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Design and processing:
In my eyes the new UE 900 see much more beautiful than the old triple.fi 10, but this may be a matter of taste. Lens is an advantage compared to its predecessor but is undoubtedly the form. The UE 900 are not significantly out of your ears out. In summer, do not like that disturb you, but those who have tried in the winter once a cap on the triple.fi to draw 10 know what I'm talking about. Clear Plus at the location so.
The cables are a complete turnaround to its predecessor. Two pretty tiny wires are twisted into each other and away from the slogans have a high tensile strength. Really stable it does not affect me but. However, this is the time to show and perhaps third party come back with alternatives on the market. Old cable for triple.fi 10 can in fact be no longer use. Instead of the two pins now comes a circular connection (best compared with a 1 mm tiny RCA plugs) for the detachable cable to use. "Benefit": There is rotatable. Mich has been rather irritated when putting because if the listeners have turned 180 ° no longer sees at first glance which are for right and left.
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Sound:
Also in the field of acoustics has naturally made several changes. The "mixing chamber" is now in the headphones itself, and not in the ear like the triple.fi 10. Depending on what you want to sell, manufacturers for better, they will probably formulate respectively used to be better. Now make two woofers, one for the middle and a tweeter for the sound. Due to the three-way crossover, the two woofers are well operated together.
Whatever has now caused the improvement, it all sounds (still) a little more natural than in the triple.fi 10. The UE 900 tend far less often to unpleasant "sibilance", assuming a good recording even somewhat analytical respectively neutral. The bass is not intrusive, even though I had feared at first.
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Conclusion:
One remains the same - no matter whether UE triple.fi 10 or UE 900: With standard MP3 players (. IPod, div Zen-models and Co included) can not exhaust the premium class of the Ultimate Ears In-Ear Headphones. Nor with what felt like 99 percent of the music currently available on CD. If you really want to hear what the UE 900 can, should manufacturers such as Cowon access (I use myself the Cowon Z2) and look for FLAC / WAV recording in high quality with low dynamic range compression on the lookout.
The accessories are plentiful and should be given the price and expected somewhere. The second cable is therefore no possibility of control - Which does not bother me in the least. So you have at least a cost-neutral direct replacement in the case of a cable break.
At the end has, in my opinion, the design changed for the better. The sound is better - in nuances. I would but the design is many times greater weight than the sound. It remains entirely up. Who feels disturbed at the shape of the TF10, should definitely take a look. Who sound worlds expect ... Well, should look elsewhere. Even if like me acutely no better in-ear headphones in a similar price range occur.