Topic: Thoughts on Ultimate Ears vs. Shure (top-line)

[acidjack]

Trying to decide between the top-line Ultimate Ears triple.fi.10.pro and the Shure SE420 or SE530 (the 530s I guess costing $100 more than the UE).

I have an older set of Shure (forgetting model number now, but they were the $180 pair) that I am pretty happy with but want to move up to more bass response.  Given that I have been satisfied with the Shures I am half-tempted to just upgrade to one of their better models, but I know there are many, many partisans out there for UE. 

I'm curious about which is better overall, not just for listening to live stuff.  Will be doing the listening through iPhone/iPod almost exclusively.

[jlykos]

I had the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro earphones and they sounded very nice, but took some getting used to in terms of comfort.  They are definitely not designed for people with small ear canals; I assume that mine are average and they were still a bit uncomfortable if I had them in for a long time.  You may want to see if you can audition the Ultimate Ears to make sure that they are comfortable and that you get a good fit with them.

I have the Westone UM1 and plan to upgrade to the UM2 in the near future.  The Westones are so comfortable and I get such a good seal with them that I really can't imagine myself having anything else.  If you are looking at high-end stuff, you may want to consider the new Westone 3, which is positioned as a direct competitor to the Shure SE530 and the UM Triple.Fi.

[stevetoney]

For the cost, also consider durability.  Not sure about the Shures, I have a pair of Super Fi Pro 5 UEs and I'd have to rate them so-so for durability.

On the positive side for the UEs is that the UE's are modular.  The cable can be replaced, each ear bud can be removed and replaced, etc.

On the negative side, I had packed the UEs in the seat pocket during a plane flight and pressure from my knee on the externior of the seat pocket caused one of the ear buds to crack at the right angle.  It will cost me nearly as much to replace a single ear bud as it costs for a new set of Super Fi 5.0, so I'm not sure what advantage modularity really gets you. 

I'm not suggesting UEs are cheaply made because there's not a product made that can necessarily withstand abuse, it's just that my own experience with them was a little negative in that I wish the plastic parts of the earphones would have been a little bit more rigorous.

[anodyne33]

I wish I had been able to pony up for the Westones when I was playing and using IEMs. I got my customs from a company called Microsonic. www.microsonicmusic.com

They're great people and just jumped into the game. The beta-testers I have certainly aren't the best sounding thing I've ever heard, but the only things I can compare them to are low end Shures, and they smoke them pretty good. They may be worth looking into.
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[Nick's Picks]

I like the M-Audio in ear jobies.  I have their low end single driver pair, love them.
a little on the large side for my ears, but still, great sound and seal, which is all i'm after.

I think they are made by UE any way??

[Jamos]

If I were buying a set of IEM's in your price range, I would definitely go for the Westone UM2's.
http://www.westone.com/content/216.html

They have lots of low end, and are still very detailed and precise.

Sorry I have not used either of the specific models or Shure or UE that you are considering.

I have a set of the UM2's and some custom-molded earpieces, and they are the best sounding IEM I've ever worn (even moreso than Etymotics).

[Red Boink]

Another vote for westone.  Great company with very well designed products.  I bought a set of um1s about ten years ago and they still work well.  No cord problems at all, very comfortable and they sound great.  For the price, there's nothing in the other lineups that can compete.

I've since moved on to the um2s with a Ray Samuels hornet amp and a good source, you're approaching audio nirvana.

Still use the um1s for working out..

Seriously good hardware.

Best,

John Hartney

[SonicSound]

I have owned a pair of E5c for over 4 years and have enjoyed them. They are very durable. I have not listened to others in the price range.

They are listed on amazon for 40% savings

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CE1VP/ref=nosim/coffeeresearch64744-20

[George]

I have owned a pair of E5c for over 4 years and have enjoyed them. They are very durable. I have not listened to others in the price range.

They are listed on amazon for 40% savings

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CE1VP/ref=nosim/coffeeresearch64744-20

As far as I know, the e5c's were replaced by the e500 then the se530's.