UE Reference Monitors:
I'm not big on writing reviews so I will keep it (sorta) brief and let you read the other full reviews out there, as my impressions regarding SQ are very similar. To echo what the other fellas said on this thread:
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The cable is fantastic. It's like the one on the Westone 4s except almost 2x thick; yet equally supple.
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The fit is so good and precise. If you move your jaw or tilt your head straight up you will feel the pressure change inside of your ear canal. And yes, you can take your pulse just by wearing these things.
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Insertion is faster than universals, especially if you use foamies. Once you put the tips into your ears and give them that quarter turn they literally settle in like a puzzle piece. Done. No further twisting or waiting for foam to expand, and no re-seating after your ear canal gets humid or the cable gets tugged. (Note: Some people use lube for the insertion; definitely not needed for me.) I can go either way on the memory wire. I think I actually prefer it by a small margin because it seems to distribute the strain on the cable along a bigger area. BTW, I wear glasses most of the time.
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The build quality of these is incredible. Compared to my Westones and TF10s, for you camera guys it's like comparing a Canon Rebel to an EOS-1. These things are like little rocks. They have no seams and they're much larger than universals. When you put them in your ears they fit flush and do not stick out. Mine had a few small bubbles, the bores are not perfectly identical, and UE does some REALLY good photographic work on their website. But I'll chalk all of that up to the handmade nature of these things. The other thing I appreciate about the build is that the outer logos seem like they are underneath the acrylic. This is nice because they will never scratch, rub off, or fill up with crud over time.
The sound- what everyone else said: Neutral! They do nothing wrong and are so even across the board that they can come across as (I'm trying
really hard not to say 'boring')… invisible? Think of a proper DAC or amplifier. Generally speaking (but depending upon the user's preference or goal) their job is to convey the music as it was recorded. That's what these IEMs are like. I'm not saying that you'll confuse them for the real thing, but you feel as though you are listening to the music and not the equipment. It's almost easy to take these things for granted because you just say to yourself, "Yeah- that's what it's supposed to sound like. So what?" ...Until you go back to slightly lesser IEMs and then you know how good these things really are.
A few quick listening notes:
Pat Coil "Escape Clause": Good sense of ---space--- and micro details throughout.
Elton John "Rocket Man": Instrument separation and vocal placement is dead on.
Moby "Everloving": Bass line at the end is both powerful and well-defined.
Tower of Power "Squib Cakes": Again- instrument separation and stage depth; ride cymbals sound so natural!
Rush "The Spirit of Radio": TF10s put Getty Lee in the back of the room, Westone 4s take away some of the bite from the percussion, UE RMs deliver it all.
^ My ears are not the same size!
Oh… and to answer a question I had before getting these, "Do the actual customs sound that much better than the universal custom demo units?"- No comparison. I think the $64k question is: Top end universals (W4, SE535, SM3, etc.) or pay a bit more and get UE 4/5 Pros with custom fit (for sound and convenience) and unsurpassed build quality? If you are out there
bobcn, I know you ordered a set of these and I can't wait to hear your impressions. Please be sure to post!
^ UE Custom cable (white) next to Westone 4 cable.