[Trager]

Quote:

Originally Posted by music065 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe if I listened to each model 2 hours, I'd like the Westone's better! Thats the challenging part about picking an IEM. Heh. Have to listen to each one a week. Or a year. Then decide. right.

That's the conclusion I came to a while back... I buy all my phones from places I can return them to within 2 weeks to a month. Give 'em my full attention for at least a week, then start mixing my ER-4P phones back into the mix.

 

[geardoc]

It seems like I've had to grow into almost every upgrade I've made, from earbuds on up. The HD650's sounded bad (hollow) when I first got them. Triplefi's and E500's sounded thin. ER4's sounded like an AM radio, the RS-1's harsh, etc. Now I love all of these. I've learned not to trust first impressions.

Is my experience unusual?

 

[verticalforce]

I'm evil, but i'm glad they aren't that much better than E500.

If they are, the upgraditis disease will probably strike me once more!

 

[breseler]

I listened to these at MacWorld and I found them very close in sound to the E500 - a friend felt they were more bassy than the E500.
They didn't have the final finish on them but if they price them below the E500 then they could be a good option.

 

[pearljam5000]

glad to read your post.
i auditioned some high end headphones(GS-1000,RS-1,K-701) for the first time a few days ago and felt they sounded BAD.
i liked AKG K-26p for than the K-701,which is just odd considering the price differnce between the two.
with speakers this has never happned to me,so i guess first impressions with headphones are not a true indication of their SQ.
Quote:

Originally Posted by geardoc /img/forum/go_quote.gif It seems like I've had to grow into almost every upgrade I've made, from earbuds on up. The HD650's sounded bad (hollow) when I first got them. Triplefi's and E500's sounded thin. ER4's sounded like an AM radio, the RS-1's harsh, etc. Now I love all of these. I've learned not to trust first impressions. Is my experience unusual?

 

[vo328]

Quote:

Originally Posted by geardoc /img/forum/go_quote.gif It seems like I've had to grow into almost every upgrade I've made, from earbuds on up. The HD650's sounded bad (hollow) when I first got them. Triplefi's and E500's sounded thin. ER4's sounded like an AM radio, the RS-1's harsh, etc. Now I love all of these. I've learned not to trust first impressions. Is my experience unusual?

No... your experience is not at all unusual. I've found that most of the headphones I immediately liked were a little bright, and after some time, fatiguing. The ones that that were good, but not outstanding right away, tended to be the ones that were my long-term keepers. I think one really has to spend a good chunk of times on headphones to really find the ones that suit them best.

 

[geardoc]

I went ahead and pre-ordered the 3's. Aside from the need to demo them for weeks is the fact that they address the most annoying thing about my E500's - the cable with a plug near shoulder level.

 

[Trager]

Hey, it could be worse... it could be the looooooong and microphonic ER-4 cable. I think that's the biggest reason I've gone to the SE310 while I'm waiting for my Westones to arrive.

 

[geardoc]

As long as Westone doesn't make some major goof-up, they'll have to be my favorite triple drive. Whats the competition, Triplefi's IGOR buds, or the E500's gimmicky PTH marketing ploy?

I just wish they kept the clear look of the UM2s instead of saying "me-too, I can make a dark IEM just like my competitors". Well, maybe all three do some sort of market survey to decide that dark is the most popular color scheme, but I doubt the survey is done on audiophiles. Otherwise we would have heard about it at head-fi, right?

 

[Trager]

Well, I wouldn't mind trying a pair of those Shure marketing ploys, anyway. I really like the look of the Westone 3 phones, I just hope the sound works for me.