Westone UM1 with a Fiio E5 amp...

[swmaxxx 0]

My Shure SE210s recently went out on me, so I'm looking around for something new. My budget is $150 and I want to get the best possible earphones and amp. I've been hearing a ton of good things about the UM1 so I'm seriously considering them.

 

http://bit.ly/7N9ecw

 

Also, I've never owned a HP amp before so I did some research and found that the E5 is both extremely small and cheap.

 

http://bit.ly/8dCebo

 

It's size is what really caught my eye though. I look around at people's "portable" rigs and find myself saying, "How is that portable??" I keep my iPhone 3G in my front pocket. I cant fit some huge amp in there so the Fiio seems to be my best choice. What are your thoughts/suggestions?

[Xinz 0]

Have you listen to the amp first? Get your phone there to audition earphone + amp with your phone to decide. How small also no use if not to your taste

[Epicality 0]

To me, i find that amping is pretty much based on your phones. For example, tf10 doesn't benefit much from amping. Though i do not know about the um1, i do know that for something as small and cheap as the e5 would not make much of a difference. In that sense, i feel that you would be better off without that extra bulk, however small that bulk may be.

 

Also, sound is all that matters and Xinz has said it correctly, go listen to them to judge. Listen to some bassy tracks, some vocals, some songs with a lot of highs. This will help you to determine in which department of frequencies the phones fare well in. As for soundstage, pack some music of a live orchestra. After comparing with e5 and without e5 and deciding that you prefer it amped, compare it with a higher end amp that may be larger. If you cannot discern much of a difference between a higher end amp and the e5, then it would be pretty much set for you to get the e5. Otherwise, think twice about the purchase.

[swmaxxx 0]

The problem is that I have no idea where I can try out the E5 let alone the UM1. I live in Dallas so I'm sure there is a place but I'm not sure.

[Xinz 0]

Try contacting Westone to see if they can tell you which shops in your area are retailers. Then do a simple thing by calling these shops to see which shops allow auditions.

 

Get the earphones first if you like the sound, they make more difference than a portable amp do. I believe the Fiio E5 will be rarer in your area. See whether you can "survive" on the earphones alone first before you buy a amp

 

[swmaxxx 0]

So is the UM1 a good choice? I like accurate sound so I figured these are the best I can get on my budget.

[radioactive28 0]

If you're interested in accurate reproduction, the UM1 would be a bad choice.

[VictorChoo 0]

How about getting yourself a better player instead? I have used E5 for about a month and have shelved it since.

[george 0]

How about getting yourself a better player instead? I have used E5 for about a month and have shelved it since.

 

Hi,

Since u shelf it, how about selling it to me to try out? If interested, do drop me a mail at georgecheng@hotmail.com

 

Thanks

[haha1103 0]

well if u want something that fits your ears nicely without having to buy customs and u want an above average sounding earpiece i believe the um1 is not a bad choice.