Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors Review - Page 8

Ahhh ok. Yeah I felt the same way about the T1s when I heard them. Not my cup of tea, but not bad (thats probably why I'm not too bothered about the new ACS universal Jaben is hyping up now).

 

Can't comment much on the ES5 but the JH13 (non demo) I tested at Jaben didn't sound too 'slanted' in the bass/mids to me. Anax has both the ES5 and UERM and can probably give a better comment. I'm really interested in the UERMs and the discussion going on in this thread is really pushing me in that direction. So far I like what I've read .

 

Also looking forward to reading reviews on the new EM4 but there's hardly any reviews out like what average_joe does (hint hint, joe! )
 

 

 

I get you now, basically SS width/depth presentation.  I was thinking of air wrt separation which is similar but different.  Yeah, the FX700 is master of that in IEMs for sure.  I don't recall the EX1000 striking me to the same degree.  The Ex1000 for me was like the universal that did most everything just right, except that which will go unnamed.  =P Kind of like the porridge in the middle.  There are times with the UERM that I do get a sense of the dimensions of the chamber under Capitol records where they tuned it's sound so that definitely supports your point.  It is a studio monitor afterall.  The precision though is very nice.

So, yeah. My left ear has started bleeding when using them. I think I'll send them in for a refit.

Blood is definitely an effective indicator of a poor fit.  Ouch!    First time I've heard of that.....

 

Got them back. Popped them in for a second at work, but can't listen. Fit seems to be much better. Will need more time to be sure. Hope the sound is still great.

So these are perfect. Can't believe more people aren't using these. Add to the great sound you get excellent customer service and very fast turn around time. Still got work to do on my chain, but I now know the UERM are capable of satisfying me entirely. Biggest gains left are in source, imo. The WA6 is good, but I want to try the Objective 2 desktop once it's available for a solid state test. Wondering if the tubes are giving me a too smooth response.

When I get home from work, I pop these in and they never leave my ears until I'm about to head to bed. If I'm off my computer in the kitchen cooking, etc I'll simply plug them into my phone and listen to the music on there. No complaints about them at all.

I am still trying to sell my D7000 to get this. Hopefully, it won't be too long before I join the UERM camp. =)

 

confused, frankly, that you would use the UERM with a big tube amp. I have two nice-ish tube amps, but I'm never tempted to used them for an IEM. and I would rather spend money on music, and on a good source, than on a big tube amp if the IEM was my main way to listen. like Cee Tee says, the UERM does well with high quality portable amps and is so transparent as to allow them to contribute to your overall flavor. nonetheless I'd rather put big beyers behind the tube amps, a totally different feeling...

I'm sure it's because it's what he has on hand atm.

 

The WA6 was part of the plan all along, actually.

The WA6 isn't exactly a big tube amp. It's actually fairly small by tube amp standards. I chose the WA6 based on a few factors, first it was recommended to me by HeadphoneAddict who has used customs for quite a while. Second it was guaranteed to be dead silent with high sensitivity, high efficiency headphones. Third, I'd always been curious about Woo amps. A little research on my end concluded in the purchase of the WA6.

I only listen at home, so a portable amp is not desired. Portable amps often have very small controls and the plugs are generally all on the same side as the controls, leading to a poor interface. I like having a big power button, big volume knob, and a jack for the headphones. Easy to control and I don't have wires running everywhere from the 'front' of the device. This is why I'm waiting for a desktop version of the Objective 2. It's not that I'm ONLY looking at the Objective 2, it's just that it's the first one I want to try to see how the 'measurements first' approach sounds. I bought neutral headphones (considered by many to be neutral at least), I want to try an amp that is supposed to be measurably neutral to see how different it is than the WA6.

I'm not a fan of any Beyer headphones at the level of sound quality I currently desire. The DT880 was quite nice for what it is, the T5p, also, but neither sound anywhere near as good as my UERM.

I followed this thread in anticipation of my UERM arrival.  I'm happy to finally add my first-hand thoughts of the most expensive earbuds I've ever purchased.  

 

I had mine done custom (see image), with dual Capitol logos over clear black.  Dare to be different.

 

The first thing I served up on arrival is my lossless download of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.  His website sells an uncompressed version of the master.  My first impression-- what's with all the tape hiss?  Yeah, I'm in for a fun ride with these!  The title track is haunting and detailed.  What Is Life shows the range and musicality of the monitors and My Sweet Lord opens up like a symphony in my head.  The acoustic strumming sounds natural and live.  The slide-- a bit muffled, but I sense that's the way it was recorded!

 

I prefer an "honest" bass-- which is what intrigued me about these.  Booming deep bass gets tiring over time, and can muddy up the mix.  These headphones will double for their true intention-- mixing sound.  I don't like monitors of any kind-- that present a flawed impression of what is really there.  My everyday reference monitors are Genelec 8040's if that gives you an indication.  My loudspeakers are Vandersteen 3 Signatures with a Krell KSA amp.  I tend not to go with anything that sounds too "winning", because I've found that impressionable detail grates on me over time.  I seek balance and accuracy.

 

Surprised about the early reports of troublesome treble response on the UERMs.  I found the highs to be a little too detailed, if anything.  Out of my computer I reset the EQ to flat and the treble cleared right up, as expected.  

 

Next I moved to my iPod.  Direct out of the iPod, there's a lack of drive for the UERM.  I can crank it up to full volume without coming close to my loudness threshold.  I think the iPod loses composure when opened up, so I tend to back it off a bit.  For relaxed listening, a straight iPod should do just fine.  Set flat-- the earbuds sound balanced, with a tight bass and a detailed--but not broad soundstage.  The word "accurate" keeps recurring over and over.  I quickly moved between some quality recordings.  Steely Dan's Babylon Sisters, Fleetwood Mac's Gold Dust Woman, Supertramp's School, George Solti's CSO recording of Beethoven's 5th Symphony- amazing presence, rich sound, but captain, we're gonna need a little more power from the engine room!

 

I "engaged" my Pico Slim and whoa! The high end went out of control.  The soundstage immediately opened up, but the highs were punched up to an overpowering level.  My iPod never before sounded this good.  But to say the treble dominant and exaggerated is an understatement.  Backing the iPod's EQ back to flat and everything stepped back into line-- and I found a sweet spot in this combination, though the bass is probably too tight for some.  This is a great combo, though I might choose to find an EQ setting which provides a little +2db gain on the bottom end at a later time, particularly for lower volumes.

 

The UERM's are quite definitely the finest sounding earbuds I've ever placed in my noggin'.  I've been through a lot of them, though nothing near this price point.  I've always drifted toward the Shure earbuds and my daily pair are my trusty e4c's.  I have a pair of the Shure 5's, and though they sound a bit better, they gave up a lot in comfort.  I'm not quite used to the custom fits yet.  They're a little tight.  I want some hours with them to determine whether I should have them shaved down a little.  I think I may simply adjust into them.

 

Living in Studio City, I drove down to the UE sales and service office in Irvine.  My pair originally shipped without any logos.  They stenciled the Capitol logo on in one afternoon, no questions asked.  Terrific customer service.  They even opened up for me after hours to pick them up.

 

I'm looking forward to doing some serious work with these-- and some leisurely listening, too.  Thanks to everyone here for sharing your thoughts.  

 

Michael

 

 

 

Edited by reeltime - 12/9/11 at 1:03am