[Evilcalyptic]

[size=8pt][size=medium]So I tried my westone 4s for the first time today, I really expected the box to be a little bigger. Oh well.[/size][/size]
 
[size=8pt][size=medium]Anyway I have been using the Sennheiser IE8 lately a lot, and the monster turbine pro copper. The Coppers really showed me the power of the IE8, it makes the coppers almost seem to be recessed a bit. Total lacking of the detail of the IE8 despite the mid hump.[/size][/size]
 
[size=8pt][size=medium]But back to the 4s, it took me about 30 seconds to figure out how to put them in as it did when I owned the SE530s. But once I got them in, I tested them with some low bitrate metal. Bad idea haha, first thing I noticed, so I scrolled down to some Pink Floyd I have on FLAC (my PC mind you) and pushed play. Holy Hell, these things are ******* BLEEDING emotion. MASSIVE soundstage and Separation between instruments. Very Flat, almost perfect.[/size][/size]
 
[size=8pt][size=medium]Total Different Beast compared to the IE8, Totally different! The Floyd Blew me away. I have to get use to the signature though imp use to the IE8's massive bass.[/size][/size]
 
[size=8pt][size=medium]Idk how you guys feel, but I didn't know these things would be so emotional, better yet I didn't think the IE8 was lacking so much emotion.[/size][/size]
 
 

 

[cn11]

Awesome man, that's so cool to hear they're working that well for you. That's the fun of this hobby, finding that earphone or amp, or source, that hits all the right notes for you. Hope they continue to improve with some listening time to settle the drivers, and maybe you'll get even more improved sound once you land on the ideal eartip. 
 
Enjoy.

 

[Evilcalyptic]

[size=medium]yeah haven't quite found perfection yet, might not settle till I end up with UM miracles.... but it's fun to test them, your right[/size]

 

[crumpler]

I take it you like these then? Welcome to the club!

The W4s have been my faithful companion in daily commute for 3 weeks now. The fit, isolation and sq never fail to amaze me each time i have these on!

 

[Evilcalyptic]

[size=medium]There wonderful but very one sided, I find that the emotion only goes one way, it dazzles and amazes you and makes you feel the power and emotion in a song... when listening to the beatles or pink floyd or anything along those lines. Eleanor Rigby makes you want to cry. BUT it doesn't work well with metal as it cant interpret the anger and aggression very well, it still tries to be like melting butter and love. Unfortunately I listen to a lot of metal.[/size]
 
[size=medium]however the good news is, id use these for everything in-between metal. everything that needs to bleed emotion[/size]

 

[Tronz]

Your next upgrade should be the Westone ES5's, since those are like the W4's on super steroids. 

 

[ubercaffeinated]

 
Quote:

Your next upgrade should be the Westone ES5's, since those are like the W4's on super steroids. 

i'm definitely planning on going the same route for my next upgrade.

 

[Evilcalyptic]

I really want UM's flagship.... but i have been hearing good things about the ES5.... which do you think would be the best option, especially with a lot of deathmetal

 

[Ultrazino]

I agree. The W4 feature the most musical BA drivers I ever got to try!

However, I sometimes need some more bass punch and even greater soundstage. The FX700 does exactly that. I'm very happy with this combo!

 

[Ultrazino]

The W4 is very smooth, yes.

I think the FX700 does best with Metal. It has lots and lots of energy! More than the TF10. I don't think you can get closer to a live experience than that.

 

[Tronz]

Quote:

I really want UM's flagship.... but i have been hearing good things about the ES5.... which do you think would be the best option, especially with a lot of deathmetal

I haven't tried Death Metal with my ES5's, but I wouldn't imagine the ES5's not satisfying you. 
 

 

[Evilcalyptic]

Just compaired my westone 4s with my shure se535s on "Simple Man" Lossess...
 
The westone 4s blow the se535s out of the **** ing water in detail. the only advantage the se535 has is its clean bass which perfer to the IE8s bloated bass.
 
the sound stages are a bit different, i like them both... but with the shures the detail just isnt there.
 
However im sending my 535s to UM for an X8 driver upgrade and reshell. We will see how the W4s fair then.

 

[mvw2]

The concept of emotion mainly has to do with one thing: dynamic range.  To convey emotion through sound, the earphone needs the ability to be both delicate and subtle as well as explosive and powerful.  It needs the breadth in performance simply to mimic the breadth of the performer.  A lack on range or poor performance on either end limits what the earphone can do in recreation.  When comparing earphone to earphone, you will often find that the more emotional ones are the ones that offer a high dynamic range.  
 
On a secondary level, it's helpful to portray subtlety well and have an ability to specifically be delicate and also portray detail and variation during that subtle section.  Good articulation, texturing, decay, and high detail play their roles here.  You need enough thickness to the notes with good decay to offer time to convey variation and details.  You need to be highly textured and articulate to bring through the subtle details and really flesh out the presentation (making it sound real).  It is often a combination of all or at least most of these things that really allow a product to bring forth that emotional context in music and really suck you into the experience.
 
With all of this said, Westone has been pumping out excellent high end products that do very well with most of what I've listed above. I've only used the UM3X personally, so I can't comment on the Westone 4 at all.  I just know that it's hard to go wrong with Westone in terms of the W3, W4, UM3X, and so on.  The dynamics are there.  The decay and texturing is there.  They offer a lot of detail.  You have all the main ingredients to create a very good presentation.  When you look at some other high end earphones like the IE8, Triple.Fi 10, and SE530/SE535 you just don't get quite as many ingredients there to make it fully work.  The IE8 is slightly softened and also is terrible with intimacy.  The Triple.Fi 10 is dynamically limited on both ends, and the thicker notes tend to smooth right over the lighter, finer details.  The SE530 (never used the SE535 personally) has stellar dynamics but is too short on note, squeaky clean but lacking body and texture and sounds almost ghostly in comparison and simply doesn't flesh out the presentation well.  The FX700 was mentioned, and this certainly is a good earphone with good dynamics, good decay, texturing, and all around a lot of the properties you want.  Another I'll toss in there is Final Audio's FI-BA-SB (Heaven S).  This has excellent decay, is highly subtle, and very articulate, however it's quite smooth, articulate but not textured, and quite laid back overall.

 

[Earphonica]

Quote:

The concept of emotion mainly has to do with one thing: dynamic range.  To convey emotion through sound, the earphone needs the ability to be both delicate and subtle as well as explosive and powerful.  It needs the breadth in performance simply to mimic the breadth of the performer.  A lack on range or poor performance on either end limits what the earphone can do in recreation.  When comparing earphone to earphone, you will often find that the more emotional ones are the ones that offer a high dynamic range.  
 
On a secondary level, it's helpful to portray subtlety well and have an ability to specifically be delicate and also portray detail and variation during that subtle section.  Good articulation, texturing, decay, and high detail play their roles here.  You need enough thickness to the notes with good decay to offer time to convey variation and details.  You need to be highly textured and articulate to bring through the subtle details and really flesh out the presentation (making it sound real).  It is often a combination of all or at least most of these things that really allow a product to bring forth that emotional context in music and really suck you into the experience.
 
With all of this said, Westone has been pumping out excellent high end products that do very well with most of what I've listed above. I've only used the UM3X personally, so I can't comment on the Westone 4 at all.  I just know that it's hard to go wrong with Westone in terms of the W3, W4, UM3X, and so on.  The dynamics are there.  The decay and texturing is there.  They offer a lot of detail.  You have all the main ingredients to create a very good presentation.  When you look at some other high end earphones like the IE8, Triple.Fi 10, and SE530/SE535 you just don't get quite as many ingredients there to make it fully work.  The IE8 is slightly softened and also is terrible with intimacy.  The Triple.Fi 10 is dynamically limited on both ends, and the thicker notes tend to smooth right over the lighter, finer details.  The SE530 (never used the SE535 personally) has stellar dynamics but is too short on note, squeaky clean but lacking body and texture and sounds almost ghostly in comparison and simply doesn't flesh out the presentation well.  The FX700 was mentioned, and this certainly is a good earphone with good dynamics, good decay, texturing, and all around a lot of the properties you want.  Another I'll toss in there is Final Audio's FI-BA-SB (Heaven S).  This has excellent decay, is highly subtle, and very articulate, however it's quite smooth, articulate but not textured, and quite laid back overall.

Do you have any experience with the Monster Miles Davis Tributes? And how they compare to the Westone 4's for conveying emotion?

 

[Evilcalyptic]

yeah i know about final audio design's products, however, when spending that much money i might as well just go custom.
 
which is what im doing, in the next cupple of weeks im going for 3 custom pairs to pin up against eachother. upgrades and reshells to my 535 to x8 drivers and my IE8 to x3 drivers and the UM flagship.