Ubsound Fighter in-ear monitor with universal inline microphone and remote

Pros: Solid build, Nice style, Inline remote and microphone
Cons: Mid-bass bleed and boost, Dip in upper midrange
At the time this review was written, the Ubsound Fighter earphone was on sale for $69.90 USD on the Ubsound shopping website. Here is a links to their product at the time of the review:
DSC04471.jpg
 
 
http://www.ubsoundshop.com/en/
http://www.ubsound.com/fighter-earphones.htm
 
Note: In working with Ubsound, I found the customer service to be top notch. If you have any questions, or need customer service, here is a link to their official website:
 
www.ubsound.com
 
Introduction
While hanging out on Head-Fi, I stumbled across a Ubsound advertisement on the side of the page. A couple things jumped out at me while browsing their site. Not only did their page seem to market their phones rather well, the “Fighter” earphones had a very cool look and had very little coverage on Head-Fi. I was curious to cover this earphone, and contacted them to see if they had any interest in getting some Head-Fi exposure. I’m happy to say that today I’ll be covering their earphone titled “Fighter”.
 
Disclaimer
I was given an opportunity to demo the Ubsound Fighter earphone in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I am in no way affiliated with their company or brand.
 
My Background
Please allow me to share a little bit about myself so you can better understand my observations. I AM NOT a numbers and graphs audiophile or sound engineer. Personal audio enthusiast? Absolutely! Headphone junkie? Possibly…
 
There’s something about quality DAPs, DACs, amplifiers and earphones that intrigues me, ESPECIALLY if they can be had for low prices. I’m a fan of products that give the buyer their money’s worth and more. I will buy the $5 to $500 earphone that looks promising, hoping that I can discover models that can compete with the big names in this industry. If you look at my Head-Fi profile you will see that I have purchased MANY different headphones and earphones ranging from from dirt cheap, to hundreds of dollars. I’m on a mission to find gear with a great price to performance ratio, and reporting these findings back to the Head-Fi community and those looking for their next piece of audio gear.
 
I can appreciate different builds and sound signatures as long as they have good ergonomics, and their sound is pleasing to the ear. It is my pleasure to share my experiences with audio products and make recommendations based gear I have and use.
 
With this hobby we often times pay a lot of for minor upgrades. One thing I’ve learned is that price DOES NOT necessarily indicate good build and sound quality. While everyone’s tastes are different, I hope to share a depiction of what to expect in the items I own and review.
 
~Review~
 
The Package
The Ubsound fighter comes in your choice of four different colors (red, blue, white, black) and are packed in a very slim black box large enough to hold the earphones and accessories only. The pair I received are white, and at first glimpse my wife said “those would look really good with my Iphone” and justifiably so. They are very slick looking IEMs. The front of the box displays their logo and motto, along with a picture and title for their earphones. The back of the box has a description of their product and it’s specs.
 
 
DSC04451.jpg
 
Specifications:
    ~Driver: 8mm dymanic
    ~Sensitivity: 92dB
    ~Frequency Response: 20-20.000Hz
    ~Maximum Distortion: <0,5%
DSC04452.jpg
 
The product came with the following accessories:
    ~3X silicone tips
    ~Velvet-like drawstring pouch
    ~Product Sticker
    ~Owner’s manual (in several European languages, and in English)
 
Housings
The Ubsound Fighter features a pretty sturdy housing build with what appears to be a painted metal enclosure with some plastics used as well. Strain reliefs seem adequate for daily use. They are light and have a wide hozzle that is closed with a metal mesh filter to prevent dirt and particles from getting at the 8mm driver. I really liked the three sets of wide bore tips. They worked well and created a good seal on my hard to fit ears. Tip rolling is also possible with tips that fit a wide hozzle.
DSC04457.jpg
 
DSC04456.jpg
 
Cable, Y-split & Strain Reliefs, Cable Jack
I am usually not a fan of flat cables, but Ubsound set itself apart from the others by offering one that is sturdy, doesn’t tangle and has very little memory, along with great ergonomics. For a flat cable, it is one of my favorites. The cable features a single button remote and microphone for use with both Android and IOS.  The Y-split is pretty far down on the cable so you will have no problem using it over or under your ears, even if you have a head the size of a walrus. There is no cable cinch. The 3.5 cable jack is straight and has a nice rubbery strain relief that leads to the cable. All in all I’m very pleased with the build of the Ubsound Fighter.
DSC04460.jpg
 
Ergonomics, Fit and Microphonics
When I first opened the package I was concerned with how these would fit with their lightweight housings that were a bit on the large side, and the somewhat heavier flat cable. To my surprise they fit really well both under and over the ear. As with most earphones wearing them under the ear yields noticeable and notable microphonics, and over the ear significantly reduces this.
DSC04468.jpg
 
DSC04465.jpg
 
Functionality
The single button Mic/Remote works for both major smartphone platforms (Android and IOS) and seems sturdy. I didn’t notice any flaws or glitches when using it. When using the Fighter earphone for phone calls, people on the other end reported my voice’s clarity coming in at a three on a scale from one to five.

Sound Review Materials
I primarily did my demo with my usual listening gears. For portable use I sampled the product with my LG-G3 smartphone with the latest firmware, and also my Sony Walkman F806 and Cayin C5 amplifier. Other DAPs and portable stacks were also used. For desktop use, I used my Toshiba Satellite laptop with a HifimeDIY Sabre DAC/AMP and Bravo Audio Ocean tube amplifier, or Fiio E18 DAC/AMP. I also used my Toshiba Chromebook and Fiio E17K DAC/AMP. I played MP3 and FLAC files. Google Music was downloaded in its highest quality (320 KBPS), and I also streamed FLAC via Tidal streaming service. I make sure that anything I demo I have had enough time with to feel confident in my impressions and opinions.
 
I used my usual same songs for testing gear:
“Limit to your love” by James Blake
“Madness” by Muse
“Get lucky” by Daft Punk
“Some nights” by Fun
“The soundmaker” by Rodrigo y Gabriela
“Bassically” by Tei Shi
“Skinny Love” performed by Birdie
“One” by Ed Sheeran
“Outlands” from the Tron Legacy Soundtrack
“Sultans of swing” by Dire Straits
“Ten thousand fists” by Disturbed
 
Note: Other tracks were used, but the listed songs were primarily used to asses and break down the gear’s response.
 
Sound Signature
I would consider the Ubsound Fighter to be a consumer friendly signature that works well with genres of music like Hip Hop, Pop, Dubstep and EDM. The tuning has considerable peaks and valleys that I will discuss when breaking it down into frequencies.
 
Bass
Bass tones seemed to top off at around 150Hz, and rolled off down to as low as 20Hz. The Fighter is a mid-bass forward IEM that brings plenty of punch, and emphasises lower midrange sounds. The Fighter does suffer from a considerable amount of mid-bass bleed, and when the bass hits hard, it will at times distort midrange frequencies depending on what you are listening to and the volume used.
 
Midrange
The earphone has a recessed midrange that seems distant in comparison to bass registers. I would consider the midrange to be somewhat enclosed and lacked clarity needed to be an elite sounding earphone. They didn’t have a sense of being open or airy. While this works well with electronic and synthesized music, it can struggle with rock, alternative, and most band genres. The upper mids seem to be somewhat sucked out of the tuning. Although it is audible, the upper mids are probably the farthest back in the mix.
 
Treble
Treble is pleasant and non fatiguing. Its presence does come up a bit from the considerably lower presence of the upper midrange. Treble is not overly extended and cymbals have a nice attack and decay. Of all sound traits the Fighter has, the treble response was my personal favorite. It was enough treble to not feel lacking, and not so much that it could be fatiguing. It had enough presence and clarity to really enjoy it with most genres.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
The sucked out midrange and lack of overall clarity really hinders the Fighter’s ability to give a solid sense of imaging. Bass tuning does give a slightly better than average soundstage depth.
 
Comparisons
 
Xiaomi Piston 2.0 ($25 USD on many sites)
Both models feature a similar tuning, with the Piston having slightly more extended treble response, and a little better separation and detail in it’s midrange, and a little more sub bass extension. Both models have the same amount of mid-bass bleed. In terms of sound they are very similar, with the Piston seeming slightly more refined and giving it a slight edge.
 
As far as build, the piston offers more in terms of accessories, and comes with an awesome storage case. However, the build quality of the Ubsound Fighter is better in my opinion. Holding both of them in my hand, it seems as though the Fighter would be able to stand the test of time and use.
 
Steelseries Flux ($45-$55 USD on many sites)
The Flux IEM is world class in terms of tuning, and checks the mark in many aspects of sound for many audiophiles and headphone enthusiasts. Given the fact that the Flux fidelity is competitive against models in a much higher price bracket, the edge of course goes to the Flux in term of all around sound quality. The one part that I feel the Fighter IEM competes is when playing modern genres like Hip Hop, Pop, EDM, and Dubstep. Its almost as though the Fighter was designed for these genres. As compared to the steelseries Flux, the Ubsound offering was more relaxed sounding and easier to listen to these genres for extended periods and at louder volumes.
 
As far as build and accessories is concerned, both models have basically the same accessories. Build quality on the Fighter is superior, with a much sturdier cable, better strain reliefs, and more solid housings.

 
Conclusion
The Fighter is a fun sounding IEM that seems well built and very stylish. The four color options are great, and allow the customer to pick a color that matches their lifestyle. Although the tuning isn’t geared for the audiophile community, many who listen to today’s most popular music genres will enjoy the Fighter in terms of both build and sound.

Thanks for reading and happy listening!
BlackJackSound
BlackJackSound
Congratulations Hisoundfi for the deep and great review as always :)
I'm a real lover of portable audio products and own around 30 IEMs, 15 Headphones, 5 DAPs and 3 amplified DACs, a great collection being only a cosumer I think.
I bought the IEMs Ubsound Fighter Aluminum few months ago and I really appreciated them for several reasons... and not just beacuse I am Italian so proud of an Italian brand obviously, but especially for their great acoustic signature which is slightly v-shaped as I love and for their elegant and robust building quality as well.
I almost agree with your great review and I would add about their signature as follows after the first 50/60 hours of running period.
The IEMs Fighter have a slightly v-shaped signature in my opinion, with textured, deep and powerfull Bass frequency which doesn't cover other frequencies; warm and quite detailed Midrange considering they are a little behind; clean and clear Trebble rich of details.
As per my experience, in my collection, the Fighter are situated in a great postion: I'd place them even above the Ostry kc06a & the Vsonic Gr07 for instance, and very close to the IEMs Dunu dn-1000 which costs more than the double. So considering that the Fighter cost only 69$, in my opinion they are an amazing goal. Basically I would give them 4,5 stars on 5 compared to their price to be honest. But you've more experience and I'm not a reviewer so I really appreciated your precious opinion
PS 1: I noted that on the packaging English description is written about a maximum distorsion <0,5% instead of >5%, the same on the English user guide inside the box. Is it a mistake or your own tests?
PS 2: wow! I've seen your review is already posted on their official ubsound dot com website in the press area! congrats then mate [http://www.ubsound.com/press-releases.htm]
PS 3: I love Head-Fi and I'm a deep follower of this audio webmag.

Go well and waiting for your next amazing review. Thx.
Hisoundfi
Hisoundfi
The specifications were typos. They have been fixed. Glad you like the Fighter earphones @BlackJackSound!
BlackJackSound
BlackJackSound
@Hisoundfi
Cheers mate
Looking at the Ubsound official website, I've seen Ubsound just launched their on-ear headphones Dreamer series, which seem to be very cool in terms of style, features and technical details. With a great value for money compared to the main brands... only 99$.
Reading their details, the acoustic signature seems to be slightly v-shaped as well, warm and with an amazing bass. Are you going to review them too? I've already ordered these new Dreamer headphones directly on their official online shop on the Ubsound website with the pre-order option and I should receive them by mid of August roughly. Then I'll let you know my feedback as well.
Go well, thx

acain

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Very stylish, Can take some abuse
Cons: Bass can be to much, straight plug
This review is for the Ubsound Fighters, let me introduce myself before I get started. My name is Adam I am 38 years old and have been into audio equipment since I was in high school. In the past 2 years headphones and iem's have become my main hobby. I am not an audiophile, but a collector or hoarder of audio equipment. My journey to Head-Fi all started when I did a search on the web for a new pair of ear buds, and just about every search landed me here. Since my first search I made an account and started to review headphones and ear buds and never looked back.  It's know secret the reviews on Head-Fi get more traffic and more views then most pro-forums combined.
 
Before I get into my review let me start off by saying I aim my reviews at the average Joe or Jane and use simple terms, so the average consumer can understand them since that's what brought me here from the beginning. So if your into to reading a long reviews with graphs, meters, charts, levels, and audiophile terms skip down about 234 pages and I am sure you will find a review like that. My reviews are so easy to understand a caveman will understand what I am saying. There is nothing wrong with the other kind of reviews, but after 10 minutes of reading I just want to know if they sound good, I don't care what your graph says or your spl meter says the only tools I trust are the ones my uncle used to grab if I did something wrong. Ok that's enough of my rant you guys probably skipped down anyway.
 
I would like to say thank you to Clara at Ubsound for sending me a review unit out, I am not an employee or am I being compensated for this review. This review is based on my honest opinion, and all pictures were taken by me. The Fighters come in 4 different colors and can be purchased directly from this link for $69.90
 
UBSOUND FIGHTERS
 
Who are they, well I didn't know either until a saw an add somewhere on line, UBSOUND is actually pronounced "You Be Sound". Fighters were released for European sales in June 2014 and to the US market February 2015. They will also be releasing an on ear headphone in July of 2015. Further down the road into 2016 they will hopefully have there line of DAPs, DAC's, and over ear headphones released. Ubsound was founded in 2011 by its CEO Marzio Gasparro in Milan, Italy. Every day there seems to be a new company popping up, due to the high demand of mobile listening devices. And what's better then having more options to choose from. Music is as subjective as it gets every one hears and likes different kinds of music. It's not like how I know for a fact I am so good looking I should be a model, my looks are not subjective I am just that beautiful. Just kidding if that were true I wouldn't be single writing reviews, ok I really do enjoy writing reviews it's my hobby and down time. So let's get right into it. http://www.ubsoundshop.com/en/12-fighter-series-earphones      http://www.ubsound.com/
 
SPECIFICATIONS 
 
Driver                                    8mm dynamic
Sensitivity                             92dB/mW
Frequency Range                 20-20.000HZ
Impedance                           32 ohms
Max Distortion-max              <0.5%
Flat Wire Cable                     1.2m
Plug                                       3.5mm          
 
 
IMG_0587.jpgIMG_0592.jpg
 
 
PACKAGING 
 
Ubsound Fighters come in a small plain cardboard box, based on price this is what is expected. The front of the box has a hi-res photo of the Fighters, the back of the box has all the specifications in just about every common language. That's about it for the box, it gets it to point A and B safely.
 
 
ACCESSORIES
 
1 pair of ear buds
S,M,L silicone tips
Manual
Ubsound Sticker
Black velvet pouch
 
 
IMG_0595.jpgIMG_0574.jpgIMG_0593.jpg
 
Who doesn't like accessories, it's like icing on the cake. Ubsound includes everything you need to get you up and running, I do prefer a hard shell case for tossing them into a gym bag or book bag. They include every size you need of silicone tips for proper fitment. The sticker is a nice touch since I like to fill the outside of my tool box at work with stickers.
 
 
BUILD AND FIT
 
The Fighters are for sure pretty stylish and have some good weight to them without being overly heavy. The cable is flat and made of a non slip rubber with a matte finish, being flat helps with it becoming tangled. I have to say it is pretty good at staying tangle free. A  straight 3.5mm plug that is gold plated is also coated in a matte black rubber, there is good strain relief though out anywhere it's needed. Ubsound Fighters housing is made of aluminum and is painted to a nice satin finish. The faceplate is shiny aluminum with a machine circular finish stamped with there logo in white paint.
 
Where the cable splits for each ear piece you will find a rather large Y splitter that's made of metal painted black with the logo in white. The Y splitter actually weighs them down a little bit and can cause the ear buds to come out if you don't have them placed in your ear correctly. These also have a 1 button control and mic attached to the right cable, the control is set about 7 inches down form your ear.
Each ear piece has a L and R on the rubber grommet for strain relief, underneath the housings there is a small hole for the dynamic drivers to breathe. Removing the tip will reveal a metal screen to keep dirt and dust out.
 
 
IMG_0599.jpgIMG_0600.jpgIMG_0603.jpg
IMG_0606.jpgIMG_0618.jpgIMG_0610.jpg
IMG_0608.jpgIMG_0614.jpg
 
 
The over all build quality is top notch, you won't be finding to much plastic on these except for the cable. Isolation is right where it should be for this kind of ear bud, they kept a good amount of ambient noise out. These where really comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, the only thing I would change on the design is the size of the Y splitter and the weight of it. Just from the build quality and quality materials these should be able to take some abuse in harsh environments.
 
IMG_0621.jpg
 
IMG_0623.jpg
 
 
 
SOUND
 
You probably skipped to this section by now so go back and read the rest of the review (to be continued) just kidding. So how do they sound, even before I received them through some emails they told me the sound signature was a V-Shaped sig. I don't use specific tracks since everyone doesn't listen to the same thing as I do, but I don't know why you wouldn't listen to what I do because my tastes are impeccable and trust me Polka music is fun. Ok really, the main source I used was my Astell & Kern AK100II I also used my Samsung Alpha since there made for portable use. I used just about every kind of format file that I have, from WAV, FLAC, to highly compressed MP3 files. Ubsound Fighters are easy to drive so no amping is required knowing they were tuned with a V-shaped sig I had an idea of what kind of music to throw at them.
 
Let's start off with the low end, expecting heavy bass I was not disappointed listening to 1990's freestyle. Mid-bass is more prominent then sub-bass and it hit's hard, it does extend into the lower mid's. At some volumes it does become distorted and a bit muddy. Depending on what kind of music your listening to the bass sounds more controlled, like Hip-Hop, Rap, and Dubstep the lower registers sound better then listening with Classic, Rock, or Live music.
 
The mid-range is quite smooth but can lack clarity and detail adding to there overall signature of V shaped. Mids sound better listening to music with soft toned vocals. The high frequencies are one of the Fighters stronger points, and  they are not extended so far to pierce your ear. Upper registers sound more natural then the rest of the frequencies and have more transparency. Compared to Sure SE215's the 215's bass is more controlled, but the Fighters mid-bass hit's harder but sacrifices detail. Fighter's mids compared to the 215's sound more laid back, the higher notes of the Fighter's has better extension and more clarity.
 
Using them for phone calls the Fighters performed pretty good, the caller on the other end came through clear without back round noise or any hissing. I used them to call my mother and she couldn't tell the difference if I was using a hands free device. The 1 button control worked ending the call with no problems, it also work for the music functions as well.
 
CONCLUSION
 
My overall 2 cents, V-Signature is not my go to sound, I am more of a Neutral kind of guy and natural I never used body enhancing substances but it's hard to tell I am like a card board cutout for a fitness magazine, not really I am short and shaped liked a fire plug.  If you are looking for a V shaped ear bud these might be right up your alley. Or if you like a lot of bass these could be for you, the tuning of the Fighter's sounds like they would be very popular with the younger generation of people especially teens and preteens. They are built with quality materials and have a nice modern look to them that will appeal to many. Thank you for reading I hope this helped anyone interested in these, until next time.
  • Like
Reactions: BlackJackSound
hakushondaimao
hakushondaimao
Probably not my thing (v-sig) but enjoyed the read. Thanks.
BlackJackSound
BlackJackSound
Great review Adam... as always!
I love these aluminium IEMs Fighter for several reasons like the sound: warm, slightly v-shaped but rich in details anyway and with powerful bass, for thier building quality: very robust and well realized, for the cable: flat-wire and tangle-free, and their price of 69$: a great value for money in my humble opinion.
I use them with two DAPs, iBasso dx-50 and Fiio X5 and I love the warm soundstage during playback.
A suggestion: I think a long running period is important for the Fighter, I found many changements after 25 hours.
Cheers mate

ExpatinJapan

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Affordable, fit, entry level, good vocals and details
Cons: Needed burn in, V signature-good for some,

Ubsound The Fighter Earphones Review - Expatinjapan

 Head Pie 
ubsound `The Fighter` review.​
A pleasant surprise at a bargain price.​
 
 ​
 
 ​
Build
The aluminum build of ubsound The Fighter seems well constructed and durable. 
The Fighter is designed to fit a stylish form of mind. 
Where the cable runs into the IEMs looks to be sturdy but I wonder whether more stress support could be added there.
The housings could be smaller, and the nozzles longer, plus the housing closest to the earhole could be rounded off more.
The cable itself is of the flat variety and seems to avoid tangle issues because of it. 
The 3.5mm jack is gold plated.
But in general no real complaints apart the above minor details, they are built to stand up to everyday use.

 
 ​

Sound
This is always a problem for reviewers, keep in mind that ubsound The Fighter retails on amazon.com for US$49 at the moment, and as such I will be assessing it within its price point and possible target audience.

I considered using my Centrance Hifi-Skyn or Shozy Alien to test these out but decided the target audience would be more the basic portable casual user of ipods, iphones etc and decided on using my ipod touch 6G as the source dap.

The Fighters had well over (recommended) 50 hours of time on them before I started into my review.

The first point one notices is the bass and there are clouds of them, sharp and clear. Its not fast bass.
The next thing one hears is the treble and then of course I searched for the mids, the mid range is there for sure but The Fighter definitely fits into the V shaped territory, or at the very least a U shaped territory.
Vocals are sweet and smooth and have enough breadth to please.
Instrument separation although not on the level of the big boys is pleasing, it can start to smear at high volumes.
Detail is present and engaging.
Distortion is low at most volumes.
For extended listening session it was non-fatiguing and rather smooth.

 
 ​

Fit
Ubsound The Fighter comes with three sets of tips, as usual I opted for the largest size as it gives me the best seal usually.
The Fighter can be worn either hanging down style or over the ears, choose what is best for fit and comfort preferences, I found over the ear was my choice of preference.
The cable being of rubber can cause some microphonic noise.
Isolation is not absolute, but within the acceptable range.
I would also recommend tapering of the earphones housing shell for an easier fit, perhaps even a slight lengthening of the nozzle itself.

 


Value
Well US$50, what could go wrong? Right, right, amirite?
These are one of the first attempts it seems by this rather new Italian company that has been active for four years, and they have done quite well within the price range.
The sound is acceptable out of my ipod touch 6G.
The  fit is also well within my desired zone of comfort.
Build is solid enough to last, but as usual I haven`t put them through any overly damaging stress tests.

 
 ​
 ​

Overall
They say you get what you pay for, and this true of The Fighter, but you also get a little more. I was admittedly not impressed with this IEM in my earlier listening sessions and was dreading writing the review. As it got more hours on it and I got a good fit with the large tips and opted for the ipod touch as source I started to actually enjoy them.
Owners of TOTL Daps and IEMs won`t be the target audience for these I am guessing, but they are good choice for the afore mentioned as a casual set up for the gym, around the house etc and at a price that won`t back the bank.
I think most non critical casual users of phones and the like would enjoy these IEMs very much with their emphasis on the lows and highs which gives a dynamic and exciting feel. Also the V signature is perfect for commutes to balance the outside noise of buses and trains and their various movements.
All in all If your budget is within $50 dollars The Fighter is certainly worth a look.

I look forward to seeing what ubsound come up with in the future as they head into the mid range price point of earphones.

 
 ​
 ​

A big thank you to ubsound for sending us The fighter for review - expatinjapan.  

 
 


BlackJackSound

New Head-Fier
Pros: Elegant style, Robust build, Solid remote & Mic, Comfortable flat tangle-free wire, Nice warm soundstage and great value for money.
Cons: Slightly microphonic and a little heavy due to the solid aluminum. Not recommended for those who don’t like v-shaped acoustic signatures
Note: At the time of this review, the UBSOUND Fighter aluminum earphones are available for purchase at 48$ on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ubsound) and 69$ on UBSOUND’s official online shop (ubsoundshop.com).
Official Manufacturer’s website for further information and customer service: www.ubsound.com
UBSOUND is an Italian company based in Milan and specialized in consumer electronics, specifically portable audio products like premium IEMs, Headphones, DAPs and DACs. The pronounce of their brand, listening to some videos, is “you be sound”, which at the end of the day sounds good imho.

Disclaimer:
First of all I’d like to thank Head-Fi for the opportunity to write a subjective review on the best worldwide audio webzine.
Below you’ll find my honest review and opinion. I am in no way affiliated with their brand. Although, being an Italian guy, I’m obviously a bit proud as I’m talking about the only Italian brand of portable audio we have in Italy so far, but I’ve been as unbiased as possible while testing their IEMs and writing this review.

My background:
Please let me briefly introduce myself. This is BlackJackSound, an Italian student at the engineering University that, other than eating spaghetti, pizza and drinking good red wine, is also a deep follower of Head-Fi, who loves audio products like digital audio players, in-ear monitors, headphones on-ear/over-ear and amplified digital analogic converters. I generally write reviews in Italy and my main aim is to test each product with passion always considering build quality, the acoustic signature, the soundstage, the design and value for money first. I own a collection of around 70 audio products (IEMs, headphones, DAPs and DACs), therefore I hope my review will be appreciated by the huge Head-Fi community, always considering that these reviews are obviously written in my humble opinion. Lastly, I’m sorry if my English is not correct sometimes… Thanks :)

Introduction:
I read several reviews about the brand UBSOUND starting last year, then around 6 months ago I bought the Fighter IEMs inside a duty free airport store before a long trip, so I had the opportunity to do the first running-in period of the earphones in the sky while flying, using my iPhone with the off-line setting and listening to my favorite music (around 100 songs playlist) thanks to a good bank power, otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible with the iPhone battery only as you can imagine. Then I finished my running-in period with my I-Basso once I was back home. The first impression was good and also the following test during the weeks after, so this is why I’m writing this review as I love to share my experiences with gear tested.


MY OFFICIAL REVIEW OF THE UBSOUND FIGHTER ALUMINUM IEMs (elegant black color)


Packaging and Unboxing:

The UBSOUND Fighter IEMs are available in the market in 4 colors (black, white, red and blue), I bought the black version, opaque aluminum elegant black and iron grey, which perfectly match with most of my devices.
The packaging is very slim, simply elegant silky cardboard nice to touch with a double security seal. The front cover of the box displays their logo & motto, a picture of the earphones and the name of the model “Fighter”. The packaging design gives an immediate easy Italian style graphically speaking. On the back side of the box there are the main details in 5 languages, English, Italian, French, Spanish and German.
On the right and left side we find brief details, like compatibility with the main devices, serial numbers, official CE, FCC, RoHS certificates and the 2 years full warranty certified mark (which I do appreciate a lot, as with full warranty they mean you are covered for 2 years with a replacement in case of defective unit with a “new/sealed” unit, not a refurbished nor repaired one. Which is admirable compared to other IEM brands imho).
Inside you find 3 pairs of comfort silicon ear tips (L, M, S size), an elegant velvet carry bag, a multi-language user guide, a UBSOUND sticker and, obviously, the Fighter IEMs. I found the range of accessories quite poor compared to other brands, but at the end of the day what I really care is the build quality and the sound performance.

Technical Specifications:
- 8mm independent dynamic drivers
- Frequency Response: 20-20.000Hz
- Maximum Distorsion: <0,5%
- Sensivity: 92dB
- Impedence: 32 Ω

Housings – IEMs’ body:

The Fighter has a good build quality with an aluminum cone shaped body. They seem to be very light considering the robust material. The front hole is closed with a good quality metal filter which protects the 8mm independent dynamic driver from dust and ear wax. The 3 pair of ear-tips in S, M and L size are soft, comfortable and with a great soundproofing level in my opinion.

Cable, 3,5mm Jack connector, Single button Microphone and Fit:

Honestly it’s my first experience with a flat wire and, at the end of the day, I would say it’s a nice experience: light, ergonomic, really tangle free, robust, without memory and soft to the touch. The right cable has a plastic single button remote control with an integrated microphone of good quality which works only to play-pause music and answer and hang up the phone calls. It doesn’t have any volume controller. The IEMs and their remote perfectly work with Android, iOS and Windows. The flat wire is Y-separated through a nice aluminum mold with the stylish Ubsound logo printed on it. At the far end of the wire there is a well heat-sealed rubber Jack with a 3,5mm gold plated connector. I think the Fighter in-ear earphones have a high level build quality and each single detail is quite accurate. In terms of IEMs’ fit, I’m really satisfied about their comfort used over the ear and straight down. I would say that when wearing the Fighter over the ear the slight microphonic effect is less prominent anyway.

Sound:

Signature
After several tests, I think the Fighter IEMs have an end-user friendly V-shaped & warm acoustic signature.

Bass
The bass frequency is quite robust, deep and smooth. Despite their powerful bass effect, the Mids and High frequencies are never impacted nor covered by their advanced bass. Even with a very high volume from an amplified DAC, the Fighter IEMs do not match any kind of distortion, leaving the bass very clean and nice to be listened.

Midrange
The Mid frequencies are a little behind compared to the advanced bass and treble which, being a V-shaped IEM, is quite in line with my expectation. However, even though the mids are a bit behind, probably thanks to the great effect of the middle-treble the sound’s details are quite present and rich enough to maintain a good level of voice and instruments. Also, this kind of sweet midrange give a very warm soundstage to these IEMs in my opinion.

Treble
The treble frequency is very precise, clean and advanced without hissing effects nor distortions even with an high volume. I appreciated the clarity of the Fighter’s treble a lot and enjoyed listening to all genres of music. I never found this clear treble in this price range honestly.

Comparisons:

Sennheiser Momentum IEMs (iOS version)
Even though it’s quite unfair to compare 100$ IEMs like the Momentum with 48$ IEMs like the Fighter, being in a V-shaped signature scenario I thought it was a good fighting to be implemented.
Starting from the end of my opinion, I think that the Fighter are definitely better than the Momentum, basically considering the value for money of both.
Regarding the Momentum, I do not appreciate that the volume controller on the remote works only with iOS or only with Android, I bought the iOS version as I mostly use them with an iPhone but it would have been nice to use it also with my girlfriend’s smartphone Galaxy S6… anyway, this is not the end of the world as I think the smartphone’s volume controller is always better than the remote one in my opinion.
The Momentum IEMs are V-shaped as well as the Fighter, with a slightly deeper bass compared to the Ubsound earphones but also a less detailed midrange which, in my opinion, generate a much too hard V-shaped sound. Therefore the Fighter’s acoustic signature is more warm, sweet and soft during playback.
Anyway, I’ll write and post a separate review of the Momentum soon here on Head-Fi.

DUNU DN-2000J
Ok, this comparison is 100% unfair in terms of price range: 330$ Dunu Vs 48$ Ubsound… no way.
Obviously the DN-2000J are a masterpiece, really rich of details and with a sound clarity I never tried in my life before. The signature is perfectly neutral and balanced, maybe a bit more V-shaped while using the bass ring included. However, what surprised me a lot is that from an iPhone 6 while listening to electronic music I would say that the Fighter’s soundstage is even better than the DN-2000… but, from a DAP or DAC, there are no comparisons obviously. Also for the Dunu IEMs, I’ll write and then post a separate review soon here on Head-Fi, before Xmas if I find few spare hours.


Devices used:

The Fighter’s tests were done with a Samsung Galaxy S6, an iPhone 6, an iPod Touch, an iBasso DX-50, an iBasso DX-90 and a Fiio X5, listening to several tracks of multi-genres music.


Conclusion:

I think the Ubsound Fighter aluminum in-ear earbuds are globally very good, in terms of acoustic performance and build quality, with an excellent value for money in my humble opinion.
I wouldn’t suggest the Fighter for those who only like a flat signature in this price segment.
I would also recommend a good running-in period for the drivers of at least 50/70 hours for the Fighter, as I noticed a great improvement after that point, especially in clarity and details.
Lastly, I think that this Italian company Ubsound is a brand to keep an eye on seeing how they worked with the Fighter, especially keeping an eye on their upcoming projects on their website.

Thank you very much for reading and see you soon with my next review.
Bye, BlackJackSound.
Back
Top