[New Ears]

Hi everyone,

Had to join up just to thank you all. These forums were the only chance for me to consider my first ever phones. I went for the W3's and they arrived today. I'm now listening to them and typing this.

Glory, glory... Ignorance is bliss isn't it. I can't say if others are better than these but i'm overjoyed. My soul is lifted. I'm now wondering about UM56's or ACS customised plugs but i'm pretty happy at this stage.

OH yes, this earphone buying is made very difficult by lack of shops for this. I just had to jump and hope. Still glad i did.

 

[woodsrider]

Enjoy your new 3s, New Ears!

 

[tstarn06]

Welcome. My favorite tips, closest to UM56 I think, is the tri-flange with the modded stem, or the tri-flange modded to a bi-flange, with the stem intact. Got that?

Anyway, enjoy. Sounds like you found the right tip already.

Quote:

Originally Posted by New Ears /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi everyone, Had to join up just to thank you all. These forums were the only chance for me to consider my first ever phones. I went for the W3's and they arrived today. I'm now listening to them and typing this. Glory, glory... Ignorance is bliss isn't it. I can't say if others are better than these but i'm overjoyed. My soul is lifted. I'm now wondering about UM56's or ACS customised plugs but i'm pretty happy at this stage. OH yes, this earphone buying is made very difficult by lack of shops for this. I just had to jump and hope. Still glad i did.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by New Ears /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi everyone, Had to join up just to thank you all. These forums were the only chance for me to consider my first ever phones. I went for the W3's and they arrived today. I'm now listening to them and typing this. Glory, glory... Ignorance is bliss isn't it. I can't say if others are better than these but i'm overjoyed. My soul is lifted. I'm now wondering about UM56's or ACS customised plugs but i'm pretty happy at this stage. OH yes, this earphone buying is made very difficult by lack of shops for this. I just had to jump and hope. Still glad i did.

Well, I pretty much only use my UM56 with my W3, and the combination is balanced enough that I don't need to jump on the UM3X that I tried and liked. If I didn't already have their ES3X custom IEM already, I would likely want to own both the W3 and the UM3X.

Welcome to head-fi, and sorry about your wallet.

 

[Khemist]

Me too! Me too! I have been listening to my W3's since Monday (apple lossless, Touch 2G). Fantastic, everything I wanted in my IEMs.

However, I can see where fit is a huge issue. These little boogers are just funny shaped. I regret to say that the only tip that has even come close to working on my apparently wide ear canals is the large gray silicone. None of the included Complys would come close to filling up my chunnel of a canal.

Side note: apparently one set of Complys was not included. I have just two pairs, a short and a long set, both seem to be about the same diameter. Wonder if that third missing set is wider? hmmm....

I'm wondering if some of the complaints were by folks who just couldn't get these things to seal completely. It really freaked me out at first how tricky they were to get in. Then I have to tuck them into the little depression in my outer ear so they stay in place. That's kinda making my ears a touch sore. The tips really do just kinda hang out right outside the canal.

What's the largest diameter foam tips (from any maker) that would fit these black bad boys? Anybody else with similar ear girth? Will I even be able to use foam?

Fortunately, I'm totally happy with the SQ with the silicone tips. Amazing bass that really reaches down, non-fatiguing but detailed highs. Whoever mentioned Infected Mushroom's music, thank you, it really does sound amazing on these phones. No trace of sibilance for me, but I'm 35 and may be deficient in hearing that range.

Thanks Head-Fi! I've even lost some weight since visiting this site (mainly in the wallet).

 

[rnd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif It really freaked me out at first how tricky they were to get in. Then I have to tuck them into the little depression in my outer ear so they stay in place. That's kinda making my ears a touch sore. The tips really do just kinda hang out right outside the canal.

This is something I'm a bit concerned about. I also have fairly large ear canals and typically have to use a pretty large tip for a good seal. I really would like to try these but I'd be using them mostly at work and don't want to deal with an IEM that I have to fiddle or use both hands every time I want to put it back in. How easy do others find them to put in and get the proper seal? I'm wondering if I'd be better off with the X10 for this reason but when I heard them I wanted more mids.

 

[outlandos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif With the wrong amp and silicone tips the C700 highs can be a little bright or edgy (Tomahawk big offender, Predator and Headsix much better). And the C700 bass can be a bit bloated or uncontrolled at times - both improved with the right amp and the Complys T400 tips. The mids have been nice even with silicone tips. They are one of those tipped up smiley face frequency curves that sound better at low volumes, but they don't isolate as much as other IEM because of the bass port, so at low volumes outside noise can interfere with the music. Foam tips help that just a little, by reducing the component of noise that gets through around the silicone tips. At one point in time, I sold my nice sounding Shure E4c and ER6i in favor of keeping the C700 which didn't need amping like those. But the C700 have always been better than the Super.fi 5 Pro which have a more sucked out midrange that isn't as nice as the C700. I think the Image X10 and Phonak PFE are better for just a little bit more money, and the Nuforce NE-7M (with Shure or Complys tips) are better than C700 (but below X10 or PFE) for a bit less money.

Thanks, i sold my X10's for 95 Euro and bought new Denon's for 95 Euro.. I dont know why, probably because I had a feeling the X10's would break any day..

I've read they need 150 hours to break-in and I do hope so, because I find them to be a little disappointing so far.

Maybe I will buy the W3's after all.. But then i waisted 95 Euro on the C751's

 

[outlandos]

Oh god I am about to buy the Westone 3's, but then I just waisted 95 Euro on these Denon's..

This is because I went from X10 to C751's and it really is a setback! One thing I am worried about though is the comfort.. I prefer perfect comfort over any SQ and that's why my first real IEX's were Klipsch X10's.

I dont find my Denons very easy to wear to be honest.. would the Westone 3's fit my bill you think?

 

[FYJX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by outlandos /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh god I am about to buy the Westone 3's, but then I just waisted 95 Euro on these Denon's.. This is because I went from X10 to C751's and it really is a setback! One thing I am worried about though is the comfort.. I prefer perfect comfort over any SQ and that's why my first real IEX's were Klipsch X10's. I dont find my Denons very easy to wear to be honest.. would the Westone 3's fit my bill you think?

So far, the Comfort Kings are still the Se530, Um3X, Um2, and Um1. Next level is around the Westone 3 because they are larger than all the mentioned models above. So if comfort is what you are going for, get yourself the Um3x maybe...it does cost less than the westone 3.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by outlandos /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh god I am about to buy the Westone 3's, but then I just waisted 95 Euro on these Denon's.. This is because I went from X10 to C751's and it really is a setback! One thing I am worried about though is the comfort.. I prefer perfect comfort over any SQ and that's why my first real IEX's were Klipsch X10's. I dont find my Denons very easy to wear to be honest.. would the Westone 3's fit my bill you think?

Hmmm... You might want to go back to the X10 if fit is an issue. The W3 shape makes it too hard to push deep in the ear, so I can't use Shure black olive foam tips, and can barely get the silicone tips in just enough to grab the canal walls and seal (but not sleep with). You will also want to be prepared to try a bunch of different tips with the W3 to get the proper sound. Triple flange tips work great but may be too long and hurt the sound if you don't mod them, so you might need some extra triple flange tips to cut shorter at the stalk. Of course the Westone UM56 custom tips are PERFECT for the W3, like they were made for each other, and then the sound beats every other universal IEM that I have owned.

PS [edit]: the UM3X are maybe slightly more forward, crisper and more transparent sounding, when both are used with the UM56 tips. But the UM3X might be a better option if you plan to use universal tips and not ever buy the custom tips.

 

[steviebee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif the Westone UM56 custom tips are PERFECT for the W3, like they were made for each other, and then the sound beats every other universal IEM that I have tried.

Hi HPA
Confused. I thought your preferred universal was UM3X, which W3 w/ UM56 got very close to, but did not surpass? May have misunderstood yr previous posts, or just not keeping up!

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi HPA Confused. I thought your preferred universal was UM3X, which W3 w/ UM56 got very close to, but did not surpass? May have misunderstood yr previous posts, or just not keeping up!

I keep forgetting the UM3X exists sometimes, since I don't own them and only did a 5-10 minute demo with them. The W3 with UM56 is good enough to probably be "on or about the level" of the UM3X, but with a different sound - kinda like comparing the ES3X to the UE11Pro. One is more forward and transparent, one is more euphonic and romantic sounding.

 

[FYJX]

Better get the UM3X back in your head HPA =) or...get it out so you don't throw your W3's and UM56 across the room...

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaoDi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Better get the UM3X back in your head HPA =) or...get it out so you don't throw your W3's and UM56 across the room...

Well, I always have my Westone ES3X, UE11Pro and JH13Pro (ships tomorrow)...

Since the ES3X are even moar better than UM3X, I never got the UM3X.

 

[steviebee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I keep forgetting the UM3X exists sometimes, since I don't own them and only did a 5-10 minute demo with them. The W3 with UM56 is good enough to probably be "on or about the level" of the UM3X, but with a different sound - kinda like comparing the ES3X to the UE11Pro. One is more forward and transparent, one is more euphonic and romantic sounding.

Thanks Larry. I really do have to check out these UM56!