W2 vs W4 | Comparison & Review

[Tronz]

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More drivers = better sound is exactly the way i thought it worked, those really high end customs with 8 drivers dont look as impressive now that i know that

More drivers doesn't necessarily mean better sound. It usually means more headroom with "potentially" improved clarity and lower distortion.
 

 

[Katun]

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More drivers = better sound is exactly the way i thought it worked, those really high end customs with 8 drivers dont look as impressive now that i know that

No, that is definitely NOT how it works all the time. Depends on a lot of variables.
 

 

[Jeremypsp]

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More drivers = better sound is exactly the way i thought it worked, those really high end customs with 8 drivers dont look as impressive now that i know that

It's just a placebo effect. More drivers doesn't = to better sound. Sure, they can cover a better frequency range, but that doesn't mean they can produce a better sound. Well, customs are a different range compared to universals, sure, saying it is "WAY" better is an exaggeration, but it certainly is tuned to be better than universals. Therefore something like a dual-driver JH5 can possibly beat the Westone 4s. 

 

[Darkocean-62]

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It's just a placebo effect. More drivers doesn't = to better sound. Sure, they can cover a better frequency range, but that doesn't mean they can produce a better sound. Well, customs are a different range compared to universals, sure, saying it is "WAY" better is an exaggeration, but it certainly is tuned to be better than universals. Therefore something like a dual-driver JH5 can possibly beat the Westone 4s. 

Thanks for the info about the drivers, number of drivers were what led to my choice of iems.I first took a shot in the dark with the w3 over the w2 because it had an extra driver and then again with the w4 for the same reason but thanks to posts you and other members made on the subject i now know better than to judge an iem by price and driver number alone.I dont regret buying either one because they sound 
quite different and have taught me what kind of sound i like and dont like but i will be sure to do better research before buying in future

 

[pinoyman]

what a thrilling review!!!!

 

[LFC_SL]

Any seasoned head-fier will be well versed by now in knowing perception is personal. Even if we can agree on terminology and meaning, interpretation and individual taste is another. Saying just that, am I crazy enough to rebuy the UM2 based on head-fi posts alongside another Westone to compare? Probably

  Like others though really enjoyed the flow of this review and the format is great

 

[Katun]

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what a thrilling review!!!!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
 
 
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Any seasoned head-fier will be well versed by now in knowing perception is personal. Even if we can agree on terminology and meaning, interpretation and individual taste is another. Saying just that, am I crazy enough to rebuy the UM2 based on head-fi posts alongside another Westone to compare? Probably

  Like others though really enjoyed the flow of this review and the format is great

Yeah, that's exactly right.
 
Crazy to rebuy the UM2? Why is that crazy? Well, guess for an average person, but for a Head-Fi'er it's pretty normal.

 
And... thanks for the comments about the flow and formatting.
 

 

[pinoyman]

im in a dilemma right now...
w2 or the latest DBA-02 by fisher?
hehehe

 

[Jeremypsp]

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Thanks for the info about the drivers, number of drivers were what led to my choice of iems.I first took a shot in the dark with the w3 over the w2 because it had an extra driver and then again with the w4 for the same reason but thanks to posts you and other members made on the subject i now know better than to judge an iem by price and driver number alone.I dont regret buying either one because they sound 
quite different and have taught me what kind of sound i like and dont like but i will be sure to do better research before buying in future

Well, no problem . The Westone 4s will certainly sound better to most because Westone has took all the previous complains of the Westone 3 and improved it. (toned down highs, wider soundstage, more neutral). Also, the Westone 2 is also based on the complains from the Westone 3, and I do prefer the 2s over 3s, however, the only difference being is that Westone tried to play it "too" safe that it doesn't stand out as much as the 3s, therefore the 3s are still considered by many others as "better". True, buying 2 very different sounding earphones is a lot better than buying 2 that sounds close. 

 

[Darkocean-62]

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Well, no problem . The Westone 4s will certainly sound better to most because Westone has took all the previous complains of the Westone 3 and improved it. (toned down highs, wider soundstage, more neutral). Also, the Westone 2 is also based on the complains from the Westone 3, and I do prefer the 2s over 3s, however, the only difference being is that Westone tried to play it "too" safe that it doesn't stand out as much as the 3s, therefore the 3s are still considered by many others as "better". True, buying 2 very different sounding earphones is a lot better than buying 2 that sounds close. 

One complaint i would have about the w4 is that the mids are too distant, i find that i have to tweak the sound on my cowon to bring them forward and judging by the review the w2 seem to be the clear 
winner for mids
 

 

[Katun]

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Well, no problem . The Westone 4s will certainly sound better to most because Westone has took all the previous complains of the Westone 3 and improved it. (toned down highs, wider soundstage, more neutral). Also, the Westone 2 is also based on the complains from the Westone 3, and I do prefer the 2s over 3s, however, the only difference being is that Westone tried to play it "too" safe that it doesn't stand out as much as the 3s, therefore the 3s are still considered by many others as "better". True, buying 2 very different sounding earphones is a lot better than buying 2 that sounds close. 

I hear a lot about the W2 being a "safe" sound, and while I can see that logic, I also slightly disagree. I think they're mids are too far forward to be considered safe. Not saying their mids are bad, because I absolutely love them, but I always paired the word "safe" with sounds like, "unoffensive", "flat" and "boring". The W2 is a very musical headphone, that has excellent proportion across the spectrum. While I agree the sound is safe (no way it could offend someone), I also think it's incredibly fun and enjoyable. I would go to say they tried to make the W4 more safe sounding than the W2.
 
 
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One complaint i would have about the w4 is that the mids are too distant, i find that i have to tweak the sound on my cowon to bring them forward and judging by the review the w2 seem to be the clear 
winner for mids

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the W4 midrange. Get rid of the treble problems, and I think the midrange would come out a bit. But still nowhere near the fun or closeness of the W2 midrange.
 

 

[RecklessFable]

Understanding my own limits when it comes to Head-Fi, I know that I reach an upper limit where I can discern "better" perhaps earlier than others.  That being said every high-end product colors my sources differently.  I love my W2s and have yet to find "better". 
 
I also own the MTPCs and enjoy them for their greater bass in times when I want more of that flavor.  However, the W2s are the best IEM I've tried for just about every style of music.  I'm happy to call them inoffensive as it means they are closer to the M in IEM than the more colored IEMs tend to be.
 
I haven't tried the W4 but the review was extremely interesting in that rather than being MORE "better" (which I'd probably not detect) or more interestingly colored, they were instead fatiguing to the OP.  Since I find siblance VERY fatiguing I can save my cash.
 
Excellent review and discussion!

 

[LFC_SL]

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Crazy to rebuy the UM2? Why is that crazy? Well, guess for an average person, but for a Head-Fi'er it's pretty normal.

 
And... thanks for the comments about the flow and formatting.
 

'Crazy' in the wallet financial hurt sense My UM2 not completely dead so can hold off re-buying to quickly grab another Westone to A/B against. Out of interest have you heard the W3 or UM3X against either in the thread title?
 
 

 

[Darkocean-62]

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'Crazy' in the wallet financial hurt sense My UM2 not completely dead so can hold off re-buying to quickly grab another Westone to A/B against. Out of interest have you heard the W3 or UM3X against either in the thread title?
 
 

There is a big difference between w3 and w4.I own both and to put it simply w3 are warm and forward, w4 are cold and laid back
 

 

[kite7]

 
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I think UM2 is much better than W2.  More natural sounding, smoother, a bit bassier and among the best midrange of any IEM I have ever heard.

Same here. Easily the best Westone I have ever owned, better than W2,UM3x,Westone 3 by quite a bit. Great transparency compared to the W2