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Sale Price: $344.99
Today's Bonus:
- Hand made in the U.S.A
- Uses 1 bass, 1 mid-range and 1 high frequency driver for the most dynamic sound reproduction in a universal fit in-ear monitor.
- Westone EPIC Cable - Ultra supple braided design insures comfort and resists tangles -
- Over-the-ear cable design offers superior in-ear comfort and isolation from mechanical cable noise
- Westone True-Fit Technology - 50 years experience with in-ear applications has yield optimum ergonomics and fit -
- True-Fit sound port delivers maximum comfort and in-ear coupling for dynamic transfer of sound.
- Robust bifurcation w/slide adjustment keeps cord in place during activity
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Yeah, I'm an audiophile, and if you're not crazy into audio a lot of this is probably going to sound weird. Still...Earphones really are getting better very quickly, and if you look at all of audio, that fact is pretty remarkable.
In speakers, things have peaked a long time ago, no matter what those Bose ads tell you. The Quad ESL-57 speaker was first shown in the mid 50's, and it is STILL considered to be one of the very best speakers ever made. In traditional headphones things haven't moved very quickly either, and Stax SR-Lambda headphones from 1979 sound as good as pretty much any headsets you can find today. The Sennheiser HD800 is touted as the latest and greatest, but the Stax SR-007 Omega 2 from 11 years ago is still better, and so is the 15-year-old SR-Omega, and the 18-year-old Sennheiser HE90 "Orpheus."
Which means that if you have an audio technology that's genuinely getting better, it's an exception to the rule. And the UM3x is a clear improvement on what has been released only a year or so ago.
These earphones have a very clear, detailed sound that's also very fluid. The bass is detailed and well controlled. The midrange is slightly emphasized and very tonally accurate instruments sound very realistic and vocals sound almost live, if they're recorded well. The highs are slightly recessed (soft) but are also quite extended. Soundstage is smallish, though pretty large for an IEM, and imaging is razor sharp. The drivers are pretty fast, too, and keep up with complex music well. But the best feature of these IEMs is their ability to do texture strings sound gravelly, brass instruments are, well, brassy and metallic, woodwinds are seductive and ethereal, and vocals are very realistic. It's the first universal-fit IEM that can do texture properly in my experience. The Shure SE530, Westone 3, UE Triple.fi 10, Etymotic ER-4S, all fail at rendering texture realistically.
Compared to the Westone 3, the UM3x has noticeably more midrange emphasis. Its bass doesn't go quite as deep but it's also much better controlled. Its highs are not as pronounced as the W3 but are also far more refined and less harsh. It's more detailed than the W3 and doesn't have the W3's plasticky, too-glossy sonic texture.
Compared to the SE530, the UM3x doesn't have the midrange warmth its midrange favors realism over euphony. It also has noticeably more detail than the SE530 and better treble extension, as well as more refinement in the upper mids and highs. However I do prefer the SE530's bass it goes deeper than the UM3x and seems to have better tone.
But most importantly, the UM3x, compared to the SE530, W3, and pretty much most of the competition, is very easy to use, and very easy to get a good seal with.
Seal, and fit, is very important in canalphones. The headphones themselves are only a part of the equation, and if the fit isn't right, then all sorts of sonic abnormalities can result. A very good symptom of a poor fit is insufficient bass, or very sharp, metallic, sibilant highs. And generally speaking, the more accurate a canalphone is, the more sensitive it is to correct fit. The very best canalphones are all custom-molded and require a great degree of fitting accuracy if something is even slightly out of order, you will hear it.
The UM3x though is more forgiving it doesn't come with a wide array of eartips but it doesn't need them. The long Comply foam tips get a good seal pretty much right away, and the UM3x sounds good out of the box with no tweaking necessary. And if you have gone through the frustration of trying to get a canalphone to fit right, sound right, and be comfortable at the same time, you know how important that is.
Sum it all up, and the UM3x is the only, and first, high-end IEM that I will whole-heartedly recommend. No, it's not perfect, and the Stax SR-001 system is still better as a portable. Custom-molded canalphones like the JH Audio JH13 or Westone's own ES3x are better still. But the UM3x has finally crossed the border from problematic compromise with potential to a competent product that offers good sound quality for the money, and it is the FIRST earphone to actually do so. The W3 could sound really good but its fit is extremely problematic, and when the fit is wrong you had to deal with boomy bass and piercing highs. The SE530 is also very picky in terms of fit, and even at its best the UM3x is still better.
Oh, and never mind that this is sold as a stage monitor for musicians. It is this, too, but it sounds brilliant out of an iPod, and better still from an actual quality source. The only sign of stage-monitor-dom is the slight midrange emphasis and treble recession (which is probably intentional to make the sound less fatiguing in the long term), but plenty of full-size headphones have far more severe sonic abnormalities like most of Grado's lineup.
This is a balanced, good-sounding, comfortable, easy to use, easy to drive, and not too expensive canalphone. And no other canalphone has been able to boast all of that before, at least no canalphone that didn't require a visit to the doctor.
Buy Westone UM3x 3-Way Universal Fit In-Ear Monitors Now
I need to preface my comments by stating that I'm not an audiophile. I'm a guitar player in my church praise band. I don't talk the lingo of true audiophiles, don't get into that aspect of headphones, in-ears, earbuds, etc....I needed to improve the sound coming out of our church's Aviom system, to be able to obtain better separation between our instruments....electric guitar, keyboard, piano, drums, acoustic guitar, which I wasn't getting with all my other in-ears.
I purchased the UM3X based upon reviews, but mainly from recommendations of colleagues.
What a revelation when I plugged the UM3x in straight out of the box and strummed my guitar. I heard the instrument like I never had before. Emphatic dittos for the other instruments, as well as the vocalists.
After having played several services, I can't believe how clearly I can hear everything. The separation is incredible. The nuances of each instrument are clearly defined. No muddiness, no sound compromise. Everything is there for me to hear.
While these phones haven't made me a better player, they have made me a better listener, which is what I bought them to do. Now that I can better hear what the other musicians are doing, I'm able to play more effectively.
I also need to mention that these in-ears sound GREAT with my iPod. I'm hearing things I never heard before. The sound is incredible.
I'm never going back to cheap in-ears. In the case of these phones, you really do get what you pay for. I'm fully, totally and exceedingly happy with Westone's UM3x.
Read Best Reviews of Westone UM3x 3-Way Universal Fit In-Ear Monitors Here
I've only used two IEMs to date the UM3X and the SE530s, and I have used a number of full sized cans around as well, and I have to say that the UM3Xs are nothing short of amazing for me.First off, I far prefer the UM3X comply tips to the Shure tips The longer tips isolate almost all outside noise, and don't absorb the low frequencies either. The cable is lightweight and doesn't make noise when it rubs on your shirt, and doesn't tangle easily (my SE530 cable tangled all the time.)
On the topic of the cable, the strain relief where the cable goes into the IEM assembly is sturdy again unlike my SE530s which fell apart in less than a year, this is holding up very well. I have no worries about these IEMs standing up to wear and tear which for a IEM over $300 is huge (the SE530s were a wakeup call in terms of how bad the construction can be.)
Sonic quality on these I find (and I'll keep saying that I find each person will prefer their own sound signature.) to be nothing short of jaw dropping. Mids are pronounced, meaning voices sound like they're right in front of you. The sound like you're in the front row listening to the performance. But this doesn't sound fatiguing I found my SE530s to sound a little tiring to listen to in this regard.
Highs are slightly less pronounced; comparing to my SE530s the 530s sound more tingy the highs are more pronounced, but they also roll of as you go up in frequency. The UM3Xs are less pronounced, but more detailed as the frequency climbs. The sound of cymbals won't overwhelm you, but it won't underwhelm either.
Lows also sound great you can "feel" drums hit with force. This is perhaps the area where the SE530s and UM3Xs seem the most alike to me. They both do lows well. And depending on the tips you use, the sound may also be different. With the foam complys it doesn't sound dead, it sounds quite good. The rubber tips might sound better I haven't tried. The super low frequencies might be slightly less detailed that a pair of circumaural cans, but the UM3Xs sound great nonetheless. The lows don't sound too delayed either.
I will note that unlike the SE530s, which while they have three drivers, it's really only using a two way crossover. The UM3Xs also have three drivers, but do have a three way crossover to match, which may be why I find these to sound more detailed all around.
Instrument separation listening to Stokowski's Toccata & Fugue is great, and listening to rock sounds great as well I find these IEMs work for all music types, but likely sound best with classical, jazz and accoustic music.
Sound isolation using the longer complys is amazing I can't hear anything on a plane or in the office these work VERY well for cutting out ambient noise.
I would recommend getting the in-line attenuator for this as well, it can help raise the noise floor AND prevent you from blowing out your ear drums when you plug into a source that may be turned up too high.
All in all, I'd consider these without a doubt the best headphones I own, period. I wish I had two pairs one for home, one for work...they're costly, sure...but you're getting your money's worth. I may one day try getting moldings, unsure if I want to bother.
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I just received my Westone UM3x's this week and all I can say is, "Wow". I also own the Shure se530's and Ultimate Ear triple.fi 10's and I really enjoyed both but I couldn't help but note the flaws in both IEM's. It's no news to anyone who's been on this fourm, "se530's do great in the mids, but have recessed ends" or "triple.fi's have great hi's and decent mids and lows" etc. Simply put, Each of the two IEM's excelled in one particular area, but had often noted flaws in another area. With the UM3X's, there really is no weak point in it's presentation. This doesn't mean that it can't improve, but there really is no weak point in it's sound. I think the best way to understand this is through numbers, so here's my evaluation:SE530:
High 7.5
Mid 9.5
Low 8.5
Triple.Fi
High 9.5
Mid 8
Low 8
UM3X
High 9
Mid 9
Low 9
I know that it's solid performance has to do with it's "flat" EQ, which some may initially get turned off by, because when some people think, "flat" EQ, they think boring. But let me tell you, I REALLY, REALLY enjoyed these, and could not help but get into in my music, bobbing my head, air drumming, etc, haha. To me, after hearing these, rather than saying "flat EQ", I would rather explain it as, "Synchronized/Balanced" EQ. All levels perform so well, that not one section of sound overpowers the other.
As far as soundstage, comparing these three IEMs, I say, with confidence, that the UM3x has this one locked down. Again this has to do with its' "flat" EQ. My best way of describing this is by pointing out the flaws I noticed in the two other monitors:
WIth the SE530, because the mids are so emphasized, it makes you feel as though the singer is performing right in front of you, with the rest of the band 4 rows back. Highs and lows both roll off (not dramatically), but definitely feel less present than the mids.
With the Triple.fi, it was nearly the opposite, in this configuration: the high hat/ride/crash/etc cymbal of the drummer right in front of you, the bass drum/toms and the bassist 2 rows behind that, and then the singer 4 rows back.
Don't get me wrong, though. Vocals on the 530 were great, it just felt like the rest lacked, and with the triple.fi, the highs were great, the bass slightly less great, but with the mids lacking a bit. With the UM3x, the soundstage was very equal, not one section overpowered the other, and had excellent instrument separation. I haven't heard soundstage and instrument separation done this well in an IEM yet. And even though I'm comparing the 530/triple.fi/umx3, I've heard a pretty good deal of other monitors including: W3, e5c, e4c, ie8, UE700, etc and like I said earlier, I can say, with confidence, that the UM3x easily takes this one. And again, with the UM3x, some might argue, "the highs/mids/lows could be better, but every headphone, whether IEMs or Full Sized, could be better. I can't say it enough, I really enjoyed the UM3x's sound signature. I really didn't feel like I was missing out on anything like I did with my 530's and triple.fi's. Shortly put, it's just pretty darn hard to legitimately complain about the UM3x.
As far as fit goes, and this will be different for different people as different people have different ear shapes, but again, to me, the UM3x takes this one by a landslide. The fit of the actual monitor, cable, weight, etc. are on a different level here for me. The fit is SO flush to my ear. I know if i managed to fall asleep with these in my ears, there's no way in hell that I would be bothered by them in my ears. The se530 fit pretty well also, but wasn't nearly as flush, and the weight of the cable always bothered me. No matter what, I knew they were in. With the UM3x, their presence in my ear would slowly vanish. And if you've ever seen the triple.fi 10, I don't even need to tell you how much those stick out of the ear. The fit wasn't an issue for me, but as far as being flush, you're not hiding anything with those. But I still think they did a good job on the comfort level on them.
With build quality, I think all of them were made pretty darn well. I don't have an obvious winner in this department, just appreciation for each IEM's build. You would expect that at their price points, that this shouldn't be too drastic of an issue. I know a lot of members mentioned SE530 cable problems, but I never had any issues with this. It may be due to my overly cautious behavior with my IEMs... Well, these are all $400-$500 dollar monitors! C'mon now!
I've also seen a lot of threads comparing the W3 to the UM3x. I think both sets are great! I just have more appreciation for the UM3x's soundstage and SOLID sound performance. I can appreciate that some listeners enjoy the W3 over the UM3x, but I'm a fairly critical listener, and even though I enjoyed the W3's, I just felt the lows were a bit too bloated at times and the high's were slightly too sparkly (definitely not something I could listen to for a long period of time). It just had a more "artificial" or "emphasized" sound to them, which I could appreciate, but it wasn't for me. I know the UM3x's have been regarded as "boring" but, I really can't relate to that description at all. I hate to say that these reviewers are making an elementary mistake, by not getting that proper seal, but I can't imagine, that with a proper seal, that the sound of these UM3x's won't engage you. I really can't come to agree with them on their description of "boring".
Lastly, I'd have to say that these are DEFINITELY my go to monitors. And trust me, I have no connection to Westone in any way. I would even look for reasons to be an Ultimate Ears fan boy, but I can't avoid Westone's direction with IEMs. You can't miss with these. If they're not great for a certain type of music, they're definitely at least a considerable choice, rather than being almost entirely unsuited, which some IEMs are. I hope this review/comparison helped a lot cuz I know I did a ton of research before buying my UM3's and could never really get a usable example of what writer's were talking about when it came to certain flaws or strengths. GO GET THEM NOW!
My setup: Cowon J3 playing all FLAC files UM3x
I didn't like the Sennheisers because they were so dark. The Westone 3s fixed that problem, but introduced some of their own.
When I first got the W3s, I was floored by their comfort, isolation, durability, design, and of course, sound quality. But my music collection began to slowly drift further towards the electronic side of the spectrum. Of course, with the Westone 3's midbass hump and recessed mids, it's what sounded best on my equipment. But after losing my first pair, I was so close to picking the UM3x, but went for the W3 again because I knew I liked the sound and thought that its "smile curve" sound signature would make it sound better at the low volume levels i listen, because of equal-loudness contours.
But the reviews of the UM3x tantalized me, and whispered into my dreams at night until I couldn't take it any longer. I bought them, and waited for a couple of days, jumping at every UPS truck that drove down my street until they finally arrived. I plugged them in, and loaded up some trance, something I prided the W3 on being able to reproduce particularly well, Markus Schulz' album "Do You Dream?". But wait...there were background vocals on that track? And that subtle string part, where did that come from?
Suddenly, I could hear everything. Everything was there, all the simultaneous musical parts, fleshed out in front of me for me, inviting me to pick out a part and follow it for a while. And that's what I did. I compared the two on the same song, "Moonlight" by Kamelot, and heard the piano like never before. And that's when I realized that the W3s really did have recessed mids. Before, I scoffed at such reviews. I thought the W3 was just tuned for excitement, and I could still hear all the vocal parts. But I was wrong. There is just so much more there with the UM3x, and it all sounds real. That neutrality of the audio lets you hear everything the same way it was mixed, with all the texture and nuances intact. The result is incredible.
The UM3x is everything the W3 is, but better and more finely tuned. I even think the fit is less intrusive and more comfortable. Oh, by the way, you're going to need some of these for optimal isolation and comfort. I even use them around the house, they're so comfortable. Shure PA910M Replacement Black Foam Sleeves (Medium) for Shure SE210, SE310, SE420, SE530 and SE530PTH Earphones
Get them and experience a new world of audio. It's amazing. From now on, I'm only buying neutral earphones. When I go custom, I'll probably pick Westone and grab the ES5's. I love this company, their products are incredible and have changed the way I listen to and appreciate music. The guy who talked about the progression of earphone audio wasn't kidding: these things are game-changers.
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