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Westone 3 vs Shure SE 530 vs Westone UM3X

post #1 of 14
8/9/09 at 11:51am
Thread Starter 
Hi all,
I currently own a pair of Shure Se530, although these are great headphones they are not what i was expecting. All in all they are comfortable and versatile among music genres but when I bought them I had heard they were the best thing out there. Now, im selling them becuase I got AKg K702s, and I figured Id just buy some cheap IEMs to use outside, since the AKG is anything but portable. After reasarch I think I might stay in the area of hi end in ear monitors. Specifically, my research had led me to Westone, a brand i had never before considered. What are thoughts between the westone 3 and um3x vs eachother and vs the shure se530. Is it a clear upgrade? Also, has anyone heard anything good about the highly anticipate grado IEM coming out, the GR8

Please post your replys and help me make up my mind, stay with shures or is there better out there in the realm of grado and westone

Thanks
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post #2 of 14
8/9/09 at 2:28pm
Wet the Westone 3. They are 10x than the SE530's
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post #3 of 14
8/9/09 at 3:00pm

Ditto for me...

Quote:
Originally Posted by GabeJacobs View Post
Wet the Westone 3. They are 10x than the SE530's
X2
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post #4 of 14
8/9/09 at 3:50pm
Of the 3 you listed UM3X is the best imo. The W3's can be very shrill unless you find the right tips and the bass permeates the mids and highs too much. With the UM3X the bass never makes the highs or mids sound muddy, it's like the highs, mids and lows are coming from entirely different places, which they are but with the W3 it's more difficult to discern.
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post #5 of 14
8/9/09 at 5:30pm
i disagree, its all down to sound signature preference

i just suspect u would prefer something wore trebley
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post #6 of 14
8/9/09 at 6:17pm
just want to share my own experience. The W3 always sound "warm" to me (though not muddy). The UM3X can be warm when the song is warm (have bass, mid bass etc...), and they can also be neutral, sometimes cold and detailed, if that's what the song meant to be.
imho, in those 3, um3x is the closest to what the song meant to sound.
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post #7 of 14
8/9/09 at 6:25pm
UM3X!
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post #8 of 14
8/9/09 at 6:31pm
the um3x are meant for stage monitoring. the westone 3 were designed for personal listening. neither one is wrong or right - it's a matter of listening style (and tips). if you are like me and looking for something that is comfortable and more intense because of past disappointment from anemic sound, then W3 might be a good match. However, I enjoy them best with Shure's black foam (or modified triple flange). The silicon tips can be hit or miss - and when they are miss, that's when the sound becomes 'steely' and beyond shrill.
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post #9 of 14
8/9/09 at 10:33pm
Thread Starter 
Wow thanks guys but have you heard anything about the grado gr8
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post #10 of 14
8/10/09 at 4:43am
None have heard it yet. Not released.
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post #11 of 14
8/10/09 at 4:47am
W3's are amazing.
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post #12 of 14
8/11/09 at 12:35am
You probably won't notice a night and day difference between the SE530s and the Westones, not unless your SE530 filters had gotten clogged up. That is to say, the difference between the SE530s and the Westones won't be as dramatic as between the SE530s and a $20 dollar IEM.

For a somewhat more accurate (and sometimes more clinical) sound than the SE530s, try the UM3Xs. For a deeper bass-head experience while still retaining good highs, try the Westone 3s. The UM3Xs are more similar in fit to the SE530s while the Westone 3s can be a bit more problematic since their bore doesn't stick as far into the ear canal. The body of the Westone 3s is also larger than the UM3X and might be a problem if you have small ears. I worried about this when I first purchased them, but they fit fine.

The cable microphonics are far better on both Westones than on the SE530s. The Westone cables produce the least microphonics of any IEM I own.

There are two fine threads on Head-fi describing the Westones in great detail. You will want to check them out.
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post #13 of 14
8/11/09 at 12:51am
I agree that there are those other threads out there, but I thought this was a good summary comparing the Se530, UM3x, and W3. If I only had the UM3x, I could EQ it and be satisfied - but the W3s seem to go boldly in both directions with clarity. Do the Se530 sound clean and unveiled? That's my impression of the SE420 on the most part.

Next W3 - put it in the um3x case!! The W3s fit find in my ears, too, but might require longer tips.


Quote:
Originally Posted by IpodHappy View Post
You probably won't notice a night and day difference between the SE530s and the Westones, not unless your SE530 filters had gotten clogged up. That is to say, the difference between the SE530s and the Westones won't be as dramatic as between the SE530s and a $20 dollar IEM.

For a somewhat more accurate (and sometimes more clinical) sound than the SE530s, try the UM3Xs. For a deeper bass-head experience while still retaining good highs, try the Westone 3s. The UM3Xs are more similar in fit to the SE530s while the Westone 3s can be a bit more problematic since their bore doesn't stick as far into the ear canal. The body of the Westone 3s is also larger than the UM3X and might be a problem if you have small ears. I worried about this when I first purchased them, but they fit fine.

The cable microphonics are far better on both Westones than on the SE530s. The Westone cables produce the least microphonics of any IEM I own.

There are two fine threads on Head-fi describing the Westones in great detail. You will want to check them out.
Reply
post #14 of 14
8/11/09 at 1:58pm
SE530's are much better than SE420.

Initially I enjoyed W3 much more than SE530 for the better clarity and treble but overtime I found it fatiguing on the ears and found the midrange somewhat recessed. I found vocals much better on UM2 over W3 let alone SE530 which perhaps is the best for vocals.

I found UM3X the best combination of all traits I enjoy with many different favorite IEM's (ER4P, Trip Fi Pro, SE530) and it is clearly still my favorite.
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