[Mooses9]

   
Yea, no doubt.  Funny how the TF10 was always hailed as "balanced".  But when UE900 came out people started talking about how u-shaped TF10 is.    Ultimate Ears even realized the way to go.  TF10 was basically a consumer version of UE10 with a more colorful sound.  I think that was smart since despite the crappy fit UE sold a ton of TF10's.  Logitech decided to go back to a flatter neutral reference level offering (UE900) for the consumer market and I have to think the sales are below expectations.  Though I suppose some of this could be due to the many front end quality issues.

i agree. quality is a big problem with the UE900, its not like the tf10 doesnt have its faults. but a new product you would think would be of greater quality, both in the housing and the sound....esp with some of the cable issues ue900 owners have been having...IMO as far as a UIEM the tf10 is their holy grail, it was made and designed and had its share of hails and disappointments. i think alot of people probably thought that the ue900 was going to be like the yf10 but with better ergonomics only to find out thats not the case.
 
between the ue900 flop, and the westone W series flop.....i really tend to wonder what these companies are doing. esp going back to drawing boards and not creating something more superior and becoming a successor.....i donno it just baffles me 

 

[Spyro]

There have been some great strides since 2007-8 when SE530 and TF10 came out. Before that the pinacle was E4, UM2 and ER4. In keeping in that $300-400 range I'm not sure what else to improve on at this point? Other than Etymotic making a multi-driver where do these other manufacturers go from here? Its still debatable whether Shure making a SE535 with a subwoofer and charging $1000 was a successful move or not.

 

[Mooses9]

There have been some great strides since 2007-8 when SE530 and TF10 came out. Before that the pinacle was E4, UM2 and ER4. In keeping in that $300-400 range I'm not sure what else to improve on at this point? Other than Etymotic making a multi-driver where do these other manufacturers go from here? Its still debatable whether Shure making a SE535 with a subwoofer and charging $1000 was a successful move or not.

 
 
i think that, coming out with the 846 was a great idea.
 
but the shure followers like me and alot others were looking for that TIP TOP top of the line UIEM from shure, and the closest thing to date before the 846 was the se535-ltd-j asia edition, and the best iem from shure before that was the e5....so alot of people were in a wait state, hoping shure would be inventive and come out with something fresh and new.....they did, but really its almost to the tralucent one plus 2 range and those tip top of the line uiem's which kinda threw alot of people off that couldnt afford it.
 
so it forces anyone who is looking for a top of the line to be stuck at the 535
 
i have debated on getting the 846. but i recently bought a pair of 535's and still not keen on the mmcx connector. i love the 535 but still hate that connector, and dont know if i could fork out that much money for a iem that that that connector.

 

[Zalithian]

I don't know why everyone hates the connector so much. I've never had a problem with it and I've owned a few with the same connector. I know it was a problem due to poor implementation on the early SE215's but I really think the MMCX hate is overblown. If it was so problematic I doubt so many companies would be switching over to it.

 

[ProjectDenz]

It has been 22 years and there still has been no reasonably priced single BA iem that can beat the ER4.

 

[Mooses9]

  I don't know why everyone hates the connector so much. I've never had a problem with it and I've owned a few with the same connector. I know it was a problem due to poor implementation on the early SE215's but I really think the MMCX hate is overblown. If it was so problematic I doubt so many companies would be switching over to it.

easy to follow a trend. these companies dont care about what works or how well something is made. they are worried about maximum profit plain and simple. there is nothing wrong with the 2 pin design. and physically its a simple design that doesnt have alot of other parts that can wear, just a female pin holes and male pins.
 
besides trending i cant tell you why everyone is switching over to it. they obvious dont think of thier customers when they try dropping new products that introduce a new pin style, forcing anyone with a upgrade cable to again upgrade the cable again to the new pin style.

 

[Zalithian]

easy to follow a trend. these companies dont care about what works or how well something is made. they are worried about maximum profit plain and simple. there is nothing wrong with the 2 pin design. and physically its a simple design that doesnt have alot of other parts that can wear, just a female pin holes and male pins.

besides trending i cant tell you why everyone is switching over to it. they obvious dont think of thier customers when they try dropping new products that introduce a new pin style, forcing anyone with a upgrade cable to again upgrade the cable again to the new pin style.

You didn't mention any problems with the new connectors. What's the problem other than upgrading?

 

[Mooses9]

You didn't mention any problems with the new connectors. What's the problem other than upgrading?

Well for starters and this goes for both the ue900 and the se535...i cant speak for the new W series that uses the same connectors. but the connector can become loose this can cause the sound to cut in and out. they require some maintaining as if the connector get dirty this too can present connector problems and cutting in and out too,also sometimes as im sure your aware that the ring compresses and goes into the female slot for the ring, if you dont connect it just right where you get that snap you can run into sound issues again. i guess its not ALOT of issues but its issues that cause the iem to cut in and out which is a big problem.
 
just in comparison to the 2 pin design,  i dont know why it would be they would switch over to that style of connector. 
 
i own the se535 so i live with the connector i love the 535 so i suck it up. but i really hate that connector

 

[Spyro]

  It has been 22 years and there still has been no reasonably priced single BA iem that can beat the ER4.

I don't think $300 is reasonably priced for a single BA driver.   There are $100 BA single drivers that many might prefer.  Beyond that the Grado GR10 beats it badly.  My original review compared the two and I said if ER4 were ever to be given an upgrade in sound I would expect it to sound like the GR10.  Has all the same traits but GR10 has much more air and musicality.  For 2013, the ER4 is grossly outdated for the price.

 

[cswann1]

I've been hapily using my TF10's since the $99 sale a couple of years ago.  Without that I may never have ventured into upper-end IEMs.  
I was really interested in the UE900 and would have considered paying the price for them, now that I know how good IEMs can sound.
 
 
But that connector!  No freaking way. That is a deal breaker for me.  The fact that many aftermarket cables are a no-go is one thing, but to read about so many folks having problems with their cables, and on a top-tier UIEM, is just absurd.  It's like we're moving backwards instead of forwards.

 

[Mooses9]

I've been hapily using my TF10's since the $99 sale a couple of years ago.  Without that I may never have ventured into upper-end IEMs.  
I was really interested in the UE900 and would have considered paying the price for them, now that I know how good IEMs can sound.


But that connector!  No freaking way. That is a deal breaker for me.  The fact that many aftermarket cables are a no-go is one thing, but to read about so many folks having problems with their cables, and on a top-tier UIEM, is just absurd.  It's like we're moving backwards instead of forwards.

Eh I would say the ue900 535 and w4 are more mid tier now woth the 334 1 plus 2 and 846...but I hear and agree with you

 

[Zalithian]

Eh I would say the ue900 535 and w4 are more mid tier now woth the 334 1 plus 2 and 846...but I hear and agree with you

Top tier for most people here.

 

[cswann1]

Yeah...I still tend to think of $400-$500 as top-tier.  But I am aware of the big dawgs.  The new Shure was really cool to read about. It sounds like a really cool product, but I'm just not (and don't expect to ever be) that much into headphone audio.  But who knows, I may win the lottery tomorrow and price won't mean anything to me anymore LOL.

 

[-Conan-]

I'd pick the UE900 just because the fit of the TF10 is really weird. You should try them both out first.

Same here. I prefer the ue 900 over tf10 any day. I Have both actually and still prefer the ue 900. Ue 900 fan over here

 

[eriqesque]

  I've been hapily using my TF10's since the $99 sale a couple of years ago.  Without that I may never have ventured into upper-end IEMs.  
I was really interested in the UE900 and would have considered paying the price for them, now that I know how good IEMs can sound.
 
 
But that connector!  No freaking way. That is a deal breaker for me.  The fact that many aftermarket cables are a no-go is one thing, but to read about so many folks having problems with their cables, and on a top-tier UIEM, is just absurd.  It's like we're moving backwards instead of forwards.

And for every one that complains about the connector there are probably 10 that have no issues like me. All you ever hear for the most part is the issues.