WESTONE UM2 TRUE FIT DUAL DRIVER EARPHONES UM 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)As anyone considering shelling out $300 for a set of ear phones I read as many reviews as I could find and from as many sources. Almost universally the UM2 was very well rated and boasting of strong tight bass sold me. Another thing I found is that Westone has a stronghold on there venders pricing. $299 across the net as far as the eye could see. Always looking for a deal though I found a place with free shipping, and felt in my own small way "I'm stickin it to the man".
Now I can't claim to be audio engineer, or even an audiophile, but what I can say with all confidence is that I've heard and, or owned over 12 different pares of ear phones ranging in price from $10 to $500. With all this background research under my belt I think I've earned the right to an informed opinion and so that is what I offer.
Unfortunately I found the hard way the adage "you get what you pay for" dose apply the ear phone too. There was a time when I told myself I will not spend more than $50 on ear phones, then it was $100 until here I am hundreds of dollar out of pocket, but with a smile on my face. At the $50 level you get a flat loud sound that gives the impression that an ipod is not quite a match for a CD player. At the $100 (single driver) level you get one of two things. On one side you get what is call three dimensional sound-stage were it seems there is more than just a left & right speaker like with the UM1s. You hear subtle things like a singer shifting their feet during a song. On the other side you get big brain massaging bass and an energetic sound aka "fun to listen to".
In my way of thinking if you take both sides of the $100 level sound-stage and bass then combine them into one it should cost $200 right? No it's $300 and I must say I had a very hard time justifying that kind of money when I paid only $150 for my ipod. Well one fateful day the cord to my UM1s strayed too close to the stove burner and in a puff of plastic smoke I had my justification. Oh, I have been to the mountain top brother and sisters, and that mountain is UM2. I kick myself for holding out so long. I am constantly amazed at the quality and efficiency these ear phones. It's unreal how much bigger and real a song seems with these. The best part is they sounded great right out of the box, but with any speaker, or earphone they sound better as the break in. I can't put these thing down, it seems every time I hear them I like them more. I listen to everything classical, hip-hop, rock, jazz, electronic and I feel like I'm hearing most of it for the first time. To say it was worth the $300 is an understatement.
Ron M.

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Built to the highest professional standards, the dual balanced armature driver UM2 provides amazing low frequency response and rich articulate mids and highs. Using the same technology as custom ES2, the UM2 is the earpiece of choice for music lovers desiring high-end Westone sound quality at an affordable price. The comfortable Comply foam tips allow for extended use without fatigue. Providing up to 25 dB of ambient noise reduction, the UM2 is the perfect choice for on-stage performing or for personal listening. Equipped with a durable 50" stereo "Y" cord and a 3.5mm stereo jack, the UM2 is also perfect for personal audio devices such as MP3s, CD players, and laptop computers. The UM2 Universal Monitor is the most affordable dual driver earphone on the market.

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Westone UM1 Bundle with Triple Flange, Monitor Saver, more Review

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(More customer reviews)"Westone UM1 Review"
I was in the market for a set of earphones to replace my Vmoda Bass Freq earphones which I gave to my daughter. Prior to the Vmoda, I owned a set of Sony MDR EX71 SLB earphones, which stopped working in the left ear due to a short in the wire. I really liked the portability of earphones over headphones, but hated the way the wires kept getting tangled up in the Sony and Vmoda earphones.
I would not consider myself an audiophile, but I do like to listen to music and audiobooks. My criteria for my next set of earphones was as follows: noise isolation, price, comfort, sound quality, and customer service/product support (in that order).
In my search for finding a good set of sound isolating ear phones, I considered looking into headphones. My friend got a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort II noise cancelling headphones over Christmas and he couldn't stop talking about them. But I ruled them out for the sake of portability.
One of the best sites I found for providing information and user reviews was the Earphone Solutions website. I read every user review for every earphone that fit my criteria and I concluded on paper that the Westone UM1 earphones were the best ones for me.
But before I shelled out the cash, I wanted to hear the difference myself. The opportunity came when I was at the airport awaiting my connection flight. I went into a high-end headphone store and asked the salesperson if I could listen to some of the earphones he had on hand. I listed to the Shure SE115 and SE210 models along with the Dr. Dre Monster Beats eaphones and Westone UM1s.
SE115: The first earphone I tried was the Shure SE115. It was small and did not protrude excessively from the ear. I was impressed by Shure's heavy and high quality cords. The carrying case and accessories provided were really nice too. However, when I listened to the music from my iPod, I had to bring the volume level to approximately half to listen to the music and drown out the background noise. The bass and trebles were lacking and the mids were relatively flat. Pros: small, nice cord, nice accessory packet, many colors to choose from, price ($79), you could wear them hanging straight down or around the ear. Cons: sound isolation not as good as normal ear plugs (I used the foam inserts provided), sound was flat and lacked bass and treble.
SE210: Next, I moved to the Shure SE210s. These were more expensive ($180) and although they touted a fuller sound than the SE115s, they were not significantly better. The pros and cons were nearly identical to the SE115s except that the price was significantly more expensive and they stuck out a little further than the SE115s.
Monster Beats: This version was called the Dr. Dre Tour in-ear headphones. The most unique aspect of these headphones was the cord: they were flat and easily avoided entanglement through the great design. They also touted a strong bass sound. Unfortunately for my ears, that was about it. The worst part of these earphones was the rubber ear cups that were supplied. They did not do a good job at isolating sound as well as the foam inserts (which were available but for an additional $20). Pros: flat cord, strong bass, bling factor. Cons: expensive, sound quality was worse than the Shures except for the decent bass response. Treble was lacking and the mids were muffled.
Westone UM1: The fit of the UM1s took a little getting used to because I have never had a set of earphones that required wrapping around the ear and behind the head. I looked on Shure's website (they have a nice video that shows how to wear sound-isolating earphones properly) and learned how to properly don my earphones. These blew me away! The sound isolation was remarkable. My volume level dropped down to approximately 10% on my iPod compared to nearly 50% with the Dr. Dre and Shure earphones. The sound was fantastic and although they were not overly bass heavy, they had better bass response than the Shures. I thought that the cord was really flimsy at first, but then I got used to them and realized that there was a true benefit to having the twisted pair of wires, which actually made them tangle resistant (though not as good as the Dr. Dres). The best thing I liked about the UM1s was the fact that I could wear them while lying on my pillow--I fell asleep with them a few times and hardly noticed that they were there at all. Pros: great sound isolation, great product support (2 year warranty), comfortable to wear for long periods, outstanding sound. Cons: a little pricey at $109 (for my budget), not very distinctive looking, style of wear takes some getting used to, did not have the triple flanges supplied (which would have added even more isolation).
Summary: Overall, I was really impressed with the Westone UM1s. Prior to getting info from the internet, I had never even heard of Westone before. Now I am a big fan. I took my UM1s with me on a 3-hour flight and enjoyed peace and serenity throughout the flight. The slight pressure in wearing ear canal headphones takes some getting used to, but once you get accustomed to that, they are a great pair of headphones!
I've attached a summary of my review and rankings of the various headphones I was considering from 1-5 (5 highest).
Here is ranking for the Westone UM1: 4.45 out of 5.
They are simply the best value for my limited budget!
Pros:
-Great sound isolation
-Great product support (2 year warranty)
-Comfortable to wear for long periods
-Outstanding sound quality
Cons:
-A little pricey at $109 (for my budget)
-Not very distinctive looking (clear)
-Style of wear takes some getting used to
-Did not have the triple flanges supplied (which would have added even more isolation)
Here is a summary of my rankings from 1-5 (5 highest):
Noise Islolation (40%)
Bose QC2-2
Shure-3
Westone-5
Dr. Dre-2
Vmoda-2
Ear Plugs-5
Price (25%)
Bose QC2-1
Shure-2
Westone-4
Dr. Dre-3
Vmoda-5
Ear Plugs-5
Comfort (15%)
Bose QC2-5
Shure-4
Westone-5
Dr. Dre-2
Vmoda-3
Ear Plugs-5
Sound quality (15%)
Bose QC2-4
Shure-2
Westone-4
Dr. Dre-3
Vmoda-3
Ear Plugs-0
Customer Support (5%)
Bose QC2-4
Shure-5
Westone-5
Dr. Dre-3
Vmoda-2
Ear Plugs-0
Overall
Bose QC2-2.45
Shure-2.7
Westone-4.45
Dr. Dre-2.6
Vmoda-3.5
Ear Plugs-4.0

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1 Westone UM1 Made in USA with 2 Year Warranty (need to mail the warranty card with a copy of Earphone Solutions Invoice) with 1 adapter

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