[Rdr. Seraphim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm currently using my ES3X's with my Pico with USB DAC. Haven't met a headphone that the Pico didn't work well with. Well, OK, I have, it's the K1000's. But it's not the Pico's fault. One thing about the ES3X is that they are very sensitive. If there is even a tiny bit of noise (hissing, buzzing, etc.) in your amp, you will definitely hear them with the ES3X. With the Pico, it's nearly silent. I have to crank the volume all the way up (to the point that if I played music, it would blow my ear drums) to hear hissing. -Ed

Edwood, what setting do you have the Pico set to, low or high?

My Pico "might" be here today, hopefully no later than tomorrow!

My ES3X were supposed to ship overnight from Westone on Friday! I ordered Candy Blue

 

[zb0430]

Long time listener, first time caller...

Looks like I've found the replacement for my Sensaphonics 2X-S this summer... I've truly loved my Sensaphonics 2X-S. Great comfort, perfect fit... But a second driver failure, this time out of warranty, is a bit of a sour taste. They've always been great straight out of sources, unamped.

The Westone ES3x sound right up my alley as a replacement. I began looking around at the UE11 prior to some threads here. As a musician, Westone has a wonderful reputation among us IEM users, but the ES3x slipped under the radar for me. If I hadn't started looking here, I might have made an uninformed decision, and lost some money in the process...

As far as my usage, they'll get use on stage for monitoring, regular use straight out of an iPod, and hopefully through an iBasso D10 or Apogee Duet from my MacBook Pro later this spring when I can justify the costs vs. the income. Should make for a great combo!

Another question for those who have both.

I may have glanced over this, and it may be in the thread already. If so, my apologies.

Any thoughts on bass depth and impact between the UE11 and ES3x? I'm not a bass head (most of the time), but I likes me some ooomph, all the same. Also, anyone with comparisons to the aging Sensaphonics 2X-S? Not likely I'll get a comparison of all three, but worth a shot, right?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rdr. Seraphim /img/forum/go_quote.gif Edwood, what setting do you have the Pico set to, low or high? My Pico "might" be here today, hopefully no later than tomorrow! My ES3X were supposed to ship overnight from Westone on Friday! I ordered Candy Blue

Definitely "Low" gain setting. Be careful. Check that the gain switch is set to low before plugging in your ES3X's. They are quite efficient.

-Ed

 

[digihead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zb0430 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Long time listener, first time caller... Looks like I've found the replacement for my Sensaphonics 2X-S this summer... I've truly loved my Sensaphonics 2X-S. Great comfort, perfect fit... But a second driver failure, this time out of warranty, is a bit of a sour taste. They've always been great straight out of sources, unamped. The Westone ES3x sound right up my alley as a replacement. I began looking around at the UE11 prior to some threads here. As a musician, Westone has a wonderful reputation among us IEM users, but the ES3x slipped under the radar for me. If I hadn't started looking here, I might have made an uninformed decision, and lost some money in the process... As far as my usage, they'll get use on stage for monitoring, regular use straight out of an iPod, and hopefully through an iBasso D10 or Apogee Duet from my MacBook Pro later this spring when I can justify the costs vs. the income. Should make for a great combo! Another question for those who have both. I may have glanced over this, and it may be in the thread already. If so, my apologies. Any thoughts on bass depth and impact between the UE11 and ES3x? I'm not a bass head (most of the time), but I likes me some ooomph, all the same. Also, anyone with comparisons to the aging Sensaphonics 2X-S? Not likely I'll get a comparison of all three, but worth a shot, right? Thanks in advance.

I have the 2Xs but honestly after a gazillion refit attempts, I never got a fit that was really satisfactory so keep that in mind regarding sound impressions. I think the ES3x are more closely aligned with the Sensaphonics in terms of a natural presentation with excellent texture and tone.

Bass impact is stronger and more present with the UE11, however the bass on the ES3x is never lacking and has plenty of detail and impact as well.

Although this sounds a bit corny, the ES3x have almost a magical sound without being overly colored. I guess it is the midrange detail that really captivates me. The ability to hear a singer take a breath, a musician smile when they sing live, standing closer to or further away from the mic, etc are all things that I can hear and experience with the ES3x. Whoops...there I go again...that wasn't really the question was it? Can't help it, I'm a big fan of the ES3x.

 

[zb0430]

Thanks so much for the reply. You've got quite the stable to compare, digihead!

I love the natural mids of the 2X-S, and have been well pleased with them. That said, at times I feel they could use more bass impact, as well as a hair more treble extension. They're likely down the same road as the ES3X as opposed to the UE sound, regarding their musicality. It's just an X-factor that makes them a joy to listen to, and so natural. This X-factor sounds very much like what you've described here regarding the ES3X, so that makes me consider them even more...

So, I take it the ES3X wins in the bass department compared to your 2X-S? Obviously fit is a big issue there...

 

[Rdr. Seraphim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Definitely "Low" gain setting. Be careful. Check that the gain switch is set to low before plugging in your ES3X's. They are quite efficient. -Ed

Got my Pico today. Been listening with my ER4S (via ER4P-24 cable), and I must say, Wow! More to follow, but even with the Ety's, it's a wonder (not that the 4PS aren't great in their own right). Initial impressions with this combination is warmth, fleshy, lush, layered, extended, even and balanced, detailed, but not edgy or sibilant. Images and outlines are clear and distinct. Rachmaninov's Vespers (Corydon Singers, Matthew Best conductor, Hyperion) is dynamic, and wide ranging in tonal color and ambient and spacial cues which provides excellent placement of the choir beyond just left and right. Depth, width and even height are well delineated. Reminds me of a well implemented FET amplifier, or a good tubed main rig. Resolution (or detail) is excellent.

The opening of Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man (Eiji Oue, Mininesota Orchestra, Reference Recordings) is powerful and unclipped, something not at all possible from my iMac's output. The opening tympani's exhibit wonderful timber and tone! Individual trumpets are easily identifiable, crisp, but not etched. Very natural sounding.

Rebecca Pidgeon's voice in Grandmother (Rebecca Pidgeon, The Raven, Chesky) is great storytelling with great pace and rhythm.

My ES3X are shipping Tuesday via FedEx overnight! I'm pumped!

Back to why I asked the question, the ER4S need a bit of juice with their high'ish impedance (100 ohms). They work well in either lo or high on the Pico, but it's clear they need a solid amp to drive them.

I'm looking forward to hearing the ES3X! Can't wait!

pila405 take note!

 

[theory_87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zb0430 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks so much for the reply. You've got quite the stable to compare, digihead! I love the natural mids of the 2X-S, and have been well pleased with them. That said, at times I feel they could use more bass impact, as well as a hair more treble extension. They're likely down the same road as the ES3X as opposed to the UE sound, regarding their musicality. It's just an X-factor that makes them a joy to listen to, and so natural. This X-factor sounds very much like what you've described here regarding the ES3X, so that makes me consider them even more... So, I take it the ES3X wins in the bass department compared to your 2X-S? Obviously fit is a big issue there...

You should check ACS T1. the sound is more align to 2x-s sound sig

 

[digihead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zb0430 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks so much for the reply. You've got quite the stable to compare, digihead! I love the natural mids of the 2X-S, and have been well pleased with them. That said, at times I feel they could use more bass impact, as well as a hair more treble extension. They're likely down the same road as the ES3X as opposed to the UE sound, regarding their musicality. It's just an X-factor that makes them a joy to listen to, and so natural. This X-factor sounds very much like what you've described here regarding the ES3X, so that makes me consider them even more... So, I take it the ES3X wins in the bass department compared to your 2X-S? Obviously fit is a big issue there...

No doubt in my opinion the ES3x win in every department vs. the 2xs, including bass - quality, impact and detail.

 

[shino]

I have es2 and ue11，but now I have about 4 month didn't touch es2, ue11 is a wonderful IEM. Just let me enjoy the music, no matter which mp3 I use it sound excellent.

 

[Rdr. Seraphim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Definitely "Low" gain setting. Be careful. Check that the gain switch is set to low before plugging in your ES3X's. They are quite efficient. -Ed

A quick post here, and then I'll start posting my impressions on the ES3X Appreciation thread elsewhere.

My ES3X arrived yesterday. Good advice Ed! Switch the Pico to Lo gain, turn down the volume, and begin. These are really, really, really sensitive!

They nailed the midrange! It's holographic! After a long day in the office, Lenten services in the evening and a quick bite afterwards, I finally started listening in earnest around 10:00 PM. I didn't stop listening until 2:00 AM! (And since I'm normally in my office at 5:30 AM, I didn't get much sleep...)

Here's a quote from Dick Olsher that attracted me to another product (the The Ah! Super Tjoeb CDP), and is a good explanation of why the midrange is so important:

“You might wonder why I'm obsessed with the midrange as the cornerstone of musicality. It's really a function of the physics of musical instruments. The average spectrum of the orchestra peaks around 400Hz to 500Hz, and then decreases with increasing frequency. The mean spectral level at 2.5kHz to 3kHz is already about 20dB below the peak. And, of course, the lower midrange is rich in fundamentals and their first overtones. In particular, the range of 262Hz to 330Hz (C4 to E4) is common to all voices. In my book, if a component can't get it right in the midrange, frequency extension, imaging, etc., matter very little. The midrange, to my mind, is literally the heart of the matter.”

The midrange from the ES3X are spot on! I'm in heaven and can't wait for another listening session! I'm afraid I might not get much work done today!

More later...

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rdr. Seraphim /img/forum/go_quote.gif A quick post here, and then I'll start posting my impressions on the ES3X Appreciation thread elsewhere. My ES3X arrived yesterday. Good advice Ed! Switch the Pico to Lo gain, turn down the volume, and begin. These are really, really, really sensitive! They nailed the midrange! It's holographic! After a long day in the office, Lenten services in the evening and a quick bite afterwards, I finally started listening in earnest around 10:00 PM. I didn't stop listening until 2:00 AM! (And since I'm normally in my office at 5:30 AM, I didn't get much sleep...) Here's a quote from Dick Olsher that attracted me to another product (the The Ah! Super Tjoeb CDP), and is a good explanation of why the midrange is so important: “You might wonder why I'm obsessed with the midrange as the cornerstone of musicality. It's really a function of the physics of musical instruments. The average spectrum of the orchestra peaks around 400Hz to 500Hz, and then decreases with increasing frequency. The mean spectral level at 2.5kHz to 3kHz is already about 20dB below the peak. And, of course, the lower midrange is rich in fundamentals and their first overtones. In particular, the range of 262Hz to 330Hz (C4 to E4) is common to all voices. In my book, if a component can't get it right in the midrange, frequency extension, imaging, etc., matter very little. The midrange, to my mind, is literally the heart of the matter.” The midrange from the ES3X are spot on! I'm in heaven and can't wait for another listening session! I'm afraid I might not get much work done today! More later...

Congrats!

Don't forget to visit here as well: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/w...thread-409063/

 

[ottoyu34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by digihead /img/forum/go_quote.gif ES3x vs UE11Pro

Thank you, Digihead. Your impressions solved all my question.

 

[Guarneri]

You all have made me want to try the ES3x and compare with my UE 10 pros now... I hate all of you...

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guarneri /img/forum/go_quote.gif You all have made me want to try the ES3x and compare with my UE 10 pros now... I hate all of you...

That's okay, we all still love you (like a daughter, nothing weird okay).

 

[funkymonkcp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif From what I have read in the past few days, I don't think think the UE-11 Pro are worth the extra $300 for the worsening UE customer service - and the ES3X seem to be the best choice at least for me.

I don't quite understand what's wrong with UE's customer service so I figure I will share my experience with UE customer service. I bought UE-11's in January and their customer service was top notch. I had many questions before I bought them and I would always get an email response within 1-3 hours.

I went in on a Friday to get ear molds at an audiologist and sent them over night to UE and paid an extra fee for UE to rush making them. They received the molds that Monday and I had the UE-11's by Wednesday. I even changed my mind about the color and custom artwork many times and they were very nice throughout my decision process.

Once I received them I wasn't very happy with how the color turned out and there was a fit issue. I informed them that I didn't like the color and asked if they would remake them when they get them back for the refit. They went ahead and made them in the new color and fixed the fit and sent them back to me. They refunded my $200 I paid for rush delivery since I had to send them back. They also overnighted them back to me for free. Normally they would do standard fedex shipping.

I counted my emails back and forth between UE and there are about 50 emails. They were very helpful with everything, even making suggestions on color choices.

Anyways, I just think there should be at least one good story of UE's customer service.

Back in December I bought the Westone 3's and got UM-56 custom tips. Westone's customer service was very good as well. However I didn't have to deal with them as much since tips are a lot more straightforward.