I've blown through countless Shure earphones(2,3 and 4 series) due to the wire construction.I am a heavy heavy user and somehow ,the body oils destroy the cables. Shure's replacement policy is amazing but I was tired of replacing them every 3-4 months. The Westone's have a better cable for my usage, mine are a year old now and just fine. The sound quality is comparable to the 4 series single driver Shure as far as imaging is concerned but with better bass response. I read somewhere they are made in the same factory as the 5 series (old style). They have a suspiciously similar look so that is entirely possible. My only gripe is the cord is shorter than the Shure products which may not be a problem with your application. Anyhow, if you're in the market for really good quality headphones and cheap like me give these a try. Comparable to the $500 Shure

They are expensive - and they ARE worth it. I had high expectations based on the cost, and they beat my expectations.

I suggest that you listen to your original CDs with them, because you may find that you need/want to re-rip the MP3/WMA files at a higher rate (less compression, less loss) because you CAN hear features you never heard before.

Also, if the bass doesn't amaze you, you don't have them fitted correctly. When you get the right fit, the outside world almost disappears and you'll know it's right by the dramatic improvement in bass.

The sound is very well balanced across the spectrum with excellent clarity. You need to spend an obscene amount of money to get better than this.

Unfortunately, most reviewers do not mention type of music and equipment used. Westone UM2 sound too forward compared to full size Sennheiser HD600 with same equipment (Sonic Frontiers DAC, Musical Fidelity amp) and lossless music. Now, I am primarily listening to hard rock. Perhaps UM2 are good for jazz or vocal, but with, say, Led Zeppelin there is way too much treble. I tried all kinds of fittings, but no luck so far. Shure 530 is similar. So far I am yet to find any IEM that sounds close to full cans.

I ordered these to use as on stage monitors-I am a bass player. Also tried them with my personal audio devices, MP3 player, etc. While they sound good-they do not have adequate bass response. I would rate them better than average but in my estimation not worth the average retail price. As a benchmark for comparison, my Bose Quiet Comfort 2 head phones have far superior sound quality and can be found in some sources for the same price or less.

These earphones are so "pure" that they allow the sound of a condutor's upbeat -- the whoosh of a baton and a sleeve -- to come through the silence preceding the downbeat. They simply carry everything that was recorded to your ears, without any interference or coloration.