Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - Which custom in-ears? Sensaphonics, Ultimate Ears, Westone, Futuresonics

Mitch Manger · 23rd May 2007

Thanks all for your help. I'm till trying to decide. From talking to companies like Ultimate Ears, Westone and FutureSonics, I also heard their reason for using hard materials instead of soft silicone: durability and servicability.

Westone said that they use a heat-sensitive material that expands when placed in the ear. They also said that their ES2 was a much better IEM for reference listening, and that their ES3 had a greater mid-range peak designed for live-performing guitarists, vocalists, etc. But they also commented that none of their IEMs were reference, as most were designed for live performance and thus do not have a flat freq-response curve...

FutureSonics are much different than the others in that they use a super-small dynamic speaker instead of armatures. I can't claim to know anything about armatures, but that only makes the decision more difficult. They also add more to the low end and high end, because "you can always take it away, but you can't add it." No mid peak there... FutureSonics do not use the heat-sensitive expanding material that Westone uses.

Ultimate Ears still seem like a good choice too, though they do not use the heat-sensitive expanding material that Westone uses.

23rd May 2007	#10
Mitch Manger Gear nut Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 134 Thread Starter	Thanks all for your help. I'm till trying to decide. From talking to companies like Ultimate Ears, Westone and FutureSonics, I also heard their reason for using hard materials instead of soft silicone: durability and servicability. Westone said that they use a heat-sensitive material that expands when placed in the ear. They also said that their ES2 was a much better IEM for reference listening, and that their ES3 had a greater mid-range peak designed for live-performing guitarists, vocalists, etc. But they also commented that none of their IEMs were reference, as most were designed for live performance and thus do not have a flat freq-response curve... FutureSonics are much different than the others in that they use a super-small dynamic speaker instead of armatures. I can't claim to know anything about armatures, but that only makes the decision more difficult. They also add more to the low end and high end, because "you can always take it away, but you can't add it." No mid peak there... FutureSonics do not use the heat-sensitive expanding material that Westone uses. Ultimate Ears still seem like a good choice too, though they do not use the heat-sensitive expanding material that Westone uses.