UM3X vs. SM3 v2: Advice Appreciated!

[prestigetone]

Also thinking of the CK-10 now, so advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Audiophile1811]

Quote:

Audiophile1811 what would you pick? Or better yet what do you have?

 
Eventually I'll buy a Westone 4 once the price drops a little but later this month I will have a pair of Monster Turbine Pro Coppers. Maybe by the end of this year I will decide to purchase a W4 depending whether Westone will make a UM4X or not. Though it doesn't seem to be rumored much, a lot of people are hoping a UM4X is in the making, I have personally contacted Westone and asked them about it when I was later told they couldn't tell me. For now we can keep our hopes up and wait to see what happens.   

 

[High_Q]

  You don't even own W4 and you recommend it?
 
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Eventually I'll buy a Westone 4 once the price drops a little but later this month I will have a pair of Monster Turbine Pro Coppers. Maybe by the end of this year I will decide to purchase a W4 depending whether Westone will make a UM4X or not. Though it doesn't seem to be rumored much, a lot of people are hoping a UM4X is in the making, I have personally contacted Westone and asked them about it when I was later told they couldn't tell me. For now we can keep our hopes up and wait to see what happens.   

 

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

  You don't even own W4 and you recommend it?
 
 

Just because one does not own a particular IEM does not necessarily mean that they have never used it. I auditioned the Westone 3 a few months before I bought the UM3X. I liked the UM3X better, so I sent the Westone 3 back to its original owner. I have technically never owned it, but that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to recommend it. (Although I would only recommend it for someone who wants booming bass and earsplitting treble 

).
 
And what's the deal with you chewing someone out every time they recommend the W4? We get it, you didn't like it (or in this case, clearly hated it with a passion). That's okay. Sometimes a particular IEM just isn't right for you. But some people actually do enjoy it, so let them share their opinions.
 
(rant over)
 

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

I would go for UM3X.  I thought the SQ and fit worked well for me.  It is very sensitive, so no amp is needed to get good SQ from headphone out.  I could not get a decent fit for SM3, and there were standing waves to certain tones.

But I do agree with your recommendation of the UM3X.
 

 

[ib1dance]

Quote:

Also thinking of the CK-10 now, so advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 
If you like the the mid-High freq more  listening to music and don't like BIG bass , then the CK10's may reproduce the music  the way you want .
 

CK10 is a bright I.E.M with a comparably low bass impact . SQ wise it is  amongst many other high quality I.E.M, though in my Opinion it lacks a certain fundamental ,that being Balance .It sounds Bright because it's designed to over produce some higher Frequency's over lower frequency's .
 
 
If your seeking a well balanced I.E.M your on the right tracks with the SM3, which has Good quality bass,mids and highs.Only in  comparison with a I.E.M tuned like the CK10's,listening to the same music track, the SM3 will sound Darker with less Sparkle .That sparkle could be added to the SM3 simply by adding more high freq using a EQ or by simply listening to a music track that has been produced using lots of sparkle  .
 
I have not heard the westone um3x, though I have read no reviews which have addressed the SM3 as I hear it and explained how the um3x is better .Which it most probably won't be, being another 3 driver Balanced Armature it will just be a different sound signature .The main difference will be in how the IEM is tuned and what you hear either as the most true to source balanced sound or the sound that you personally have learnt to prefer over a balanced sound,like that of the Earsonic SM3 .
 
Which ever High end I.E.M you choose ,choose it on your personal preference . Listen to music and mess about with a Equalizer . If you add more bass and treble,as many do, then you should look for a V shape signature . especially since most probably you'll be already listening on a V shape signature speaker,headphone etc .
 
If you always prefer to leave the Equalizer alone or hear quite often that the highs are too harsh or the lows too loud then you'd be better looking for a more neutral sounding I.E.M .
 
I hear the SM3 as comparably neutral,  it reproducers the music as the music was mastered .But if your coming from the Big V shape sound as many consumer products are, you with either adapt or hear the mids like you've never quite heard them before .
 
Equal

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[pinoyman]

i had an sm3 before...and ive heard the um3x.
if i were to choose between the two, id rather pick the um3x.
its a lot better.
 
i sold my sm3 because...it didnt feel it has all the right tuning for you to really feel your music.
specially if youre listening to rock and pop kind of genre.

 

[KaliKot]

x2 on pinoyman's advice. He is one of my favorite reviewers
Quote:

i had an sm3 before...and ive heard the um3x.
if i were to choose between the two, id rather pick the um3x.
its a lot better.
 
i sold my sm3 because...it didnt feel it has all the right tuning for you to really feel your music.
specially if youre listening to rock and pop kind of genre.

 

 

[ib1dance]

Check out the many Multi I.E.M comparison threads that place the SM3's higher for sound quality than the um3x .
 
One of the Top IEM's on >>> http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-176-iems-compared-dunu-ares-crius-added-06-15
 
Top of the list >>> http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/553745/top-tier-showdown-top-pick-announced
 
Top out of 55 IEM >>> http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15243
 
The lists that place SM3's SQ above um3x go on  .
 
 
 
 

 

[prestigetone]

Thank you all! I am leaning towards the UM3X for the fact that people say the SM3 is polarizing. I like that I can pick out all of the instruments in the mix, but I am still looking and learning.
 
Why are Grado IEMs not more highly regarded?

 

[Omnirai]

Quote:

Thank you all! I am leaning towards the UM3X for the fact that people say the SM3 is polarizing. I like that I can pick out all of the instruments in the mix, but I am still looking and learning.
 
Why are Grado IEMs not more highly regarded?

They are indeed polarizing - but that just means that if you like it you will REALLY like it. For separation of instruments it is not to say that you can't hear it in the SM3s - everything that is supposed to be there is there, just that the way the music is presented puts less of a focus on clearly separating the instruments whereas the UM3x does this very well, to the point of sounding "unnatural" to some.

The higher-end Grado moving-armature IEMs like the GR8 and GR10 are rather well received, in particular the much more expensive GR10. Price and availability might be what is limiting their popularity, but if the GR10 sounds anything like the Ortofons as various impressions here seem to suggest then I'm sure they are excellent IEMs as well.



Quote:

Check out the many Multi I.E.M comparison threads that place the SM3's higher for sound quality than the um3x .
 
One of the Top IEM's on >>> http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-176-iems-compared-dunu-ares-crius-added-06-15
 
Top of the list >>> http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/553745/top-tier-showdown-top-pick-announced
 
Top out of 55 IEM >>> http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15243
 
The lists that place SM3's SQ above um3x go on  .
 
 
 
 

Why tell him that 3 people prefer the SM3 to the UM3x rather than describing the sounds and letting his preferences make the right decision? Why not just tell him to read the various actual reviews describing the sound? You have not even heard the UM3x, while many who have spoken here have listened to both and stated their comparisons. I prefer about 20 IEMs from joker's list that score below the SM3s over the SM3, and I'm sure many others do too. All these rankings mean is that these particular reviewers find the SM3 to sound better to their ears, and I'm sure the topic starter and these 3 reviewers don't have the same ears.
 
 

 

[prestigetone]

What is your top pick? Just curious.
 
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Why tell him that 3 people prefer the SM3 to the UM3x rather than describing the sounds and letting his preferences make the right decision? Why not just tell him to read the various actual reviews describing the sound? You have not even heard the UM3x, while many who have spoken here have listened to both and stated their comparisons. I prefer about 20 IEMs from joker's list that score below the SM3s over the SM3, and I'm sure many others do too. All these rankings mean is that these particular reviewers find the SM3 to sound better to their ears, and I'm sure the topic starter and these 3 reviewers don't have the same ears.
 

 

 

[i2ehan]

 
Quote:

Why tell him that 3 people prefer the SM3 to the UM3x rather than describing the sounds and letting his preferences make the right decision? Why not just tell him to read the various actual reviews describing the sound? You have not even heard the UM3x, while many who have spoken here have listened to both and stated their comparisons. I prefer about 20 IEMs from joker's list that score below the SM3s over the SM3, and I'm sure many others do too. All these rankings mean is that these particular reviewers find the SM3 to sound better to their ears, and I'm sure the topic starter and these 3 reviewers don't have the same ears.
 

 
Well said. Indeed, I personally wouldn't attribute one necessarily "better" than the other, unless we are speaking strictly in terms of the listeners preference.
 
@prestigetone: if you're already quite fond of the UM3X, you won't find many similarities between the SM3's and the former. The 2 are entirely different beasts. As our friend Omnirai mentioned, imaging (ie. instrument seperation) on the UM3X is unmatched, period. Of all the universals I've heard to date, nothing comes close in direct comparison. As you'll come to find, there's more than one top tier that could potentially offer what it is you're after. IMO, if you're as content with the UM3X as it sounds like from the very first post, you can't possibly go wrong. It's just as deserving as the rest of the top tiers, and Westone's build and cabling, coupled with the comply/flange tips, to my ears cannot be matched by EarSonics, though they're not too far off. If you absolutely want to consider other universals, it'd have to be something close to the UM3X's signature (which you're quite pleased with already), and the SM3's will not offer you many similarities IMO. All the best my friend!

 

[pinoyman]

all i can say is...if possible, please do try to attend meets, or ask for a demo in any iem stores, if theres any.
 
and FOLLOW your HEART.
your own EARS will tell you, which sound's better.
 
to me.
i strongly believe, people have different preferences. to the kind of music. to the kind of iem. down to the chosen daps.
 
its YOU.
try the sm3. then the um3x.
 
but if you will ask me.
definitely, it would be the UM3x.
i dont own one, but i heard it before. 
and i like what i heard.
 
i had the sm3, its very good for vocals, but theres something missing to make the instruments "SHINE".
 
i now own an fx700, and im deeply in love with it.

 

[music_4321]

I've owned both (see my sig) and preferred the UM3X by a large margin. BTW, I also know more than 3 people (and respectable head-fiers) who also preferred the UM3X - only saying this because a previous poster claimed 3 other people preferred the SM3. I'm not the sort of person who says so and so like this or that IEM. Interestingly enough, there was a poll during the early hyping days of the SM3s (about a year ago) where people were asked to choose between the SM3s or UM3X. The SM3s won by a large margin. It turns out a lot of those who had voted had NOT actually heard the the UM3X, but still voted for the SM3!
 
The polarizing aspect of the SM3s, amongst other things, came from the fact that apart from those, like me, who found the SM3 pretty wrong sounding, many of those who loved the SM3s insisted on trying all manner of tips or tip mods, equalizing and/or removing filters - all signs, at least to me, that even some of those who 'loved' the SM3s were trying to modify the original SM3 sound and were trying hard to like something deep down they really didn't but found it hard to admit/accept. Some of these people eventually sold their SM3s.
 
I personally loved the UM3X for a long time but later bought the W4, which was released 4 months ago, and found it even better sounding (more refined bass & treble and better soundstage) than the UM3X. I only wish the W4 came with detachable cables. At this price, in my view, all IEMs should have detachable cables.