Apogee GROOVE + Westone UM Pro 50

Great sounding IEM

Very pleased with my purchase of the UM Pro 50. Very efficient, good isolation, incredibly comfortable. The Pro 50 really packs a punch with the mids and lows yet you don't lose any detail with the highs. The pro 50 has become one of my favorites.

By Tim on July 27, 2015 Verified purchase

Musical IEMs with superior clarity and a touch of Extra Bass (Lush and Warm, Not Boomy)!!

First of all, Great Customer Service by Sonix Electronix, speedy shipping and great prices. Thanks.

Review of this IEM: I have previously owned Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 Pro, UE Triple Fi 10, Westone W30 and W50. Also had Shure SE846 for a brief period before I sold it on eBay. By far, this UM Pro 50 is the BEST sounding earphone I ever owned. Obviously, sound quality is subjective to people because everyone has different sensitivities and tastes. But, Westone UM Pro 50 excels in clarity of sound. I could hear every nuance in a song, all instruments come alive. It sounds more open and I have heard sounds in the same songs that I have never heard before.

Shure SE846 is probably at the top end of Universal IEMs with a price tag close to $1000. It has a laser-etched low-pass filter that Shure claims to produce a subwoofer bass. That's probably their best marketing point to justify that whopping $1000 price tag. But when I owned it briefly, although they are still the king of bass in a universal ear monitor, the instrument separation and clarity of sound wasn't as good as UM Pro 50. Also, SE846 doesn't sit well on my ears given the fact that I am wearing a $1000 earphone :-). They are a bit bigger and bulbous because of the tech inside. The build quality was the BEST I have ever seen, especially with the clear case you can see the engineering marvel inside. But, I sold it on eBay with a loss. This is not to trash SE846, but the price:performance/value ratio is not as good for SE846, unless you have a lotta cash lying around and want to spend on a cool gadget.

UM Pro 50 is tuned to have a slightly more bass. This is not a muddy, boomy, dull bass. The bass is lush, warm and it rolls off elegantly. Just a touch more bass in all songs. Since I like that little bit more bass, combined with the instrument separation, soundstage, clarity and a musical sound, this fits my bill so well.

As far the other Westones I owned (W30, W50), they are good, but they don't come close to UM Pro 50's sound quality. Westone takes pride in their UM Pro line because they started in IEM business with these models and it's close to their heart I think. UM Pro 50 is designed and built in the USA!!!. Yes, you read that right - these IEMs are handcrafted right here in America.

Westone IEMs are one of the, if not the, best IEMs to wear comfortably for a long time. Since Westone is in the business of hearing equipment for so long, I think they have the expertise to make their IEMs fit so comfortably in the ears. I can wear these IEMs for hours without even noticing that its there (except for the great sound, of course :-)). The silicone eartips that Westone supplies with all of their IEMs are super comfortable. I usually use those silicone tips over the foam tips. Since this model has a slightly more bass, I think its better not to use the foam tips which will enhance the bass even more because of their tight, snug fit in the ears. But, again, of course we all have different ears and what fits me may not fit others. Try different tips and choose the one that fits and sounds the best for you.

If I compare Westone W50 and UM Pro 50, since UM Pro line caters to studio monitoring, the sound is much more clearer to me as you can hear all the instruments in a wide open stage. Westone 50 is a good IEM, but its bass is a bit overwhelming and its lack of clarity in sound makes it a bit more warm. On the other hand, UM Pro 50 also has that extra bass, but it sounds much much better than W50 as it makes it up in sound clarity.

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase of UM Pro 50. I hear all my songs from an iPhone 6. I don't have any Astell Kern, iBasso or Fiio Hi Res players. But, this IEM sounds so good with any type of song (mp3) right out of a smartphone. Its obviously much better if the mp3 bit rate is higher. I can only imagine how this IEM will sound with FLACs and other Lossless formats. Compared to W50, the impedance of this IEM is a bit higher. But, I still cannot crank up the volume more than half on my iPhone. Half way on the volume control is already loud enough for me. I will go deaf before I can crank it up all the way :-). So, basically this IEM does not need any external amp and all smartphones or iPods can easily drive them.

Obviously, over $600 for an earphone is still not cheap. But, when you commit to buy a high-end earphone, you are probably expected to pay around $500. If you can spend a little bit more, UM Pro 50 is worth it. Great sound stage, superior clarity, musical and with that slightly extra bass, it makes any song sound wonderful. Comfort is top notch. If there are any CONs, I would say that the build quality could be better. Make no mistake, these IEMs are sturdy and they are crafted well. But, say if I compare Shure SE846, the build quality could be better. And, you also don't get an iPhone/Android cable that has mic and volume control. You do get them in the W Series, but not UM Pro series - its understandable because Westone markets these earphones as studio/stage monitors. But, the braided cable that comes with UM Pro is great quality. It doesn't tangle up that much, easy to store and use. I also hear that the quality of sound on braided cable, which are made for professional use, are better than the iPhone/Android cable. If you ever need the convenience of a cable with mic/volume control, it will cost you about $50 to buy a Westone branded MFI cable. But, in my opinion, (since i have used the smartphone cable in W50 and W30), the braided cable is better in terms of quality (if you can forego the convenience of skipping a song or adjusting volume or using the cable to take a call). You can still take a call using the braided cable, just make sure you hold the phone's mic close to your face so that you are audible to the caller.

By mgm on December 20, 2015 Verified purchase

Great IEMs

Three words, Piece Of Art!
One word, MONITOR!
With Um Pro 50 details are there!
Hear the difference...