Here we go, the Westone UM Pro 20 vs Westone UM Pro 30 – a solid comparison. These units from Westone are often put next to each other. The question is whether that extra bit of cash is worth the upgrade.
When people buy the Westone UM Pro line they are not always buying for live music/monitoring and studio use. Most people want to an earphone that can be both used for listening to music and studio monitoring, while others only want these only for live stage use.
Westone also have the W range (W10-W60) which is aimed at music listening first and foremost – they have a flat response and are tuned very differently.
If you are looking for an earphone that is good for live use and music listening then our subjective opinion is the UM Pro line is great for both, whereas using the W range for live music would not be as beneficial and really excels for music listening as it’s primary role.
We have a separate Westone UM Pro 30 review here, and another Westone UM Pro 20 here.
Let’s have a look at the basic differences of the UM Pro 20 and UM Pro 30 universal IEM.
UM Pro 20 vs UM Pro 30
| Westone UM Pro 20 | Westone UM Pro 30 |
| 2 x Balanced Armature Drivers Passive crossover | 3 x Balanced Armature Drivers 3-way passive crossover |
| Available Colours: Smoke or Clear | Available Colours: Smoke or Clear |
| Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 18 kHz | Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 18 kHz |
| Sensitivity: 119 dB @ 1 mW | Sensitivity: 124 dB @ 1 mW |
| Impedance: 27 ohms @ 1 kHz | Impedance: 56 ohms @ 1 kHz |
| Accessories: Premium comfort tips, mini-monitor hard case, cleaning tool, 2-year warranty | Accessories: Premium comfort tips, mini-monitor hard case, cleaning tool, 2-year warranty |
Short of a parametric EQ, we music lovers typically talk in Bass, Mids and Highs (treble) with
The Pro 20 have 2 BA drivers, the Pro 30’s have 3 BA drivers. So right there you have the Pro 30’s that can dedicate a driver to each main frequency. The Pro 20’s have to work with two.
Live vs Music listening
Now, before you assume that means the Pro 30’s win out you have to consider what you are using these for. If you are a vocalist/guitarist using these
The frequencies sit really nicely in those instrument ranges and you might find anything more is not going to help you perform better when used as a personal monitoring IEM.
They have good solid bass which will help you feel the music and the mids are great. There is enough separation in the bass and mids that you won’t find yourself losing your notes/pitch on stage.
For music lovers who are listening to a wide range of music types, who are not playing live, and who love
You’ll have a
Conclusion
Treble is lighter in the Pro
That
If you can afford the extra dollars to stretch for the UM Pro 30’s you’ll get a little more versatility.
There is no bad choice here. Both are really great IEM’s that you can expect to be satisfied with.
You can get these here:
Westone UM Pro 20
Westone UM Pro 30
Here is the full list of earphones in the UM Pro range from Westone.
Best pick: Westone UM Pro 30
What we like (Pros)
- Stronger bass
- Better tonal balance
- More versatile listening scenarios
What we like less (Cons)
- Nothing of note
Last update on 2019-11-20 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links
