[Review] Altec Lansing UHP336 (a.k.a. Ultimate Ears Superfi 3)

Altec Lansing makes quite a few great consumer speaker systems. I remember the VS2621 being my target for budget speakers (ended up getting the even-more-budget Logitech Z103 instead). I was browsing the Treoo site when I saw this on offer, at 39SGD per unit (when 5 units are purchased) when usual price is about 159SGD. Seeing the offer, I gathered some friends and bought 2 sets of it (with 1 being intended for my sister, ended up selling it to another friend). It was the first balanced armature based IEM that I own, so I was quite excited. I like the sound, but very unfortunately it broke after 1 day of use, and it happened to be EOL as well, so I kept it in hopes of getting it repaired. In the end I gave it to my friend. So this "review" is ending up becoming an "impression" instead.

Packaging is quite nice, and does give the impression of a good product. Accessories are decent as far as 39SGD earphones go (VSonic GR99 and Soundmagic PL-30 has crazy amount of accessories). It contains 3 pairs of silicone tips (one mounted on the UHP336 itself), a pair of bi-flanges, a pair of foam tips, a cleaning tool, and a soft case.

Comfort is not very good, due to the design of the earphones. It is meant to be worn over the ear, but for some reason Ultimate Ears chose to design it such that the shells stick forward. It makes it difficult for some to get a good fit, though I can get a good fit with mine on bi-flanges.

Build quality seems decent at first, though mine (and a few others) broke soon after use. I believe it is probably due to the age of the earphones. When I first took it out, the earphone surface is too sticky (due to the rubbery plastic "melting" with time and I used tape to remove the sticky feeling on the surface. Plastic used is actually thick and durable though. One added thing I like about this is the removable cables, which can be changed when the cable is damaged, though in my unit, the connector to the driver end up being damaged instead, which might be due to the loosened plastic. And the units that my friends bought broke the same way as well.

Isolation is good with right-fitting tips, and should be fine for most cases.

With little time spent on this earphone, all I have was an impression of the sound. However, my observation of the sound seems to be similar with famous Head-Fi reviewer ljokerl. Bass would probably be the weak point for BA-based IEMs of the time period, rolling off and without particular impact nor detail, but at 39USD, I think it is very good.

Mids are probably the best part of this IEM. Slightly forward and smooth, it carries more detail than the PL-30. Balance is very good as well, keeping in line with the bass and treble.

Treble is laid back, rolling off at the top. Unlike some people saying that it is harsh and sibilant, I feel it is very smooth and forgiving, with very little sparkle. Being not sibilant and not harsh as well, I think it works well for long listening sessions, if you can stand the fit.

As a balanced armature IEM, its spaciousness is not as good as the PL-30, but imaging and separation is good at the price.

Some people say it hisses badly with poor sources but so far I have not encountered any of these problems, probably due to the short time I have with it.

Being EOL now, I doubt you can find these first hand easily now. However, if found under 60USD or less, it makes for a pretty good package, and with replaceable cables, one would not have to worry about cable damage again.