Ultimate Ears UE4Pro or JH Audio JH5Pro
Jun 12, 2009 at 7:49 AM Post #31 of 116
any updates? while i like my livewires, they don't wow me...so i've been thinking about the ue4pro or the jh5pro, like a lot of others. just wondering if it will be a significant step up from my livewires, which i got 4 years ago when they first came out at macworld in s.f. still not sure i want to shell out $400 for something i can't re-sell...
 
Jun 12, 2009 at 4:30 PM Post #32 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino /img/forum/go_quote.gif
any updates? while i like my livewires, they don't wow me...so i've been thinking about the ue4pro or the jh5pro, like a lot of others. just wondering if it will be a significant step up from my livewires, which i got 4 years ago when they first came out at macworld in s.f. still not sure i want to shell out $400 for something i can't re-sell...


The demo pair of UE4Pro at CanJam sounded as good as the UM3X with UM56 custom tips (and a little better than my W3 with UM56 tips), and all those do sound a little better than my Livewires. I thinks it's a safe bet you will like them. Still, with a good amp and source, the Livewires are pretty impressive themselves, IMHO.
 
Jun 12, 2009 at 8:12 PM Post #34 of 116
Gonna post here to tag this topic; really interested in where this is going. Been looking at Customs for a while, and either of these would be fantastic choices imo.

Been leaning towards UE due to Jude's review of the UE4, and of course the way they keep your molds on file for new ones etc, meaning if I ever got that upgrade bug again, I could just send in the order for new ones.
 
Jun 12, 2009 at 10:10 PM Post #35 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The demo pair of UE4Pro at CanJam sounded as good as the UM3X with UM56 custom tips (and a little better than my W3 with UM56 tips), and all those do sound a little better than my Livewires. I thinks it's a safe bet you will like them. Still, with a good amp and source, the Livewires are pretty impressive themselves, IMHO.


thanks for the thoughts, larry. i know you're a LW fan...i've never really loved mine...perhaps mine was a prototype that was eventually tweaked. it just never wowed me in any one way. i use them a lot because they're comfortable, but that's about it. i think i was the first to get LWs around here...they took my impressions right at macworld and i had them a couple weeks later. i suppose they've been updated a lot since then.

i'll keep watching this thread to see what happens and when more reviews come in. i suppose there are things around here i could sell to fund these...but i need a bit more info before jumping on board.
 
Jun 13, 2009 at 2:31 AM Post #36 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The demo pair of UE4Pro at CanJam sounded as good as the UM3X with UM56 custom tips (and a little better than my W3 with UM56 tips), and all those do sound a little better than my Livewires. I thinks it's a safe bet you will like them. Still, with a good amp and source, the Livewires are pretty impressive themselves, IMHO.


Hello Larry,

What sort of differences did you find with the ue4pro and um3x? Sound and comfortwise? What about without the um56?

Thank you.
 
Jun 13, 2009 at 5:26 AM Post #37 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by aeoc /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Hello Larry,

What sort of differences did you find with the ue4pro and um3x? Sound and comfortwise? What about without the um56?

Thank you.


1. They sounded very similar as far as I recall, and not listened to side by side as they were in different vendor rooms at CanJam.

2. I only used the UM3X with the UM56 customs tips, which fit and sound great - the UE4Pro demos used Complys T400 tips which also fit well and were comfortable. The full custom IEM is molded to your ear, so they cant demo that and have to make an adapter to take universal IEM tips.
 
Jun 13, 2009 at 7:53 AM Post #38 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
1. They sounded very similar as far as I recall, and not listened to side by side as they were in different vendor rooms at CanJam.


Mh, interesting. And how do your UM3X with the UM56 customs tips sound compared to your ES3X?
 
Jun 13, 2009 at 4:16 PM Post #39 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinocelt /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Mh, interesting. And how do your UM3X with the UM56 customs tips sound compared to your ES3X?


I used the demo UM3X at CanJam, as I don't have mine yet. The ES3X are more transparent, with deeper bass and bigger soundstage. Overall a bit more immersive in the performance and more "puts you right there in the venue" sounding. I've posted before that the UM3X fall between the W3 and ES3X.

With the UM56 custom tips the W3's sound improved enough to have the UM3X stand closer to the W3 than the ES3X because the ES3X do such a fantastic job of simply disappearing and leaving only the music, sounding like the real instruments and performance. It's like the difference between a balanced HD600 and HD800. Both very good, but one stands above the rest.
 
Jun 13, 2009 at 7:13 PM Post #41 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The demo pair of UE4Pro at CanJam sounded as good as the UM3X with UM56 custom tips (and a little better than my W3 with UM56 tips), and all those do sound a little better than my Livewires. I thinks it's a safe bet you will like them. Still, with a good amp and source, the Livewires are pretty impressive themselves, IMHO.


I'm also in the decision making. In your opinion, the Livewires/Fidelity (2 drivers) would be a safe bet for an upgrade? I currently have the Freq's 2 drivers model (Freq of Nature).

That's a 150$ difference between those and the UE4 or JH-5... it's quite a bit for me (plus shipping, plus custom...)

Thanks!
 
Jun 13, 2009 at 7:29 PM Post #42 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
and when I have done a JH13Pro vs UE11Pro vs EX3X review later...


Not too many people in the world could do something like this. While not everyone will have the same taste as you, this will still be a huge help for those deciding which to get.
 
Jun 13, 2009 at 10:28 PM Post #43 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by dakkar /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'm also in the decision making. In your opinion, the Livewires/Fidelity (2 drivers) would be a safe bet for an upgrade? I currently have the Freq's 2 drivers model (Freq of Nature).

That's a 150$ difference between those and the UE4 or JH-5... it's quite a bit for me (plus shipping, plus custom...)

Thanks!


My Livewires have always been an upgrade to my Freq Show music maker triples. And an upgraded cable really wrings the most out of them as well. Until the W3 and UM3X and ES3X the Livewires were my best IEM (above Triple.fi 10 Pro, SE530, Phonak PFE, Image X10, SA6, q-JAYS, E4c, SE310, Super.fi 5 Pro, Denon C700, NE-7M, etc.) Even my SE530 customs are slightly behind in bass, while slightly ahead in soundstage, but the SE530 customs are occasionally sibilant and the LW never are (nor are my Westones).

I still think the UE4Pro, based on the demo, could be better. I may still get some to compare later.
 
Jun 14, 2009 at 7:15 AM Post #44 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I used the demo UM3X at CanJam, as I don't have mine yet. The ES3X are more transparent, with deeper bass and bigger soundstage. Overall a bit more immersive in the performance and more "puts you right there in the venue" sounding. I've posted before that the UM3X fall between the W3 and ES3X.

With the UM56 custom tips the W3's sound improved enough to have the UM3X stand closer to the W3 than the ES3X because the ES3X do such a fantastic job of simply disappearing and leaving only the music, sounding like the real instruments and performance. It's like the difference between a balanced HD600 and HD800. Both very good, but one stands above the rest.


And the US3X uses the same drivers as the ES3X. I wonder if the UE4, from demo universal to true customs, will benefit from the same jump in SQ...
 
Jun 14, 2009 at 7:33 AM Post #45 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinocelt /img/forum/go_quote.gif
And the US3X uses the same drivers as the ES3X. I wonder if the UE4, from demo universal to true customs, will benefit from the same jump in SQ...


It might - Jude seems to think of them as a "baby UE10Pro"
 
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