Westone Adventure Series Beta High Performance Earphones, 78401

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The Spirited Uncle M surprised me recently by skipping over his usual snarky audio comments with an email that was straight to the point: “Did I ever give you a pair of Westone ear buds to try and review? UM.” My answer was a simple, “Nope.” Two days later the Westone ADV Beta was waiting in my mailbox.

Unboxing
Into camping, hiking, biking, or climbing? Westone is likely to catch your attention if you are with the picturesque images of adventuring that adorn its “Adventure Series” earphones box. The packaging is of nice design and solid construction, on par with the likes of Brainwavz, Beyerdynamic, Shure, and others that put out premium products. Inside, you’ll find everything neatly packed, and when I say everything, I mean there’s a surprising amount of accessories crammed in.

Accessories

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The ADV Beta comes with just about everything you could ever need. Water-resistant rugged travel case: Check. Shirt clip: Check. Ear tips: Check times 10. Yes 10 pairs of tips of various sizes—5 foam varieties and 5 silicone jobbies. Over-the-ear adapters: Check. Zipper pull? Check. Ear wax cleaner? Yep, one of those too. That’s right, a little tool used to dig out any ear wax, or maybe dirt from your adventures, that builds up in the tips or near the driver is included. How thoughtful. Too bad they forgot a little cloth to clean that off with. Anyway, point being, you get a nice assortment of accessories that ensure good fit and performance.

Performance

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As for the performance, I was pleasantly surprised. I typically struggle with earphone fit, BUT a long, narrow tip in both foam and silicone matched up with my ear canal well and I was ready to rock without too much fussing about. I suggest everyone take the time to choose the ear tip that fits best—emphasis on best and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort, and isolation improve greatly when the ideal tip is used. (I prefer foam as it offers more comfort and better isolation than silicone.)

So far, the Westone ADV Beta actually offers my ears the best fit, comfort, and isolation from the earphones I’ve recently tested or reviewed (Brainwavz S0, M1, Blu-100). In fact, they’ll likely replace the M1 that I currently use for travel since the ADV Beta trumps it in fit and feel.

When it comes to sound quality, the ADV Beta can sound a bit lean and glassy straight out of the box depending on the playback device, but this is quickly remedied by adjusting the EQ settings on your device. A bump in the bass and mids, and mellowing out the highs, reveals a really nice listening experience that quickly becomes full-bodied with easy-on-the-ears treble. As for the soundstage, these are earphones, not custom IEMs or full-sized headphones, so the music is very much “in your head” but the better-than-expected balance and instrument separation throughout the dynamic range helps make up for that.

Westone Claims
Westone has been in the audio game for a long time, so it’s to be expected that they will put out a respectable product. The ADV Beta doesn’t necessarily disappoint, but does it live up to “audiophile” sound? Westone claims “Audiophile fidelity” from the ADV Beta’s “Proprietary Extended Range 6.5mm Micro Driver with PST™ (Precision Surface Tuning)” that “delivers sonic accuracy with extended bass.” As I mentioned before, your results will vary. Straight out of the box I think the ADV Beta falls short of such claims, but when you EQ to your taste, you can get a much better performance and push the bass without any annoying buzzing distortion. Are there better options with better fidelity for similar MSRP prices? Probably, but the people interested in these are going to be more concerned with durability and affordable replacement costs over stunning sound in a package that can’t handle the elements an active lifestyle promises.

Some neat and unique features of the ADV Beta include a detachable AWACS reflective cable for visibility in low light; weather-resistant construction to defeat puddles, rain, and sweat; adapters that route the cable up and over your ear for better stability when you’re on the move; and, a swiveling body made from zinc and aluminum for both strength and enhanced fit depending on how you like your cable to fall and the earphone to angle into your ear canal. 

Of note, the cable does have a remote/mic built in, but your functionality may vary. The packaging states compatibility with Apple devices, but not Android. I found that the volume/phone call controls do not work with my Droid Turbo, but I am able to mute the mic and skip/pause songs using the center button, so it’s not completely useless to Android users. My only other gripe with the cable is that it is prone to those annoying sounds that happen when it bumps and rubs against your face and clothes. I recommend using the shirt clip to help remedy this, but completely eliminating it is unlikely.

Bottom Line
Westone has created an interesting product here for the outdoorsy/athletic person that wants good sound and durability at an affordable price. For the $50 you can pick these up for, I think the value is good considering the build quality, fit, and accessories included. Obviously, the build and sound quality is far superior to OEM and cheap consumer earbuds, but a proper EQ is needed to really shine with your device. Out of 5 stars, I’d probably give these a 3. I’d like the cable remote to be Android compatible and a better SQ experience without EQ tweaks, but I still like these enough to put them into use.
 

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Before I start my review, I would like to Thank Westone for providing me with a review sample in exchange for my honest opinion.  Also, I would like to add that my star/value rating is based on their newly discounted price of $49 (though price varies a bit), officially available on Amazon.
 

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I typically review new headphones or upcoming headphone releases, but going to make an exception in this case.  After reviewing a number of Westone W-series and UM-series professional IEMs, a few people brought to my attention a price drop on Westone Adventure Series model ADV Beta that being currently offered for only $49 down from the original $200 msrp price.  I was very impressed with a spec of these in-ear headphones and curious to find out how they sound.  Considering there are hardly any available on-line reviews, I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to shed some light on this less known Westone product.  Here is what I found.
 
While most of you are probably familiar with Westone legendary W- and UM- series of Balanced Armature multi-driver IEMs (ranging from single to six driver designs), they also offer ADV series – an Adventure Series for active lifestyle.  This series has two models, Alpha and Beta, both sharing the same 6.5mm dynamic micro driver, removable reflective heavy duty cable + remote, and ipx-3 weather resistant rating.  They also share the same accessory package, including premium Westone eartips and a heavy duty case.  From the looks, the difference is mostly in the shape of the shell and the fitment: over ear, more traditional with Alpha and wire up/down barrel style with Beta.  Furthermore, their unibody design uses a different shell material: magnesium w/Alpha and zinc w/Beta.  It’s hard to tell about sound difference but considering the same dynamic micro driver and metal body with a narrow nozzle I have a feeling sound is going to be similar as well.  Thus, if you are looking into Westone Adventure Series, currently you have a choice of $49 Beta or $149 Alpha.  You do the math and determine which fitment suits your taste better, and I will move on with my review of ADV Beta!
 
My review set didn’t arrive in official manufacturing packaging since it was Westone’s demo unit.  Regardless of that, Westone packaging never disappoints because no matter if it’s their budget or mid-tier or flagship model – they go all the way with a packaging box featuring detailed graphics, complete list of features, and description of accessories.  Though I can’t comment on unboxing experience, I can tell you that accessories are definitely worth Adventure quality.  You get their 5 color coded pairs of silicone STAR eartips with each color corresponding to a different fitment size, and also 5 color coded pairs of foam TRU-Fit eartips in 5 different sizes.  These are the same premium eartips you will find with W- and UM- series of Westone IEMs, and you also get a cleaning tool since the eartips and the nozzle are very narrow (to scoop out the ear wax).  Plus, you get a cable clip, though I personally never use it.
 
Where you see a true adventure spirit is in a round hard shell case shaped like a hockey puck.  The top of the case unscrews and you have a durable plastic strap holding it attached to the bottom part of the case so you don’t lose it on the go.  The case is crush and weather resistant, with a soft touch plastic finish, and roomy enough for Beta with cable and extra eartips.  To be honest, I like this case better than Westone orange “vault” because with that one I always worry about snapping a cable when I close it shut (due to its smaller size).  Overall, ADV case looks to be durable enough to protect your headphones in rough environment.
 
Accessories.
 
 
 
  
 
While Alpha has a more familiar bean-shape design you'll find with W/UM-series, Beta has a small short barrel shell and narrow angled nozzle.  The shell is very durable, has unibody design, and made out of zinc alloy.  Half of the shell toward the back is coated in soft rubber material which enhances the grip when you handle them.  The front of the shell has a large and clear stamped L/R marking to distinguish left/right sides.  You also get a removable cable with a short profile mmcx connector, meaning you can use any universal mmcx connector cable with these, but you can't use the included Westone cable with other mmcx connector IEMs since Westone uses a shorter one.
 
The cable is very durable, and I like how the connector is also coated in a soft rubbery material with a nice strain relief to enhance the grip and single/double dots to distinguish R/L sides.  The fitment of Beta is wire down and wire over the ear, but instead of using a memory wire, they used a soft rubber tubing piece for a more comfortable fitment.  Either with a wire up or down, I found fitment to be great, and depending on eartip selection - outside sound isolation was also decent.  The rest of the cable has a fine braided cloth sheathing jacket with a reflective material to add "visibility" when you are using these in the dark.  In-line remote w/mic is located on the right side, and it features a durable sealed oversized design with multifunction button and iOS volume control.  Multifunction button works with most iOS and Android phones, controlling Play/Pause/Call with a single click, and Track Skip with double/triple clicks.  Cable y-splitter has a slim mold, rubbery, and very durable, and the headphone connector is slim, right angled, and with a good strain relief.
 
Design details.
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 

 
Fitment.
 
  
 
So how do they sound?  ADV Beta has a very pronounced L-shaped sound signature with a strong emphasis on bass, recessed mids, and rolled off treble.  These are definitely not for critical listening, but rather for an active "adventure" lifestyle where durable build and comfortable fitment has a higher priority, or during exercising where you want to keep your pace up with a strong beat.  In terms of staging, their soundstage is slightly below the average in width and a little above the average in depth.  There is not much layering or separation since the emphasis is more on a low end.
 
In more details, low end extends down to a deep sub-bass and has a rather strong mid-bass hump.  Bass is a bit loose and spills into lower mids, overpowering the rest of the spectrum, making sound a bit veiled.  Lower mids are thick, and upper mids are recessed but still clean, though not too clear.  Treble is clean, smooth, and definitely rolled off.  Overall sound is smooth and non-fatigue.
 
Since basshead sound signature is no longer my cup of tea , I wanted to see how ADV Beta will scale up with EQ adjustment.  Actually using it with Galaxy Note 4, I switched to Pop setting (less bass, more upper mids and treble - EQ preset) and found a sound to balance itself out from L-shaped to a more V-shaped, including a more controlled low end.  Basically, ADV Beta sound signature is not a limitation of the driver, but rather a choice of a default tuning.  Bottom line, don't get discouraged if you find bass overpowering the rest of the spectrum, and definitely give EQ or built-in presets a try.  Actually, this felt a bit like a deja vu from my W50 testing.
 
Also, switching to Epic cable tightens up the low end and adds a touch of clarity to upper mids.  The sound still has a rather strong overpowering mid-bass hump, but overall it felt tighter.  Using pure silver cable results in more improvement, but I wouldn't recommend buying $300+ pure silver cable to fix a sound of $49 headphones.  But if you have one in your collection, give it a try.  Even a budget silver-plated cable will contribute to a marginal sound improvement.
 
Conclusion.
 
ADV Beta is definitely not your traditional Westone IEMs tuned for high sound quality, but rather a pair of headphones true to their Adventure Series name designed for performance.  If you look at Beta value priced at $200, I would question if it has the best price/performance ratio, but at $49 they deserve a serious consideration!  You are getting a zinc unibody ipx-3 rated design, a complete set of custom silicone and foam eartips (10 pairs, $15 value in itself), a unique heavy duty case, a detachable cable with mmcx connector and in-line remote/mic, and a basshead tuned 6.5mm dynamic micro-driver that scales up nicely to a more balanced clean sound with EQ tweaking.  At $49 with 2-year warranty it's one heck of a value!