In dubio: IE8, W3 or UM3X?

[zenpunk]

You will be a fool to underestimate the strengh of the FX500. And you are right, they are rather special, they eat IE8 for breakfast...

 

[MinMay]

I was in the same situation.

I ended up buying the W3. I came from Ultimate Ears 5 pro.

W3 is so much more comfortable than Ultimate Ears
W3 has so much more isolation than Ultimate Ears
W3 cable is so much better than the Ultimate Ears
W3 does have the clear bass (boom) effect but i guess it depends on the source.

I can't speak for your other two choices. Good luck...

Overall, I'm happy with the purchase. I got it at Earphone Solutions - Shure Earphones, Sennheiser Earbud, Ultimate Ears Ear Buds, Shure earbuds and Westone Earphones - The Best Earphones for iPod Comparisons and Reviews with a 12% which includes 2 years warranty on it.

 

[Rip N' Burn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenpunk /img/forum/go_quote.gif You will be a fool to underestimate the strengh of the FX500. And you are right, they are rather special, they eat IE8 for breakfast...

I have the IE8's and the FX500's and I find the opposite to be true. The IE8's are definitely a step up from the FX500's. I also have the W3's and they are one of my two favorite iem's with the IE8's as the other iem. If I had to choose between the IE8 and W3 it would come down to which one is cheaper and that depends on what part of the world you live in.

 

[maceto]

Variphone Benelux N.V.

Deusterstraat 72
3990 Peer BE

Phone: 0113211668120
Fax: 0113211636472


There is your blood sucker that rips UK off

and to me reading like 2000 pages here and 30 online reviews it was down to the Westone's but price was to high for my first in ear

 

[3X0]

I listened to the IE 8 for 12 straight hours when I owned them. No fatigue, and the wide soundstage makes them rather comfortable to listen to despite the accentuated treble. They're incredibly comfortable and still sound good at low volume levels, though the isolation is not very good.

The IE 8 is very exciting sounding, but not very natural. I think many would agree the UM3X sound very natural (they are designed for monitoring rather than personal listening). On that note, I am sure the UM3X is not nearly as exciting as the IE 8.

 

[tstarn06]

Just a note on the spikey treble on the W3s (someone mentioned it). For me, that is only an issue with ill-fitting tips (anything short for me). With the tri-flanges, never a single spike or sssss sound.

 

[talisman42]

I have the W3 and while I had some issues early on, things got much better. I think it was me burning-in (not the headphones). I ended up using the black shure foams + Sansa Clip. It's enjoyable at low volume and high. I use the EQ to boost the mid slightly. But there are occasions when I bring the low frequencies up when I want it

I've experience sibilance in one track and ended up tweaking so many settings for that one song, but realized it really wasn't a problem - at least using with the foam tips for everything else. Anyway, my experience has been positive so far and at this point, I believe it's one of the most versatile and capable phones out there. I have considered the UM3X, but I think I'd miss some of the characteristics of the W3 that makes it so unique.

 

[Get_Zwole]

Quote:

Originally Posted by talisman42 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the W3 and while I had some issues early on, things got much better. I think it was me burning-in (not the headphones). I ended up using the black shure foams + Sansa Clip. It's enjoyable at low volume and high. I use the EQ to boost the mid slightly. But there are occasions when I bring the low frequencies up when I want it I've experience sibilance in one track and ended up tweaking so many settings for that one song, but realized it really wasn't a problem - at least using with the foam tips for everything else. Anyway, my experience has been positive so far and at this point, I believe it's one of the most versatile and capable phones out there. I have considered the UM3X, but I think I'd miss some of the characteristics of the W3 that makes it so unique.

i agree with this all the way. I just wish my iphone had a full eq so i could boost 2 to 4k or so a bit. Other then that they are great and always a pleasure to listen too.

 

[derek8555]

I have W3, UM3X, and have heard IE8 at Sennheiser booth.
I'm not going to recommend any of them to you, but I can share some of my thoughts, so maybe they will help you judging their sound signature and making your own decision:

W3 - sparkling highs; full yet aggressive midrange, pretty forward; tight and slightly emphasized bass; large soundstage. Brightest of the three. Could be more fatiguing and sibilant than the other two.

UM3X - not much treble, but nice details; silky and smooth midrange, somewhat forward but not as aggressive as W3, best I've heard in an universal; tight and balanced bass; smaller soundstage. Overall fairly dark, and never fatiguing or sibilant.

IE8 - not much treble, okey detail; very full midrange, not as textured or detailed as the Westones; very powerful and impactful bass, somewhat bloated and overpowering at times, but fun to listen to; large soundstage, maybe just slightly larger than W3. Overall very dark but open sounding. Typical Sennheiser house sound, reminds me of HD650.

In terms of fun-factor, my ranking is: IE8 >= W3 > UM3X (I just love the midrange of UM3X!)

 

[Zalithian]

I mostly agree. IE8 no treble though? I found that to be tip dependent. The hybrids were the best tips for me, fit wise - but they totally killed the highs which I usually found pretty good on the IE8's. More of an inbetween of the W3 and UM3X's.

 

[.coco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MinMay /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was in the same situation. I ended up buying the W3. I came from Ultimate Ears 5 pro. W3 is so much more comfortable than Ultimate Ears W3 has so much more isolation than Ultimate Ears W3 cable is so much better than the Ultimate Ears W3 does have the clear bass (boom) effect but i guess it depends on the source. I can't speak for your other two choices. Good luck... Overall, I'm happy with the purchase. I got it at Earphone Solutions - Shure Earphones, Sennheiser Earbud, Ultimate Ears Ear Buds, Shure earbuds and Westone Earphones - The Best Earphones for iPod Comparisons and Reviews with a 12% which includes 2 years warranty on it.

I have both the UE5pro and TF10s. The TF10 is a lot more comfortable and sounds much much better. I do like the UE5pro though because it is (from what I have found) the best sounding headphone which is fully compatible with the iPhone.

IMO it is not fair to compare the UE5pro to the W3, heck the W3 is double the price. You should compare the TF10 to the W3 if you want to compare the brands.

 

[talisman42]

How about the tips? I believe the silicon will reinforce the highs more than foam. In other words, the foam does warm them up a bit. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but I'm definitely a foam person when it comes to comfort and fit.

Someone mentioned the short tube on the W3. That might be a huge factor in SQ when trying different tips.

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek8555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif W3 - sparkling highs; full yet aggressive midrange, pretty forward; tight and slightly emphasized bass; large soundstage. Brightest of the three. Could be more fatiguing and sibilant than the other two. -

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by talisman42 /img/forum/go_quote.gif How about the tips? I believe the silicon will reinforce the highs more than foam. In other words, the foam does warm them up a bit. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but I'm definitely a foam person when it comes to comfort and fit. Someone mentioned the short tube on the W3. That might be a huge factor in SQ when trying different tips.

Hail to another foam guy!

I use the Shure black olive tips with both UM3X and W3. It does warm up the sound a bit, and gives bass some more body as well. They don't soften the treble as much as the Westone complies

I never compared tube lengths directly. W3 could have shorter tubes though. However I find the same set of tips changes sound signature in the same direction on both W3 and UM3X.

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zalithian /img/forum/go_quote.gif I mostly agree. IE8 no treble though? I found that to be tip dependent. The hybrids were the best tips for me, fit wise - but they totally killed the highs which I usually found pretty good on the IE8's. More of an inbetween of the W3 and UM3X's.

Ya I agree it is somewhere between W3 and UM3X, but if I rank them, and set W3=10, UM3X=0, then IE8 is around 2 or 3, in treble extension.

I only tried stock tips, it was some Senn booth. I'd love to roll tips though...

 

[Zalithian]

2 or 3? That doesn't sound right. I thought they were quite sparkly with great treble extension. Outdone by the W3's, but nowhere near that bad. Could be the source, I suppose.