SoulSyde
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2008
- Posts
- 2,676
- Likes
- 131
I received my UM3X RCs this morning and like every good Head-Fi'er, I have been listening to them all day. So far I can say that I am very pleased with their performance, but I have been trying to find my musical Nirvana by way of the perfect tip combination.
Long story, short I found Nirvana with the Sony Hybrid tips. Like most Comply tips the sound was too dark and veiled in the highs. Bear in mind that my source is an iPod Touch and an Arrow 12HE (which is a little dark in its own right). I tried the stock "olives" and they were all crap. Too tinny and not a very good seal for my overly-voluminous ear canals. The tri-flanges always feel like I'm getting an inner ear exam so those were out.
I next tried a non-OEM alternative in the Etymotic foamies and they gave me the best seal of the bunch. Like the Complys, their signature leaned towards the dark-ish side as well. Last but not least, I butchered a set of size small Comply T-100s so I could remove the rubber center (knowing I would never use the small T-100s). My two new micro-phalluses crafted from a pair of donor T-100s were the perfect shim for mounting a set of Sony Hybrids onto the UM3X. The end result was a great seal and a subtle V-shaped signature, which was exactly what I was looking for. I haven't lost much of the bass presence that the Complys are so well known for and the highs are no longer veiled. There is a slight recess to the mids, but only in volume, not detail.
As I get more accustomed to these IEMs my taste may change, leading me to once again find the perfect ear tip, but for now I'm very pleased.
Ok, the photo...
Long story, short I found Nirvana with the Sony Hybrid tips. Like most Comply tips the sound was too dark and veiled in the highs. Bear in mind that my source is an iPod Touch and an Arrow 12HE (which is a little dark in its own right). I tried the stock "olives" and they were all crap. Too tinny and not a very good seal for my overly-voluminous ear canals. The tri-flanges always feel like I'm getting an inner ear exam so those were out.
I next tried a non-OEM alternative in the Etymotic foamies and they gave me the best seal of the bunch. Like the Complys, their signature leaned towards the dark-ish side as well. Last but not least, I butchered a set of size small Comply T-100s so I could remove the rubber center (knowing I would never use the small T-100s). My two new micro-phalluses crafted from a pair of donor T-100s were the perfect shim for mounting a set of Sony Hybrids onto the UM3X. The end result was a great seal and a subtle V-shaped signature, which was exactly what I was looking for. I haven't lost much of the bass presence that the Complys are so well known for and the highs are no longer veiled. There is a slight recess to the mids, but only in volume, not detail.
As I get more accustomed to these IEMs my taste may change, leading me to once again find the perfect ear tip, but for now I'm very pleased.
Ok, the photo...