I've now spent 2 weeks with my UM2s... I will now say I like all music apart from dance and country. I listen to hip-hop, rock, pop, jazz, classical, acoustical; (nearly) everything. I like to hear the details in music, but I don't like highs that extend too far and are fatiguing on the ear. I like a balanced sound, perhaps erring on the bass having a distinguishable rumble and punchiness to it, but not overpowering the mids and highs. Comparison done with laptop > Foobar Lame MP3 320 > Edirol UA-25 sound card, EQ off. Small note, with laptop there is hiss through both, but adding the sound card removes hiss thankfully
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Compared to the E4Cs I've had for a year and a bit, I think the UM2s hold their own detail wise and you would have to double check to distinguish them from the E4. The E4 have a slightly better extension and range in the highs I feel though. In that regard, the UM2 can't quite extend as far as the E4 treble. Female vocalists just sound a little better and more "rangey" with the E4 and have that better balls tingling effect. The violin (from Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op.Cit 64, Menuhin) has that nice sharpness to it, without being too much and grating. The UM2 are pretty close but doesn't quite reach there.
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In the midrange, the E4 have a very nice reproduction. Very solid and pleasant performance, with instruments sounding very accurate and nice on the Miles Davis 'Kind Of Blue' album. A sort of crispness and warmness there and you can hear the raw graininess of the Miles Davis recording. The UM2s are more milky here and don't have quite the same crispness and extra reach of the E4 but it is still enjoyable and quite similar to the E4, but for that little extra. Vocals sound very nice on both, but the E4 is slightly lighter and more airy while the UM2 seems to have some sort of db boost somewhere - or may not have at all! This aspect bothers me and I would like to pinpoint where the difference is. I will have to investigate on later occasions.
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The bass - this is far easier to write about. The E4 is all about seal - foamies for me are best. The bass is present but the E4 is more balanced so the bass doesn't really have the presence, extension or punch that I would like. The UM2 - this is more like it! Some say the UM2 bass is bloated and uncontrolled, but I think they really open up once you give them decent burn in time. They have that extension and punch that is missing from the E4. On drum beats the UM2 have that extra growl at the end whereas the E4 seems to roll off and it isn't there. Drum reproduction feels more real and have more impact on the UM2, whereas on the E4 is is somewhat more plasticky and limp. The bass goes deeper and is much more present and better on the UM2. Further to comments below about fit, the E4 do rely on a proper seal for bass. For me only foamies work, but even then the bass on the UM2 is fuller than the E4. When I listen to the beats on Dr Dre "The Chronic" and some Guns 'N' Roses the difference in bass reproduction is pretty evident. I wouldn't say the E4 has no bass, but it is rather weak for my tastes. Bass beats and drums hit home on the UM2 whereas the E4 seems to have some sort of veil that muffles the impact of the bass. A criticism of the UM2 bass would be that it could do with being slightly more controlled and tighter.
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One small comment on the sound stage. On track 20 of the Ultrasone test CD, the one with the beach and waves, if you close your eyes, on the UM2 it is like "holy..." and you really lose yourself. It is like you are actually at the sea as the waves travel past you and crash. On the E4, that track feels somewhat less awesome and the waves don't seem to go as far away on the E4 or sound as "real". Now we go back to above where I say the E4 sounds lighter and more airy. I don't know if this is your experience, but perhaps it says more about CDs needing to be well recorded. But for the Ultrasone CD though, I'd say both IEM have a nice separation of instruments, although they can both feel a little "in your head". Hmm gotta love the test CD!
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Build wise, the E4 cable is nice and thick. I was worried when I saw how thin the UM2 cable is, but the braided design is brilliant. Really helps to keep the UM2 cable tangle-free and eliminates microphonics. On the E4, microphonics are slightly detectable, but it isn't all that much and no where near as annoying as cheap canalphones I've got. Fit wise, the UM2 wins. Got to be the most comfortable portable not on-your-head 'phone. Sits flush to your ear, so it is actually easier to use with all sort of tips. I can use small clear flex, small/medium flex or cut down triple flanges as well as foamies with the UM2. I can only use the foamies with the E4 due to their shape to ensure they stay in and I get a proper seal. I wear the E4 behind my ear.. they don't feel right hanging down. I could wear the UM2 all day and forget about them with any tip, whereas the E4 require the foamies for me and more effort to insert. I did find the comply foams or triple flanges cut down best for the UM2 to get the best range of sound; from lows to highs, although small flex/clear Shure sleeves aren't too bad with the UM2
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I'll be keeping both phones, but the UM2 will be a preferred travelling partner as they're less of a hassle to insert. So easy, they're practically earbuds
I think the E4 will be preferred for jazz, classical, pop and acoustical music; basically anything that doesn't require any real bass, while I'll use the UM2 for rock and hip-hop. Note while I didn't use EQ in the mini-review to keep it "fair", I think a little 2-4db boost in certain frequencies may help, although you would have to experiment yourself to find the right level of bass
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I love the UM2 and they are the winner simply because they have the punchy bass that I thought the E4 lack and have a better design. Plus I got them 2nd hand for £120, so for £30 less than I paid for the E4 over a year ago, they are a bargain. I do look forward to trying the new black Shure foamies when they come out though, to hear the difference with both IEM. Perhaps the UM2 should inherit the E4 upper mids and highs for that all round performance. Now looking forward to UM3 reviews as a possible future purchase
Thanks for reading a long-ish post. Perhaps I could have started a thread, but I thought there are enough of those.
