Just a brief note on my views aft trying out the W3.
Equipment used: Imod -> HGA Pure Silver -> Xin Reference (Final)
Songs (Apple Lossless) tested with (approx 1 min each):
a) Susan Wong - Killing Me Softly
b) Emi Fujita - Every Breath You Take (Live)
c) Andrea Bocelli - Un Amore Cosi Grande
d) Alfio Bonanno - Quando Quando Quando
e) Lisa Ono - Besame Mucho
f) Lisa Ono - Solamente Una Vex
In comparision with: Triple Fi Pro with ES2 Cables
Bass / Lows: More quantity and quality bass compared to TF10. I won't say it is overwhelming but you can hear the better punchy feel as well as textured bass notes. You can hear the sibilance on the plucking of the double bass. The low of the W3 goes slightly lower and with nice little details.
Mids: Smooth, intimate and forward presentation. Bear in mind, I'm comparing to the TF10 which is pretty cold and dark in my opinion. I have to be very specific in this area. The songs I use to test are either vocals or Italian Jazz/Classical pieces. These tracks heavily emphasize on vocals and mids. Which bring out the strength of the W3 and down play the positives of the TF10.
Highs/ Treble: The highs is there! Clear, precise and distinctive. BUT! They lack the sparkle of the TF10. Once again, I'm not saying the W3 don't fare well in the treble region. They are there. Very precise and clear. But they don't have the kick of the sparkling highs that the TF10 is capable of. But this is a double edge sword. The Sparkling treble can make you pretty tired after hearing for a period of time. Especially if you intend to listen to songs before you sleep. Those crystal clear highs can make you more awake than you wish for.
Soundstage and Presentation: TF10 is well known to be airy. This airy presentation leads to us having the feeling that the soundstage is huge. I am madly in love with the airy feel of my TF10. This airy feel might be attributed to the extreme ends of presentation. Sparkling highs, slightly recessed mids and deep bass. But it is because of this air presentation, vocals sound hollow. You can hear the breathing of the singers. But their voice may at times seem hollow. Not intimate. The soundstage of the W3 is there. It is wide. Almost on par with the TF10. But due to the less airy feel to it, the different instruments and the singers seem closer. But it is more intimate.
Overall views: TF10 is good when you have the urge to analyse the song. Pin-point the instruments, trying to guess its placement and not to mention, get some kick by listening to those sparkling highs. Definately not one for you to feel connected to the singer and what he/she is trying to express. W3. All the aspects is remarkable. The Lows, Mids, Highs, Soundstage are all there. Putting together a great piece of work for you to enjoy the intimate vocals and music. But it is not a reference iem to speak. At least, not to me. But it does make me feel happy listening to music. Enjoying and not analyzing.
As I'm pretty restricted to the listening time, I might not be accurate in certain areas. But the very least is I tried to be as neutral as possible when listening.
Cheers!
