[ppoon]

I'm currently deciding between these 3 iems but really can't choose between them, and i'd appreciate anyone's help on this. I enjoy listening to pop, r&b, and increasingly classical (piano) music. I enjoy bass in pop and r&b but certainly not excessive amounts. Clarity and crispness is important for me, especially for the piano music, and thus i'm considering balanced armature iems, which i've read are very accurate but on the dull side. I can get the Melecs for 40 pounds, SE215 for 70, and Westone 1 for 75. Which of the 3 do you think would best suite me given the prices? And does the Westone 1 genuinely offer better sound quality than the Melecs? I've read Joker's review of iems and he actually rates the sound of the Melecs above Westone 1... Would really appreciate anyone's help, thanks a lot!

 

[rangerid]

Throw in the Ety HF5s in the mix. Clarity and crispness is excellent on these and piano timbre is one of the strongest suites of the HF5s. I won't comment on the others as I don't have them but HF5s are pretty close to top tier $300-400 IEMs. 

 

[ppoon]

Thanks for your reply i've heard v good things about the HF5s but unfortunately it's quite a bit outside my budget, and tbh even the westone 1 is really stretching it. Amongst the 3 i mentioned is there one you'd recommend particularly for my taste of music? Thanks a lot.

 

[ostewart]

i pulled the trigger on some A151's recently and am waiting for them, but from what ive read they should suit your needs perfectly and are cheaper than the others. Also build quality of them is highly rated.

 

[cnhardwick]

I own the A151 and had the chance to listen to a friend's SE215 for a few minutes. I cannot say a lot about the difference between the two with such a short audition, but I noticed right off the bat that the sub-bass I had been missing with the A151 when I tried the SE215. Apart from that, the sound signatures were not all that different from what I recall. Both have plenty of bass, good midrange, and slightly recessed highs. Again, I did not have enough to get good feel for which was better in terms of clarity and detail. 
 
As far as the A151, they have the accuracy of a BA, which I love, but they have nice warmth instead of being cold and analytical like many BA are. Because of the recessed treble and plentiful bass, I would say they sound dark, but not dull. There is still enough energy in the treble prevent that. CW31 was more dull to me.

 

[ppoon]

Thanks I hope that a151s turn out well for you i think i've decided to go with either the westone 1 or a151, but can't quite decide... am leaning towards a151 as it's almost half the price, but has anyone listened to both and can tell me whether the difference of sound quality between the two are there and obvious? Thanks a lot

 

[ppoon]

Thanks for your reply for my taste of music which would you recommend? I've heard that the bass of the a151 isn't great because it's a BA but is it noticably weaker? As I said I enjoy bass, but not it being overly boomy, as I heard that the shures might be... thanks a lot though

 

[ppoon]

Ok, I've read more Shure SE215 reviews now and they seem very good, so I'm now deciding between them and the A151. But one question to SE215 owners: do they sound good with classical music? I'm sure with the BAs the A151 will be at least quite good with classical, but what about the Shures in terms of clarity and soundstage and crispness? Thanks a lot!

 

[ostewart]

what i read about the shures is that they have good but more than average bass, and very relaxed highs. I think the A151 being fairly balanced sounding should cope better with classical

 

[ppoon]

Thanks, am very close to buying the A151 now last question, does anyone know how the westone 1 compares with the A151? Thanks a lot.

 

[cnhardwick]

Quote:

Thanks for your reply for my taste of music which would you recommend? I've heard that the bass of the a151 isn't great because it's a BA but is it noticably weaker? As I said I enjoy bass, but not it being overly boomy, as I heard that the shures might be... thanks a lot though

It depend on what you mean. The A151's bass is by no means bad. It is very quick accurate like you would expect from a BA. But it lacks the low end extension of the dynamic SE215.