Westone 1 Impressions and Review Thread - Page 3

i think im gonna get these when it's available... see how it compares to the re0

does it have a different cable than the um3x?

At this point I prefer the W1 to the RE2 or RE3, but I've never heard an RE0.

Interesting. They kinda say the same things I do, but with a negative slant to it when talking about the extension or detail. I haven't heard an Ety HF5 so I can't compare like they did, but seems there is no point. Maybe they went into the review looking for a fun earphone, not an accurate one.

By the same token, I've never heard Etys described as "fun earphones..."

True!

I only mentioned "fun" because the OP wants a fun phone and the review liked the Ety HF5 more, so...

Wow - you came out of a 9 month retirement to make that your first post. I'm sorry.

there is quite a goodly bit of bass with the w1. my side-by-side with the um1 revealed more similarities than differences, but the w1 is a little more energetic. fit is nearly the same as the bodies are very similar, but similar to jeremy at ilounge, i found the w1 to not be as easy to situate for a good seal.

but, i think i agree with much of what jeremy and larry said. the w1 is a great sounding earphone, but i don't think he was looking for what seems to be derogatorily described as a 'fun' earphone. rather, he described it when compared to the hf5 is less clear. while he didn't go deep into the sound, his obvious focus is on build, fit and overall sound balance.

i think that both larry and jeremy have done good 'reviews', but focused on different aspects. for those looking for a crisper listen, there are better options for the price, but not for build. the w1 smashes the hf5 (i have used it even less than the w1) for build quality.

also, jeremy notes that the cable is the same. rather, i think it has been upgraded with a slightly stiffer, more tightly-wound design which is sturdy. the narrow jack is a great addition for people who want to use it on daps and amps with recessed jacks and from behind cases.

i will spend a little more time with one today.

According to the iLounge review, they slot the UM1 and W1 as 'bassier' earphones. Is that only in relation to Etymotic earphones, or also to others (Phonak, UE, etc.)?

Also, copypasta:
Anyways, how would you rate bass impact? Will it tickle your ear drums when they need to? I found my SF3s to be pretty light until I hooked up my E5 and foams.

Actually, I wasn't using "fun" in a derogatory way, and I did list four "fun" earphones that I do like when I said, "I would not call the W1 a "fun colored earphone" like the W3, X10 or Nuforce NE-7M and Denon C700."

I agree with a lot of what you said. The W1 still benefit from the conditions you laid out above for high end phones:

- Very detailed, well-mastered & complex music collections - not the more "popular" stuff.
- Very trained ears and a lot of experience in critical listening.
- Quiet environments where they spend the time to really focus on the music.

For those situations the W1 is a good choice. I find the W1 to sound better with "my" music than "more popular music" like yours (alternative/pop/electronica). But that may be because I just like my music more, and the popular music I have is all 128K MP3 - so it's harder for me to get into your music without some zing and pop added by an amp or the earphone.

In the car when the kids listen to the same music on the radio as you, I have to turn up the bass and treble more. With the more popular music the mids in the "brick-wall" recordings just get on my nerves more. Somehow, without a bass and treble boost I still found the UM3X to be more involving when I listen to music that isn't normally at the top of my play list. For alternative/pop/electronica I still preferred the W3 with my UM56 tips, but the UM3X were just fine.

If you get the W3 without UM56 tips, be sure to try all the tips and different positions in your ear canals before you decide you don't like them. If you don't like them I'll trade you my Sennheiser IE8 for them. If you get the UM3X and don't like them, I'll still trade you my Senn IE8 for them.

The bass can do that, but an amp still helps and you'll damage your hearing.

i realised after writing 'derogatory' that the word was inappropriate. sorry about that. you are right though in a way, it isn't a 'fun' earphone. mids aren't as temperate as they need to be to be a really 'fun' earphone, but they pack a punch in the bass which makes them rockable.

I think your comments are quite spot on.

Bear in mind that the higher you go in price the more subtle, ie less drastic/ noticeable, the changes in SQ are. Sounds to me like the W1 provides enough good SQ even for demanding ears.

Almost makes me want to try a pair, for kicks. I am a diseased individual.