[vii_haven]

i'm currently using a pair of UM2 for monitoring and music listening purposes. they're great IEMs, however they do sound kinda bloated in the midbass to the extent that they do veil some details.

i came from the E4 and the only difference i notice between the two is the midbass bloat which makes the bass ultra smooth and thick on the UM2 but at the expense of some detail.

should i go back to the E4 for the details? or would i appreciate an upgrade to the e500 or the new Westone 3? which would be the most neutral IEM without much bloat in any frequencies?

 

[antonyfirst]

You should like the E500. The Westone 3 aren't known enough, until now.
You could also go for the Ety ER4P and use some bass boost. Along with foam tips, it does wonders.

 

[vii_haven]

anyone who has done a comparison with all the above at headfest or something? do share your take on it. =)

 

[Trager]

Right now, the compromise that I'm going with is the Shure SE310, which has good bass, great mids, and decent high end detail. Not quite as fast as the Ety's, but they're close on detail. There's something just a little missing, which is why I'll still try out the Westone 3 when they come out, but I can recommend them as a decent alternative to the slightly bass-lean ER-4P.

 

[Flavio T]

Shure E500 or SE530 would be the way to go from UM2 if you are craving detail.

The trade off is the perceived bass, which, in the UM2 case, as you pointed, is strong.

The E500 and SE530 will deliver more detail on the mids and highs and more definition on the low end which some would perceive as a weaker bass. The E500 and SE530 have an overall more refined output than the UM2.

I think you would be very happy with those.

Westone 3 has not yet been released but from what Westone told us, the 3 would be moving towards the SE530 and E500 signature sound wise.