REVIEW: WESTONE 3, the ULTIMATE UNIVERSAL IEM vs everything else
Sep 11, 2009 at 7:08 AM Post #1,712 of 2,117
Quote:

Originally Posted by coreleone /img/forum/go_quote.gif
After owning the IE8, I have bought a W3 for my rock music. I am using IPC as source and want to buy an protable amp for these combo. Any suggestion? Thanks!


Budget?

What features do you need, like DAC, or bass boost, or crossfeed switches?

How big or small does it need it be?

Is there anything about the sound that you'd like the amp to improve, like reduce the bass, or bring the mids forward, or smooth the highs, etc?

People can make better suggestions with that info. I found that with the W3 and my UM56 custom tips that I could use any amp with them, but I preferred the RSA P-51 Mustang.
 
Sep 11, 2009 at 7:27 AM Post #1,713 of 2,117
After a looong dilemma between W3/UM3X/IE8/TF10/X10/S530 I found a new set of W3 on craigslist (still shrink wrapped) and snatched them for about $300 USD. I found noticeable difference in sound after just a few hours of burn in (bass less muddy, treb a tad more crisp). I've burned them for over 30 hours now and I see not much difference. Is this normal?

Anybody also notice that piano music doesn't sound crisp enough with the W3? I'm listening to some Vladimir Horowitz (FLAC) files and it just doesn't sound right. Sounds a bit veiled to me. For everything else they're great. How would I describe it, W3's feel very energetic.
 
Sep 11, 2009 at 7:51 AM Post #1,714 of 2,117
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Budget?

What features do you need, like DAC, or bass boost, or crossfeed switches?

How big or small does it need it be?

Is there anything about the sound that you'd like the amp to improve, like reduce the bass, or bring the mids forward, or smooth the highs, etc?

People can make better suggestions with that info. I found that with the W3 and my UM56 custom tips that I could use any amp with them, but I preferred the RSA P-51 Mustang.



I would say around $300. I hope the amp will suitable with both IE8 & W3 and portability is highly concerned. For W3, I would like the highs become a bit smooth and the sound-stage become wider. However, I hope the IE8 's mid can bring a bit forward and sharper. I think this is difficult to fulfill both of these.
redface.gif


Thanks !
 
Sep 11, 2009 at 7:52 AM Post #1,715 of 2,117
Quote:

Originally Posted by zeromacro /img/forum/go_quote.gif
After a looong dilemma between W3/UM3X/IE8/TF10/X10/S530 I found a new set of W3 on craigslist (still shrink wrapped) and snatched them for about $300 USD. I found noticeable difference in sound after just a few hours of burn in (bass less muddy, treb a tad more crisp). I've burned them for over 30 hours now and I see not much difference. Is this normal?

Anybody also notice that piano music doesn't sound crisp enough with the W3? I'm listening to some Vladimir Horowitz (FLAC) files and it just doesn't sound right. Sounds a bit veiled to me. For everything else they're great. How would I describe it, W3's feel very energetic.



I noticed some mild improvements in the first 24 hours only, and I posted that in my review. Others have heard bigger improvements.

As for Piano, they sound different with different tips, and maybe changing the tips or depth in the ear canal can help you. I only know of one other person who felt a whole octave below middle c was recessed, and I don't know if he ever got it resolved with tip changes before he returned them.
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 12:26 PM Post #1,716 of 2,117
I used my last food savings to buy the W3s today, now the wait... I had PortaPros, Sr60s and Se530s before as portable phones - Will I be pleased with the W3s?
I do like bass as well as crispy highs blended together. I don't listen to vocally based musics that much so the Se530s did dissapoint a little seeing as I listen to Metal/rock/pop some jazz and electronica. Will there be alot of difference between the SE530s and the newly bought W3s? Cheers for answering
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 6:04 PM Post #1,717 of 2,117
It's personal preference. It also depends on fit and tips. W3 is very muscular sounding. Big bass, bright treble. SE530 is a little more neutral and smoother but still very dynamic. I owned both and actually prefer SE530 but many feel otherwise.
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 7:53 PM Post #1,718 of 2,117
Quote:

Originally Posted by iDark /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I used my last food savings to buy the W3s today, now the wait... I had PortaPros, Sr60s and Se530s before as portable phones - Will I be pleased with the W3s?
I do like bass as well as crispy highs blended together. I don't listen to vocally based musics that much so the Se530s did dissapoint a little seeing as I listen to Metal/rock/pop some jazz and electronica. Will there be alot of difference between the SE530s and the newly bought W3s? Cheers for answering



You should have no problem finding the right sound after you try a few tips and different depths of insertion.

If you don't like the W3, I will trade you my Senn IE8 and a new pack of Sony hybrid silicone tips > straight across for your W3. Seriously.
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 7:54 PM Post #1,719 of 2,117
Quote:

Originally Posted by iDark /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I used my last food savings to buy the W3s today, now the wait... I had PortaPros, Sr60s and Se530s before as portable phones - Will I be pleased with the W3s?
I do like bass as well as crispy highs blended together. I don't listen to vocally based musics that much so the Se530s did dissapoint a little seeing as I listen to Metal/rock/pop some jazz and electronica. Will there be alot of difference between the SE530s and the newly bought W3s? Cheers for answering



I haven't heard the SE530 but I think for the genres you have mentioned the W3's are absolutely sublime. Crisp highs and deep extending and quick bass, the sound signature is quite energetic as I mentioned in my above post. For classical I still prefer my RE0 over my W3 but they're no slouchers in any way.
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 9:16 PM Post #1,720 of 2,117
Just chiming in to say I'm still blown away by my W3s. I've heard several other IEMS and just really love the sound signature of the Westones. When I bought mine used they did not come with the standard Complys and the slims did not fit my mammoth ear canals. I really liked the clear large silicone tips the best, followed by the grey soft-flex. The clear silicones just had a more defined bass and good punchy-nesss.

Finally got around to ordering some standard Complys, the P model. Wow- wish I had these from the get go.

Amazing soundstage.

Wish they had a longer service life though.
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 10:01 PM Post #1,721 of 2,117
I'm about 5 days into my W3 experience.

Still not entirely happy with the highs. They are very accurate, smooth, and a pleasure to listen to. Very wide sound. However I have to boost the treble with EQ and unfortunately the iphone eq destroys the music.

Tip fit was a problem, I find the sound unnacceptable with every tip except for the triple flange. I cut down the stem and it sounds the best. It was uncomfortable at first to insert the tips, but now they are less sticky and I've learned that my ear canal is angled up a bit, its getting easier.

I got a set of new triple flange tips and tried to mod to a double flange, but the comfort was not enough to make up for the reduction in sound quality. So I've stuck with the triple flange with shortened stem.

So overall I'm very happy with the W3's, but not entirely satisfied. My ears are getting used to the reduced highs, but still not entirely pleased with having to EQ it.

I'm listening to mostly rock, where the high end is pretty critical for the edgy guitars and heavy hitting vocals. Mostly ALAC encoded files. No amp (yet!)
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 10:54 PM Post #1,722 of 2,117
The W3s have forward Highs so I'm surprised to hear that you need to boost the treble. If anything, I sometimes lower the Highs on the EQ. I wonder how different the IEMs sound compared to the Sansa Clip?

Have you tried the Shure Olives? The triple flanges in my experience produced a nice, full sound, but the highs take a bit of a hit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by weendex /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'm about 5 days into my W3 experience.

Still not entirely happy with the highs. They are very accurate, smooth, and a pleasure to listen to. Very wide sound. However I have to boost the treble with EQ and unfortunately the iphone eq destroys the music.

Tip fit was a problem, I find the sound unnacceptable with every tip except for the triple flange. I cut down the stem and it sounds the best. It was uncomfortable at first to insert the tips, but now they are less sticky and I've learned that my ear canal is angled up a bit, its getting easier.



 
Sep 12, 2009 at 11:03 PM Post #1,723 of 2,117
talisman42...
do you have any trouble getting the olives off of the w3? When I first got the w3..I put the olives on and the sound was good..however when I went to try other tips, the olives were a real bear to get off. I worried that if I had them on for a long time they would be real bad to get off the stem. I would like to listen more with them though. Just curious..
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 11:23 PM Post #1,724 of 2,117
Yes, they are much more difficult to remove but using my shirt and twist back and forth a couple times to loosen them. But I've experienced variances of different copies of the W3 (and UM3X). A fraction a millimeter is all that is necessary to make one more difficult than the other to remove. For me, the right one is always a little tougher to remove than the left. I've never had to resort to anything drastic to remove them, though. The only concern is the integrity of the olives, but despite my abuses and twists, they're holding up remarkably well!
 

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