Shure VS. Ultimate Ears Same As Gillette VS. Schick?
When Ultimate Ears unveiled their new UE 18 Pro earphones with SIX drivers, we had to giggle. Why? Well not only are they $1350 dollars, but they seem to keep uping the ante of how many drivers they can cram into an earpiece in an effort to top Shure, who’s playing the same game. The whole thing reminds us of the razor blade war between Gillette and Schick who both continue to see how many blades they can shoehorn into a shaving head.
Ultimate Ears claims they “developed the 18 Pro Custom Monitors specifically for the most discerning performers and music listeners. If you demand nothing but the best, our flagship in-ear monitors deliver the comfort, quality, and sound that you expect. They combine our new experience-driven, six-speaker Ultimate Ears sound signature with new technologies including a new cable built for durability and reduced distortion, three acoustically tuned sound channels, and multiple passive crossover points creating the ultimate in separation, detail, and clarity.”
Well that’s great if you’re plugging into a serious audiophile rig, but if you’re listening to MP3’s on an iPod what’s the point?
Although, UE claims that its market is for stage monitoring, where fidelity and isolation are paramount, the reality is that the concern is hoping that status-minded, and moneyed, customers will pony up the big bucks to brag to their friends that their earphones have six drivers.
Do I hear 7 drivers, 8?? Come on Shure! We know you can do it!!
