Westone 4 = Disappointment - Page 7

Well, young man (?) this is not the main W4 thread, and the last time I checked that thread was active and alive...lol. So we shall see. Anyway, I think I'm done on this thread. I like the W4 quite a bit and really don't care too much if no one else likes it. I'll save that crusade for those in Westone's back pocket. Happy listening. 

I thought it was self explanatory, it's exactly what it's supposed to mean, everyone has different taste, just like how some people prefer listening to Justin Bieber to Beethoven and how some prefer monster beats to hd800 or heavily eqed fxc51 to w4.
Edited by Tranducer - 9/14/11 at 3:46am

I've always wondered what the point of threads like this is...

Edited by Tefloon - 9/14/11 at 7:33am

Maybe to keep the FOTM syndrome in check.

 

It would be too easy to read all the love on W4, 4 drivers, Westone - great company and just chunk down $500 and think it was a no brainer.  The fact that there is a decent percentage of people that don't care for the W4 is a factor in the buying decision.  Granted you have to "qualify" some of the posts as honest, trolling, bashing and fanboy'ism, etc.

 

Once you have been on HF for a while it is easy to indentify with certain posters to help guide you in your buying decisions.
 

 

I think it's unlikely that it's an actual fake. As far as I know, I've never heard of a Westone flat-out 'fake.' I think the bigger risk is that they're selling damaged/defective/ 'b-stock' items. It's very possible they're a genuine pair, but unfortunately it's impossible to know for sure with an unauthorized seller. Plus, the fact that Westone mentions them by name on their website makes their sales even more fishy. I called Crawfords to check on what they'd do for me if the product broke since Westone told me they wouldnt honor the warranty. It took about 3 weeks for me to get an answer from them (they never returned my emails) and they said if it broke within 30 days, they'd replace it. Outside of that, they'd do nothing. So basically, I could spend $350 on a pair of headphones, have something malfunction on them after a couple months, and I'd be completely screwed. 

Katun, I think the W4 are just not for you. You can keep trying if you want to hear the sound that others have been hearing but as long as you tried then that is all I can ask for. I would probably return it and then try something else. I really enjoyed the sound of the W4 that despite having customs I almost kept them but thankfully I did not since even one of my customs gets unused and the W4 would suffer that fate as well. It's too bad you did not like them.

I'm likely going to return/sell them. While there is no doubt they are technically proficient, as well as pretty neutral, I'm not really falling in love with them. I have tried just about all the tips I own, multiple sources, many different genres. Guess I'm too big a fan of colored headphones. :P. I do think the best tips for them are the modded tri flanges, though. Just to note, my mind is not made up yet. Plan on giving them the rest of the week before I make a final decision. I didn't like my IE8's at first either, so things can change!

Edited by Zalithian - 9/14/11 at 12:44pm

Yea - To be fair at that price when your bordering on custom prices - You need to fall in love with the IEM's to want to use/keep them - I know I'll definitely want to fall in love with the SM3's when I get them 

You will. They are outstanding in all aspects.

As of yesterday I now have an even better listening experience with the W4`s through my P3 amp.

 

Imo, you cannot judge an iem until you have given it the best chance to show it`s potential, same with tips.

 

1. Get your best seal

2. Amp the iem. If you can, find the best sound you can with opamp rolling. Amping is not just for loudness.

 

Headphone out socket of an mp3 player / phone is unfair on any iem, not just these, to make a decision.

 

Edit: My Vsonic 07`s are sitting doing nothing due to my how my W4`s sound with my combo.

 

Edited by Sinth - 9/15/11 at 12:41pm

While glad you're enjoying the W4, I'm going to have to say I strongly disagree with you on amps. I think most of us here are familiar enough with IEMS to know how to get a good seal. I have tried about all of the included tips, as well as other tips I own. I have a fantastic seal with numerous options, including the long comply tips, and modded tri-flanges. If I spend $400 on a pair of IEMS, they better sound damn good without an Amp. It seems completely asinine to me to spend $400 on IEMS and then require a $200 amp before I can fairly judge them. Aside from hurting portability, that's $600 for a pair of Universal IEMS. If I were interested in amping, I would have bought HD650's a long time ago.

 

If I only had the option of sticking a pair of £300 iems into a headphone socket of a phone or an apple product then I am sorry, I would never of made the purchase in the first place.

 

Edit: A bit like sticking a scart cable in an hdtv.

 

 

Edited by Sinth - 9/15/11 at 1:15pm

 

I don't own any apple products, and I'm not listening to them from my phone. Sorry to disappoint.
 

 

Sorry mate, hope you find a pair of iems that fits your setup.