[Codefox]

I just boarded a flight and after 4 years of faithful listening, I broke my Westone W3s as I sat down. I'm not entirely sure what happened but they are quite broken now.

So now what? I've been so happy with these earphones the past few years I've barely followed the market anymore. Should I look at new Westones? Have we advanced to earphones that transmit music into the brain at this point?

 

[davidcotton]

How broken is broken? If the drivers are ok you could get them reshelled into customs fairly cheaply.

 

[Codefox]

Drivers are undamaged so reshelling is a possibility. I'm not sure I want to go that route for a couple reasons. I might do that in addition to a new pair at least

 

[Hi-Fi'er]

W3's are not worth fixing. They are muddy sounding compared to many offerings out today for same price or less. Research more and you will thank me later.

 

[Codefox]

W3's are not worth fixing. They are muddy sounding compared to many offerings out today for same price or less. Research more and you will thank me later.

Hah, I mean, I loved my W3s but I also don't think it's worth the money to reshell or repair such old earphones. I feel like I'm starting over when it comes to figuring out what I want. I took a look at the MEE Pinnacle P1s but not sure that they're for me. I'm looking for something musical and fun vs analytical.

 

[davidcotton]

Wonder if a pair of universal Custom Art ei3's might suit?

Might help if you put a budget, and location so we know what's available. The current westone w30 seems to be the closet, but has a slightly different more balanced sound from reviews. It seems to have had the bass "hump" taken out.

 

[Codefox]

I'd love to spend $400 or less but for the right set I may be willing to stretch my budget. As for location, I live in the USA so I should be able to get most things easily.

 

[Hi-Fi'er]

P1 are pretty famous, as are a lot in my signature that there are many threads that compare them to others. I would not give a penny to Westone as W3 Ver.1 are a bloated mess compared to a lot of what I have that is way less expensive and way more impressive. If you like fun and cheap look into Final Audio, anything that is in your price bracket are very "fun" like you describe but also very detailed and never harsh. Ostry also are "fun" and detailed but slightly on the hair edge of harsh but it's acceptable.

Look at MassDrop also they have great deals on IEM's also. It's where I got my Final Audio III and love them for the price. I'm in the US also and yes you can get anything these days. Amazon and MassDrop and even on here in the sales thread you can find great deals.

 

[Codefox]

That's a lot of good information since a lot of those names aren't even really familiar to me. I need to read a little more about the P1s because people do seem to just LOVE them and they have a very compelling price. I've also never seen MassDrop before...this could be dangerous 8)

 

[Hi-Fi'er]

That's a lot of good information since a lot of those names aren't even really familiar to me. I need to read a little more about the P1s because people do seem to just LOVE them and they have a very compelling price. I've also never seen MassDrop before...this could be dangerous 8)

Yes. The IEM's in my profile are in order of best to least favorable that covers, all subjects of not sibilant, decent bass, detailed, not bloated, clear and forward midrange. Andromeda's are top and I've seen them go for cheap in sales thread. If you save and get them you will not need or want any other IEM's as they are perfect for me and do it all. All my other one's are collecting dust.

There is a thread called "Rank the IEM's You've Heard" which is great reading to give you a birds eye idea of what is liked by many members.

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/rank-the-iems-youve-heard.454855/page-68#post-12676678

Here is what I gathered from reading and comparing what I have and others ranked to know what to get and or not to get for example:

64 Audio U6 >>>> FLC 8S >= Fischer Audio DBA-02 > Philips Fidelio S2 >> RE400
Westone 3 custom tips >> Westone 3 modded tri-flanges > Westone 3 complys > Phonak Audeo PFE >> Altec Lansing UHP306 > SoundMagicPL30 > Westone 3 single flange tips(Unberiable sibilance, headadge on midbass) >> stock ipod earbuds.
TF10 > RE0 > S4 > ADDIEM > UE SuperFi 4 > V-moda Vibes > Bose IE
Tralucent ref1too > K10= Layla V1 >AK t8ie > Fit ear 334 > ES5 >Um pro 50 >JH16=Andromeda= Jh13 > Roxanne > W60 >Shure 846
Sennheiser ie800 > Westone UM 50 Pro >= Phonak PFE232 > Westone W30 = JVC FX-800 >> CK100 > SE535 LTD >>> Shozy Zero > Klipsch X10 >> Xiaomi Pistons 3 >> MDR AS800AP = Klipsch S4
Technically : shure se1500 (very clean sound ) => heir 10 ( clean ,warm and very musical sound)>>Flare r2 pro ( accurate ) > Roxanne >shure se846 ( fun )
Musical :Heir 10 >shure se1500 > roxanne > shure se846 >flare r2 pro
Vision Ears 5/Empire Ears Zeus > Final Audio Design FI-BA-SS > Kumitate Trio > Ocharaku Flat > Kaede Type 2, > Final Audio Design LAB 1 > Fitear MH335DW > Phonak PFE 232 > Ortofon EQ8 > FLC8S >UE900S
1+2 > ASG 1+ > SM64 >>> Delta > DN1000 > TF10 = W4 > GR07 BE > GR07 > B3 > H200 = 7550 = UE900 > BA200 > RE-ZERO > RE400 = VSD3S > MH1 = PFE132 > eQ-5 > XBA3 > SE215LTD > FXT90 = SE215 > IE800 (TDK) > DGS100 > AX35 > RE262 > VSD1 = FX40 = Delta = Gratitude > UE600 > MD Tributes > A151 = E30 = M6 = B2 = UE500 > 8320 > Turbines
TIER 1: Lime Ear Aether / Oriolus MK2
TIER 2: 64audio A10u / Noble K10u / JH Angie
TIER 3: Unique Melody Mentor / Fitear Togo 334 /
TIER 5: Noble Savant / SE846 / Unique melody Merlin / Westone w40 & w30
Angie> Roxanne> Triple Fi> JH 16 Pro>ATH-IM02> Shure 846> ATH-IM70>Shure 535 red
Sony XBA-Z5 (Balanced with PHA-3 & MUC-M20BL1), > Sennheiser IE800, > Noble 6U > Noble 4U > JH16fp > Audiofly AF180 > Noble 3C > Sennheiser IE80 > Westone W30 > Yamaha EPH-100 > Shure SE535 > Shure SE425 > Beats Powerbeats > HiFiMAN RE400 > Shure SE215 > HiFiMAN RE300 > Shure SE315 > Klipsch S4 > Westone UM10
Noble Kaiser 10u>(huge quality gap here)>Fitear Togo 334>Dunu dn-2000j>Dunu dn-2000>Westone w4>UE Triple fi 10>Sennheiser CX-500 >Sennheiser CX-980>CX-300-II>CX-300
JH Angie>Noble 6>Westone W60>JH13 Pro>Noble 4>Shure SE846>Dunu D1000>Shure SE535>Shure E4C>Shure E2C
Vision Ears 5/Empire Ears Zeus 2. Final Audio Design FI-BA-SS 3. Kumitate Trio 4. Ocharaku Flat 4 Kaede Type 2 5. Final Audio Design LAB 1 6. Fitear MH335DW 7. Phonak PFE 232 8. Ortofon EQ8 9. FLC8S 10. UE900S
Customart Harmony 8 (Demo) / Shure KSE1500 > Ocharaku Kaede II / Unique Melody Legacy Universal > Fitear MH334 (Demo) / MH335DW (Demo) > Fitear 334TG / Noble K10U > JH13 (Demo) / JH16 (Demo) > AAW 500AHMorph (Demo) > Ocharaku Kuro / Ocharaku Sui > Sony EX1000 / Fitear 111 > UE TF10 / Etymotic ER4P / Sony Z5 > Stax SRS002 (Fitting problem) / Final Audio Design Piano Forte VIII (Weirdest sounding IEM I've ever encountered)
Flare Audio R2PRO > AKG K3003 > Final Audio Design Heaven VI > FlareAudio R2A > Grado GR10 > Sennheiser IE800 >TDK BA200 > RE-600 > RE-400 > Brainwavz B2 > LG QuadBeat 2 7) XiaoMi Piston 2 7.5) SoundMagic ES20 8) Brainwavz M4 Tier 5: 9) Klipsch Image S4
AKG K3003 ≥Final Audio Design Heaven VI > Sennheiser IE800 > TDK BA200 > RE-400 ≥ Brainwavz B2 > Brainwavz M4 >> Klipsch Image S4
JVC FX850 Shure 535 Final Audio Heaven IV Sony XBA H3 Sony XBA H1 Philips Fidelio S2 AudioTechnica ATH-CKR10
ATH-IM70 UE700 Philips Fidelio S1 VSD1S Final Audio Heaven IV RE-400 UE900 Shure E4c Monoprice IEM FXZ-100 MH1C GR02BE
DITA Answer Sennheiser IE80 Roxanne (UIEM) Shure SE846 Final Audio Heaven VI/V Heir 8.A (from memory) GR07 Shure 535 RED Sound Magic E10
EarSonics SM3 > Westone 4 > Final Audio Design Heaven S > Vsonic GR07 - Ortofon e-Q5 - Radius HP-TWF21R
SM3, e-Q7, Final Audio Design SB, UM3X, HA-FX700 JVC, Radius DDM, DBA-02 CK10, IE8,
LZ-A2 = Zero Audio Tenore > M200 > Singolo > KC06 > S2 > ALI CKR9LTD = ALI CKR9 > BA200 > Gratitude > GR07 MK2 > ZE-1000 > Piston 2 > Basso > NE-700X > RE-400 > AX30 > A161p > ATH-CKN70
1964 U12 > 1964 U10 >JH Layla > JH Angie > K10U > SE846 > AKG3003 > SE535 > B&W C5 > Bose Q20i
Trinity Deltas > Vsonic Vsd3s > Hifiman RE-400 > Sennheiser CX300
R2PRO=R2A modded > IE800 = DN-2000J >Trinity Delta > RE600 > Hyperion > IE80 > B3 > DSG-100 > s4i
HiFiMAN RE-00 X (Massdrop edition) <= HiFiMAN RE-600 (I just did not like the timbre of the 600's) > HiFiMAN RE-400 (songbird) > HiFiMAN RE300
LZ A4 > Brainwavz B2 >Dunu DN-2000j > FiiO EX1 (Dunu Titan 1) > Ostry KC06 > Havi B3 Pro 1 > Fidue A73 > Fidue A73 > Hifiman RE-400 > Brainwavz S0 > Klipsch S4
SM3 V2 > e-Q5 >= BA200 > e-Q7 > RE262 > X10 >= TF10 > GR07 > Heaven IV > Heir 3.Ai
FAD FI-BA-SS = Piano Forte IX > Heaven VI > ES5 = MG6Pro > W4 > W3 > X10 > AGS-1 > E3C > Isarus Thermaltake
SM3 V2 > e-Q5 >= BA200 > e-Q7 > RE262 > X10 = TF10 > GR07 > Heaven IV > Heir 3.Ai

Caution: Do not read one line and think one person's opinion is best. Read everything to get an overall idea and even then take with caution on advice by members. Soon you will have an overall idea/pattern and with reading reviews to get an idea what to try next. It's is climbing never ending ladder and I learned save and get a TOTL or get the best you can afford and be sure you will not EVER want to go up the scale or it will be a waste of money. If I could go back in time I would just have got the Andromeda and be done and save all my money. Just my stupid opinion.

 

[Codefox]

Asahi, thanks, this is information overload but in a good way. I think I owe you a beer! I never take one opinion. I can generally get a sense for what a pair of headphones sound like by looking for trends in the comments about them. Looks like I have a bit of my own research to do.

 

[Hi-Fi'er]

Welcome. It's a slow uphill process, myself I kept wanting more detail and clarity. The Andromeda's ended that search. I hope you find what you are seeking.

 

[sigmasix]

I had a pair a few years ago that broke, contacted Westone support but was out of the warranty period I think not sure if it was worth fixing, but they offered an upgrade for a couple hundred dollars from memory to the new W40s, which I took up as I was pretty happy with the Westone sound and for that price couldn't beat the value upgrade

edit: got the models mixed up it's been a few years

 

[AlwaysForward]

If I was in the market for a new IEM under $400 I'd go straight for the Massdrop Plus if time allows