[feNcheL]

Had the chance to audition UM1's today and was very impressed with the reproduction of vocals, which sounded clear and natural.
I thought about buying these, but decided to get a bit of advice first

So are there any competitors in the same price range that I should consider as well? Oh and I do not benefit from US/UK black Friday sales since I live in Hong Kong..
Tastewise, I am not a basshead and mainly listen to Rock and Symphonic Metal.

I also tried Super.fi 4's, but didn't like them very much. Super.fi 3 Studio however is recommended by many, is it worth considering?

 

[Turko]

this iem is not personal listener.Um1 is stage phone .Waste of money for me

 

[Calexico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turko /img/forum/go_quote.gif this iem is not personal listener.Um1 is stage phone .Waste of money for me

???

What's your price range?

 

[feNcheL]

Price range would be up to 150 US, but not further than that (since people here have the habit of recommending phones 30% more expensive and saying: It's just a bit over your budget, if you would just save up a bit, you could...). I'm still open to exceptions over my budget, but those really have to be justified and explained well.

 

[-NaCl-]

For the comfort, UM1, or perhaps just Westone alone is unbeatable. Based on the stuff I've read about it and the reduce price on various earphone, I begin to think that's it is a bit overpriced.

Since you said you listened to the UM1, was it from a friend, or at a local shop?
Is it possible for you to demo sf3, sf5p, im716, er6i, denon 751, etc

yeah, the only thing i notice on my UM1 is the vocal... and fiio E3+impedance adaptor helped the bass a bit
but still, i like my ksc75 more than the UM1, despite its sibilance.

 

[feNcheL]

Ok I listened to the Westone's in a local shop, which had more of the lower end for auditioning (the UM1, the SF4 and some V-moda's being the best I think) but there's a bigger shop somewhere else which might have more. However, it's pretty far away from my place and very inconvenient so I thought I'd rather get some good suggestions that I will audition thoroughly and then deciding on the spot.

I heard that the SF5 is overpriced and anyway over my budget and unfortunately they don't have Altec Lansing's (so no im716)

 

[-NaCl-]

I cannot comment on the price in Hong Kong.

I'd still recommend you to figure out what shops in Hong Kong has to offer, maybe just calling. Don't feel shy about calling for your hobby/enjoyment.
Other than those I mentioned, I cannot really think of anything else that fits your budget. Well, there's Shure, Head-Direct, and Futuresonic...
I've read many great things about the Head-Direct's RE2. You can search/ask around about the RE2.

 

[feNcheL]

Ok I'll just list some other phones in about the same price range:
Sony MDR EX-500 //wouldn't consider these unless somebody explains what they're good for

Super.fi 3 Studio

Jays D-Jays

Etymotic ER-6 or ER-6i

Denon AH-C751

maybe super.fi 5

how would they compare to UM1 based on my preferences? Unfortunately I don't have the chance to audition them, so I'll have to make a choice based on everybody's opinions..
Thanks in advance!

 

[Crikey]

You might want to try going to mingo's place in Mong Kok to try out more phones. he has most of the phones available on the marketplace for audition (definitely the more popular ones). Depending on where you live he might be in a convenient spot. His site is www.mingo-hmw.net

 

[feNcheL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crikey /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might want to try going to mingo's place in Mong Kok to try out more phones. he has most of the phones available on the marketplace for audition (definitely the more popular ones). Depending on where you live he might be in a convenient spot. His site is www.mingo-hmw.net

Thanks for the advice, I know mingo.
But I usually go to mingo's local Wanchai store because it's much more convenient (since I live on HK Island) and transportation fees in HK are really high (at least for me as a poor student).
But if you say that they allow me to audition some higher priced ones that would certainly help. Up to now, I haven't visited the main shop due to above mentioned reasons..

 

[nsx_23]

I was sort of in the same situation as you earlier in the year. I auditioned the UM1 quiet a bit against the SF5pro, and preferred the UEs.

The UM1s just lacked a little something to my ears, with a much more recessed treble and less "punchy" bass compared to the SF5pro. I guess its a matter of personal preference, but I found the livelier sound of the UE more enjoyable.

Fit will be the big issue with the UEs, so you really do need to try them on before buying. You could get custom tips from Mingo though, which would solve the fit issue. I plan on doing that when I go back to HK early next year, as I also plan on getting TF10s (Provided the Westone UM3 isn't as good).

 

[feNcheL]

Quick question, with custom tips, do you mean the foamies?
Personally, I don't like foamies, because they tend to smudge the sound to an extent that is even noticeable when not comparing.

I tried the SF4 and couldn't get a good fit - whether by wearing over the ear nor the standard way, which might be the reason why I didn't like it.
When I heard the UM1 though, I found the fit perfect and instantly fell in love with the vocals

 

[nsx_23]

Its essentially a bit of plastic molded to the shape of your ear, and replaces the standard plastic tips.

 

[feNcheL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsx_23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kind of like this: 亦軒網上耳機目錄 Mingo-HMW.net Its essentially a bit of plastic molded to the shape of your ear, and replaces the standard plastic tips.

Wow, never knew..
They look good, how much do they cost?

EDIT: Oh and are they interchangeable? For drivers with same diameter of course.

 

[nsx_23]

No idea. There was a news article in a HK magazine earlier that was talking about tips like these. I think they said about $300HKD to get them done.