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REVIEW: WESTONE 3, the ULTIMATE UNIVERSAL IEM vs everything else - AKA W3 Appreciation Thread - Page 140

post #2086 of 2095
12/6/12 at 12:19am

Thanks i really think these stand out from the other Westones gs1000.gif

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post #2087 of 2095
12/6/12 at 2:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spyro View Post

W3+UM56 tips brings midrange more forward and assures ZERO siblance.  Very good investment to bring W3 up even a few more notches.

 

Absolutely, the UM56 and W3 were made for each other, but I also really enjoy the W3 with the Complys foam tips as well.  It's crazy that three years later I still have good things to say about them.  I have the Gold Edition Limited for myself, and I'm giving a pair of W3 to my son this Xmas.  These are a really fun IEM to use un-amped with todays popular music and EDM, but I still think they offer a good view into classical and jazz music too.  You might say, the W3 are to universal IEM what the UE11pro are to customs.

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post #2088 of 2095
12/6/12 at 3:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by -y0- View Post

Anyone plan to give the W3 Gold limited edition a listen to see if there's a big difference?

Got a set flying their way to Australia with FedEx. Will compare them to my old W3's (from the first release) and my Shure SE535LTD's (red). Not expecting a difference in sound between old and Gold W3, but new cable and vault case will be nice updates.
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post #2089 of 2095
12/24/12 at 4:35pm
sensational! really nice job man!
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post #2090 of 2095
12/25/12 at 1:55pm

Just thought I'd share this with other W3 lovers.  Earphone Solutions have a deal going on with W3.   http://www.earphonesolutions.com/w3gold.html

 

I found it on their facebook page and tried the coupon and it still works as of now.  When using the coupon W3GOLD the W3 end up being $240.  To me that's a very good price and I decided to pick up a pair.  I know that now some models are better than the W3 but at that price I believe I can't go wrong.


Edited by coldcase - 12/25/12 at 1:57pm
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post #2091 of 2095
12/27/12 at 3:09am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro View Post

W3+UM56 tips brings midrange more forward and assures ZERO siblance.  Very good investment to bring W3 up even a few more notches.

Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post

 

Absolutely, the UM56 and W3 were made for each other, but I also really enjoy the W3 with the Complys foam tips as well.  It's crazy that three years later I still have good things to say about them.  I have the Gold Edition Limited for myself, and I'm giving a pair of W3 to my son this Xmas.  These are a really fun IEM to use un-amped with todays popular music and EDM, but I still think they offer a good view into classical and jazz music too.  You might say, the W3 are to universal IEM what the UE11pro are to customs.

 

I had Westone 3 for about a year and didnt like them,they did not get much play time. the problems I had was

loose bass

big mid bass hump,

recessed mids and veil on mids because of bass.

 

I had tried all the tips including the complys and some other tips suggested here. Last week got custom tips and now these iem are different beast.Its huge difference.
Tight bass

mids are bought forward

less veil

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post #2092 of 2095
12/27/12 at 4:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by coldcase View Post

Just thought I'd share this with other W3 lovers.  Earphone Solutions have a deal going on with W3.   http://www.earphonesolutions.com/w3gold.html

 

I found it on their facebook page and tried the coupon and it still works as of now.  When using the coupon W3GOLD the W3 end up being $240.  To me that's a very good price and I decided to pick up a pair.  I know that now some models are better than the W3 but at that price I believe I can't go wrong.

 

 

It's been a day and a half since you posted this, but mine totaled to $279. That's about the price of the UM2's on Amazon though, so I pulled the trigger anyway. Thanks for posting! I'm excited to see how they stack up against the GR07 MK2 I've been using (which are awesome, not gonna lie - just getting bored and looking for a new signature to try out). I expect more bass out of the W3 after reading what everyone has to say about them.


Edited by TK277 - 12/27/12 at 4:23am
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post #2093 of 2095
12/27/12 at 4:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TK277 View Post

It's been a day and a half since you posted this, but mine totaled to $279. That's about the price of the UM2's on Amazon though, so I pulled the trigger anyway. Thanks for posting! I'm excited to see how they stack up against the GR07 MK2 I've been using (which are awesome, not gonna lie - just getting bored and looking for a new signature to try out). I expect more bass out of the W3 after reading what everyone has to say about them.

Looks like they bumped the price from 299 to 349...that's why you end up at 279
Edited by coldcase - 12/27/12 at 4:57am
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post #2094 of 2095
12/27/12 at 4:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by coldcase View Post


There's also the code BOXING that gives 20% off

Both read 20% off when I tried them separately, which is about $70 off! Good to me.


Edited by TK277 - 12/27/12 at 4:57am
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post #2095 of 2095
12/30/12 at 6:44am
My Westone 3 Gold Edition came yesterday, and I agree with everything people have been saying about them. For the past 6 months I have been using VSonic GR07 MK2s as my primary set. Most of my listening time is at school in a computer lab shared with 18 others, an environment I can't bring open cans in to. When I'm on the computer I use an Audioquest Dragonfly DAC/AMP to go with them because it cleans the sound up and greatly reduces the static hiss. At the library or other areas I'll just use the iPhone with my IEMs. At home I have Senn 598s. 
 
Anywho, I agree with what people have been saying about the W3s! In particular,
  • They've got a big sound for such a tiny component (similar to full-sized sets)
  • The extended comply tips it comes with are a good fit
  • It's got a quality cable
  • It's full-bodied / weighty, sometimes sluggish
  • The isolation is top notch
  • I find myself listening to them at a lower volume. 
 
In addition, the percussion and strings on the W3s are the most real, natural, or otherwise beautiful I've heard on any of the head or earphones I've tried to this date. Definitely the biggest strength of the W3s in my opinion.
 
I don't find the W3s bassy, however. Bassy are the Yamaha EP-100 (one my favorites if not for the condensation problem). I wouldn't mind more bass on these to be honest. More rumble! I think I am a basshead in denial, because I'm never completely satisfied with the bass quantity to quality ratio on any can: most have one or the other, but I prefer quality over quantity if I am forced to choose. The W3s are a good balance, but I feel like I always want more.
 
Initially, I felt disappointed with the W3s, funny enough– I must have 3 or 4 bad recordings in a row. This is also the first time I've run into an issue with recording quality. I can definitely tell which tracks are poorly recorded with the W3s. One had blistering sibilance, the worst I've ever heard, and another was definitely a victim of the loudness war.
 
I was also disappointed at first because the vocals sounded really fuzzy after listening to the GR07 (and modded T50RP, to an extent) for this long. The vocals aren't so much syrupy (like on the EPH-100) as they are grainy or somewhat veiled. Yet, on some tracks I can hear the vocals better. Maybe it's because of the soundstage / space the W3s provide. If the W3s had clearer vocals I think I would be 99% satisfied. Add a pinch of extra bass and that would make that 100%.
 
My search for the perfect IEM will continue another day, but for now, I will happily enjoy the W3s.
 
Oh, and does anyone know where to get spares of the longer complies? 
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Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors › REVIEW: WESTONE 3, the ULTIMATE UNIVERSAL IEM vs everything else - AKA W3 Appreciation Thread