[Tom Yum Goong]

I get very great seal with the stock bi-flanges but I may buy some of these Westone Star tips just out of curiosity

 

[aras]

Quote:

Most of the build quality issues I´ve read about have been over the SM3V1. There have been a lot of issues with that model, that I know, but at least my personal subjective impression from browsing SM3 threads is that the V2 seems to hold up better. I may be wrong though. Currently it looks like I´m going to go for SM64 instead of EX1000 as I managed to get a MDR 7550 for 150 euros and I guess the airy & neutral sound signature of the EX1000 is probably not my favorite anyway as a bass monster Sennheiser IE800 fan

Not really. There were several issues with the SM3 v2. The main issue is the way shells are held together. It not well done. I was able to squeeze mine and see the shells moving towards each other. Other users had their shells split up eventually into 2 pieces. Some even tried gluing split shells together but glue leaked in and damaged the components. SM3 thread is full of stuff like these. Cable and connector are great quality though, pretty much same as Westone Epic cable.

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

Quote:

Not really. There were several issues with the SM3 v2. The main issue is the way shells are held together. It not well done. I was able to squeeze mine and see the shells moving towards each other. Other users had their shells split up eventually into 2 pieces. Some even tried gluing split shells together but glue leaked in and damaged the components. SM3 thread is full of stuff like these. Cable and connector are great quality though, pretty much same as Westone Epic cable.

Yeah I suppose that is the weakpoint of the overall design. Maybe the SM4/SM64 or whatever won't have this problem

 

[vrln]

Isn´t the SM64 exactly the same shell except with the lower one being transparent instead of black plastic? Not very promising, but luckily I live in the EU so for me sending them to France is no big deal. Westone would be more difficult to have warranty work done for. The Sony EX1000 and Shure 535 have the best build quality in this price range I guess.

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

Quote:

Isn´t the SM64 exactly the same shell except with the lower one being transparent instead of black plastic? Not very promising, but luckily I live in the EU so for me sending them to France is no big deal. Westone would be more difficult to have warranty work done for. The Sony EX1000 and Shure 535 have the best build quality in this price range I guess.

 
It's exactly like you are saying. I have to admit that I don't really understand why Earsonics did not improve the build design compared to the SM3, but in the end that's not something that would keep me away from buying a second pair if my one breaks
The overall sound is just too good!

 

[feverfive]

Quote:

I get very great seal with the stock bi-flanges but I may buy some of these Westone Star tips just out of curiosity

 
I ordered the Star tips simply b/c I need to try something.  I have weird ears...won't use the right terminology so I'm not even gonna try, but my ear canals themselves aren't all that big, nor long.  But, I need to use large size ear tips, and w/ a housing like SM64, something w/ some length to them.  Right now I'm using the cores from the Comply tips that came w/  my SM64 (I despise foam tips, BTW), w/ large (green) Sony hybrid tips slid onto the Comply cores.  The cores give me the length I need, and the green Sony hybrid, while not quite large enough, do the job of resting up against the entry to my ear canal w/ decent seals.  This is the best sounding ear tip solution I've found so far.  Too bad it's not very comfortable.  I hope the Westone tips work for.  I ordered 5 pairs of the orange...the largest diameter, and the longest length.

 

[muzic4life]

I get very great seal with the stock bi-flanges but I may buy some of these Westone Star tips just out of curiosity

Yes Tom..i think u should try. Just to note..olive eartip from my shure is about +/- 1mm shorter than stock flange. So to some the flangetip might be better seal. For me is ok for the seal. Sound is more important. And i never heard my sm64v1 sound this good before out of my hpp1 (as dac) + RxMk3. Happy trying !

 

[midnightwalker]

Quote:

No Westone and earsonics are not comparable at all (W4 vs. SM3). I have owned both. You will never hear a westone shell splitting in to 2 pieces. It happens quite often with earsonics shells. Just have a look at the the sm3 thread.

Are you sure? Never heard that the SM3s' shells splitted into pieces.

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

Quote:

Are you sure? Never heard that the SM3s' shells splitted into pieces.

 
Into two pieces to be precise The two pieces the whole IEM is made of. I saw one or two pictures.

 

[midnightwalker]

Quote:

 
Into two pieces to be precise The two pieces the whole IEM is made of. I saw one or two pictures.

 
Thank you very much for the clarification. By the way, could you please link me to the picture? I am curious on as I have so many friends are using the SM3 v1/v2 and no one ever experience that issue.

 

[midnightwalker]

Quote:

Yes Tom..i think u should try. Just to note..olive eartip from my shure is about +/- 1mm shorter than stock flange. So to some the flangetip might be better seal. For me is ok for the seal. Sound is more important. And i never heard my sm64v1 sound this good before out of my hpp1 (as dac) + RxMk3. Happy trying !

 
The bi-flange tip is perfect fit to me and the isolation is as good as my JH16. However, I think I should try the Shure olive tip to experience the different  

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

Quote:

 
Thank you very much for the clarification. By the way, could you please link me to the picture? I am curious on as I have so many friends are using the SM3 v1/v2 and no one ever experience that issue.

 
I can't really find a proper image but they can fall apart just like in this picture.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/517579/earsonics-sm3-fall-apart
Just imagine it's the v2

 

[cladane]

True that the tri-flange coming from Westone better fits for me the bi-flange stock tips.
A very accurate and IQ sound when the SM64 are connected to the RxMk3 through the CLAS -dB all balanced (ALO SXC 24 IEM balanced cable) being with an iPod or a W8 computer (Foobar with ASIO drivers).

 

[midnightwalker]

Quote:

True that the tri-flange coming from Westone better fits for me the bi-flange stock tips.
A very accurate and IQ sound when the SM64 are connected to the RxMk3 through the CLAS -dB all balanced (ALO SXC 24 IEM balanced cable) being with an iPod or a W8 computer (Foobar with ASIO drivers).

Could you please give me more details on your combo? I am very interested in that combo: CLAS + RxMk3 + Sm64. Thanks

 

[midnightwalker]

Quote:

 
I can't really find a proper image but they can fall apart just like in this picture.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/517579/earsonics-sm3-fall-apart
Just imagine it's the v2

 
Thanks Tom Yum Goong. I've never seen this before. May be me and my friends are lucky but even the shell was splitted, the owner still get a replacement pair, right? It is obviously not customers' fault.