[Anaxilus]

Quote:

I am also thinking that the ES5 with a good source and amp may hold up well in the competition... I would sure like to find out.

 
Oh, I've been hard at work on that front with very positive results I may add.  A Canjam trip would certainly be in order.
 

 

[cartermac]

I just used the ES5 on stage at a NYC broadway show.  ****!!!!! They sound amazing.  The house sound designer just won a Tony award for BEST SOUND DESIGN so he knows whats up.  Really impressed by them.  GO WESTONE!!!

 

[Tronz]

Quote:

I just used the ES5 on stage at a NYC broadway show.  ****!!!!! They sound amazing.  The house sound designer just won a Tony award for BEST SOUND DESIGN so he knows whats up.  Really impressed by them.  GO WESTONE!!!

 
Nice!

 

[Tronz]

Quote:

 
Oh, I've been hard at work on that front with very positive results I may add.  A Canjam trip would certainly be in order.
 

Wait? You're going to provide us with a comparison of the ES5 and the JH3A?
 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Wait? You're going to provide us with a comparison of the ES5 and the JH3A?

Woah woah woah there.  

  All I was saying is I've been improving my sources w/ the ES5 and if I get to Canjam I'd be eager to hear how they compare to the 3A even though they would be demos.
 

 

[googleli]

Just listened to the most popular Canto pop song in Hong Kong at this moment, through the ES5. There hasn't been a song which has become this popular in Hong Kong for what, the last five years? Not necessarily very good but it is good to see a song appears once in a while which became extremely popular to revive the Canto pop market.
 
Anyway, I listened to this song with every headphone and IEM I have, and the Stepdance -> SR71A -> ES5 combo ranks third among about 10 different IEMs and headphones. Quite an accomplishment of the ES5 I'd say. 
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ4fKSmOf3U
 
(Of course, I listened to the CD version / wav version, not youtube)
 

 

[dj nellie]

Wow, this thread has blown up since I last posted.  I just got my first bona fide desktop amp, the Violectric V200, and I decided to do a quick check to see how the ES5s sound with it and my Lavry DA10 as the source.
 
I really haven't taken the ES5s out much since I got my UE Reference Monitors; every time I try to do an A-B comparison between the two IEMs, it's immediately apparent to me that the UERMs have more crispness, transparency, and realism.  The ES5s just sound noticeably more veiled, muffled, and clouded to me.  There is definitely a sweetness that the ES5 possesses, but I just can't get over how much more open and effortless the UERMs sound.  In addition, the ES5s are so sensitive that they reveal hissing/humming with high-end amps, and they're too loud with the portable sources I've tried (most dramatically with the CLAS, which I admit is an extraordinarily hot source).
 
Using a cheap mini-to-stereo adapter, I plugged my ES5 into the V200 and immediately heard a conspicuous hum from the amp--even with no music playing.  I then plugged in my UERMs and heard virtually no hum or hiss.  I won't go into detail about the sound quality of the ES5 with the V200 (which I felt was clearly below what I heard from the UERM), but the humming I heard with the ES5 was disappointing.  The ES5s seem too sensitive for many portable sources and amps, and also for higher-end amps with more power.
 
I hope I'm not misjudging the ES5, an IEM which I really enjoyed until I got the UERM.  My internal comparisons between the ES5 and the JH16 would usually lead to a toss-up, with maybe a slight preference for the ES5.  But now I can't really make time for either of those IEMs, because I'm finding the UERM to have significantly better synergy with my equipment (i.e. less hiss and more volume range), and it's also obvious to me that the UERM is providing more clarity.  I ordered a Pico Slim a few weeks ago in the hopes that it would give me the low gain that these sensitive IEMs really demand, so I'll see if the Slim will somehow unlock something in the ES5 that my other amps haven't been able to.
 
Ultimately, though, I don't foresee the ES5 sounding better to me than the UERM in any setup.  I'm happy that so many people are enjoying the ES5; it's an awesome IEM and Westone is a very responsive and reliable company that (IME) makes near-perfect fitting customs.  But I'm a bit mystified that the UERM hasn't enjoyed a better reception on Head-Fi--is it the low number of drivers?  The emphasis in marketing materials on "neutrality", which some may interpret as boring or sterile?
 
I have yet to hear a custom IEM that fits so many different sources and amps, from the headphone out of a Classic, to desktop amps and DACs, to a studio mixing board (which I heard at the NY meet).  If you have a chance to hear the UERM demo at a meet, it's an opportunity that shouldn't be missed.

 

[uelover]

I could have gone down the UERM route had it not been for the fact that I don't live in the States and that international customer support from UE has not been very 'comforting'.
 
I am, afterall, UE-lover =)

 

[Anaxilus]

Funny, I tend to do the opposite w/ the UERM and ES5.  It sounds like you listen at very low levels so I wonder if that explains the difference as I listen around 70+dB if I had to guess based on my external dB meter.  I'm surprised you also still have that veil or muffle.  Many of us were able to pass through that phase early on.  I also know it's not psycho-acoustics as I can swap between both immediately w/o sensing veil or muffle like I did out of the box.  
 
I only experience humm or hiss when using high gain devices.  No problems w/ the DACport, Arrow or UHA6S at all.  Most of the time my ES5 is dead nutz silent not to mention when I run optical into the UHA6S.  Flip the gain switch and it's a different story.  As always YMMV.  
 
Btw, I've found awesome synergy w/ the UERM if you are interested.  UH6AS w/ OPA627 opamps.  Adds some of the richness and body from the ES5 to the UERM.  Really kicks them up another notch.  I much prefer it to the Pico Slim myself though size is no contest.  The Slim seems perfect for your tastes and needs.

 

[googleli]

I have the UE18 Pro and same results here - connecting to my Leben CS300XS tube amp, the 18 Pro has no or very little hiss but connecting the ES5 to it, the noise is unacceptable. However, IEMs to me are for portable use and I won't connect my IEMs to my desktop setup except out of curiosity, given that I already have the LCD2 and Stax SR009.
 
I may pull the plunge on either the JH3A+JH 16 Pro or the UERM in the next few months. The JH3A and JH16 Pro combo will complete the picture for me - I will have all the flagship customs (3A+16 Pro, Westone ES5 and UE18 Pro). On the other hand, the UERM will be more on the neutral side. Tough choice to make.

 

[dj nellie]

Not that it really matters, but which custom does UE consider its "flagship" now?  The UERM is listed first on the UE webpage (http://ultimateears.com/en-us/products/reference-monitors).  The UE18 costs more, but then so does the UE11.
 
I was very tempted by the JH3A, but JHA's decision to remove the option to retrofit JH13/16s has basically killed that dream for me.  I can't imagine spending $1800 on yet another custom IEM setup--that money seems much better spent on my desktop rig at this point.
 
googleli, do you notice any significant differences between your ES5 and UE18 in terms of detail retrieval or clarity?  As for your choice of next custom, I would vote (unsurprisingly) for the UERM.  I feel that it's a great compliment to every other custom I've heard, simply because it sounds totally unique.  Jude's comparison of the UERM to the HD800 seems appropriate based on my multiple auditions of the HD800; just as the HD800 always seems to wow me with its clean bass and one-of-a kind sound signature, when I hear the UERM after listening to my other customs it feels like subtle layers of warmth and cloudiness have been wiped away.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

 

I would consider the UERM to be the flagship no doubt.  The UE18 demo I heard didn't do it for me personally.  The UERM does the job it was designed to do, no more, no less.  Its not perfect but succeeds in many ways if that is the sound you are after.  I'll say this too.  The UERM is the only triple driver BA I've ever liked though I've only heard 3-4 of them.
 

 

[Tronz]

Quote:

Wow, this thread has blown up since I last posted.  I just got my first bona fide desktop amp, the Violectric V200, and I decided to do a quick check to see how the ES5s sound with it and my Lavry DA10 as the source.
 
I really haven't taken the ES5s out much since I got my UE Reference Monitors; every time I try to do an A-B comparison between the two IEMs, it's immediately apparent to me that the UERMs have more crispness, transparency, and realism.  The ES5s just sound noticeably more veiled, muffled, and clouded to me.  There is definitely a sweetness that the ES5 possesses, but I just can't get over how much more open and effortless the UERMs sound.  In addition, the ES5s are so sensitive that they reveal hissing/humming with high-end amps, and they're too loud with the portable sources I've tried (most dramatically with the CLAS, which I admit is an extraordinarily hot source).
 
Using a cheap mini-to-stereo adapter, I plugged my ES5 into the V200 and immediately heard a conspicuous hum from the amp--even with no music playing.  I then plugged in my UERMs and heard virtually no hum or hiss.  I won't go into detail about the sound quality of the ES5 with the V200 (which I felt was clearly below what I heard from the UERM), but the humming I heard with the ES5 was disappointing.  The ES5s seem too sensitive for many portable sources and amps, and also for higher-end amps with more power.
 
I hope I'm not misjudging the ES5, an IEM which I really enjoyed until I got the UERM.  My internal comparisons between the ES5 and the JH16 would usually lead to a toss-up, with maybe a slight preference for the ES5.  But now I can't really make time for either of those IEMs, because I'm finding the UERM to have significantly better synergy with my equipment (i.e. less hiss and more volume range), and it's also obvious to me that the UERM is providing more clarity.  I ordered a Pico Slim a few weeks ago in the hopes that it would give me the low gain that these sensitive IEMs really demand, so I'll see if the Slim will somehow unlock something in the ES5 that my other amps haven't been able to.
 
Ultimately, though, I don't foresee the ES5 sounding better to me than the UERM in any setup.  I'm happy that so many people are enjoying the ES5; it's an awesome IEM and Westone is a very responsive and reliable company that (IME) makes near-perfect fitting customs.  But I'm a bit mystified that the UERM hasn't enjoyed a better reception on Head-Fi--is it the low number of drivers?  The emphasis in marketing materials on "neutrality", which some may interpret as boring or sterile?
 
I have yet to hear a custom IEM that fits so many different sources and amps, from the headphone out of a Classic, to desktop amps and DACs, to a studio mixing board (which I heard at the NY meet).  If you have a chance to hear the UERM demo at a meet, it's an opportunity that shouldn't be missed.

Veil? That is the last thing that pops up in my head when I think of the sound from the ES5's.

 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Veil? That is the last thing that pops up in my head when I think of the sound from the ES5's.

 

X2

 

[Naim.F.C]

To the gentlemen who feel the ES5 is without a veil, have any of you tried the W4 and do you believe the Westone 4 is also free of a veil? How do they compare sonically? Just curious.