Closer Examination

The UM2s I received for testing purposes were made of clear plastic, however, the UM2s are also available in black. Even though they are called "clear" the body is opaque on several spots.


Westone uses a cable over ear design. The cable is set to the body of the IEM with an approximately 1.5 cm long rubber fitting. This is easily bendable and helps to guide the cable forward easing the cable around your ear. The cord is 50" long which seems to be the perfect compromise because it lets tall guys like me carry their player in the pocket while still not being so long that shorter people will get annoyed by the length.


If we take a look at the monitor from the bottom we can see the angle of which the tunnel is set on the monitor. The angle offset makes the bulk of the body sit in the inner arch of the ear making them blend in with the ear.


When looking at the UM2 from the ear on out you get a pretty good idea about just how small these earphones are. The foam tip which is made to expand inside your ear just putting a little pressure on your ear canal is approximately half the size of the external body of the in-ear.


When you look closer at the ear piece it becomes clearer how much effort that has been put into the shape of these IEMs. Even though they are small they do seem rather durable. The plastic is really hard and does not give way to pressure easily. The tunnel part of the in-ear is the only place that poses a durability problem. Because there is a bit sticking out of the body means that you do not have to put that much force on its end before the stress to the bond between the tunnel and the body become relatively high. It seems that Westone is perfectly aware of the problem and added some more plastic in where the canal is mounted on the body, adding strength to cope better with the pressure. I do not think that the tunnel will break off in the course of normal use, but if you sit on it or do something stupid to it there is a big chance that the tunnel part will break.


Situated in the tunnel is a filter which will prevent ear wax to enter the critical areas of the IEM. The filters are not user replaceable so once you have clogged them up you have to send your IEMs in for repair. The filters also help to shape the sound signature of the headphones.