Amazing post. That really helped put into perspective the issues people have with coloration- what tastes good to someone can be too sweet for someone else..excellent analogy! I would love to hear the SE846 given the solid bass, but I would hate to hear something I liked better than my W4R I...

So if I'm understanding correctly, if someone likes their audio to have emphasized lows, they're a bass head. Yet, if they like the sound to be cold, analytical, and with extended treble, they're an audiophile?

Still hoping you could elaborate on this. To make a distinction between "neutral" and "natural" carries the implication that something that sounds neutral doesn't sound the way it normally would if played live in real life. Further, isn't it the goal of audiophiles to hear the music the way it...

How can something sound balanced but not neutral?

It's a little unreasonable to compare full size speakers with tiny little IEMs, but I tend to get hung up on what people refer to as "reference" sound from IEM's. It seems that by definition, "reference" should mean essentially what the music would sound like as if it were being played live in...

Just received both my E11 amp and the W4R today, and after just a few hours of listening, WOW.  Any fear of the W4R not having enough bass has been completely alleviated.  Now I understand what everyone means when they say the bass isn't forward, but definitely present.  Even without the amp or...

Of course I see your post AFTER I commit to purchasing the W4R last night.... What you've said about the UM3X really makes me wish I could try them concurrently, because it seems those, as well as the W3 and W4R, each do something that I like- W3 for bass impact, UM3X for clear mids, and W4R...

Well that made up my mind.  There was only a $70 difference between the W3's and W4R's at EarphoneSolutions.  Notwithstanding the cable issue, I'm not sure how appealing I would find the extended treble of the W3 after awhile since I actually like the rolled off highs of the Shures.  Since the...

Ugh I was afraid of that! I was really hoping to go with removable cables this time around, but if those are closer to the signature I'm looking for I guess that's it.   Would the amp help round out the bottom end of the W4R at all?

After stepping back and evaluating exactly what I'm looking for, I've come to these conclusions:   - I like the overall sound and clarity of my SE310 and appreciate the mids, but the bottom end is lacking.  From what I've read, headphones that emphasize the mids may be described as having an...

Ah I think I'm starting to understand. One more question- coming from the SE310 with it's "tuned bass port", is there any chance that I would be disappointed in the quantity of bass with either W4 or SE535?  Also, I've seen multiple references to the W4 as having a "mid bass hump".  Does this...

Thanks for the insight! I think I should specify that I don't intend to use any special equipment beyond the IEM's and my iPod/iPhone, but I would be open to a cable upgrade eventually so long as it doesn't compromise the portability (too thick or too inflexible to fold). Forgive my ignorance...

I currently have SE310's, and they are my only point of reference.  The cables are shot, so it's time to upgrade.  I'm looking for an IEM that retains the detailed mids of my SE310's, but has a little more bass impact- nothing on the level of being bass-centric, but a little more "boom" in the...

Hello,   After six years, I believe the cable is starting to go on my SE310's.  Not wanting to be out another pair of $250+ IEM's for want of a cheap cable, I've decided that whatever I choose as a replacement must have a replaceable cable.   I'm sure this will be quite limiting, and so far...