Is custom the way to go to upgrade?

[Geruvah]

I've pretty much grew up with my UE super.fi 5 Pros. It all began with me dipping my foot into the IEM world 5 years ago. I bought the Shure e2c and promptly returned them. That sound was just too lacking for me. I upped my budget and got the super.fi and I loved them with the foamies.

Now I want to upgrade. I'm wondering what's out there that sounds clearly above this when I listen to my music of all tastes (aggressive like your electronic, epic rock to your laid back like jazz and bossa nova). With about $600 (never using an amp) I'm wondering if custom is the best way to go.

The UE-5 caught my attention, but I'm hearing things such as poor build quality (or maybe I'm hearing more people here complaining than praising) and I'm sort of hoping that I don't have to spend another $600 for a completely new one after 4 years of using this pair but it's doable.

I don't know how it compares to the Westone es2. Opinions?

 

[chef8489]

Well I thought the westones had a little less bass but better highs over my ue-5c. I tend to like the ue sound over the westone sound. Verry few here have had both the es2 and the ue-5c. I think maybe wakerider was the other that I know of.

 

[Geruvah]

Would auditioning a universal westones give me a good idea how their custom would sound like? If it does have less bass, the ue-5 may be what I'll go for. It's not that I'm a basshead but I'm more sensitive to highs (grados hurt my ears in both comfort and sound).

Apologies for this, since going custom is sounding like it's going to be a gamble, especially since a lot of people here prefer universal and they have triple drives for even half the cost (so I'm still debating but I've always wanted a custom).

 

[Nocturnal310]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geruvah /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've pretty much grew up with my UE super.fi 5 Pros. It all began with me dipping my foot into the IEM world 5 years ago. I bought the Shure e2c and promptly returned them. That sound was just too lacking for me. I upped my budget and got the super.fi and I loved them with the foamies. Now I want to upgrade. I'm wondering what's out there that sounds clearly above this when I listen to my music of all tastes (aggressive like your electronic, epic rock to your laid back like jazz and bossa nova). With about $600 (never using an amp) I'm wondering if custom is the best way to go. The UE-5 caught my attention, but I'm hearing things such as poor build quality (or maybe I'm hearing more people here complaining than praising) and I'm sort of hoping that I don't have to spend another $600 for a completely new one after 4 years of using this pair but it's doable. I don't know how it compares to the Westone es2. Opinions?

nothing can stop u now..u ve been poisoned

did u checkout reviews for W3, IE8, IE7..?

 

[mark2410]

cant go wring with the big 4, W3 IE8 SE530 and the triple.fi 10 read the masses of reviews on them all and see what you might think suits you best

 

[andrewho]

hahaha this sounds just like me. why would a person ever need more than 2 pairs of headphones, let alone 1.

its the music we change, not the headphones

 

[Geruvah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nocturnal310 /img/forum/go_quote.gif nothing can stop u now..u ve been poisoned did u checkout reviews for W3, IE8, IE7..?

Yeah, I know. The wallet is not accepting my apologies.

Really, the only thing that kinda got my attention is the W3 because I can get custom tips for them from Westone. That means I can get my triple drivers as well as a custom fit, albeit really a custom tip.

Along with the fit, I always loved that custom look; so I ignore the "it looks like a hearing aid" con. I could wait a couple more months and afford a triple driver custom IEM since I know I'll be getting a $200-300 bonus, but man am I feeling an itch NOW. Not that there's anything wrong with the super.fi I have now. That bonus was going to be put into a DIY cable for my 650's but now there's quite the internal debate going here.

 

[shigzeo]

im sure some company will do a custom sleeve for the senns. i had a local company offer to make me a custom sleeve for my audio technica ck10!

 

[chef8489]

Have you though about hearyourself.com. They are getting rave reviews, however not sure how many people own ue customs that own hy customs. I have been tempted to throw some money towards hy, but I just can't bring myself to do so. Love my ue-11's and not sure if I can find a better sound.

 

[ZarakiSan]

Once you go customs, my friend, you never go back. I hate normal IEMs now, although I won't say my UE11's are perfect either. They do have something extremely cool going on about them, they just sound liquid sometimes.

 

[ibis99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZarakiSan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Once you go customs, my friend, you never go back. I hate normal IEMs now, although I won't say my UE11's are perfect either. They do have something extremely cool going on about them, they just sound liquid sometimes.

For $1150 they should sound perfect all the
time. No offense, but I think UE11's are over rated.

 

[Geruvah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibis99 /img/forum/go_quote.gif For $1150 they should sound perfect all the time. No offense, but I think UE11's are over rated.

Not even cans that cost over that amount of money will sound perfect every time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chef8489 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you though about hearyourself.com. They are getting rave reviews, however not sure how many people own ue customs that own hy customs. I have been tempted to throw some money towards hy, but I just can't bring myself to do so. Love my ue-11's and not sure if I can find a better sound.

I'm reading up on them and being impressed by it being a $400 3-driver headphone even with my own logo on them. Now I know when it comes to IEMs, money isn't much of an indicator to performance but if I decide to spend ~$600-$900 (the $900 is if I decide to wait to use the bonus) then how will it sound compared to the otherguys like ue7 pro, westone es3x, or even the ue5 pro. The free impressions kit doesn't sway me either way; I'm going to get it professionally done regardless.

Doubtful anyone has heard them all; so I have to look for any and all objective reviews on them rather than just people being impressed with their only purchase. So far, for the hearyourself, I've heard how it is compared to the westone 3: Hearyourself.com custom IEM discussion thread - Page 64 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

 

[ZarakiSan]

Indeed. And in the end, there's always the matter of taste. The UE-11's are not laid back, they can even get a little over the top with the detaisl they provide, and they make a lot of recordings sound bad. Also, I sometimes have fit issues (The earphones soemtimes make weird plopping noises, and I can feel them sucking on my ear canal, very disturbing), and I can't sleep with them in (You can't lie on your side or you break the seal, and the memory wire doesn't let you lie on your back).

But the sound is just amazing with the right music. They are very fun and energetic, and live recordings sound like nothing you've ever heard before from earphones. The SE-530's, per example, sounded one-dimensional and undetailed, and the ER-6i's sound bassless, undetailed, and rubbish in comparison.

 

[chef8489]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZarakiSan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Indeed. And in the end, there's always the matter of taste. The UE-11's are not laid back, they can even get a little over the top with the detaisl they provide, and they make a lot of recordings sound bad. But the sound is just amazing with the right music. They are very fun and energetic, and live recordings sound like nothing you've ever heard before from earphones. The SE-530's, per example, sounded one-dimensional and undetailed, and the ER-6i's sound bassless, undetailed, and rubbish in comparison.

I agree with you pretty much spot on and that is what has kept me from speding more money. I would however like a set of customs that will make the bad recordings sound good as there is a lot of music in my collection that I love but hate to listen with my ue-11.

 

[Geruvah]

Well then that helps me not feel so guilty waiting to get the ue-11's then.

I think the UE-7's will give me a more colored sound so it won't do that so much. I do wonder about the westone es3x. I think I'll skip the ue-5 since I've heard, but not certain it's the same guts as my sf5 pros.