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Westone UM2s |
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A good headset for your MP3 player will transform your listening. Gary Mazo, rabbi, professor, and assistant editor of Gadgetnutz, sifts the wheat from the chaff Click to view Top 5 MP3 Headsets.
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Best Premium Set (Westone UM2s £270/$450) |
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 OK, you are the kind of listener who appreciates great audio quality. When not listening to your iPod or other MP3 player, you listen to music from a very expensive Home Theatre System. You are willing to fork over the big bucks to find the best sound. Well, look no further than the Westone UM2s. |
Who is Westone? |
| Never hear of Westone? Westone Laboratories Inc. was established in 1959 in the kitchen of the Morgan family log cabin. The business was based upon three simple concepts; absolute quality, friendly, efficient service and the Golden Rule. A lot has changed since then. Westone has grown to become the world's largest manufacturer of custom-made products for the ear. |
Dual Driver True Fit Earphone |
| The key to the amazing sound of the Westone UM2s is that they somehow cram two separate drivers in each Earphone. You have heard of separate woofers and tweeters in stereo components – now you can appreciate that in a pair of earphones. |
Design |
 The UM2s are an in-ear design.
The ear pieces of the UM's are a little on the large side - when compared to other in-ear type earphones. The housing containing the driver/s is clear (which is very cool) and the tips are soft "Comply" ear tips that you mush together with your fingers and then cram in your ears.
Now, that may not sound fun or comfortable - but I am a true believer that this is the best way for earphones to be designed. Once inserted into the ear canal, the foam tips expand to make an incredibly tight (and amazingly comfortable seal.)
The cord is hands down the best earphone cord I have ever encountered. It is braided for strength and lack of tangling and it is the perfect length. There is an adjustable piece of plastic to tighten the cord under your chin.
One very nice feature is that the UM models comes with a hard, zippered case, extra Comply tips and a wax remover tool.
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Comfort |
So, once you cram these earphones into your ear canal - what does it feel like? Well, the outside world disappears completely. The noise cancellation or sound isolation is complete. I might not recommend these for jogging or bicycling because you can't hear a car horn or a dog barking - nothing. But, for exercising, they do stay put and are very comfortable.
After you notice the sound isolation, the next thing that is noticed is that these are so incredibly comfortable that you can wear them for hours on end. I have two different sized ear canals and had trouble getting comfortable with many other in-ear style earphones. The Westone's just fit so comfortably I cannot put into words the sheer joy of wearing these things.
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Sound Quality |
Well, here is the biggest issue for many - how do they sound? Can they possible justify the expense? In a word -absolutely! I tested these earphones with a selection of female vocals, male vocals, instrumental, Rock and Classical music.
Instrumental and vocal music was crystal clear. It was like the musicians were playing in side my head. Bass was deep, but crisp. Every push of the bass drum was like I was at a concert. When I closed my eyes, I could actually place each musician on the stage before me – the sound was better than any full size audio speaker that I have ever listened to – just amazing to behold.
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What the Critics Say |
Earphonesolutions.com said: “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 UM2s.”
CNET gave them an 8.0 and said: “The Westone UM2 earphones sound fantastic across all categories of music, and the included foam ear tips are comfortable and fit securely. The cord is the perfect length.”
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Overall Conclusions |
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There is no question that the UM2's produced consistently richer, fuller, more pronounced, cleaner sound with incredibly deep bass in every category tested. The UM2s, on the other hand are simply the finest earphones I have every heard at any price. The Westones just sounded more like music is supposed to sound. Everything was crisp, clear and just beautiful and warm. The "Sound Stage" effect is as if the musicians are in your head - but you can distinguish where everyone is standing and where the music is coming from on stage.
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