Westone 4 vs Phonak Audeo 122

Quote:

Originally Posted by noona1227 

So I've heard a lot of good things about the Westone 4's that suited my preference but I've also heard that the audeo pfe 122's have great sound that's comparable to the westones and they are little more than half the price. I haven't tried either one myself so I'm asking you guys: are the Westone 4's significantly better in quality as its price suggests? Or are the pfe's really that good/that cheap.

 

 

 

 

Westones will be much better...  I haven't heard them yet, but I'd assume better bass response and treble extension.  It also depends on what filter you're using as well.

If you can find the PFE's for cheap, go with those. They've been said to have a lot of the same characteristics as a Westone 4, so using the PFE's for awhile to decide if you like that sound signature or not would be a wise choice. 

But what do I know. I haven't actually heard the W4 :P

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinyman392 

Westones will be much better...  I haven't heard them yet, but I'd assume better bass response and treble extension.  It also depends on what filter you're using as well.

 

Best not to speculate then. I haven't heard them either but very much like the pfe. No clue how the compare.
 

Although I do own both, it's best to ask |joker|, as he'd certainly know best. Between the two, however, I find the W4 closer to the PFE232, than to the PFE121/122.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noona1227 

But comparing the westones directly to the pfe121/122, how are they?

Is there a big difference between the 232 and 121/122? (besides the huge price jump...)

I can do the second question...  I own both IEMs (022 and 232; 022 == 122).  So let's begin, I'm using the filters from the 232s, according to Phonak's PR, there is no differences (audibly between them).  The main differences is that the 232s have a much more grand, well bodied bass that extends quite a bit more.  The result is a much more present, direct, and engolfing experience with the bass.  No, it's not overdone (it actually never is overdone, it's a really good level too).  The high end of the spectrum is where the 232s walk all over anything really.  It walks the verge of sibilance but never reaches.  No harshness whatsoever.  Extension is also well above that of the 122.  They both have the same life and flare though.  Now the midrange, the 232's Achille's heal...  The 122s will defeat it for one pure reason...  OK 2, slightly more energy and better clarity.  That's not to say that the 232s have no energy or clarity, they have plenty, but the 122s are slightly better in that case. 

If you put on black filters on the 122s, they will sound like they have a similar signature to the 232s (but not quite the same quality).

Now take the next statement with a bigger grain of salt, but based on what I've read from the thread in the PFE 232 thread, the Westone 4s have a similar signature to the 232s (grey filters) but with slightly more forward mids. 

For me, while they both do boast great linearity and high detail, there is a huge difference between the two: one makes the music enjoyable, while the other butchers it.

Mind you, this is an exaggeration to make my point more obvious.

The grey filters PFE has one feature that is pretty impressive for it's price: that is linearity, meaning a relatively flat frequency response on a professional level. The other is high resolution. The latter goes hand-in-hand with a thin sound which helps to retrieve details better.

Now, the Westone 4 has a slightly warm tilt, yet also being very smooth on the frequency response. The resolution is better than with the Audéo, but I would argue if you even need that much resolution. Very impressive, however, is the solid bass performance of a flat extension to even the lowest notes. There is one feature that I value highly with the Westone: the veil. Where the veil actually comes from, is from brightened bass and darkened highs, resulting in a little squished middle. It sounds awkward at first, but it makes you look at the music as a whole a lot more easily, while being technically very impressive. It also becomes less apparent if you turn up the volume, so if you're not willing to relax, you won't have to.

W4 versus PFE:

Technically the W4 is much better. But that isn't always a good thing. When I compared HJE900 and PFE, the Panasonic was technically inferior but was much more easy to listen to.

The Phonak precisely cuts the sound into pieces, giving you all the details. But here is the problem: if you don't want to look at the details (say bad recording or just to kick back and enjoy the music), the PFE will do its best to annoy you. If you lose your focus, the sound will appear thin and bright - in one word: butchered.

The Westone will do the opposite: all the details are pulled together. You focus, you enjoy! If you lean back, the veil will give you an enjoyable distance to the music and you will have a complete overview from lowest bass to all the highs you need. Described in one word: musical. (As in no distractions.)

To conclude my personal observation and opinion, the Audéo is an impressive failure if your aim is to enjoy music. If you are into technical features and get a hard one with specs, you probably think differently.

On the other side, the W4 is the most enjoyable and most well rounded BA I've heard.

I would not go for replaceable cables. The Westone cables are very very durable and the W4R is supposed to have far less comfort. I'd only go for the R if you plan on buying the iPhone mic/remote - if it will ever be released. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultrazino 

I would not go for replaceable cables. The Westone cables are very very durable and the W4R is supposed to have far less comfort. I'd only go for the R if you plan on buying the iPhone mic/remote - if it will ever be released. 

Yeah I have both - some people like the memory guide wire - other's hate it. I personally like it, but if you have no idea what to expect - stick with the normal version. There is virtually no difference between the two. 

I just tried out the Westone 4 and Phonak Audeo 132 in a store just today. I ended up walking away with the 132, the Westone 4 has a suckout on the upper mid/lower hi region which absolutely rendered some female vocals unlistenable. Shame that had to happen as I really liked the Westone 4's smoothness and detail. The Phonak Audeo 132 on the other hand is a pretty great analytical phone which is absolutely awesome for classical music, if tone colour reproduction is what you're looking for then it really beats the Westone 4 hands down! Though i can understand that the analytical sounding phone might not suit the tastes of others. Good luck in finding your perfect IEM!

Amen to Categg's impressions. Very fair and honest and I fully agree.

Heh I love the W4s for female vocals although the UM3X absolutely destroys it in that category.  Curious about the Phonaks now.