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Bad News / Good News / Bad News - New IEM Time!!

post #1 of 37
2/10/12 at 9:03am
Thread Starter 
Bad News: After 6 years and a few months of faithful devoted service, the left earpiece on my Westone UM2 is starting to go. Or rather the cable is. Can get it to work if I move my head in a certain direction or have the wire "floating" out rather than routed behind the ear as intended, but it is on the way out frown.gif

Good News: The promise to myself to venture into top-end universal IEM territory is finally happening biggrin.gif

Bad News: Wallet hurt


As the top Audio-Technica IEM's cannot be sourced in my part of the world without importing (and also no eBay account), the obvious and unadventurous choice would be the Westone UM3X. Or could go crazy and try the Monster Turbine Pro Copper. Just because. Actually as you cannot buy replacement tips for Monsters, how do the tips withstand baths?

cool.gif
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post #2 of 37
2/10/12 at 9:19am

Actually you can buy monster tip replacements through the likes of iheadphones and amazon.  The monster sound is a very different one to the westone one (which is fair enough, considering ones a ba and the others dynamic).  Whilst not having heard the um2 I have heard both the Turbines and the westone 2.  Didn't like the bass in the turbines much.  Tended to drown out the detail so you ended up turning the volume up to hear which just resulted in a headache!

 

Cheers.

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post #3 of 37
2/10/12 at 12:09pm
Thread Starter 
You are correct and Amazon UK indeed stock SuperTips sampler pack, found only after a more specific search string!

My only intended headphone-related purchase in the near future was to buy a spare HD650 cable to plug into the HD600 and compare to satisfy curiosity. C'est la vie
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post #4 of 37
2/20/12 at 11:47am
Thread Starter 

Got this reply from the (official and exclusive) Westone EU distributor to my enquiry

 

Quote:

Dear ----,

 

Thanks for contacting us.

The amazaon UK dealer is not authorised ( is mentioned on the black list of the westone website as well)

Westone music products are available from us direct ( www.inears.com)  or via the following UK resellers:

 

Handheld audio

Iheadphones

MP3 audio

Hifi headphones

 

Let me know if you need further assistance.


kindest regards

 

-----

Variphone Benelux

 

Now for the life of me I have no idea what this mp3audio webstore is? Google is no help. Anyone know?

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post #5 of 37
2/20/12 at 1:00pm

A quick google search indeed does not turn up any ideas.  However I've had good experiences with the other three so I wouldn't worry. For some reason though the westone prices have jumped by about £20-30 to what they were which is a bummer. 

 

If you want to see if you can save cash you could always try ordering from somewhere like earphonesolutions.com as well. though you may have to pay import tax if your package gets intercepted.  Though I hear they will/do mark it down to avoid.

 

Cheers.


Edited by davidcotton - 2/20/12 at 1:02pm
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post #6 of 37
2/20/12 at 4:13pm

Hmm, why not buy it in a specialized headphone store? blink.gif

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post #7 of 37
3/1/12 at 1:10pm
Thread Starter 

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidcotton View Post

A quick google search indeed does not turn up any ideas.  However I've had good experiences with the other three so I wouldn't worry. For some reason though the westone prices have jumped by about £20-30 to what they were which is a bummer. 

 

If you want to see if you can save cash you could always try ordering from somewhere like earphonesolutions.com as well. though you may have to pay import tax if your package gets intercepted.  Though I hear they will/do mark it down to avoid.

 

Cheers.


Have since found out the url is kstechnology aka hifiheadphones(!)

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by issuzark View Post

Hmm, why not buy it in a specialized headphone store? blink.gif


Not sure which country you are in but brick and mortar IEM retailers are a rare breed and mostly limited to select cities in USA and SE Asia.

 

Actually handheldaudio in North London do rentals of IEM and am reliably informed, demoes too. But their prices versus the competition is high and also less choice.

 

 

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post #8 of 37
3/1/12 at 4:28pm

True that. Thinking back, I really have Jaben to thank for making everything easier when it comes to purchasing stuff. D:

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post #9 of 37
3/2/12 at 7:38am

just a little heads-up:
Handheld audio (HHA) are a brilliant company with excellent customer service.

 

Had bought my W2's from there and when i had a problem, they addressed it and replaced my W2's with no problem.

 

As for your question:
One thing you might notice is a bigger bas impact with the MTP's

I can't speak for the MTPC's but the MTPG's had much more bass emphasis

 

Also, another thing, the detail wouldn't be the same as on the westone's, as in that excellent sound separation.

Finally the build quality on the monster's has a lot to be admired....

 

End of the day, depends on how much you liked, or what you would like of (more or less of):
If you were really happy with the Westone's - i suggest, stick to your guns and go the logical way up.

 

Before you do so though, you can demo all the westone's over at HHA -> as long as you can get there.

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post #10 of 37
3/12/12 at 2:23pm
Thread Starter 

Ended up visiting Hifi Headphones HQ:

 

6830842492_5b0c2bf4c0.jpg

 

And went home with:

 

6976974785_d349b1a035.jpg

 

blink.gif


Edited by LFC_SL - 3/14/12 at 3:58pm
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post #11 of 37
3/13/12 at 8:24am

Bass-light then :)

Congratz

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post #12 of 37
3/14/12 at 4:18am

What happened to the customs??? : O

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post #13 of 37
3/14/12 at 12:21pm
Thread Starter 

Based on *initial* impressions only, the PFE 232 with black filter seems to add that "thickness" to the bottom end that underscores the sound signature present in the Westone sound signature
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Totally Dubbed View Post

Bass-light then :)

Congratz

Thanks. Have been a member since 2005 and this site has exploded in growth. If I have learned anything it is that perception and taste is only ever personal to the individual. Not least of all after those considerations, it may not even be possible to describe what something sounds like [to you]. With all those important points in mind

(a) Halve of members have not demoed the top tier IEMs and what they post is hearsay; i.e. they retype what others have experienced. For the points identified above, that is unfortunate

(b) Of those that have listened to a selection of, or all the top tier IEMs, they have not been able to do side-by-side comparisons. Fact of life you sell an expensive discretionary purchase for more important things or maybe to fund another IEM purchase

 

With the caveat it is my personal opinion only, my rather lengthy post explains why I believe the Shure SE535 bass is fine and rather what the Westone sound signature does is *add* extra bass. Currently the theme on Head-fi is to describe the SE535 as lacking bass. My contribution to the discussion is simply to approach from an alternative view

 

 

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post #14 of 37
3/14/12 at 3:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LFC_SL View Post

Based on *initial* impressions only, the PFE 232 with black filter seems to add that "thickness" to the bottom end that underscores the sound signature present in the Westone sound signature
 

Thanks. Have been a member since 2005 and this site has exploded in growth. If I have learned anything it is that perception and taste is only ever personal to the individual. Not least of all after those considerations, it may not even be possible to describe what something sounds like [to you]. With all those important points in mind

(a) Halve of members have not demoed the top tier IEMs and what they post is hearsay; i.e. they retype what others have experienced. For the points identified above, that is unfortunate

(b) Of those that have listened to a selection of, or all the top tier IEMs, they have not been able to do side-by-side comparisons. Fact of life you sell an expensive discretionary purchase for more important things or maybe to fund another IEM purchase

 

With the caveat it is my personal opinion only, my rather lengthy post explains why I believe the Shure SE535 bass is fine and rather what the Westone sound signature does is *add* extra bass. Currently the theme on Head-fi is to describe the SE535 as lacking bass. My contribution to the discussion is simply to approach from an alternative view

 

 

 

what an elegant post that was :O!

First of all I salute you for your post

Secondly for being a member since 2005 - god dayme!

Thirdly I whole heartedly agree about each others tastes and jumping to conclusions.

 

That said - when I buy earphones, I don't sell them because I need to fund something else - I sell them because I found "better" or more worth their price :)

The thing I won't understand is people saying the se535's are bassy or have enough bass - especially for ANY basshead out there -> it would be greatly misleading.
 

 

 

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post #15 of 37
3/14/12 at 4:06pm
Thread Starter 

Seems only the first photo linked to Flickr so peeps can read about my reports of the day if they so wish. Both photos should now link
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Totally Dubbed View Post

The thing I won't understand is people saying the se535's are bassy or have enough bass - especially for ANY basshead out there -> it would be greatly misleading.


Not something I would disagree with. What I am saying is simply that based on personal experience with some really, really nice home DACs readjusting my thinking about audio reproduction, the SE535 bass is fine. Rather other IEM manufacturers add extra bass. Accordingly my thinking is it is more accurate to say other manufacturers are bass-heavier, rather than to say the SE535 are bass-light. It's not as pedantic as it sounds because of the difference in emphasis

 

As an example, the Denon's in your profile are bass-heavy and biased accordingly. You can of course like them, but I would not use that as justification to call other headphones bass-light. I have come to the same thinking about the Westone signature

 

To give further background I sold the old Shure E4G after buying the Westone UM2, so not as if anaemic bass is an alien concept


Edited by LFC_SL - 3/14/12 at 4:08pm
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