[Emon]

Where's the treble?? Even with all the equalization in the world, I cannot get my new UM2s to produce any decent highs. My ER-6 have a much more clear, refined sound. The UM2s sound cheap and muddy. ER-6 MSRP is $140, UM2 MSRP is $450. What gives? I've been listening all day and I can't get over the total lack of highs.

The low end isn't even that great, either. I need to do quite a bit of equalization to get decent bass using my E-MU 1212m. My HD600s, both amped and unamped, have better bass than these. With the EQ, though, the low end is pretty nice. So maybe it's just my source...but the 1212m is pretty flat as far as I know...that's kind of the whole point to prosumer studio equipment. But that's kind of irrelevant, since I can easily get the low end to sound how I like it.

I'm going to order a pair of ER-4Ps from EarphoneSolutions before that 20% off Head-Fi discount is over on Thursday, then do a head-to-head comparison. I can also try the Etymotic tips on the UM2s to see how they affect the sound.

So...I guess I'm asking for general opinions. I like my ER-6s and that Ety sound, how much better would the ER-4Ps be? If I can get my ER-6s to thump with some simple equalization between foobar2000 and PatchMix DSP, then I doubt I would have trouble getting the ER-4Ps to do the same.

I like the cold, flat and transparent sound my 1212m + ER-6 gets me. With the UM2 I was looking for something similar. I knew they wouldn't have an Ety sound, but I didn't expect them to be so...not very good. Maybe the ER-4P is my best bet?

 

[redshifter]

if you get the er4p make or buy the p-s adapter. the first time i tried the er4p i thought the filters were clogged and changed them right away. they weren't. the p-s adapter helps bring out that crystaline ety treble.

oh, and if you like music thumping, give the super.fi 5 pro a try. good treble too.

 

[Emon]

I was thinking about the Super.fi 5 Pro until I read that the UM2s had better highs. Though I now realize that was probably written by a UM2 fanboy and is probably completely untrue.

How does the Super.fi 5 Pro's highs compare to the ER-4P and ER-6's highs? I don't need the highest, clearest most detailed Ety highs, but I would like something that's clear and sharp. Symbols should have that high sparkle that they have in real life. I get that with the ER-6s, with the UM2 it sounds like a symbol playing in the other room. Just awful.

 

[jagger333]

emon...check your ears first...then check the seal...if you think ER6 is better than UM2...i'd suggest you go back to say stock ipod buds...

btw..if you think um2 has no treble...there is no hope for superfis...which i sold due to treble roll off...i sold E5 due to powerin mids and lack of treble...and settled with UM2

 

[Emon]

I have fiddled with the seal endlessly. They feel tight and well seated, they're blocking about as much noise as my ER-6s. I got pretty familiar with the shape of my ear canal during my tenure with the ER-6s, I don't see how I could do be doing anything wrong.

I hope I'm doing something wrong because I want to like these things. My HD600s, unamped, had more bass and were significantly brighter. That either means I don't have these in right or they just plain suck.

Also, I just did some more objective listening. Right now, to my ears, after listening to the UM2s all day, the ER-6s and UM2s seem like opposites. ER-6s have a fairly clean but someone cheap high end and not much bass. The UM2s have a fairly clean but someone cheap low end and absolutely no high end.

Sorry if I offended any UM2 fanboys, I want to like these, I really do, but nothing I do makes them sound right.

 

[Riku540]

I disagree. I haven't heard etys but the super.fi's are great in all ranges of the sound spectrum. The highs sparkle and should satisfy you especially when amped; the top and bottom really opens up. I'd say at least audition a pair before the sale goes out, and if you're not satisfied then just return them. I can strongly guarantee though, that you'll probably be keeping them. q(^_^)p

 

[Emon]

Yeah, I'm thinking of ordering the ER-4P and Super.fi 5 Pros before Thursday. I just don't think my dad would like seeing a $400 purchase on his credit card statement.

Then again he never checks anyway.

 

[jagger333]

again...you need to make the judgement after you heard both superfi and um2...

from my experience of owning all three

um2>e5>superfi in terms of treble...

not a fanboy...just went crazy for a while and bought a lot of headphones

btw if you like treble...try e4...it will blow all three of them away IMO...but lacks in the bass department...e4 will be the closest to er4p in terms of treble but with more bass

 

[dk123]

I recently got the Um2s after having the E4s for a while, and at first, I didn't care for the Um2s, but after getting used to them coming from the Shures, I think they are an improvement overall. I have found the best results with the Shure soft sleeves soundwise. That said, there is some muddiness to them that I don't like that much. I think the treble is good though, it's just that the bass seems to be overwhelming and muddying the sound sometimes.

 

[exkgb]

Seriously, don't compare the HD600 to IEMs, they probably sound better than all IEMS save perhaps the sensa and UE10. I prefer my Grado SR60 to my UM2, full sized phone just have that sound to them which IEMs can't replicate. As for ety vs UM2, perhaps your ears are not suited to the kind of sound that UM2 has, try different tips maybe, I found moving from comply to biflange clears up the highs a bit and make the bass more controlled. But seriously, for an IEM, the consensus is that UM2 has great bass.

btw, if you totally love the ER6 sound, perhaps the ER4 or the new Altech lansing line ( ER4 with more bass ) is probably what you should look at. etys have fakely detailed and overblown trebles which I think will appeal to people who likes that kind of sharp annoying sound.

 

[catscratch]

What tips are you using? The comply tips will really mute the treble. The UM2's sound will change drastically depending on what tips you use, and with some (the Ety tri-flanges turned into bi-flanges, for instance), they can be almost as bright as the Etys themselves. If you can get your hands on a Shure fit kit, it will give you a whole lot of different tips to experiment with.

If you've only heard the UM2's with comply tips, you are not qualified to talk about their sound! I repeat: the difference between each eartip is huge. No other IEM that I've tried exhibits this kind of variability! You're doing yourself a disservice, IMO, if you dismiss the UM2 without having tried different eartips first.

But, it also sounds like the UM2 is not for you. If you want cold and linear, well honestly, your best bet would be the ER-4S and an amp. The ER-4P has a very spiky jacked-up treble which also somehow manages to not be very extended. It also has very shortened transients. That's a problem on the ER-4S too, but it can be mitigated by the use of a liquid-sounding amp. The ER-4S with a quality portable amp, or a good stationary one, can surpass the sound of the UM2 in most aspects, and surpass the sound of a good many full-size headphones besides. The detail of the ER-4S may be artificially heightened by the missing transients, but they're still sensationally detailed, and their imaging is awesome, even if the soundstage is rather compressed.

 

[Emon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch If you've only heard the UM2's with comply tips, you are not qualified to talk about their sound! I repeat: the difference between each eartip is huge. No other IEM that I've tried exhibits this kind of variability! You're doing yourself a disservice, IMO, if you dismiss the UM2 without having tried different eartips first.

Well, that's good news. People told me there was a huge difference on Etys between flanged tips and foamies, I heard almost none. Hopefully these will be different.

 

[Emon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by exkgb I prefer my Grado SR60 to my UM2, full sized phone just have that sound to them which IEMs can't replicate.

I've apparently given IEMs too much credit, then. I liked my ER-6s because they blew away my KSC75s and HD497s. In some ways I prefer them to my HD600s, mostly the detail. I dunno, maybe my ears just suck.

I'm waiting for a response from EarphoneSolutions to see if I can get some free triflanges (save shipping) since they're offered with the UM2s, but I forgot to add them to my cart.

 

[Malus]

I just received mine as well. The triflanges seem to have a much better seal than the comfies; after putting in the triflanges I found that the music became much brighter and the bass has more impact. I still like my RS-1's better, but the triflanges are an improvement (I actually find them more comfy too).

 

[elephantman]

The only way i can explain this, is that u got used to ety signature, which is so different from westone. Also, its not fair to compare canalphone to overhead.