thestumper
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OK, so we all know that this isn't exactly a fair comparison for any number of reasons, but for people with a tight budget, it might be usefull...
Background: About 2 weeks ago I picked up a set of Westone UM1's to replace my Shure E2C's. Mostly due to comfort reasons, but I was also looking for something a little nicer. Mission accomplished; the UM1's were considerably better than the Shure's (I won't do into detail: search for my mini-review if your curious). Two days after I ordered the Shure's, the SuperFi Pro's came down to $150 with a rebate. I couldn't resist the temptation based on what I read here, so I broke down and ordered a pair. After one day of SuperFi 5 Pro (SF5P) experimentation, here are the preliminary results:
Note: I won't keep anyone in suspense: I'm keeping the SF5P's. If thats all you needed to know, move along
Bass: Wow. Just... wow. Powerful and tight. About all I could expect from an IEM. I can't imagine anyone needing the EB model - they'd ratlle my brain out
Very "musical" base too. Not just a drone or thump; you can get all the nuances of acoustic bass and kick drums (I listen to a LOT of jazz). They have as much or more than the UM1's, and its cleaner. UM1's are slightly muddy by comparison - the frequency response is there, but the detail is lacking.
Highs: Excellent. Slightly rolled off at the extremes, but this jives with what I read here and I prefer this. They extend much further than the UM1. Cleaner with considerably more detail, but not so much as to make things shrill or overly analytic. Again, very musical, and easy to listen to. Since this was my biggest issue with the UM1's, suffice it to say that I was very pleasantly surprised.
Mids: VERY nice. I had thought that the UM1's had pretty good mids, and they do... its just that the SF5P's are better. Extremely musical, but detailed enough to uncover the subtlties in my music. "Open" and "unveiled' are words I'd use to describe them. In contrast, the UM1's are just slightly more "compressed" - they're still good, but they just can't match the overall quality of the SuperFi's.
Overall Balance: If anything, they might be slightly bass-heavy for some. For me they are perfect, but you WILL get the low end drive you've been looking for with these, make no mistake about it. For a non-custom IEM, I don't think it gets much better.
Soundstage: I never associated soundstage with IEM's before now. These things actually have a nice, wide soundstage. Instrument placement is very good-things actually exist in 3D space. I forgot how much I missed this from my hi-fi geek days
Isolation: Very good for both, but with the Comply tips, the UM1's take the prize. You can REALLY shut out the world with those suckers. The SuperFi's are fine - and probably a little safer, but if you truly need to tune it ALL out, the UM1's (and I surmise the UM2's) are your ticket.
Subjective: The SuperFi's really draw me in - much more so than the UM1's. By comparison, the UM1's seem to be simply "serving a purpose" or "getting the job done". They do this very well, but the Superfi's really involve me. The balance and musicality are simply a cut above. If your just using your IEM's for basic listening (exercising, travel, etc...) and you don't really want to get sucked into the music, the UM1's make a lot of sense. If you really want a listening EXPERIENCE, then the SuperFi's become the logical choice.
Build Quality: I give the UM1's a definite edge here. The cord design is way better, and they just seem more solid. It will be interesting to see how the SF5P's hold up to the road over time. I'm not saying they're cheap; its just that they don't have that quality feel that the Westone's have.
Value: At $150 for the SF5P's, its a draw - maybe and edge to the SFP's. at $200, the UM1 has the edge.
Random Thoughts: So... we've learned... nothing. I fully expected a dual driver, $200 (normal street price) IEM to deliver a better listining experience than a $100 single driver model. The big suprise is how good the UM1's really are at their price point. For $150, the SuperFi's are a bargain, and a keeper. At $200, I don't know that they're twice as good. Maybe they are, but you'd be splitting hairs to find a better IEM in the $100 range.
Disclaimer: I don't really know what I'm talking about. Its like art - I know what I like (or in this case, hear). I'm sure there's better IEM sound out there for more money. I'm also sure that depending on your priorities, you may very well prefer another similarly priced or cheaper IEM for your tastes. That said, the UM1's and the SuperFi 5 Pro's are definitely worth a listen.
Background: About 2 weeks ago I picked up a set of Westone UM1's to replace my Shure E2C's. Mostly due to comfort reasons, but I was also looking for something a little nicer. Mission accomplished; the UM1's were considerably better than the Shure's (I won't do into detail: search for my mini-review if your curious). Two days after I ordered the Shure's, the SuperFi Pro's came down to $150 with a rebate. I couldn't resist the temptation based on what I read here, so I broke down and ordered a pair. After one day of SuperFi 5 Pro (SF5P) experimentation, here are the preliminary results:
Note: I won't keep anyone in suspense: I'm keeping the SF5P's. If thats all you needed to know, move along
Bass: Wow. Just... wow. Powerful and tight. About all I could expect from an IEM. I can't imagine anyone needing the EB model - they'd ratlle my brain out
Highs: Excellent. Slightly rolled off at the extremes, but this jives with what I read here and I prefer this. They extend much further than the UM1. Cleaner with considerably more detail, but not so much as to make things shrill or overly analytic. Again, very musical, and easy to listen to. Since this was my biggest issue with the UM1's, suffice it to say that I was very pleasantly surprised.
Mids: VERY nice. I had thought that the UM1's had pretty good mids, and they do... its just that the SF5P's are better. Extremely musical, but detailed enough to uncover the subtlties in my music. "Open" and "unveiled' are words I'd use to describe them. In contrast, the UM1's are just slightly more "compressed" - they're still good, but they just can't match the overall quality of the SuperFi's.
Overall Balance: If anything, they might be slightly bass-heavy for some. For me they are perfect, but you WILL get the low end drive you've been looking for with these, make no mistake about it. For a non-custom IEM, I don't think it gets much better.
Soundstage: I never associated soundstage with IEM's before now. These things actually have a nice, wide soundstage. Instrument placement is very good-things actually exist in 3D space. I forgot how much I missed this from my hi-fi geek days
Isolation: Very good for both, but with the Comply tips, the UM1's take the prize. You can REALLY shut out the world with those suckers. The SuperFi's are fine - and probably a little safer, but if you truly need to tune it ALL out, the UM1's (and I surmise the UM2's) are your ticket.
Subjective: The SuperFi's really draw me in - much more so than the UM1's. By comparison, the UM1's seem to be simply "serving a purpose" or "getting the job done". They do this very well, but the Superfi's really involve me. The balance and musicality are simply a cut above. If your just using your IEM's for basic listening (exercising, travel, etc...) and you don't really want to get sucked into the music, the UM1's make a lot of sense. If you really want a listening EXPERIENCE, then the SuperFi's become the logical choice.
Build Quality: I give the UM1's a definite edge here. The cord design is way better, and they just seem more solid. It will be interesting to see how the SF5P's hold up to the road over time. I'm not saying they're cheap; its just that they don't have that quality feel that the Westone's have.
Value: At $150 for the SF5P's, its a draw - maybe and edge to the SFP's. at $200, the UM1 has the edge.
Random Thoughts: So... we've learned... nothing. I fully expected a dual driver, $200 (normal street price) IEM to deliver a better listining experience than a $100 single driver model. The big suprise is how good the UM1's really are at their price point. For $150, the SuperFi's are a bargain, and a keeper. At $200, I don't know that they're twice as good. Maybe they are, but you'd be splitting hairs to find a better IEM in the $100 range.
Disclaimer: I don't really know what I'm talking about. Its like art - I know what I like (or in this case, hear). I'm sure there's better IEM sound out there for more money. I'm also sure that depending on your priorities, you may very well prefer another similarly priced or cheaper IEM for your tastes. That said, the UM1's and the SuperFi 5 Pro's are definitely worth a listen.
