Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors Review

[average_joe]

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I used the medium olives. It could be that I'm just used to putting in universals. Customs are kinds of hard to put in. But once it's in, it's rather comfortable, and it stays in my ears much better than SE535.

 
I think once you get used to the twist in/twist out your opinion may change!

 

[kimvictor]

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I think once you get used to the twist in/twist out your opinion may change!

I certainly hope so!

 

[fhuang]

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^Thanks for reminding me...I actually tested UERM on the BA earlier tonight and there is a bit of noise that can be heard inbetween tracks.
 
I found the UERM adapter to make a "pretty slight" difference in the past- was not enough to cut the noise with my Super 7.
 
The TF10 airplane adapter definitely cut the Super 7 noise out, but also some high frequencies.  
 
Gotta pull out the UERM adapter for the BA.  Will report back.
 
However, once the music was going- it was good:
 

 
 
a fun idea, i'll play with my home amps too, including rp010b, wa5 and the new gxs mk2. 
 
 
and CEE TEE, you work for UE? 

 

[Xymordos]

I use the UERM with my AT-HA5000 at home, and it certainly sounds excellent!

 

[kimvictor]

Now that I've sent out my right UERM for a refit, let me ask you guys, how long is the waiting time?

 

[CEE TEE]

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a fun idea, i'll play with my home amps too, including rp010b, wa5 and the new gxs mk2. 
 
and CEE TEE, you work for UE? 

It JUST happened last week!  I think they will be giving me MOT designation on Monday...
 
I think I bugged them enough to borrow the PRM tuning box for the Bay Area that they decided to leave one with me (and to my surprise, the other demos).  
 
This way we don't have to wait for one day a year to try them during BIG meet conditions and I agreed to help place orders, etc.
 
Kind of a dream side gig with toys to play with.  Had to say yes. 

 
One thing that I learned from Mike Dias is that the PRM at 50-50-50 are NOT a 5-driver UERM.  They are a totally new CIEM that they have set up so that you can tune them to your preference from the base platform.  That blew my mind as we all thought that they were a "tunable" RM.  I'll be trying it and seeing if I can find a tuning that makes me "need" a pair in addition to my RM (which I still love after 2 years).

 

[average_joe]

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It JUST happened last week!  I think they will be giving me MOT designation on Monday...
 
I think I bugged them enough to borrow the PRM tuning box for the Bay Area that they decided to leave one with me (and to my surprise, the other demos).  
 
This way we don't have to wait for one day a year to try them during BIG meet conditions and I agreed to help place orders, etc.
 
Kind of a dream side gig with toys to play with.  Had to say yes. 

 
One thing that I learned from Mike Dias is that the PRM at 50-50-50 are NOT a 5-driver UERM.  They are a totally new CIEM that they have set up so that you can tune them to your preference from the base platform.  That blew my mind as we all thought that they were a "tunable" RM.  I'll be trying it and seeing if I can find a tuning that makes me "need" a pair in addition to my RM (which I still love after 2 years).

 
Congrats on your new gig.  While I didn't specify specifically in my PRM review (but did somewhere in the PRM thread), it is not the same tuning as the IERM, but more organic with a different note presentation.
 
 
 
Quote from my PRM review:

One of the first things I noticed about the PRM was the spacious sound that was as impressive as that of the IERM, and the note thickness and tonal balance sounded more organic than the IERM. 

 

[uelover]

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Congrats on your new gig.  While I didn't specify specifically in my PRM review (but did somewhere in the PRM thread), it is not the same tuning as the IERM, but more organic with a different note presentation.

 
Was it not tuned by the user themselves?
 
If I get the PRM and tuned it in the way the UERM is supposed to sound like, how will it sound like?

 

[average_joe]

Even if you tune the PRM with the same frequency response as the IERM, the PRM will have a thicker average note that sound more musical and organic compared with the more analytical IERM.

 

[uelover]

Even if you tune the PRM with the same frequency response as the IERM, the PRM will have a thicker average note that sound more musical and organic compared with the more analytical IERM.

Sounds like slower decay time in the lows....

 

[average_joe]

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Sounds like slower decay time in the lows....

 
Or, as I would say, more note sustainment.  I think the PRM bass (and across most of the spectrum) can sustain longer, more reverberant notes better than the IERM.

 

[CEE TEE]

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Congrats on your new gig.  While I didn't specify specifically in my PRM review (but did somewhere in the PRM thread), it is not the same tuning as the IERM, but more organic with a different note presentation.

Thanks, AJ!  I wondered what it would be like to be able to hear all of the great customs...I'm glad it is you that has all of the different CIEMS because I have really liked all of your reviews and found that I shared a lot of your impressions- on portable amps too.  At least I will have fun getting to know one line-up really well.  
 
Thanks for adding more about the differences between the RM and your personally tuned PRM.  For a lot of people, I'm sure it is a little confusing (it was for me).
 
Those who have the RM may wonder what a "five-driver" RM sounds like and the PRM is not a "five-driver" RM.  
If you want a neutral, clean/clear CIEM for a true "reference", the UERM is going to be the ticket.  
If you want to have a "base" that should sound great at 50-50-50 but NOT neutral and you can tweak it a bit- that's the PRM.
 
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Was it not tuned by the user themselves?
If I get the PRM and tuned it in the way the UERM is supposed to sound like, how will it sound like?

@uelover, I'm not sure that the "base tuning" of the PRM plus the ability/range of the tuning box can even get the PRM to be as neutral/flat as the UERM because that is not the goal of the PRM.  If someone wants a CIEM to be as neutral as possible (without any additional "color" or affect) then they should just get the UERM.  To try to tune the PRM to be the UERM is to deny the control/concept and the uniqueness of the PRM. They don't start "flat"...some other Head-Fiers have been confused after meets and demos as the PRM don't start out neutral at 50-50-50 as we thought they were supposed to.  
 
The good thing about this is that it lets you off the hook and I don't have to wonder anymore if is there is some sort of "uber-UERM" out there that I don't have.  The PRM are tuned to sound good at 50-50-50 right off the bat.  But not neutral.  You can then use the tuning box to try and do "better" than 50-50-50 sound for YOU and your preferences.  If one of the existing customs in the line-up sound better, you can just get them.  
 
Maybe I can tune a "complimentary" custom that I will like as much as my UERM. More time/listening will tell. 

 
Hope this helps.  I have been able to spend time with all of the customs on different days (have spent the least time with the PRM since the box means that I can't grab the demos and take them with me anywhere easily).  I still LOVE the UERM the most so far.  Having all of the demos in-house means that I can't help but wonder if I should get the UE4 to work out and sweat in (kind of a "baby" UERM- clean/clear).  Or the UE7 as a "fun" custom (more bass/thicker sound than UERM).  Or, I might be able to tune a "brighter UE18" out of the PRM...
 
Sorry.  Now I'm rambling.  But I had to share with somebody. 

 

[thegunner100]

Thanks for the detailed response CEE TEE! Could you describe the sound signature of a 50-50-50 PRM since they're not flat? Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to listen to them at the last NY head-fi meet but i'm definitely gonna try them out in the next meet.

 

[rawrster]

It looks like you got your title CEE TEE
 
I have my audiologist appointment on Thursday so one step closer to getting the UERM. On another note my Buffalo DAC might arrive that day but I kind of hope it doesn't or arrives before I leave work that day. It would really suck if it came after I left lol.
 
At the meet a few weeks ago I was talking to Mike a bit about the PRM and it seemed like I understood it better. I thought you could just dial it in to whatever signature you wanted where default starts off flat. Apparently there is some default signature or a standard that it comes with and then from you there you adjust the dials to suit you up to a certain point.

 

[thegunner100]

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It looks like you got your title CEE TEE
 
I have my audiologist appointment on Thursday so one step closer to getting the UERM. On another note my Buffalo DAC might arrive that day but I kind of hope it doesn't or arrives before I leave work that day. It would really suck if it came after I left lol.
 
At the meet a few weeks ago I was talking to Mike a bit about the PRM and it seemed like I understood it better. I thought you could just dial it in to whatever signature you wanted where default starts off flat. Apparently there is some default signature or a standard that it comes with and then from you there you adjust the dials to suit you up to a certain point.

Were you at Julie Glick's office this morning? I think I saw you there and kinda overheard as I was filling out the registration form xD. I got my ear impressions done today!