I got these around Black Friday for $200. First impressions, I was rather disappointed comparing with full sized headphones like my HE-500 or even portable on-ears like my KEF M500. I figure it wouldn't be fair to expect a sound on par with larger drivers. Today I played around with EQ, and it's sounding a lot better. I think the problem is I listen to a lot of female JPop vocals, which the recessed upper midrange really hits hard. EQing for the upper mids really helped, and now it's sounding much better. Even before EQ, comparing with cheaper IEMs, I could tell the UE900 as technically superior in details, imaging, soundstage, and separation. After lifting a lot of the veil in the vocals due to the upper midrange suckout, these superiorities are even more apparent. For IEMs, I'm satisfied. Still not on par with larger headphones of course. I think for anyone looking for a portable option that does not require extreme isolation or being used in an active setting like during exercise, the KEF M500 is a better option if one is comfortable with on-ears.
