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WESTONE UM2 EARPHONES

Elegant, superbly engineered, brilliant sound. All these adjectives come to mind as soon as one puts on these exquisite dual-driver earphones. I first took notice of the UM2's because of the extensive list of professional musicians who use them as in-ear monitors. I see why they do.

The UM2's required no getting used to, sonically or otherwise. The wonderful Comply Canal Tips provided seat them perfectly in the ear with incomparable isolation and comfort. A perfect seal best isolates the sound; and proper fit comfortably delivers the sound most directly to the ear.

Immediately apparent are their warmth, presence, clarity, and definition. Piano and opera, notoriously difficult to record and reproduce, are natural and easy on the ear. Percussion sounds are tight, bright, and clear because overtones are so cleanly reproduced. Instrument placement is highly defined in the almost 3-D sonic landscape.

Even at home, I now prefer listening through the UM2's instead of my handmade Electro-Acoustical Labs ‘New Yorker’ speakers (which Audio Review said would ‘undoubtedly go down in speaker-design history’ due to their natural, uncolored sound) mainly because of the sound isolation which no free-standing speaker can provide. More to the point, even moderate sound levels are easily audible in the New York City subways, and a more contentious sonic environment does not exist!

My complaint about the UM2's is small when considering their sound. But because the wires are lightweight (but braided for strength) and are a bit short from the crossover to the phones, the UM2's are a little tricky to put on and wrap around the ear. Otherwise, they are beautifully designed in every way. Westone is a company which provides customer service (and very personal concern for satisfaction) which matches the musical devices they produce.

MILES FUSCO B.S., M.S., THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL FIDELIA STUDIOS NEW YORK