Had no idea my UE Reference Monitors were in the mail and
received them last night!!
These are
exactly what I had hoped for in balance and extension, clarity and spatial imaging (though it is in the head), and "general" sound signature.
What I mean by "general" sound signature is that I wanted something just a tad brighter than the HF2 and not as bright as the RS2i (some kind of combination of these phones with isolation and great fit/detail/extension).
I didn't know what truly "designed as neutral" phones would sound like. As it turns out, I absolutely dig them and they remind me of my RS2i with more low extension/clarity/imaging, a less bright/harsh and more "natural" top end. The sub-bass is there (but not huge), the bass is great (not too much and very clean, but also very tunable on Sony X to "BIG" levels if desired and not already big) so it is a very satisfying and actually pretty amazing presentation to me. I can concentrate on any section of the music or frequency range and enjoy it without distraction. If I am lying in the dark, I can also kind of "visualize" the sounds on different planes and at different angles moving in time and that's certainly a new one for me...
Initial custom fit and impressions:
- Fit is very deep (this is embarrassing- they can tickle) but they are surprisingly comfortable and it's a good snug fit.
- It took me months to get used to universals/tips so I'm pretty happy that these already are very promising...the right side gets actual "suction" but both seem to seal well.
- As I am getting used to them, I will probably be taking them out every couple of hours.
- Quick/Easy to insert, a little slower to remove (still learning).
- Love them better straight out of X or iPhone with no effects or EQ than with LOD and iBasso D12 (which muddies and dampens clarity a bit).
- They seem very efficient, I wonder if a Pico Slim or Stepdance would improve the performance at all...
- I can now really tell that my Sony X is warm (piano sounds very warm with decay), I like the pairing but am also interested in hearing an analytical source just to see how much the UERM can resolve and just how warm my sources are.
Running through some reference tracks:
Sibilance check: David Gray "Please Forgive Me" and Lyle Lovett "Flyin' Shoes"...passed with "flyin' colors"- lots of detail, the sibilance is just on the edge for Lyle but no bother.
Sub-Bass: At about a minute left on David Gray's "Please Forgive Me", there is a sub-bass beat that sounds great. Lyle's "Flyin' Shoes" does have more audible/apparent sub-bass on my friend's mastering rig (Duntech/Dunlavy). On Massive Attack Heligoland's "Paradise Circus (Breakage's Tightrope Remix)"- the female vocal takes precedence, the sub-bass is clean, present, but not overly abundant. It's all there but not trying to take you into the club (the IE8's still have the best "club feel"). Last night, lying down however...I had a strange sensation like I could feel the sub-bass kind of go down my throat and into my lungs a little bit (which was cool and weird at the same time). BTW, Bass Booster EQ on the iPhone is horrible on "Paradise Circus"- it really distorts. Plus side of hearing the sub-bass but with less quantity with UERM is that I can hear the sound design and "texture" on more sounds in Massive Attack that I didn't notice before. The minus here would be that they are not really designed for the Massive Attack sub-bass intensity and for bass impact on those tracks I will lean toward HF2 or MS1. But it presents well on all but the lowest electronic sub-bass that you are supposed to "feel". (I had my heart massaged at the Massive Attack concert last year.)
Bass: Wow- on Massive Attack's "Dissolved Girl" bass is less sub-bass and more in the bass region- it is
big, full, and has impact- all depends on the Massive Attack song...lacks no bass to me whatsoever. Me'Shell Ndegocello's presents Spirit Jamia Dance of the Infidel actually sounds <just right> on the UERM and the RS2i while on the TF10 and HF2 it is too much. Same with The Roots
Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide to The Roots Vol. 1 "Sacrifice (Live)". Just right on the bass/vocals/snare all- on the RS2i there is just too much energy in the snare and it grates...so better balance here from bass to high end. Sade's "Soldier of Love" just sounds awesome where there is this big string bass and beat together. Does on HF2 also but I just pick out a separation between the heavy bass "string sound" and underlying beat which I couldn't pick out before. In "Babyfather", the bass now sounds a little leaner than I am used to with more mids and vocal emphasis. With Sony X setting changes the bass is totally tunable (just turn the DSEE on or EQ it) whereas in the Massive Attack sub-bass you couldn't just "dial it up" and have it sound/feel right. Dave Gilmour's "On An Island"- bass is a great floor for the floating mid-range vocals but here also it does seem a little recessed from what I am used to. Will be interesting to see what "normal bass" is to me after a month with the UERM...
The kick-drum on DSOTM's "Any Colour You Like" is nice on the UERM but the RS2i do something a little more fun (move air with the kick-drum that is satisfying). Physically, these are not moving the same amount of air so you won't have the same physical effects of open-air cans and dynamic drivers. I could kind of "feel" the sub-bass a bit though, so this will probably be in the perception of the listener. (Guess later they can come out with dynamic/balanced armature/planar magnetic Three-Way Driver Technology customs with additional "Air-Gun-Vibrostatic" engines to transmit sonic sensation through the pinnae...or not.) Bottom line is that I can get the bass I want if it seems a little light on some tracks but it is
mostly fantastic so far, also clean/fast enough, and does not get in the way of anything else.
Mids: The quote goes, "The music is in the mids." One mastering/musician friend says this and one mastering/musician friend really likes his sub-bass. I want to hear it all. On music that I am used to going to for big bass impact, I find the mids more forward on UERM. On everything else, it all just sounds "balanced/natural" (most of the time) and I can roam around the music and just listen to whatever I want to... The mids of these are just awesome. On the TF10 I find the mids a bit recessed. These seem like they are great for vocals...vocals are in the middle of my head and very clear, though sometimes a bit too pronounced on some tracks. (Hmmm, I know I am in the mids section but while listening to Sufan Steven's "Jacksonville" for the mids, I can just hear/feel this very low kick-drum I never really noticed before. Will have to see what other phones I can hear that on...) At the meet where I got to hear the universal-fit version of the UERM, the mids really stood out to me and that makes sense based on further listening and especially with certain tracks.
Highs: Here is another surprise for me. I think I may have fallen into the camp that started to want more treble because I wanted more detail. On the UERM, the treble has not bothered me once and I feel like I can still hear great detail/texture/shape in the upper mid-range and the attack of transients in electronic music especially. The highs may be a little rolled off at the top, which makes these sound easy and "natural", probably also curtailing sibilance. I don't feel I am missing clarity or wanting any more treble though because I can now even pick out which instrument tracks seem "rounder" and which tracks are left "crisper" within the same recording (which I couldn't really pick out before). For example, on some Sufjan tracks the strings are "warmer/rounder" and the banjo or the guitar is crisper (which also makes it more percussive) and that contrasts with the fullness/softer edge recording of other instruments (Casimir Pulaski Day on the Illinoise album, for example). I guess that I would say I get "shimmer" and "attack" but for treble-heads I would not say "sparkle." Definitely not fatiguing or harsh as the RS2i can sometimes get...will have to see over time if I would like a bit more treble, if it is really good as it is, or if I will EQ a little.
That all said in rambling form (sorry 'bout that- I'm a real newbie when it comes to sharing impressions like this), I'm very happy and excited about having "neutral, reference" high-end customs that reach a level of imaging, clarity and detail (with extension and balance) that I have not had.
Sometimes they seem "mid-centric" which can be great for the vocals or sometimes a little light in bass or sub-bass, but that depends on the recording and your preference. I would not get these for "goin' clubbin'" in your chair at home but that's a small percentage of my listening and HF2 are good enough for that (IE8's were the best at that).
My impression is that these are very balanced and are designed for me to hear as much as possible and across the frequency range in my music. Because of the quality of the sound, detail, and imaging, I find them very fun and "musical" too. (If I can hear my music and it's really good music with good sound- that's gotta be some type of "musical".)
I also think you can use some EQ and/or warm sources to get beautiful and liquid sound on the UERM since they sound great to me right out of my Sony X with all effects and EQ off. Some music that I am used to the bass on the HF2 and TF10, I can bump up the bass a little bit for the UERM and it is perfect. This is definitely to taste.
I'm still getting used to having the customs in my ears but hope that I will be able to use them all day. Cable is great and very flexible, fortunately with enough room on the split section of cable (as opposed to something like the SM3). The detachable cable connector looks great and robust and protective. The big hard case I really like but I do plan on bringing these lots of places so will probably also get a hard case that <just> fits them. (I bet I could customize <cut> the foam to get my Sony X in the hard case too without a problem...hmmm.)
Okay, you guys are
already gonna kill me for the length of this post so:
THE END.
