Wireless earbuds don’t always fit well.
And while foam ear tips can help, they don’t always solve the issue.
Ultimate Ears’ $250 UE Fits earbuds can conform to the contour of your ear for unequalled comfort.
The earbuds use a 60-second moulding method that doesn’t require an audiology appointment or a mailed-in imprint kit.
What Are Its Features?
This is an extension of Logitech’s Revols technology.
Ultimate Ears can’t equal the perfect, unique results of professional musicians’ pricey handmade ear tips.
UE Fits are comfier than any normal earbud tip I’ve used.
The moulding method is special, but the earbuds themselves are unimpressive.
Let’s first discuss fitting. The UE Fits have large ear tips with a soft silicone outer coating.
Under the silicone is photosensitive gel.
When you unbox the Fits, you’re warned that they’re light-sensitive and recommended to have the app downloaded.
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During the minute-long moulding session, purple LEDs cure the gel and solidify it to your ear’s shape. The UE Fits app guides you.
It tells you to put in the earbuds until they’re comfortable and the bass is right.
After that, you’re prompted to hold each earpiece in place, and the process begins.
Moulding warms the tips, which is unique for earwear.
Ultimate Ears compares it to a warm bath, yet it’ll attract your attention.
The app advises you to relax your jaw and stay calm to avoid a bad fit.
My initial moulding attempt “failed,” according to the app. After 40 seconds, I noticed an error message claiming the operation was paused. (False.)
The programme merely turns on the LEDs; the rest is science, so nothing can go wrong.)
I could tell a difference between the completed mould and the new Fits.
The consequence is an earbud that doesn’t have the same curves as a custom earpiece and doesn’t go as deep. Subtle contour modifications and bumps are used.
But the completed Fits glided into my ear with ease and held securely in place once in.
The finished tips are delicate and flexible.
This was the default tip set that Ultimate Ears claims should work for 95 per cent of clients.
They offered me a larger pair because I usually always prefer huge tips.
Those worked even better for noise isolation.
(The Fits don’t have active noise cancelling.) Both sizes fit well and were comfortable enough to wear all day.
Ultimate Ears guarantees the Fits’ fit and will provide a second pair of tips if customers botch the first or need a different beginning size.
The UE Fits live up to their name. I wish I could utilise these suggestions on my Powerbeats Pro for exercises.
This customizable fit idea allows Ultimate Ears room to grow.
What About Its Cost?
These $250 earphones don’t just fit well—they sound great, too.
Each bud has a single driver (professional IEMs often have two or more), but that’s adequate for good bass response and detailed audio reproduction.
The UE Fits app lets you apply custom EQ settings and save your preferences, but I went with the “signature” profile.
The Fits made remasters, at-home demos, and live recordings glow on the new Tom Petty compilation Wildflowers & All The Rest.
These earphones can handle tunes like HAIM’s “Don’t Wanna” and Ruston Kelly’s Shape and Destroy.
Their Bluetooth codecs include AptX and AAC.
Ultimate Ears believes the Fits can last eight hours of continuous music, which is long for truly wireless earbuds.
The little, pebble-shaped carrying case adds 12 hours but lacks wireless charging. When I tested the earphones in the case, I found some issues.
The UE logo on one earbud steadily pulsed to signify charging, but the other earbud flashed rapidly, as if in pairing mode.
This problem will be rectified with a software upgrade, the business said. As a result of this issue, I sometimes heard a sonar ping in the left earpiece, even when music was playing.
The Fits’ auditory feedback consists of bleeps and bloops, and I prefer spoken prompts.
UE Fits lack inbuilt controls.
The Fits only support a double-tap gesture (play/pause, skip tracks, volume, voice assistance, etc.).
What About The Drawbacks?
That’s restrictive compared to most other earbuds and means you’ll be bringing out your phone constantly.
Still, I’m a lover of the general form factor; the elongated pill shape makes it clear that you’re wearing earbuds, but also allows for easy handling.
Water-resistance is another drawback.
The Fits are rated IPX3, which should make them semi-sweatproof.
But I’m a heavy sweater, and because these lack the IPX6 or IPX7 ratings of fitness-focused buds, I’d be a little anxious using them while working out.
Ultimate Ears also missed features that are becoming status quo — like auto-pause when an earbud is withdrawn.
And the Fits offer no transparency mode at all, which some people could consider a deal-breaker.
You can still make out what’s going around you while music is paused, but a hear-through option would’ve been excellent for this price.
So as you can see, you’re exchanging a few significant features for that unparalleled comfort that the Fits deliver through their moulding technique.
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But I can at least report that they’ve been consistent when it comes to audio playback, with no significant episodes of cuts or Bluetooth interference.
Microphone performance is decent, as the Fits are furnished with two mics on each earbud to block out wind noise.
Some callers thought my voice came through a little thin, but everyone could understand me just fine.
I guess I’d recommend the UE Fits folks who are never totally satisfied with how the AirPods or Galaxy Buds of the world feel in their ears. $250 is costly; it’s right up there with the AirPods Pro and not far off from Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds.
And you’re missing out on part of what those gadgets offer — namely noise cancellation.
If you’re completely OK with ordinary ear tips, I can’t say the sound quality of the Fits drastically exceeds other premium earbuds at their price range (or even somewhat below it) (or even slightly below it) (or even slightly below it).
But the UE Fits are proof positive that this 60-second mould concept works and works incredibly well.
They’re an intriguing middle ground between daily ear tips and cost-prohibitive, professional IEMs.
I’m excited to see where Ultimate Ears takes it from here.
