[paaaaanic]

Hey guys, I've been one of those silent readers on Head-Fi hoping to learn more about IEMs and all, and right now I'm using a W2 (been using it for about, give or take, a year). Recently I thought of changing my earphones since I was kinda looking for a fresh experience in listening to my music so I was looking out for a new pair of earphones. Well, I'll admit I'm not all that well-versed at this art of analyzing earphones, and I don't quite fully grasp all the terms used in this forum. As such, I'll try to describe my problem in simple English (pardon my inexperience haha). So here goes:
 
I'm satisfied with my W2 with regard to its fit and sound, but I'm just looking for that, for a lack of better words, extra OOMPH, something that makes me go WOW when I hear it. I always thought that the reason why I felt underwhelmed with my W2 was because I thought I was a basshead - I thought I needed the pumping bass when listening to my music to make my audio experience perfect. But a few days ago I tried the IE8 (which was actually what I thought would be the ideal IEM for me after reading the many threads on the IE8 (reviews and comparisons), but in the end I felt underwhelmed. Surprisingly the veil on the mids really bugged me and I also didn't see how it was much of a step up from my W2, hence I kinda ruled it out from my list of choices which then, stood at a count of ZERO.
 
I then tried the UM3X (albeit briefly) and my audition tracks were that of John Mayer's Live in LA tracks and I thought the experience was stellar. However I've read reviews and while the reproduction of live recordings is great on the UM3X, it doesn't do so well other tracks...? (Note: please do pardon me if I'm wrong) But I'm really comfortable with the Westone brand and products so I do give their products a great deal of trust!
 
Which leads to my current headache: what exactly am I looking out for in a pair of earphones, and (somewhat related) am I a basshead? I listen to a variety of music from John Mayer, The xx, Foals, some dubstep, The Prodigy, basically from acoustic to electronic (barring pop and classical, not quite my thing). Would the UM3X be a good choice for the above genres? I can get a pretty good fit on it and for those who would recommend the SM3 v2, I tried one belonging to my friend and felt that it didn't TOTALLY outshine my W2 and it felt kinda bulky to my ears and I guess I couldn't get a comfortable fit on it, it felt more like it was hanging out of my ears at times, so I (in my inexperienced POV and to my uncultured ears) don't see what's so great about them. /:
 
Hence I hope that you guys can help me in my conundrum and I'm open to advice and criticism in any way, I really wanna learn more and be able to appreciate music and my earphones more! Thanks in advance!
 
 
 

 

[ZARIM]

I will recommend the following IEMs if you like deep rich dynamic bass and great crisp, clear high resolution soundquality(above IE8) without deep tight seal and they are here like Sony EX1000, JVC FX700, FXT90, Westone 3. But if you want more isolation with superb clarity and good bass response then CK100Pro, UM3x, GR10 are highly recommended.

 

[takoyaki7]

 
   I think Westone 3 might be a good choice for you. I owned the UM3x and loved them, great fit, amazing detail, but they might be a little lacking in the "OOMPH" you describe wanting! In fact when I first got my UM3x I HATED them, as they have a somewhat closed-in sound, and I found them to sound a bit too controlled and boring, but I grew into them and quite enjoyed them after that.
 
  However, by comparison the W3 has a lot more OOMPH than either the W2 or the UM3x, and though they can lack a bit of mid-range clarity, they still have the crisp detail of a premium BA phone, but great bass like a dynamic. I find them a very fun and easy earphone to like. I have owned and sold UM3x, FX700, FXT90, SE530, W2, EQ-5/EQ-7, and many more, but I have held onto the W3 for a while now as they have a good combination of the more analytical detail of some BA earphones along with an engaging bassy signature.
 
  And I find their fit to be about just as good as the UM3s, one of the most comfortable earphones I've ever worn.

 

[Spyro]

W3 is a W2 with a well done subwoofer.  It should satisfy you.

 

[eclipes]

W3's bass was just too much for me. It might work out better for you. I prefer my um3x a lot more.

 

[djvkool]

Yeah I don't really like W3 either...it has fantastic bass, but it is way too recessed and muddy for me, if you want, I guess you can get the UM3X and if you don't like the sound, you can always get 3rd party cable, there are a lot out there

 

[eclipes]

mentioning about 3rd party cable, I must recommend the Silver Dragon IEM paired up with Um3x. Its just 

 
Quote:

Yeah I don't really like W3 either...it has fantastic bass, but it is way too recessed and muddy for me, if you want, I guess you can get the UM3X and if you don't like the sound, you can always get 3rd party cable, there are a lot out there