New IEMS: Shure SE535 or Westone 4R - Page 4

Quote:

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7 

Well I gave them a listen....

I tried the foam tips that came installed, the silicone triple seals, the large black olives and the large silicone olives. I liked the large silicone olives best because the seal but don't penetrate too deep and sounded best to me. What do you have the best luck with?

I auditioned them using my iMac running decibel through my Grace Design m903 playing some Mapleshade jazz recordings. I A/Bd them with my full sized AKG K702s.

Impressions:

- A taught, precise, detailed sound that portrays a musical and interesting sound stage
- They are more efficient than the AKGs. The amp was set on 65% for the Westones and 80% for AKGs.
- They benefited from the cross-feed circuit

While they are very good, the full sized open designed AKGs sounded much better (airier) and bass resonances seemed more pronounced to my ears. Subtle aspects like legato fingerings or an alto sax exciting the piano strings where more real to me. Perhaps I am not used to IEMs or it's just physics? I also tried a 10 Hz to 200 Hz test tone and found that the Westones got subtly, but perceptibly louder from 70 Hz to 200 Hz where the AKGs did not get louder above 40 Hz.

I am very pleased with them. Perhaps this was not a fair comparison?

:-)

Bob

Bob, personaly, MY best luck ever is with the Westone UM56 custom mold.  Also used... Shure Black Olive (M) - Westone New "Star" Silicone tips (M) - Westone New grayfoamy tips (M) [color coded) - White Tri-Flange (mod) - Sony Hybrid (mod)

W4's is tips dependant! Also, his nozzle is shorter than others, then, don't push tips (stem) to far over it, this will give you more in your ear canal. This will throw you plenty of bass impact! 

Enjoy now,  the best in Universalis IEM (before goto Custom)  [Audeo.Phonak.232, w4r, UM2, UM3Xrc, 535ltd, SM3v2, Fisher...) All these IEM in this toptiers category all merite special listening attention! All have there own personal SoundSig. All depend of the personal taste... of your ears, and of course, your brain!!  If you have the penny, get them all. They will be probably a must in your cans collection  :D       Good luck!  

You can't go wrong with either of them. Some people have fitment issues with the Shures.

I've posted part 1 of 2 535 reviews if anyone is interested:

I'll be putting a written review on the product page here soon as well.

If you are using the 4R check out my EQ settings.  I've based these off of Accudio and I find the settings really help bring out the full quality of the IEM and make it more neutral:

http://handtokey.blogspot.com/2013/02/westone-4r-eq-settings.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by luisdent 

If you are using the 4R check out my EQ settings.  I've based these off of Accudio and I find the settings really help bring out the full quality of the IEM and make it more neutral:

 

http://handtokey.blogspot.com/2013/02/westone-4r-eq-settings.html

Luis,

Thank you for sharing the diagram in here, I appreciate it so much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnSantana 

Luis,

 

Thank you for sharing the diagram in here, I appreciate it so much.

:-)

I got the same problem like you instead im using a Galaxy Note 2 un-amped(but rooted and tweak) and decide to pull the trigger on Westone 4r the reason is after reading/lurking this forum for days there is just so much good review on Westone 4R while comparing to the SE535 and I did manage to demo both using just my phone and W4R blew my mind definitely worth every cent that i spend on it and its my first IEM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meiaen 

I got the same problem like you instead im using a Galaxy Note 2 un-amped(but rooted and tweak) and decide to pull the trigger on Westone 4r the reason is after reading/lurking this forum for days there is just so much good review on Westone 4R while comparing to the SE535 and I did manage to demo both using just my phone and W4R blew my mind definitely worth every cent that i spend on it and its my first IEM

Yeah, I prefer the 4R as well.  However, I really do think the 535 is a good set, but it's very specific to what certain people will like.  For me the only draw back really was the rolled off treble.  If it had as much treble extension as the 4R it would be a much much harder call.  But it does have the rolloff, and for me it's a lot relatively speaking.

I've uploaded a second video on the 535 if anyone is interested.  [Mod Edit: Please embed your videos using the video button. Thanks.]

Am I the only one that actually think SE535 LTD sounds sonically superior than the unemotional W4R? Although W4R is technically superior by having an extra driver which brings to a total of 4s. The sound is very lacking by a mile!

My impression of the W4R is that vocal is very outward and the mids, lows and highs are extremely flat. SE535s is a different story, its vocal push very forward, thus make it very distinctive and crisp. The mids, lows and highs are so crystal clear that it's like coming out of a spring water fountain! (a descriptive way to describe HD sound) No distortion whatsoever!

I love them very much over other IEMs!

I would definitely agree if the special edition has better treble.  The 4r isn't "flat" in the audiophile sense, it's flat in the "sound" sense, which is actually good and bad.  I find the 4r very very smooth and pleasing, but they lack air, liveliness and just plain "flat" reference-ness...  The 535 I had was better to my ears except the treble rolloff.  I had a hard time with that... :-/