I moved onto these from a pair of Sony EX81's and I have not been completely happy. The plus points for me are definitely their comfort and isolation. I can happily wear them all day, and I felt they are a much better fit than UE Super.Fi 5 pro's.

As for the sound I found it a little flat and uninvolving. Bass extension is limited, and improves only slightly with amplification. While detail is good, the highs are rolled off with only the mids really standing out.

While they are not that expensive for a canal phone, I don't regard them as very good value. Compared to the much cheaper Sony's which are not that much worse, or the Super.Fi 5 Pro's which are only slightly more expensive and sound much better. The '5' for value is because they are so well made, they have been shoved in my pocket, dropped on tables and generally not been cared for very well; and not a mark on them.

Having upgraded from relatively cheap KOSS PLUGs and Audio Technica CK32s, naturally I was expecting improvement in the order of at least a magnitude, and truth be told I wasn't disappointed. But first the not so good news. Bass in the UM1 is tight, well controlled and responsive, but to those used to earbuds or headphones, they would find the impact of the bass inadequate, lacking that 'thump' that adds somewhat to the fun quotient in pop/rock tracks. Having said that, it was of no fault of the design of the UM1s as long as the listener understands what was the purpose of the original design, that of clarity, and I feel that Westone was definitely successful on this account. The UM1 was pretty much meant for the audiophile as much as the musician onstage who uses the IEM to monitor his performances. Thus, to some listeners, the UM1 may sound 'flat' and unengaging. However, the clarity and the details of the mids is rather above average in this price range (I had the opportunity to audition the Super-Fi 3 Studios and the E2Cs as well, plus the UM2s and AKG K1000 :) ) and the Westones themselves are highly responsive to equalizing anyway. A guess of the frequency curve will probably be flat with a small peak somewhere in the mids (1-3Khz range). Soundstage sounds rather compressed, whilst imaging is still present, it feels as though the stage is squeezed into a much smaller area in my head. Overall, a decent set of IEMs in the under $150 range with great clarity and excellent isolation.

Upgraded from the EP-630 and found them much better (in every aspect listed up there).

The build quality of the driver shell itself is rather good, though the wire at the edge of the headphone jack is rather poorly cut, resulting in extra pieces of plastic sticking out. Although this should not affect the listening experience in anyway, it simply doesn't look good.

Isolation is great with comply tips and it is really comfortable.

As in most IEMs though, it suffers from a limited headstage. A rather good IEM for those who are looking for an entry-level model, given it's above average sound when compared with those in the same range (ER6i and E2).