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vocalist said:

I'm totally looking for sound preference - I tossed on the "2 vs 4 drivers" to get it out of the way because I figured someone, somewhere would say it was an unfair comparison.  I've actually been using the P-series in my right ear and the regular (what exactly are the different comply tips?) in my left ear.  I tried them with the Shures and I can't do it.  The only eartips that work on the Shures is the medium soft silicone.  Anything else either sticks far out or hurts like hell.  I'm trying to like the olives but I'm having issues with them as well.  This leads my to believe that while I might like the signature of the 535, the fit might turn me completely away from it. 
 
I'd like to hear more about the UM3X vs the W4 - SQ wise.

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There is 5 main reasons as to why I just don't like shure.  I love their sound, they make a great earphone.  I've had the 425, the 315, and even the 215.  
1. The cables are MASSIVE and LONG.
2. The fit is Painful.  The housings are so large that they stretch my ears out beyond belief.(I did like the shure olives, but I take a larger liking to the comply P-series.)
3. The 3.5mm jack is MONSTROUS. How am I supposed to use that with my iphone when I am using a case.
4. The price you pay for a triple driver in ear without a 3-way crossover is ridiculous.  the w4 with the a 3-way crossover, a removable cable, with 2 woofers, 1 mid, and 1 high is still cheaper than the SE535.
 
I don't mean to sound like I am bashing shure.  But the ergonomics is a huge turn-off for me.

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delladood said:

 
I don't mean to sound like I am bashing shure.  But the ergonomics is a huge turn-off for me.

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Well it does sound like you're bashing.
 
And ergonomics is purely personal. As I said, anything not custom-molded is going to be hit-or-miss.
 
But I agree, they could revise their pricing: SE425 and SE535 could do with a 20% cut down. SE215 has amazing value for price though.

flatnine said:

When I think bright, I think about my Grado S325si's. They were bright, even fatiguing. The Ety's weren't bright in the same sense, although I do remember that the clarity and separation were such that a searing guitar solo in the upper freqs could make you grab for the volume quickly. I prefer rolled off highs. Comparatively, my W4R's are much easier to listen to, and I agree, darker. I guess dark or warm is a relative thing. Like saying that at 6 feet 2 inches, I am tall. Well yes, but among pro basketball players, I'd be small-ish.

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Well, dark and warm don't usually have to be related. The SE535 is bright, but it's warm. The Sony XBAs are dark, but cold.

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tienbasse said:

Well it does sound like you're bashing.

 
And ergonomics is purely personal. As I said, anything not custom-molded is going to be hit-or-miss.
 
But I agree, they could revise their pricing: SE425 and SE535 could do with a 20% cut down. SE215 has amazing value for price though.

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Like I said! I absolutely love the sound signature. its a gorgeous sound, but the price and the not so good fit for me:/ 

An earphone with 2 drivers (1 Dynamic driver and 1 BA driver) can be alot better then an earphone with 4 BA drivers.
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vocalist said:

 
 
I'm really curious about the UM3X - especially after reading your review.  The biggest thing I've learned is that you really just have to try things and figure out what you do/don't like.  You could hate something - I could love it. 
 
I'm currently trying the SE425 vs the W4.  I realize it's not a totally fair comparison - 2 drivers to 4 but I wanted to try the "Shure vs Westone" sound signature.  I figured it would give me an indication of sound/fit if I chose to go for the 535 over the 4.  The olives were a complete PITA to get off and it took two sessions in the freezer to do it without snapping the nozzle.  The Shure's do insert deeper which gives me better isolation but the connector does not fit with my iPhone 4S case which annoys me. I also got some weird interference or connection issue last night but it hasn't happened since.  Because of the deep insertion, I can tell that I have iem's in whereas with the W4 it virtually dissapears and you feel nothing.  I would say they are both very comfortable.   That's all I'm going to comment on at the moment as it's going to take some more listening to give impressions between the two.  I will say that I'm getting more impressed with the W4 although I agree with delladood's impression above.  I'll try and write down my thoughts and then post them a little later.

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bmiamihk said:

An earphone with 2 drivers (1 Dynamic driver and 1 BA driver) can be alot better then an earphone with 4 BA drivers.

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where is your source behind that???  Not to say that it isn't true. but still.

Source well my ears. I have an earphone with a 13.5 MM dynamic driver with one BA driver and it blows the W4 away. Hybrid earphones are out there and they have an interesting sound. By using a real driver like a woofer that actually allows you to feel the bass and the air with it while having a BA driver to reproduce the mids and highs.
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delladood said:

where is your source behind that???  Not to say that it isn't true. but still.

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bmiamihk said:

Source well my ears. I have an earphone with a 13.5 MM dynamic driver with one BA driver and it blows the W4 away. Hybrid earphones are out there and they have an interesting sound. By using a real driver like a woofer that actually allows you to feel the bass and the air with it while having a BA driver to reproduce the mids and highs.

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nice nice! what earphone is it btw!!?? I'm interested to hear what it is honestly lol.  My UM3X provides plenty of punchy rumble.

I have the W3 and yes it has bass but a dynamic drive will provide another kind of bass. I do like the W3. The earphone I am talking about is not made now but was some years ago. It is the Ultimate ears 5 Pro EB. Has to say EB for extended bass. You can look into the UM Merlins which has a dynamic driver with 4 BA Drivers!!!!!!!!
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delladood said:

nice nice! what earphone is it btw!!?? I'm interested to hear what it is honestly lol.  My UM3X provides plenty of punchy rumble.

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bmiamihk said:

I have the W3 and yes it has bass but a dynamic drive will provide another kind of bass. I do like the W3. The earphone I am talking about is not made now but was some years ago. It is the Ultimate ears 5 Pro EB. Has to say EB for extended bass. You can look into the UM Merlins which has a dynamic driver with 4 BA Drivers!!!!!!!!

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if I had 800USD to blow... I would. I'm more into universals anyway.

Understood, I am poorer now then I have been in the past 25 yrs but I have been blowing my money trying to get the right sound. Universals are great especially putting them in and out of my ear and on the go. But a custom earphone will blow any universal away in terms of Isolation, SQ and details.
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delladood said:

if I had 800USD to blow... I would. I'm more into universals anyway.

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Quote:

delladood said:

There is 5 main reasons as to why I just don't like shure.  I love their sound, they make a great earphone.  I've had the 425, the 315, and even the 215.  
1. The cables are MASSIVE and LONG.
2. The fit is Painful.  The housings are so large that they stretch my ears out beyond belief.(I did like the shure olives, but I take a larger liking to the comply P-series.)
3. The 3.5mm jack is MONSTROUS. How am I supposed to use that with my iphone when I am using a case.
4. The price you pay for a triple driver in ear without a 3-way crossover is ridiculous.  the w4 with the a 3-way crossover, a removable cable, with 2 woofers, 1 mid, and 1 high is still cheaper than the SE535.
 
I don't mean to sound like I am bashing shure.  But the ergonomics is a huge turn-off for me.

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I have to absolutely agree with number 2 and 3 above.  I think the cable causes a fit issue - at least for me.  Once I get the earpieces situated the cables feel like they are so heavy they pull them right back out.  That's annoying, to say the least.  At first I really liked that the cables moved but in the end I found it led to more issues with getting a proper fit/seal. I really didn't find the length to be much more troublesome than the W4 although I can see the weight being an issue.
 
I did some more comparing tonight and at this point, I'm a Westone fan.  The biggest plus for the W4 is the fit as they are much more comfortable than the 425. I love that I feel nothing in my ears when I'm wearing them and that I don't feel a residual or phantom feeling once I take them out.  The Shure Olives work pretty well and help immensely with the isolation.  Musically, I feel like the W4 has a little more weight to it than the 425 and for some reason, I feel like the W4's soundstage is a little larger, or at least more open.  Then again, I think soundstage is a little harder to get a grasp on with iem's IMHO. Vocals are beautiful and guitars sound pretty true though I could admit the Shures might have a slight - and I do mean slight - edge.  With opera/classical it sounds like you're sitting in the hall watching the show.  I think, for now, the other iem I'd love to hear is the UM3X.  Would I send the W4 back to get the UM3X? Probably not.  If I find a good deal in the for sale section I might snag them at some point.  The only thing I'm contemplating is sending the W4 back to get the 4R but if it doesn't make much of a difference, I suppose it doesn't matter.  For the most part, I don't feel like I lose anything quality wise if I need/want to turn the volume down.  On the UE600 I had I could barely put the volume 1-2 notches over 0 and it felt so loud.  The only thing I'm not 100% sure on is the decay on the W4. Correct me if I'm wrong as I'm still learning - there seems to be a little more reverb than normal?
 
It's been a really long day so I probably haven't written everything down as analytical as I'd like but perhaps I'll take the time to write up a full review when I do have more time.  For now, those are some of my thoughts. I wish I could write more about the 425's but the fit kind of prevents a proper listening so I don't know if I could do them justice.

535,and the W4 dont have any woofers they have hearing aid drivers.
Quote:

vocalist said:

I have to absolutely agree with number 2 and 3 above.  I think the cable causes a fit issue - at least for me.  Once I get the earpieces situated the cables feel like they are so heavy they pull them right back out.  That's annoying, to say the least.  At first I really liked that the cables moved but in the end I found it led to more issues with getting a proper fit/seal. I really didn't find the length to be much more troublesome than the W4 although I can see the weight being an issue.
 
I did some more comparing tonight and at this point, I'm a Westone fan.  The biggest plus for the W4 is the fit as they are much more comfortable than the 425. I love that I feel nothing in my ears when I'm wearing them and that I don't feel a residual or phantom feeling once I take them out.  The Shure Olives work pretty well and help immensely with the isolation.  Musically, I feel like the W4 has a little more weight to it than the 425 and for some reason, I feel like the W4's soundstage is a little larger, or at least more open.  Then again, I think soundstage is a little harder to get a grasp on with iem's IMHO. Vocals are beautiful and guitars sound pretty true though I could admit the Shures might have a slight - and I do mean slight - edge.  With opera/classical it sounds like you're sitting in the hall watching the show.  I think, for now, the other iem I'd love to hear is the UM3X.  Would I send the W4 back to get the UM3X? Probably not.  If I find a good deal in the for sale section I might snag them at some point.  The only thing I'm contemplating is sending the W4 back to get the 4R but if it doesn't make much of a difference, I suppose it doesn't matter.  For the most part, I don't feel like I lose anything quality wise if I need/want to turn the volume down.  On the UE600 I had I could barely put the volume 1-2 notches over 0 and it felt so loud.  The only thing I'm not 100% sure on is the decay on the W4. Correct me if I'm wrong as I'm still learning

- there seems to be a little more reverb than normal?
 
It's been a really long day so I probably haven't written everything down as analytical as I'd like but perhaps I'll take the time to write up a full review when I do have more time.  For now, those are some of my thoughts. I wish I could write more about the 425's but the fit kind of prevents a proper listening so I don't know if I could do them justice.

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bmiamihk said:

535,and the W4 dont have any woofers they have hearing aid drivers.

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Which part of my post are you commenting on?

4. The price you pay for a triple driver in ear without a 3-way crossover is ridiculous.  the w4 with the a 3-way crossover, a removable cable, with 2 woofers, 1 mid, and 1 high is still cheaper than the SE535. Just a thought that instead of woofers as if they actually move air to say 2 BA Drivers to handle the bass.
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vocalist said:

Which part of my post are you commenting on?

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