Andre Siebrits opts for Ultimate Ears
- Details
Andre first became curious about Ultimate Ears Comm in 2017, starting the conversation with many people including Jaco Beukes from DWR. UE Comm is the result of a collaboration between UE and In-House Sound with features like noise-isolating in-ear monitors with a purpose-built microphone, guaranteeing crystal-clear communication in any production environment.
“Ultimate Ears are reputed for their outstanding sound quality, at least that's what I'd heard, even though I'd never tried a pair due to the units being custom in-ear moulds,” Andrew Siebrits describes. “My main goal was to use them to enhance my programming experience, allowing me to focus on my work rather than being bombarded by loud music in the venue, often with the same song on constant repeat as I tried to take notes.
“Cheaper headphones tend to underperform, and wireless ones come with higher latency issues. Additionally, the matter of hearing protection was a significant concern. When you work on concerts or live shows, you are in an environment designed for the audience to withstand loud volumes for a maximum of two hours a day. However, we frequently have multiple rehearsals and are often exposed to loud music throughout the entire day."
The UE 11 Pro model, when unplugged, offers a controlled 12DB of Stage Bleed. When plugged in, users will receive full isolation of up to 26DB. “It just gives you that acceptable range where you can listen to music for an extended amount of time and, it has a bigger noise cancelling when you put in the ear plugs," says Andre. "It’s really great that I can now have good music at the right level and still hear all the details.”
The procedure to obtain a new pair of UE in-ears was simple. Andre made an appointment with an audiologist at The Ear Institute of Pretoria for a custom ear mould. “Jaco from DWR gave me a guideline of everything Ultimate Ears wanted. They took impressions and two days later, all the specifications needed were emailed to me. That was all I had to do and Jaco did the rest.”
