I purchased these three months ago and from the moment I put them on they were by far the best earphones I tried (so far). I had Ultimate Eear's SureFi5 Pros, and although I enjoyed them very much, they weren't very good @ maintaining the seal with my high intensity workouts. Also, the cables had to be consistently be replaced. It became a chore to keep up with maintaining them.

Since I've owned the UM2, they have become my favorite. I wear them all the time! I workout with them, I study with them, I have even have fallen asleep with them on. The fit and seal sets a new standard for what in-ear monitors should be. They do an EXCELLENT job @ blocking out ambient sounds (almost too well). When my neighbors are racketing around and talking too loud in their apartment, I simply reach for my UM2s and cancel out their noise pollution. I can have the volume set @ 1/3 the volume and snap my fingers near my ears, and the snapping sound will not transfer through.

The sound is very balanced. Not too high, not too bassy, but certainly clear, crisp and comfortable. I listen to just about every genre, from techno to classical. It all sounds good to me. I'm no audiophile, however, I must admit my UM2s have now allowed me to be critical about cheaper earphones that are collecting dust in my desk drawer. ("My backups").

The cord, although may appear flimsy, is in fact strong. I have gotten them caught and tangled in gym equipment and have even gotten them ripped off my ears a couple of times; they survived and sung to tell the tale without a single stutter or crackle. I think the twisted-braided design helps to absorb a lot tension from any tugs, pulls or mishaps bound to happen with regular use.

Even though all the above isn't much different from all the other stories you'll read, yesterday was the defining moment. I was jump-roping for about 30 minutes and sweating heavily... Suddenly, the right ear seemingly went dead. It sounded as if the amp in that ear blew out. I was annoyed! I thought maybe moisture got in ear phones and messed um up for good. Anyhow, I continued to workout with my one good ear and figured I'll just take care of the ""issue" when I get home. Even though I was disappointed, I calmed down eventually because I knew my warranty was good and I had already registered with Westone for the extra year extension.

Figuring the problem may be a moisture issue, I placed the head phones in the Monitor Saver case I purchased when I purchased my UM2s and crossed my fingers they would work once again by morning. This morning, I woke up, took my UM2s out of the Monitor Saver case, and eagerly plugged them in my ipod, and.... VOILA! They worked! (like new)... I have to be admit, I was SHOCKED! I thought they were gone for good. I am now convinced I may have lost a lot of earphones to moisture. Anyhow, after the miracle, I have since recharged the desiccants of the Monitor Saver and will UNDOUBTEDLY continue to store my ear phones in them from now on (especially after the gym). That said, INVEST in the Monitor Saver. They are a must if you workout with your in-ears. I believe had it not been for the Monitor Saver, my right ear bud would still be dead. Hence, the Monitor Saver can literally SAVE your monitors.

I truly believe the UM2s will leave a spell on you. I seriously love the UM2 and I can honestly say I would buy them again and again if I had to. From their awesome sound, their superior sound isolation, and their supreme comfort (I have worn them for 8+ hours @ a time), I believe these to be the best overall! From what I've tested, Westone undoubtedly has the most ergonomic in-ear design. Their earphones STAY IN! Sound Awesome! and have a warranty that lets you sleep comfortably. That said, I cannot wait to try the Westone 3s... I'm sold on Westone :)

FINAL NOTE: I have tried all the tips supplied with the UM2s, however, having also once owned a pair Etymotics, I have since been a fan of the triple-flanged tips to assure a nice seal (for my ears). Thus, I modified a set of triple-flanged tips and currently use them. (In fact, I am now listening to Pandora with my UM2s as I write this review. BLISS!).

Maybe I'm partially deaf but after reading all the fantastic reviews on this product, I really expected to be blown away by these earphones and to hear sounds in my favorite music and songs that I'd never heard before. So I plunked down what I felt was an outrageous amount of money for earphones (again, maybe it's just me, but if the earphones cost more than the itouch that it plugs into, there's something slightly wrong about that) and waited for the heavens to open up. Well, in all fairness, the music did sound very nice and much warmer than my previous Shure SE115 earphones. I felt that the singer sounded closer to me, if that makes any sense, and the music was much richer. The background sounds were much more balanced and clear, not as muffled as the Shure, and the bass was much more noticeable, though not as "thumping" as other reviewers made it sound. These are still tiny, in-ear earphones and as great as the technology may be, you can't make your head shake and reverberate from an earpiece weighing less than an ounce. Still, all that made a difference. I'm not sure whether it made a $200 difference however. If you're a purist or audiophile, maybe the clarity and whatever other fancy words one may use to describe sounds makes it worth the money. I, unfortunately, apparently am not since I now wish I'd save myself the $200 and bought a new pair of shoes (or two) with it and kept using my Shure. That said, I'd still give the UM2 4 stars (3 1/2 if I take the high price into account) if it weren't for the fact that for no apparent reason, the sound died after a month. One moment I got great, booming sound, the next, it sounded like I was listening with only one earphone in, with earplugs on. WTF??!! And as all product breakdowns happen, of course, this just happens to occur on day 32 after my purchase, aka S.O.L. in terms of product return or exchange. Which means now having to deal with Westone and its warranty repair, which so far, has been a black hole. Sent the product in. Haven't heard back from them in 3 weeks. So, unless I hear back from them, this has just been a massive waste of $252. My advice, if you just want a decent pair of earphones you can take to the gym, but that still delivers quality a step above the basic earphones that comes with your ipod, skip on the UM2 and stick with the UM1. You can treat yourself to a concert ticket with the difference and experience what real live music feels like.

Right now i can't afford custom in ears, but these do the trick. I use them for live performances and they just plain work. Once u have the mix you want the clarity is perfect and the bass comes through nice and clear I'd recommend them to any musician playing live. Haven't really used them for personal listening but they might be a little overkill for that.

The most balanced sounds from a pair of earphones. Truly amazing sound.

After much research I settled on the Um2. I'm no audiophile but but the sound on these are amazing! I originally bought a Klipsch s4 for my wife based on the reviews I found and at $70 the sound was pretty good so good that I wanted to get a set myself, but decided to do more research. After several days of research I limited my choices to 3 possibilities (um2, jays q-jay and Shure se420). After going back and forth based on the reviews and the 15 percent discount new years special on Earphonesolution I took the plunge. I would have never seen myself paying over $200 for a pair of earphones but the reviews and feedback I saw on these peaked my curiosity and wanted to give it a try. These things buried the S4s I bought for my wife and I liked them so much I now want to know how the Um3x compares, could it be that much better? Anyway now I feel guilty that I have this great
headset and my wife has the S4. I'm thinking now that I should give the set to my wife and cooincidently I have an excuse to get the um3x!

I started out with these years ago as my first IEMs and fell in love immediately. After a couple years usage I finally made the jump and bought the custom ES3x model for my music hobby. Now I have these as my backup pair that I can just place my old custom mold on. You can't beat these UM2s for all around usage wether it's the stage or just listening to your player. Don't fool around with cheap store bought brands. You will eventually move up to the best. Remember "The sting of poor quality will last long after the joy of the low price is gone" . Buy these first!

I have been using fidelity ear monitors and have trouble with the seal breaking while singing. These are sooo comfortable and sound great.

First and foremost i'd like to say that i'm no audiophile so i can't review or describe the audio qualities like many of the other reviews here.

I use my UM2 purely for my iPhone and iPad which i've converted all my music to apple lossless format from CDs or FLACs. I started off using apple's proprietary earphones moving on to, B&O A8 then to Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5vi and now UM2. Needless to say music just sounds better as i upgrade my earphones and nothing beats the UM2 i have now.
I actually tried on my friend's West3 and still like my UM2 better, although my UM2 didn't sound as crisp as the West3, i felt the music projected from my UM2 was warmer and had the right punch in terms of bass for my liking.
Sound wise i can't say much because they are really good and many other reviews here do more justice with their thorough description. My only qualm is their built quality which i feel is their achille's heel.

When i unpacked the box i was happy with what i saw, the packaging made me feel like i was indeed paying good money for a premium product. During unboxing i came across not one but two quality control slips with date and initials. It felt good knowing that someone inspected my earphones before i got them since i wasn't able to do so for internet procurements - plus this delivery's for Singapore so if i had to ship back due to quality it would be costly.

Then the first shock came.. when i saw the black pouch that's meant to hold the earphones. It didn't look or feel like it belongs in there, it looked cheap and poorly built. Opening the zipper, a big, slanted, poorly sew on white tag reads "Made in China", it was an eyesore 'cos the tag was just sticking out. Now before i go on i'd like to say i have no problem with things being made in China for 2 reasons, first, everything's made in China these days so i'm fine with that, second, i work in China (manufacturing) so i know what China is capable of producing. However this pouch really feels cheap, i know i bought the earphones for the earphones, not the pouch but it's a package...
My B&O A8 had a beautiful bonded leather pouch and my U.E had a neat little plastic case that i'm pretty sure is from china but it looks proper. I've seen my friend's U.E with a aluminium casing that though bulky looks sharp and premium. Note that all the earphones i mentioned above are much cheaper than the UM2.
Since the pouch was definitely outsourced i wasn't going to generalise the built quality of Westone as yet, but moving on the the earphones i was equally disappointed...

I've attached 3 pictures along with this review, you will notice that the plastics looks very rough in some areas. Starting form the head-jack, there were protruding black plastics. I understand the production and i know that these marks can be inevitable from the moulding process but this is really too much for a product at this level. There is something wrong with the Mould that they are using in production and i'm certain this is not an isolated incident since many other head-jacks would be from the same mould. The poor plastic moulding can be seen in all parts of the earphone as my pictures illustrates.

Moving on to the earpieces i am further disturbed, from afar they look good but upon closer scrutiny you can feel how cheap the plastic is and since my UM2's are in clear plastic the poor workmanship is amplified. I think they used some kind of glue to put the 2 parts of the earpiece together and you can see it on some areas where its very glossy; Just think lacquer or lady's clear nail polish, it's glossy if you paint over wood or fingernails. When i ran my fingers over the joints of the earpiece i can feel some jagged and pointy areas.

I know the problems on the plastic is inevitable but they can definitely be improved on for sure. Just have a look at SWATCH watches in clear plastics, plastic containers, plastic clothes hanger, tv remote controls, iphone 3G or any other handphone...the list goes on...even the mouse that i'm using right now...the original iphone ear piece is also a good example, it's probably made in China or Korea and it's a cheap product but they look good and they're built well.

One of Westones' marketing is that it is Made in USA, that's suppose to mean that its better than the ones made in China, but sadly the built quality can't live up to the hype of being Made in USA...

It all boils down to attention to details, and since Westone has done such a fantastic job on the detailing the sound quality they can surely do more for the built. I understand this review is crap when i hardly talk about the audio aspect of the earphone but i'm writing this not because i am complaining or want to start a hate site for Westone, i'm writing this because i really LIKE my UM2 and i hope Westone can do something to make me LOVE them..

Bottom line....
Will i ship back and ask for a refund? NO!!
Will i buy another if this one breaks? YES!!
Will i recommend this to my friends? YES!!
Is this earpiece worth the money......? YES!!

The sound is that good that it makes up for the lack of attention to built quality and accessory. Now all Westone has to do is make the earphones without these defects, and they'll be a 5 star product.

i bought these after I went through the 4th cord for my UE Super.fi 5 pro's. The connection finally gave out. I like the braided cord design on these Westones. My only gripe is that I think I liked the sound a bit better on the UE's, but I like the ear tips an neutral sound I get out of these. if you are looking for a good earphone for iPod I would recommend maybe not spending this much because I think you could do better for less, but these are good too.

My expectations for these earphones were very high based on all of the reviews I have read and the technical people I have talked to. The sound quality is much better than the single driver Shure Es2s. I will say that it took a few tries and adjustments to get the full sound I have been looking for. I purchased the UM56 custom molds and they work very well. I have to insert fully into the ear to get the best sound quality and isolation. They are very comfortable. I look forward to using these for a long time. I am wondering though, how much sound difference there is with the Custom Molded Dual Drivers vs the Um2. I know they have the same drivers, but still wonder if the sound quality is any better. For now I am happy with my purchase.

I reviewed these back in 2006 (I believe it was), and am still using (and loving, and praising, and never regretting for so much as a nanosecond having bought) these. They are awesome! And the more I use them and the longer I own them, the more I realize just how good they really are!!! 2006 until now, through a gazillion other pairs I've bought both before and after these, on and on.

I do take good care of them, and the zippered soft/hard case has been helpful in keeping them protected whilst in luggage/bags/pockets/glove boxes/etc ad nauseum, but still... How many earbuds last anywhere near that long???

If nothing else, I'd have expected some sort of cord or plug failure long ago, and with virtually every other pair/brand/model, that's exactly what's happened.

But not with these.

Outstanding. Simply an outstanding, awesome product!

I had Westone UM2 earphones for the past four years and just recently broke down. So without hesitation I ordered the next pair because once you have listened through these the music comes alive with such a clarity that is mind blowing. The only thing is the price, if you can afford it. With these earphones you can listen to music for eight hours a day as i do and cant get tired of it because it is so comfortable. Why did it take me all those years to find it? All i hope that everybody will have a chance to try them and be amazed.

I bought the Westones on an internet recommendation, after complaining of the build quality of the Shures. I was pleasantly surprised not merely by the build quality of the Westones (strongly braided leads, heavy-duty collars), but also that they accept the large Shure foam earpieces.

Ok so I have little experience with other earphones (just the itouch standard versions) and no audiophile - listen to a range of music , but these add depth and range which was sorely missing from the itouch versions. Just listening and your hear other parts of the sound field, instruments that I have never noticed previously. I use a non modified equalizer (flat) setting which is fine for me, and even with that the bass is "wow".
Use these for commutes to work over the last month and found to be quite resilient and very comfortable.
The cost may seem high but the old adage "you get what you pay for" is true for these earphones, though there are more expensive products.
One suggestion is consider the Triple Flange Sleeves (purchased these at the same time) over the included foam earplugs as they provide a better fit (customizable) superior noise isolation and feel more secure.

I've had a pair of UM2s now for a couple of years and have been delighted with their performance and sound. Plane travel has become a joy and the outside world has been blocked out. Only question now is whether I should upgrade!

There are already so many useful reviews with detailed information about the sound quality (range, detail, transparency etc., that I shouldn't waste the space and duplicate the information. The UM2s are every bit as good as competing products in terms of sound reproduction at a better price point and are more comfortable to boot.

It is this last point that cannot be emphasized enough. For those critically listening to high quality Jazz and Classical music recordings in a fixed position from uncompressed sources, sound quality is the most important variable. For runners, fit is a huge part of the equation and for me, nothing comes close. The body is designed to fit snug to the ears and the Comply foam tips just plain work. If seek 'The Zone' when running at about 60-90 minutes, the last thing you need when you find it is to fiddle with your headset. Rest assured that the UM2s are 'set and forget.'

Something to note for runners who are more than likely listening to compressed music - these are very high quality headphones and deserve the highest quality rip you can send them. If you're ripping less than 320K MP3, LAME v0, or WMA VBR 98 consider re-ripping to fully appreciate the UM2s.

Also, the headsets deserve better electronics than what most smartphones or older players will produce. The latest Apple players are pretty good, but something like the SanDisk Sansa, really shows off the headset to full effect.

I am very impressed with the improved sound across the entire spectrum of frequency. I was going for improved bass response for use on stage. I got that, but also improved mids and highs. As stage monitors they sound fantastic (using Shure's body pack -wired). Sound when used with my iPod is simply phenomenal as well.

I love the sound quality

After my Bose Triport headphones --which I enjoyed over the past four years -- finally bit the dust last week, i decided to try something different. I'm glad I did. The UM2 'phones arrived yesterday, and I was immediately impressed by comfortable they are. I plugged them into my iPod, and after listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Riviera Paradise" (what a loss!), Leo Kotke's "Ojo" and Bill Frisell's "Verona," I knew there was no going back. Beautiful, just beautiful. And this morning, I learned how well they block the screeching noise that passes for music at my fitness club. Gone. Completely gone. I was in such a state of bliss I
barely worked out. Many thanks to all the
reviewers who encouraged me to try this product, and many thanks also to Earphone Solutions for accurately describing it (and making it available at a good price).

Read your review of these earphones, and they are exactly what you said. Clear, transparent, perfect sound.

I've used the UM1's for about a year and was completely satisfied with them. I ordered the UM2's about a month ago. There is a huge leap in quality, but there is enough difference in the mids and lows to justify the price to me . I wear them working out and at least 3 or 4 hours at work and I am completely satisfied with them.

These things are absolutely amazing! Well worth every penny, and then some. I purchased them for personal monitors, and then tried them with my iPod....WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

They are expensive, but for me well worth the money. Excellent clarity and sound articulation. I've heard sound I didn't know was on my iPod! Balanced response across a wide frequency range. I wanted to break out of the mediocre headphone sound and get to excellent. These are the best I've heard. You can pay $200 and get mediocre or you can pay a bit more know you're getting excellence.

I use these earphones for in-ear monitors with my band and when I practice drums at home. The sound is superior - all the lows and nice crisps high to go with it. The best part for me is that the tips supply great isolation allowing me to lower the volume of the devices that I'm listening to, thus saving me ears. I've the M-Audio and Shure 'phones and none of the supplied both the performance and the isolation of the Westones!

Simply the best I've ever used.

It's my first pair of IEM, and my first great hearing experience in a live show...Very comfortable - Don't need custom models - and very impressive soundly speaking as for bass guitar or double bass.
Many Thanx to Earphone Solutions for their wise advices and quick delivery !

I had a pair of shure scl5's and I loved them but they finally gave it up. My new um2's are great I like the cord better but I am a little worried that they may not last as long [the cord] I wish the cord was a bit longer but the sound quality is great. The main reason I bought the um2 was that they are made in the USA otherwise I would have stuch with the shures.

First thing I noticed was the comfort and seal. Both were great.
Sound was not what I expected at first, but once I spent some time after the "burn in" process, I started noticing sounds and instruments that I never noticed before. I listen to Reggae, Rap, Hip-Hop, Pop, Rock, Soft Rock, R&B, and some Jazz. I am still amazed from the sound produced, and dont need to listen to them loud.....In fact, the directions that came from Earphone Solutions asks you to set the EQ to "flat". I was amazed with the clarity. Bass is deep, strong, punchy, but never overpowering. Mids and Highs are clean, clear and harmonize very well together.
I would HIGHLY reccomend these as I feel like I have re-discovered music, and would never own another brand or pair of earphones.

The in ears are fantastic and all I hoped they would be.

I needed noise-isolating earphones for working out in a gym that blasts music I hate. Having tried many brands/models, these do the trick. They do a nice job of blocking the noise (though would like even more blockage if it were available somehow). Sound quality is fine, although I find them to be a bit 'muddy'. I also have a pair of Shure 310's -- which I think are brighter and clearer -- and overall prefer the sound of the Shure's but I hate their modular cord, the bass is a bit on the weak side, and noise blockage not quite as good as the UM2's. But for working out -- basically fits the bill!

I must have read 100 reviews here and elsewhere about the UM2. Read about the same for UE as well and picked UM2 for the best sound and comfort for the price. I have to say, these reviews for UM2 are accurate and all I can say is this product is just great. The UM2 makes Bose earphones and headphones sound like $10 devices. The highs are clear, the bass is excellent (without the break in period some have talked about). The foam ear pieces that come with it work just great as well. Could not be happier.

Wow! I can't say how pleased I am with my um2's. After losing my Shures, I agonized for quite some time over what to replace them with. The Shures were good, but were not that comfortable for wearing in the gym 4 or 5 days a week. Based on what I read on the internet -primarily on Earphone Solutions, I went with the UM2's and I'll never look back. Their fit and long term wearing comfort far exceed the Shures. The sound quality is fantastic and they work great for both my ipod shuffle and classic. Don't hesitate, get these earphones!

I am so impressed with sound quality!
Also very comfortable to wear:)

Have tried all brands of earphones and these are the very best, my wife liked them so much was going to get her a pair, when I went to order I saw that the UM3's were out so gave her the UM2 and bought me the 3's, can't wait to get them. they were mailed today.

today, i bought a pair of UM2 after i opened the box..
shortly, I put my UM2 on my ear.. just turn on my player then set to off for the EQ after that i play my favorite song especially jazz music..
WOW!!!! suddenly, i feel like a singer in front of me... i give seven star for this product NOT five that means 7 from 5 more than the money we've paid

Westone UM2: Beautiful Sound, Comfortable Fit.
These are a very serious "sweet spot" in today’s market for earphones. In terms of sound, they have an uncanny naturalness to them. They remind me of classic British speakers like Spendor or Harbeth in that respect. They are probably the most comfortable earphones out there - especially when you get the Shure "Black Foamie" ear inserts to replace the stock yellow ones from Westone (which are not bad, but many UM2 fans prefer the "Black Foamies" from Shure, which fit UM2’s perfectly.)

I am very much an audiophile and I’ve tried earphones by Shure (entire line, from 210 to 530) and Ultimate Ears, etc. I admire most earphones starting at around $150, but overall I prefer the Westone UM2. (BTW the $100 Westone UM1’s are a nice "sweet spot" as well and great value per dollar.)

By the way, UM2’s are fairly bass heavy, especially while they are breaking in (first 100 hours or so). The treble detail is very refined and natural - not overpowering like some other earphones.

To me these are an obvious first choice.

Caveat: There are some earphones in the $1000 range, with custom fit, that I have never tried. I’m perfectly happy with UM2.

Oh yeah, the cord is thin and flexible with a slider to adjust tension. Best to wear these with the cord draping over the top of your ear, and down your back. It is comfortable, it seems to be how they were designed to be worn, and it looks cool (can’t see the cord from the front).

Wonderful with iPods! No external amp necessary.

I have been a three year owner of the Westone UM1's and ever since first ordering the UM1's I thought about eventually getting the UM2's. Finally I have hit a financial window where I can buy some cool things. I was curious if the 200$ price difference between the UM1 and UM2 was worth it. (I was very happy with my UM1 btw) Well, after listening to my UM2 for a week now, I can say that it is worth the upgrade. The detail,clarity,low end rance, and immersion level is quite insane. When I put in Radiohead - In Rainbows (listened to it about two dozen times at this point) I literally got goose bumps. It was almost like hearing it for the first time things were so detailed. So needless to say, I am quite happy with the upgrade and the price is well worth it. Now the only problem is I have to re rip a bunch of CD's at higher quality of at FLAC.

I have the Shure E4c, and the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro. I have also had the Ety 6i's. The sound and fit of the UM2's are phenomenal and the fit is the best of the batch.

The Super.fi has the best sound, but their plastic earpieces are terrible and transfer sound from the cord. There are no good foam earpieces available as there are for the Shure and UM2, so these can NOT be used other than for sitting still. I use them for music editing because the sound is absolutely stunning and dead-on. Another negative is their cord... it's horribly stays bent and stiff and just will not straighten out! Ugh.

The UM2's have nearly as good a sound as the 5 Pro, but the fit is incredible and makes up for the minuscule difference. I use these for travel (GREAT on airplanes!), and general music listening. I've used them in the gym and they are great, but the Shure work best there as their cord is more substantial.

Of the group the Ety 6i is the best value, but mine died after a couple years. One channel just quit. Their sound is more than adequate for general listening. The Shure E4c are great earphones. they are great for all types of music but really excel at Rock. The 5 Pro are good for any music, but Classical is nearly magical as their sound is so true. The UM2 is best all-around. Great for all types of music equally. Good with vocals, acoustic, electric... anything. They are neutral and clean with rich deep bass.

The fit is wonderful. The cord is a good length and light, but not flimsy like the Ety's. The UM2 are extremely well put-together, although they don't feel as substantial and durable as the Shure.

These are fantastic earphones. Highest recommendation.

I'm in love!
Today I got my pair of clear UM2 and the sound is just amazing. My prior earphones were the UM1, but their bigger sister is just so much hotter.

When I put those phones into my ears and turned on one of my favorite OSTs my first thought was:
"Is there a difference between the UM1 and the UM2?"
I was confused.
After some minutes of listening I took out the UM2, switched to my UM1 and played the same song.
Then it hit me: Instruments were mysteriously "missing", there was little base, everything felt rather high-pitched.

How could this be? I've been living with the UM1 for one and a half years and was perfectly happy with them.
After reinserting the UM2 I understood:

The UM2 simply sound right.
It just feels like it should, and you start smiling.
The first time I had this feeling was when I got my Yamaha Pianocraft E400 and put the first CD into it.
Everything fits.

Though they are quite a bit bigger than the UM1 they are just as comfortable.
Buyers should invest some money on Triflanges or Shure Soft Flex Silicone Tips though. It makes everything sound much clearer compared to the foamies.

Thanks everyone from Earphonesolutions, another flawless shopping experience and great service.
Till next time!

Alexander from Germany

My prior experience is a variety of under$100 earphones including Vibes, and the Shure E3. UM2 is a keeper. Very, very comfortable, far more comfortable than the E3, which I never totally got used to (but got close). UM2 has more authority and bass than the E3, but the UM2 does have a serious drawback: the detail in mids and bass could be better, and the high end sounds a bit rolled off. The overall sound is dark and very, very beautiful, and authoritative too. I plan to keep these but will also buy another model, perhaps Shure E420 when that comes out. I could keep these forever - they are fun and very musical and comfortable - but I suspect that for my ear, at least for my critical listening, I'll end up with yet an even higher end model (sigh!).
Art
ps: the E3 sounded more refined and less colored, but, it was relatively lacking in bass and authority compared to the UM2. It's definitely a tradeoff of qualities in this price range.

The sound of these UM2 is GREAT... also in ITALY! Guaranteed!

Delivered in two weeks in Italy from the order without customs costs…

Thanks to earphonesolutions and its Staff!

i love it!

I just bought it last week. The sound was much bolder than Shure E4c. The only complaint is that the left (i.e. blue dot) and right side seemed to be on the opposite side - I can fit better into my ears if I put the red dot side into my left ear!!

These are better than I expected them to be. Some of the people on head-fi really didn't care for the UM2's, but coming from the Shure E3C, there is a huge difference for me. One, is the bass, the E3C had some bass if you got a good seal, but these have awesome bass. Second is the highs. The high's on these are a lot cleaner/clearer. Not rolled off as much as the E3C. One thing that I do like on the Shure's a little better is Shure's signature mid-range. Don't get me wrong, the mid on the UM2's is very good, I just like Shure's mid-range sound signature a little better. Overall for the price and qaulity of the UM2's, you can not find a better IEM in my book.

These Headphones are simply amazing. For the price these headphones are a no-brainer

Recommended to me by Flavio, of your staff, I am extremely pleased with the sound and the fit. i have somewhat narrow ear canals (I am 6'2" and weigh 240 lbs, so it is the only small part that I have). I tried another brand, the sound was OK, but the fit was horrible, and painful after a short time. I spoke with Flavio, listened to his very accurate and astute inpressions of other earbuds, and went with UM2s. Now, they fit marveously and the sound is so real, it is incredible. Your customer service was great!

I've been searching for the ultimate in-ear buds for years now. I've tried everything that there is on the market, and with the Westone UM2's I'm finally satisfied. They give a superior sound without being bulky like the Shure E5's...

Here's one more great review from a professional musician and audiophile.

Enjoy!

ah these earphones are just pretty decent, definitly not worth the money.
SHURES' E3s are a much better buy and produce so much better sound

These headphones are so clear and comfortable its no wonder that top artists use them.

They DO block out sound - a hell of a lot of it - which makes it dangerous to wear whilst walking around town - however as long as the volume is turned off you can still hear what people are saying to you without having to take them out.

I found the silicon tips too big for my ears which means that ive had to use the foam tips - in my opinion the foam tips give a better fit and sound experience - but they do wear quickly and replacements need to be bought regularly.

This is a fantastic price and i thoroughly recommend buying these NOW!

Well Done Tom in OS. I could not have made a better review for these earsets. I too know how both sounds and totally agree with you. If you won't the best it's is between the superfi 5 pro's and Um2. But if you had to go with one it would be the Superfi pros for sound and the Um2 for comfort. UE just has it. Um2 has too but just not the same level as the 5 pro's. But if you want comfort then the um2 are the best for comfort. The Superfi 5 pros aren't bad and sometimes I don't even know they are there but they do come up short when compared to the comfort of the um2s. But for sound only the UE2 has it even the reviewer of this site, when I emailed him told me this very thing. That the UE 5 pros would most likely sound better to most people in most music styles but it was the comfort that put the UM2's on top. So are you buying Mainly for Comfort or Sound?

The guy who mentioned selling his arm to buy the UM2 is NOT exaggerating. I thought my E3c's were really good. The UM2's blow them out of the water. The clarity and bass is amazing. Ignore people who claim that the bass is overwhelming.
It is very important to have high quality recordings to get the most out of these. The majority of my mp3's are at 320kbs and I have never heard them like this before. These are a STEAL at $299.

It is the best earphone that I used it before

I have owned these for a week now and there is only one word to describe them; sensational!
I have used the Shure E5C, Bang and Olufsen and the best that Sony have to offer and nothing can touch them, especially the bass reproduction.
They have transformed listening to my iPod form being okay to spectacular, even if you can't afford them, SAVE UP, you will not regret this purchase.
The 'phones arrived in four days from the US to Scotland, very prompt, I can't fault the company or the product.

I own a set of both the Westone UM2 and the Super.fi 5 Pro earphones. I bought the UM2's at the editor's recommendation. The UM2's are more comfortable than the Super.fi 5 Pro, but the Super.fi 5 Pro has a better sound, in my opinion. The low end (bass) of the music is better reproduced on the Super.fi 5's. I use these to listen on an iPod Photo and I mostly listen to rock, blues or jazz. (For those that are interested, I set my bit rate at 192 kb/s minimum, often at 256.) The iPod does not have a good equalizer for enhancing the bass response. The bass enhancement is limited and I believe the bass is distorted somewhat when the bass booster option is used. I have a Sony mini-disk player also, and it has better bass enhancement features. The whole point of this is that if you have a device that has better bass enhancement features, the better bass of the Super.fi 5 Pro may not be as big an issue. It was to me. The bass on the Super.fi 5 is good enough that I can listen without any bass enhancement, something I could not do on the UM2's without starving the sound for bass.

The mid range and treble are very clear and vivid on both models, but I think I would give the nod to the Super.fi Pro 5. Added to the fact that they are cheaper, I would recommend these over the UM2s. In my opinion, the sound is good on both, but I felt the sound was bass starved on the UM2s. Another item to let you know if you don't have any high end earphones yet, and are considering them for the first time: Yes, the sound is better than on your iPod white earbuds. The sound is really not bad on the iPod whites, but you are going up in price an order of magnitude, and you CAN hear a difference. I agree with those others that have stated that it is like hearing the music for the first time all over again. Also, with the sound isolation technology, I can listen at incredibly low volume. Just to give you an idea of this, I can turn the volume off on my iPod and still faintly hear the music--they are that sensitive. So while these are good for listening in a noisy environment, they really shine in a quiet environment, when you can get the full appreciation of what you are listening to.

Having said the above, the UM2s are more comfortable--there's no doubt on this. Wired Magazine did a review for the Super.fi 5 Pro and made a comment about feeling like you have baby carrots stuck in your ears. It's nowhere near that bad, but it is not as comfortable as the UM2s. I figure that a person is buying these more for the sound, and as such, I would recommend the Super.fi 5 Pro over the UM2s. When you consider the price, the preference becomes even stronger, in my opinion. If you are a first time user, I agree that you have to learn to get the good fit, to make the best of the sound. I have had the UM2's for about 3 months, and the Super.fi 5 Pro for about 2 weeks. It did take me a bit to learn to insert each of them (I use a rotate-them-in technique on each--seems to work the best for me.)

For those that are interested, I also have the Bose Quiet Comfort II headphones. I bought earphones because I didn't like the amount of space the Bose took in my briefcase and I was looking for something smaller. I travel on airplanes frequently and use the phones to listen to music. After using both the UM2s and the Bose, I believe the UM2 provide slightly better noise isolation through the soft tip ends than Bose does through the noise cancellation technology. I have yet to use the Super.fi 5 Pro on the air plane, but I believe from using them at home, that the noise isolation will be comparable to the UM2s. How does the sound compare from the Bose to the Super.fi or the UM2? I don't have a good answer for that yet. For one thing, I have almost stopped using the Bose for listening on my iPod, due to the size convenience of the UM2 or the Super.fi 5 Pro. There is no doubt that either of the in-ear models has mid range and treble just as good as the Bose, but I think for the bass, the nod still goes to the Bose. The Bose are better, in my opinion, for listening to movies, although to be fair and honest, my lisening to movies through the Bose has been limited to my home unit when I didn't want to disturb the rest of my family with the 5.1 surround sound. Also, the Bose need more power to drive them--they are set up to be used on either home stereos or personal audio, whereas the earphones are set up more for personal audio. I have to have the volume turned up on my iPod to listen to the
Bose, whereas if you have the volume more than 1/4 using the earphones, either the UM2 or the Super.fi 5 Pro, you risk hearing damage. Concersely, the UM2's were not good for listening to my stereo--to much sensitivity.

Another tidbit for those that are interested: I hear some people say that using the earphones makes them give up listening on their home stereo. I can't agree. I have a good home stereo system, and none of the three--the Bose, UM2 or the Super.fi 5 Pro comes close to the sound of the stereo for clarity, accuracy or presence.

I don't know what else to say on these. I hope this was helpful. I have tried to write down the things that I would have been interested in.

great headphones. I love them. Everything sound so mauch better. I upgraded from having had etymotic research 4 about 6 year so so. Like Et but they had no bass. Um2 are just so superb.

UM2 head phones are amazing! Delivers the sound spectrum with affortless clarity and without the need of high dB level. Comfort level is the best among many other types we have tried. Needless to say that given todays technology these earphones represent a very high level of workmanship and quality. If you can afford it, you won't regret it. what's more is that your music listening experiance will become a totaly new dimension. The service is also exelent from Earphone Solutions because we have received them in 4 days to the UK!
We could only highly recomend them to anybody with the thought in mind that given our experiance with these earphones we belive that countless others would greatly benefit by having them. Keep the music playing!!!

I used this earphone and it's unbelievable sound.

The UM2's are great! This is my first earphone and they are super comfortable. The sound is incredibly detailed and the highs and mids are stellar. The base is not up to par with the highs and mids but is still quite good. I would prefer a punchier more energetic base sound. The clarity throughout the range is remarkable. Seems these are suited to jazz, classical, and a more refined sound. If you want your music to slap you this may not be the product for you, but if you want your music to caress and tickle, lulling you into a sweet embrace these are highly recommended!!!

An absolutely superior earphone! The harmonic extension and clarity are outstanding. Lower frequencies are reproduced with authority while very articulated. The midrange is a little on the warm side but fluid and never fatiguing (a plus for me). Highs are clear and never “clipped” and soar effortlessly. The UM2s provide detailed soundstage and great dynamic range. I highly recommend these transducers. They will please listeners from all sides of the spectrum. Money well spent!

Just wanted to say thanks for the brilliant service, I just recently upgraded to a set of Westone UM-2 in ear buds from your online store down here in Australia to replace my old Shure E-2’s for work. I have had custom moulds made up for for my UM-2’s and just had a listen to them for the first time yesterday and couldn’t put them down, these have to be the best set of in ear drivers I have heard to date. Completely blew the Shure E-2’s and E-5’s out the water in every respect for comfort, great sound quality and best of all price! Well recommended, I have been spreading the news downunder about your site and of course price, well done.


Many Thanks again,

One word, like many other reviews here...INCREDIBLE!

Incredible service @ earphonesolutions, and unsurpassed quality, comfort, and sound quality with my UM2 earphones.

I've always been big into sound quality and have owned top of the line (over-ear)Sennheiser's, Sony, and Bose headsets. When I got my iPod, I was not happy with shipped in-ear headset (who is???)and went retail and purchased Sony EX71SL. For the price, I couldn't complain...until they hurt over long listening periods of time, and they never really fit in my ear, as I kept having to shove them deep in my ear canal to get them to seal for short periods of time.

After reading reviews on ilounge.com, I found my way to earphonesolutions.com. I must admit that I was confused as hell with all the prices and offerings up until this point, and when I started in the reviews on the site, I quickly came to the UM2's. My search was over! Thanks to all the "expert" reviews. I could not have made my selection with ease and confidence if it wasn't for the reviews, including Flavio's from earphonesolutions.com.

While the cost was more than I imagined spending, I just knew I had to do it and I'm so glad I did. I can't believe I was missing a perfectly sealed fit (like with my UM2's small foams) for so long, nopt to mention incredible sound reproduction for many many different genre's of music. Why did I wait to make the jump?? Oh well, I'm the happiest I've been since owning any portable device w/ earphones.

Not only do I get a lot of compliments on the look of the UM2's while in public, I totally feel like I'm in a different world while I have them on. Works great for hypertension and for those that can't deal with crowds while shopping! LOL

It only took a couple hours to get used to the new fit and to find the perfect positioning of the phones. Once you find the "G-spot", it takes no time to put them on for future use. The cord goes over the ear, which I like because there are times I have to hear and talk with people and I can pop the phones out and they dangle close to the ear for easy re-insertion. I've been a proud owner for about 3-4 weeks now, and have even slept with them once! You can't even tell something is in your ear!

Bottom line.?.?.?. Buy the Westone UM2's! Your search for perfection will be over.

PS: I found that I lived practically next door to earphonesolutions and they were the best! I couldn't wait to get my hands on my new UM2's so they arranged for me to pick them up in person and I got a call about 10 minutes after I ordered them! Thanks earphonesolutions for keeping this spoiled kid ("need right now" kind of attitude) happy!

Absolutely delighted with my new UM2s. Previously owned some Ety ER4ps but the UM2s beat them for sound and comfort. Not only are these great for blocking out sound on planes they also work well as headphones worn at the gym - none of the feedback from the cable of the Etys

First, a compliment to Earphone Solutions: the service is terrific. The phones arrived three days after I ordered them, and they were precisely as expected.

Now, for the UM-2: they are everything all these nice people who have contributed comments say they are. I have tried virtually every top-drawer earbud, and these are in a class by themselves--at least until you get to the category that costs more than twice what these cost. They are comfortable, clear, and the bass that is missing on most others is here big-time. My Ety's had so much cord feedback that they were annoying; none of that here.I guess the only question is why would anyone even consider any other brand?

You suddenly hear things you never believed to be possible: the seating order of a classical orchestra, some percussion sounds and so on. It is really an experience.

Just got mine today, great service and very fast delivery.

I quickly settled on the tri-flange silicone tips, as the soft foam tips felt odd to me and I couldn't get the full bass experience with them. I tried the tri-flnge tips, had immediate success, and that was that. I *am* used to wearing similar tri-flange silicone ear protection in a variety of circumstances, so perhaps that had something to do with it.

I then spent about an hour listening to tunes on my iPod and doing A-B comparisons with my collection of lesser buds and earphones.

Caveat: I've not owned other higher-end buds (iems), earphoes, etc. I *have* been a hobby musician for decades, worked part-time on both sides of pro sound "desks", was in a blues band, and am a closet audiophile (I just refuse to spend the untold $10,000's that truly good audio gear costs.)

That being said, these things are excellent! The bass is superb, the mids and highs are clear and present without any harshness or excessive "brightness" or "presence", and they have great balance across the spectrum. The clarity and resolution is very good, bringing out a lot of detail in the music.

They isolate *very* well (at least with the tri-flange tips), and are *very* efficient. That is *very* nice for use with the iPod, as in my experience the iPod lacks the "ooomph" (milli-watts of amplifier power) to drive a lot of earphones etc well. That combination of lack of isolation (with most earphones) and poor efficiency has always left me feeling like the iPod experience was a compromise, albeit a good one.

Not any more. In contrast, the UM2s are like having a veil lifted and they reveal the immediacy and impact of the music that I often find missing.

My initial reaction was actually to be a little un-nerved. I'm used to *only* hearing that kind of deep, well-resolved bass with subwoofered pro sound systems. It's just odd to me to have that kind of range, response, and immediacy flooding my ears without *feeling* the bass as well!

Anyway I, like a lot of people, have spent at least half the cost of the UM2s on a collection of lesser buds/earphones recommended by acquiantences or shop personnel, only to be disappointed in very case.

If you are serious about music and at all are inclined, save yourself the wasted funds, time, and lackluster experiences and get a pair of these things. Yes, they really are that good!

I'll close by pointing out (again) that I've not owned other higher-end buds/earphones, so can't pretend to compare these things to other similar (or often much more expensive) solutions. For all I know, other brands etc are just as good and it's just a matter of personal preference. At the same time, I heartily recommend these on their own merits!

BEST earphones ever

Had Ety's 4P's. Great separation and detail. Decent base, but I always felt I was missing something. Considered the E5C's and hte UM-2's and the UM-2's won out. They have all the details of the Eyt's, that is, it is all there, but because the breadth of range, it is not as simply easy to dinstinguish as with the Ety's. That said, the music sounds more "real" as if you listening to the actual performance. The lows are strong, but not overpowering as are the highs. It makes me want to take out my guitar and jam with the sound.

they kick tail

Excellent product!!
I have owned other ear phone from top brands, and the UM2 are above in sound and in quality. VERY, but very comfortable!!
I use the UM2 with my Ipod for classical and jazz and the clairy in all range is amazing.
More for less money!

The supply the full sound my Ehtomatic ER4P MicroPro (ER4) Earphones


ER4P could not. Now I do not have to play music as loud or keep adjusting the fit in my ear to get a seal. Now I just plug in and get the BIG BASS! If you listen to music daily it is a great investment...

These have become my favorite way to listen to music - out and about or at home. I'd even wear them to bed if my wife didn't mind. Such beautiful staging and tight response, it makes me smile every time.

The UM2 are amazing good
very low Bass
Absolute fantastic sound.

simply the best!

I purchased these on Wednesday evening and they were in my mailbox that Saturday. FMA is an awesome company to deal with. Top notch.

I have owned the Shure e5 and I find these to be much more comfortable than the e5's. The cord is much lighter, and I disliked the memory wire on the e5's. In addition, the e5 cord was a mess of tnagles. No so with the UM2's. Sonically, they are quite similiar. I have only listened to these for about four hours as of this post, so I am becoming more familiar with them as time goes by. Excellent bass response without taking away from the midrange and higher frequencies.

However, they do not isolate as well as say the Shure e4's or Etymotic ER4P. Has to do with the driver enclosure. No dual driver IEM will allow you to insert the stalk deeply into the ear. To compensate for this, I am using the Shure tri-flange tips and I like the sound signature of these better than all others. I usually use the long Comply tips on the e4. The tri-flanges are not as compfortable, but isolate more outisde noise. Great for NYC subways. These are better than the e5's for less money. It's a WIN WIN. Thanks FMA.

The westone um2 are the most amazing headphones i have ever used.

I have owned Shure EC3 and Sennheiser head phones and they were good. The UM2 are just a grade above. Inreal sounds, background noise all but gone. VERY comfortable, and they stay in even when you are active, which is a HUGE plus for me. They also are very comforable in your ear, no pressure and fits well. I use them primarily with my Ipod and the clairy is amazing. I hear faint tones, that were lost with the others. The price is good compared to the Shure, and the sound better. I know hearing is believing but if you invest you WON'T be sorry.

The best earphones for the iPod! Absolute fantastic sound.

I just received my UM2's...they are awesome...they are very comfortable to wear..and the sound is just amazing.The highs,lows, & mids are truly crystal clear......UM2's are the best....

The UM2's are the best sounding phones (in ear or not) that you will ever listen to. Clear, crisp highs with wonderful rich bass. The key is achieving a complete seal. The more you use the bad boy's, the better they sound.

You will not be sorry. Well worth the money!

NO QUESTION.

Wow! You hear more with the same music! All the instruments in front and on the back, you can clearly distinguish them! I tried this on a CD player, an IPod and PDA (mp3). The musics I tried were Opera, classical, hip-hop and country. The bass is amazing! There is no useless "boom" bass. The heavy bass comes out just so "right". With it, you can also hear the highest tone of Violin so crisp. When I compared the sound of UM2 with IPod ear phone side by side, I immediately noticed how much little sounds I have been missing out. All of a sudden, IPod ear phone has so much "mumbling" which I did not realize before I tried UM2. And I am not even an music artist or an instrument player! Money well spent!

The UM2's can be summarized in one word: amazing. I feel these earphones make listening to music more enjoyable than ever. I've had my 5G ipod since the beginning of Dec and have dreaded listening to it for longer than an hour because of the painful "earphones" that are included. The UM2's really add to the ipod experience; they are comfortable, sound perfect, and aren't overkill. I can hear so much more in my music than before because of the noise isolation, it really is something that has got to be heard to appreciate. earphonesolutions.com is a great place to purchase the UM2's. My mom said she had no problems whatsoever when buying these for me for Christams. I would definately give the westone UM2's two thumbs up. You can wear them for extended listening and it feels like you've just put them on even after 2 hours of wearing them. Higly recommended.

First off, shopping at EarphoneSolutions is a wonderful experience. I have purchased Etymotic ER6i, Sure 3C, UM1 and most recently UM2. When I found the true comfort and pleasure I got from my UM1's, I just had to branch out and go for the UM2's. Simply put...AWESOME. Easy to work with, light strong wires and sooo comfortable. The sound is absolutely the best I've heard and for $299 I consider these almost a steal.

in short, this is the best listening experience (and buying experience) ive ever had...

the long version: i am more than happy with the wonderful sound that these earphones provide, and (although i did not need much help) just going into this purchase with as much information as earphonesolutions.com provides and the security of knowing that i can return them if i am not satisfied made me very comfortable... and as a consumer in this day and age, that really counts for something...

that said, i was not immediately impressed with these earphones... ive gone through a number of aural 'upgrades' within the last decade or so... first i got a pair of above average consumer over-the-ear headphones to replace the horrible stock minimuffs that came with a portable cassette player... now that was a treat..! (and ive used them up until i got these earphones, as they have just recently been broken)... from there i graduated first to a nice, solid set of speakers, and then to a 5.1 setup a few years ago... the 5.1 really spoiled me, as the amplifier had a feature to upmix stereo to 5.1, which sounded incredible... i found myself trying to re-hear everything i had ever listened to to experience it all with that wonderful sound... but sadly, i killed the amplifier (probably from overuse) about a year ago... since then ive been searching for a worthy sucessor...

at first i considered another 5.1 setup, but as ive moved around a lot recently i have tired of the hassle of dismantling and packing and then unpacking and setting it all up again... also, space is a huge consideration... so i began looking for something more portable...

ive looked around for some 5.1 headsets, but they dont sound to be much of an achievement... and then my brother told me about how he was considering some in-ear-phones made by a company called etymotic... i stumbled upon this site while researching... he ended up buying his (the 6i), and then i recently decided it was high time i got myself some decent earphones...

i was still considering some large over-the-ear-phones, since my only good earphone experience had been with that type... but after weighing considerations like portability, comfort, isolation, and sound quality (and also on my brothers recommendation), i decided to try in-ear-phones...

after reading so many reviews and other information on earphonesolutions.com, i decided i would buy from them since they had a very reasonable return policy and i appreciated the help they had indirectly provided (not to mention great prices!)... i ordered my set on an early monday morning and began using them upon their arrival on thursday...

i had read about people having to allow for a week or two to get the full effect, but i cant imagine these sounding any better than they already do... and thats my problem... i wasnt immediately floored by their performance because these earphones are extremely accurate... you hear everything just as it was recorded: hiss, pops, background noise... but besides that, they sound so 'right' that i just felt comfortable listening to them... no gimmicks; no fancy effects; just good, clean sound... but after listening to a few different types of music with them (and various recording syles) i was stumbling across what (for me) is easily their greatest strength: realistic reproduction of string instruments... all sound has texture and weight, but guitar in particular (to me, since i play guitar myself) stands out in this sense... theres a percussive nature to strumming and plucking (and bowing on other instruments), and until i used these earphones i had never heard that reproduced accurately before... besides that, im hearing all sorts of things that i never knew existed in the music i love... the sound is wonderfully balanced...

so its impossible to avoid sounding cliche: just as i did when i got a good set of speakers, im hearing my favourite music again for the first time...

money well spent..!

What else can I say the UM2 head phones are amazing. The costumer service at earphonesolutions.com is also very good. This is Info for anyone that has the Sirius S50 portable unit. Not only is this an excellent product but the Westone UM2 fit it perfectly. I know people are always worried the heads might not fit the device their getting it for.

This is an excellent sounding set of earphones! I know many have commented on their quantity of low frequency output, some say its to the point of overshadowing the mids and highs. I found this to not be the case. I find the quality of the bass is more remarkable than the quantity, and the overall presentation is very well balanced and musical.

Finally, special thanks goes out to Flavio for unsurpassed customer service. Even though, I took advantage of discount pricing, I was treated very well(actually better than I would have expected had I paid full retail). I would not hesitate to do business again with earphonesoltions, in fact I already have and will in the future too. My preferred vendor for everything they sell.

Firstly I was quite surprised by the fast International delivery to UK (5 days flat!). The plastic package comes with 2 pair of normal and 2 pair of short Comply tips and a small pouch for earphones. Also there is a pair of Triple flange sleeves and an airline adapter for free! Very happy with the delivery service. The Westone UM2s are absolutely brilliant. I've been using them with the default foam sleeves that were already on them and am lovin it. I've used them on 3 hour journeys on trains and on noisy London Tube and the only sound that I can ever hear is of music. Absolutely incredible sound. The wire is smooth and thin so you can't even feel it above your ears. I had ordered Sony NWA-608 (2GB flash memory player with FM Tuner) and wanted top quality in-ear phones. I had been planning to buy Shure E5Cs but when I talked to the only distributor (recently appointed) the consultant introduced me to Westone UM2s and after extensive research I ordered them from US. In UK they are sold for GBP245 and I saved a little over GBP70 by ordering them from US! As I know that my left ear always gives me problems with earphones I had to try different sleeve to achieve an exact filt. Just try different sleeves to suit your in-ear shape and you won't regret buying these earbuds. I have always been unhappy with the earphones supplied with the iPods or other mp3 players and UM2s simply changed the meaning of music by bringing reality and clarity to my ears. I am extremely happy with the UM2s. Buy them and you wouldn't regret investing your money in them. I use them to listen to music from my laptop and am considering buying a Creative Audigy2 PCMCIA soundcard for it to get the best music from my laptop and UM2s.

My ears are old: 66 years old, to be exact. Yet after having used Ety ER4's and Shure E4c's for years, and now trying the UM2's for the first time, my ears feel young again. These UM2's are in a class by themselves. No more wondering where the lows went; no concern about a thin mid-range; and the sound stage is incredible! This one is a no-risk decision. Go for it!

I lovin' it! This is the best earphone that I ever have. I've been using it only for less than an hour but the sound is already excellent. I'm using for my iPod and my laptop with Creative Audigy 2 ZS. It's wonderful! I can listen to the sound that I didn't even know it's there before. It's AWESOME!! No wonder I haven't seen anyone rated this earphone less than 5 stars. NO REGRET!!

By the way, you guys in FMAsolutions.com are GREAT!! My shippping came is about 3 days after I clicked the order button!! You guys really awesome!!

Very full & deep bass which is what I was after.
The sound isolation is superb and they are extremely Comfortable. Great Service too taking 5 days to reach me in the UK.

First off, props to Earphone Solutions for fast service. I got my headphones within 4 business days and I live in California.

These headphones are wonderful. You must adjust them a bit to get the perfect fit. I'm using the provided short comply tips, and when I wear these they are extremely comfortable. They block sounds from the outside world incredibly well. My music sounds wonderful on my old iRiver Slim-X350. It has a sort of customizable EQ along with bass/treble tone controls which the bass can be pumped to the max without distortion. On the iPod 5g however, I noticed that you should reduce the mp3's initial and ending sounds by using the tools provided by iTunes in the options menu. The sound isn't as good as my slimx but they still sound amazing. The mids and highs are not overkill but hit the spot. The lows on these headphones are very fun and have a ton of bass to back that up. These headphones are well worth the price, and if you're looking for a IEM for all tpyes of music, this one is definitely the jack of all trades. Rock, hip hop, and trance all do very well with these headphones. Consider these if you want bass that's not boring, highs and mids that can be perfect to your tastes if you can EQ them. With no EQ, these still sound very good but not as fun. Also, these are nice for going to the gym with.

1 week ago recieved UM2's
wasn't shure what to expect right away as went through Shure e2, e3 and Sony 700 dj and now these um2's. WOW, Wow !, things I've heard is amazing, comfort level compared to shure e3, well not comparable :> they are just soo much better. I'm not audiophile but just love music and try to get the best that I can.
I really, really love my um2's.

First of all, I’d like to say I was positively surprised by the fast delivery (international order, 5 days). The plastic package comes with an airline adapter, 2 pair of normal and 2 pair of short Comply tips and a small pouch.

I owned the Shure E2C for a couple of months, and my first opinion was that it didn’t sound a lot better compared to those clip-on ears that came with my CD-player. But after serious burn-in and combining with a Marantz home amp they did sound quit good. The really low frequenies although sounded somewhat muddy en the higher frequencies sounded harsh.

Now I have the same feeling about the UM2’s when using them for the first time. First reaction was that they didn’t actually deliver a totally new and way better sound in general which I had hoped for. I’ve been listening for about 5 hours since delivery and I have to admit that they produce a very clean sound, with very accurate low and high end (thanks to the dual drivers I guess) compared to the E2C.

Music is a lot more sharper in general. Voices are very clear, they aren’t that much pulled forward and instruments have a lot more sharpness compared to the Shures. With 119 dB/mW they are easily driven by portable MP3 or CD-players.The Shures had 105 dB/mW which means you have to turn op the sound level to get to same sound pressure compared to the Westone UM2’s on a lower sound level.

They also have a different sound signature compared to the Shures I used in the past. Shure just sounded so much more powerful and forward to my ears. These Westones do whatever it takes to deliver nice sound, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just that I’m used to sound coming from E2C’s. That’s the biggest disadvantage I guess if you’re trying a new brand of in-earphones. I was a bit shocked by hearing a totally new sound signature, and I was thinking if I made the right decission by choosing Westone. But I can adapt fast.

I don’t think I’m going to buy an amp soon cause these in-ears can deliver some decibels. A good CD-player is enough. Hell, even then you’re going to get high quality sound. It produces even better sound compared to my pc (which has a onboard soundcard. It’s good for the usual stuff, but using these UM2’s, you’re gonna need a better source imo). I don’t have an MP3-player, so I can’t compare the sound quality, but I swear by a nice CD-player. They cost less, have very fine materials built in on a higher end model, and play every song in WAV-format (highest quality possible).

300 dollars is a lot of money for these small electronic devices. In Belgium, the country I’m living in, everything costs a lot more. I paid 120 dollars (100 euro) for the E2C’s, and if I didn’t know about this website I’d buy the Westones on a UK website where they cost 500 dollars (400 euro). Crazy isn’t it?

A final word, while listening to some rock songs, I don’t think I’m gonna need a new in-ear monitor for a long long while. Probable never, cause this site gives the UM2’s the editor’s choice, and editors can’t be wrong.

great price, great service, oh, and the UM-2 completely blow away my shure e-3's.

Flavio you were so right, this monitors are absolutely the best, they are so music friendly, so balanced on mids highs and lows, the sound is incredible, and so so nice to wear when I compare with my E5c, I receive them today and I could not take them out from my ears, they are addictive, all my music on my iPods sounds so new I have been all day listening old songs just to see how good they sound with my new UM2´s, thanks again, great earphones, now I will let my E5c as second choice.

Only one word to describe the UM2...EXCELLENT!

Westone UM2 in-earphones are simply the best I have used and heard. I had the E3c and E4c, but compared to the UM2, the sound produced is way far off better then the E3c and E4c, I did try the E5cs from my friend but I still think the UM2 produces a more musical and blissful experience. Thanks to earphonesolutions too for their great reviews and excellent, and I say again, excellent customer service...I will definitely recommend you guys to my friends!

After a recommendation from Flavio, I decided to purchase these earphones. I've upgraded from my Shure E4c's. I like my Shure, it's perfect for vocal, classical or any songs that are "trebbly." However, when it comes to "thumpa-thumpa" bassy songs, it lacks the bass.

Using the triple flange included with my order, I modified it to make it 2 flanges to make the fit better like my
Shure earphones. I prefer the fit of these compared to the Shure, it's more secure and stable in my ears. I primarily use these for exercising coupled with my iPod shuffle and they stay put. The Shure tends to unloop from my ears because of the thicker wire.

And the sound...all I can say is that it's not muddy rather, it's well-balanced with great bass. Vocals are crisp. I like the thinner wires as it wraps better on my Sumajin Smartwrap cable manager. I feel like the sound coming out of the earphones straight from the box sounded great. I feel like I didn't have to do a burn-in like my Shure earphones. I felt that it took a good week for the sound to stabilize with the Shure.

Thanks Flavio for the wholehearted recommendation!

These are truly beautiful sounding headphones. Granted my only previous experience with headphones would be the Sennheiser PX 100 and Grado SR 225s. They let me pick out new things in my music that I have never heard before, and silence the noises of the outside world well enough. As for this company, they have for the most part superb service, I just wish shipping didn't take nearly two weeks (Note: Not entirely their fault.)

For those who don't know, Westone CREATED AND manufactured for Shure the E5c for the first years. After that Shure decided to have them manufactured somewhere else (probably in Asia).

The UM2 was the original project and Shure wanted to enhance the bass, enhance the highs, in other words, alter the sound to what they think was good.

For that reason Westone had to enlarge the crossover and put that where the cable splits. Because of all the "enhancements" the cross over ended up being so large that thicker cables were requested by Shure. The E5c is the "Frankenstein" and the UM2 is the original art work.

I like my E5c but the UM2 is better in every regard. If you want, you can have your own "enhancements" via EQ but all the range will be there to be explored. The E5c is already altered and it's more limited to what you can output.

I bought these to hear music while I work. Too bad !. I cant work anymore with these on. I keep on noticing new sounds. Music is religion for me now. Thanks to Westone and Earphonesolutions now Im hearing the best sounds I ever heard. A word of caution : Watch out for your manager shouting at from behind.

I today bought the UM2 in-ear earphones. I am not a big audiophile, but I like to hear 100% music and would like to hear all the sounds a song reproduces. I also own the Sony-MDR-700DJ series headphone. I must admit, that the UM2s are the best sounding earphones I have ever heard. They produce such clarity and bass - man its unbelievable. I initially was a little suspicious about the performance from such a small earphone. But I was totally proved wrong. I listen to Indian Songs(Tamil Songs) which are extremely well recorded these days with a lot of additional sounds which ordinary earphones can never reproduce. With UM2, in many songs I couldn’t believe that I missed out a lot of instrumental sounds all these days. Initially I tried UM2s with Ipod Shuffle. Then I tried with my Creative Audigy 2 ZS sound card in my laptop. Then my whole meaning of music changed. I never imagined that a single song can have so many sounds running all over my head. With my ear insertion technique improving, so is the quality of the earphone. I bought it from Earphonesulutions.com. I can say that they have the best service I have seen till now. My UM2s were not available in their stock when I ordered. They managed to contact Westone and shipped my order the same day, directly from Westone itself. Unbelievable service. Thank you guys. You are incredible. My advice is even if you are not an audiophile, GET YOUR PAIR OF UM2s, even if you have the slightest interest for good music. They are really unbelievable.

This is a superb earphone. I've owned the Etymotic Research ER-4P, the Shure E4, and the Stax SR-001 Mk II system. The UM2 is, in my opinion, substantially better than the ER-4P and the E4 overall, though it does have a different sound signature, and it is similar in sound quality to the Stax system, though once again with a different sound. However, given the practicality of the UM2 and the lack of said practicality of the Stax system, the UM2 comes out the winner.

This earphone offers a very solid low-end response, with good bass resolution, a full, natural and well-rounded midrange, and a clear but somewhat recessed treble. The treble is not as rolled-off as it is on the Shure E5c, nor is the midrange as forward, and on the whole, the UM2 has a better tonal balance than the E5c. On the downside, the midrange has a slight hardness to it that manifests occasionally on some vocals and guitars, and there is a small degree of sibilance, which isn't there on the E5c. By comparison, the ER-4P and E4 offer a substantially brighter sound with slightly better treble detail, but they sound downright thin and strident next to the UM2, and they offer a far more compressed soundstage, whereas the UM2 sounds open and spacious.

Comfort is excellent - the UM2 is similar in design to the E5c, but doesn't have it's annoying memory cable, and it's sound tube is angled differently to the E5c, giving it a more natural fit. Construction quality is quite good as well. The earlier models suffered from a cable greening issue, but the new black cables seem to be immune to it.

I get the best sound quality using the Shure Clear Flex sleeves. The UM2 is _very_ sentivite to eartip choice, and it can sound like a completely different earphone depending on what tips you use. The Comply tips are too bassy for me, the Shure foamies are very open sounding but also very sibilant, the Ety triflanges sound congested and the treble is too sharp, but the clear flex sleeves are pretty much perfect. Of course, eartip choice is a highly personal affair, and we will all get different results due to our varying HRTF's and anatomies. The point that I'm trying to make is: try out as many different sleeves on the UM2 as you can before pronouncing judgement as to it's sound quality. Custom sleeves are also available, but I would suggest going all the way to the ES2 custom-molded earphone instead. Come on. You know you want to!

Overall: Highly recommended. This is as close to a full-size headphone sound as you're going to come in the canalphone world without going custom-molded. The E5c is also very much recommended, but the UM2 is better in my opinion.

March 28, 2005

When I tried these a couple of weeks ago in a Trade Show in Orlando, FL, I told my wife we HAD to get these and let our customers know about them.

Then I saw the impressive list of artists that use the earphones manufactured by the UM2 makers. Check it out!

So today I got our first UM2 Dual Driver in-ear earphones. I have been testing the UM2 since I got them a couple of hours ago. I'm testing them with my iPod Shuffle (the iPods are in the cars -- will get them tomorrow). The Shuffle is driving this thing with perfection. Prince is playing some serious tunes on these dual driver high end babies right now.

Finally! The UM2 delivers great bass, great detail and very similar to the Shure E5c in appearance and performance. One of the differences is that because the UM2 derives from a newer project, the crossover is housed in the ear bud instead of outside like the Shure E5c. A couple of things the UM2 resolves much better than the E5c and they are related: the fit is better and I think it’s because they are slightly fatter (just a hair) and for my ears it provides a better fit. The other thing is that the CABLES are MUCH BETTER. My biggest complain with the E5c were the cables. On the Shure’s E5c they are thick and to make matters worse there’s a memory wire that goes around the ear. With the UM2 there are no memory wires and the cable is thinner falling gently behind the back of the ear. In that sense they work exactly like my favorite cables from before on the discontinued Shure E1. It provides a much better experience in my opinion since for me dealing with the E5c cables was always a hassle. The cables on the UM2 are thinner but not fragile like some of the ones seen on the Etymotic earphones. I did not experience any microphonics so far (noise that gets transmitted to the ear by the cables), a common problem with the Etymotic earphones. The transparent finish goes even better with the iPod than the white cables. Very cool looking. Best isolation so far and best comfort from the foam sleeves. Although these sleeves fit the Shure E3c and the E5c, the texture feels better on the skin, they are also softer and expand better than the Shure PA750.

This is the most amazing in ear monitor, much better than the Shure E5c, I have them both and UM2 has much heavy bass and not too over powering highs. Although the cord rub against cloth produces annoying noise. Buy UM2 and you will be amazed how music really sounds like.

After some use now I definitely prefer this over the half dozen other earphones I've had experience with. I do find them a bit awkward for indoor use but this is no big deal. I prefer over SHURE 4 and 5, for example and prefer them over any "high end" earphones in their class. Period. They're great. My thanks to Flavio for recommending them!

I just lost my UM2 virginity and thank God... I think my life has just been changed forever... I feel like I'm in a subpar sound world and even though I don't have the money to buy one right now... but my friend got me to try these little pieces of heaven, and I have had a religious experience... I have to have some and I will sell my left arm to get a pair... Anyway, its just so good...

My son, a music teacher, has the SHURE 5 and I bought the UM2. We've both listened to both and I can't tell the difference (classical music). He agrees with classical music but says the Shure 5 is slightly better in the bass than the UM2, but for $200. differencer he says the UM2 would be his choice today. He has perfect pitch. I have a slight hearing impairment, so I trust his judgement over mine and his youthful ears are much better than mine. For the serious iPod user I'd try to find friends with both the UM2 and SHURE 5, expecially if you like any of the current pop, rock, etc., then maybe the SHURE are best. But I know I can hear individual sections of the violins in an orchestra (a group of six that plays a part rather than the whole 24 (32?) and easily pick them out. Bass is also usually not as important with classical as it is with pop so you decide. These are GREAT earphones for my kind of music and the SHURE 5 are probably just a hair better for all around modern music. I doubt you can go wrong with either pair. Oh, BTW, one earphone in the UM2 had a hairline crack from some unknown cause and the mfg. QUICKLY repaired them (shipped back to the good folks at earphone solutions) and I was very, very pleased with the great service.

UM2 First Impressions. A very long review….

Well after my bad review of the UE Super.FI, I’m now on to the Westone UM2 IE monitors. So how do I find these……….so far? I would almost say GREAT except for a few caveats, some which are fixable. Read on.

Usual disclaimer. This is my impressions of the UM2 monitors after only seven hours with them. Your impressions will be different! My tastes are different from yours. I share this review with you to give you some idea of how I feel about the UM2's, but it’s certainly not the definitive word! It’s just one users thoughts! My impression will likely change over the next 30 days as well.

In case you missed my other review, I’m using the cans driven by a Zen Micro and listening to only MP3 files with bit rates from 128k to 320K. Prior to these I had ETY 6i, ETY 4P and the UE Super.Fi Pro 5 monitors. All are returned so I cannot do any short term A/B comparisons but my favorite of the bunch were the 4P’s and my impressions of the 4P’s were the same as many others; great detail but lacking bass. They also provided great isolation, good fit and were really good. I might purchase them back as my wife really liked them (what does she know)!

I’m using the same tracks to listen to the UM2 as I did for all the others. Again, mostly old stuff recorded prior to 1980 with some new stuff in the classical and country genre. One performer that merits special mention is Katherine Jenkins. If you have not heard of her, well she will make you like opera singers. Her second album is just terrific. Check her out on the web, do a Google search. Easy on the eyes as well as a great voice!

On to the UM2’s

THE UM2 MONITORS:
Let me start with the cans themselves. Really nicely made. Don’t think they are going to fall apart in a few days! A very solid looking design and construction. Others have described the packing and except for something new, it’s as described elsewhere! The cables are a bit short from the cans to where they split to individual right/left happens. Almost too short for me! Now I’m sure they expect you to wear it over your ears and behind your head and that does help. However, the new cable is nicely made and will not yellow, that’s for sure.

One item not included is a 1.4 inch adapter.

It did come with 4 each of the Comfy Tips in large and small. I also ordered some ety flanges to try with them as well as recommended by others.

HOW DO THEY FIT?

Well let’s get the bad new out in front.

My ear canals must be really different from others as I’m having the hardest time getting a good seal. If the stems were longer I think my specific problems would be easier to fix. The short stems coupled with the rather large cans prevents inserting them very far. In this area, the 4P's were great.

I’m rotating these things all over the place and sooner or later with the large comfy tips or a modified ety tip can I finally find an angle that seals well. It’s very frustrating to say least!! I’m getting better at it.

This is one of the fixable items (I think) as I always have the option of getting custom molds made. I’m considering it. Why? Because of the audio quality I hear when I do get a good seal.

I’m going to keep at it and perhaps I’ll find the magic way to put them in MY ears. I can tell also that I might be able to sleep with these, something I was not able to do with any of the previous cans I had. This is a good thing! Due to the sometimes funny angle the cord makes when I do finally get them sealed, it’s tough to put them behind my ears. Like I said I’m getting better at it but it’s still VERY DIFFICULT for me.

ISOLATION.
Not withstanding the above, when I do get a good seal, it’s a really good seal and the isolation is good! As good as the ety’s I would guess. The acid test is yet to come. I haven’t yet traveled on the plane with them but I will in a few days and I’ll append the results. My feeling however is that these are going to be just fine once I can finally get them seated properly. Ok enough of this!

OVERALL AND SPECIFIC SOUND IMPRESSIONS:

How do I describe the sound and make any sense?

It’s smooth with great detail! They have a nice “creamy” (new word for a review ) musical presentation and yet having a great amount of detail. The soundstage is there as well yet not so distant that you loose something. One thing I have noticed is that I’m reducing the playing volume as the day get older. That’s interesting to me.. In any event, in my other review I borrowed from the diamond industry the words, cut, color, and clarity. The UM2’s have it all – in spades! A nice balance between each. I really find them musically pleasing and yet there is the detail I like.

Speaking of volume, the Zen Micro can drive these to the brink of hurting. I can play them a much lower volume than any other IEM I have tried. For example (using the Zen’s volume scale) the 4P and 6i were around 20 (out of 25), the Super.Fi Pro were at 16-17 and these are at 12-14! If I run them up to 18 (or so), you are definitely in the first row of a very loud concert! Fun, but I can do that for long! But OH MY, what a sound! I also think this is good as the small amp in the Zen is not working as hard and it’s probably closer the best performance of the Zen. (could be wrong but sounds good)

SO, in other words, I like the UM2’s…………. a whole lot!!!

BASS: The bass response is terrific (you must have a really good seal for this) Outstanding would also be a good word as well. Here is the base I was looking for WITHOUT the price of loss of treble. Very engrossing without being boomy at all. Very powerful at higher volume levels yet clean and crisp. You hear bass notes, not thuds and with some punch!! I can actually listen to these without any EQ but if anything, a slight reduction in the low end helps. Depending upon the music, this can go either way. The modified ety tips give the clearest bass, the comfy tips are a bit stronger and maybe just a little (very little) bit boomier. You get bass and still keep the rest. I can’t say enough about the bass aspects of these UM2’s. Remember, I’m no bass head either.

MIDRANGE: No doubt these are smoother than the ety’s The sound is warmer, but not terribly so. Nothing gets lost here, it’s just…well… creamier.

I’m trying not to use specific cuts from specific albums to reference so I’ll just say that the vocals are excellent. I’m even hearing nuances that I missed before with the ety’s, such as the baritone aspects of a specific singers voice.

HIGHS: Well, I’m not sure at age 55 where my high range stops, but I hear everything that I know it there from listening to the 4P’s. Perhaps it not as ‘sharp’ as the ety’s were, but it not missing either. I read about recessed highs (to me that mean they sound further away) and on some tracks this might be the case. I would say they might be ever so slightly lower in volume on some songs. The Zen Micro EQ setting of acoustic or classical will bring the highs right up to sounding like the ety’s! On some recordings that have guitar harmonics, I can hear them quite well. Sibilance is very low, almost non existent to me. Triangles sound so good. Cymbals sound like cymbals and have a nice clear sustain. The highs are there, and that’s what counts! At higher sound pressure levels the highs hang in there and do not seem to distort.


FINAL FIRST IMPRESSION THOUGHTS

Some other things to note here (no pun intended). In another review, it was mentioned that UM2 are susceptible to showing bad recordings off at their worst. Well, being that a chunk of my library is MP3’s from the 60’s, ripped as best as the original will allow, I can say that the UM2 will show all the flaws but still make the track listenable. A bad recording is a bad recording!

For me, I enjoy some of these tunes no matter how lousy the recording. With the ety’s, it was painful to listen to. With the UM2’s, they are just bad recordings but enjoyable as I’m discovering things in these bad recording I never heard before. Considering I’ve listened to some these songs for over 40 years (ie: The Lion Sleep Tonight), that’s a pleasant surprise! Make any sense??

OK, so it sounds like I like these cans. I do! I have some reservations about the fit (that’s my personal problem….genetics I guess) but with some practice I think I can overcome this.

So, in other words, I like UM2’s a whole lot!!!

Has been a canal phone reviewer for a few web portals and have my own review weblog and being a gadget junkie, its hard to impress me these days, but the UM2 simply blew me away. The other reviews in here has already said so much about what the UM2 can deliver, but I have to add that when I replaced the Comply sleeves with a modified Shure Triple Flange (snipped off the last flange, so technically its a Double Flange) sleeve, the sound quality improved even further due to the better seal. I would highly recommend this "mod" and enhance the UM2 experience. These are the best sounding canal phones in its class.

With their pillow-like Comply canal phone tips, the UM-2 is easier to wear than my traditional headphones, and can offer excellent sound quality. I was iniially worried that such tiny earphones could produce anything close to a full sound, but these deliver...and then some. The claims that "they're difficult to take off" -- they're entirely correct. You can wear these for hours and forget you have canal phones in your ears.

I've tried them with punk, pop, reggae, 60's and instrumental; they work well with each. The powerful bass is particularly good with hard-edged pop music. Still, I do suggest looking into a good portable headphone amp; the reasonable Xenos 3HA lets you customize the bass and treble to your liking better than the presets on your iPod.

The phones come a waterproof case (dehumidifier built right in), along with a place for the UM2 and your tips.

I'm kind of nit-picky with my music, and as I guess most people who'd want to invest in the UM-2 are, too. But instead of upgrading and re-upgrading every time a new product comes out, it's a pleasure to use a phone that already delivers outstanding sound in a compact, comfortable package.

Serious challenger


Ung-aang Talay


Westone's UM2 are probably the best headphones around.
Like many other listeners who like classical music I had thought for years that portable audio devices were a convenient make-do, nice when you were travelling or relaxing outside the house but a poor substitute for serious listening on a good system. Then, a couple of years ago, I read about the Etymotics company in the US and their "canal phones", tiny, earbud-type phones that you shoved right into the canal of your ear to enjoy astonishing fidelity of sound.

Much intrigued, I invested in a pair of their ER-4P phones, which are designed for use with portable players. I plugged them into my iPod and was so amazed by what I heard that I raved about the phones at length in a column that appeared here at the time. Since then I have occasionally compared the Etymotics phones with others made by companies like Sony and Shure that have been recommended by friends and on weblogs, but the ER-4Ps always came out on top, unique in their extremely detailed and refined sound and natural, unboosted bass range.

This past week, I finally had to admit that a serious challenger had come my way. After reading about Westone's UM2 Dual-Driver Universal Monitors on a weblog, I was intrigued enough to invest US$325-plus-plus in a pair. Perhaps the best way I can find to say how good they are is to say that I think serious listeners who can afford them will find them more than worth the price.

The UM2's come with three pairs of Comply eartips that are used to fit them snugly into the ear canal. After slipping them onto the phones, you compress the tips with your fingers, push them into the ears and hold them in place until they expand to fill the ear canal. They create a seal that allows bass sounds to be heard at full fidelity, but are comfortable to wear. The tips are provided in two sizes.

I plugged them first into an iPod and then into a Sony portable CD player, and had the same feeling of having discovered something miraculous that I did when I first tried out the Etymotics phones. The first piece of music that I listened to was the Gergiev/Kirov recordings of Stravinsky: The Firebird, that I had imported into my iPod from the Philips CD using the AAC encoder with a custom setting of 320 kbps.

The first thing I noticed was that the quiet opening, very low in the bass, had a weight and presence that even the Etymotics phones didn't catch. It wasn't boomy or exaggerated, but was in perfect perspective with the full but beautifully transparent sound that the phones realised from the compressed AAC transfer. Even the Etymotics didn't quite match them here.

Pianissimo high-string passages, of which there are many in the score, had the same feeling of weightlessness and luminosity they do when heard through the ER-4P's, and the mid-range, even in the loudest passages, was natural and without stridency. Immediate comparison of the Westone and Etymotics phones showed the ER-4P's to be very slightly less resonant, with an almost imperceptible advantage in clarity, while the UM2's had better bass reproduction and were very close to matching the ideal clarity of the ER-4P's. A near-tied score here, but if I could only hear this music through one set of phones, I would choose the UM2's.

Their virtues became even more pronounced when I listened to Stockhausen's electronic composition, Oktophonie as recorded on the CD published by the composer himself, Stockhausen Verlag CD 41. The eight-channel work has been remixed to two channels, but not in the usual way.

I listened to the piece through the UM2 phones plugged into Sony portable CD player D-EJ01, which is no longer in production but which in my option is the best portable CD player that Sony ever produced. Heard through this setup, the music's masses of bass sound opened up like a chasm, while Stockhausen's arcs and meteors of electronic sound seemed to pass behind me, in front of me, and over my head. The effect was so dizzying and disorienting that I had to sit down and listen with closed eyes. I had heard Oktophanie many times through good speakers and through the ER-4P's, but the effect was never as engulfing as this, and the UM2's ability to reproduce carefully contoured sound objects deep in the bass register was an important part of the experience.

For a final test, I chose Voices of Light, Dawn Upshaw's superb recital of modern, mostly French songs imported into my iPod using the same settings as were used for The Firebird. Here the realism with which Upshaw's voice and Gilbert Kalish's piano accompaniment was perfection, in no way inferior to the quality of sound heard using the ER-4P's.

If I were to pick a pair of headphones that would do full justice to the music in my iPod, and money was no object, it would be a tough choice, but I would go with the Westone UM2's. I bought my UM2's online from Earphone Solutions at www.earphonesolutions.com

Was going to buy Shure E5's - but was unhappy with thickness/comfort of cord. Ordered UM2's after reading review on earphone solutions. Have used about 20 hours - they are simply best in-ear headphones I've ever owned. The comply tips make them incredibly comfortable. Highly recommended

I recently received these monitors just a few days ago. For me they are an upgrade from the Shure E3c which I think are great sounding phones for a single driver earphone, however to my ears they lacked bass response, so I opted for the UM2's over the E5c. From the moment I put these on, I find it difficult to take them off. The dual driver is a noticeable difference, with the passive crossover the bass response is crisp and punchy, mids and highs are clear and distinctive.
The fit is comfortable, I have been able to wear these for hours with the foam Canal tips. The UM2's are literally musc to my ears.