Introduction

UCOTECH is a South Korean audio brand that was founded in 2007 and has put out nearly 20 products in the time since. This means the brand tends to take its time in the research and development phases although it would be fair to say that UCOTECH has yet to make a big presence outside of its local market. This past December, a company representative reached out to me to gauge my interest in covering its latest products in the form of the RE-1 and RE-2. I was curious and do have a soft spot for covering new brands that have an extremely hard time entering a new market so I accepted, only to find out there was going to be a long delay. Between UCOTECH opening a new online shop and gaining a new US-based distributor, there were clearly a few things going on behind the scenes so I spent my time covering other items. Then came along CanJam New York 2023 in late February with a plethora of exciting new releases and somehow word of mouth spread about one particular product an attendee had decided to bring along to the show—the UCOTECH RE-2.


UCOTECH appears to currently be focused on the more budget-friendly market but that has not stopped the brand from its goal of maximizing what the end user gets for the money. The new RE-2 aims to do just this by using a new 10 mm beryllium-coated dynamic driver in a comfortable shell to produce a clean but engaging sound. I saw near-unanimous praise for the RE-2 from the show attendees who heard it so I reached out to the company again and here we are. Thanks to UCOTECH for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp, as we begin our coverage with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the UCOTECH RE-2 is on the simpler side of things with a relatively small product box. It uses an external white sleeve that has the company logo and product name on the front, back and sides alike. A simple render of the IEMs is also seen on the side whereas contact information for the company is present on the back. Sliding off the sleeve reveals a thick black cardboard box whose lid lifts off to show a contact/support card for UCOTECH placed over the IEMs, which are snugly packed in a thick foam sheet with machined cutouts for added protection. There is enough room to get the IEMs out as well as get access to the bottom layer with more foam surrounding the carry/storage case itself. The case is a rather unique design in that it's square, flat and can be easily placed inside a purse or backpack. It has a sturdy fabric cover with the UCOTECH logo on the bottom right corner and uses a zipper mechanism to keep things safely inside.


Opening the case shows a separate compartment on the inside lining that has a plastic zip-lock bag containing three sets of silicone ear tips in sizes S/M/L. Do try them all to see what works best for you among these, or grab aftermarket tips if you prefer. The main compartment has the cable inside as well as another zip-lock bag which has a plastic MMCX extraction tool to help you disconnect the cable from the IEMs if you find the MMCX connection too firm or stiff to remove by hand. There's just enough room here to have the cables and IEMs, especially after having removed the spare ear tips, so this is not a case to use for other, thicker IEMs but rather one best suited for the UCOTECH RE-2, with increased portability in mind.


UCOTECH decided to send the RE-2 along with an IEM stand accessory. As far as I can tell, retail purchases of the RE-2 do not come with this and neither is this currently sold either. Just in case things change and it interests some people, I figured I'd show some photos. It is a 2-piece stand with a base and the body itself, both of which are laser cut from acrylic before a sticker is applied. It's another take on the female artwork implementations that a few other IEM brands have used to target customers who are also fans of anime—a divisive thing no doubt but one that works well enough. Seeing as how the product box, case, accessories, and IEMs themselves do not have any such design, this would be a purely voluntary accessory to partake in.

Closer Look

The cable that ships with the UCOTECH RE-2 looks and feels more premium to where I would not be surprised if someone else sold a very similar cable alone for more than the cost of the entire RE-2 package. This is a single-ended cable that has a 3.5 mm TRS plug on the source side and associated with an anodized aluminium housing with a knurled section at the bottom for added grip. There is decent strain relief incorporated which leads to a 4-strand silver-plated high-purity OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) copper conductor inside in a Litz configuration. The silver housings everywhere add to the matching aesthetic thus and the strands themselves are also braided tightly to not take up much room. This has the added benefit of coming off less amateurish while still being easy to re-shape and not prone to microphonics. The splitter is similarly executed as the rest of the metal hardware on the cable and there is a highly functional plastic cable cinch which can help position the two separated sections wherever you would like. The other end has pre-formed ear hooks with see-through plastic sheathing over the cables. Each of the strands terminates an MMCX connector, with black or red plastic rings on the housing to help identify the left and right channels, respectively. MMCX isn't as universally loved as a 2-pin connector, although I had no issues with these specific connectors. The metal plugs are gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


If you told me the RE-2 was a TinHiFi product then I would have believed you. Then again, there are only so many things you can do to distinguish yourself with a machined metal shell adopting a petite form factor too. The RE-2 uses brass shells that are screwed in and glued shut after getting a durable gray anodized finish. There are also gold accents for added flair and no branding anywhere to be seen. The circular shape coupled with the smaller size makes for an easier fit in the ears too. On the side is an extension containing the female MMCX connector with matching black or red rings to help identify the channels. There is a vent on the side for the dynamic driver inside and we see a nozzle jutting out the machined slope built into the shells. This is angled slightly inward and long enough to not be overly stubby at ~5.4 mm width while having a defined end point to help secure the ear tips that easily fit over and remain there as seen above. A metal mesh at the end helps prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber.


Installing the cable is simple enough with the pre-molded ear hooks that go over the ears and L/R indicators helping identify what goes where. Push the MMCX connectors into the IEM connectors as seen above until they click in place allowing you to freely rotate the cable for an easier fit behind the ears. If you do happen to get the IEM stand accessory then good luck trying to figure out how to actually use it without making a mess with the cable.