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Originally Posted by pila405 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
how coloured sound can be natural? maybe it feels funnier and nicer, maybe more engaging, but this is not exacly what that was recorded.
and i search for the ultimate iem to deliver the exact sound - no colouration, 100% transperent.
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The UE10 are the most transparent custom IEM I have heard. Essentially void of coloration in their sound. Although this may be a sound that some seek out, I for one do not. Coloration is often referred to as a bad thing. I don't want overly colored music, however an audio life void of color in my experience isn't realistic either.
I attribute the UE10 lack of coloration to what gives their more cold and analytical sound. If they had even a hint of warmth, there would be coloration. If they were more of a fun musical, engaging IEM then there would be some coloration associated with that.
I guess to a certain degree I am a slower study in the audio jargon and what it means when I am listening to music vs. many others here on the forum. It took me a long time to realize that analytical sound essentially translated into me catching myself spending more time analyzing the sound and critiquing the performance and playing of the musicians vs. essentially just kicking back and enjoying the music. In essence, this type of analytical listening is what happens when I listen to the UE10, vs. simply being immersed in and enjoying the music and emotion that accompanies it which is what happens when I listen to the ES3x (and the UE11 as well.)
If I were to hold you to the letter of the law on what you're asking for in terms of sound, I would say get the UE10, although be careful...you might just get what you're asking for.
Lack of any coloration means there isn't the ability to help out a bad recording or to smooth out some rough or harsh sound in the recording. If it is sibiliant on the original, it will be sibiliant on the UE10.
This may sound to some to be harsh on the ES3x, not at all. I absolutely love their sound. I have spent the majority of my listening time with the ES3x since I got them and have only plugged in some others to do a quick comparison, as I am doing now listening to the UE10.
The 'natural' sound of the ES3x as Headphone Addict mentions is absolutely captivating. The musicians sound like there are there in the room with you, playing for you vs .listening to a recording. The imaging is almost holographic in its presentation, with a very 3D effect to the sound. The weight of the sound and each of its images is also spot on. It also has a wonderful sense of space, soundstaging and emotion that comes across in its presentation.
However, as I mentioned, based solely on your stated desires, I would say get the UE10.
Making a reccommendation on any custom IEM is always something I have struggled with simply due to the fact that it is often a one shot deal, you can't return them, can't listen to them in advance, etc. My advice on getting a custom IEM is to always do as much research up front as possible. Make a decision and once the decision is made, kick back and enjoy your purchase.
Once you get to the upper tier of custom IEM (ES3x, UE10, UE11, etc) then it is really splitting hairs on sound differences. They are all incredible and if I wasn't a freaked out head-fi'er dying to know what each of them sound like then I'd be happy owning any of them (and I would include the UE5c and Westone ES2 in that group as well.)
Really there are clearly differences between all of the custom IEMs that are the most apparent immediately after switching between them. Once you spend time acclimating yourself to the sound of any of the custom IEM then the differences are much harder to distinguish as their particular sound and experience tends to sweep you away with the music.
I was listening to Garcia/Grisman 'So What' this morning when I woke up using the ES3x (5.5g iMod, ALO Jumbo Cryo/silver dipped gold LOD, RSA p-51, ES3x) and switched over to the UE10 to compare. Immediately, the UE10's highs sounded more present, the body and weight of the images thinned out and the sound overall took on a less engaging presence although commanded attention from the performance itself. After listening for several minutes, the differences between the two melted away and the music took over once again.