[TheMarkRemains]

out of curiosity, what do these sell for in UK ? 

 

[davidcotton]

Cheapest I've seen is £249 for the non removable cable from iheadphones.co.uk

 

[elfary]

Westone UM3x is a very solid package sound, fit and isolation wise. I don't think any other universal can match its fit/isolation really.

 

[bixby]

dupe, sorry

 

[bixby]

 
Quote:

 

 
I own both the UM1 and UM3x and think there is a big improvement to be had by upgrading to the UM3x. I used to be very happy with the UM1, they're very comfy and have a very nice and detailed sound but I found the bass to be lacking. What bass is there sounds tight and punchy enough but it doesn't go very deep and there just isn't enough of it even with maximum EQing.
 
When upgrading to the UM3x the first thing I noticed was that because of the way in which they were folded in the box the cable is full of annoying kinks which won't go.  Also the ear pieces are a fair bit bigger than the UM1's although once they're in your ears they're just as comfy which is good.  In terms of sound quality they are absolutely fantastic! The bass (once EQed) is thunderously loud without ever sounding boomy and is much tighter and punchier than the UM1's which now sound aneamic to my ears. The midrange and treble are much more detailed than the UM1's too, which I wouldn't have believed possible if I hadn't heard it for myself. The seperation and stereo image are just magic and seem to place each seperate instrument in its own distinct space in or around your head.
 
So, to sum up they are much better in just about every way.  But be warned, they do need some careful EQing to get the best out of them.  Without any EQing the midrange sounds a bit too loud.  They also cost a silly amount of money (IMO) so I wouldn't go so far as to say they're good value, but if you can afford to buy them you won't be disappointed.  I am totally happy with mine and haven't regreted upgrading one bit.
 
 

I wholeheartedly disagree with the need to EQ the UM3-X!  Then again everyone is entitled to their own hearing and preferences.  The midrange is perfectly natural right where it is than you and very close in balance to my studio monitors.  As for jacking up the bass, no need in my book unless you want a smiley face type response!
 
Which is perfectly okay if you go for that sort of thing.
 
The UM3-X are very well balanced right out of the box and are not in need of any EQ to make them more natural or balanced.  Some sources or amps like to color the music so EQ may seem needed (Fiio E-5 for example), but pair it with a decent source and you are good to go.  Out of the 20 or so iems I have tried, none are as neutral and accurate.
 
But for those on the fence or curious,  listen for yourself and see if you like or not.
 
EDIT:  As for silly money, let's put it in perspective.  If I would have just tried and bought the UM3-X a few years earlier I would not have bought and sold the 20 other IEMS.  For me it would have paid for them in the money NOT lost in being unhappy with the other 19 pairs I had to sell at a loss.
 

 

[bixby]

Quote:

 
How  would these sound for rock/metal out of an ipod touch gen3 with alac?
 
Cheers

They should sound great.  They do with my touch 2nd gen, but I primarily use a Nano 4g when using the UM3-X since the smaller size is a bit better for hiking or biking.  the Touch is the better source though and my go to for plane trips.

 

[High_Q]

I got them the other day.  I like them.  It actually fits unlike the W4.  Very sensitive though.  It hisses on any of my desktop amps.  That probably mean, these phones are good without any amping. 
 
Just out of curiosity, is it hard to design highly sensitive headphones that doesn't sound like crap?

 

[steve1979]

 
Quote:

 


I wholeheartedly disagree with the need to EQ the UM3-X!  Then again everyone is entitled to their own hearing and preferences.  The midrange is perfectly natural right where it is than you and very close in balance to my studio monitors.  As for jacking up the bass, no need in my book unless you want a smiley face type response!
 
Which is perfectly okay if you go for that sort of thing.
 
The UM3-X are very well balanced right out of the box and are not in need of any EQ to make them more natural or balanced.  Some sources or amps like to color the music so EQ may seem needed (Fiio E-5 for example), but pair it with a decent source and you are good to go.  Out of the 20 or so iems I have tried, none are as neutral and accurate.
 
But for those on the fence or curious,  listen for yourself and see if you like or not.
 
EDIT:  As for silly money, let's put it in perspective.  If I would have just tried and bought the UM3-X a few years earlier I would not have bought and sold the 20 other IEMS.  For me it would have paid for them in the money NOT lost in being unhappy with the other 19 pairs I had to sell at a loss.
 

 
 

To my ears the UM3x seem to have a slight hump in the frequency response around the 1KHz mark and a slight dip in the treble around 12-16KHz mark. I haven't tried using different tips yet so maybe this is having an effect.
 
Also, I think that the bass boosting thing might be due to using a Samsung A-series Walkman which is quite a lean sounding sounding MP3 player. I also like lots of bass when listening to rock or pop music so I tend to boost the bass alot and the treble a tiny bit. When listening to classical music I leave the EQ flat though.
 
As for the silly mony bit I think that spending £270 on a pair of headphones just for walking to work with is a bit OTT. I am very happy with them though and don't regret buying them at all. The £90 that I spent on the UM1's wase much better value though, they offer about 80% of the sound quality for about 33% of the cost.
 

 

[joshuamercer]

That last 20% being the bass and mids?  I had the UM1's and found them lacking for everything except spoken word or vocalists on stage.  The UM3X is perfect for musicians who also sing.  You've got the full frequecy response to hear your band mates and can still pick out your instrument and voice.
 
Quote:

 


 
 

To my ears the UM3x seem to have a slight hump in the frequency response around the 1KHz mark and a slight dip in the treble around 12-16KHz mark. I haven't tried using different tips yet so maybe this is having an effect.
 
Also, I think that the bass boosting thing might be due to using a Samsung A-series Walkman which is quite a lean sounding sounding MP3 player. I also like lots of bass when listening to rock or pop music so I tend to boost the bass alot and the treble a tiny bit. When listening to classical music I leave the EQ flat though.
 
As for the silly mony bit I think that spending £270 on a pair of headphones just for walking to work with is a bit OTT. I am very happy with them though and don't regret buying them at all. The £90 that I spent on the UM1's wase much better value though, they offer about 80% of the sound quality for about 33% of the cost.
 

 

 

[elfary]

 


I wholeheartedly disagree with the need to EQ the UM3-X!  Then again everyone is entitled to their own hearing and preferences.  The midrange is perfectly natural right where it is than you and very close in balance to my studio monitors.  As for jacking up the bass, no need in my book unless you want a smiley face type response!
 
Which is perfectly okay if you go for that sort of thing.
 
The UM3-X are very well balanced right out of the box and are not in need of any EQ to make them more natural or balanced.  Some sources or amps like to color the music so EQ may seem needed (Fiio E-5 for example), but pair it with a decent source and you are good to go.  Out of the 20 or so iems I have tried, none are as neutral and accurate.
 
But for those on the fence or curious,  listen for yourself and see if you like or not.
 
EDIT:  As for silly money, let's put it in perspective.  If I would have just tried and bought the UM3-X a few years earlier I would not have bought and sold the 20 other IEMS.  For me it would have paid for them in the money NOT lost in being unhappy with the other 19 pairs I had to sell at a loss.
 

X2.Loving them to pieces. The fit and isolation are awesome as well. Actually i find hard to understand why Westone does not use that housing in W3 or W4.

 

[steve1979]

Quote:

That last 20% being the bass and mids?  I had the UM1's and found them lacking for everything except spoken word or vocalists on stage.  The UM3X is perfect for musicians who also sing.  You've got the full frequecy response to hear your band mates and can still pick out your instrument and voice.
 


 

That last 20% is an improvement in all areas - bass, mids, treble, stereo image and all round clarity.  To me a 20% improvment is quite alot because I think the UM1's are already pretty good to start with.
 
I remember when I first bought the UM1's I was blown away by how good they sounded compared to the Sennheiser CX 300's that I'd been using before.  The UM1's cost 3 times as much as the Sennheiser's but they're easily 3 times better which is why I consider them to be very good value.  Now my new UM3x's cost 3 times as much as the UM1's but they're nowhere near 3 times better which is why I only consider them to be ok value.  But I guess that's the law of diminishing returns for you though.

 

[Fastlane]

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by bixby   
 
....But for those on the fence or curious,  listen for yourself and see if you like or not.
 
EDIT:  As for silly money, let's put it in perspective.  If I would have just tried and bought the UM3-X a few years earlier I would not have bought and sold the 20 other IEMS.  For me it would have paid for them in the money NOT lost in being unhappy with the other 19 pairs I had to sell at a loss.
 

X2.Loving them to pieces. The fit and isolation are awesome as well. Actually i find hard to understand why Westone does not use that housing in W3 or W4.

Originally, the UM3x was not even on my short list when shopping for an upgrade.  After listening to my preferences and what I was looking for over the phone, Flavio suggested the UM3x and I liked how he described them.  That caused me to do more research and finally deciding to give them a try.   I do think it will save me money in the long term.  The good fit is one of the first things I noticed and the sound is amazing.
 
 
Quote:

 
I remember when I first bought the UM1's I was blown away by how good they sounded compared to the Sennheiser CX 300's that I'd been using before.  The UM1's cost 3 times as much as the Sennheiser's but they're easily 3 times better which is why I consider them to be very good value.  Now my new UM3x's cost 3 times as much as the UM1's but they're nowhere near 3 times better which is why I only consider them to be ok value.  But I guess that's the law of diminishing returns for you though.

Here's a comparison to consider.  There are two jet boat trips up a scenic river.  The 30 mile trip is $30 and the 60 mile trip is $90.  You wonder why they charge three times the price for only twice the distance and they explain the long trip can only be done in a specially designed boat with twin engines because of the rapid water upriver.   Furthermore, the scenery at 30 miles is beautiful, but does not compare to the gorgeous scenery you will encounter beyond that point.  You realize there is just no other way to get that far upriver unless you take the long trip.

 

[steve1979]

I've been thinking about the the UM3x's in value terms and I have to admit that they are a pretty good long term investment. I'm totally satisfied with the sound I get from the UM3x and Sony Walkman combo so I have absolutely no desire to upgrade again which means unless they get broken I'll still be using them for many years to come.
 
I also think that they would be a good investment for professional musicians because the sound quality could be very valuable to them.  In particular the seperation which makes it easy to follow each individual instrument in a piece of mucic.

 

[Danz03]

Hmmm, don't know about that, my UM3X just died on me over the weekend. They were fine when I was listening to them on Saturday, then I put them inside a small pouch with my iPod; when I put them on the next day, the left channel is dead. This is the second time that happened since I got them brand new in July last year. I had them replaced by the distributor back in Feb this year, which took nearly 2 months! Have to get them replaced again so soon! :mad:
Anybody here has similar experience? I've been using my UM2 everyday for over 3 years and never had any problem with them (apart from a minor cable problem) nor my Westone 4, which I use every night since Feb; I thought unlike the Westone series which are made in China, the UM series are supposed to be made in the US. Or am I just extremely unlucky? :-?

 

[elfary]

Quote:

Hmmm, don't know about that, my UM3X just died on me over the weekend. They were fine when I was listening to them on Saturday, then I put them inside a small pouch with my iPod; when I put them on the next day, the left channel is dead. This is the second time that happened since I got them brand new in July last year. I had them replaced by the distributor back in Feb this year, which took nearly 2 months! Have to get them replaced again so soon!

Anybody here has similar experience? I've been using my UM2 everyday for over 3 years and never had any problem with them (apart from a minor cable problem) nor my Westone 4, which I use every night since Feb; I thought unlike the Westone series which are made in China, the UM series are supposed to be made in the US. Or am I just extremely unlucky? :-?

Ups that would pretty much the only reason that could lead me to look elsewhere. I hope that it's just a case of extreme bad luck.