[HiFiChris]

  I just bought a DX90 and when paired with the Westone 4 the sound is definitely low-fi... not hifi anymore.
 
On any gain mode and any EQ or no EQ, the sound coming out of the Westone is tinny, there is no punch in the bass, and all the notes are watered down and smeary.
 
On the other hand the DX90 sounds awesome with a pair of Onkyo dynamic cans. ALl the notes are distinct, the bass is tight and punchy, and the music is presented in all its glory as it should be.
 
I checked the Westone 4 on an Android player with PowerAmp and they sound great as usual. I have only burned in the DX 90 for a few hours but this should not be an issue at all since the cans sound so good right?
 
I also found that the L/R balance setting on the DX90 does not totally turn off one channel over the other but just shifts the centre slightly left or right. Is that normal?
 
I use the double flange tips with the Westone 4. Any suggestion would be much appreciated. Maybe time to try new tips?

What source did you use your W4 with before you got the DX90?

 

[Kerouac]

I don't like my Westone 3 very much paired with anything. I think that they just plain suck.

Lol...the shortest and clearest review ever in the history of hf?

 
I keep amazed by the synergy of DX90+V6S. The V6S beats the more expensive Rti1 and 1plus2 straight out of the DX90 imo...

 

[howdy]

I just bought a DX90 and when paired with the Westone 4 the sound is definitely low-fi... not hifi anymore.


 


On any gain mode and any EQ or no EQ, the sound coming out of the Westone is tinny, there is no punch in the bass, and all the notes are watered down and smeary.


 


On the other hand the DX90 sounds awesome with a pair of Onkyo dynamic cans. ALl the notes are distinct, the bass is tight and punchy, and the music is presented in all its glory as it should be.


 


I checked the Westone 4 on an Android player with PowerAmp and they sound great as usual. I have only burned in the DX 90 for a few hours but this should not be an issue at all since the cans sound so good right?


 


I also found that the L/R balance setting on the DX90 does not totally turn off one channel over the other but just shifts the centre slightly left or right. Is that normal?


 


I use the double flange tips with the Westone 4. Any suggestion would be much appreciated. Maybe time to try new tips?

 

I think the Sabre DACs benefit from bassier head phones IMO! I like the DX90 with my VMODA M100 and my JVC HA-FX850. I think something like the Westone 4 would benefit more from a Wolfson WM8740 DAC. This is preference anyway.

 

[jamato8]

  Lol...the shortest and clearest review ever in the history of hf?

 

I thought it was pretty funny to. Clear and to the point, no messing around! :^)

 

[159650]

hahaha
 
thanks I guess?
 
anyway, let me elaborate why I dislike my W3. 
 
1. Highs roll off
2. Bass is bloated
3. Muddled mids
 
Lack detail and clarity from pairs expected of its price range. Lack resolution
Bass isn't tight. Just boomy. Warm for BAs, but not in a good way.
 
Sound less enjoyable overall than my Brainwavz Delta....which I got for free. 
 
I know I am being harsh. But they're supposed to be 500 dollar earphones. I'd take my Havi B3 Pro over these hands down. 

 

[shane55]

I like the pairing of the DX90 with my W4's. They are fairly musical. But I use a 33ohm resistor. Without that, the W4 has serious roll-off of the highs. (Probably similar to Kwangsun's W3's).
 
But I also find the DBA-02 to be great with the DX90... if not better than the W4. They are bright and clean.
 
I've used the DX90 with my ATH-M50's a lot, and that is extremely good, as it is with my Denon D7k's.
 
In sum, I find the DX90 to be very neutral, and therefore good with any cans I already like with neutral sources...

 

[HiFiChris]

I guess that' the reason why @wyvernone  doesn't  like his W4 with the DX90: the device he used before has got a rather high output resistance which causes gentle treble boosting at around 2.5kHz and 5kHz whereas the DX90 has got a pretty darn low resistance close to 0 Ohms leaving the W4's original frequency response untouched resulting in the typical W4 sound.
You could try attaching the volume attenuator thing that came with your W4 - it is basically a variable resistor.

 

[Djinnenjous]

  I just bought a DX90 and when paired with the Westone 4 the sound is definitely low-fi... not hifi anymore.
 
On any gain mode and any EQ or no EQ, the sound coming out of the Westone is tinny, there is no punch in the bass, and all the notes are watered down and smeary.
 
On the other hand the DX90 sounds awesome with a pair of Onkyo dynamic cans. ALl the notes are distinct, the bass is tight and punchy, and the music is presented in all its glory as it should be.
 
I checked the Westone 4 on an Android player with PowerAmp and they sound great as usual. I have only burned in the DX 90 for a few hours but this should not be an issue at all since the cans sound so good right?
 
I also found that the L/R balance setting on the DX90 does not totally turn off one channel over the other but just shifts the centre slightly left or right. Is that normal?
 
I use the double flange tips with the Westone 4. Any suggestion would be much appreciated. Maybe time to try new tips?

All I can say about this is that I had someone loan me a pair of Westone 4Rs to test before I committed to a purchase and I hated them.  I cannot believe they retail for even half of what they do.  The sound felt microwaved, nor just warm; the bass was smothering and dense, and everything felt smeared to me as well.  Given that they were the first pair of Westones I've ever tried and I've heard a lot of good things about their IEMs it's left me very ambivalent.  On one hand, maybe this one particular IEM and its specific tuning just didn't click for me and I'd love something else they make.  On the other, the W4Rs did nothing to inspire future curiosity.

EDIT: The only source I used with these IEMs was a fully burned-in DX90.  All files were ALAC CD rips.

 

[xaddictionx]

I don't think that the W4 is bad in any ways. Just that it is source picky and does require an additional resistor or a cable change. I have paired my W4 (stock cable) with DX50 and X3 before and all i can say it does not impress me. The pairing with DX50 wasn't bad but it's kind of boring with a slight mid bass bump and veiling over the lower mids. With pairing against the X3 it gets too warm and mid bass bloated resulting in heavy veiling. DX90 wise i haven't got a chance to test it out but W4 does benefit with an external amp and cable change. Probably pairing it with X5 or DX90 will yield better listening experience.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

I didn't like W60 with DX90, but the W60 did have the most amazing timbre to its mids and bass, unfortunately I found treble timbre off and also the mids were slightly wasted due to not sounding quite as lively as the bass and treble.
 
Actually is pretty much the same analysis as the sony Z5, fantastic mids and bass, not so great treble, mids wasted due to being less lively than bass and treble. If W60 and Z5 fixed those two flaws they would be world beater iems, I can imagine it, simply phenomenal.

 

[Caruryn]

I also didn't like the pairing of the dx90 with either of the shures se846 or se535.Not bad per se,merely ok.They sounded roughly the same apart from the better clarity of se846 and a deeper bass although i wasn't too impressed with the kinda one note  bass definition.I have yet to find a better pairing for the dx90 as far as universals go other than ie800.Everything just clicks:treble,clarity,bass definition and detail,soundstage and oh so musical

.
 
What someone new to the hobby can take from all the above posts is that it's not sufficient  to just spend money on expensive gear,you must do alot of research and see what iem/headfone matches with what source,dap/amp.

 

[wyvernone]

  I like the pairing of the DX90 with my W4's. They are fairly musical. But I use a 33ohm resistor. Without that, the W4 has serious roll-off of the highs. (Probably similar to Kwangsun's W3's).
 
But I also find the DBA-02 to be great with the DX90... if not better than the W4. They are bright and clean.
 
I've used the DX90 with my ATH-M50's a lot, and that is extremely good, as it is with my Denon D7k's.
 
In sum, I find the DX90 to be very neutral, and therefore good with any cans I already like with neutral sources...

 
 

  I guess that' the reason why @wyvernone  doesn't  like his W4 with the DX90: the device he used before has got a rather high output resistance which causes gentle treble boosting at around 2.5kHz and 5kHz whereas the DX90 has got a pretty darn low resistance close to 0 Ohms leaving the W4's original frequency response untouched resulting in the typical W4 sound.
You could try sttaching the volume attenuator thing that came with your W4 - it is basically a variable resistor.

 
Thanks both for the great pointer. My previous source is an Archos 43it and the W4 are a great match for it.
 
The Onkyo DP-300 cans that give very nice well defined sound with the DX90 has 32 ohm impedance. I found that the W4 also has 32 ohm but being a BA makes it finicky with the source.
 
From the impedance/resistors pointers by you guys and digging around a bit I found this reference article blog http://rinchoi.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/westone-4.html.
 
I dialed in an extra 100 ohm impedance on the volume attenuator and what a difference that makes to the sound from W4 with the DX90. Now that's more like it!

 
I was afraid it the W4 will ruin the DX90 experience just like I had very bad experience years ago with a pair of Shure SE530 which I didn't like at all and couldn't cope with.
 
Anyone find that the line-out can give loud pop on the external amp with turning the DX90 off?

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

IE800 are next on my iem purchase list

 

[H20Fidelity]

 
What someone new to the hobby can take from all the above posts is that it's not sufficient  to just spend money on expensive gear,you must do alot of research and see what iem/headfone matches with what source,dap/amp.

 
That's correct, you can buy the most expensive DAP and IEM on the market yet it means nothing unless they marry well. 
 
You never know, maybe the guy with $200 IEM and $50 DAP is achieving better results due to the qualitys of synergy.
 
I do not like SE535 with my DX90.
 
IEM that do pair well for me:
 
Fidue A83
Dunu DN-1000
Dunu Titan.

 

[Caruryn]

  IE800 are next on my iem purchase list

Beware of the fakes.Buy from a trusted,authorised seller and avoid those that sell new for $200-300.