Ultimate Ears UE-10 vs. Westone ES3X
Mar 3, 2009 at 1:19 PM Post #92 of 175
to where have gone the UE-10 vs. ES3X thread?

is the diffrence is that big that you compare them only to the UE-11? or you just dont want to? cause i am realy intrested at this point at the UE-10 vs ES3X.

i am talking on classical music mostly, i dont realy cares from other genres :p. and i am having so much fun reading your posts!

it will be just great if you will pm me a comparison between UE-10 & ES3X in classical, all the genres of classical with all the compositions that just posible [from solos to orchestras].


thank you digihead!
 
Mar 3, 2009 at 4:21 PM Post #93 of 175
Quote:

Originally Posted by antonyfirst /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Sell the ESW10 and you'll have bought half of it.


Not happening soon. I still love my ESW-10s
 
Mar 3, 2009 at 6:41 PM Post #94 of 175
Newbie here... if I can (gently) interject some of my ideas into the "colored vs natural" discussion because I think that Larry and Digihead are on to something very interesting.

From my own understanding of colored, it could even be a type of distortion, similar to the differences between tubes and solid state amplification. My lower powered Manley Stingray sounds wonderfully warm, yet "natural." Some even say it's neutral! It is inherently very listenable, engaging, and provides a phenomenal level musical reproduction (at its price point). Playing the same music on my friend's Lamm reference system (nearly $100K), yields the same resolution and detail (at least on my Merlin's vs his Revel's), but with grandiosity (it should)! Which one is less colored? Which one more accurately depicts the actual recorded venue? Good question, and probably only the recording engineer(s) can say.

Recording engineers definitely use specific tools (e.g. speakers, AD/DA converters, amplifiers, etc.) to record, measure and produce the best product they can. However, at least in my experience, these are often not the same tools we listeners use for playback. Yet even more diverse is what the musicians themselves view as good reproduction.

My wife's family is blessed with several world class musicians (classical and jazz), both abroad and locally. Interestingly, they all love my music system (see my profile :)!

Personally, I am drawn to Larry's postings and reviews, finding that his terminology fits my own understanding of music reproduction, especially as it relates to timbre, space (ambience) and articulation (resolution or detail). I also believe Digihead's findings to be right on. So, I have ordered the Westone ES3X's and the Headamp Pico. How's that for balance! (At least I hope :)

Best regards,

--Seraphim
 
Mar 3, 2009 at 7:09 PM Post #95 of 175
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rdr. Seraphim /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Newbie here... if I can (gently) interject some of my ideas into the "colored vs natural" discussion because I think that Larry and Digihead are on to something very interesting.

From my own understanding of colored, it could even be a type of distortion, similar to the differences between tubes and solid state amplification. My lower powered Manley Stingray sounds wonderfully warm, yet "natural." Some even say it's neutral! It is inherently very listenable, engaging, and provides a phenomenal level musical reproduction (at its price point). Playing the same music on my friend's Lamm reference system (nearly $100K), yields the same resolution and detail (at least on my Merlin's vs his Revel's), but with grandiosity (it should)! Which one is less colored? Which one more accurately depicts the actual recorded venue? Good question, and probably only the recording engineer(s) can say.

Recording engineers definitely use specific tools (e.g. speakers, AD/DA converters, amplifiers, etc.) to record, measure and produce the best product they can. However, at least in my experience, these are often not the same tools we listeners use for playback. Yet even more diverse is what the musicians themselves view as good reproduction.

My wife's family is blessed with several world class musicians (classical and jazz), both abroad and locally. Interestingly, they all love my music system (see my profile :)!

Personally, I am drawn to Larry's postings and reviews, finding that his terminology fits my own understanding of music reproduction, especially as it relates to timbre, space (ambience) and articulation (resolution or detail). I also believe Digihead's findings to be right on. So, I have ordered the Westone ES3X's and the Headamp Pico. How's that for balance! (At least I hope :)

Best regards,

--Seraphim


Methinks you will be a very "happy camper".
biggrin.gif
 
Mar 3, 2009 at 7:23 PM Post #96 of 175
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rdr. Seraphim /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Newbie here...<< tried and failed >> ... So, I have ordered the Westone ES3X's and the Headamp Pico. How's that for balance! (At least I hope :)

Best regards,

--Seraphim


Did I correctly summarize your post?
 
Mar 3, 2009 at 8:08 PM Post #98 of 175
Does the ES3X need amp to be driven properly? how will they sound just out of my Cowon D2?
 
Mar 3, 2009 at 8:52 PM Post #99 of 175
Quote:

Originally Posted by pila405 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Does the ES3X need amp to be driven properly? how will they sound just out of my Cowon D2?


Sounds great right out my iPhone.
 
Mar 3, 2009 at 8:57 PM Post #100 of 175
Quote:

Originally Posted by pila405 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Does the ES3X need amp to be driven properly? how will they sound just out of my Cowon D2?


I don't think you need an amp with the Westone 3 - I should imagine with the ES3X that would even be more the case.
 
Mar 3, 2009 at 9:18 PM Post #101 of 175
I expect that they should sound pretty darn good out of the box, especially given their sensitivity (124db). I purchased the Pico partly for the DAC in conjunction with my iMac. I'm also hoping that when used with my iPhone and (upcoming iMod and LOD from Ken at ALO), it will provide the last iota that it's capable of.

From my experience, the speaker/amplifier interface is fairly critical. However, given the sensitivity of the ES3X, it probably works well with a wide range of devices. (It's kinda like the older Merlin TSM loudspeaker. It was output impedance sensitive and Bobby Polkovic provided wiring harnesses for use with either tube or solid state. That is not the case today.)

Anyway, that seems to be born out by HeadphoneAddict's wonderful review (Thank you!) So, I suspect (assume), it will improve with the external amp. Having ordered all this "stuff" now, I'm anxious to give it a whirl! Thrumming fingers on my desk. Waiting... waiting... waiting...
 
Mar 4, 2009 at 11:16 AM Post #104 of 175
Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch /img/forum/go_quote.gif
That sense of "magic" that digihead described in the ES3x is what I hear out of the ES2, O2 Mk1, K340, HE90, basically any headphone that sounds like the sound signature I described on the last page.


That makes me quite happy. The reason why I kept my K340 for so long and spent so much money on modding it to make it better and why I sold every other headphone except my O2 MK1 (and bought a KGBH SE)was because of that "magic"
tongue.gif
 
Mar 4, 2009 at 2:25 PM Post #105 of 175
The differences between any of these custom IEMs is really much more minor than major, especially when you are talking about the ES3x and the UE11. They have their own unique sound and presentation and I have been trying to capture the differences in that sound and presentation. However at the end of the day, there are not night and day differences in which one is better. Honestly, at this level, neither is a clear cut winner. 'Both are killer'.

Saying the soundstage of the UE11 is bigger or wider doesn't mean the soundstage of the ES3x is small or narrow. The soundstage on both is big and wide for an IEM for SURE. The UE11 is just a HAIR, a hair bigger and wider. The tradeoff is that with the UE11 you don't get the mids being a bit closer to you in exchange for that hair bigger and wider soundstage. It might just be that the ES3x have a slightly more upfront sound to them whereas the UE11 take a slight step back in presentation.

The comparison gets difficult because of reading too much into statements as Larry points out. For example, the UE11 mids are not recessed at all. However in direct comparison to the ES3x, the mids are not nearly as present and defined in the mix. What is strange is that the ES3x mids aren't overly forward nor are the UE11 mids recessed.
 
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