UM3X Impressions *editing as I continue to listen*
First of all I would like to thank HeadphoneAddict for making these impressions possible, thanks again for your amazing generosity!
Ok now on to the impressions:
Currently my favorite set of iem's that I own is the CK10's. I find the detail, clarity and soundstage to be unmatched along with the fit. For me, they are the best universal iem's I have ever heard and I have heard quite a few *MTPC, MTPG, IE8's, W3 and Triple Fi's. Now as a result of this I plan to compare the UM3X to the CK10's as I find the comparison most fitting.
I have found, over the past few days of auditioning that the UM3X are a VERY worthy competitor to the CK10's.In regards to build quality and fit I still find the CK10's to be superior, they are just impossibly light and fit perfectly in my ears. The UM3X I have to mess with a bit and use some Shure Olives to get a perfect fit. They take a bit long to get a nice seal and they never totally disappear in my ears like the CK10's do. In terms of build quality, they seem to be very well made especially with the removable cable, the housing seems to be pretty solid plastic as well. Overall they are very well made however the CK10's still are a bit better.
*edit* After further listening and time spent it seems that the smallest gray single flanges actually fit pretty good. If I spend a few seconds getting the "sweet spot" it seems that they are equaling the Shure Olives which nullifies my point before about messing with foam and fit time.
Sound-
Now this is the real important part! The real meat of my impressions comes from the sound of these things. Well where to start? I guess soundstage is a good place...
Soundstage-
The soundstage seems to be more "in your head" than the CK10's which are as close to holographic as I have ever experienced. The band itself feels much more intimate on the UM3X which is both a blessing and a curse. On some folk music and more acoustic tracks this was just great as it made it seems like a personal performance of the song. However, on some harder rock tracks, some music by Thrice and Rise Against for example, the closed in feel was almost too much, The aggression of the music and the screams of the front man every now and then were directly in your head. This combined with the rest of the band created a claustrophobic sensation that got sort of unpleasant as I listened to their entire album. The last few tracks I was almost hoping the band would "step back" a bit.
The CK10's more out of head and holographic type of soundstage was, for me, better for all types of music. Although it made acoustic music seem a tiny bit less "personal" I still felt like I was sitting a row or two back from the performer. This small difference was more than counterbalanced by the greater tolerability of harder rock. The fact that the band seemed to be a bit further away was a much more enjoyable experience especially for extended listening.
My impressions on soundstage are probably more personal taste than an actually judgement on if one is better than the others. They both handle soundstage well but for me the way the CK10's present the sound was more enjoyable overall.
*edit* After switching back and forth more between the CK10's and UM3X's I'm actually beginning to miss the intimate nature of the UM3X's for acoustic stuff, especially some City and Colour. I am finding myself getting more and more attracted to the personal show type of sound. However, rock music and some punk still bugs me a bit, sort of getting a claustrophobic feeling and isn't going away. Overall still finding the CK10's soundstage "better" in that I can enjoy it regardless of genre.
Instrument Separation-
Both iem's did a great job with instrument separation. In the case of the UM3X and CK10 I could follow each and every instrument in a song if I wanted to. Everything seemed to be well spread out and in it's proper place. This really was a tie between the two, I felt that sometimes the CK10 was better and sometimes the UM3X leading me to conclude that they were both extremely capable of producing top level instrument separation. In this category there was no loser, just two iem's that both did a great job.
Sound Sig-
Well here is the big one! The difference in sound signature actually wasn't as large I thought it might be originally. Both IEM's did a really great job of presenting the music in a "true manner". By this I mean that in both cases the music sounded sort of honest or natural. The CK10's were a bit more on the extreme end of the analytical and precise side of the spectrum while I actually thought the UM3X were more musical by comparison.
*edit* The sound signatures are seeming to emerge a bit more as I continue to listen. The CK10's sound is precise, hard and a bit sharp almost. It reminds me of a surgeons scalpel, razor sharp and ultra precise, if you need to split a hair or sever an exact neuron in brain surgery these are the IEM equivalent. The UM3X's are no slouch when it comes to detail or precision either however I don't get the cutting edge feeling of the CK10's. Not really a good or bad thing, just a difference I'm beginning to notice.
They both had amazing detail and clarity although at the end of the day the CK10's were still a bit better. I could pick up one or two things like the foot rustling at the start of City and Colour's song Forgive Me quite a bit easier on the CK10's. When it came to presenting the music these two iem's were both a step up from all the other iems I have heard in regards to detail and clarity. They are, for me, top of their class with the gap between #1 and #2 being very thin.
In terms of overall sound signature I found both to be not colored or altered in any real way. They both seemed to present the music extremely true to how it was originally recorded. In this regard I again had trouble picking a winner. Neither one was particularly better than the other, they both had a pretty similar sound. If I had to make some type of overall comment I would say the CK10's were for me, a bit more enjoyable however that may be due to me being more accustomed to their sound.
Final Comment on sound-
If you are looking for big, bad bass and rocking out like their is no tomorrow than neither one of these iem's is for you. The UM3X have more bass presence than the CK10's however I wouldn't say either was bass heavy. The UM3X bass seems to hit a bit harder and stronger which, for me, isn't automatically a good or bad thing. I found on some tracks that the CK10's was better while on some of the UM3X's was.
Speed-
This is one thing I felt deserved it's own write up, I just couldn't help it.
The CK10's are without question THE FASTEST iem's I have ever heard. Hands down, BAR NONE. The UM3X's were pretty fast themselves but still could not touch the CK10's. With the CK10's I experienced probably the most interesting thing I have noticed in iem's so far. I felt, on a few fast rap tracks for example, that my ears, mind and ability to understand what I was hearing was actually the limiting factor. My level of cognition seemed to be almost too slow for these iem's. At no point did I ever feel like the music wasn't being presented "fast enough" just that I couldn't process it fast enough.
The UM3X's on the other hand seemed to be more than capable of being fast enough for the music but never gave me the feeling of the CK10's. I never felt the UM3X's "lag behind" so to speak but at the same time were not able to out pace my mind. I know that might seem a bit confusing but I couldn't find a better way to describe it.
Conclusion-
The UM3X really is a great iem. I found it to be the closest competitor around to challenging the CK10's for the stop at the top of my IEM pile. If I look at just the sound and fit without considering price than I still give the CK10's a small edge. They have the ability to really disappear in my ears while the UM3X's don't, they feel great, don't get me wrong just not the same forget about em level. I still feel the CK10's build is better as well, it just seems so much more solid and compact.
Now if I factor price into the equation I give the CK10's a bit of a larger lead provided that you don't desire a very intimate soundstage. A new set of CK10's was about $260 for me while the best I could find on the UM3X's was $320ish on ebay from a nonauthorized reseller. For me, both are comparable quality IEM's on a technical level with the differences in micro detail being quite small. The main difference comes from soundstage and sound signature in which it would all come down to preference. Right now, the CK10's, being about $100 cheaper are a better buy because they seem to be just great for all genres of music I enjoy while the UM3X's has a few little soundstage things that still bug me. Really both are phenomenal products and if my bank account had a few more 00's I would own both however that isn't the case. If I had to pick one, the CK10's would get a nod for the reasons above although that is NOT a knock to the UM3X's at all.
*edit* altered recommendation thoughts after soundstage began to grow on me and sound signature differences emerged even more
Final Thought-
Both IEM's were great, I really enjoyed the UM3X's, they are top teir iem's no question and if I had not heard/owned the CK10's they would be my #1 no doubt. Honestly, if I wasn't currently saving up for some JH5's I would really consider picking up a pair because of how much I'm really starting to like the intimate soundstage for some music. Also, they would be a nice switch from the CK10's every now and then
Although I've never heard the UM3X but impressions of them make me think they are different enough compared to the UM3X to own both of them.
