mitkooo
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2007
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I know there has been a lot on westone UM2, but I'd still like to share some of my impressions about the IEM. I am fairly new to the earphone world, having gone through a few pairs of Yuins (pk3 and ok2), koss (ksc75 and portapro) and some lower budget IEMs ( cx300, Ep-630, SE310). This is my first review and I hope it would be somehow good for readers 
Setup
I have been listening to UM2 on my iphone 3GS, which I think is a really good DAP. Unamped, as it was mainly used portably and as far as I know, um2 do not need amp, although they might scale up nicely with a good one. I tried it with a Fiio E5 but could not hear any difference but louder volume.
Build Quality
these are built like a tank. The cable looks fragile, but it's really good quality and it's durable. It is twisted around, I don't know if it's handmade or not, but it's really soft and provides good feeling around the ears, which does not get worse over the time.
Same thing with the jack, looks really durable and well constructed. Same one as the Westone UM3X.
The cable is quite tangle-free, I believe to the rugged design and having had them for 3 weeks, it only tangled ONCE at One place. Seriously
Comfort
Amazing. with the stock comply tips, I do not feel the IEMs at all even though I listen to houes. The cable is nearly unnoticeable as well when worn over ears, it's really soft and comfortable. It's definitely the most comfortable I have used so far and it's really easy to put on.
One thing I do mind about the cable is that the point where the cable separates into the two earphones( the 'Y' bit) is a bit too close to the top and close to the chin, which might not be good for workouts maybe or activities.
Isolation and Microphonics
Isolation is really good with all the tips I tried( sillicone, comply P-series, Shure olives and yellow foamies). As for Microphonics, nearly none as far as I can hear, the cable is really good.
Sound Quality
I have used it unamped and the sound is terrific. the overall sound signature is on the warm side, which might not be good for analytical listening. The music coming from these phones is very musical, smooth, fun and ideal for travelling by bus or tube, where it is more about music enjoyment. While warm, there is still quite a bit of detail and good instrument separation.
the bass sounds, to me, quite natural, although there is some colouring to the warm side. While some might say there is not much of it, it's very punchy and precise. Comparing them to Shure SE310, ther eis much more of it and is much better delivered.
The mids were very warm and coloured, very forward and had the impact on the hights as well. I believe the colouring of the bass influences the mids as well, making them sound warm.
The heights were a little recessed and pushed backwards due to the overall warmth.
The soundstage sounds deep and wide, although a bit close as the phone is so warm. Using the stock comply tips, I set the EQ on my iPhone to Treble Booster, with which they open up quite nicely.
Overall impression
As mentioned before, this IEM is quite warm and not for people seeking analytical listening, rather than a fun and musical sound, but still able to deliver quite a bit of detail (enogh for me). I really enjoy the music listening to these and do not have to focus looking for anything.
I would definitely not recommend these to anyone listening to classical music nor hardcore jazz listener, but for example for Rock, Pop and hip hop they are excellent. I do not listen to techno so cannot rate them for techno. For me, these are simply awesome, mainly for portable use. Comfortable, light and musical.
Although a bit pricey, I would recommend these to anyone looking for an upgrade from the range of 75-100 dollars, who are looking for a good balance between detail and fun. As they don't need an amp, they are great for portability.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment & Critique or some questions I am still quite a newbie, so might not know that much yet, but these are my impressions.
Setup
I have been listening to UM2 on my iphone 3GS, which I think is a really good DAP. Unamped, as it was mainly used portably and as far as I know, um2 do not need amp, although they might scale up nicely with a good one. I tried it with a Fiio E5 but could not hear any difference but louder volume.
Build Quality
these are built like a tank. The cable looks fragile, but it's really good quality and it's durable. It is twisted around, I don't know if it's handmade or not, but it's really soft and provides good feeling around the ears, which does not get worse over the time.
Same thing with the jack, looks really durable and well constructed. Same one as the Westone UM3X.
The cable is quite tangle-free, I believe to the rugged design and having had them for 3 weeks, it only tangled ONCE at One place. Seriously
Comfort
Amazing. with the stock comply tips, I do not feel the IEMs at all even though I listen to houes. The cable is nearly unnoticeable as well when worn over ears, it's really soft and comfortable. It's definitely the most comfortable I have used so far and it's really easy to put on.
One thing I do mind about the cable is that the point where the cable separates into the two earphones( the 'Y' bit) is a bit too close to the top and close to the chin, which might not be good for workouts maybe or activities.
Isolation and Microphonics
Isolation is really good with all the tips I tried( sillicone, comply P-series, Shure olives and yellow foamies). As for Microphonics, nearly none as far as I can hear, the cable is really good.
Sound Quality
I have used it unamped and the sound is terrific. the overall sound signature is on the warm side, which might not be good for analytical listening. The music coming from these phones is very musical, smooth, fun and ideal for travelling by bus or tube, where it is more about music enjoyment. While warm, there is still quite a bit of detail and good instrument separation.
the bass sounds, to me, quite natural, although there is some colouring to the warm side. While some might say there is not much of it, it's very punchy and precise. Comparing them to Shure SE310, ther eis much more of it and is much better delivered.
The mids were very warm and coloured, very forward and had the impact on the hights as well. I believe the colouring of the bass influences the mids as well, making them sound warm.
The heights were a little recessed and pushed backwards due to the overall warmth.
The soundstage sounds deep and wide, although a bit close as the phone is so warm. Using the stock comply tips, I set the EQ on my iPhone to Treble Booster, with which they open up quite nicely.
Overall impression
As mentioned before, this IEM is quite warm and not for people seeking analytical listening, rather than a fun and musical sound, but still able to deliver quite a bit of detail (enogh for me). I really enjoy the music listening to these and do not have to focus looking for anything.
I would definitely not recommend these to anyone listening to classical music nor hardcore jazz listener, but for example for Rock, Pop and hip hop they are excellent. I do not listen to techno so cannot rate them for techno. For me, these are simply awesome, mainly for portable use. Comfortable, light and musical.
Although a bit pricey, I would recommend these to anyone looking for an upgrade from the range of 75-100 dollars, who are looking for a good balance between detail and fun. As they don't need an amp, they are great for portability.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment & Critique or some questions
I am still quite a newbie, so might not know that much yet, but these are my impressions.
