[mrconfuse]

So i purchased the Shure535 and the sound is great but the left earphone irrates my ear while the right is fine. I can return the headphone either for cash or for another pair of headphones. The question is which one should I go for? I don't have any spare earphones at the moment.
 
I was thinking about the westone 3 but I'm not sure how comfortable they are. Are they the same size as the shure 535 or are they smaller?
 
I need something that's smaller and more comfortable with really good sound.
 

 

[GreatDane]

I assume that you've experimented with tips? (foam vs. silicone...sizes)

 

[fallingreason]

I've worn the SE530's a few times, and used to have the Westone 3's.  The W3 is definitely more comfortable and easier to wear IMO.  I don't know how much smaller it is, but it feels smaller because the physical design is better than the SE530.  

 

[mrconfuse]

I know the foam tips don't work as I've used them in the past on other IEM's and when they expand i feel pressure inside of my ears. The flanges are way to big for me. The rubber/silicone flex ones were probably the most comfortable. But the problem wasn't the insert as much as the outside case of the 535.

 

[mrconfuse]

I returned my Shure535 and replaced them with the Westone UM3X, I know the UM3X is old news... but hey, my impressions so far as a lay person coming into high end IEM.
 
1.) more comfortable than the shure535,
 
2.) Um3x cable is not as thick as the 535 but wayyyyyy more manageable. It does not get in the way and micrphonics are nearly 0%. it's much lighter than the Shure535. I found the shure535 cable way too heavy, it usually took a few tries to get the buds in to each ear as the weight of the cable would drag it. However i am worried about the braided cable unraveling.
 
3.) Build qaulity not as good as the shure535. The Shure535 felt solid in the hands, UM3X look like cheap plastic headphones
 
4.) To my ears, the shure535 definitely had better isolation. With the shure535 on the train i can barely hear the rumble (about 5% very low rumble), with the um3x i can hear about 10% of the noise.
 
5.) vocals seem a bit recessed but the instruments are not. Whereas the 535s were the opposite. Listing to Kanas - wayward son, it sounds like I'm at  concert with the UM3x, whereas with the 535 it felt like i was sitting in front of the singer with him signning to me.
 
All my music are .wav or lossless, At the end of the day even though the UM3X sound different to the shure535 I'm content with them. 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Very Legal]

Do the Shure535 have more forward vocals than the UM3X? I have the UM3X and they feels very vocaloriented, are you sure you got this right? Def comfy and awesome cable, i agree with you on that

 
 
Quote:

I returned my Shure535 and replaced them with the Westone UM3X, I know the UM3X is old news... but hey, my impressions so far as a lay person coming into high end IEM.
 
1.) more comfortable than the shure535,
 
2.) Um3x cable is not as thick as the 535 but wayyyyyy more manageable. It does not get in the way and micrphonics are nearly 0%. it's much lighter than the Shure535. I found the shure535 cable way too heavy, it usually took a few tries to get the buds in to each ear as the weight of the cable would drag it. However i am worried about the braided cable unraveling.
 
3.) Build qaulity not as good as the shure535. The Shure535 felt solid in the hands, UM3X look like cheap plastic headphones
 
4.) To my ears, the shure535 definitely had better isolation. With the shure535 on the train i can barely hear the rumble (about 5% very low rumble), with the um3x i can hear about 10% of the noise.
 
5.) vocals seem a bit recessed but the instruments are not. Whereas the 535s were the opposite. Listing to Kanas - wayward son, it sounds like I'm at  concert with the UM3x, whereas with the 535 it felt like i was sitting in front of the singer with him signning to me.
 
All my music are .wav or lossless, At the end of the day even though the UM3X sound different to the shure535 I'm content with them. 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[mrconfuse]

 
Quote:

Do the Shure535 have more forward vocals than the UM3X? I have the UM3X and they feels very vocaloriented, are you sure you got this right? Def comfy and awesome cable, i agree with you on that

 
 
Quote:

I returned my Shure535 and replaced them with the Westone UM3X, I know the UM3X is old news... but hey, my impressions so far as a lay person coming into high end IEM.
 
1.) more comfortable than the shure535,
 
2.) Um3x cable is not as thick as the 535 but wayyyyyy more manageable. It does not get in the way and micrphonics are nearly 0%. it's much lighter than the Shure535. I found the shure535 cable way too heavy, it usually took a few tries to get the buds in to each ear as the weight of the cable would drag it. However i am worried about the braided cable unraveling.
 
3.) Build qaulity not as good as the shure535. The Shure535 felt solid in the hands, UM3X look like cheap plastic headphones
 
4.) To my ears, the shure535 definitely had better isolation. With the shure535 on the train i can barely hear the rumble (about 5% very low rumble), with the um3x i can hear about 10% of the noise.
 
5.) vocals seem a bit recessed but the instruments are not. Whereas the 535s were the opposite. Listing to Kanas - wayward son, it sounds like I'm at  concert with the UM3x, whereas with the 535 it felt like i was sitting in front of the singer with him signning to me.
 
All my music are .wav or lossless, At the end of the day even though the UM3X sound different to the shure535 I'm content with them. 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
Actually I listened to the same songs on the UM3x as I did on the Shure535 and for most part the vocals were really in your face on the 535 more so than the UM3X. Using Eric Clapton's Change the world, on the 535 the instrumentals in the beginning and the guitar twang wasn't as pronounce. You could hear it and it's clear but it wasn't like  you were standing in front or near the guitar. But on the UM3X, the twang of the guitar was there in your face.
 

 

 

[Very Legal]

Do you describe the Shure as vocal-fatiguing? because the Westones are as much vocal as i can take i think. but you are right guitars feels very present indeed so do piano`s.

 

[mrconfuse]

I never listen to them more than 30-40 minutes at a shot since I wasn't to sure if I wanted to keep them or not. So I can't per say if they are vocally-fatiguing for such short periods of listening. But i imagine they could be as they place more emphasis on the vocals than the UM3X, (imagine someone standing in front of you wailing and the instrument are in the corner. How much can you take of that? For all types of music). For me I tend to like a bit more vocals so it probably wont' be to fatiguing. But the sound isn't as "warm" as the UM3X,

 

[Spyro]

The W3 is much lighter weight than SE535 and a more comfy fit IMHO.  If you really dig your midrange and want to maintain that sound, go with UM3X.  If you want a larger less fatiguing sound go with the W3.  The soundstage is larger due to not as much midrange and it is very detailed throughout the spectrum.
 
W4 is the new product from Westone but W3 was the one that literally raised the benchmark in high end universal IEM's.  By most opinions, when it came out, as a universal, W3 blew everything else out of the water and it will always stand out among a favorite among all IEM's. 

 

[buffalowings]

Quote:

The W3 is much lighter weight than SE535 and a more comfy fit IMHO.  If you really dig your midrange and want to maintain that sound, go with UM3X.  If you want a larger less fatiguing sound go with the W3.  The soundstage is larger due to not as much midrange and it is very detailed throughout the spectrum.
 
W4 is the new product from Westone but W3 was the one that literally raised the benchmark in high end universal IEM's.  By most opinions, when it came out, as a universal, W3 blew everything else out of the water and it will always stand out among a favorite among all IEM's. 

and absolutely hated by many (like any other IEM, though top tiers seem to be much more divided by this)

 

[Spyro]

 
Quote:

and absolutely hated by many (like any other IEM, though top tiers seem to be much more divided by this)

Well, sure, if you couldn't get a good fit with the shortened stem, yes, many had issues, but with a good fit, it was superior to everything else when it came out. It destroyed SE530 and TF10Pro which were the two top universals back then.
 
SE535 surely has a forward midrange where with UM3X, lows, mids and highs are all represented the same.  But the treble does roll off a bit early.
 

 

[mrconfuse]

 

Well, sure, if you couldn't get a good fit with the shortened stem, yes, many had issues, but with a good fit, it was superior to everything else when it came out. It destroyed SE530 and TF10Pro which were the two top universals back then.
 
SE535 surely has a forward midrange where with UM3X, lows, mids and highs are all represented the same.  But the treble does roll off a bit early.
 

 


The 535 are definite more forward than the um3x. And with the noise isolation the mid range really sticks out.

 

[olegausany]

If you like UM3x u can stick with them but i chose Grado GR10 to replace my SE530. I never heard 535 so don't know if i should try them after returning UM3x or just stick with GR10 since i like them much better than 530 and especially better than UM3x