[Jodiuh]

Going to unsubscribe from this thread, but wanted to thank all of you for your posts.

Before I go however, I just wanted to again let those that aren't 100% thrilled w/ their UM Pro that the W series offers a MUCH wider stage and much less of a treble cutoff. It lacks that intimate sound, but IMO, it's the better listening experience for those of us that want a little more space and sparkler.

Have a great weekend guys!

 

[twister6]

Going to unsubscribe from this thread, but wanted to thank all of you for your posts.

Before I go however, I just wanted to again let those that aren't 100% thrilled w/ their UM Pro that the W series offers a MUCH wider stage and much less of a treble cutoff. It lacks that intimate sound, but IMO, it's the better listening experience for those of us that want a little more space and sparkler.

Have a great weekend guys!

Just like that, "going to unsubscribe", leaving us with a cliffhanger of why?!? Or, the explanation because you are switching to W-series from UM pro series?

 

[dkstott]

Interesting. My W-30 cable just went South due to fraying. I've ordered a new cable.

While I'm waiting for it to arrive. I pulled out my very old original UM2. OMG. I forgot how fun the sound signature of the UM's were.

It's like getting new earbuds. Lol

 

[HuoYuanJia]

In case it went under the radar.
The Westone UM1 has been completely redone just recently.

 

[MikeLitoris]

Hello!

Seeing how this thread has been mainly focused on the um pro 30 & 50, I've decided to shed some light on the UM pro 10's. I feel that this capable pair of IEMs have gone severely unnoticed despite their stellar performance. Anyway do forgive me, I'm rather inexperienced as I rarely post (more of a lurker actually) and rather bad with the jargon in this aspect. My main aim is to help those deciding on the budget-fi level. (Many random tips along the way!)

A little about my preference : I tend to value comfort (as do many) over the rest. Even if tonality is right, I'll rid of the IEM almost immediately if it causes the slightest discomfort. I would say I prefer a neutral signature but recently I find myself more versatile, enjoying both bright and warmth. Below are the IEMs I've tried, some of which I owned for extended periods.

Owned:
Shure SE215 LTD
Westone W4R
Inear Stagediver SD3
Final Audio FI-BA-SS
Westone W40
Westone UM pro 10

Tried briefly:
JH Layla II
Westone UM pro 30 & 50
Westone W60
Shure SE846
Shure SE535
Westone UM1 (updated)

Comfort
The IEMs listed under owned are in chronological sequence, with the SE215 being the first IEM I've owned and the UM pro 10 my current daily driver. For those contemplating between the SE215 and UM pro 10, I'd recommend the pro 10 in a heartbeat. Starting off with the fit and comfort, the SE215 has a much larger and tubbier shell compared to the UM pro's small factor, making it less favorable to my small ears. Of course this is subjective and those with larger ears may prefer the shures instead. But hell, the pro 10's are really small and comfortable. If my memory holds true, they are the smallest in the UM Pro series - which makes sense as they have the least number of drivers. Another thing to note is the mmcx connector. Aforementioned by many earlier in this thread, the mmcx connector of the westones are rather different, and they do swivel much less than the Shures which were truly a pain when putting on.

Sound
This is the hardest part for me actually, by no means am I an audiophile - merely a casual listener.
The UM pro 10 reminded my much of the FIBASS, again understandable because they are both single drivers but there is almost a thousand dollar difference between them.

Lows: Many reviews indicate that the UM pro 10's are bass light which made me hesitant to purchase it at the start as I do appreciate bass. The key is to getting a proper seal with the westones. Once this is attained, the bass on the UM pro 10s become punchy with excellent rumble and deep extension. Bass is much more controlled and attack is fast whereas rather bloated on the SE215s.
(Tracks: Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger, Holly Cole - Train Song)
Mids: Vocals are raw, crisp, clear and slightly forward - not as forward compared to SE215's but much more organic/natural sounding imo. I wouldn't say they are extremely analytical but details are definitely there.
(Tracks: Jasmine Thompson - La La La, Hey There Delilah)
Highs: The UM pro 10's are sweet and polite, with the highs being smooth and non-sibilant, compared to the FIBASS with harsher highs (FIBASS was tuned to be raw and revealing). Both are very airy contributing to wide sound-staging. In The Turtles - Happy Together, the beginning sequence of instruments from right to left to center can be placed with great accuracy.

Additional stuff:

Eartips
I can't emphasize enough, getting the right tip is important - to attain the proper seal allows you to listen to what the manufacturer intended for you hear. For me foamies never felt right, whereas silicon Star tips (blue) provided the best sound quality but the Shure silicon single flanges provided the best comfort + sound balance. Had a great experience with tip rolling, from spiral dots to spinfits to sony hybrids with my FIBASS and it has certainly shown me benefits of choosing the right tips. Seriously, spend more money on buying a variety of eartips!

Cables
Yes, controversial. Have been a non-believer myself. My first aftermarket cable was the Fiio RC-WT1 iirc, bought for my westone W4R. I can testify, microphonics are off the charts! Horrible grinding noises while on the go.. Anyway, I recently saw a 20 AWG 6 Core braided SPC cable going so cheap that I decided to pull the trigger again. Wow, didn't expect I'd say this but there IS a noticeable difference in sound quality - A little brighter sparkle in highs and a deeper lows; overall a fuller presentation. I would like to say it is some kind of placebo or expectation bias but comparing it to fiio cable's improvement is almost like day and night. I don't mean to influence anyone here but if you have extra money to dish out on a cable, buy a THICK one. Else save that cash. I'm convinced that a thicker cable will bring more merits compared to the material of the cable (SPC, OCC, OFC, pure copper, pure silver, hybrid etc.). My theory is that either the change in impedance from the cable affects the sound signature, or the weight of the thick cable over the ears simply provide better propagation of sound into your ears - much like how your phone's loudspeaker will sound louder when on a table surface and hollow when holding it in your hands. Either way follow the golden rule: don't buy a cable more expensive than the IEMs itself!

Amp/Dacs
There's a particular Amp/Dac that isn't that mainstream here. If you've heard of the brand, Creative, try out the Creative SoundBlasterAxx 200. It is a portable speaker on its own but features its own processing chip instead with various smart features. One of which is the SBX mode - try it!

To end this off, I'd like to do a little ranking of my top three.

SQ:
W60 > FIBASS > W4R

Comfort:
UM Pro 10 >> W4R > FIBASS

Value:
UM Pro 10 >>> Others

Cheers!

 

[twister6]

Hello!

Seeing how this thread has been mainly focused on the um pro 30 & 50, I've decided to shed some light on the UM pro 10's. I feel that this capable pair of IEMs have gone severely unnoticed despite their stellar performance. Anyway do forgive me, I'm rather inexperienced as I rarely post (more of a lurker actually) and rather bad with the jargon in this aspect. My main aim is to help those deciding on the budget-fi level. (Many random tips along the way!)

A little about my preference : I tend to value comfort (as do many) over the rest. Even if tonality is right, I'll rid of the IEM almost immediately if it causes the slightest discomfort. I would say I prefer a neutral signature but recently I find myself more versatile, enjoying both bright and warmth. Below are the IEMs I've tried, some of which I owned for extended periods.

Owned:
Shure SE215 LTD
Westone W4R
Inear Stagediver SD3
Final Audio FI-BA-SS
Westone W40
Westone UM pro 10

Tried briefly:
JH Layla II
Westone UM pro 30 & 50
Westone W60
Shure SE846
Shure SE535
Westone UM1 (updated)

Comfort
The IEMs listed under owned are in chronological sequence, with the SE215 being the first IEM I've owned and the UM pro 10 my current daily driver. For those contemplating between the SE215 and UM pro 10, I'd recommend the pro 10 in a heartbeat. Starting off with the fit and comfort, the SE215 has a much larger and tubbier shell compared to the UM pro's small factor, making it less favorable to my small ears. Of course this is subjective and those with larger ears may prefer the shures instead. But hell, the pro 10's are really small and comfortable. If my memory holds true, they are the smallest in the UM Pro series - which makes sense as they have the least number of drivers. Another thing to note is the mmcx connector. Aforementioned by many earlier in this thread, the mmcx connector of the westones are rather different, and they do swivel much less than the Shures which were truly a pain when putting on.

Sound
This is the hardest part for me actually, by no means am I an audiophile - merely a casual listener.
The UM pro 10 reminded my much of the FIBASS, again understandable because they are both single drivers but there is almost a thousand dollar difference between them.

Lows: Many reviews indicate that the UM pro 10's are bass light which made me hesitant to purchase it at the start as I do appreciate bass. The key is to getting a proper seal with the westones. Once this is attained, the bass on the UM pro 10s become punchy with excellent rumble and deep extension. Bass is much more controlled and attack is fast whereas rather bloated on the SE215s.
(Tracks: Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger, Holly Cole - Train Song)
Mids: Vocals are raw, crisp, clear and slightly forward - not as forward compared to SE215's but much more organic/natural sounding imo. I wouldn't say they are extremely analytical but details are definitely there.
(Tracks: Jasmine Thompson - La La La, Hey There Delilah)
Highs: The UM pro 10's are sweet and polite, with the highs being smooth and non-sibilant, compared to the FIBASS with harsher highs (FIBASS was tuned to be raw and revealing). Both are very airy contributing to wide sound-staging. In The Turtles - Happy Together, the beginning sequence of instruments from right to left to center can be placed with great accuracy.

Additional stuff:

Eartips
I can't emphasize enough, getting the right tip is important - to attain the proper seal allows you to listen to what the manufacturer intended for you hear. For me foamies never felt right, whereas silicon Star tips (blue) provided the best sound quality but the Shure silicon single flanges provided the best comfort + sound balance. Had a great experience with tip rolling, from spiral dots to spinfits to sony hybrids with my FIBASS and it has certainly shown me benefits of choosing the right tips. Seriously, spend more money on buying a variety of eartips!

Cables
Yes, controversial. Have been a non-believer myself. My first aftermarket cable was the Fiio RC-WT1 iirc, bought for my westone W4R. I can testify, microphonics are off the charts! Horrible grinding noises while on the go.. Anyway, I recently saw a 20 AWG 6 Core braided SPC cable going so cheap that I decided to pull the trigger again. Wow, didn't expect I'd say this but there IS a noticeable difference in sound quality - A little brighter sparkle in highs and a deeper lows; overall a fuller presentation. I would like to say it is some kind of placebo or expectation bias but comparing it to fiio cable's improvement is almost like day and night. I don't mean to influence anyone here but if you have extra money to dish out on a cable, buy a THICK one. Else save that cash. I'm convinced that a thicker cable will bring more merits compared to the material of the cable (SPC, OCC, OFC, pure copper, pure silver, hybrid etc.). My theory is that either the change in impedance from the cable affects the sound signature, or the weight of the thick cable over the ears simply provide better propagation of sound into your ears - much like how your phone's loudspeaker will sound louder when on a table surface and hollow when holding it in your hands. Either way follow the golden rule: don't buy a cable more expensive than the IEMs itself!

Amp/Dacs
There's a particular Amp/Dac that isn't that mainstream here. If you've heard of the brand, Creative, try out the Creative SoundBlasterAxx 200. It is a portable speaker on its own but features its own processing chip instead with various smart features. One of which is the SBX mode - try it!

To end this off, I'd like to do a little ranking of my top three.

SQ:
W60 > FIBASS > W4R

Comfort:
UM Pro 10 >> W4R > FIBASS

Value:
UM Pro 10 >>> Others

Cheers!

This is actually an excellent detailed review! Add a few pictures and it can easily go on Head Gear section of head fi!

 

[dannyvstheworld]

I love um pro 10. Ive had lots of budget in ears, SE215LTD, Byron, Focal Sphear, F3000, HF5, tons of cheap Sony.. and um pro 10 being the most satisfying.

I really really like its tonality: crystal clear and engaging vocal, with the treble just enough to make electric guitar sing but still easy to the ear, and the bass is well controlled. For any budget in ear, I always prefer less bass to uncontrolled booming bass bleeding into mid.. I think it's amazing that a single BA driver can sound so good, that I'm thinking about getting a GR10e or Orion, looking for similar tonality with better resolution.

SE215LTD is fun, and has insane isolation, but unbalanced, and I hate memory wire..

 

[MikeLitoris]

This is actually an excellent detailed review! Add a few pictures and it can easily go on Head Gear section of head fi!

THANKS!

I need help with that.. I have no idea how to upload an image.

Edit: Uploaded!!!!

 

[MikeLitoris]

I love um pro 10. Ive had lots of budget in ears, SE215LTD, Byron, Focal Sphear, F3000, HF5, tons of cheap Sony.. and um pro 10 being the most satisfying.

I really really like its tonality: crystal clear and engaging vocal, with the treble just enough to make electric guitar sing but still easy to the ear, and the bass is well controlled. For any budget in ear, I always prefer less bass to uncontrolled booming bass bleeding into mid.. I think it's amazing that a single BA driver can sound so good, that I'm thinking about getting a GR10e or Orion, looking for similar tonality with better resolution.

SE215LTD is fun, and has insane isolation, but unbalanced, and I hate memory wire..

+1
UM Pro 10 is a solid performer. Not to mention it is naturally coherent, without the complication of those multi-crossover systems needed for multi-BAs. Strongly urge even those with thousand dollar TOTLs to give it a try.

 

[ordinarymim]

^ This!!! Pro 50 has been the biggest puzzle for me with a love-hate relationship when I first start listening to it. Now, I'm addicted to its sound, and think it has the most organic timbre out of anything I have listened to. A lot of headphones in my collection are bright in the upper mids/treble, which makes them more revealing and exciting, and my brain got adjusted to that signature. So when I start listening to Pro 50, it was too dark for me. They are more on a darker side, but after many hours of listening (and 100hrs of combined burn in and listening) - I started to appreciate more and more how NATURAL it sounds. It's not an artificial sound, it's pure and organic, very ear-friendly. Keep in mind, big part of Westone business is still hearing earpieces, and these guys know how to tune their drivers Now even W40, in comparison to Pro 50, sounds a bit harsh and less realistic at the top end.

Btw, as much as Epic cable is convenient, I would strongly suggest investing into Pure Silver Litz type of cable for Pro 50. Not silver-plated Litz or Pure Copper, but Pure Silver cable. I'm testing Whiplash TWag v3 now and very pleased with it in comparison to Pure Copper (detailed, but still warm/smooth) and even Linum Silver-Plated Litz (very detailed, but too much boost at low end). Pure Silver significantly improves retrieval of details, improves dynamics of the sound, super transparent, and soundstage improvement is very noticeable as well (especially with imaging and positioning of instruments and vocals). Something I discovered with TWag v3, in a few of the songs the decay of panned sounds was too short and the sounds itself were veiled (when using stock OFC Epic cable) - all this specific to hard L/R panned sounds. UM Pro 50 is not a king of sound stage, it's a Pro series for musicians to keep a focus on the music. Well, this Pure Silver cable opens up the soundstage and captures all the details at the edges of it. I'm using hi-res Cayin N6 DAP, so a level of detail retrieval will depend on a quality of your source, but still I'm quite amazed with what I'm hearing after I switched to TWag v3.

Hello again Sir Twister6,

I am using my pro50 with just my phone, will the pure silver cable be better for me? I am not interested in getting a HQ dac/Amp. Is SQ gets better when you use it with your Note 4 ?

Thanks again.

 

[twister6]

Hello again Sir Twister6,

I am using my pro50 with just my phone, will the pure silver cable be better for me? I am not interested in getting a HQ dac/Amp. Is SQ gets better when you use it with your Note 4 ?

Thanks again.

It does gets better, but I can't quantify it because different people will hear a different level of improvement. I do find UMPro50 to pair up well with pure silver cable, but when it comes to using a phone as a source - I had improvement in sound quality just by switching to the latest updated version of Neutron audio player. Too many variables And I want you to have realistic expectation, instead of assuming that $300 cable will improve the sound quality 50%. I find the cable to refine the sound, rather than changing it drastically. But, it's very common to find pure silver to brighten the sound which works well with UMPro50.

 

[ordinarymim]

It does gets better, but I can't quantify it because different people will hear a different level of improvement. I do find UMPro50 to pair up well with pure silver cable, but when it comes to using a phone as a source - I had improvement in sound quality just by switching to the latest updated version of Neutron audio player. Too many variables And I want you to have realistic expectation, instead of assuming that $300 cable will improve the sound quality 50%. I find the cable to refine the sound, rather than changing it drastically. But, it's very common to find pure silver to brighten the sound which works well with UMPro50.

Thanks again Sir Twister6. I will just save up and go for the w80. All the reading I did from this thread just pushing my mind to get a cable upgrade.
I like to thank everyone on this thread, I have learned a lot. In the mean time, I will now sit back and enjoy the beautiful sound of the pro50.
I love Neutron too.

 

[twister6]

Thanks again Sir Twister6. I will just save up and go for the w80. All the reading I did from this thread just pushing my mind to get a cable upgrade.
I like to thank everyone on this thread, I have learned a lot. In the mean time, I will now sit back and enjoy the beautiful sound of the pro50.
I love Neutron too.

Yeah, Neutron is great, but once you switch it to high quality audio, it drains phone's battery like crazy

 

[swesko]

Yeah, Neutron is great, but once you switch it to high quality audio, it drains phone's battery like crazy

How are the fourte vs w80?

 

[twister6]

How are the fourte vs w80?

Two different sound sigs, and a big difference in price