[mvw2]

Are your choices only IEMs? Or would you be willing to run a bud? I suggest because I too owned a ER4S as part of searching around for my ideal earphone. I actually finally ended up on Yuin's OK1 as the only thing I ran that matched and ultimately bested (for the characteristics I looked for) the ER4S. The OK1 is a remarkably good bud.

Now I haven't run the W3 or UM3X, so I can't comment on those. The ER4S is a very nice earphone, definitely an industry standard type of product. A lot of your choice will come largely down to personal preference. The best way to really decide is to simply buy both. Run both, fiddle with tips, play with EQing, do whatever you're willing to do to modify the sound and improve to your liking. Run the ER4S as the comparator. In the end, one will be the better. It may even still be the ER4S. Whatever you end up liking best, keep, and sell the other two. This is really the only way you can go about doing this without running into that "the other could possibly be better" thought after you try just the one.

 

[gameboy115]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lelek45 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally, I don't find UM3X to be upgrade from ER4(with amp). My biggest problem with them is midrange - it is too forward, unnaturally forward. Basically I would describe UM3X as ER4 ++ bass ++midrange --treble. Bigger soundstage, but less transparency and resolution. Also quality of the top end is typical for armatures, with metallic accent, and not very resolving. ...but otherwise they are good phones

UM3X is source dependent. I thrilled I get total different sound signature after changing my player to Korg Mr-1 and with triple flange tips on, it become laid back in all spectrum presentation.

I agree UM3X has an upfront presentation with iphone though

 

[66645]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gameboy115 /img/forum/go_quote.gif UM3X is source dependent. I thrilled I get total different sound signature after changing my player to Korg Mr-1 and with triple flange tips on, it become laid back in all spectrum presentation. I agree UM3X has an upfront presentation with iphone though

this is very true. Minibox softens them up quite a lot, they really demand warm source to remove metallic agressiveness in their presentation. The same can be said for etymotic.

 

[Bilavideo]

The Westones are very different from the Ety's. The bass is much more prominent and the mids are more recessed. The Ety's focus on HF detail. Between the two, the UM3X's are closer to the Ety's than the Westone 3's. Both Westones share a house sound but the UM3X is a little more laid back, a little more neutral, a little closer to the center than its brasher brother. The Westone 3s are the maverick, the strong version of the Westone sound. The UM3X is a tad more diplomatic, more neutral (among the Westones) a little closer match to the Ety's, even if the Ety's are quite different.

 

[charlie0904]

i like er4 and i prefer um3x than w3.

 

[nkoulban]

I currently own the Ety ER4P, Westone UM3X and W3. I'd say the W3s are best IEM of the lot unamped. I have amped all of these cans but the best amped are the UM3Xs and the ER4Ps. Outright best sounding for my tastes are the UM3Xs amped, followed closely by the ER4Ps. Unamped, the UM3Xs tend to sound boring and the ER4Ps a bit thin.

At the end of the day you can't lose with any of these... it coms down to personal tastes regarding sound signature.

 

[A_Dying_Wren]

I have briefly heard several earphones and nothing comes close to the UM3X for detail (didn't try any etys). Trying the W3 after owning the UM3X for a while was a bit of a shock. Seemed rather muddy for something once proclaimed to be the best universal IEM by at least one prominent member of this community.

If the ER4 is even more detailed than the UM3X then you're probably better off with the UM3X as the W3 will sound different and not in a good way.

There are plenty of people on the UM3X thread who've commented how the UM3X is a better version of the ER4 (can't remember which ety model). Its like your ety came with an amp.

 

[Oomingmak]

Between the UM3X and the W3 the UM3X is the more detailed of the two and detail is a very prominent feature of the ER4P. The UM3X is not as detailed as the ER4P but the ER4P sacrifices bass quantity in order to attain the level of detail that it has and the sound signature is rather cold and thin. The trade off for getting the UM3X would be that you would be giving up some detail (not much) for more present bass and a warmer more solid sound. Eventually once you get used to the sound signature you will come to see that the UM3X is very detailed though it doesn't require all other spectrum's of sound to take a back seat in order to achieve it's level of detail like the ER4P does. So essentially you will lose some detail but overall you will gain more than you lose.

 

[coreleone]

I own ie8 and then W3 and then UM3X. I bought W3 only after 3 mins testing, its sound a amazing especially for rock and metal. Once I bought it and listen again and again, I start to encounter sibilant problem even changing source and amped. But, to be honest, I love the general signature of Westone which reproduce a relative real sound with a bit warm feeling especially on electric guitar, what I mean is when I listen the guitar playing which is recorded by myself, it is very very close to what I have played.

Because of the sibilant problem. I bought a pair of UM3x a week ago. In the first 15 mins of trying, I really feel the mid is a bit forward, much more detail and incredible instrumental separation. However, it seems lack treble energy and bass to me due to the hearing habit established by ie8 and w3, most importantly, I feel bored.

After listened the UM3x for a week, the feeling has been changed. Listening to UM3x in long run is a kind of enjoyment, it is really neutral and balance, you don't need high volume to drive the detail out compare with W3, even you turn up the volume, you will not feel fatigue easily. Now, when I switched back to W3, I feel it is a bit over colored.

Actually, I am quite agree with the description on the web that W3 is for personal listening and UM3x is for stage monitoring. Coz W3 will really give you excitement whereas UM3x is giving you the balance and clear sound for you to locate any fault. I hope this may help

 

[ZARIM]

I will recommend CK100 if you are coming from ER4P/S because here some reviewers says it's(CK100) refind version of ER4P/S with added bass and bigger soundstage. So overall it's sound bigger fuller with same details in highs and mids which you can find on ER4P/S with more bass than ER4P/S.

 

[Opentoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unlimited /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi guys, i'm planing to get new IEM but i cant design which one i like the best for Westone3 or UM3X could you tell me the different of W3 and UM3X? i really dont know which one i like the best because i never try it before.. but i kinda like style er4s (but want to try one of those choice) thanks for any help..

For music the Westone 3's. For podcast's and speaking, the UM3X.

 

[ibis99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilney /img/forum/go_quote.gif I suggest you trying the UM3X. If you love the Ety for its faithfulness to the music, you must experience the UM3X. Sure, the Ety can reveal you stuffs the UM3X cannot with the same level of details; however, there are things in the music that you are not supposed to be able to hear that clearly

And what "part" of the "music" is that?

 

[nageonix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZARIM /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will recommend CK100 if you are coming from ER4P/S because here some reviewers says it's(CK100) refind version of ER4P/S with added bass and bigger soundstage. So overall it's sound bigger fuller with same details in highs and mids which you can find on ER4P/S with more bass than ER4P/S.

could you compare the mid of ck 100 to UM3x.

for me, I think both of them (UM3X and ER4S) are great on treble.
UM3x is better on mid which trade off against extreamly high freq with ER4

I love treble of ER4, is there any IEM produce nice mid and also nice treble

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilney /img/forum/go_quote.gif I suggest you trying the UM3X. If you love the Ety for its faithfulness to the music, you must experience the UM3X. Sure, the Ety can reveal you stuffs the UM3X cannot with the same level of details; however, there are things in the music that you are not supposed to be able to hear that clearly

I find the UM3X are capable of outputing amazing amount of details. I suppose what you heard could be the result of the recessed treble.

Quote:

Originally Posted by outlandos /img/forum/go_quote.gif I indeed ment the Westone's Which one goes futher in the earcannel? I prefer not so deep you know..

They are nearly identical in this regard. And they do not go deeper than ER4 with the long-ish foam tips. The Westones definitely have better ergonomics and are more comfortable.

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilavideo /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Westones are very different from the Ety's. The bass is much more prominent and the mids are more recessed. The Ety's focus on HF detail. Between the two, the UM3X's are closer to the Ety's than the Westone 3's. Both Westones share a house sound but the UM3X is a little more laid back, a little more neutral, a little closer to the center than its brasher brother. The Westone 3s are the maverick, the strong version of the Westone sound. The UM3X is a tad more diplomatic, more neutral (among the Westones) a little closer match to the Ety's, even if the Ety's are quite different.

Hmm .. I truly think the UM3X do not have recessed mids....

In fact I think it is quite the opposite. The UM3X are way warmer and have more emphasis on mids while ER4 on the treble. So ER4s may sound more transparent and the UM3X veiled, but in fact both pump out about equal amount of details.

I agree the UM3X are closer to the ER4 than W3, but still very much a different animal, and Ety-lovers might not like the sound of them. However they are a pair of phones that the longer I use them the more they grow on me.