[moseboy]

I know he didn't "officially" say it, but I'm pretty sure he has decided:

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I was stuck with only one choice for headphones. I'd pick the Westone 3s over anything.....can take them anywhere, don't need to be amped, sound amazing in any genre, simply put......to my ears, the Westone 3s are the best headphone offering dollar for dollar in the entire industry.

 

[Wmcmanus]

I've just clicked on "view results" to see how the vote was coming along. To my amazement, the results (at the moment) are:

W3 - 23 people who solemnly swear that they're heard both and prefer these.
IE8 - 26 people who solemnly swear that they're heard both and prefer these.

Why am I not buying it? I'm really having a hard time believing that all 49 people who have voted have heard them both. Unless of course both products have been circulated widely in an "exchange" program, or both products have appeared at Head-Fi meets where many folks were in attendance. So maybe there's something that I'm missing here.

 

[eruditass]

don't the IE8's isolate less (but also have more soundstage) ?

pick your application!

you should have made it a public poll, and also maybe included a haven't heard / can't decide option.

i didn't vote.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoomzDayz /img/forum/go_quote.gif i didn't vote.

Me neither. Good for you. There seems to be enough noise in these results to begin with.

 

[toughnut]

Me neither and also waiting for his decision. I'm swayed toward IE8.

 

[NicktheNorse]

I've heard them both - and for me the IE8s are miles better. I couldn't find a config where the W3s didn't sound sibilant and plasticky in its highs with a much to overpowering bass.

I haven't fully made my mind up on the IE8s but they really are very good.

 

[moseboy]

Kind of a random question....

I've heard that the Westone 3 has actually more bass than the SE530 (I don't know if this is true or not). Now, I know from owning the SE530 that it has anything but too little bass, and I've heard that the IE8 has plenty of bass as well.

Leaving quality out of the question, in terms of just bass quantity, which has more: the Westone 3 or the IE8?

 

[Cecala]

I will be buying the IE8s within a week. For me and I haven't heard or tested neither is that I think I'll be happy with the Senns after much reading and procrastination. It's the wide soundscape I'm after as I've being waiting for ever for some company to reduce that in your head sound. Secondary considerations is that the cable is replaceable or upgradable, this might improve that last bit of extension that many people have criticized about this phone(compared to W3). The fact that Westone do not provide replaceable cables(without back to factory) is inexcusable in such an expensive IEM, simply wrong. Lastly I can get the IE8 for quite a bit cheaper here in Australia compared to the W3. Now, if I can get good isolation with these, I'll be a happy camper.

 

[NicktheNorse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moseboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kind of a random question.... I've heard that the Westone 3 has actually more bass than the SE530 (I don't know if this is true or not). Now, I know from owning the SE530 that it has anything but too little bass, and I've heard that the IE8 has plenty of bass as well. Leaving quality out of the question, in terms of just bass quantity, which has more: the Westone 3 or the IE8?

It is actually a little difficult to say. The W3s bass performance is clouded by the massive mid-bass hump such that you end up losing a lot of the deep detail. It *sounds* like there is a lot of bass but it is easy to get confused by a well defined punch of a base drum or the general mid-bass pillow of a base guitar, for example.

The IE8 doesn't suffer from an overpowering mid-bass hump (certainly not after a good burn-in) and so you are left to hear all the low details. The bass of the IE8 and the W3s can't reproduce the same texture of the TF10s (but I guess it is because the TF10 is quite grainy in that regard), but the overall impact is higher. One thing to note is that you can "feel" the IE8 bass definition better in your ear, presumable due to the larger amount of air being shifted by the dynamic driver.

So, I'd say in terms of quantity there is more bass in the W3 (there is more activity in the lower third of the spectrum), but in terms of bass quality, the IE8 wins hands down for me.

 

[elnero]

For the moment I now own both the IE8's and W3's, in addition I have a pair of Null Audio recabled TF10's with Comply tips here on extended audition. I didn't vote as yet though.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

I'm sure that if that many people have owned both, we would have had a lot more impressions floating around here.

 

[chi2]

I prefer the IE8s due to their more natural tone colors, better rendering of female voices, absence of sibilance, and better soundstage. Both have severe mid-bass humps, though. IE8s have very nice mids but are slightly too timid in the high frequencies compared to Phonak Audéos. The W3s feature - as many have stated - better isolation and comfort than IE8s. Amazingly, of all the sleeves that came with the IE8s only the large double-flanges fitted my - admittedly very large - ear canals and worked for me. Every other sleeve was too small including Comply T-500s. IE8s, TP10s and Phonak Audéos imho are in the same league and just have their idiosyncrasies. W3 for me are a bit behind because of more than one not so minor nuisance.

 

[Screamager]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moseboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kind of a random question.... I've heard that the Westone 3 has actually more bass than the SE530 (I don't know if this is true or not). Now, I know from owning the SE530 that it has anything but too little bass, and I've heard that the IE8 has plenty of bass as well. Leaving quality out of the question, in terms of just bass quantity, which has more: the Westone 3 or the IE8?

Nickthehorse explained it very well, it is hard to compare, as the bass is so different in both. W3 I think would have to win the bass quantity (yet consider my past review on the W3 bass). I have never listened to the Shure, so I cannot compare.

I will take this chance to expand a bit on my hurried review the other day. I don't want to say the IE8 are great, unbeatable earphones, just that I like them much more than the W3. I do not think that the IE8 can really compare to full size cans, do not kid yourselves, if this is the top end, IEMs/Canalphones have a long way to go. That said, they are pleasing enough for on-the-go listening.

 

[moseboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screamager /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nickthehorse explained it very well, it is hard to compare, as the bass is so different in both. W3 I think would have to win the bass quantity (yet consider my past review on the W3 bass).

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicktheNorse /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is actually a little difficult to say. The W3s bass performance is clouded by the massive mid-bass hump such that you end up losing a lot of the deep detail. It *sounds* like there is a lot of bass but it is easy to get confused by a well defined punch of a base drum or the general mid-bass pillow of a base guitar, for example.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicktheNorse /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, I'd say in terms of quantity there is more bass in the W3 (there is more activity in the lower third of the spectrum), but in terms of bass quality, the IE8 wins hands down for me.

I was actually predicting the opposite outcome. Interesting...

 

[robm321]

I didn't vote either since I haven't heard either, but from the many posts that I have read, I have definately read more statements about the IE8 being better FWIW.

I think David even has backed away from the W3 over all of them as his IE8s break in and as he compares in a longer term. But he may like the W3 signature better.