[charlie0904]

UM3X do not have a good forward voice reproduction compared to CK100 IMO. UM56 does have some help here in bringing vocals more forward but from my memory the CK100 still wins in terms of forward vocals clarity.

 

[audiophonicshz]

Just got in my pair of UM3Xs and I'm in audio heaven!

I'm driving them with a Cowon S9 with BBE Viva at volume 20. The sound is amazing even without amping. I have done testing with the normal setting, no post processing. One thing that I have noticed with these phones is that the bass is pretty accentuated. That is not to say that the highs and mids aren't very good. The detail and airiness often give the impression that they are a bit more distant. As a avid fan of live music I can say that well its very hard for me to tell what the original recording would have sounded like. I'm doing substantial testing with the Beatles remastered FLACs. I find that the soundstage is decently wide. No problem there, and I have dt880s.

Regarding the recessed vocals, it seems that the airiness can be caused by slightly weaker upper midbass, mids, relative to the rest of the frequencies. As a chorus member, I feel that we are all used to over amped vocals in our live music and modern recordings. I can remember that on several occasions that it would take a chorus of equal number to about balance an orchestra piece for piece, though I will admit that I don't know what mic was used to make the recording. One thing I would say to Kokyao as well is that in a live music situation, bass always carries easier and is felt, treble energies dissipate easier. That said, it seems to my ears that the UM3Xs have slightly laid back vocals, but the flipside is that the bass with a good seal is just awesome.

Hope this helps the consensus. As I said, I'm on my 10th hour and I love them, and I'm looking forward to the sound improving. Keep in mind that I am coming from cx500's and e888s. Are the Westones worth roughly 10 times the cost of the cx500s? Very nearly. I also realize the inherent limitations of IEMS, and I knew I didnt want the laid back sound of the IE8s. Again, perhaps the Westone house sound is not for some.

 

[audiophonicshz]

Oh and another vote for the Shure olive eartips, comfy and better quality than the Complys.

 

[A_Dying_Wren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiophonicshz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got in my pair of UM3Xs and I'm in audio heaven! I'm driving them with a Cowon S9 with BBE Viva at volume 20. The sound is amazing even without amping.

Its great you're enjoying your new UM3X. I'm just curious about your listening volume which is pretty loud IMO. I'm listening from my Cowon D2+ at volume 7 or 8 w/o BBE+ (sounds bad IMO). I would think the Cowons output similar volumes of sound.

Or is it just me?

 

[RampantAndroid]

Just got my UM3Xs - moving to them from a pair of SE530s and I love the UM3Xs. Listening to a song like Spoon's "the Underdog" and it sounds amazing - the guitar sounds so great. Using them with my Zune 120 @ volume 10, with a Shure inline volume control to turn the volume down some (helps so I don't hear the hard drive spin up every song change.)

I actually prefer the long complys atm; the Sure olives just weren't my size. Either too large or too small.

Either way, an amazing purchase so far!

 

[dissembled]

To my ears, the vocals on the UM3xs were anything but recessed. With the X Walkman, vocals and the lower end were accentuated more so than the treble. If this phone had some sparkle in it, it would be the perfect phone.

Very eager to test my replacement pair with the diyMod which is higher resolving than the X Walkman. The differing opinions likely has to do with source and the quality/state of the recording.

 

[audiophonicshz]

Wren, I usually start at 15 and then end up cranking it up to 20 because it sounds so good, that and think all the live rock wasn't too good for the ol ears. I agree with BBE not sounding great, while testing I switched to normal and now thing it sounds better, a flatter more natural sound.

Rampant, I'll check that out, Spoons a fun band.

 

[nkoulban]

I have been gravitating more to IEMs this year. I have been listening to ALAC encoded music on my iPhone. Interestingly I am listing less and less to my HD650 balanced rig.

I have tried the the following portable setups:

1. Ety ER4p - Great detail and midrange, but recessed bass. Superior isolation. Used Dance EQ setting on the iPhone to get some more bass out of them. The Bass Boost EQ setting results in distortion so I don't use it.
2. Ety ER4P - With FiiO E5 amp bass boost on, and the Etys sound much fuller and richer... still a bit bass shy.
3. Ety ER4P - With Minibox E+ PtoS on P and bass boost on, and the Etys sound even fuller and richer... still a little bit bass shy but now to a point that you would really be nit picking. An impressive performance but bulky carrying around an iPhone and an amp.
4. Westone 3 - Unamped from an iPhone... where did all that bass come from? In fact it so bad that I have had to use the Acoustic EQ setting on the iPhone to get some of the midrange back. Vocals too recessed for my taste. Amping the W3s brings back more of the midrange.
5. Westone UM3X - Wow! This is more like it, an even sound signature and now decent midrange... all this and I have not amped them. This is giving me a comparable sonic experience the the Minibox E+ and the ER4Ps, yet I don't need to lug a portable amp with me. Outright the Minibox E+ amped ER4Ps still rule for midrange and vocals but the unamped UM3Xs are very close. Overall, the UM3Xs offer a more balanced sound and do this without amping. The UM3Xs are also a bit smaller the then W3s and isolate a bit better too. Amping them improves them again but I can live without it. A word of warning the UM3Xs will show up poor sources and low bitrates more than the W3s.

The Westone UM3Xs are the best IEMs I have tried... now I'll try the UM56 custom tips to see if they work better then the Complys.

 

[ibis99]

I just cant make up my mind between the UM3x and SE530. Dam! i should add that I owned a set of ER4S and loved them. I'll be using a Total Airhead so should I save $200 and get the ER4S?

 

[Gbjerke]

UM3X is a safer bet ibis.

 

[ibis99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gbjerke /img/forum/go_quote.gif UM3X is a safer bet ibis.

Are they truly a more refined ER4S?

 

[Gbjerke]

IDK

 

[kokyao]

Is there no where that you can test the both of them side by side?

Personally owned the UM3X for 2 weeks, just sold it off today. Although I didn't have any other earphone as reference while testing UM3X, but somehow the vocals just sound flawed to me.

If vocals are what you are into then I believe you might like the SE530.

 

[A_Dying_Wren]

The ATH CK100 is supposed to be even better than the UM3X or SE530 for vocals. Of course there are contrary opinions. There aren't enough CK100s circulating around to reach a consensus at head-fi.

But definitely the UM3X seems to be better than the SE530 on quite a few levels including vocals. I haven't personally tested this.

 

[ibis99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokyao /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there no where that you can test the both of them side by side? Personally owned the UM3X for 2 weeks, just sold it off today. Although I didn't have any other earphone as reference while testing UM3X, but somehow the vocals just sound flawed to me. If vocals are what you are into then I believe you might like the SE530.

I wish I could but I can't. I have owned both the SE530 and Er4s. the SE530's were bassy, smooth and pleasent with a very nice midrange while the ER4S was more accurate with better high end and tight bass, not lacking in bass just not as viceral. the vocals were awesome.

If the SE530 married the ER4S and had a child it would be a perfect solution