Durability

Like its elder brother, the UM1 is constructed out of some very hard plastic. The plastic casing is very durable and can definitely withstand daily wear and tear.

The construction of the body and tunnel part is made in the same way as that of the UM2s where you have more mass the closer you get to the tunnel part which should improve the strength of the bond. Because there is a tunnel part that sticks out of the body it is quite easy to break off, but it seems that Westone has done everything in their power to overcome this problem.

There is no way you can break these earphones during the course of normal use, but if you sit on them or throw them around they will break. To prevent this from happening Westone supplies a small semi hard carrying bag which should keep them safe while storing them.

Comfort

Westone has the reputation for creating some of the most comfortable IEMs, and the UM1 is no exception. The superb Comply foam tips and a well design exterior body makes the Westone UM1s a joy to wear for several hours at the time. Every aspect of the UM1s design is very neat and clean so once you have them in your ear there are no edges digging into your ears. The UM1s are substantially lighter than the UM2 and this is noticeable when you have them in the ear. Where some of the UM2’s body weight was digging into my ear the UM1s are easily held upright just by the foam tips. This means that you will not feel a thing while wearing them.