[Spyro]

Can anyone that has had both comment on which might be preferred or the noted differences?  From what I read I take it they sound very similar except the EX-1000 does NOT have much of a treble roll-off making it quite more revealing but almost too much making it a bit too hot on many recordings.
 
I think EX-1000 may have a little more bass qty as well.  Anything else worth noting?  Is either one an upgrade over the other or is it personal preference?

 

[dweaver]

I have a pair of EX1000 coming in this week so will post my experience then. The pair is used too so I will have accurate impressions too.

 

[hanes]

Hi!
 
I have the UE900 and Sony mdr-7550 (which is the very similar sounding "monitoring brother" of the EX1000) and have compared them one by one for hours. I have also compared the 7550 and EX1000 earlier and can tell you my impressions from memory.
 
What I can say for sure is, that the UE900 and the Sonys do NOT sound similar at all!
As you mentioned, first, there is a big difference in treble. The EX1000`s treble can in deed sometimes sound a little too sharp, though mids sound very well balanced and soundstage and bass are simply stunning. Because of the sharp treble, I decided to buy the 7550, which is, in my eyes (er...ears) a great compromise. Soundstage is a bit less than the EX1000, but treble is not sharp at all and mids sound amazingly natural (a slightly bit more forward than the EX1000). Bass is almost the same. 
 
From what I read, I expected the UE900 to sound a lot like the 7550....but I was wrong. After listening to the 7550 for a while, my first impression of the UE900 was: "Is it broken? It sounds dull compared to the 7550!" Even though people say the UE900 sounds very detailed, the 7550 sounds a lot clearer in the highs (without sounding too sharp!). Well, it`s also a question of taste and getting used to a sound, I suppose.
The mids of the UE900 are a lot louder and closer and in direct comparison, I can also hear a little bit of a mid bass hump (though not too strong). This makes the UE900 sound a little bit more "full-bodied" compared to the Sonys. Great for Electronic music, but for Vocals, I feel the Sony sounds definitely more natural (especially women's voices). The Sony does not have a mid bass hump at all and mid bass is generally less present. Upper bass: Both sound very fast and accurate, but the Sony goes deeper (surprisingly deep!) and upper bass is more present than with the UE900. Soundstage: 7550 is the winner by far. But this is also due to the half open design of the Sonys, which can be a problem if you listen to them outside (wind noises etc.).
 
All three are exellent headphones, but if you ask me personally, I prefer the 7550 over the EX1000 over the UE900.
 
It`d be great to hear some more opinions! They might be different to mine.... 

 

[dweaver]

I vastly preferred the UE900 over the EX1000 and do not have the 7550 on hand to directly compare but can see some people preferring the 7550 over the UE900 especially if they have a quiet environment. But I do think the UE900 is more detailed (versus the 7550 being more full) and the UE900 is better for isolation.

 

[D K A]

I think the UE 900 will be better overall except for the bass

 

[hanes]

Quote:

I vastly preferred the UE900 over the EX1000 and do not have the 7550 on hand to directly compare but can see some people preferring the 7550 over the UE900 especially if they have a quiet environment. But I do think the UE900 is more detailed (versus the 7550 being more full) and the UE900 is better for isolation.

 
Interesting, my impression is exactly the other way round: To me, the 7550 sound clearer and more detailed, the UE900 fuller....(even though this is not what you would expect from dynamic vs BA)....

 

[hanes]

Quote:

I think the UE 900 will be better overall except for the bass

Do you think so or did you really compare them one by one? As mentioned above, I also expected something else but surprisingly prefered the 7550 when comparing it to the UE900.
EX1000 vs UE900 is different though because you either love or hate its highs...

 

[dweaver]

Interesting, my impression is exactly the other way round: To me, the 7550 sound clearer and more detailed, the UE900 fuller....(even though this is not what you would expect from dynamic vs BA)....

you make me want to try the 7550 again just to see LOL. Stop it!!!

one of the few IEM's I have sold and almost rebought a few times is the 7550... It really is a very good IEM.

 

[hanes]

Quote:

you make me want to try the 7550 again just to see LOL. Stop it!!!

one of the few IEM's I have sold and almost rebought a few times is the 7550... It really is a very good IEM.