[vinnievidi]

After listening to my W3 for a while I have come to think that the bass is a touch too loose. Is there an IEM that is similar but with tighter bass? I had the MTPC and IE8 but prefer the W3 over them. How would the UM3X compare in this regard?



I have looked through the W3 vs UM3X threads but have not found an answer to this particulate question.



Thanks in advance.

 

[shiaulou]

i think the um3x's bass is leaner and tighter but definitely still very present. however, the um3x tends to be more mid-centric so it's pretty different from the v-shaped qualities of the w3. i own the um3x and recently sold my w3's.
 
have you tried triplefi10's? they're fairly similar to w3's. i recall the tf10 bass to be a little bit less abundant than the w3's.

 

[vinnievidi]

I used to have the triple fi, but sold them due to the fit. Would you say that the UM3x mids are overly upfront, or more balanced? I thought that the Shure SE535 sounded great but had weak bass performance through my iPhone. Do you think that the UM3x would be similar to that but with stronger bass?

 

[shiaulou]

i owned the se530's (at same time as um3x's) and to my ears they were more mid-centric and thick sounding but smoother than the westone's. I think that's partially because the shure's tended to be more rolled off in the highs. that's the 530's mind you, apparently the 535's are improved in that area. while the um3x's mids tended to be more lean, the bass was a little bit more impactful and defined but the difference wasn't large. i enjoyed both, but found myself using the um3x's more often.

 

[ZARIM]

JVC FX700, SM3 and Klipsch Custom 3............

 

[vinnievidi]

@shiaulou: 
That's good to know, thanks.   As for the SE535, I did notice that they were not as rolled off as the 530s.  Actually, they were quite enjoyable (and I didn't like the 530s at all) except that I am looking for more bass impact.  From what you are saying though, the um3x may be more to my liking.  The W3s are still within the return period and B&H has the um3x in stock.  Maybe I will go by there this week and make an exchange. 
 
@Zarim
I would love to try the SM3 but they don't have them locally.  Maybe I can find a used pair on the forums.

 

[JxK]

The W3 are reported to have a V shaped and warm sound signature. So what you're looking for will likely be a V shaped sound, but with less mid-bass and drier mids. Consider the panasonic HJE900 or the JVC fx700, both of which are described as having that V shaped sound signature.

 

[vinnievidi]

 
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I don't know if I necessarily prefer a V shape.  I did like the SE535; I just thought that its bass was not strong enough--not by much though.  I listened to the W3 for a couple hours today and I think that I found what bothers me most about them: vocals and electric guitars sound muffled on some albums (like Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins), and--for lack of a better term--the mushy bass.
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[JoeyRusso]

Quote:

 

I don't know if I necessarily prefer a V shape.  I did like the SE535; I just thought that its bass was not strong enough--not by much though.  I listened to the W3 for a couple hours today and I think that I found what bothers me most about them: vocals and electric guitars sound muffled on some albums (like Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins), and--for lack of a better term--the mushy bass.
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I think that is a result of the way that album was produced more than the way the W3 reproduces it.  Billy decided to layer the snot out of the guitars and really muddied things up for the most part, IMHO. I heard it the same way and did some research on that album, because for almost all of my music, the W3's don't sound that way.  This quote comes right from their Wiki: "Vig said, "Billy wanted to make a record that people would put on and say, 'What the screw was that?'... We wanted to have things going on in the left ear and right ear all the time".^{[size=x-small][6][/size]} One of Corgan's main goals was to create a sense of sonic depth, but, as Corgan said, "without necessarily using delays or reverbs — to use tonalities instead."^{[size=x-small][12][/size]} For the album, the guitars were layered multiple times. Corgan has stated that "Soma" alone contains up to 40 overdubbed guitar parts.^{[size=x-small][13][/size]} Vig stated that as many as 100 guitar parts were compressed into a single song.^{[size=x-small][6][/size]"} 
I heard it the same way with every earphone I've ever owned with the exception of the Ety's, which didn't offer enough bass to muddy things up, instead, they just didn't sound "right".

If you want to hear the W3's shine with guitar and vocals check out Alice in Chains - MTV unplugged, Godsmack - Awake or IV, any Coheed and Cambria album, Dream Theater, Pantera or one of my favorites A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step..  "Weak and Powerless" has a lot going on in the mids and the vocals and guitar never get lost. Check that song out!!!!
 
I'm one of the few that doesn't hear the Westone 3 as V shaped, the mids are balanced, the bass isn't overwhelming and the highs are never harsh or sibilant. They aren't close to neutral or analytical, but they aren't sloppy or muddy IMO.  I'd take these over the IE8's every time.  I'd like to hear the UM3X's to see how they're different. The 3X's or the UM2 may be my next purchase, but the W3's are my keepers.

 

[vinnievidi]

@Joey



I read the same things about Siamese Dream a while back... Really makes the album more interesting.

I gave the W3 another shot and started to really appreciate the sound signature, but I ultimately returned them. I went to B&H during lunch and picked up a pair of UM3X and switched between the two throughout the rest of the day. Wow.



Not "wow" as in, "wow, these are amazingly fun", but more like, "wow, I'm happy enough with these to keep them". I think they have a lot of what I like in the W3 but with more detail in the lower mids. This is most apparent in kick drums, which (depending on the recording) really sound like they are pushing air. I didn't experience that with the W3. The um3x doesn't have the same bass impact as the W3 but sound a little more lively. I haven't tried EQing the um3x yet. The only thing i can say negative about the Um3x compared to the W3 is that they do sound more narrow. It's not the end of the world though.



I think that I will pick up a pair of W3 in the future to compliment my new purchase (they did sound more exciting with some recordings), but for now i am happy and can cool off my AMEX.



Thanks everyone for all the advice and suggestions!! Each one was seriously considered.



Vv

 

[JoeyRusso]

Congrats Vin, It's all just a personal journey to find the combo that makes you happiest.  I'm glad you found yours.  I've been thinking about picking up the UM3X (used) to see how they compare, but in the meantime I couldn't be happier with Five Finger Death Punch rocking my iPhone and my W3's (as I type).  Enjoy!!!!