CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

Lobby => IEM Measurements => Topic started by: Anaxilus on December 18, 2013, 02:19:35 AM

Title: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on December 18, 2013, 02:19:35 AM
Ultimate Ears - In-Ear Reference Monitor (aka - UERM, IERM)

There has been much debate about the merits of Custom IEMs.  This has often included the question of performance between universal and 'full' custom versions of the same phone.  The price performance of customs versus universals.  Also the ability to DIY your custom either through reshelling or tuning similar components via crossovers and filters.  This review will address a few of those comparisons using a number of metrics.  Stay tuned!!

Teaser pics:

My long in the tooth UERM, bought second hand and fit to someone else's ears; modded to fit mine and similar size ears with universal tips.  This was a very early unit.

(http://i.imgur.com/yT0PyeJl.jpg)

My new full custom UERM set.  New Designer Edition featuring artwork from Leon Nguyen.  http://pro.ultimateears.com/en-us/earphones/galleries/designer-editions
Pictures don't do the layering and dimensionality justice.

(http://i.imgur.com/siOuLaSl.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/hesuTLal.jpg)

Official UE Reference Monitor Universal Demo.

(http://i.imgur.com/KrROsLfl.jpg)

DIY Modified TF10 by Rin Choi.  Designed to best emulate the UERM's signature and performance on the cheap.

(http://i.imgur.com/E2P6H1Nl.jpg)

Coming soon!


Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on December 18, 2013, 02:19:56 AM
Impressions and comparisons

UERM demo
Sounds pretty much the same as my conversion.  Maybe fractionally cleaner and precise due to being newer. Wider SS though, more air, more room for trailing decays and articulation of notes.  Much more coherent and relaxed presentation.  Less treble zing than my universal conversion.

UERM universal conversion
Less precise than the demo, could be more worn from use which is what I feel I'm hearing.  SS is a tad narrower.  Tonal balance is mostly the same.  A bit more treble zing.  I really think the sonic difference is due to age and early production than anything else.

UERM custom
Slightly less clarity and imaging precision than my universal conversion or the demo.  Sound bores are not a straight shot, could be something that matters in direct comparison.  Will have to return to UE to have it rechecked and/or corrected.  Stay tuned...

TF10 Rin modded
Less sensitive than the UERMs.  Needs more gain even on my UHA6Smk2 high gain.  Sounds much better than the normal TF10, more balanced.  Not quite as clear though, a slight hint of warmth but good detail.  Bass feels more linear than normal TF10 but doesn’t have the impact of the TF10s.  Imaging is a bit hazier.  Bass guitar on Hotel California has harder time resolving itself, tone is off.  Tonally more relaxed in a way I think some would find more appealing than the UERM.  A bit Westonish.  It is also a bit bass light, this track is mastered bass heavy. A very solid effort with respect to tonal balance.  However, overall less refined and articulate in resolving nuances and detailed transients.  At times, there’s a bit of an uneven sort of resonance or decay which lends to the inarticulate sensation.  While there is less treble zing and bass boom which is better for those wanting a more relaxed fatigue free listen, sibilance on Glen Frey’s vocals are more pronounced.  I do think there is an upper mid grain that is over accentuated or just sounds harsher due to lack of resolution.  This came to be more prevalent on cymbals w/ some Scorpions tracks.  All said and done, I have to commend the overall effort, sounds less refined than the TF10 I sold, but more balanced and neutral.  I think the more natural sweetness of the TF10's timbre is lost though as well.

Post TF10 listen using UERM demos-overall signature is much smoother and refined.  All the notes sound more complete and fuller.  The sonic impression is more akin to comparing WAV files to MP3s.  Imaging and SS is much more precise and clarity is better.  Sibilance on cymbals and vocals are much more natural too.  There are also more macro and micro dynamics being reproduced.  Compared to the TF10 experiment, the UERM just makes everything sound more real and ‘there’ but showing more of what is actually on the recording.  IT’s just extracting more information and laying it out for the listener.  This is no small feat by the way, I almost bought the JH13FP but ultimately felt the UERM was still more resolving and balanced despite other strengths the JH13FP had like imaging and clarity.  This really speaks to UE's tuning and inherent design superiority with the UERM.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Hawaiiancerveza on December 18, 2013, 02:44:44 AM
Looking forward to this. 
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: zerodeefex on December 18, 2013, 02:59:07 AM
Would make out with the designer edition ones.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: burnspbesq on December 18, 2013, 03:42:27 AM
I got the standard black finish and logos.  If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten clear with no logos.  Like putting A4 badges on an RS4.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Maxvla on December 18, 2013, 06:10:08 AM
Still loving mine.  :)p1

(http://cdn.head-fi.org/1/14/900x900px-LL-14dd6a1f_UERM.jpeg)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: tomscy2000 on December 18, 2013, 08:04:44 AM
If music be the food of love, play on...

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3803/10262326744_40379ba4cf.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomscy2000/10262326744)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/10343042705_ea726ea001.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomscy2000/10343042705)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/10221310393_9b62756431.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomscy2000/10221310393)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: thegunner100 on December 18, 2013, 12:35:36 PM
One of the best purchases I've ever made. Simply amazing with the leckerton uha-6s mkii.

(http://i.imgur.com/KBwlxBK.jpg)
(Old pic from the summer, back when I had the asgard 2)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: MisterRogers on December 18, 2013, 01:17:43 PM
I'd snap a picture of mine, but they're basically stock. I haven't had much opportunity to use them lately, but I'm tempted to put them in on occasion regardless. The only think stopping is I need to be able to take them out quickly; never know when I'm going to be interrupted at work.

I listen to mine direct from an MR2 - a fantastic combination.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Questhate on December 18, 2013, 04:58:22 PM
Other than my very first iPod, the UERMs are the best purchase I've made in audio. They sound great just plugged into a Sansa Clip, but scales well. You'd have to invest in a considerable full-sized rig to beat the UERM out of most portable sources.


Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Elysian on December 18, 2013, 06:43:50 PM
(click to show/hide)

Wow, I love the texturing on that! Are the prints actually 3D? How much more do the Leon Nguyen designs cost?

Going to be a tough choice between Cheese Squares, Carbon Dating, Golden Curve, and Time Attack.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: CEE TEE on December 18, 2013, 07:24:21 PM
(click to show/hide)

Wow, I love the texturing on that! Are the prints actually 3D? How much more do the Leon Nguyen designs cost?

Going to be a tough choice between Cheese Squares, Carbon Dating, Golden Curve, and Time Attack.


I had no idea some of these designs were multi-layered and so beautiful!  Have asked UE for some more pics of these designs and will try to get some for you guys.  (I know you are planning to get UERM at the Bay Area Meet, Elysian.)  Many of these are laser-cut designs in layers, the metal UE logos are laser cut and embedded within the faceplate acrylic too.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: third_eye on December 19, 2013, 05:52:55 PM
I'm very excited to read more about these. I demoed them for a weekend recently and was really impressed. They remind me of a mini-HD800.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Elysian on January 02, 2014, 09:27:17 PM
What is the ultimate amp, whether for desktop or traveling use, you guys have found with the UERM? I loved the UERM with CEE TEE's BA. The bass had nice presence and the soundstage was great with the 300Bs.

Do the UERMs scale significantly? I've only heard them with the mini3, Pico Power, and BA. I actually kind of preferred them with the mini3 over the Pico Power.

I'm thinking about using the UERMs as a late night desktop rig since they don't give off any ambient noise, and am wondering what's the best you've all heard them sound.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Questhate on January 02, 2014, 09:45:08 PM
The UERM indeed scales with better gear, as there was a big difference going from simply an iPod HO, to the UHA-6S to the Super 7. The good thing though is that it still sounds damn good out of a portable source. You do want to be careful about impedance mismatches though.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: burnspbesq on January 02, 2014, 10:08:03 PM
What is the ultimate amp, whether for desktop or traveling use, you guys have found with the UERM? I loved the UERM with CEE TEE's BA. The bass had nice presence and the soundstage was great with the 300Bs.

Do the UERMs scale significantly? I've only heard them with the mini3, Pico Power, and BA. I actually kind of preferred them with the mini3 over the Pico Power.

I'm thinking about using the UERMs as a late night desktop rig since they don't give off any ambient noise, and am wondering what's the best you've all heard them sound.

UERMs have just a touch of metallic glint (if that makes sense) in the upper midrange/low treble with Herus.  Not enough to be a show-stopper for me, in light of the other advantages of that combo, but it's there.

UERMs work great with Fostex HP-P1, and they work great straight out of the headphone out of every iOS device I currently own.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: CEE TEE on January 02, 2014, 11:47:21 PM
Anax turned me on to the standalone JDS Labs ODAC > Leckerton 6S Mk.II combo.  The Leck 760 is even better.  I'll let you try the combo at the meet or afterwards when you have your UERM.  (ADA4627-1 BRZ opamps).  Requires USB into the ODAC and can be finicky though.  I'm also quite fond of iPhone 4S into the Leck via LOD.  If you have a Touch, may be equivalent.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Elysian on January 03, 2014, 08:06:04 PM
Does the 6S MKII and 760 benefit from having the ODAC function as the DAC? I would have assumed the Leckerton DAC would be on par or superior to the ODAC.

For the 760, do you like the ADA4627-1B opamp more than the OPA627AP?

Edit: Just saw in the Magni/Modi v. O2/ODAC thread that some people prefer the ODAC over the 6S MKII DAC.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: thegunner100 on January 04, 2014, 01:59:56 AM
The dac section of the uha-6s mkii isn't that good, even when you use coax. I'd take the modi over it, or even the built-in dac of the dx50.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: AstralStorm on January 17, 2014, 11:58:00 PM
The DAC is decent, but there are better ones around. It's mostly limited by the power supply and the filter, as the same DAC chip with a better supply and filter is godly. (specifically, Lynx Hilo)

If ADA4627-1B sounds anything like ADA4898-1, then it is hardhitting FET-like sound without a hint of oiliness, but not as nice detailing as OPA209 - and resilient against GSM noise.
Actually ADA4898-1 can reach the same detailing, but it needs more volts (tested on 12V), and UHA-6s mkII only provides 6.3V.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on January 18, 2014, 12:37:47 AM
If ADA4627-1B sounds anything like ADA4898-1

It doesn't.  It's superior in pretty much everyway to the 4898.  I thought I made that clear in my opamp review.  Probably time I updated the thread, been waiting to head over to UE to resolve an issue once I ditch the CES flu bug.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on January 18, 2014, 12:54:07 AM
Updated second post w/ comparisons:

http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,1307.msg34911.html#msg34911
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: firev1 on January 18, 2014, 06:25:10 AM
Pretty much agree on your UERM vs JH13FP(JH demo) impressions, the UERM(I shoved a friend's pair into my ears with some buds on) sound much more balanced. Highs on the JH13 are kinda strident, a mild V shape I would say.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Maxvla on February 14, 2014, 02:31:47 AM
So I think I know what happened to my UERM. Remember I've complained they were bassy and lacking treble and generally sounding not that close to HD800s.

Well last night I picked up my UERM to listen to them and was going to clean them as I usually do before each session but I had left my UE brush thingy in the other room. As I was getting up I noticed my glasses repair kit from when I tightened up a screw so being my lazy self I grabbed that instead and used the flat head which fit easily in each hole. Bass hole went as usual getting some wax out, but treble side there was a ton of crap coming out from deeper in there. I was surprised, but realized the little metal hoop on the UE brush was fairly short and couldn't reach that far. This happened on both left and right sides, so now that they were actually cleaned out I put them in and the highs were back! Still not quite to HD800 level, but better air and less shh more sss, crisper, more shocking cymbals, better defined vocals.

I guess I will stop using the metal hoop on the UE brush and use that little flathead screwdriver to clean from now on. I think these might have been like this since before I got my HD800s since I got the UERM in Nov 2011 and HD800s April-ish 2012. With the dramatic change in treble these might be my favorite headphones again, over HD800s.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: burnspbesq on February 14, 2014, 03:00:40 AM
So I think I know what happened to my UERM. Remember I've complained they were bassy and lacking treble and generally sounding not that close to HD800s.

Well last night I picked up my UERM to listen to them and was going to clean them as I usually do before each session but I had left my UE brush thingy in the other room. As I was getting up I noticed my glasses repair kit from when I tightened up a screw so being my lazy self I grabbed that instead and used the flat head which fit easily in each hole. Bass hole went as usual getting some wax out, but treble side there was a ton of crap coming out from deeper in there. I was surprised, but realized the little metal hoop on the UE brush was fairly short and couldn't reach that far. This happened on both left and right sides, so now that they were actually cleaned out I put them in and the highs were back! Still not quite to HD800 level, but better air and less shh more sss, crisper, more shocking cymbals, better defined vocals.

I guess I will stop using the metal hoop on the UE brush and use that little flathead screwdriver to clean from now on. I think these might have been like this since before I got my HD800s since I got the UERM in Nov 2011 and HD800s April-ish 2012. With the dramatic change in treble these might be my favorite headphones again, over HD800s.

Well played, Max.  I keep a long sewing needle handy for those fortunately rare occasions when I get crud farther up the bore than the cleaning tool can reach.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on April 06, 2014, 10:34:20 PM
Much to my dismay, after having spent 12 days with james444's (universal) UERM, and admittedly only having spent very little time with it during that time, and having sworn to myself I'd never get another custom IEM—oh, I'd much rather get a universal UERM just like the one james444 kindly sent my way—, I suddenly find myself seriously considering getting a custom set.

That said, in the little time I spent with the UERMs, I think, on the whole, I still prefer the ER4S' sonics after the several very short A/B sessions I had with both.

But, if I spent only very little time with the UERMs, it wasn't because of a lack of (auditioning) time, but because I was compelled to spend more time with another IEM I seem to enjoy more than the UERM & ER4S (not the K3003s or SE846s), an IEM I'm afraid most of our esteemed Pirates (and wannabe pirates) would not approve of (though I could always be wrong).
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Maxvla on April 06, 2014, 10:49:13 PM
Which one? I promise to be open minded.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on April 07, 2014, 12:49:23 AM
I don't want to be or seem obnoxious but it's an IEM you're very unlikely to have heard of, let alone auditioned, therefore you can't really be all that open-minded (or otherwise) about it.

Apologies—and I do mean this—for the seeming 'secrecy' and pedantry but, after all, this is an UERM thread, though I'll admit I'm just not inclined to talk about this IEM (at present), either. Rest assured, though, that when I say "most of our esteemed Pirates (and wannabe pirates) would not approve of [it]", I know pretty well what I'm talking about — I know for a fact, for instance, you'd personally definitely prefer your UERMs & HD800s over it…so, err, I suppose you could say there's nothing (for you) to worry or be too curious about.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Beautiful+As+The+Moon+Terrible+As+An+Army+With+Banners/4EbHcU?src=5
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 07, 2014, 01:26:24 AM
You already brought it up, just say it.

I've had the ER4P ans S three times in my life and got rid of it everytime, I have no idea what people are hearing when they say they prefer it to something like the UERM demo.  Care to elaborate specifically?  And what chain are you using these days?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on April 07, 2014, 01:59:04 AM
Only brought it up because I wanted to make clear that I literally spent very, very, VERY little time with the UERMs in 12 days (!), that's all. So allow me to not talk about an IEM I, er, just don't feel comfy talking about...yet, all right? Edit my posts if necessary! (seriously)

Never heard the ER4P, only have the ER4S proper. My sometimes rather frustrating experience with the 4S tells me that many people have not heard the true sonics the ER4S delivers or is capable of—the only IEM I've cared to search the right tips for for quite a bit because when the sonics were right with this most 'temperamental' IEM (fit-wise), they're utterly impressive.

Main differences between the UERM & ER4S: UERM more convincing/realistic bass, though the 4S' bass is uniquely textured/delineated; mids are, overall, a toss up, but I still feel the 4S have the slight edge; 4S' treble is the best/most convincing I've heard in any phone; don't know if it's a crossover thing on the UERM, but sounds throughout the whole spectrum flow more naturally on the 4S.

Chain/Sources: Sony ZX1, 4G & 5G Touch, MacBook Pro > V200 (with onboard DAC).
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: zerodeefex on April 07, 2014, 02:30:16 AM
Okay, total dbag move to talk about a mystery IEM then not tell anyone what it is. Why would you do that?!?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on April 07, 2014, 02:41:40 AM
Oh dear... well, if you all must know, it's the budget universal IEM known as the Final Audio Design LAB I.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Fruit+Tree/1SSZzz?src=5
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 07, 2014, 04:04:32 AM
Only brought it up because I wanted to make clear that I literally spent very, very, VERY little time with the UERMs in 12 days (!), that's all. So allow me to not talk about an IEM I, er, just don't feel comfy talking about...yet, all right? Edit my posts if necessary! (seriously)

Never heard the ER4P, only have the ER4S proper. My sometimes rather frustrating experience with the 4S tells me that many people have not heard the true sonics the ER4S delivers or is capable of—the only IEM I've cared to search the right tips for for quite a bit because when the sonics were right with this most 'temperamental' IEM (fit-wise), they're utterly impressive.

Main differences between the UERM & ER4S: UERM more convincing/realistic bass, though the 4S' bass is uniquely textured/delineated; mids are, overall, a toss up, but I still feel the 4S have the slight edge; 4S' treble is the best/most convincing I've heard in any phone; don't know if it's a crossover thing on the UERM, but sounds throughout the whole spectrum flow more naturally on the 4S.

Chain/Sources: Sony ZX1, 4G & 5G Touch, MacBook Pro > V200 (with onboard DAC).

Actually you hit on the two of the main issues I have with the UERM.  Treble doesn't always have the most natural timbre and the crossover does get a bit in the way overall cohernecy but it is the best three way implementation I've heard.  Two ways don't bother much if at all.  Most just piss me off after 5-10 minutes and I quit.  The crossover also possibly gets in the way of the clarity/blackness of the UERM which the UE4 and DBA02 both beat in that regard.  From memory the ER4S and the UERM are about on par in that regard.  Also from memory, the UERM beats the ER4S on ultimate and inner resolution, inner dynamics and micro transients, soundstage depth and imaging holography (ES5 is the best I've heard for this).

I'm tempted to find an ER4S just to do another comprehensive comparo so people can know what myself and some others hear.  FWIW I've never had issues w/ fit on the ER4.  I've always had bass extension and usually better isolation than most universal or even customs.

Music, feel free to start a thread on the FAD LAB I if you like.

Btw, the group here is pretty split between HD800/UERM folk and orthodynamic/lusher IEM folk (Westone ES5 is still my preferred overall for just listening).  There's a few Stax users still lurking too, nobody's perfect.   :)p13  You should consider ditching that V200 for a Lynx Hilo one of these days too.   ;)

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Maxvla on April 07, 2014, 04:52:29 AM
I agree with Mike regarding UERM treble. It's still not good enough. I haven't heard the Etys or any FAD so I can't comment there.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: OJneg on April 07, 2014, 06:07:33 AM
Anax, if you want to do a comparison I can let you borrow my ER4 for a bit. So long as you have something hanging around that I could stick in my ears in the meanwhile.  :money:
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 07, 2014, 06:14:57 AM
Anax, if you want to do a comparison I can let you borrow my ER4 for a bit. So long as you have something hanging around that I could stick in my ears in the meanwhile.  :money:

Thx!  I still have quite the IEM collection, shoot me a pm and we can work it out.  Hopefully you have the ER4S?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: OJneg on April 07, 2014, 01:28:31 PM
Yes, I just need to find my misplaced P-to-S adapter. I might have lost it at the meet actually. I'll PM you.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on April 08, 2014, 06:59:05 PM
I can now confirm I'm in the process of ordering the UERMs.

Now, I have two requests for the mods: Could we possibly have "Arse-licking wannabe Pirate" instead of "IEM tease" under music_4321? And change "+1/-1" to "+6/-1" or "+5/-1"?

Anax, I only luuuv the V200 because it's made in Germany...or so it seems.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on April 08, 2014, 08:24:17 PM
Ok, trigger pulled.

"+2/-4" now? — what a disappointment. Could we possibly make it "+4/-16" instead?

FWIW, just checked my V200 — it states "Made in Germany by Chinese labourers"

Anaxilus, completely forgot to comment on the LAB I — Don't think I should be starting a thread as no-one would really be getting these budget IEMs, and I very much doubt there'd be much interest, tbh. It's likely, though, FAD will have (an)other version(s) of it. But FYI, these sound nothing like the FIBASS — this is a dual-BA IEM with no crossovers; they use a "full-range dual balanced armature driver". But, never mind the specs (and marketing), the LAB I is the best phone I've heard. There.



Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 08, 2014, 09:23:07 PM
Well if you can ever stand to part with them for a bit, you know where to find me.   ;)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on April 08, 2014, 09:41:13 PM
Question is, do you think you'd get a good/proper fit with a sparrow's UERM?  ;)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 08, 2014, 09:48:56 PM
The LAB1s.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on April 08, 2014, 10:55:56 PM
I know (see emoticon in previous post — besides, I believe you already have a pair [or is it two by now?] of UERMs)

Believe me, I don't think you or most UERM/HD800 lovers would think much of the LAB I (irrespective of price). BUT, as noted already, I could always be wrong...but I doubt it.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: hiyu64 on April 20, 2014, 06:28:40 AM
The UERM was the first custom IEM I've purchased.  I've had the UERM for almost a month now and I like them very much, but it took a while to even start to like them.  I was feeling a mixture of impressed/not impressed for the first week I had them.  Getting them in the ears wasn't really a pain, it just felt awkward for the first week.  Now I can get them in very easily.  I like how both the HD800 and UERM get out of the way easily.  The HD800 doesn't touch the ear and you feel so free.  The UERM melts into your ear and it becomes part of it, doesn't feel unnatural at all anymore.  The problem I had with the UERM was that it was extremely fatiguing during the first week when I ran it stock.  Even the stock HD800 wasn't as fatiguing to me.  I could barely make it past 20 minutes on the UERM before feeling the need to take them out.  It didn't help that a lot of my music is pop.  I could do 40-50 minutes on the stock HD800 before feeling the fatigue if I remember correctly.  It could also be that I'm so used to the modded/EQ'd HD800 that the brightness of the stock UERM really caught me off guard, or that being so close to the ear drum the fatigue happens faster. 

Anyway, I went on to add EQ starting the 2nd week and it was much better.  First I did a sinewave sweep and it looks like the treble extension hits 16.3k for me on the UERM and drops off significantly.  I could hear up to 17.5k on the HD800 before significant drop off(or the limit of my hearing lol).   I think there was some channel imbalance on the UERM around 10Khz.  Approaching 10k, the left channel sounded a little louder.  Passing 10k the right channel sounded a little louder for a little bit.  Fortunately, I don't notice it when actually listening to music.  The bass goes down to 30hz before dropping off significantly.  Eventually I settled down for a +2dB BW1.0 at 30 kHz, -1dB BW0.1 at 6.57kHz, a -2dB BW0.2 at 7.83kHz, and a -1dB BW0.2 at 10kHz on Electri-Q.

The spatial characteristics are astounding for an IEM.  The UERM sounds eerily like the HD800 in that regard.  I think the UERM and HD800 are the only headphones/IEMs I've heard that gives a "soft" soundstage border.  I'm not sure I'm describing it right but what I mean is that with other phones, the soundstage hits almost a wall and stops abruptly.  For the UERM/HD800, the soundstage border is soft and blends right into the environment.  I know I'm nit-picky about this, but this problem is especially bad on headphones/IEMs with smaller soundstages and it irritates me.  Of course, the only thing worse is heavy coloration.  With that said, I don't think I'll ever be able to pick up a closed headphone again and listen to it without getting annoyed.  The LCD2.2 I had wasn't much better even though it was "open".  It also sounded congested at the same time       

The UERM is very flat with a slight bright tilt, hence its name.  This also makes it a little more analytical though...even more so than the HD800.       
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Maxvla on April 20, 2014, 06:22:22 PM
The spatial characteristics are astounding for an IEM.  The UERM sounds eerily like the HD800 in that regard.  I think the UERM and HD800 are the only headphones/IEMs I've heard that gives a "soft" soundstage border.  I'm not sure I'm describing it right but what I mean is that with other phones, the soundstage hits almost a wall and stops abruptly.  For the UERM/HD800, the soundstage border is soft and blends right into the environment.  I know I'm nit-picky about this, but this problem is especially bad on headphones/IEMs with smaller soundstages and it irritates me.  Of course, the only thing worse is heavy coloration.  With that said, I don't think I'll ever be able to pick up a closed headphone again and listen to it without getting annoyed.  The LCD2.2 I had wasn't much better even though it was "open".  It also sounded congested at the same time

Welcome to my world, except I think the UERM far surpasses the HD800 in staging with most music. I have real trouble with almost any closed phone and many open phones now. I can appreciate their sonic characteristics, but I know pretty much instantly whether I will ever buy them based on that soundstage issue.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on May 28, 2014, 01:58:16 PM
I unexpectedly received my UERMs today (was expecting them on Friday or sometime next week).

Have got a perfect fit & seal.

Very brief initial comments/impressions:

My UERMs do not sound like the perfect-fitting loaner (universal version) james444 sent me a couple of months ago; my pair has less hot treble—in fact, not hot at all—, with better tonality, and more pronounced bass; and the midrange isn't as dry-sounding.

When I had James' set, I remarked that I found it very difficult to spend more than just a few minutes with them—even though I liked them enough to order a pair—as the FAD LAB I I'd recently acquired demanded all my attention. A very short side-by-side comparison now reveals that the midrange and treble are closer (but not the same) in my UERM & LAB I than in James' UERM universal & the LAB I. My UERMs have more bass quantity (though not sure yet they actually have more low-end extension) than the LABs, but the former certainly does not sound wrong, and does not seem to affect the midrange; the low-end on my UERMs sounds more authoritative than the LAB's, but the LAB's midrange remains a step ahead, more resolving and with ever so slightly better tonality/timbre to these ears, more so, in fact, than any phone I've heard to date (but then again, I'm self-declared mids-head).

I also remarked that, on the whole, I preferred the ER4S over (James') UERM. Haven't compared my own UERMs to the Etys yet, but I don't think that is the case now.

My UERMs also seem more cohesive than James' pair (from memory, obviously), but the LAB I, a dual-BA phone, still has more natural transitions between all freqs than my UERMs.

All that said, I've no idea whether James' (universal) UERM is closer to UE's target for these phones—James claims the full custom version he has sounds pretty much the same—or my own UERMs are closer, or whether UE, at some point, decided to alter the tuning. What I do know is that my UERM is a seriously good-sounding phone, one of the very, very best phones I've heard — absolutely no regrets on this purchase.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on June 04, 2014, 01:48:42 PM
I'm in desperate need of positive karma, popularity, credibility & validation — seeing this is the official UERM website UERM Fanboy thread on CS, I feel I must post the following:

I have never heard a phone with a better tonal balance than the UERMs. Period. That includes the HD800, HD600, K3003, LAB I, ER4S, F111, EX800ST, FI-BA-SS & ZA Tenore (and, of course, many other phones). Have used my pair for a week now and I have to say that it is simply a magnificent phone. No matter what genre/album I try, the UERMs are just stunningly good — this really is what a balanced & reference/flat phone should sound like.

Funny Mr J Harvey said (in that recent Google talk/interview) that, to him, flat is boring — I find the UERM absolutely exciting and totally absorbing. (on a related note, why do people often recommend bassy phones for already bass-heavy music??!! — a (close to) reference/flat sounding phone should make a bassy track/album, err, bassy!) I believe it was Sean Olive who did some kind of test/research where he found that even casual listeners tend to prefer a flatter sig.

The LABs & UERMs are, personally, without a shadow of a doubt, the best phones I've heard; the HD800 is very, very impressive—that open sound, the cohesiveness of a single driver with excellent tonal balance—, but the latter (its tonal balance) isn't quite as good/accurate as that found on the UERMs. The LAB is a bit of an odd phone in that it isn't flat/reference, but it's not actually that far, but its relative smoothness, coupled with its excellent resolution, timbral qualities & stunning cohesion make for a compelling listen…to these ears, that is.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Deep Funk on June 04, 2014, 02:09:39 PM
Dear Musical Sparrow, when you just keep doing what you do best by telling us how some IEMs are worth the cash based on aspect A, B, C etcetera you do not need more karma. You might receive more because your knowledge and experience are appreciated.

Besides that, sometimes your way of saying things is good for a chuckle. Chuckles make life in general more pleasant. Thus for the chuckle you already provided my plus 1 karma has been added.

P.S.

I also happen to like sparrows as they are lively little birds that make waiting on certain Dutch train stations more amusing. Sparrows are cool.

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on June 04, 2014, 02:25:48 PM
^   http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Little+Sparrow/4GvKWV?src=5    ;)

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: burnspbesq on June 04, 2014, 06:14:56 PM
Dude, that link auto-launched at high volume, and overrode a bunch of audio settings on my work computer in the process.

Not cool.

 :spank:
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on June 04, 2014, 06:27:14 PM
^  First off, I'm not a "dude", I'm a sparrow.

Secondly, if you lived in a so-called democracy—like the oh so glorious European Union—, you'd not encounter such issues.

PS But nice track, isn't it?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: alphaphoenix on June 16, 2014, 09:43:59 PM
After many years of letting the UERM escape from my wallet, I feel that my upcoming over-the-hill birthday deserves it.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: FlySweep on June 24, 2014, 08:19:11 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/66VCHyll.jpg)

I could not gush enough about this IEM.  I've had mine for roughly a year, I think.. and there isn't a day that goes by now that I'm not impressed with it.  The coherence is terrific.  I love how wonderfully dynamic it can sound.. quite reminiscent of full sized cans, in this regard.. and the imaging is sublime.  The UERM's ability to scale is really surprising, too.

I purchased a JH13 FP a couple of months before the UERM.. both had served as my end-game IEMs.. but I decided to let the JH13 FP go out of curiosity for another custom I've ordered (CustomArt Harmony 8 Pro).. I love the JH13 FP, but the UERM simply got my 'ear time' and I found it's linearity to be even more addictive than the JH13's phenomenal strengths (imaging, bass extension, speed, etc).  For a phone to beat out the JH13 FP, let alone get me to sell it (at a decent loss), is about as high a praise as I can give.  Long live the UERM!
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Claritas on June 29, 2014, 06:53:51 PM
I heard it at the Chicago meet last weekend and ordered on the spot. Pirates' booty indeed!  :boom:

Now the waiting begins . . .
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: alphaphoenix on July 03, 2014, 04:19:43 PM
I predict the same may happen at the end of this month.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Greed on July 18, 2014, 08:26:40 PM
Just got mine in. I'm having an issue that maybe one of you more experienced owners can tell me if this is normal.

I typically listen to my music at low volume when I'm working so that it doesn't distract. I tend to move around a lot so things like cable microphonics, low level hiss, etc. are really annoying. When I have the UERM in my ears there is this ruffling sound. I've eliminated the possibility of cable microphonics by removing the cable all together. I've also noticed that the shell is quite a bit smaller than my SE5 CIEM, especially the canal portion. When I have my SE5 in my ears, there is no ruffling sound. It has been awhile since I have had any other CIEM other than my SE5. For all I know this may be a common characteristic of acrylic CIEMs and I just don't remember.

Do you think this is a fit issue?

Note: Seal doesn't break when I'm moving, nor does it when I talk, open my mouth wide, etc.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: burnspbesq on July 18, 2014, 08:55:22 PM
After many years of letting the UERM escape from my wallet, I feel that my upcoming over-the-hill birthday deserves it.

Resistance is futile.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Elysian on July 18, 2014, 08:59:27 PM
I typically listen to my music at low volume when I'm working so that it doesn't distract. I tend to move around a lot so things like cable microphonics, low level hiss, etc. are really annoying. When I have the UERM in my ears there is this ruffling sound.

I get a little bit of this with my UE18s (basically sound whenever something physically makes contact and rubs against the cable), but far, far less than other IEMs I've had.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: mkubota1 on July 18, 2014, 09:23:44 PM
When I have the UERM in my ears there is this ruffling sound.

I just noticed something odd last night when listening to my RMs (w/excellent, tight seal).  I scratched just to the right of my nose with my index finger and heard a ruffling (somewhat similar to cable noise) sound from my left ear.  I was surprised how that sound/vibration made it that far across-  and only to one side.  I don't think it wasn't bone conduction because it was a very light scratching motion.  Maybe it has something to do with that vibration traveling across the skin, certain muscles, or a combo of the two.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Greed on July 18, 2014, 09:31:09 PM
What is most interesting to me, is I have very little to no ruffling sound when I have my SE5 in. Granted they seal extremely tight and they are silicon. I get the sound in both ears and it can be when I'm walking, or just flailing my arms. Maybe I'm just spoiled now?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: altrunox on September 15, 2014, 09:22:23 PM
Now with "perfect" fitting   p:3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rP4CLxw5_0
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Claritas on September 15, 2014, 11:08:25 PM
Now with "perfect" fitting   p:3

Yeah right, might explain why they're redoing mine a third time. Doesn't that guy sell ginsu knives on late night TV?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: altrunox on September 16, 2014, 02:17:44 AM
Now with "perfect" fitting   p:3

Yeah right, might explain why they're redoing mine a third time. Doesn't that guy sell ginsu knives on late night TV?

WOW, really?
I thought this 3D scanner and stuff would help a lot to achieve a better fitting...
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: thegunner100 on September 16, 2014, 02:54:08 AM
I had mine made last year, before they used their new method. I had to get refits twice, and the left shell re-made before I got a very good fit with mine.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: burnspbesq on September 16, 2014, 09:19:44 PM
Well, if King Jude says it, it has to be true.   :)p8
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: altrunox on September 16, 2014, 11:44:29 PM
 :)p3
It`s not because Jude is saying, it`s because for me at least it makes sense.
And anyway he`s saying that because UE "asked" him to do it.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Marvey on September 16, 2014, 11:53:31 PM
Saving changes in the computer for future molds vs. having to rely on the original. Remember UE caters more to musicians who may go through several of them.

Initial mold and refits are not uncommon. Depends on ears, quality of mold, experience of ear mold person.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on September 17, 2014, 02:29:32 AM
Now with "perfect" fitting   p:3

Yeah right, might explain why they're redoing mine a third time. Doesn't that guy sell ginsu knives on late night TV?

WOW, really?
I thought this 3D scanner and stuff would help a lot to achieve a better fitting...

Only if the original impressions are correct. You can't fix broken from the get go.

3D scanning is nothing new and has been used for impressions for a few years now. It was even in UE's own video tour from years ago. That's nothing special compared to other stuff happening.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: tomscy2000 on September 17, 2014, 11:03:53 AM
I actually think they're trying to go decentralized, but I don't know for sure. There's also the new DSP-based PRM tuning box.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on September 17, 2014, 11:59:38 AM
I actually found Jude's video very good and quite informative, even for someone, like me, who thinks they know a thing or two about customs.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: alphaphoenix on September 17, 2014, 11:11:00 PM
Looks like mine were 3D made.  I was wondering why when I ordered them, the shell color was very, very limited - now answered. The end product is very polished.  Looks like UE has their 3D processes and QC in order. Can't say the same for Aurisonics, though.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on January 10, 2015, 03:27:08 AM
The ever soooo popular sparrow (and most prolific poster on this site) has got to say, yet again, that the UERM is an ABSOLUTELY fantastic 'phone — without a shadow of a doubt, this is one purchase I will never regret. Even though the UERM has not been around that long, I really do feel this already is a legendary ear/headphone.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: music_4321 on January 10, 2015, 03:58:14 AM
...the only other 'phone that still edges out the UERM, to these sparrow's ears, is the LAB I (have had the latter for 11 months and my views have not changed — they remain the best ear/headphone I've heard to date, followed closely by the UERM...and then the HD800).
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: MisterRogers on January 10, 2015, 01:32:23 PM
My new pair (old pair stolen) landed yesterday, 24hour rush from impressions on file. My last pair needed some adjustments (not a big deal when I was in Irvine) and was a good but not great seal. This pair using their new process is a great seal and perfect - no mods needed. Clearly that means my impressions on file were good / accurate and the process did a good job of translation.

Glad to have them back :-)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: zowki on January 10, 2015, 05:39:42 PM
...the only other 'phone that still edges out the UERM, to these sparrow's ears, is the LAB I (have had the latter for 11 months and my views have not changed — they remain the best ear/headphone I've heard to date, followed closely by the UERM...and then the HD800).
What does LAB stand for? I don't get relevant results when Googling LAB IEM.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Marvey on January 10, 2015, 05:43:53 PM
http://final-audio-design.com/en/archives/2058
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Maxvla on January 14, 2015, 05:30:40 AM
Sent my UERM in after RMAF for a paid repair/cleaning. I asked them to fix the cable being loose and to clean them. In early December I got them back and they were great for 2 days, then the right side failed and wouldn't make a sound with either of my cables. I sent them back (with a UE paid return label), and they kept them for another month. I started wondering where they were so I sent them a mail asking. I got an email showing an invoice with the same repairs as were done before, with no cost due to being under warranty. Then they were shipped a couple days later and I finally got them today nearly 3 months after I originally sent them in.

This is how they looked before I sent them in:

(http://i59.tinypic.com/6royvc.jpg)

Here is how they look now after they were returned the second time (first time they were fine):

http://i57.tinypic.com/oh1ox2.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/2lk4pwz.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/2s7aluu.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/10zr1qb.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/14kiiol.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/2s9ua00.jpg

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: No_One411 on January 14, 2015, 06:22:31 AM
Sent my UERM in after RMAF for a paid repair/cleaning. I asked them to fix the cable being loose and to clean them. In early December I got them back and they were great for 2 days, then the right side failed and wouldn't make a sound with either of my cables. I sent them back (with a UE paid return label), and they kept them for another month. I started wondering where they were so I sent them a mail asking. I got an email showing an invoice with the same repairs as were done before, with no cost due to being under warranty. Then they were shipped a couple days later and I finally got them today nearly 3 months after I originally sent them in.

This is how they looked before I sent them in:

Here is how they look now after they were returned the second time (first time they were fine):


Damn dude...That hella sucks...

Thankfully UE customer service has been great so far. I'm sure they would sort it out for you...

Those bubbles would annoy the hell out of me.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: CEE TEE on January 14, 2015, 09:12:15 AM
I played phone tag with Mike Dias today...will talk to him and try to have Jazmin Sandoval help out with this.   :'( 
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Maxvla on January 20, 2015, 02:12:31 AM
Sent an email to Jazmin just now.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: tiohn on February 20, 2015, 07:48:15 PM
I just received my UERM yesterday, completing my Changstar-approved GO450 > UHA-6s.mkII > UERM setup.

I had been somewhat afraid that they would be bass-light based on other reviews, but they are absolutely bass-right. Everything is nicely extended and detailed, the treble isn't too hot and the bass hits hard when it should and doesn't when it shouldn't. In particular, I've noticed that guitars sound correct when they distort with tons of dirty texture. I foresee my SE535 and possibly Westone W30 going up for sale on that other place in short order.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: maibuN on February 22, 2015, 01:05:18 AM
I'm testing an universal UERM versus my custom Vision Ears VE6 and HD800 at the moment.

The uerm is really good. Imo it doesn't have the details and imaging of the HD800 but overall I think it comes quite close.

VE6 is more on the warmer side with a little bit more (and deeper) bass and a little peak at 4-6 kHz. I think that's the reason why I can listen at higher volumes with the UERM. I'm not a very high volume listener overall but with ve6 I have to listen to rather low volumes. But it is very pleasant on low volumes and also very detailed.

Maybe if I wouldn't have ciem already uerm would be on top of my list.



Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: burnspbesq on February 25, 2015, 05:04:26 PM
UERM and Pono Player are not a good match.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: knerian on February 25, 2015, 11:22:07 PM
Is it possible to get a UERM in any other color/design other than the black UE and Capital records logo ones?  That seems to be the only option on their site.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on February 25, 2015, 11:34:38 PM
Is it possible to get a UERM in any other color/design other than the black UE and Capital records logo ones?  That seems to be the only option on their site.

You can see the first page of this thread unless they've changed things.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: knerian on February 26, 2015, 12:06:20 AM
You can see the first page of this thread unless they've changed things.

Yeah I saw that, so if anyone here has got them recently what has been your experience?  Just wanted to hear from people here before I contact them directly.

edit: just called them, they can still do custom, but apparently not through their website like on the other models, and there is an extra $100 charge (which seems to be normal for custom work, when you choose the designer or special material options on other models the price increases).  But you can do any jpg you want.

So anyone here have a similar experience on recent UERM purchases?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: tiohn on February 26, 2015, 01:32:13 AM
I received mine a week ago, but just ordered them straight off the site and didn't do any customization. I can't see them when I'm using them, so I don't really care what they look like. The only change I would have possibly made is to remove the Capitol Records logo.

They're probably close to caught up now, but when I ordered, they were on a backlog from NAMM, so the order took longer than the 5-7 days quoted on their website, but nowhere near the 25 days they original told me when they confirmed receipt of my molds.

For my first CIEMs, the experience was excellent. They fit perfectly and sound exactly as good as advertised.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: ocswing on February 26, 2015, 08:19:22 AM
Ordered my UERM at a meet, but wanted them customized so that was all done through email. Process was very simple. Really no need to worry as long as you know what you want. Here are mine.

(https://scontent-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/t31.0-8/620805_10100172965602540_2002875005_o.jpg)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 01, 2015, 12:32:33 PM
Just a quick update. After much misplaced time and effort due to multiple lines of miscommunication (including the loss/destruction of the new set on this thread), I was able to do some testing of newly produced demos versus my originals with UE's approval to rule out product variation or possible batch changes from vendors. The most likely culprit would seem to lie in the acoustic environment if I had to guess. UE has agreed to start again with a new set to further our investigations.

To be continued...
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: tiohn on April 13, 2015, 05:39:58 PM
What exactly is the issue with the new demos? Are there problems with them? Problems with new custom units? I can't find any details on what's up with your latest round of UERM issues.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 13, 2015, 06:06:54 PM
What exactly is the issue with the new demos? Are there problems with them? Problems with new custom units? I can't find any details on what's up with your latest round of UERM issues.

No....

I sampled a new batch of demos to ensure exactly what I said in the prior post. This is about the discrepancy in the OP.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: tiohn on April 13, 2015, 07:14:11 PM
Now I understand. Thanks.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Ferrum on April 13, 2015, 08:10:27 PM
I've had mine for a year but we have never succeeded being friends. They have many fine qualities but I have had issues with the voicing from day one. It can be a poor seal or whatever but when I compare their voicing with live unamplified music - have you noticed how warm it sounds - they lack body and low bass to the degree that I cannot enjoy the grove. One dimension is missing for me. To clarify, they do have bass its just down in level compared to the mids. Sorry, just my personal opinion. Maybe I just have the wrong expectations and I cant have both (resolution and natural voicing) with a IEM as you can with speakers or full size headphones or I just happened to chose the wrong brand.

Mine are stock and all other aspects of the design are fine I've had absolutely no problems. My impressions were done by a professional audio person (cant remember title now) that UE said were perfect. 

Ferrum

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: thegunner100 on April 13, 2015, 08:15:11 PM
I take it that you're using it straight out of the Frace m920?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 13, 2015, 09:55:26 PM
Should have plenty of midbass relative mids. The only possible bass issue should be low bass extension. If it sounds lean something is wrong somewhere. This is backed up by quite a bit of subjective and objective data.

What is your reference?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Ferrum on April 14, 2015, 07:32:55 PM
Yes, maybe something is wrong. My ear channel and the UERM may be incompatible, seal obviously but I doubt it or my expectations could be unrealistic.

I tried them with the Grace and my Lavry DA11 (sold now) and my FIIO X3 but no tube amp so far. Will try to do that as soon possible.

Plenty of midbass, no, not in mine.

I should send them back for a check up but cost and plain disappointment have made me put that off. Maybe I'll find the motivation talking to you guys.

My reference is live unamplified music (like a choir or piano) as well as my ATC's (scm100 a) speakers in my dedicated room. These are professional monitors meaning they are used in recording studios, not just a fancy name.

Ferrum
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 14, 2015, 07:39:08 PM
Yeah, that sounds wrong. You should have neutral midbass. One of my basic reference test tracks below performs flawlessly on both my modded HD800 and UERM compared to orthos/planars or most anything else short of an Abyss. If you don't have thumping bass on it, something is very wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SSUQxGjZZ4
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Ferrum on April 16, 2015, 06:20:20 PM
Wow, thank you for the that band, bought 3 CDs just now.

Thumping bass, no. Something must be wrong. The bass guitar is there but rather light weight with no sub bass at all very different from my Focals.

You have convinced me that I should send them back for a check up, thanks.

Will keep you updated but expect that it will take a while.

Ferrum
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: DigitalFreak on April 16, 2015, 11:04:43 PM
nice choice of songs Anax, love the tune VooDoo
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on April 17, 2015, 12:06:19 AM
Wow, thank you for the that band, bought 3 CDs just now.

This is for you Ferrum.  ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3sDemzlm_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM9n0-LP1iU

nice choice of songs Anax, love the tune VooDoo

Thx! Helps me pick out low bass issues pretty quickly too, like with the IE800. As soon as that the bass dropped I knew something was quite wrong.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: zerodeefex on April 17, 2015, 02:26:44 AM
Wow, thank you for the that band, bought 3 CDs just now.

Thumping bass, no. Something must be wrong. The bass guitar is there but rather light weight with no sub bass at all very different from my Focals.

You have convinced me that I should send them back for a check up, thanks.

Will keep you updated but expect that it will take a while.

Ferrum

Make sure you are using the right setup as well. Out of my phone, there's no bass. Out of the GO 450 > Leckerton, it's there.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Ferrum on April 18, 2015, 08:11:50 AM
I will send them back to UE next week, if something is wrong then they fix them, no charge  ;D

Yeah, the drum battle was a treat.

Michael
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: elwappo99 on April 19, 2015, 05:24:38 AM
I got mine in January or so, following that $700 massdrop deal. I really wasn't going to spend more than about $500 on earphones, but with such a discount I figured it would be worth the extra bit considering UE is pretty close to me and they can take the molds.

Been loving them. Wouldn't have thought I would enjoy them as much, but they're super comfortable, putting them in is a breeze and they sound really good. I probably wouldn't buy a second pair of earphones. I find the SQ of earphones to be pretty far behind the SQ of headphones in a similar bracket. I'm not floored by any earphone like I am high end headphones (K10 included).

One surprising thing I've enjoyed about these is their incredible tone. The balance makes listening to acoustic instruments and vocals really unlike most other headphones/earphones.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Maxvla on April 19, 2015, 06:00:04 PM
Just realized I forgot to follow up on my problems. About a month ago I finally got the UERMs back in like-new condition with a new cable (something I requested to begin with) and an extra cable with iOS controls (useless to me, unless it works on Android..). They sound just as good as ever and look the same as well. Not happy that it took so long to resolve the issue, but all is well now and I only ever had to pay for the initial shipping to UE and the initial service fee.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: eddypoon on April 19, 2015, 11:11:46 PM
They sound just as good as ever and look the same as well. Not happy that it took so long to resolve the issue, but all is well now and I only ever had to pay for the initial shipping to UE and the initial service fee.
Wow, fantastic news, and thank you for sharing your experience. Hiccups aside, looks like this company is for reals to building a strong and long term relationships with its clients. I am sending my impression for my first pair of customs for UERM; looking forward to hearing it.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Claritas on April 20, 2015, 12:08:58 AM
Hiccups aside, looks like this company is for reals to building a strong and long term relationships with its clients.

That has not been my experience, but I hope yours is better because it sounds great.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: eddypoon on May 10, 2015, 12:40:56 AM
Hello all,

I got my in the mail yesterday - got some questions regarding seal and fit, and thought you can help me with my issue (Or deem it to be OCD)

The seal between the plastic and my ear breaks when I make a smile face or yawn.  Is that within tolerance and common among Pyrates, or should I proceed with support? Do you really "push" the faceplate of UERM against your ears to make it fit when wearing it? how do you maintain the seal, and does your seal break when wearing it / using it?

Thanks all!
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: thegunner100 on May 10, 2015, 01:00:38 AM
Hello all,

I got my in the mail yesterday - got some questions regarding seal and fit, and thought you can help me with my issue (Or deem it to be OCD)

The seal between the plastic and my ear breaks when I make a smile face or yawn.  Is that within tolerance and common among Pyrates, or should I proceed with support? Do you really "push" the faceplate of UERM against your ears to make it fit when wearing it? how do you maintain the seal, and does your seal break when wearing it / using it?

Thanks all!


Seal is supposed to break when you make a smile or yawn. You shouldn't really have to push it in once you've twisted it to lock into place though. Maybe a little bit sometimes at first but it should remain in place afterwards.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: eddypoon on May 10, 2015, 05:56:56 AM
Seal is supposed to break when you make a smile or yawn. You shouldn't really have to push it in once you've twisted it to lock into place though. Maybe a little bit sometimes at first but it should remain in place afterwards.

My seal breaks when I open my mouth vertically, do you experience similar issues between your refits? I noticed you wrote you need to go back a few times.



It is the seal breaking when I move my mouth
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on May 10, 2015, 06:06:47 AM
If you have to keep pushing the IEMs back in, the fit is off. If UE didn't do the molds or digital scan, I'd say your audiologist likely messed up.

I actually had Westone oversize my molds with a little extra pressure for my ES5s. I can wear those while eating or laughing without breaking a seal. Wore them 8-10 hours straight a few times. You do feel a slight bit more pressure on initial insertion but your ear acclimates quickly if the molds are done right.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: thegunner100 on May 10, 2015, 12:22:33 PM
The seal doesn't break for me when I move my mouth vertically or make chewing motions. You may want to sent it back for refits, or get new impressions if your audiologist messed up.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: electropop on May 31, 2015, 09:05:34 AM
So.... About to pull the trigger finally.

Any advice for a CIEM virgin? There is an audiologist that has worked with UE, but later has started producing CIEM's under their own name and don't mention UE on their site anymore. Not enough info on their own brand to jump on them... But I'd guess they know a thing or two about making a good fitting impressions.

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Ferrum on June 06, 2015, 11:52:12 AM
Now I had my serviced UERM back for a couple of weeks after a cleaning and repair of bass issues.

Return and service went just fine, no trouble what so ever. They did service them for free and performed "extensive quality testing", I guess they are satisfied with them. Not a single word though what they have done with them.

How about the sound then? The Headphone list describe them as Bright, Reference, Analytical, Detailed, Spacious, Clear and that is close to what I hear. Comfort and isolation is still just fine.

http://theheadphonelist.com/custom-in-ear-monitors-reviews-list/

How about thew bass then that I complained about a few post up? Bass is there but still shelved down a bit, sub bass a lot more so, the Godsmack VooDoo challenge doesn't end that well. Other bass tests end in a similar way.

I call them mid centric and depending on your preferences that can be your cup of Thea even if its not mine. To me they can review and analyze but I don't use for if I'm just going to " enjoy the music".

cheers
Ferrum
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on June 06, 2015, 04:19:44 PM
Is the Fiio X3 what you are using still? What gain setting do you use on the Lavry and Grace? Might want something that runs without negative feedback on high gain that runs at a listenable level. UERM does prefer some power. Or something like the Westone ES5 (stage monitor) is more your preference.

I read that list just now and I can't agree with a number of impressions. PP6 3D, Clear, Transparent? No. LCD2 transparent and resolving? Not usually. JH16 detailed and analytical? Not IME. A lot of stuff is called transparent, resolving and reference.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Ferrum on June 07, 2015, 07:41:19 AM
My impressions are based mainly using the Grace (2W output so it got power to spare) and a bit of X3. At least the Grace has low output impedance and I suspect by your question about negative feedback, that it may not be optimum for the UERM as a higher output impedance will elevate the bass a few db's.


cheers
Ferrum
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on June 07, 2015, 06:00:58 PM
Sorry to hear you're not getting proper bass. A lot of us haven't had that problem. In fact, I sent back a set because it had waaay too much and it just overshadowed everything. If you get a chance, do mind posting a picture of your shells and driver placement? Just curious. Maybe tape over your initials and serial#.

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Kunlun on June 08, 2015, 12:02:11 AM
So.... About to pull the trigger finally.

Any advice for a CIEM virgin? There is an audiologist that has worked with UE, but later has started producing CIEM's under their own name and don't mention UE on their site anymore. Not enough info on their own brand to jump on them... But I'd guess they know a thing or two about making a good fitting impressions.



Anax has good advice on fitting. Mine's to use a bite block and relax, relax, relax the jaw as much as possible during the earmold process.

If anyone says that only singers need a good seal, please slap them for me, either with the palm or back of the hand, whichever is easier.

In fact, go ahead and ask your audiologist to look in your ear canals as you open your mouth wide and close it to see how things change in shape.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: LFF on June 08, 2015, 01:47:47 AM
How about thew bass then that I complained about a few post up? Bass is there but still shelved down a bit, sub bass a lot more so, the Godsmack VooDoo challenge doesn't end that well. Other bass tests end in a similar way.

I call them mid centric and depending on your preferences that can be your cup of Thea even if its not mine. To me they can review and analyze but I don't use for if I'm just going to " enjoy the music".

cheers
Ferrum

Wow. Talk about nostalgia. Song brings back memories. Thanks for the memory trip.

Back on topic...while I do like that song, I just wanted to point out that the song has very little low level bass. It's a mastering choice/recording choice/mixing choice. There is NO SUB BASS.

I present exhibit A:

(http://i745.photobucket.com/albums/xx92/FirePhoenixAudio/Voodoo_zpsr8tk1j5n.jpg)

This is an averaged EQ presentation of the entire song. The orange line denotes what you're most likely to hear. Notice how the orange line starts at around 35Hz.  :-\



The vast majority of bass in this song is at 50-60Hz and it's very pronounced from 80Hz to 250Hz. This is an area that most headphones love to accentuate even further and makes most people say "WOW...CHECK OUT THAT LOW BASS!". While it's pleasing, it's not really low level bass especially when you look at the level of the rest of the song. That's awesome UNTIL you get a proper reference quality speaker or monitor. Then the issue becomes "Where's the bass?".

The UERM in this instance is showing you EXACTLY what is on that recording. Not much bass....bright top end...thin-ish vocals. A weak sonic presentation.

With proper monitoring, you have to raise the 40-60Hz region by at least 8db to give you proper and accurate bass response. You would also have to dip that bass cloud from 60-200Hz by about 5db to clean it up. That's only the bass issue too. You need to fix the vocals and high end too. Not much you can do about that late 90's compression though.

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on June 08, 2015, 02:22:48 AM
Nice post Luis! Yeah, that's just my kick drum track that I know, so 50-60hz and harmonics from there seem right. If it doesn't sound compressed and large, the headphone is wrong. If it sounds too much like compression upon compression, then it's an IE800.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: LFF on June 08, 2015, 02:34:18 AM
Nice post Luis! Yeah, that's just my kick drum track that I know, so 50-60hz and harmonics from there seem right. If it doesn't sound compressed and large, the headphone is wrong. If it sounds too much like compression upon compression, then it's an IE800.

Thanks!

You should use the hidden track of that album as your kick drum track. ;)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on June 08, 2015, 02:54:06 AM
But I like the song. ;D I also only need 10 secs into the song to know what I'm hearing.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Ferrum on June 09, 2015, 07:47:58 PM
LFF

I quote myselves
Quote (selected)
Other bass tests end in a similar way.

Hope your not suggesting I base my opinion on one track only.

cheers
Ferrum
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: electropop on July 02, 2015, 08:52:31 AM
Hey, these are pretty nice. A bit bright, but non-fatiguing. For thus far at least...  :)p1
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: SomeSpace on July 09, 2015, 07:33:38 PM
I didn't really know where to post about this but i thought it might be interesting to some of you guys and i'd also like to get your take on it. I have found this little measurement tool for IEMs thats under $100:

http://vibrolabs.com/products/vibro-veritas-pre-order

I thought it looked pretty interesting and am gonna give it a go. Too keep it relevant ill post my UERM measurements off it when it comes some time in the next few weeks. See how they compare to you guys as well.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: keanex on July 09, 2015, 07:49:49 PM
I didn't really know where to post about this but i thought it might be interesting to some of you guys and i'd also like to get your take on it. I have found this little measurement tool for IEMs thats under $100:

http://vibrolabs.com/products/vibro-veritas-pre-order

I thought it looked pretty interesting and am gonna give it a go. Too keep it relevant ill post my UERM measurements off it when it comes some time in the next few weeks. See how they compare to you guys as well.
I'm very close to purchasing one.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: mosshorn on July 09, 2015, 07:59:38 PM
You guys tell me how it works out! It definitely looks interesting, but if I had a dollar for every project in the waiting list....well, I'd have money for another project  :)p3
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Sphinxvc on August 17, 2015, 02:15:58 AM
This old article written by Guttenberg says the UERM is available in silicone.  A silicone casing over an acrylic shell.  Is this true?!

http://www.cnet.com/news/ultimate-ears-reference-monitor-headphone-ultimate-perfection/

Have any of you tried this version?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: CEE TEE on August 17, 2015, 02:18:27 AM
Nope, there is no silicone option.  Currently, only clear acrylic shells with faceplates that can be customized.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: SomeSpace on August 17, 2015, 02:00:05 PM
I'm very close to purchasing one.
You guys tell me how it works out! It definitely looks interesting, but if I had a dollar for every project in the waiting list....well, I'd have money for another project  :)p3

I have received and been using mine but the results seem to yield a bit of an overemphasised drop off after maybe 2kHz. Maybe someone who has been doing this a bit longer can say something regarding my results.

I have no idea how to attach something, any chance of some help ahah.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Chris F on August 17, 2015, 04:50:31 PM
I'm about to order myself a pair; is the Leckerton uha-6S mkII or 760 still the goto choice for portable amping?  If so, which is the best opamp choice? Thanks!
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: dankef on August 17, 2015, 08:19:20 PM
Similar but slightly different question from me - I'm looking for an amp / DAC combo (or separates if necessary) for my UERM but ideally I'd also like a preamp to use with monitors. And I don't really need it to be portable.

I currently have a Dangerous Music Source but I think the headphone amp is probably unsuitable for IEMs. Sold a Benchmark DAC2 - maybe I should just get another but surely there's an alternative? Looking for something neutral but that matches well with the UERM.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on August 17, 2015, 08:31:58 PM
I'm about to order myself a pair; is the Leckerton uha-6S mkII or 760 still the goto choice for portable amping?  If so, which is the best opamp choice? Thanks!
Similar but slightly different question from me - I'm looking for an amp / DAC combo (or separates if necessary) for my UERM but ideally I'd also like a preamp to use with monitors. And I don't really need it to be portable.

I currently have a Dangerous Music Source but I think the headphone amp is probably unsuitable for IEMs. Sold a Benchmark DAC2 - maybe I should just get another but surely there's an alternative? Looking for something neutral but that matches well with the UERM.

You can look at my gear profile. It's the same reference as many people here have been using. A few people also heard it and commented in the Brooks Berdan meet thread.

760 digital pot is not very good and throws away bits. We don't recommend it hear unless you listen very low, need perfect channel balance and don't mind your music sounding like mp3s.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on August 17, 2015, 08:38:14 PM
I have received and been using mine but the results seem to yield a bit of an overemphasised drop off after maybe 2kHz. Maybe someone who has been doing this a bit longer can say something regarding my results.

I have no idea how to attach something, any chance of some help ahah.

Something is wrong if you have roll off after 2khz. Can't say if it's the IEM or something else in your chain on either side of the transducers.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: dankef on August 18, 2015, 11:17:34 AM
Thanks. I like the look of the portable setup but would have to forego the preamp. And your desktop combo seems like a bit of overkill for the UERM (although maybe I'm wrong). Any other thoughts? I guess most people don't use IEMs with desktop setups (probably for good reason). Maybe a decent DAC / preamp plus separate portable amp would be a better idea.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: eddypoon on August 18, 2015, 02:54:02 PM
I guess most people don't use IEMs with desktop setups (probably for good reason). Maybe a decent DAC / preamp plus separate portable amp would be a better idea.

I read your both posts - my guess is you listen mostly at a desk environment, but you like to have a cheap setup for the road with your UERM? (there is nothing wrong using it at a desk setup by the way, in my experience it is more dependent on your social world - can you ignore others when they hail you? )

What is your total budget? in terms of weight, size, money? Which one is a high priority if budget constrained, mobile setup or desk setup? 

Anyways, is this UERM specific? :)
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on August 18, 2015, 04:02:25 PM
Thanks. I like the look of the portable setup but would have to forego the preamp. And your desktop combo seems like a bit of overkill for the UERM (although maybe I'm wrong). Any other thoughts? I guess most people don't use IEMs with desktop setups (probably for good reason). Maybe a decent DAC / preamp plus separate portable amp would be a better idea.

What preamp? You must mean the DAC. I don't use preamps or the UERM with my desktop rig. That's for the headphones.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: dankef on August 18, 2015, 08:01:46 PM
Sorry, what I mean is my ideal setup would be an amp / DAC combo (or separates) with a built-in preamp so I can also use it with powered monitors. The Benchmark DAC2 and Dangerous Source I currently have are examples of this. But I understand these are often built with higher impedance headphones in mind and so are not as suitable for IEMs.

eddypoon - yes, I'm basically looking for a desk rig specifically for the UERM. If I can't get something suitable, that's fine - I'll just look for a portable rig and do something different for speakers. Budget is a bit difficult since I'm in Australia and the dollar is tanking. I would say up to $2,000 USD total but I'd like to spend a lot less. I'm not sure (although I'm happy to be corrected) it's worth having a very expensive amp for the UERM. The DAC / pre may be a different story but equally I don't want to spend unnecessarily - for example, I don't need the analog outputs, DSD support etc of something like the Benchmark.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: eddypoon on August 18, 2015, 10:31:38 PM
yes, I'm basically looking for a desk rig specifically for the UERM. Budget is a bit difficult since I'm in Australia and the dollar is tanking. I would say up to $2,000 USD total but I'd like to spend a lot less

is it worth to have a expensive amplifier for UERM... I suggest you are asking does it scale with better equipment, right?  (i better leave it to others to answer =)

A used bifrost (wait for upgrade) plus a quiet amplifier will suit your needs. There are plenty to use from the Pyrate Leaderboard on here. hmmm Valhalla 2, may be? I used UERM with Asgard 2 but I sold  the latter - It was good and works well too.

Have you looked at Anaxilus's signature / profile gear list? e.g. Geek Out 450 (now v.2)>Leckerton UHA6S mk2 (4267B opamps)>UERM  so good, but need battery...

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Sphinxvc on August 19, 2015, 03:04:42 AM
I suggest you are asking does it scale with better equipment, right?  (i better leave it to others to answer

I'm curious about this too.  All you UERM owners, Anax, CEE TEE, etc., how far have you seen the UERM scale up? 
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on August 19, 2015, 03:51:13 AM

I'm curious about this too.  All you UERM owners, Anax, CEE TEE, etc., how far have you seen the UERM scale up? 

Be aware, as a CIEM, things will be dependent on your ear shape and how your particular build is able to take advantage of the space available. That said, so far it keeps scaling with all the portable gear I have put it in front of it. it's not as dramatic as the HD800 but neither is the front end gear I've heard which is why I've been trying to push portable audio further and further to catch-up with the desktop world. So far it scales better than all the JHAs I've heard and pretty much anything else so far. I do have something here that might match it in that regard once I get done running it through. We'll see...
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: CEE TEE on August 19, 2015, 04:03:54 AM
Right now, I need Leckerton with older iPhone 4S but it is pretty damn good straight out of iPhone 6+ with Tidal FLAC hi-res.  It is still fun to cycle through head/ear phones but I still get impressed with UERM whenever I switch back to them. The only IEMs I really ever like to rotate in are the FitEar TG!334.  I think they have more flaws but I like them too for a different sound/experience and bassier/fun sound.  I still recommend UERM over everything that I have heard so far.  Only pair that I might also like to try long term are the ES5 based on Anax's longstanding reco.  But the FitEar I can resell/share and the ES5 are customs.  Another option is to get UE4 and then some other fun/bassy pair for alternating sound sigs and trying to enjoy both.


The fact that you can tell the differences of gear so well shows you that pairing/scaling is happening with the good stuff.  Luckily there are a lot more options than we have had and the bad pairings are known or figured out pretty quickly with UERM.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: songmic on August 19, 2015, 04:25:53 AM
Surprisingly, I couldn't find any comparison between UERM and Noble K10, which is another highly regarded IEM at HF (but hey, it's HF), in this thread. Has anyone listened to both and could share some opinions? Whether one is clearly overall superior to another or they're apples vs oranges with advantages/disadvantages?

And on a side note, is UERM also availabe in universal form or only as CIEM?
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: CEE TEE on August 19, 2015, 04:32:02 AM
Only CIEM and that has been confirmed directly on multiple occasions to me by UE themselves.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Griffon on August 19, 2015, 04:48:04 AM
Surprisingly, I couldn't find any comparison between UERM and Noble K10, which is another highly regarded IEM at HF (but hey, it's HF), in this thread. Has anyone listened to both and could share some opinions? Whether one is clearly overall superior to another or they're apples vs oranges with advantages/disadvantages?

Nah K10 wasn't my cup of tea. Mellow and slow. $1599 is a colossal rip-off IMO.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on August 19, 2015, 04:53:21 AM
I've heard it present two different tunings over the years. One is more bassy and warm to the point of being almost syrupy. The other was more neutralish, refined and articulate. That said, I think the K10 appeals to people who would prefer a slightly more relaxed top end and bit more bottom end warmth. It is more forgiving and balanced for an easier listen for less than stellar stuff going on upstream. Different approaches to listening. I would not consider the K10 something that scales quite as well as the UERM can.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: itsJokko on August 19, 2015, 07:10:43 AM
Right now, I need Leckerton with older iPhone 4S but it is pretty damn good straight out of iPhone 6+ with Tidal FLAC hi-res.

Okay help me out here, do you guys really bring a portable rig of 1-3 devices besides your phone when walking outside or riding the sub/bus or whatever? That just boggles my mind. I was contemplating getting a DAP like the Plenue 1/M or AK.jr, but I don't think I would use it to be honest. Im just rocking an iPhone with good isolating IEMs like AKG323XS when outNabout. It's not HD800s, but it sure is less hassle.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: dankef on August 19, 2015, 10:56:02 AM
is it worth to have a expensive amplifier for UERM... I suggest you are asking does it scale with better equipment, right?  (i better leave it to others to answer =)

A used bifrost (wait for upgrade) plus a quiet amplifier will suit your needs. There are plenty to use from the Pyrate Leaderboard on here. hmmm Valhalla 2, may be? I used UERM with Asgard 2 but I sold  the latter - It was good and works well too.

Have you looked at Anaxilus's signature / profile gear list? e.g. Geek Out 450 (now v.2)>Leckerton UHA6S mk2 (4267B opamps)>UERM  so good, but need battery...

Thanks. I've looked at Anax's gear but I'm not sure it fits what I'm looking for. I couldn't use the portable rig with speakers (no preamp / balanced outputs). I don't think the Yggy has a preamp either and I'm not sure the Eddie Current amps would be suitable for the UERM.

As I say, if there's really nothing suitable I might just go with the portable setup and get a separate DAC / preamp but I'd rather not double up.

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: itsJokko on August 19, 2015, 11:33:30 AM
Don't think you will find what you're looking for in an all-in-one unit like the DAC1, that sounds good. Find an amp with pre-outs for monitors. Mjolnir 2 + Multibit Gugnir? Other pyrates have to chime in if that'll work well for UERMs.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: CEE TEE on August 19, 2015, 01:52:34 PM
^Do you mean the Benchmark DAC1?  I had and enjoyed that DAC for a long time, was great to do comparisons between the SS headphone outs of DAC1 and tube amps to see what the tube amps were doing.  Or to have HD600 in one DAC1 headphone out with the HD650 in the other to quick-switch between them.


But: the UERM out of the DAC1 always seemed a little dull and not very compelling.  I preferred UERM out of amped iPhone 3GS/4S but new iPhone 6+ and using Tidal FLAC sounds good ampless.  Especially considering having something else attached and trying to deal with the extra bulk on top of the already large 6+. 


I do need and keep the Leckerton attached to my back-up iPhone 4S with 3M Command Strips (basically velcro) all the time and it is a fairly reasonable stack. Plus the Leck volume control is much better than the big digital steps of Apple products which I really don't like- often too loud or not loud enough.


Something to note is that the UERM do have a difficult impedance curve for some amps to control.  If your UERM seem rolled-off at the top, do try them out of other devices or try a Leckerton to see if it cures the issue (unless you like the effect).  I've seen measurements showing some amps to not control the UERM as well and so in that sense too, the UERM can "scale" with better gear.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Sphinxvc on August 19, 2015, 03:13:01 PM
Thanks for the inputs.  I bought the Noble 4S earlier this week, despite being tempted by the MD, but figured your UERM recommendations still apply.  I imagine the UERM is even more exacting than the 4S. 
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: Anaxilus on August 19, 2015, 06:25:31 PM
I have received and been using mine but the results seem to yield a bit of an overemphasised drop off after maybe 2kHz. Maybe someone who has been doing this a bit longer can say something regarding my results.

I have no idea how to attach something, any chance of some help ahah.

Oh right. Like CT says, if your UERM is rolled off up top you are likely using some crappy player like the Pono with high output impedance messing up the crossover and FR. There is something of a fix for that if you are married to your current player. Let me know and I'll point you in the right direction.

Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: dankef on August 19, 2015, 08:03:41 PM
Don't think you will find what you're looking for in an all-in-one unit like the DAC1, that sounds good. Find an amp with pre-outs for monitors. Mjolnir 2 + Multibit Gugnir? Other pyrates have to chime in if that'll work well for UERMs.

Thanks - Gungnir Multibit and Mjolnir doesn't seem like a bad idea although it's at the very top of my price range (and shipping is expensive!)

As I mentioned, I had a Benchmark DAC2 which seemed fine (although I didn't really have anything to compare it with). But I thought there should be something cheaper (and that sounds better) that would suit UERMs.

If I forget about the pre-outs, is there an alternative to the Geek Out v2 that also has optical and coax inputs? Are any of the other Geek products rated on here (eg the Pulse)? I don't see it on purrin's chart.
Title: Re: Oh UERM. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Post by: SomeSpace on August 26, 2015, 02:26:20 PM
Oh right. Like CT says, if your UERM is rolled off up top you are likely using some crappy player like the Pono with high output impedance messing up the crossover and FR. There is something of a fix for that if you are married to your current player. Let me know and I'll point you in the right direction.



I was actually referring to results of my measurements on the Vibro Veritas. The Vertias shows a drop after 2khz in all its measurements. In the right character but just a few dB down what other results seem to be so not inaccurate in curve but more so in quantity.

My UERMs themselves sound fine and as they should and I have enough sources to find good matches and bad ones, including in my usage is the fave round here in a Leckerton which as you know gets them sounding pretty mean. Especially with something like the AK380 as a source.