They're currently field-testing several models, one of which holds special promise; they hope to reach commercialization within 90 days.

And while we're at it: Today's AVguide newsletter announced a new online review of the IERM, with comparisons to the JH16 and the ES5 (and, to a lesser degree, the 2MAX).

More impressions for the IERM please. I hope Jermng gets this one too :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinocelt 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveDerek 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nabil 

Any updates on availability of the soft tips?

 

why not contact UE and let us know? 
 

 

I have, and here's what I learned: They weren't perfectly happy with their current silicone option, so they decided to pull it out. Now they're taking advantage of the much larger Logitech R&D to experiment with different materials, coatings, and structural changes. They're currently field-testing several models, one of which holds special promise; they hope to reach commercialization within 90 days.

 

And while we're at it: Today's AVguide newsletter announced a new online review of the IERM, with comparisons to the JH16 and the ES5 (and, to a lesser degree, the 2MAX).

Hmm I am interested in either UERM or ES5 but there is really no way for me to audition for I will need to buy one based on people's opinion. Seems to me now that it will be best to hold off UERM purchase while they re-engineer their current acrylic shell.

here's a new review

I'm bumping this somewhat-dormant thread just to say that I heard the RM demos at last weekend's NYC meet.  Michael from UE was very informative, and explained the nuances behind the RM's design and how it differs from other UE models and models from JH and Westone.

In case it's not clear from this thread, the hybrid acrylic-silicone tip is no longer an option.  It seems that there were various problems implementing it, and UE did the right thing and decided to stick with the option that they know will have long-term durability, acrylic.  I hope that this doesn't foreshadow any problems I'll have with my Westone ES5 vinyl tips, but Westone has been using this design for several years without any serious problems that I've seen reported.

In general, it seems that the RM represents an effort by UE to draw on the resources and expertise of audio engineers outside of UE, which I think is an innovative and sensible approach, given the void that Jerry Harvey left.  Based on the RM, I'd say that the company has already developed its own set of custom IEM designers that can compete with any company's.

The RM is definitely a very special IEM, with a level of transparency that I don't think I've heard from my ES5 or JH16.  I'm not sure if its detail resolution capabilities are actually greater than my other customs, but the RM's flatter bass response really provides a clean and clear presentation.  In comparison, my ES5 seemed to have a subtle bass veil on top of the music.

It was a brief audition, but I was definitely impressed.  Maybe for long-term listening, I might find the ES5 or JH16 to be slightly more musical and the RM to be slightly dry.  My ES5 and JH16 have their advantages and drawbacks in comparison; the ES5's hybrid tip is exceptionally comfortable and isolating, while the JH16 may have the slight edge in presentation of spatial and soundstage details.

But the RM seems to be an amazing tool for extracting information and detail from a recording or source, while not sounding overly analytical.  I hope the RM represents just the start of a series of innovative products from the top custom IEM producers!