[neilvg]

Hey guys (and gals),

So I just got a pair of UE10's. Excellent company to deal with, and an apparently excellent product. However, upon handling the monitors, it became painfully obvious how inept I was at actually figuring out how to insert these things. After reading the manual and a couple of tries, I got them in with what seems like the proper fit, in terms of the isolation.

However, a few things are irking me. For one, call me stupid, or call this obvious, but both the monitors look different in both my ears. One ear is flush (the righr ear) and the other ear seems to jut out slightly with a different angle (slightly) from which the headphone cable goes out and over the ear.

Anyway, after all this I plug them into my Creative Zen Vision:M (unamped, no Tomahawk yet), and I quickly sense as though something is off slighthly. Sonically they seem to have a suck out in the upper mids w/ a tendency towards sibilance at louder volumes. I wanted to see if there was a good amount of bass since this is an indication (I think) that the fit/seal seems to be good. Well, the bass seems to be there, but there is this lower midrange boominess, a sort of huffiness (is this a word?) to the sound.

It doesn't have a crystalline sparkly nature like the ER4P/S's do. It sounds more like a Shure and it doesn't have much air (although DUH! My ears are isolated but still...)

Maybe I've gotten way to used to my Home Rig?

How do I know if the seal is really correct? How do we know if what anyone else is hearing is what we are hearing? Ok... I didn't mean that last statement to be overly philosophical or spiritual or whatever... literally, when someone puts on a pair of normal headphones, we can be certain that it is fitting correctly and therefore that variable is eliminated. I just wonder if I am atually getting the full UE experience....

When I press the UE's in more, it creates a weird effect, BUT, it also seems to clean up the sound a lot. The Isolation seems excellent and balanced between the ears.

Thanks for reading the ramble!

Neil

PS/Edit - Since I just got these, I think a little bit of time and possibly mental burn in might be necessary. Just a little surprised.

 

[chef8489]

I would say twist and play with them and see if you get them completly in. If you are unable to do this I would send them back to UE.

 

[neilvg]

How do I know if they aren't already completely in? I feel as though they are. They don't "feel" like they don't have a seal (like how universals can feel when they lose their seal).

Neil

 

[jdimitri]

Wow, it's like raining customs lately
I think there's a test track to see if the seal is right
check out the sensa website or ACS.. i forgot which one

 

[chef8489]

anyway you can take pics of them in so we can get a comparason?

 

[neilvg]

Here's the link: http://www.sensaphonics.com/test/index.html

They say the most common problem is hearing the 500hz tone much louder than the 50hz tone. But due to my poor intelligence, I can't quite surmise this... since, well 500hz seems like it is always quite a bit louder. However, it seemed balanced, and appropriate. It actually sounded quite good!

My question is, ok fine, I can hear this stuff. So I sort of have at least a decent to good seal. But does this definitely correlate 100% to hearing the SQ correctly? (I mean it very well might, it's not a sarcastic question).

Neil

 

[chef8489]

no it is not a 100% that you have the perfect fit. You might have your canals sealed but one might not be in completly. In my ear they are both flush except where the cable goes in.

 

[neilvg]

I tried taking some pics. But the differences are hard to capture with a camera (especially me taking the pics myself). I don't think they will show us anything. I'll try again tomorrow.

Also, the sound seems the same from both sides. So it doesn't seem like one is any more out of place than the other. Panning and soundstaging seem reasonably good and balanced.

Neil

 

[aluren]

Maybe this thread will help:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...doobooloo+ue10

Since you are also coming from the ety's and it doesn't seem like the fit is bad, that thread might be a possible explanation to your problem.

 

[neilvg]

That is an interesting thread w/Doobaloo. Read my profile though to know what can's I'm familiar with and like. I like the Ety's but they aren't really my idyllic signature.

Neil

 

[Crus]

If seal is very good there is a problem with some people. As i understand my audiologist, when music plays pressure is not equalizing correctly in some ears. That can lead to boomy bass. You should make very tiny tunnel in the mould to let air (extra pressure) flow outside of your ear channel (loosing some seal).

 

[The-One]

Do you not get a fitting at the audiologist where you took the impressions from?

You're making me anxious... I refused a fitting today (not for UE monitors) and insisted they send it direct to my house tomorrow morning because I couldn't wait until Monday.

 

[The-One]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdimitri /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, it's like raining customs lately

That's cos it's XMAS, it ain't raining but snowing with Santa's Customs for Head-Fiers

 

[digihead]

For what its worth, my recommendations:
1) Customs can take a while of playing with them to get them in just right. It can be frustrating but worth it. Just takes time to get used to the motion. Everybody has their own way of doing it, however I usually have mine kind of pointing down and do an insert and twist in motion.

2) Have you tried the UE10s with a different source? They are brutally revealing and might just not be a good match straight out of your source. As an example, I love the iPod, but was playing around with listening to the UE10s straight out of the iPod last night. I could hear the limitations and sound signature of the iPod. This might be a synergy thing with your UE10s.

3) After trying #1 and #2, give UE a call. Try and get as accurate a description going as possible so you can talk them through what you're experiencing. And of course, keep us posted on what happens.

 

[beedee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The-One /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's cos it's XMAS, it ain't raining but snowing with Santa's Customs for Head-Fiers

I'm jumping on the bandwagon

Sent my ear impressions off today for UE-10s. Hoping (fingers crossed) I'll luck out and get that perfect fit the first time.

Sorry to hear about your complications Neil. In my experiences with UE (also have SF5P), they will keep trying until you are satisfied. Good Luck!!

Happy Christmas!!