Westone ES3X Appreciation Thread - Page 9

Is the Westone cable plugs the same as the UE ones?

-Ed

what portable amps do u guys pair the ES3X with? and anyone tried it wil pico?

More feedback on the ES3X sound

I have tried the ES3X with Pico, and it is nice. I slightly like the iBasso D10 and RSA Predator with the ES3X more, while with the Westone 3 IEM I prefer the Pico and then D10. The 3MOVE sounds quite nice with them but mine is in high output mode for my full size phones and laptop, and so the volume gets loud quite quickly. They also sound very good with the Apogee Duet (possibly the best, except for a slight hiss not heard with the other amps), and is also very good right from my iPhone 3G headphone out.

It is depressing how much more I now hear the veil in the HD600 with the same portable DAC amps where the ES3X can carry all the details. Now I have to relegate the HD600 back to only used with the desktop amps where they still shine. The ES3X also sounds noticeably better and more open than my APS v3 Edition 9 and woodied recabled D2000, which the ES3X make sound like the closed headphones that they are. So I have much less need to grab those closed cans at night when I don't want to bother my wife at night listening to music on my laptop in the bedroom when she goes to sleep. Basically the ES3X, like my electrostatics, have spoiled me for many of my full size dynamic headphones and make it harder to listen to closed headphones as well. My APS V3 RS-1, AKG K240M and maybe my ESW10 are my only full size dynamics to approach the clarity or openness of the ES3X.

Last night I put on a song by Emily Sparks "Let it Show" and for a minute I almost thought someone came into the room and started singing. I could hear the vivid voice and the sound bouncing off the walls of the small room, and everything. It was a goosebump moment (and makes Elephas cry, he says).

Anyways, I will continue to try the ES3X with a variety of sources or amps and report back over time. I just finished my iBasso D10 review so I have more time with the ES3X and other amps now. I'm going to try them on the PD XM5, TTVJ Millett, iBasso D3 and D2 Boa, Nuforce Icon Mobile, Meier Headsix and Vivid V1; as well as desktop amps like my HR Micro Amp, Meier Headfive, Travagans Red, Apogee mini-DAC, Woo WA6 and Single Power Square Wave XL. The volume control on the Head-direct EF1 and Millett starving student is gonna make those more difficult, as it is with most IEM on those amps.

It's weird - if I go a while without listening to any music and then put on my woodied recabled D2000 or Edition 9 they sound pretty open, and I'm happy. The D2000 will actually sound more spacious than the ATH-ESW10 at first. Then I switch to the ES3X and it's like, "wow, now this is more open!" I get the same effect with my stats vs closed phones.

Likewise, if I am listening to the ES3X for a while (or my stats), when I switch to the modded D2000 or Edition 9 the closed phones just sound wrong. But, switching from the ES3X to the ATH-ESW10 the shock of change is smaller, even though the ESW10 are no where as detailed and crisp and fast as the ES3X - it seems the frequency response might just be "more right". Switching from ES3X to any of my stats reveals no listener shock or surprise.

I don't get this psychoacoustic stuff. Bah!

It seems, Larry, that the new contender for the ES3X might be the HD800? Not that I think the ES3X needs a contender from your comments, and perhaps it's not even fair to mention the 2 in the same post.

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Oh, there are contenders, but I mentioned they are all full size electrostatic headphones costing 1x - 2x as much. Naamanf's K1000 were a contender, so I traded one of my two Stax O2 for someone's K1000 that ship to me early next week. I am #7 on the Headroom HD800 pre-order list, so I'm hoping to see a pair in about 2 weeks. I don't expect the ES3X to beat $1500-2000 full size headphones, but I bet it can make them sweat.

Just like to know do you really need a portable amp to drive the ES3X as it's 56 ohms ?

Thanks.

Nope, I mentioned they sound great right out of my iPhone 3G as well. I only mentioned all those amps in my post above because I was asked about how they sound with the Pico.

In these days, I spent almost all of my portable listening time with ES3X+iHP140+Sys-Concept cable+iBaso D10(8397/6642). The iHP140 is rockboxed and I use FLAC and Applelossless mostly. I'd say this is the best sounding IEM setup ever as far as I know.
Now I've got new sys-concept cable for D10 and quite happy with it.



I've tried iPod based setups as well but they can not excel the resolution and life-like finesses that iHP/D10 delivers.
However, sound preference is another story. I enjoy warm and organic sounding of iMod and P51. XM5 is also nice as the spacious presentation is remarkable. I've not tried other amp combination so far, the iHP/D10 setup still got me hooked.

As HeadphoneAddict wrote, ES3X is very good even straight out from iPhone 3G. I still hear small amount of hissing from iPod 5.5(iMod) and nano 2Gen, but way better than UE11.

thanks HPA and sasaki,

I like warmth in my music, i am deciding between pico and P51, which one would be a better bet with my ES3X? i am using normal ipod 5.5gen

the ES3X is still in the making thou..

I use westone 3 and p-51 combo.This is very nice .They are synergy great .Best choice for portable...

Considering I posted that I like the D10 and Predator with the ES3X more I would pick the P-51, and that is likely the next portable I will be trying in the future.

I have a question for HeadphoneAddict/Sasaki/anyone who owns these phones. Would you say the phones offer a netrual response...? Like a flat response which is what I feel from the Phonaks. Or would the Livewires be more suited for this.....Or the UE11's....which I highly doubt but you never know.