[Spyro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by avx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Received my UM3X for a few days. Prior to my purchase, I was debating between the W3 and the UM3X. I'm definitely not very experienced in high end audio gears (started off with crappy sony/ipod headphones, moved to Um1, UM2, SE530, and now the UM3X. My initial impression is that understandably from reading all the comments, that it lacks a "wow" factor. I felt the wow factor when I moved from the UM1 to the UM2, but the UM3X, based on the limited time I had with it, is that...its not very exciting. I just bought the Westone Fit Kit and will try out the different tips. So far, I've used a modded tri-flang, long comply, short comply, and the ETY tri-flang on it. I'm wondering if I made the right decision in getting the UM3X instead of the Westone 3(which I assume to be a more "commercial" product aimed for non-musicians). Anyways, a side note on Westone's customer service. Its simply AMAZING. I have not experienced the level of service from any other company in my life. Without going into details, I was asking a question about one of the accessories that is available for their headphones. They offered to send it to me free of charge. Mind you, the part that was send to me likely cost next to nothing to make, but they send me the part as an International urgent priority FedEx package. I figure the shipping must costs them an arm and a leg! I just love these guys.

Hmmm. Did you like UM2? If a person liked UM2 I would think they would love UM3X. It's similar but everything sounds better and more refined...tighter, better highs etc.

W3 definitely has a better "wow" factor. Much more extended bass and sharper treble. Very muscular sounding. A bit too much for my liking though.

 

[mvw2]

Been comparing these back and forth with my TF10. I finally got a set of Shure Olives on the TF10 after spending most of the day stretching them out.

Back to back, I do like the UM3X more. It just does more things correct in terms of presentation.

The TF10 is more balanced frequency wise with no EQing but Ultimate Ears made a mess of the dynamics. Loud is loud and quiet is moderately loud. There is no such thing as subtle with the TF10. It's a shame. The TF10 has great side to side locational placement but almost zero depth because there's so little range of loudness. You could hear a pin drop 20 feet away with the UM3X and it will sound a good length away. With the TF10, it sounds right in front of you. There's just no dynamic breadth to create depth perception nor good separation of the stage.

The UM3X has more dynamics and energy. Subtle actually is subtle, and there is a much better sense of depth to placement. The placement is more fuzzy then the TF10 though but better space distancing. I don't directly "see" the singer or instrument like I do with the TF10, but they are placed better in the 2D plane. Everything has depth and spacing, layering. The TF10 lacks that layering. Frequency response of the UM3X is good too. The only thing that seems to lack is the upper midrange and treble relative to the lower end. Right now I have the EQ set at:
+4dB at 2kHz
+8dB at 4kHz
+2dB at 8kHz
+6dB at 16kHz

Mainly a wide bump at 4khz and just a bump on the very top end. This takes out the warmness and bass dominance of the UM3X. It sounds pretty darn good with a little more top end.

 

[bakhtiar]

mwv2. Nice comparison. The UM3Xs 4-7kHz range is 'heavily' accentuated to minimizing or preventing the sibiliane, IMHO. Also it helps our ears to hear other frequency range much better/easier, and we perceived it as instrument's separation or layering.
But, to my ears, a little bit more sparkle can make the UM3Xs shine brighter. Combination with D10, a warm amp, also can bring some sparkle back, but, still crash cymbal seem to be not 'crashing' hard enough to my ears.

Thank you.

 

[avx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax /img/forum/go_quote.gif could you elaborate on what "wow factor" means to you? does the music sound distant and uninvolving compared to your previous cans? are you looking for more bass impact?

When I switched from the UM1 to UM2, the "wow factors" are:
- vocals are very clear... it's like the vocals is "popping out" from the song.
- details - I can hear instruments that I never thought existed in the song.
- bass - very strong presence, I didn't find it over powering because while the bass was heavy(heavier than the UM1), the "details" improvement are significant enough that I didn't think the bass was overpowering anything.

My UM2 comments are from memory... I gave it away approximately a year and a half ago (when I was waiting, and thinking that the westone 3 was going to be released "on time", yes, stupid me - I've been using my UM1 since)


On the UM3X, here are my "problems" so far:
- I find it more difficult to "fit". I'm using the same tips that I used for the UM1, but for some reason, it always takes me longer to get a good "seal".
- The sound is "muddled" from one side - While I'm getting a clear and clean sound from one side of the headphone, very often, one side will sound more "muddled" than the other... it sounds like someone put a blanket over a speaker, distoring the clean/crisp sound. This might be a fit issue.
- Bass - I find that it has less "impact" than the UM2 (from memory). The bass is there, and its great, but I think I might prefer a bit more.
- Details - due to the above "muddled" problem, I do get a clear/clean sound, usually only from 1 ear, from time to time, but so far, its definitely NOT consistent.

I remember going from the UM2 to the Shure 530 and didn't like it (once again, the "wow" factor just wasn't there for me in the Shure). I'm wondering if this is simply a sound signature preference... I'll try the other tips and will report back here later!

 

[VicAjax]

avx... aside from missing 'wow' factor, your more significant problem seems to be a faulty pair of earphones. if one side is more muddled than the other, something obviously isn't working properly... be it the tips, the wiring, your ears, whatever.

 

[mvw2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bakhtiar /img/forum/go_quote.gif mwv2. Nice comparison. The UM3Xs 4-7kHz range is 'heavily' accentuated to minimizing or preventing the sibiliane, IMHO. Also it helps our ears to hear other frequency range much better/easier, and we perceived it as instrument's separation or layering. But, to my ears, a little bit more sparkle can make the UM3Xs shine brighter. Combination with D10, a warm amp, also can bring some sparkle back, but, still crash cymbal seem to be not 'crashing' hard enough to my ears. Thank you.

I think you mean the opposite of accentuate.

decenuate? haha.

The problem stock is that the bass range is a bit heavy. The overall sound is slightly warm, not a major issue really and generally likable, but it's a little bit more overwhelming then that. If used with the stock foams, it's even worse. Top end is eerily sucked out creating a very recessed presence.

After bumping up the upper midrange and treble, I didn't find any problems with sibilance or separation/layering. The mid and high frequency drivers have good control and accuracy, and you don't really accentuate any excess noise. Dynamic range and linearity of that range is what helps create stage depth and layering. The TF10 is a good example of what happens when this is wrong. Everything is moderate to loud, so the stage depth is very, very shallow and everything is presented right up front. The UM3X has a nice, broad range, so it retains great layering regardless of frequency response. This also allows for great separation.

Adjusting frequency response does not adjust dynamics. It simply makes one frequency range louder or quieter then another. This can make things dominant or recessed. Our minds take precedence on what is loudest and what arrives first (a big issue in car audio without time alignment, or home audio with too near of listening). Adjusting the frequency response balances this out so everything is presented evenly, well at least as even as the source material was meant to be. The TF10 is great about this as the frequency response is decently balanced right out of the box. The UM3X is just bass heavy, and that's fine if you want it. I don't, so I EQ up the upper midrange and treble as needed. I used test tones and pink noise (unbiased source) to balance out the response. I'm content with the setup, and the UM3X really doesn't suffer anywhere because of it. To me, better balance equals better sound. Unless a headphone is critically flawed (lack of control, internal resonation, etc.) and needs to be adjusted for it, I don't see a reason to skew the end presentation. There will be some skew for personal preference of course.

 

[mvw2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by avx /img/forum/go_quote.gif On the UM3X, here are my "problems" so far: - I find it more difficult to "fit". I'm using the same tips that I used for the UM1, but for some reason, it always takes me longer to get a good "seal". - The sound is "muddled" from one side - While I'm getting a clear and clean sound from one side of the headphone, very often, one side will sound more "muddled" than the other... it sounds like someone put a blanket over a speaker, distoring the clean/crisp sound. This might be a fit issue. - Bass - I find that it has less "impact" than the UM2 (from memory). The bass is there, and its great, but I think I might prefer a bit more. - Details - due to the above "muddled" problem, I do get a clear/clean sound, usually only from 1 ear, from time to time, but so far, its definitely NOT consistent.

What tip you using? I'll suggest the Shure foams, commonly referred to as the Olives:
Amazon.com: Replacement Sleeves EABKF1-10s (Small) for E3C*, E4C*, E5C*, E500PTH*, 13C* and 14C*: Electronics

I use the small myself, never quite found a need for medium or large, but it'll depend on the size of your ear canal. I use the medium Comply though as their small is too small. The stock UM3X foam fits well for me. I LOVE the Olives, favorite tips of all time.

If you're using the stock foam, it will sound muddled. It's just that the open cell type sucks up high frequencies and does make the UM3X sound funny. A better tip helps. Some additional EQing on the top end helps even more.

I find Bass impact good. It's not monstrous, no, but the response is good, and there is good energy. It may be a tip issue if you don't have a good seal. It may just be that you're used to more. Some headphones are simply very, very bass strong. Coming from one may leave you a bit disappointed, even if the bass response is not bad.

Details are bad out of the box. Again, use a better tip that doesn't suck away the high end, and bump up the upper midrange and treble EQing if you can. It'll really open up and even out the presentation of the UM3X.

I do think the UM3X lacks a tiny bit in articulation of note. There is a slightly soft edge to notes rather then an exactly defined edge to the shape. That's really the only "fault" I would say exists. It does deter from some crispness and bite of note, despite great dynamic range and actual energy, and it does deter slightly from stage location and the exact imaging of singers/instruments in that space. Separation is good still, but the well defined edge is what really pinpoints locational cues and makes you really "see" the singer/instrument. Instead, the UM3X gives a slightly fuzzy image of the singer/instrument in space. It isn't bad really, but there is room for improvement in this area.

 

[Spyro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvw2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do think the UM3X lacks a tiny bit in articulation of note. There is a slightly soft edge to notes rather then an exactly defined edge to the shape. That's really the only "fault" I would say exists. Instead, the UM3X gives a slightly fuzzy image of the singer/instrument in space. It isn't bad really, but there is room for improvement in this area.

Good analysis and I don't want to state the obvious but to only remind the readers that this is just your opinion, not really a fault of the IEM. These are intentional characteristics of UM3X. If you want a product from Westone that has sharper attack and decay with crisper treble (which is fatiguing to many), then W3 is the better choice. Westone has proved they can design an IEM either way.

 

[Beaterator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by p0wderh0und23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The cables are working their way though the entire product line. The new jack will only be on the Westone line, not the UM's.

it's great that the UM3X will also be getting the new cables (which is more important than the jack). Awesome!

 

[jkozlow3]

Edit: nevermind.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

Hello UM3X'ers,

I have a couple of questions. I am looking to replace my long-serving Shure E4C's (after four years the cable sleeve has started to break in the higher-stress areas). After reading lots and lots of posts on head-fi, I think the UM3X are right for me. On to the questions...

I am looking to buy a UM3X together with the UM56 custom plugs. So I will need to see a Westone-approved audiologist to have impressions taken. I am in Kitchener, Ontario, and I am a student without a car. So my options are basically limited to having this done in Kitchener, or going to Toronto. Has anyone had any dealings with the audiologists listed on Westone's site? The Sears location in Kitchener (and elsewhere) strikes me as being somewhat sketchy... So I am leaning towards Toronto. Does anyone have any first-hand experience with the Westone dealers in Toronto?

Also, buying the UM3X seems to be an issue in Canada. Will I be able to get them through the audiologist?

 

[Hsiu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaceman_Spiff /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello UM3X'ers, I have a couple of questions. I am looking to replace my long-serving Shure E4C's (after four years the cable sleeve has started to break in the higher-stress areas). After reading lots and lots of posts on head-fi, I think the UM3X are right for me. On to the questions... I am looking to buy a UM3X together with the UM56 custom plugs. So I will need to see a Westone-approved audiologist to have impressions taken. I am in Kitchener, Ontario, and I am a student without a car. So my options are basically limited to having this done in Kitchener, or going to Toronto. Has anyone had any dealings with the audiologists listed on Westone's site? The Sears location in Kitchener (and elsewhere) strikes me as being somewhat sketchy... So I am leaning towards Toronto. Does anyone have any first-hand experience with the Westone dealers in Toronto? Also, buying the UM3X seems to be an issue in Canada. Will I be able to get them through the audiologist?

Personally I don't think getting UM56 at the same time with UM3X is good idea. it does bring up the mid and high however the low seem to slightly lost its impact. Also UM56 is NOT cheap. As many other, I recommend you try the Comply tips and Shure black foam before pulling the trigger so you will know if UM56 is necessary for you.

As for my case I figure out that black foam is sufficient for me after getting UM56. the money spent on UM56 can get me a lot of black foam. also the silicon UM56 tend to slip out of the stem after some accumulation of oil and body secretion. so I suggest if you really want UM56 go with vinyl.

 

[charlie0904]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hsiu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Personally I don't think getting UM56 at the same time with UM3X is good idea. it does bring up the mid and high however the low seem to slightly lost its impact. Also UM56 is NOT cheap. As many other, I recommend you try the Comply tips and Shure black foam before pulling the trigger so you will know if UM56 is necessary for you. As for my case I figure out that black foam is sufficient for me after getting UM56. the money spent on UM56 can get me a lot of black foam. also the silicon UM56 tend to slip out of the stem after some accumulation of oil and body secretion. so I suggest if you really want UM56 go with vinyl.

agreed with Hsiu. get the UM56 only if you really cannot get a good fit with all available choices. for me, the sound is always slightly to the left before i had my UM56. you can save the money for reshell into customs later down the road.

 

[pomme de terre]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaceman_Spiff /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello UM3X'ers, I have a couple of questions. I am looking to replace my long-serving Shure E4C's (after four years the cable sleeve has started to break in the higher-stress areas). After reading lots and lots of posts on head-fi, I think the UM3X are right for me. On to the questions... I am looking to buy a UM3X together with the UM56 custom plugs. So I will need to see a Westone-approved audiologist to have impressions taken. I am in Kitchener, Ontario, and I am a student without a car. So my options are basically limited to having this done in Kitchener, or going to Toronto. Has anyone had any dealings with the audiologists listed on Westone's site? The Sears location in Kitchener (and elsewhere) strikes me as being somewhat sketchy... So I am leaning towards Toronto. Does anyone have any first-hand experience with the Westone dealers in Toronto? Also, buying the UM3X seems to be an issue in Canada. Will I be able to get them through the audiologist?

You can try this hearing clinic in Toronto Contact Us :: Hear Toronto: Centre for Advanced Hearing Care. They carry Westones (customs & universals) as well as other brands like UE, Phonak. I was just there today trying out the UM3X and the W3... still havent decided which one I like better yet.

 

[bakhtiar]

I am using generic silicone custom sleeves for Siemen's hearing aid. It use tube, and need to work a little bit hard to put UM3X's nozzle/stem into the tube, and I got very good grip, and will NOT fall off in any occasion. They are cheap in my country and good for my experiments.

Thank you.