W3 breaking ... what next?

[ambchang]

My W3 right earpiece is lately coming on and off, and it turns out the cable seems to breaking right before it enters the earpiece.
 
I am not really looking into a cable upgrade, but is looking to just simply fixing the cables themselves.
 
I have seen prices from $150 to about $500 for recabling headphones, and I am not ready to dish out this amount of cash.
 
Is there a place where I can replace the cables for a reasonable price?
 
I would imagine it would require opening up the W3 shell, desolder the wires, resolder new wires, put in y-splitter, solder on a decent quality plug.
 
Thanks.

 

[davidcotton]

If it's still in warranty, why not contact westone directly?

 

[ambchang]

The phones were bought back in January 2009, so I am sure the warranty has since expired.  The build quality of these things are really top notch, as I use them extensively almost everyday since I got them, putting in, on average about 2 hours on them a day (on weekdays).

 

[ambchang]

So I poked around and have narrowed my options to the following:
 
Replacement from W3 - Will cost me $175
Upgrade to W4 - Not sure how much it would cost, but if I am getting a good deal, I will go for it.
1964ears Quad drivers - About $600 with all the ear mold, options, shipping, etc...
Remolding my W3 from Kozee - $90
Remolding my W3 from 1964 ears - about $300 with all the stuff I want
UE Triple-Fi - Should be able to get used for $150, maybe a remold from Kozee aftewards?
Livewire Triples - About $400?
 
 
Which one should I go for?  Does anyone have any experiences with remolding universals?  How does the sound signature change?  Is there a huge difference?
 
Or should I go all in and just go with the 1964ears Quads?  I am quite sensitive to price, and the quads are quite a bit above what I am willing to pay.  Are the quads that much better than the W4?  That is also given I very much love the sound of the W3s.
 
Also, anyone had experiences with Kozee?  Why are they so much cheaper than everybody else?  I don't want to send in my W3 and have them wrecked, because then I wouldn't be able to send in for a replacement.
 
Thanks.

 

[ArrigoShred]

Hey there!
I havent remolded any of my IEMs but a friend of mine has remolded a few in the past.
Off memory I can say that if you remold IEMs you're taking a gamble since theres only a few outcomes.
The sound improves due to better isolation and a wider soundstage since the drivers should be further away from your ears.
The Sound is practically the same. But you gain better fit and comfort
The Sound goes worse due to the wiring being messed up or something like that.

Now if you remold them and also add drivers that you can do in Unique Melody you're taking a even bigger gamble since theres no guarantee that the new drivers will synergize well with your current drivers, and even if they did theres always the difference in age, new drivers will sound colder than older drivers so bear that in mind.

My recommendation is that you buy the 1964 Ears Custom Quads since they have been tuned to a specific sound and they should benefit you in the long run
 
Quote:

So I poked around and have narrowed my options to the following:
 
Replacement from W3 - Will cost me $175
Upgrade to W4 - Not sure how much it would cost, but if I am getting a good deal, I will go for it.
1964ears Quad drivers - About $600 with all the ear mold, options, shipping, etc...
Remolding my W3 from Kozee - $90
Remolding my W3 from 1964 ears - about $300 with all the stuff I want
UE Triple-Fi - Should be able to get used for $150, maybe a remold from Kozee aftewards?
Livewire Triples - About $400?
 
 
Which one should I go for?  Does anyone have any experiences with remolding universals?  How does the sound signature change?  Is there a huge difference?
 
Or should I go all in and just go with the 1964ears Quads?  I am quite sensitive to price, and the quads are quite a bit above what I am willing to pay.  Are the quads that much better than the W4?  That is also given I very much love the sound of the W3s.
 
Also, anyone had experiences with Kozee?  Why are they so much cheaper than everybody else?  I don't want to send in my W3 and have them wrecked, because then I wouldn't be able to send in for a replacement.
 
Thanks.

 

 

[ubercaffeinated]

fixing or upgrading via westone is obviously the most cost efficient route. 
 
even if you get a new pair of headphones, it's a waste to have those W3 sitting around when you can get it fixed or upgraded for a reasonable cost.

 

[Premonition]

actually... i got an idea, how about email westone about it, and ask them if they could reshell your westone 3 into customs or fix it .

 

[ambchang]

I already emailed Westone, and the replacement cost would be $175 on the W3.  I have asked them if they are willing to let me upgrade to the W4 at a discounted price, but I doubt that they would.
 
As for reshelling my westone 3s into customs by westone, I will pass on that as I am pretty comfortable with 1964ears remolding services, and if I go custom westones, I will go for the 5s, which is way beyond what I could afford at this moment.
 
The only question about the remolding is why can Kozee do it for so cheap?