xcodeguy
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2006
- Posts
- 191
- Likes
- 10
Indeed they arrived today! One whole week ahead of schedule! Excellent customer service as well.
As we all know, the packaging is top notch and the roadie case is very cool. Of course that stays home tomorrow and I'll just toss the standard square aluminum case in my bag and go. This is what I have done for two years with my SF 5 Pro's - no need to carry extra stuff - although there is a cut-out in the roadie case that is obviously for an iPod but could serve me well with other portable audio gear...
Okay - I opened the case and sure enough - there were a pair of custom UE-5c's. I got the clear, nothing special. I'm going for a minimalist thing here as I work in a very conservative office environment. Trust me, I spent hours upon hours looking for different design ideas, colors, at other customs and a decent amount of time in Photoshop! In the end I went with minimal.
HOW IS THE BUILD?
Okay - this isn't the upgraded version 2.0 cable that comes with the consumer buds. I'm going to mention this right now because I can't recall reading about custom owners describing the cord - and I've read a lot here. This cord isn't going to tangle as easily - maybe not at all unless I realy try. It's heavier guage, braided (so are the SF5P) and the plastic sheath is molded to the wire so you can feel the texture of the braid which compared to the Sf5P, you only feel a smooth surface. The Y joint is also way more heavy duty. The mini plug has a larger housing to it as well. Overall a much much better cord. So far me like.
HOW DO THEY FIT?
I had no trouble putting them in. I oriented my right and left side, then a twist and a slight wiggle and whamo! Perfect fit, perfect seal. I like the fact that they go waaaay down my ear canal. I'd spend about thiry seconds on each ear pushing and working the SF5P into a good fit and seal. The customs are different, at least for me - in that there is almost no effort or figiting to get them in my ears properly. I guess thats why UE wanted me to get custom ear impressions before they'd make me a pair - duh! Seriously, I really like the fit. Everything feels dead on (including the swallow, nose pinch and ear tug) and I'm not anticipating any need for adjustments. Whew!
Actually the ironic part of the fit is getting the darn things OUT of my ear! I don't want to yank them out by the cord (which was my first instinct) but getting a grip on the almost flush smooth acryllic pieces is tough! I'll have to work on my method here because I definitely take my IEM's in and out at work several times a day when someone stops by - I don't have 15 seconds to get them out of my ear - but lucky me to have such worries!
HOW DO THEY SOUND?
As I said before I have been a SF5P owner for a while. I love the sound signature - it's my sound - simple as that. And more importantly I ENJOY them because they sound good to me.
So with that in mind it wasn't much of a decision to get the UE-5c. I knew that I was getting into a dual driver SF5P type signature here. But to say that the UE-5c is the SF5P...just custom... is just not true at all. While the UE-5c may have a similar sound sig - I notice that the UE-5c seems more controlled and - what the heck I'll quote UE here - more refined. Kind of like a grown up version of the SF5P and made just for your ears.
The fit and seal is the real kicker I believe - better fit and seal - better sound. I have no idea what "tuning" the drivers entails but I think this may contribute to the overall better sound too. Like I said - they sound grown-up, stable. Solid. I like this. I guess I haven't elaborated enough about the dynamic range of the UE-5c. Okay - the bass is there - way WAY there in some recordings and less present in others. Highs are detailed and not painful (they never were for me with the SF5P either), mids are great in my opinion. I mean - it's all there for the listening.
Now for the answer to the ever popular question: "Do you regret not getting the UE-10?"
No, I like my UE-5c. I like evrything about them - so far. But I'd be an idiot and untrue to my headphone passion and you fine people as well if I didn't immediately tell you that YES indeed I want to try the UE-10. Maybe I will someday. Maybe even the Triple.fi (I was on the list you know...LOL!). But you know what... Isn't that what this is all about? To keep trying different and more exotic headphones and amps and dacs in cables? Yeah I'll always have my favorites (SF5P, UE-5c) but I'm probably never gonna stop wanting to try something new.
So thats it for now. I'm a happy camper for sure. I'm glad I took the time to post here tonight.
Later
df/xcodeguy
As we all know, the packaging is top notch and the roadie case is very cool. Of course that stays home tomorrow and I'll just toss the standard square aluminum case in my bag and go. This is what I have done for two years with my SF 5 Pro's - no need to carry extra stuff - although there is a cut-out in the roadie case that is obviously for an iPod but could serve me well with other portable audio gear...
Okay - I opened the case and sure enough - there were a pair of custom UE-5c's. I got the clear, nothing special. I'm going for a minimalist thing here as I work in a very conservative office environment. Trust me, I spent hours upon hours looking for different design ideas, colors, at other customs and a decent amount of time in Photoshop! In the end I went with minimal.
HOW IS THE BUILD?
Okay - this isn't the upgraded version 2.0 cable that comes with the consumer buds. I'm going to mention this right now because I can't recall reading about custom owners describing the cord - and I've read a lot here. This cord isn't going to tangle as easily - maybe not at all unless I realy try. It's heavier guage, braided (so are the SF5P) and the plastic sheath is molded to the wire so you can feel the texture of the braid which compared to the Sf5P, you only feel a smooth surface. The Y joint is also way more heavy duty. The mini plug has a larger housing to it as well. Overall a much much better cord. So far me like.
HOW DO THEY FIT?
I had no trouble putting them in. I oriented my right and left side, then a twist and a slight wiggle and whamo! Perfect fit, perfect seal. I like the fact that they go waaaay down my ear canal. I'd spend about thiry seconds on each ear pushing and working the SF5P into a good fit and seal. The customs are different, at least for me - in that there is almost no effort or figiting to get them in my ears properly. I guess thats why UE wanted me to get custom ear impressions before they'd make me a pair - duh! Seriously, I really like the fit. Everything feels dead on (including the swallow, nose pinch and ear tug) and I'm not anticipating any need for adjustments. Whew!
Actually the ironic part of the fit is getting the darn things OUT of my ear! I don't want to yank them out by the cord (which was my first instinct) but getting a grip on the almost flush smooth acryllic pieces is tough! I'll have to work on my method here because I definitely take my IEM's in and out at work several times a day when someone stops by - I don't have 15 seconds to get them out of my ear - but lucky me to have such worries!
HOW DO THEY SOUND?
As I said before I have been a SF5P owner for a while. I love the sound signature - it's my sound - simple as that. And more importantly I ENJOY them because they sound good to me.
So with that in mind it wasn't much of a decision to get the UE-5c. I knew that I was getting into a dual driver SF5P type signature here. But to say that the UE-5c is the SF5P...just custom... is just not true at all. While the UE-5c may have a similar sound sig - I notice that the UE-5c seems more controlled and - what the heck I'll quote UE here - more refined. Kind of like a grown up version of the SF5P and made just for your ears.
The fit and seal is the real kicker I believe - better fit and seal - better sound. I have no idea what "tuning" the drivers entails but I think this may contribute to the overall better sound too. Like I said - they sound grown-up, stable. Solid. I like this. I guess I haven't elaborated enough about the dynamic range of the UE-5c. Okay - the bass is there - way WAY there in some recordings and less present in others. Highs are detailed and not painful (they never were for me with the SF5P either), mids are great in my opinion. I mean - it's all there for the listening.
Now for the answer to the ever popular question: "Do you regret not getting the UE-10?"
No, I like my UE-5c. I like evrything about them - so far. But I'd be an idiot and untrue to my headphone passion and you fine people as well if I didn't immediately tell you that YES indeed I want to try the UE-10. Maybe I will someday. Maybe even the Triple.fi (I was on the list you know...LOL!). But you know what... Isn't that what this is all about? To keep trying different and more exotic headphones and amps and dacs in cables? Yeah I'll always have my favorites (SF5P, UE-5c) but I'm probably never gonna stop wanting to try something new.
So thats it for now. I'm a happy camper for sure. I'm glad I took the time to post here tonight.
Later
df/xcodeguy
