Ultimate Ears UE900s IEM
Ultimate Ears UE900s IEM
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GawainS28
Bad experience.
Music quality was ok, but mids were muffled and bass ill defined. But generally still an ok listen. However, build quality is really bad. See the glossy black surface on the earbuds? Those are painted. The black surface on mine dropped after just 3 months of careful usage. I store them in the provided earphone case and never carelessly chucked them around. Now, the right side has totally peeled and the left side is cracking/ peeling. Warranty service was slow and ineffective. It's like they didn't even care about their customers. They just pushed away their responsibility and it's now a game of tennis.
See attached picture.
TLDR, stay away. Keep your dollars for something else. Logitech UE900s is an ailing animal waiting to be put out of its misery. For this amount of money we are paying, this is not the customer service that we should be getting.
Music quality was ok, but mids were muffled and bass ill defined. But generally still an ok listen. However, build quality is really bad. See the glossy black surface on the earbuds? Those are painted. The black surface on mine dropped after just 3 months of careful usage. I store them in the provided earphone case and never carelessly chucked them around. Now, the right side has totally peeled and the left side is cracking/ peeling. Warranty service was slow and ineffective. It's like they didn't even care about their customers. They just pushed away their responsibility and it's now a game of tennis.
See attached picture.
TLDR, stay away. Keep your dollars for something else. Logitech UE900s is an ailing animal waiting to be put out of its misery. For this amount of money we are paying, this is not the customer service that we should be getting.
Guys, have any of you tried warranty repair?
My UE900s was off balance /clarity and right side was defective. I am not sure if it became defective in the past 3 months or if it was defective but subtle enough to not recognize it.
So I called UE for warranty repair, but their answer was that they are out of stock for UE900s, so the only option they have is to give me something from jaybird (https://www.jaybirdsport.com/en-roeu/run-true-wireless-sport-headphones.html#985-000677) which does not match any close to the quality of UE900s.
So I wen to their UE site and found that UE900s on stock. So I told the warranty person that they have stock. But the response I got was that it is sales stock and not warranty stock.
So my conclusion is that all of us who bought this product are deceived with false advertisement. At least misleading.
So easy for them to bullshit and say "WE HAVE STOCK FOR SALE BUT NOT FOR WARRANTY"
So disappointed at UE's ill practice.
My UE900s was off balance /clarity and right side was defective. I am not sure if it became defective in the past 3 months or if it was defective but subtle enough to not recognize it.
So I called UE for warranty repair, but their answer was that they are out of stock for UE900s, so the only option they have is to give me something from jaybird (https://www.jaybirdsport.com/en-roeu/run-true-wireless-sport-headphones.html#985-000677) which does not match any close to the quality of UE900s.
So I wen to their UE site and found that UE900s on stock. So I told the warranty person that they have stock. But the response I got was that it is sales stock and not warranty stock.
So my conclusion is that all of us who bought this product are deceived with false advertisement. At least misleading.
So easy for them to bullshit and say "WE HAVE STOCK FOR SALE BUT NOT FOR WARRANTY"
So disappointed at UE's ill practice.
I must be an idiot. When I read “in-line iOS controls“ I assumed it meant a lighyn connector. But when opening the box last night I saw the attached 3.5mm so thou it must be the second cable......nope. Also 3.5mm.
Yeah, I must not be able to read correctly.... a bit disappointed.
At at least I KNOW my nobles arriving in a couple of months will have an extra cable with a lightning connector
Yeah, I must not be able to read correctly.... a bit disappointed.
At at least I KNOW my nobles arriving in a couple of months will have an extra cable with a lightning connector
dbcher
Sorry to hear that, but I think that's Apple's fault :P Everything has a headphone jack back then.
Icehawk31
Got mine yesterday, yay my custom tips from my old Super 5s fit! Great packaging and generous supply of tips/extras. Definitely lives up to their original pricing from that standpoint.
Here's my quick first impression: Sound Q... is OK. I'll need to put a some hours on them and compare them to few of the IEMs & cans I have, give a go with a few tips, sources, and see if the other cable matters. Keep in mind I'm not intending on listening to anything beyond 320 MP3s on an iPhone 7+ with them so YMMV if you use better source material, amps, etc. I'll probably give them a go on my PC setup (onboard>optical>HK 6xx avr) just to see if a decent amp makes a difference, I recall the Supers responded well to some amping giving a small, but noticeable, improvement. I just don't plan on using them like that on a daily which is where I'm keeping more of my focus.
Right off the bat though I'm pretty darn sure these are NOT like my Supers which had a pretty flat, analytic, sound that I compared to AKG K701 at the time (~10yrs ago jeez!). They seem a little bright, not painfully, just a bit more emphasis on the upper range; sound stage is something I don't typically think about but in this case I noticed it feels like it's all right on top of me - it's a bit claustrophobic if that makes any sense. Like I don't need Mark Foster in my lap man, get back on stage. I'm not a big believer in break-in but hopefully these do a bit.
Just to give you an idea of where I'm coming from Grado SR-325i, Westone ADV1s, Koss Porta-Pros, and Apple buds are the most common I use. The Grados have my ideal sound signature but I did like my old Supers for the occasional analytic session.
I'll do my best to swing back with more thoughts once I've given them a fair shake.
Here's my quick first impression: Sound Q... is OK. I'll need to put a some hours on them and compare them to few of the IEMs & cans I have, give a go with a few tips, sources, and see if the other cable matters. Keep in mind I'm not intending on listening to anything beyond 320 MP3s on an iPhone 7+ with them so YMMV if you use better source material, amps, etc. I'll probably give them a go on my PC setup (onboard>optical>HK 6xx avr) just to see if a decent amp makes a difference, I recall the Supers responded well to some amping giving a small, but noticeable, improvement. I just don't plan on using them like that on a daily which is where I'm keeping more of my focus.
Right off the bat though I'm pretty darn sure these are NOT like my Supers which had a pretty flat, analytic, sound that I compared to AKG K701 at the time (~10yrs ago jeez!). They seem a little bright, not painfully, just a bit more emphasis on the upper range; sound stage is something I don't typically think about but in this case I noticed it feels like it's all right on top of me - it's a bit claustrophobic if that makes any sense. Like I don't need Mark Foster in my lap man, get back on stage. I'm not a big believer in break-in but hopefully these do a bit.
Just to give you an idea of where I'm coming from Grado SR-325i, Westone ADV1s, Koss Porta-Pros, and Apple buds are the most common I use. The Grados have my ideal sound signature but I did like my old Supers for the occasional analytic session.
I'll do my best to swing back with more thoughts once I've given them a fair shake.
got mine in May, used them with mike cable for about a month. no issues, decent sound for $175, but definitely not worth retail 399 price. Thought I might get some improvement with the non mike cable so tried to switch it out, but no sound from left IEM. Was worried that maybe I broke the IEM, so swapped in the miked cable and got left channel back.
So i have a bad cable. - figure no big deal , easy replacement under warranty.
Spent 45 min trying to explain to some foreign girl on tech support line. After emailing my rcpt, i was told they can either replace the entire system or I can get a 3.5mm housing replacement. Clearly makes no sense as the 3.5mm housing is molded in to the cable and not user replaceable. Had a similar issue with my Klipsch X10, and 5 m call with support and new replacement on their way. UE support really sucks.
sven99315
Getting a short on left side. Lame.
Azraelian282
These or TFZ King pro
bugeyed73
I just went to eBAY & found a $199 sale, "Make an offer" for NIB. I offered $165 & was accepted. I get mine tomorrow. I hate waiting! ;)
Kev
bugeyed73
bugeyed
Got mine earlier today. I like the method for selecting ear pieces & I found a perfect fit. These IEMs sound great right out of the box. I'm driving them with an iBasso DX80 & I have no problem driving them to decent levels. I really like the bass they product & I didn't hear anything I didn't like about the sound. I will compare them to my Vsonic GR07 tomorrow, but I think I already like the UEs better. Yay!
Icehawk31
Hmm, these use MMCX cables now? I have some SuperFi 5s that I loved but the shell broke and having them reshelled would cost as much as a nice new IEM. I have custom tips for the SF5, does anyone know if they are still using the same stem - it looks like it to me. If they are that's enough to push me over the edge.
Icehawk31
Icehawk
Hey me! Yup, UE has not changed their sound tube design so old tips work just fine.
Worst build quality and quality control ever in IEMs history.
Awful mmcx slots, not inproved at all after those shockingly bad in UE900. You have like 30-50% chance that one of them, left or right will be to tight or too lose. In first case changing a cable is a huge risk because you can not only leave the mmcx pin in the slot but also easily crush the earpiece trying to disconnect the cable. In second scenario when the mmcx slot is a bit to loose there is a great chance you're going to experience sound disruption , especially when moving your head around. Seriously schocking issues without any real solution.
rdodev525
satanislove
Appreciate your perspective. I pretty much refuse to pay more than $100 for any hifi gear manufactured in China.
I have the Ultimate Ears TripleFi10. Is there a significant improvement on the sound performance warranting me buying another IEM for the only two ears I have?
Thanks for the feedback I appreciate it. Saved myself $165. I'll keep using my TF10 until they die out.
specter686
Welcome~ I probably will get myself one just as replacement for the lost one :P while waiting my friend in Harman to get me the discount on the K3003i though.
jamato8130
What brand of balanced armature drivers are used in this?
Proxxiify201
Ah yes, iOS controls, for those new iPhones that have 3.5mm jacks. Nice UE
Maniac14
Proxxiify
Give Tim Cook a ring, you know, they removed 3.5mm socket from the phone.
I know this is super old (And also the frequency at which I check this site) but I forgot to mention that the UE iOS controls do much more than the actual Apple earpods ever did, which I always thought was funny.
Been running these off my AK JR for the past 6 months. Unfortunately i've started getting a weak connection in the right side driver that has now turned into a complete failure of the connector on the right driver connector. Switching cables doesn't help. I've maybe disconnected the cables on these 2 times in the past 6 months. Rather disappointed in the longevity and the quality of the connector
On the plus side, it seems logitech support is quite responsive and will be resolving the issue for me (they've always had top notch support IMO).
Sound wise, they're my favorite IEMs to date. After a myriad of tips, i've found my perfect ones and I get a great seal with excellent isolation and bass. Not as bass heavy as other IEMs I have but a perfect balance to me. Better clarity and detail than the Kinera H3 and MEE PX (less bass though) but more bass than the Nuforce Primo8
I'm thinking my next stop will be CIEMs, but something with a better connector with more options like the Noble Kaisers
On the plus side, it seems logitech support is quite responsive and will be resolving the issue for me (they've always had top notch support IMO).
Sound wise, they're my favorite IEMs to date. After a myriad of tips, i've found my perfect ones and I get a great seal with excellent isolation and bass. Not as bass heavy as other IEMs I have but a perfect balance to me. Better clarity and detail than the Kinera H3 and MEE PX (less bass though) but more bass than the Nuforce Primo8
I'm thinking my next stop will be CIEMs, but something with a better connector with more options like the Noble Kaisers
Hello Sapperchan,
Have you tried this page: http://pro.ultimateears.com/products/custom-accessories/maintenance-kits/out-of-warranty-repair-request one of the options in the drop down menus is UE900s. From the page it suggest that they "could" repair UE900s but I've not tested it myself. If anything you could point the person your e-mail from Logitech support to it?
Thanks,
-Sharks
Sharks
Logitech not support in their every product
ohsigmachi186
How would these compare to the Vsonic gr07 Anniversary edition?
I really want a nice pair of IEMs to pair with my new LGV30+
I really want a nice pair of IEMs to pair with my new LGV30+
can I connect them directly to Samsung Note 8, or its better to use a Dac/amp ? If so, which dac/amp is recommended for using this with Note 8. Thanks in advance.
Received these last week. I'm honestly quite disappointed with them. The design and style are great, as is the fit and finish, but they truly sound terrible. Very little bass, and absolutely zero sub-bass. I've tried numerous sources and get the same results.
Joined the drop on April 6. Has anyone received their pair yet?
hifizone
I joined on that drop and I haven't received mine. Mine just shows that the order has been placed.
Pickles25
@Pickles25 Thanks for responding. I guess we'll have to just wait.
hi everyone!
I was trying to buy this IEM here, but anybody knows when will this drop?
Hi all!
Has anyone reshelled their UE900S into customs?
AAW said that the inners are all glued together and therefore not advisable to reshell.
Can the good folks here comment on this?
Has anyone reshelled their UE900S into customs?
AAW said that the inners are all glued together and therefore not advisable to reshell.
Can the good folks here comment on this?
Samuellogy
Considering that AAW are the ones that re-shell IEMs. I would say that they are probably right.
junki238
Can anyone chime in whether I should jump on these or wait for the Massdrop Plus? Thanks!
The cables look like they are very prone to tangling. In general, if I’m going to spend this much on headphones, I expect a high quality, wrapped or coated cable. Anyone have any experiences on this cable to share with us?
Qline
I just wrap them around three fingers and put them in the fabric pouch that comes in The box and have never had any tangling.
How does the UE900s stack up against Nuforce Edc3?
Hang62
otanishock
I don't have the EDC3 but I do have the NUForce HEM2, and I like the HEM2 more than the UE900s. Based on reviews, the EDC3 is the better sounding IEM.
NuForce Primo8 or this?
@SchiitMyPants @samelight100 maybe @Millguy can help you out, if not search for his comparison further down, he found the UE900s not too bad after some initial adjustments.
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hiilari31
samelight100
Definitely this. Both have good bass (foam tips sure gives better bass on both) with UE900 perhaps going deeper but Primo8 bass being better defined, like the low notes actually sit somewhere in the stereo image and not just "bass fills you head". Not huge differences here.
But UE900 sure has that sparking treble I like. UE900 is also quite analytical: with them I keep on hearing new details on familiar records. I blind-compared mp3 and hi-res music files with both, and with UE900 it was quite easy to hear the lossy compression artifacts. So UE900 is perhaps more picky on the source, and Primo8 more forgiving.
But UE900 sure has that sparking treble I like. UE900 is also quite analytical: with them I keep on hearing new details on familiar records. I blind-compared mp3 and hi-res music files with both, and with UE900 it was quite easy to hear the lossy compression artifacts. So UE900 is perhaps more picky on the source, and Primo8 more forgiving.
Bump - Brainwavz B400, Rose Mini 2/4 or this?
Do you own any of the others? How did you find them?
gemmoglock
I had a bad experience with brainwaws b400, it's just an overpriced ie. I'm not that sure about rose mini, cause I haven't used them that much, and original ue900s are worse than original, but you can make them to sound like the original.
Also, ue has a an accent on lows, which is good if you love it
@UltimateEars is the 900s the one with the new blue unibody MMCX housing like in the banner of the Massdrop page? The video shows that it is the older 900 body with the MMCX jack housed in black plastic instead. Anyone knows?
itsShu40
Thanks! And I hope you will enjoy yours too!
These definitely have a break-in period of at least 150 hours of use. But I've found a definite change.
The biggest change is it's stereo imaging ability. Despite being right in your ear, these manage to make a decently wide soundstage and have a frighteningly precise ability to image within that soundstage. I find the mids are not the brightest part, but you don't listen to these and feel like you're missing out. I listen to a fair bit of female vocals (Soccer Mommy, Chvrches, Bjork, Grimes, Little Dragon, etc.) and some male vocals that are in higher registers (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Rhye, Son Lux) and at no point do I feel disappointed with the performance of these buds. And this is coming from a guy who used to daily a mids and highs heavy hitter, the Shure se425. Honestly the ue900s shine the most on tracks with lots of great transients as well as really deep sub-bass. So synthpop like Little Dragon, jazz like Miles Davis, and downtempo like James Blake really make these IEMs all-stars.
These definitely have a break-in period of at least 150 hours of use. But I've found a definite change.
The biggest change is it's stereo imaging ability. Despite being right in your ear, these manage to make a decently wide soundstage and have a frighteningly precise ability to image within that soundstage. I find the mids are not the brightest part, but you don't listen to these and feel like you're missing out. I listen to a fair bit of female vocals (Soccer Mommy, Chvrches, Bjork, Grimes, Little Dragon, etc.) and some male vocals that are in higher registers (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Rhye, Son Lux) and at no point do I feel disappointed with the performance of these buds. And this is coming from a guy who used to daily a mids and highs heavy hitter, the Shure se425. Honestly the ue900s shine the most on tracks with lots of great transients as well as really deep sub-bass. So synthpop like Little Dragon, jazz like Miles Davis, and downtempo like James Blake really make these IEMs all-stars.
itsShu
Awesome that sounds great! My daily mix is Jazz like Hiromi, Classical, Pop/Rock of anything from Toto to Sara Bareilles, and the random soundtrack - I noticed Disney has been coming up with stuff great for testing vocals (may seem funny but especially so for Frozen and Moana). Personally coming from mid centric B100 then fuller DD Mee PX. Cheers :)
Hey Massdrop, We've signed up for this drop and were informed you're missing the March 30 target ship date. Now we're another week past that and it would be nice to have an update on our order status. Thanks!
kenarp11
I got a Email said the shipping has been delayed. Does anybody know why? and when it will be shipped according to the new plan? I've already waited for 3 weeks which is pretty long already. Really need it without long wait anymore.
Mine just arrived!! 6 days ahead of when FedEx said it’d arrive, no less.
Paired with my Sound Blaster E5 DAC, these sound *amazing*. Some people equate “amazing” with “bass-heavy”, but these ones are balanced in a way I can really appreciate—I’m hearing way more details in the mids than I was able to hear before.
JacobSyndeo
I have to agree. I recently got my pair and they seem pretty well balanced. I feel vocals may be just a little recessed, but definitely aren’t lost, kind of smooths out the sound and makes them relaxing a bit. But man is the imaging on these amazing.
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