Intro
These are the kinds of IEMs that impress you when you see them, then sorely disappoint once you pick them up. All until you actually listen to them and are floored once again. Please note, this is an update/edit of the review and initial impressions I gave on Massdrop here.
Aesthetics - 8.0/10
Despite what looks like cheap materials, these are some really, really, sharp looking IEMs. They've ditched the "professional" design found on many of it's competitors (I'm looking at you, Shure) for some colourful and even relatively stylish buds. The blue is really a pretty shade and the black and silver face-plate looks great when the paint is still all there.
Fit - 7.5/10
The silicone tips are fairly soft and the foam tips are functional and non-abrasive. It's particularly noteworthy that Ultimate Ears includes a full second set of tips, attached to little sticks (that are removable) to be used to find the perfect fit for your ears.. That said, I would suggest making an investment in aftermarket eartips (such as Comply - myself using T200) . The body of the IEM doesn't fit nearly as flush as some of it's competitors (i.e., Westone, Shure, etc.) but still overall it's sufficiently comfortable.
Build - 5.2/10
I may be wrong but everything seems to be made out of fairly simple, cheap plastics. Every part feels sturdy enough but that's about it, nothing feels quite as premium as it's MSRP would imply. That said, nothing felt particularly cheap either. One major point of contention for me is the paint on the face-plates of the earbuds, as after only a few months of use they've worn away quite a bit and it's left my earbuds look quite bad. Had I paid full MSRP for these, I would be truly livid with how they've held up, but considering I got them below half-price on Massdrop I'm not all that bothered.
Sound - 9.1/10
After giving these earbuds more than 250 hours (honestly It's probably closer to 400 hours), here are my thoughts on sound.
Sub-Bass:
As one would assume, with a dedicated sub-bass driver, it would sound pretty good. And that assumption is not wrong, as the sub-bass is both impactful and fast, really fast. I was quite impressed with the power and extension of these buds. I find Jazz, Soul, and some Electronic music really show off this aspect.
Bass:
The bass on these IEMs continue to have solid punch and detail. It also comes across with moderate amount character (this may or may not be a good thing depending on how analytical you want your IEMs to be) which makes it nearly playful when listening. They still give you a reference level of precision, but there is a slight warmth to these IEMs which really makes them geared more specifically to listening than producing.
Click here for an example that plays very nicely with the bass and sub-bass driver of these IEMs.
Mids:
They're present, but definitively less than impacful. The mids are not BAD per se but they don't leave much of an impression. These earbuds have a subtle V-shaped sound signature so if you listen to a lot of music with prominent female vocals, these might not do you right. Despite this, the mids are still as detailed as any other part of the spectrum, if not a little bland and recessed when compared with the rest of the sound.
Highs:
The highs are crisp and detailed while still keeping a lid on things, never becoming sibilant or too sharp. They aren't quite as precise as some other high-end IEMs but you defintely won't find yourself disappointed with the highs on these buds.
Sound Stage:
For IEMs, these produce such a wide sound stage it is surprising. Many of my friends have stated that it sounds like you're wearing much larger cans and I for one definitely agree. Despite providing a large sound stage for earbuds, it is still only large for earbuds and won't take on some great open-backed headphones. Regardless, Ultimate Ears really made the best of what they could with the physical limitations at hand.
Imaging:
Even if the sound stage may be tight when compared to some larger headphones, the work that the 900s do in this space is nothing short of witchcraft. The stereo imaging is superb if not perfect. The level of instrument separation is as good if not better than nearly any other in-ear headphone I've ever heard.
Overall - 8.1/10
Despite having relatively low scores in both Fit as well as Build Quality, sound quality is paramount to everything for me and these headphones has great sound in spades.
These are the kinds of IEMs that impress you when you see them, then sorely disappoint once you pick them up. All until you actually listen to them and are floored once again. Please note, this is an update/edit of the review and initial impressions I gave on Massdrop here.
Aesthetics - 8.0/10
Despite what looks like cheap materials, these are some really, really, sharp looking IEMs. They've ditched the "professional" design found on many of it's competitors (I'm looking at you, Shure) for some colourful and even relatively stylish buds. The blue is really a pretty shade and the black and silver face-plate looks great when the paint is still all there.
Fit - 7.5/10
The silicone tips are fairly soft and the foam tips are functional and non-abrasive. It's particularly noteworthy that Ultimate Ears includes a full second set of tips, attached to little sticks (that are removable) to be used to find the perfect fit for your ears.. That said, I would suggest making an investment in aftermarket eartips (such as Comply - myself using T200) . The body of the IEM doesn't fit nearly as flush as some of it's competitors (i.e., Westone, Shure, etc.) but still overall it's sufficiently comfortable.
Build - 5.2/10
I may be wrong but everything seems to be made out of fairly simple, cheap plastics. Every part feels sturdy enough but that's about it, nothing feels quite as premium as it's MSRP would imply. That said, nothing felt particularly cheap either. One major point of contention for me is the paint on the face-plates of the earbuds, as after only a few months of use they've worn away quite a bit and it's left my earbuds look quite bad. Had I paid full MSRP for these, I would be truly livid with how they've held up, but considering I got them below half-price on Massdrop I'm not all that bothered.
Sound - 9.1/10
After giving these earbuds more than 250 hours (honestly It's probably closer to 400 hours), here are my thoughts on sound.
Sub-Bass:
As one would assume, with a dedicated sub-bass driver, it would sound pretty good. And that assumption is not wrong, as the sub-bass is both impactful and fast, really fast. I was quite impressed with the power and extension of these buds. I find Jazz, Soul, and some Electronic music really show off this aspect.
Bass:
The bass on these IEMs continue to have solid punch and detail. It also comes across with moderate amount character (this may or may not be a good thing depending on how analytical you want your IEMs to be) which makes it nearly playful when listening. They still give you a reference level of precision, but there is a slight warmth to these IEMs which really makes them geared more specifically to listening than producing.
Click here for an example that plays very nicely with the bass and sub-bass driver of these IEMs.
Mids:
They're present, but definitively less than impacful. The mids are not BAD per se but they don't leave much of an impression. These earbuds have a subtle V-shaped sound signature so if you listen to a lot of music with prominent female vocals, these might not do you right. Despite this, the mids are still as detailed as any other part of the spectrum, if not a little bland and recessed when compared with the rest of the sound.
Highs:
The highs are crisp and detailed while still keeping a lid on things, never becoming sibilant or too sharp. They aren't quite as precise as some other high-end IEMs but you defintely won't find yourself disappointed with the highs on these buds.
Sound Stage:
For IEMs, these produce such a wide sound stage it is surprising. Many of my friends have stated that it sounds like you're wearing much larger cans and I for one definitely agree. Despite providing a large sound stage for earbuds, it is still only large for earbuds and won't take on some great open-backed headphones. Regardless, Ultimate Ears really made the best of what they could with the physical limitations at hand.
Imaging:
Even if the sound stage may be tight when compared to some larger headphones, the work that the 900s do in this space is nothing short of witchcraft. The stereo imaging is superb if not perfect. The level of instrument separation is as good if not better than nearly any other in-ear headphone I've ever heard.
Overall - 8.1/10
Despite having relatively low scores in both Fit as well as Build Quality, sound quality is paramount to everything for me and these headphones has great sound in spades.
I'm looking for something with good extension that can do well for jazz and classical music. I've used the Pinnacle P1, Brainwavz B100 and enjoyed a Senn HD600 demo - so I appreciate a signature between balanced and a v-shaped signature.