[lewislink]

I've been trying to build up enough money to buy a set of Westone UM2s and have gotten from $55 to now $233 through my eBay sales. However, now I'm torn between the UM2 or a brand new Tomahawk. So I'm doing this poll on what direction people would go if they were choosing for themselves.

 

[Nuwidol]

You don't need a Tomahawk if you already have the Hornet.

I had the chance to compare the two amps side by side a while ago & the Hornet was clearly the winner in all aspects.

get the UM2s

 

[lewislink]

Thank you!

 

[chiefroastbeef]

What is wrong with your 530s?

I liked the UM2s when I auditioned them, I was really close to buying them until I decided to buy the Freqshows. Freqshow is super duper.

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefroastbeef /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is wrong with your 530s?

Not a thing wrong with them.

I love having options. Having a set of UM2 or possibly 3s is an option. If someone goes to talking about how great their UM2s are I can confirm or deny it...lol

 

[chiefroastbeef]

Why don't you go balls out and buy a pair of customs? Livewires are in the $250 range. You can get the Super Freqs for around the same price.

They look absolutely delicious, like blueberry gummies!

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefroastbeef /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why don't you go balls out and buy a pair of customs? Livewires are in the $250 range. You can get the Super Freqs for around the same price. They look absolutely delicious, like blueberry gummies!

Those do look nice! Very good taste there, Arby.

If I went that direction I'd have the cost of a doctor and all.

 

[eruditass]

I dont think UM2 is the right direction if you have 530s...

 

[lewislink]

Are they seriously lacking with regard to the 530s? I have 530s but love the option of listening to another set of fine canalphones. Currently I alternate between these:

Klipsch Image X10
Denon AH-C751 (EQ Tweaked to sound like $300 to $400 phones)
UE Super fi-5 v2
Etymotic HF2 & ER4P
and a few of the lessor valued ones

The Westones would be a valuable part of that rotation if they are as good as people are saying they are.

 

[eruditass]

Just from what I've heard, UM2's are SE530's little brother and very similar.

Looking at those headphones and a bit at your huge list of all portable inventory, the canalphones I would recommend for something different are Livewires, Freqs, sleeks, UE tf10, or maybe Atrio M5.

However, well above all of those I would recommend getting a real home rig with a nice unportable source/amp/full size. However, in the least, I would recommend getting a portable non canal phone like HD-25, ESW9/10, even KSC75's! Although my portable rig is not the greatest (I go for the smallest footprint), even with the good portable rigs I have heard, nothing comes close to a good home rig.

 

[lewislink]

Hehe...I've already gone the home rig way over a decade ago and prior. You can thank Stereophile for that part of my bankrupt era...those rascals!.

I currently a set of Snell EIIIs, Velodyne 18 inch sub...the model escapes me at the moment...Adcom Preamp, Adcom 4 channel amp where I bi-amped the Snells and some other stuff that's all in storage now because I have no home to put it in.

The Freqs are interesting, tell me about their expense and how I would have a set fitted to me.

 

[lewislink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefroastbeef /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why don't you go balls out and buy a pair of customs? Livewires are in the $250 range. You can get the Super Freqs for around the same price. They look absolutely delicious, like blueberry gummies!

Which ones are those in that picture. According to the website, from what I make of it, the Super Freqs are not over the ear type and don't have the detachable cable. The Freq Show are over the ear and do have a detachable cable. I could live without the detachable cable but over the ear is a must.

 

[lewislink]

Nah, I decided against it. I'm not going the custom route. I've heard about too many fitting problems and I'm one of those kind of people that are notoriously difficult to make something fit well. Them things would be going back and forth, shipping and receiving. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[ADD]

I don't really think buying a UM2 would be a good choice given your experience with all those other earphones. I think you would be disappointed with them, unless extreme comfort is your main priority. The UM2 was my first "audiophile quality" product and I remember being gobsmacked at how utterly ordinary it sounded. On the other hand, a Tomahawk is a massively monumental upgrade from anything that has the word CMoy in it's name.

 

[Spyro]

Depends on your perspective. I have and love SE530 but also bought UM2 a couple months ago and couldn't be happier with them. They sound quite similar but that's what I was looking for. For working out/exercising the ergonimics and comfort don't get any better than UM2. Oh, and they sound incredible too.

In the past whenever I bought two different sounding IEM's (ER4P and TF Pro or SE530) the contrasting sound sigs exposed the flaws in the other IEM. It drove me crazy, I hated it. I decided to stick with two similar but excellent sounding IEM's. I'm sitting idle until Westone 3 comes out, then the big decision will be which one to get rid of.