Custom IEM specialists UE Pro have launched their first range of universal in‑ears.
The UE150 is the most affordable model in the new range.Ultimate Ears have been manufacturing in‑ear monitors since 1995, and have built up a large range of custom models catering for different budgets and usage scenarios. They’ve now developed a range of more affordable, universal models designed as a first set of high‑quality IEMs for musicians, focusing on comfort, sound quality and durability all at a modest price. The range as a whole is called PerformFit, and comprises three sets designated, in order of price, the UE150, 250 and 350. These, respectively, feature one, two and three balanced‑armature drivers.
Build quality seems very good, and all the units are beautifully presented in eco‑friendly cardboard with a QR code linking to instructions. A tough, sensibly sized ABS shell case is provided, which should protect the IEMs in a gig bag, possibly even from a spilt pint. All units come with a one‑year worldwide warranty. They are distinguishable from each other by their faceplates, which are finished in plain black on the 150s, black sparkle on the 250s and ‘carbon’ on the 350s.
Out of the box, the clear housing of each earpiece shows just how much extraordinarily small‑scale engineering is packed into each driver unit. A 90‑degree angle, 3.5mm standard jack terminates the 90cm twisted pair cable at one end. At the other, it breaks out into individual ear cables offering another 30cm length to the individual driver units. In practice, the cable is more than long enough to reach the typical waist‑worn belt pack.
The cables are removable from the earpieces, with a firm, positive push fit allowing for replacement and giving some rotational adjustment. An ingeniously designed silicone slider also permits the IEMs to be ‘locked’ behind the wearer’s head, which is a small but important feature — IEM wearers need to be confident that their monitors are going to stay in place during a show.
Once inserted, the fitting to my ears felt reassuringly secure, and I always felt confident that they would remain in situ during a show.
Staying In, Playing Out
Fitting the units to my ears was initially a small challenge. As a long‑time Shure IEM user, I’ve become very accustomed to using the driver cables’ distinctly formed/shaped ‘over and round the ear’ shape to assist me in the fitting of my IEMs, in conjunction with a 90‑degree rotary movement. The Ultimate Ears units don’t feature quite such an obvious cable shaping and I found this disorienting at first. But once I’d switched between each of the three demo models a few times, I found that fitting the units was easy and trouble‑free — just different from what I have been used to. Once inserted, the fitting to my ears felt reassuringly secure, and I always felt confident that they would remain in situ during a show.
The drivers are supplied with six sets of differently sized foam plugs, ranging from 11.5mm (XS) through to 14.5mm (L). I found the default set of plugs fitted comfortably in my ears, providing a tight seal with noticeable isolation of sound from the outside world. Swapping the foam pads was also simple, although I did come close to damaging one set with my fingernails.
My only gripe about the design is the lack of clarity in left/right identification of each unit. Just like my current Shure IEMs, each driver unit features a microscopic coloured dot (left for blue, right for red). In a dark venue/stage environment I found it completely impossible to tell which driver was which, and had to resort to adding a small tag to one wire to identify its side. Users with keener eyesight than mine may not find this an issue, and a small sticker on one ear bud would fix the problem.
In The Clear
For the purposes of evaluating audio quality, I chose a few different types of programme material ranging from mellow, acoustic music right through to pumping EDM. Each different model exhibited quite a specific and distinct audio profile. The UE150 IEMs had a good cohesive sound overall, with a balanced and mostly neutral frequency response. I found the sound to be pretty much exactly what I’d expected from a set of good‑quality entry‑level IEM units with no especially prominent frequency boost, although with a slight midrange scoop, to these ears.
All three models, including the UE250 shown here, feature detachable cables with a securely attached rotating connector.
Moving on to the UE250s, these felt right up my street as I’m a gigging drummer incorporating live instruments, electronics and backing tracks into my IEM mix on stage. A distinct LF boost was apparent and would be most welcome in bringing out the bass guitar to groove along to playing live. That’s not to say that the overall sonic soundstage was muddy or muted: every part of my demo audio was still crystal clear in the upper mids and high end, and this set of IEMs stood out for me on the EDM reference tracks in particular.
The UE350 flagship model had what I felt was the finest spatial definition of the range. I listened to a number of different reference mixes and was struck by the coherent balance across the entire breadth of the spectrum. My main impression was that the low end on this model was somewhat enhanced, but to a slightly lesser degree than in the UE250 units — perhaps due in some part to the high‑frequency extension being greater than in the UE250s. I could see these units being ideal for vocalists either in a band or musical theatre production.
The flagship UE350 features three balanced‑armature drivers.
In general, compared to my usual Shure SE425s, my experience was that of slightly more even clarity and consistency across the entire frequency range with the Ultimate Ears offerings. I’ve found that my SE425s offer what appears to be an upper‑mid frequency boost at about 5‑7 kHz, coupled with a dip in the lower mids around 1‑3 kHz. This can make their audio profile seem a little boxy and harsh. Conversely, on the Ultimate Ears units there was only a slight diversion from what I perceived as a relatively uniform response pattern across the spectrum on all models, albeit slightly tweaked on the UE250 model as described above.
In terms of isolation from external sounds, I noted this as being slightly less than that offered by my faithful Shure units. In my testing, the bleed from my drum kit was noticeably louder in my ears than with my own IEMs. I personally didn’t find this an issue, and I suspect that in the context of a monitor mix fed to the IEMs in a live stage environment, the difference would be negligible.
Ultimate Ears have done an excellent job of providing three affordable choices for a variety of potential users.
All these models show an obvious attention to detail in terms of design based upon years of experience. While the outlay for a pair of IEMs can initially seem high for a physically small piece of equipment, this range comes at a price point which is a fraction of the cost of the manufacturer’s top‑end custom moulds, yet with no obvious compromise to build quality and technical performance. Any of the models reviewed would be a wise investment for performers looking to make the change to IEMs, and Ultimate Ears have done an excellent job of providing three affordable choices for a variety of potential users.
Summary
UE Pro have set out to develop a good‑sounding, affordable range of universal IEMs, and they’ve achieved exactly that.
Information
UE150 $199; UE250 $299; UE350 $399.
UE150 $199; UE250 $299; UE350 $399.
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