Unique Melody Umbral: UM’s First Over-Ear Headphone Announced

The Unique Melody (UM) Umbral is the first over-ear headphone from the popular Chinese manufacturer best known for its in-ear monitors (IEMs). Renowned for its hybrid CIEM (custom in-ear monitor) designs that use more than one type of driver, UM is now venturing into the full-size headphone segment, having announced last Friday (12) a hybrid model that uses one planar magnetic driver and one MEMS driver per side.

UM Umbral: a full-size, high-tech, handcrafted headphone

The Umbral employs two driver technologies in each ear cup: planar magnetic and MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems). Both drivers were developed in-house by Unique Melody and, according to the company, they complement each other—one delivering scale and authority, while the other provides speed and detail.

The planar magnetic driver uses a carbon fiber structure with a 96mm diaphragm, offering excellent control even during demanding low-frequency passages.

The MEMS driver features an ultrathin diaphragm with extremely fast response times, very low distortion, and high linearity at high frequencies, capable of reaching up to 80 kHz. This helps preserve the shimmer of cymbals, the sound of strings, and microtextures, revealing subtle nuances in recordings.

According to Unique Melody, each Umbral ear cup “is sculpted from hand-selected walnut wood” and showcases “visual elegance” with its “organic grain patterns,” contributing a “warm tonality” and a “unique individuality” to the sound. In addition, the company states that the wood used “dampens unwanted resonances and adds a touch of warmth to the sound, enriching the atmosphere and spatial depth.”

Different ear pads for improved comfort and immersion

To suit different listening situations and environments, the Umbral includes two types of ear pad sets:

• Sheepskin leather ear pads: soft, with good isolation.
• Silk ear pads with slow-rebound memory foam: breathable, cool to the touch, designed for long, fatigue-free listening sessions.

Quality control

For the production of the Umbral, Unique Melody explains that it has taken extensive measures to ensure precision throughout the entire process, delivering the best possible experience to customers. According to the company, each headphone unit undergoes:

• Rapid shock simulations under extreme hot and cold temperatures
• Aging cycles under controlled temperature and humidity
• Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection verification
• Mechanical durability tests for connector insertion and removal

In addition, the components used in the Umbral are also inspected during the manufacturing process. Below are some of the inspections carried out at the Unique Melody factory:

• Material components are examined using Leica microscopes.
• Leather is measured with colorimeters to ensure color uniformity.
• Wooden housings undergo humidity and grain consistency tests.
• Magnets are calibrated with Gauss meters to ensure balanced magnetic force.
• Diaphragms are validated with imported resonance analyzers to ensure accurate frequency characteristics.

Unique Melody Umbral: Specifications

• Frequency response: 6 Hz – 80 kHz
• Drivers: 96mm planar magnetic + UM MEMS micro-electromechanical actuator
• Impedance: 65 ohms
• Sensitivity: 84 dB/mW
• Weight: 520 g
• Connector: Dual detachable 3.5mm system
• Cable: 2 m, available in 6.35mm, 4.4mm, and 4-pin XLR

Recommended amplifiers for the Unique Umbral

Unique Melody recommends using one of the following headphone amplifiers in combination with its Umbral headphone.

• Cayin U-170HA
• Cayin SOUL-170HA
• Cayin HA6A MK2
• Allnic Audio HPA-10000
• Allnic Audio HPA-15000
• Ampsandsound BOUNTY
• Ampsandsound Nautilus XL SE
• Ampsandsound Red October XL SE
• Viva Audio Egoista 845

Release, price, and availability

The open-back Unique Melody Umbral over-ear headphone does not yet have a release date, but it has been announced with a price of US$5,999.