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Westone 2 True-Fit IEM Appreciation & Impressions Thread... - Page 9

post #121 of 417
1/20/10 at 9:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
I'll make it easy for you and just say that if you can't afford the W3 or UM3X, then go ahead and get the W2 now.
heh..heh..heh...it's a gem indeed!!

Tstarn06...Tom, did the guy that sold you his W2's actually not like them? If so, that's a first so far. Must have been for another reason
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post #122 of 417
1/20/10 at 10:40pm
No, he just felt the TF10 customs were enough for him, and wanted to just keep one. I understand, since I have both. But I am certainly not parting with either.

I do have to disagree with Larry in that I owned both the W3 and the UM3X and could afford both, but I think I'd rather have the W2 and spend the extra cash on UM56. I also got the W3 very cheap, $240, with MS Cashback and a paypal coupon. Maybe if I had heard the W3 with my UM56s, but doubtful because as noted, the UM3X, which is smaller than the W3, bugged me with the custom sleeves. The W2s do not.
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post #123 of 417
1/21/10 at 12:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tstarn06 View Post
No, he just felt the TF10 customs were enough for him, and wanted to just keep one. I understand, since I have both. But I am certainly not parting with either.

I do have to disagree with Larry in that I owned both the W3 and the UM3X and could afford both, but I think I'd rather have the W2 and spend the extra cash on UM56. I also got the W3 very cheap, $240, with MS Cashback and a paypal coupon. Maybe if I had heard the W3 with my UM56s, but doubtful because as noted, the UM3X, which is smaller than the W3, bugged me with the custom sleeves. The W2s do not.
Well, now you are talking about "bang for the buck" or comfort, not absolute performance.
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post #124 of 417
1/21/10 at 12:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
Well, now you are talking about "bang for the buck" or comfort, not absolute performance.

Would you say the performance difference would be night and day or marginal (specifics if you can, please) between the W1, W2, and W3's?
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post #125 of 417
1/21/10 at 12:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ben4345 View Post
Would you say the performance difference would be night and day or marginal (specifics if you can, please) between the W1, W2, and W3's?
To me there is no mistaking the W1, W2 or W3 for each other. The jump from W1 to W2 is bigger than the jump from W2 to W3 or UM3X. I'm saving the rest for my review.
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post #126 of 417
1/21/10 at 12:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
Well, now you are talking about "bang for the buck" or comfort, not absolute performance.
Well, I never heard the W3 with the UM56s, so on that front you may be right.

But when it comes to W2 vs. UM3X, I am saying I prefer the W2s for absolute performance, not just bang for the buck. I honestly prefer the W2 sound, just a personal thing. In the end, I didn't care for the UM3X sound signature nearly as much as others do. At first, I thought I favored the UM3X, but as it turns out, I was sort of fooling myself - not uncommon on HF with IEMs.

Now, I also prefer the TF10s, both stock and custom, to the UM3X. I am sure Westone will say the UM3X is the "better" IEM, as do you, but not to me, which is as you no doubt agree is what matters. I don't have a lot of heavy duty source gear, so maybe that's the key factor. All I know is I enjoy listening to my collection much more with the W2s than I did with the UM3X, and that's what I am saying.
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post #127 of 417
1/21/10 at 12:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
To me there is no mistaking the W1, W2 or W3 for each other. The jump from W1 to W2 is bigger than the jump from W2 to W3 or UM3X. I'm saving the rest for my review.
UGH, you're so mean!
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post #128 of 417
1/21/10 at 10:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tstarn06 View Post
All I know is I enjoy listening to my collection much more with the W2s than I did with the UM3X, and that's what I am saying.
And that's more than enough!
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post #129 of 417
1/21/10 at 2:15pm
Just to cloud the landscape even more.....

After 2 weeks of a lot of W2 (and a little W3), I had a listening session with UM3X this morning and it sounds very THICK and a somewhat blanketed

It was an interesting revelation. If it wasn't for the virtually insane instrument separation of UM3X, I am wondering how much I would truly like them?

In all honesty it is a monitor that is best for isolating on certain instruments in the recording. Nothing is better I have heard in that regard. I DO tend to do that often so perhaps that is why I always liked the UM3X. But W2 and W3 are certainly more musical.
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post #130 of 417
1/22/10 at 12:04am
To Spyro and Tstarn06,

Does W2 offer good instrument seperation and imaging compared to UM3X and W3?
Based on Spyro's post it seems that UM3X has the best instrument seperation amongst them.

I am coming from IE8 and SF5 (non pro-version). While the bass of IE8 is overwhelming, lack of refining, and mids sound muddy, I have to say that once you are used to it you will find it very natural and non-fatiguing. But on the other hand, I miss the clarity and 'swimming inside the music' sensation that SF5 gives me. Only if SF5 had a little more dynamic on the bass, better imaging and instrument seperation it would be a perfect for me.

So I am going for clarity, transparency, good imaging and instrument seperation, and some (not to the IE8's subwoofer standard) punch on the bass.

Do you guys think that W2 suits my taste?

Edit: Currently considering CK10, PFE and W2.
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post #131 of 417
1/22/10 at 1:44am
Well, based on your needs, I would scratch the PFE. I really liked them, but in the end only really loved them when I had them hooked up to an amp. And now I don't want to use an amp. Can't speak for the CK10, but they sound very interesting. I believe the W2s meet your requirements, but (blasphemy ahead) I find the W2s reach their potential with a single Clear Bass click, and +1 on the Sony X EQ for mids and highs. Might seem extreme, but with the UM56 custom sleeves, it just sounds best to my tin ears.

I doubt Spyro is using EQ, but he can tell you that himself. My sources, apart from the Sony X, are the Clip+ with all Flac (don't use the EQ) and the Zune80, which has no EQ but the W2s sound better on the Zune flat than the Sony X flat, if that makes sense. I know there are Sony X boosters who will howl at that, but unless they have heard the W2s, not much they can say really.
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post #132 of 417
1/22/10 at 3:36am
Reading all your posts on the W2s is what made me purchase them a few weeks ago and I am so impressed by them. They're unbelievable.

So I'm a newbie at this and one thing I just assumed is that everyone uses ipods. So seeing that tstarn uses zune piqued my interest. Right now I have an ipod nano (given as a present), but I'm thinking of upgrading to a player with more space (80gb or above). Also because I've got this awesome new W2s, that i feel like upgrading everything i have that involves them. lol. So What do you think is better (based on sound quality and ease of use...i'm a mac user...does that mean i should just stick with ipods?) zune or ipod classic? Or are their other ones that are worth looking into?

Sorry I'm going off topic with this thread, Spyro's mention of his Zune just brought this to my attention =p
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post #133 of 417
1/22/10 at 3:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chineseflip View Post
Reading all your posts on the W2s is what made me purchase them a few weeks ago and I am so impressed by them. They're unbelievable.

So I'm a newbie at this and one thing I just assumed is that everyone uses ipods. So seeing that tstarn uses zune piqued my interest. Right now I have an ipod nano (given as a present), but I'm thinking of upgrading to a player with more space (80gb or above). Also because I've got this awesome new W2s, that i feel like upgrading everything i have that involves them. lol. So What do you think is better (based on sound quality and ease of use...i'm a mac user...does that mean i should just stick with ipods?) zune or ipod classic? Or are their other ones that are worth looking into?

Sorry I'm going off topic with this thread, Spyro's mention of his Zune just brought this to my attention =p

Your qeustion is a bit off topic, but IMO, Cowon S9 for SQ hands down. There is,'t a 80GB version though. I also ordered the W2's today.
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post #134 of 417
1/22/10 at 5:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tstarn06 View Post
Well, based on your needs, I would scratch the PFE. I really liked them, but in the end only really loved them when I had them hooked up to an amp. And now I don't want to use an amp. Can't speak for the CK10, but they sound very interesting. I believe the W2s meet your requirements, but (blasphemy ahead) I find the W2s reach their potential with a single Clear Bass click, and +1 on the Sony X EQ for mids and highs. Might seem extreme, but with the UM56 custom sleeves, it just sounds best to my tin ears.

I doubt Spyro is using EQ, but he can tell you that himself. My sources, apart from the Sony X, are the Clip+ with all Flac (don't use the EQ) and the Zune80, which has no EQ but the W2s sound better on the Zune flat than the Sony X flat, if that makes sense. I know there are Sony X boosters who will howl at that, but unless they have heard the W2s, not much they can say really.
Thanks for your opinion. By the way I am using an iPhone 3G and Cowon D2.
I never against EQing. You tune the sound you love and that's all, nothing to argue with

I am using Corda 3Move as DAC at home but I don't like the idea carrying a steel case around. There's a thread by pianist relating CK10 and W2 and I am following it. Many head-fiers seem to be having the same problem recently: a hard decision between CK10 and W2.

Actually I am considering JH13 too. I am in a dilemma whether to spend over 1000 bucks for an IEM while one can get great enough sounding phones for around 200 bucks.

By the way I have gone through some japanese website about CK10, and find out that most people saying CK10's sound signature is biased towards mids and trebles. Some even stated that CK10 has less bass than CK100. So I am suspecting that CK10 might be a great and detailed phone but perhaps lacking some bass for my taste.
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post #135 of 417
1/22/10 at 8:22am
I use a 3G Nano and yes, I do EQ. I use "rock" setting. For reference I use "jazz" setting with W3 and UM3X. Very similar EQ's but rock is a little more than jazz.

From memory SFP definitely has more bass than W2 but I would definitely say W2 is the superior IEM. More refined, more balanced, better clarity.

UM3X is king of instrument separation. W2 and W3 are about the same as each other in this regard which is very decent but they have larger soundstages(than UM3X) with W3 a tad bigger than W2. From memory SFP and W2 soundstage is about the same size (quite large with W3 being largest).
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