For Video Review see the bottom of the page.
Design & Build Quality
The UM PRO 10s are well built and look as good as most other IEMs but this is by no means the best part about their design. What I like about the design of this IEM is the compactness, Westone have clearly taken their time designing an IEM which is as small as possible with no compromises. Looking through the translucent plastic of the IEM body shows you just how little room there is to spare in the UM PRO 10s, this is especially striking when compared to the likes of the Shure SE315 where the body looks half-empty.
The quality of the EPIC replaceable cable is good and although the wire itself is quite thin this isn't a problem as the material feels good and it helps make the whole package lighter. The connection with the IEM itself feels very high quality and the snapping sound and hefty force required to break away the cable from the IEM makes me confident that it won't break away in use.
Accessories
I was in for a nice surprise when opening the UM PRO 10s box. You don't just get the standard 3 sizes of tips, you get 10 pairs of tips covering every size from miniature to gigantic in both silicone and foam form. You also get a sturdy, hard-shell carry case with a foam inside. This case is worth $17 on it's own and it is a great piece of kit, especially for live musicians whom this product is primarily aimed at. My only 2 gripes with the case is that it is a little thick for pockets and there isn't a net inside to hold the cable in place, but I'm certainly not complaining as it's great to get this as standard.
Comfort
I am beyond impressed with these IEMs for their comfort. The body is very low-profile meaning the IEM doesn't protrude out of the ear at all which makes it great if you want to wear a hat or helmet over them or sleep with them in. The lightness of the IEMs means that there is little to no fatiguing even over periods of hours of listening. The cherry on top for comfort is the flexibility and lightness of the cable over the ears. With the Shure SE315 I can always feel the fat, heavy wire resting on my ear and it can ache over time, but with the UM PRO 10s the wire is much more malleable and therefore conforms to the contours of my ear much better meaning it never aches.
Sound
The UM PRO 10s are on the brighter side of IEMs while remaining fairly flat. They're certainly not an exciting earphone and tend to favour a more accurate, analytical representation of music. Treble is detailed in my experience and when listening to more bass driven music the treble extends well and is separated nicely from the rest of the spectrum, however at louder listening you may find the highs a little uncomfortable, especially cymbals. Mids are very good, the mix of female and male backing vocals in a variety of songs from Bombay Bicycle Club's new album 'So Long, See You Tomorrow' sound natural and are easily noticeable and distinguished from the main vocals.
Bass is extremely detailed and articulate but unfortunately for some the UM PRO 10's bass is very lean and won't give much depth in bass-heavy music.
Using the headphone amplification from my Asus DGX doesn't result in much noticeable difference in sound quality, soundstage or separation with these IEMs at all. However the greater amount of equalisation settings available on the PC meant that I could tweak the EQ to help reduce the brightness of the IEM making the treble at high volumes more comfortable and less forward.
In my opinion these IEMs are a little too bright and I do prefer the slightly warmer, if less detailed sound signature of the Shure SE315s however this is completely down to opinion and the sound signature of the Westone's is no doubt preferable to a great deal of people.
Overall
I am impressed with the UM PRO 10s in almost every aspect. The accessories package is among these best I've seen from a pair of IEMs at this price. The detail and crispness of the sound these produce is astounding and the fact that they remain comfortable for many hours means a great deal for me. With this said if you like warm, thick sounding IEMs then the Shure SE215 or SE315 are most likely better choices but for anyone wanting a bright, detailed IEM with a great set of accessories you can't go wrong!
Design & Build Quality
The UM PRO 10s are well built and look as good as most other IEMs but this is by no means the best part about their design. What I like about the design of this IEM is the compactness, Westone have clearly taken their time designing an IEM which is as small as possible with no compromises. Looking through the translucent plastic of the IEM body shows you just how little room there is to spare in the UM PRO 10s, this is especially striking when compared to the likes of the Shure SE315 where the body looks half-empty.
The quality of the EPIC replaceable cable is good and although the wire itself is quite thin this isn't a problem as the material feels good and it helps make the whole package lighter. The connection with the IEM itself feels very high quality and the snapping sound and hefty force required to break away the cable from the IEM makes me confident that it won't break away in use.
Accessories
I was in for a nice surprise when opening the UM PRO 10s box. You don't just get the standard 3 sizes of tips, you get 10 pairs of tips covering every size from miniature to gigantic in both silicone and foam form. You also get a sturdy, hard-shell carry case with a foam inside. This case is worth $17 on it's own and it is a great piece of kit, especially for live musicians whom this product is primarily aimed at. My only 2 gripes with the case is that it is a little thick for pockets and there isn't a net inside to hold the cable in place, but I'm certainly not complaining as it's great to get this as standard.
Comfort
I am beyond impressed with these IEMs for their comfort. The body is very low-profile meaning the IEM doesn't protrude out of the ear at all which makes it great if you want to wear a hat or helmet over them or sleep with them in. The lightness of the IEMs means that there is little to no fatiguing even over periods of hours of listening. The cherry on top for comfort is the flexibility and lightness of the cable over the ears. With the Shure SE315 I can always feel the fat, heavy wire resting on my ear and it can ache over time, but with the UM PRO 10s the wire is much more malleable and therefore conforms to the contours of my ear much better meaning it never aches.
Sound
The UM PRO 10s are on the brighter side of IEMs while remaining fairly flat. They're certainly not an exciting earphone and tend to favour a more accurate, analytical representation of music. Treble is detailed in my experience and when listening to more bass driven music the treble extends well and is separated nicely from the rest of the spectrum, however at louder listening you may find the highs a little uncomfortable, especially cymbals. Mids are very good, the mix of female and male backing vocals in a variety of songs from Bombay Bicycle Club's new album 'So Long, See You Tomorrow' sound natural and are easily noticeable and distinguished from the main vocals.
Bass is extremely detailed and articulate but unfortunately for some the UM PRO 10's bass is very lean and won't give much depth in bass-heavy music.
Using the headphone amplification from my Asus DGX doesn't result in much noticeable difference in sound quality, soundstage or separation with these IEMs at all. However the greater amount of equalisation settings available on the PC meant that I could tweak the EQ to help reduce the brightness of the IEM making the treble at high volumes more comfortable and less forward.
In my opinion these IEMs are a little too bright and I do prefer the slightly warmer, if less detailed sound signature of the Shure SE315s however this is completely down to opinion and the sound signature of the Westone's is no doubt preferable to a great deal of people.
Overall
I am impressed with the UM PRO 10s in almost every aspect. The accessories package is among these best I've seen from a pair of IEMs at this price. The detail and crispness of the sound these produce is astounding and the fact that they remain comfortable for many hours means a great deal for me. With this said if you like warm, thick sounding IEMs then the Shure SE215 or SE315 are most likely better choices but for anyone wanting a bright, detailed IEM with a great set of accessories you can't go wrong!
Thank you very much.