Can the W2 be EQed to have bass like the W3?

No, it cannot.  It is meant to be more polite and neutral.  The bass driver will distort.  You can add some bass but W2 will never have the underlying "fullness" that makes W3 so special. 

Yeah, I agree. I like the W2 a ton, but its bass is already a little "floppy" in comparison to some other iems. By amping, with EQ you can stretch the bass but you are more spreading than giving it more impact. You can't get something that's not there. In general, never expect an amp to change an iem from one to another. IMO, just go for the iem you want!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro 

No, it cannot.  It is meant to be more polite and neutral.  The bass driver will distort.  You can add some bass but W2 will never have the underlying "fullness" that makes W3 so special. 

Yea, great point imackler.

Another way to phrase it is that the bass is the opposite of effortless, especially when EQ'ing.  It sounds like you are trying to squeeze every ounce of "oomph" out of the W2 which makes it sort of distracting.  Great sounding IEM but I prefer a slightly more robust sound.

X2 which is why I returned mine
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro 

Yea, great point imackler.

 

Another way to phrase it is that the bass is the opposite of effortless, especially when EQ'ing.  It sounds like you are trying to squeeze every ounce of "oomph" out of the W2 which makes it sort of distracting.  Great sounding IEM but I prefer a slightly more robust sound.

If you want an earphone like the W3 bass you will need to buy something with more bass such as the W3. Also doing that much EQ to the W2 would certainly cause distortion and the W2 bass is not meant to be that kind of bass. 

That's primarily why I'm not AT ALL a fan of moderate to heavy EQ adjustments, because from my experience, MUCH more often than not, manipulating the intended earphone's sound signature doesn't come without it's sacrifices, in that the earphone no longer COMPLETELY retains it's technical proficiency, especially since you're, in a sense, asking the driver to perform in an entirely different manner than was intended. Just my 2 cents. 

P.S. You may want to consider an amp with a bass boost, which won't distort the sound nearly to the extent EQ changes will. The Zo is as good an option as any, and even while I'm typing this, I'm listening to my beloved RE252 with the Zo amp, and there's little to no appreciable loss in SQ. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carsonwen 

 Is W4 better than W3? I basically want a W2 with bass of ue500.

No, not better, different.  A W2 with more fullness and bass is a W3.  You can't get any closer. 

SE425 is too midrange oriented.  I would take W2 for better treble.  Bass would be same.

I don't know what the bass or anything about the UE500 sound as I have not heard it.

I consider the W2,W3 and W4 to all have different sound signatures. I think the W2 is the most neutral of the three with the W3 to have a more "fun" sound signature and what I would consider a bass monster esp the mid bass. I would consider the W4 to be that of a very smooth sound with good extension on both ends.

If you want W2 but just a bit more bass I think getting an amp with a bass boost or if you have access to a good EQ. However i do consider the W3 and W4 on a higher level than the W2 but the W3 is also more V shaped to me with it definiteyl having more bass than the other two.

I'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong, but doesn't the um2 have more bass. I know the um3x has great strong full bass.

I personally see the W4 as the successor to the W2. They are clearly from the same family. IMO, the W4 does bass, mids, treble and soundstage all better than the W2, while still maintaining that ability to do all genres justice, preserving that slightly warm sound and playing nicely with older recordings. The W2 is a great earphone. In my experience at its price point, I think its unmatched, though it sounds like the GR07 may beat it. I just haven't heard it yet. I think the W4 is better though than the W2. For me, W2 is the affordable option for those wanting what the W4 does well. It's the B+ version at $150 less than the A version.

I must say that for me the W2 is a little more comfortable since is smaller than the W4, though the W4 is very comfortable, too.

W4 is certainly more refined sounding but that "veil" is unacceptable to me.  I think W2 is much brighter and lively sounding.  They are pretty different IMHO.

Yes, UM2 will have more bass than W2 and W4 and very similar to UM3X.