The Westone UM1/UM2 Appreciation Thread
Jul 26, 2007 at 9:59 AM Post #391 of 516
HI! I have westone um2 + sony HD5. They work fine for me, but I want better SQ from my phones. Which are the best tips ( except cutoms ) for westone um2 in terms of SQ?
P.S. Most of all I want better hights..
 
Jul 26, 2007 at 10:30 AM Post #392 of 516
Hi.

I have NW-HD5 and Westone UM2s also. I got better, but still overall recessed, highs by adding an [AK]Zip mini-to-mini through an RSA Hornet. The Tomahawk is close to this but the Hornet SQ is worth the slighly larger size IMHO (I'll burn in the Toma for a further 100 hours or so to give it one more shot - it's got just over the recommended 700 hours ATM).

The tips I use are the Shure triflanges modified to biflanges. This provides good seal and the best SQ for me (though some find them uncomfortable and recommend other tips).

As always, see if you can 'try before you buy' - meets are good for these sorts of opportunities.
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Quote:

Originally Posted by oggy /img/forum/go_quote.gif
HI! I have westone um2 + sony HD5. They work fine for me, but I want better SQ from my phones. Which are the best tips ( except cutoms ) for westone um2 in terms of SQ?
P.S. Most of all I want better hights..


 
Jul 26, 2007 at 3:17 PM Post #393 of 516
Quote:

Originally Posted by oggy /img/forum/go_quote.gif
HI! I have westone um2 + sony HD5. They work fine for me, but I want better SQ from my phones. Which are the best tips ( except cutoms ) for westone um2 in terms of SQ?
P.S. Most of all I want better hights..


Very generally, smoother-sided tips like softips and flanges will give a bit more definition, lend to the highs, and tighten bass. Porous tips (foamies) soften up the sound a bit more, but what you use heavily depends on what's comfortable and gives your ear canal a good seal - flanges and softips don't work for everybody (Shure's new olives attempt to combine the sonic strengths of smoothies with the ease and comfort of foamies with mixed but generally good results - I find them even more size-critical then softips; if they don't fit just right, they don't work at all)! UM2's nozzle also does not extend into the canal as far as some and can be recessed into most tips making the IEMs a bit more directional - more sound-shaping can be done depending on the angle of the nozzle. As a somewhat longtime owner, I use them with softips and have gotten used to adjusting them to the 'sweet spot' upon insertion. When this is done right, the tackiness of the silicon softip suspends the IEM in the canal, and the 'kidney' driver housing 'floats' in the ear recess further suspended by the cable over the ear - once the music gets going they become 'invisible'. Whenever the fit gets fussy and I have to constantly re-adjust, it's a signal that it's time to clean the tips and my ear canals, and then all is good once again...

The sound sig of your HD-5 can probably use an eq boost in the upper treble region to help things along (most of my Sony DAPs - including the A1200 HD - have the same or very similar 6-band eq, and with my UM2s I always boost the 5th register +1 with everything else flat) as their sound is already a little warmer than most. Good luck.
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Jul 26, 2007 at 4:13 PM Post #394 of 516
Quote:

Originally Posted by oggy /img/forum/go_quote.gif
HI! I have westone um2 + sony HD5. They work fine for me, but I want better SQ from my phones. Which are the best tips ( except cutoms ) for westone um2 in terms of SQ?
P.S. Most of all I want better hights..


If you want more treble, the Shure clear-flex tips are known to be more sparkling than the other tips, though they might not be as comfortable as some other tips. I have no problem using them with my UM2. Of course, YMMV.
 
Aug 6, 2007 at 10:35 PM Post #397 of 516
Quote:

Originally Posted by lutwey /img/forum/go_quote.gif
where are u guys getiing the tri fangles...............are using the ones for ety???


look for a ebay seller "idealsound" and for Shure and Etymotic tips and 3X flanges tips/sleeves, long stem or short.

I bought a set from them , a 3X flanges, to go with a Atrio M8. The Shure tips are suppose to fit. I do not know for your earphones but check it out.

I am using 3X flanges white silicone tips since long time. I find them very confortable, especially the Ety and they seal Vwell.
I do not need to "shove" them in to get a good sound. It takes 30 secs to 1 minute for the seal to ajust.

hope it works for you!
 
Nov 5, 2007 at 9:57 AM Post #400 of 516
The black foamies last for ages. I had been using a pair for about 3 months and have only just decided to change them.. mainly because i wanted to try a different size. The old ones were still in great condition. So you don't have to worry about changing them every couple of weeks, a pack of 5 pairs should last a year.
 
Nov 5, 2007 at 6:02 PM Post #402 of 516
Quote:

Originally Posted by brugalete /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Hi, for those who have tried Black foam sleeves and tri/biflanges. Which one provides a deeper and tighter bass?

Thank you all!


The Black Foam Olives deliver more and deeper bass but it is also less distinct than the biflange. I still prefer the Shure grey silicon soft flex better than either of these
 
Nov 5, 2007 at 6:49 PM Post #403 of 516
Thank you, hockey magnet. I guess it is just a matter of triying with different tips, How do I know the perfect size for me? As far as I know there is no variety pack available for the black olives. I´ve never never tried tips from shure, only UM´s comply tips and the complies included in my old senn´s cx-300 (I used to use the larger ones on these for a better seal ). Do you think the larger ones are suitable for me? perhaps I should buy both medium and large but it looks like a waste of money to me.
 
Nov 6, 2007 at 3:21 PM Post #405 of 516
Quote:

Originally Posted by brugalete /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Thank you, hockey magnet. I guess it is just a matter of triying with different tips, How do I know the perfect size for me? As far as I know there is no variety pack available for the black olives. I´ve never never tried tips from shure, only UM´s comply tips and the complies included in my old senn´s cx-300 (I used to use the larger ones on these for a better seal ). Do you think the larger ones are suitable for me? perhaps I should buy both medium and large but it looks like a waste of money to me.


It's difficult to guauge the size you would need - They are slightly stiffer than the comply's - if I were going to take a chance I'd get the mediums. You might also want to try a Shure fit kit that has the Shure foamies, clear silicon and grey soft flex in different sizes
 
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