[pinoyman]

 
This is the final review and update of the ULTIMATE EARS 700as of 2010 of OCTOBER.
UE's latest addition after the famous universal in ear, Triple fi 10.
i bought them in POWERMAC store in SM north for P14k in JUNE
now they are priced $149 in UE store, around 8K in philippine peso.



here is the link:
http://ultimateears.com/en-us/products/700

product description and details:
[size=x-small] Quote
[/size]

[size=x-small] With pro quality hidden inside.
Pro quality goes undercover with the Ultimate Ears 700 Noise-Isolating Earphones. They deliver pro-quality sound in a sleek, micro design. Fitting flush to your ear, you barely know you're wearing them?until you hear the detailed, immersive 3D sound stage delivered through the custom-tuned, dual-armature speakers.

Pro-quality sound reproduction.
Dual-armature design with passive crossover: Two custom-tuned armature speakers in each ear give you clean, detailed sound. One speaker produces rich and punchy bass, while the second speaker delivers clear mid and high notes.

Immersion sound signature: Enjoy a 3D sound stage that makes you feel as though you are experiencing the quality, energy and emotion of a live performance.

Frequency range: 10Hz–16.5 kHz to deliver cleaner, clearer mid and high tones.
 [/size]

 


pictures

my reference for sound quality are the AIAIAI tracks(headphone), bose triport on ear, philips in earphone clarity, klipsch s4, apple ipod earphone stock, akg earphone, ortofons eq7.



[size=14pt]REVIEW:[/size]

1.    the build:
these are so small yet beautiful. like pellet. like pills, cut to almost half.
made of plastic body, very good paints/aesthetic. so small that you can wear comfortably even when sleeping. wear them all day and you will never notice that they are barely there inside your ears, shining little pills.
NOTE:unfortunately, as reported, the paint doesn't last long enough if you make it in contact with any chemicals including perfume, oils, even sweat...it will tear off in due time. mine has already experience the same fate.

2.   the box contents:
well what you only need... a pair of small, medium (x2) and large eartips. an earphone case, the earphones, volume attenuator - use in airplanes, and 2 pairs of comply tips...some basic manual.
NOTE: ue700 has the best eartips ever.  the contours and shape is just exceptional! It even exceeds the comfort of Klipsch eartips.


3.   the sound quality:

HIGHS
the most noticeable range in the ue700. 
it is sparkling. crisp. top notch! ue's highs!
the primary contributor why the music sound so lively and engagingmore like you are in the concert, like real life sound...
the beatiful highs of ue.
very very lively.
not harsh. not lacking. smooth, not distorted even at high volumes.
defining every high notes from voices to instruments.
perfect highs, for me!
  

MIDS
 can be a warm mids. but not klipsch-like.
only true to the recording, precise.
nothing more, nothing less.
these are not mid-colored iem.
if there is an air with the environment/tracks, for example, a night club, you will hear air details that are there in that nightclub. 
NOTE: comply tips plays an important role in changing the soundsig of ue700, if you want to tame some highs, use comply tips and you get tamed highs and lovely warm mids... 
the warm mids is there if its also there in the tracks you are listening.
this is not a cold iem.
a very transparent iem.

LOW
fast punch. tight. but not boomy. tight!
you dont hear dynamic bass here, but Balanced armatured bass...it is tight!
only defining whats there in the tracks.
even lows are well defined.
but having hard time when too much.
true only to the track. if it can do, it will. but too much is not that great with this iem.
nothing more, nothing less. just enough details.
deep bass? nope. not for bassheads.
only right. only enough. detailed lows? yes. but not deep. very limited but detailed.
its not smackingly heavy hitting bass.
but its just right and just there.
it just does the job done.



SOUNDSTAGE/IMAGING
two words: 3d effect.
one of its signature that i cant find in my other iem.
more depth than width.
the voice is upfront. 
the instrument separation is just on the back of the singer.
much tracks sound like that.
they are sounding only around your head not from afar.
iem's weakness.
these are finely tuned that way.
something that would render space thru depth.


OVERALL SOUND QUALITY
clean. detailed. details are not lacking. it is ue700's strenght!!!
the more volume you add, the more the music sounds lively...
the more the voice of the singer comes nearer/closer.
3d effect. 
voice is very upfront. 
highly defined, every instruments sounds lively especially jazz instruments, guitars, piano, organs, and drums.
precise imaging and very detailed, even in micro measurements.
every breath is present, but not much. 
just right. nothing more. nothing less. 
it is there when it is present.
you will surely hear it...clearly.
precise bass, detailed. but not deep enough like dynamics.



4.   PROS:
very very small. very nice looking. very comfortable to wear.
highs are very lively...making every tracks engaging.
the mids is sweet, good for blues, jazz, acoustic and live.
very transparent to the source.
play 128kbps and hear crap.
play 320kbps/wav/flac and you will hear it singing.
very well in defining instruments, especially lingering voices, the thick saliva in the mouth, its there. hahaha...
use ipod shuffle 4th gen and you hear clean sound with this.
use nokia phones, and you hear them crap also...even with the same track comparison.
very transparent.
you hear what is there. only what is present in the tracks.
even very very little details are present.

CONS:
there is no perfect iem.
it cannot handle too much.
too much instruments in a music makes the sound thin sometimes, due to their being dual-only armature.
tends to be blurry when playing very hard tracks.
too much is not best in this iem. if you are love heavy metal tracks, look elsewhere.
very limited song genre. not recommended for heavy tracks/ orchestral pieces.
limited lows.
i wish a bit more lows on the low. for you to be more MOVED. to be more INSPIRED. to be more IMMERSED.



5.   OPTIONS:
the following can be compared/sound much better or alike to ue700.
for the price you can add/save more by buying:
triple fi 10..............................p14-18k
ortofon eq7............................p11/15-18k
dynamic: philips clarity iem.......p1,999.(almost but not as lively,not very detailed)
jays q jays.............................p8-9k
other dual armature brands......p5k+




6.   RECOMMENDATIONS:
amp is not that essential with this iem, i think most b.a. iems.
you can buy ue700 now for only p7k-8k brand new at ue store.
triple fi 10 i think is the best upgrade here, if you want the ue signatures.
but still you can choose um3x, westone 3, and sm3 for other brand upgrade.
this is a top tier iem, for me...
unique melody is your final goal in upgrades. custom remolding.
UM can upgrade it for 4-6 or even 8 drivers total plus 3-4 crossovers. you can choose single/dual/triple bore, which is also believed to change the sounds...which will costs around p10k-25k-35k.

the genres that are best being played here are:
jazz, rock, pop, melodic, instrumental, classical music(not orchestral type), blues, live, acoustic, slow rock.



7.   FINAL CONCLUSION
ue700 is a good iem.
very good indeed!
very musical. very refined details and textures...remember TEXTURES.
very transparent iem.
very revealing.
micro details make it more musical.
what more can you ask for in an iem?
it is there. it is defined. it is present. it is lively. it is fun. and it is ue700!


NOTE: ue700 now is a bang for the buck, considering the price...p8k(ue store).
while the jays q jays is priced at p8k also in A.shop, our country.
better choose ue700 for it is believed by many reviewers to sound more fun than the q jays.





remember, just like what i said already, it is not the best out there, but can be the best for you...if you only give time for it to show you what it can do.

you dont need time for you to get along with ue700...

you will love them at first listen!
there is always undying wow factor in them every time you put them in your ears.
always present.
in every tracks.
which will make you listen to them like never before heard them.
concert-like.

and ue700 wont dissapoint you in anyway.
they are that easy to love.
ue700 will cover for all the yearning youve wanted in many iems youve tried.




RATING:
perfect score:      ************************
build:                 ********
sound:               *********************
price:                 ******************
accessories:        ************************
overall:              *********************




if you love lively and fun and very musical iem with very upfront voices and lots and lots of micro details...
ue700 is for you.

[size=0.85em] « Last Edit: Today at 11:58:37 by mbc0528 »[/size]
 

 

[Zol0ft]

Thanks for the review! It's good to see more people share their experience with the UE700.

 

[mark2410]

okay just need to say they do not have warm mids

 

[paintballswimguy]

Quote:

okay just need to say they do not have warm mids

+1

 
In my experience, the UE 700 is not a very good bargain. I don't have a ton to compare it to. Only my custom molded TF10s, the RE-O, and some cheap stuff. I found that they are a decent halfway point between apple buds and the TF10s, however, they should proabably only cost around $60 bucks or so. The musical quality just isn't there with the UE 700. The RE-0 blows it out of the water, even in terms of bass. However, the UE700 is one of the most comfortable universal iems that i have tried. They still seem to have that alluminium sound that the apple buds have. That being said. I gave a pair to my fiance that i got on the cheap, and she loves them, but she has never tried anything better. 

 

[Rip N' Burn]

I think that they are very impressive and I've been listening to them for the past two weeks. The 3D soundstaging and stringed instrument presentation are the aspects I'm most impressed with. I don't like the stock tips. Sony hybrids and monster foam tips work remarkably well and 'open' the sound up. The bass needs more impact for my tastes but I just might get them remolded with an additional bass driver sometime in the future. I got them for $100 new and for me that's probably the best bang for your buck for a dual driver iem. I've listened to/owned many iems.

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

okay just need to say they do not have warm mids

+2 though everyone hears differently. Definitely not warm at all to my ears. Good review though.

 

[Jonasklam]

Quote:

+1

 
In my experience, the UE 700 is not a very good bargain. I don't have a ton to compare it to. Only my custom molded TF10s, the RE-O, and some cheap stuff. I found that they are a decent halfway point between apple buds and the TF10s, however, they should proabably only cost around $60 bucks or so. The musical quality just isn't there with the UE 700. The RE-0 blows it out of the water, even in terms of bass. However, the UE700 is one of the most comfortable universal iems that i have tried. They still seem to have that alluminium sound that the apple buds have. That being said. I gave a pair to my fiance that i got on the cheap, and she loves them, but she has never tried anything better. 

I strongly disagree with that statement. Have you compared the RE0 and UE700 directly and for how long did have the UE700? And which music genres do you mostly listen to?
Also, I think that UE700 is underated here on Head-fi and think that they are well worth their $100 (street) price point.

 

[Chivbrguy]

Great review. I personally feel the UE700 is very good if you want sonic clarity. But it's not good if you like your music to sound dynamic, especially in the bass region. Also, they're prone to sibilance, which can get fatiguing after awhile. However, I recently discovered using the equalizer and cutting it a bit at 9khz helps tame it. Overall it's a good iem, but my next purchase will definitely be an iem with a dynamic driver.  

 

[pinoyman]

 
 
 
Quote:

okay just need to say they do not have warm mids

 
they dont, but they occur whenever its called. i can use them for jazz and blues tracks...and they are very intimate but of course, definitely not for jazz type of music iem.
if it is in the tracks, youll hear it there.
i am pertaining to tracks that has a lot of airs...nightclub, pub, jazz hall...
but they are not VERY VERY WARM.
 
just like i said:
only true to the recording, precise.
nothing more, nothing less.
 
they can be warm like-klipsch s4-like by using comply foam tips...and give them some time, mental burn in.
 
 
 
Quote:

Also, I think that UE700 is underated here on Head-fi and think that they are well worth their $100 (street) price point.

i agree with you brother...
you need to get use to the sound before you proclaim that they are good...
you need to grow with it.
my really first time auditioning them, i told myself like they are just like a cheap philips in ears..
 
maybe, not the best...but for me they are doing very fine.
 
but then after some burn-in time, thats when youll notice some differences...and then saying "these are good!"
only, sometimes, i wanted them to be customized. adding more drivers...
maybe it is an iem you will love or hate.
for me...i love them.
 
 
 
Quote:

But it's not good if you like your music to sound dynamic, especially in the bass region. Also, they're prone to sibilance, which can get fatiguing after awhile. However, I recently discovered using the equalizer and cutting it a bit at 9khz helps tame it. Overall it's a good iem, but my next purchase will definitely be an iem with a dynamic driver.  

they do give me headache for the first day... but they tamed after burn in.
and then i started to like it...
yeah, the bass is not great and deep, but really fast and tight...bass of an armature.
 
 
 
 
one good character of the ue700 is the 3d soundstage.
voice is very front.
the instruments can be heard behind or just beside the artist.
 
some tracks sounds lively.
and it makes me happy.
 
...like you've never heard it before.

 

[pinoyman]

congrats to all owners of this pill-iem, and have fun...
that is what really matters.
fun!!!
and enjoying.
 
in our headfi-like community like this, in the philippines, ive learnt something important.
it is not the price or the hype that is important.
it is not the drivers.
or the design.
 
what is important is you enjoy what you are listening, even if its a $1 earphone.
as long as you are happy.
as long as you are what you are..
being true to yourself.
and enjoying.
having some fun into something you are doing.
and fighting for what you believe.
 
 
 
....i like my ue700. and i am enjoying them with a smile.
 
 
to bro joker, thank you so much for being nice to me. hehehe...i aprreciate it.

 

[mark2410]

erm no, it does not have warm mids ever.  its mids arent of a bad quality but they are always on the dry side on things not warm at all.

 

[pinoyman]

hi...
please forgive me if i am not a good reviewer of an in earphone...
 
my only experience is the following:
 
klipsch s4, own them for about 6months now
aiaiai tracks for about 2months
philips earphones 
sony stock earphones
apple stock earphones
 
and this ue700 is my first mid end iem, about 8months old....
 
i know i am not that good.
and i dont want to prove it to anyone here.
i just believed to something my ears tells me.
 
and i have no vast experience at all.
sorry if i didnt meet any of your expectations.
 
please do correct me if im wrong, it is an honor to be corrected.
if there is errors in my review please do tell me so.
and as far as i know...
 
the mids can be warm in ue700 when i am playing blues and jazz tracks.
and they are not like the klipsch mids.
but transparent only to the source.
 
i re-edited my review.
thank you mark and joker.
 
and hope i did my fair share...
 

 

[kiteki]

Thanks for your review I like your term "the musical pill".
 
 
I just bought these at a steal! http://www.logitechshop.com.au/logitech-u-e-700-earphones.html
 
 
The UE 700 are officially the cheapest Knowles TWFK driver IEM (at least at the price I got them for) compared to q-Jays, DBA-02, Brainwavz B2, CK10... any more?
 
The price for the TWFK driver alone is around $69 not including shipping, and this is what the manufacturer pays too http://au.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Knowles-Acoustics/TWFK-30017-000/?qs=3unH%2FDqlvl8QoAty6EUoAw%3D%3D
 
 
So the UE 700 is even a great deal if you just want to buy the TWFK driver and then send it to a custom IEM manufacturer for reshelling into a custom IEM!!
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

[wilzc]

Ahaha logitechshop
 
Wonder where Eddie gets all his cheap logitech stock. I mean..  he's selling UE200's 4 for 35 T_T
 
So are you gonna custom mold them right away via UM??

 

[kiteki]

My UE700's arrived... I'm really impressed with the sound! Majestic!