[jdeuel]

That's interesting to me. I've only had luck with the triple flanges, and I tend to push them in until they're nearly touching my brain... I feel like the highs go all tinny if I don't. Am I trying to cram these in too far? The isolation (obviously) knocks the cover off the ball, highs are clear, and the bass, oh the bass, makes me nauseous sometimes, in a good way...

~jd

 

[Spyro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know nobody hunts mules, so I think I'm safe to say this: Let the Westone 3 rest in your ear, don't even make a real effort to push it in your ear canal. Geez, the first few hours of having them, I kept trying to shove them into my ears, and it always sounded like utter crap. Now, the bass is still strong but doesn't sound extremely blanketed, and the treble is more Grado-like, and the mids are not like a few hours ago; muffled and SA6-like (aka "out of tune"). I will admit that the bass still likes to be punchy and rather prominent, but now it rarely wants to wash over the whole spectrum like it used to. This is why I hate (universal) IEMs; fit and distance to the ear are up to you to figure out, and even then, it still may not work out for you.

HOLY CRAP! You are right! I was trying to jam the tips (olives) waaaay in like I always do with most all other iems. I switched over to the skinny medium looking grey complys and that changes the whole ballgame. Everything sounds more balanced and the bass no longer "dominates", treble sounds a little more natural. A little more what I was expecting/hoping for. PEOPLE, TRY THIS! Just rest the housing in your ear so the foam just grabs your ear canal. Don't jam it in. Much more comfy too. Great tip Marching Mule!

A little more experimenting and I may need to go back and add a rebuttle to my original review in the other thread. This fit issue could be a logical reason for such a contrast in reviews....

 

[NeObliviscaris]

Does anyone here like the Shure Olives, I love them on the W3's, but I dont use them cause they are extremely hard to get off!

I htink the reason people (at least why I) jam 'em in is to get some proper isolation!

 

[Solid Snake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdeuel /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's interesting to me. I've only had luck with the triple flanges, and I tend to push them in until they're nearly touching my brain... I feel like the highs go all tinny if I don't. Am I trying to cram these in too far? The isolation (obviously) knocks the cover off the ball, highs are clear, and the bass, oh the bass, makes me nauseous sometimes, in a good way... ~jd

Definitely try to get your hands on the single flange tips...totally different ball game

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif HOLY CRAP! You are right! I was trying to jam the tips (olives) waaaay in like I always do with most all other iems. I switched over to the skinny medium looking grey complys and that changes the whole ballgame. Everything sounds more balanced and the bass no longer "dominates", treble sounds a little more natural. A little more what I was expecting/hoping for. PEOPLE, TRY THIS! Just rest the housing in your ear so the foam just grabs your ear canal. Don't jam it in. Much more comfy too. Great tip Marching Mule! A little more experimenting and I may need to go back and add a rebuttle to my original review in the other thread. This fit issue could be a logical reason for such a contrast in reviews....

Now I am going to go nuts until Xmas. I felt the bass slam was a little too dominant, but this is really interesting. Do they still stay snug, in terms of isolation? Very exciting indeed, and maybe a reason some folks are having SQ issues with the W3s.

I also used olives and jammed them, per usual. But they were the small olives, so not too bad. But this is a whole nother kettle of fish.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solid Snake /img/forum/go_quote.gif The second one (from the left) As for the sound, they sound great. I think the treble settled down a little bit and the bass is still very tight and punchy. Has a very warm sound signature in my opinion.

That is the same size I use with the Klipsch Custom 3s (use the bi-flanges with the X10s), and they make the C3s very, very comfortable. So that is also very good news, along with the main thrust of this thread.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know nobody hunts mules, so I think I'm safe to say this: Let the Westone 3 rest in your ear, don't even make a real effort to push it in your ear canal. Geez, the first few hours of having them, I kept trying to shove them into my ears, and it always sounded like utter crap. Now, the bass is still strong but doesn't sound extremely blanketed, and the treble is more Grado-like, and the mids are not like a few hours ago; muffled and SA6-like (aka "out of tune"). I will admit that the bass still likes to be punchy and rather prominent, but now it rarely wants to wash over the whole spectrum like it used to. This is why I hate (universal) IEMs; fit and distance to the ear are up to you to figure out, and even then, it still may not work out for you.

That is the same thing I have been trying to say I have to do with the q-JAYS, SA6 and Image X10 - I have posted that I must insert just far enough to seal and no farther, and let them just rest there in a shallow insertion and then the sound is just right. But if I push them in all the way and the highs go away and the bass takes over.

The weird thing is that with the SE530, Westone 3 and E4c and ER6i, the deeper I shove them in the better they sound.

 

[gjc10212]

As your not inserting these as deep as before does this affect there ability to reduce external noise (meaning these will need to be driven harder...?).

 

[Janni]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know nobody hunts mules, so I think I'm safe to say this: Let the Westone 3 rest in your ear, don't even make a real effort to push it in your ear canal. Geez, the first few hours of having them, I kept trying to shove them into my ears, and it always sounded like utter crap. Now, the bass is still strong but doesn't sound extremely blanketed, and the treble is more Grado-like, and the mids are not like a few hours ago; muffled and SA6-like (aka "out of tune"). I will admit that the bass still likes to be punchy and rather prominent, but now it rarely wants to wash over the whole spectrum like it used to. This is why I hate (universal) IEMs; fit and distance to the ear are up to you to figure out, and even then, it still may not work out for you.

I will try that. And I certainly and heartily second your despise for the search for the perfect fit. But then the reward is worth the painful (sometimes litterally!) fiddling with different tips for a few days.
My conclusion is most likely to be to go for customs again. Over the last days I have gone back and forth between the SE530 and the W3 and a dominant impression was how comfortable my custom tips (for the SE530) are! Just that the W3 are bettering the SE530 clearly - in the lucky moment when the right tip was in the right place in the right angle...

 

[Arjisme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif This fit issue could be a logical reason for such a contrast in reviews....

I suspect it is the explanation behind contrasting reviews on most IEMs.

 

[Spyro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif The weird thing is that with the SE530, Westone 3and E4c and ER6i, the deeper I shove them in the better they sound.

You meen UM2?

Yes, it is odd. One would think the shorter the nozzle the more need to insert deeply. Maybe with the 3-way driver system they need to be recessed a little bit more than normal? Who knows. I wish someone from Westone would jump in and comment on this topic because it is a deal breaker for some people and may tarnish the reputation of these fine IEM's. Then again many people don't have the patience for a finicky fit.

I will say this. Hopefully I get very used to the finicky fit of W3 because now that I have learned this, and when the fit is right, I will say it is the best sounding universal I have ever heard. The midrange problem goes away for the most part and the highs are smoother. Not the detail of any Ety (not that everyone wants that) but certainly more crispness than a SE530. If I took an everyday person off the street and stuck these in their ear (good fit of course) with just a Nano their jaw would hit the floor with the level of SQ, no question!

I have tried all tips with this newer insertion method and it boils down to the thinner medium sized comply or the modded tri flange into a biflange. The comply keeps it slightly warmer on the top end but still crisp and this added length alows you to offset it a little. I don't think a Shure olive has enough length to allow for this offset. The silicone maybe a bit too crisp (hint of siblance?) for my tastes. I also wonder about using the old Shure yellow foamies but like the olives they could be a bit too short. This is a very odd phenomenon that can't be over-stated enough.

 

[jc9394]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have tried all tips with this newer insertion method and it boils down to the thinner medium sized comply or the modded tri flange into a biflange. The comply keeps it slightly warmer on the top end but still crisp and this added length alows you to offset it a little. I don't think a Shure olive has enough length to allow for this offset. The silicone maybe a bit too crisp (hint of siblance?) for my tastes. I also wonder about using the old Shure yellow foamies but like the olives they could be a bit too short. This is a very odd phenomenon that can't be over-stated enough.

I use the modified tri flange to bi flange, it is the most comfortable and sounded the best out of all the tips comes with the W3. The yellow foamie from Shure actually sound better than the modified tri flange. probably better seal, but it is a pain to get it in and remove it. It seems like the tube on the W3 is a little bigger than the Shure.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif You meen UM2?

Nope. Never tried a UM2, not after my experience with the SE530 - didn't seem worth the time or money after everything I read about it. Seems like people are taking that same stance with the W3 now.

 

[Spyro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nope. Never tried a UM2, not after my experience with the SE530 - didn't seem worth the time or money after everything I read about it. Seems like people are taking that same stance with the W3 now.

Okay I miss-read your post.

Believe me, upon getting the right fit, W3 kills UM2.

UM2 to W3 is similar SQ jump going from UM1 to UM2.

Or E4 to SE530.

 

[YtseJamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wish someone from Westone would jump in and comment on this topic because it is a deal breaker for some people and may tarnish the reputation of these fine IEM's.

x2

On my side, I have to shove the W3s as much as I can with the short Comply tips to get the best SQ.