[Edward Ng]

Thanks, Nick; I really did enjoy the way the Triple.fi 10 Pros sounded, but the fit, shape and comfort simply were a bit much to deal with. On my ears, I had trouble maintaining consistent seals, and it was completely and utterly impossible to lay down with them in. With my Westone 3s, I can turn off the lights at night and enjoy some pre-sleep tunes in bed, and it doesn't matter how I lay with them on--even with my buckwheat pillows, the Westone 3s just melt into my ears and I'm always comfortable.

-Ed

 

[NicktheNorse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Ng /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks, Nick; I really did enjoy the way the Triple.fi 10 Pros sounded, but the fit, shape and comfort simply were a bit much to deal with. On my ears, I had trouble maintaining consistent seals, and it was completely and utterly impossible to lay down with them in. With my Westone 3s, I can turn off the lights at night and enjoy some pre-sleep tunes in bed, and it doesn't matter how I lay with them on--even with my buckwheat pillows, the Westone 3s just melt into my ears and I'm always comfortable. -Ed

Yep the TF10 fit is far from ideal, not that I use them in bed though. How do you find the W3 sound then? No sibilance issues?

 

[Edward Ng]

When I was younger, virtually everything out there sounded overly bright and sibilant. I found out from professional hearing tests that I had abnormal sensitivity to high frequencies (it explained why I can hear dog whistles despite everyone saying they're meant to be audible only to dogs and the like). As I've grown older, I can still hear higher than normal frequencies, but my sensitivity has gone down significantly--likely due to excess exposure in loud volumes from my involvement in musical performance and production. While it is true that I have found the Westone 3s to be a bit brighter than the Triple.fi 10 Pros, I do not think they are brighter than my ER-4S'. As far as bass is concerned, I feel that the Westone 3s have greater bass detail than the Triple.fi 10 Pros, and much more body down low than the ER-4S'. I never did experiment with as wide a varity of tips on the ER-4S as I have with the Westone 3 because I wasn't aware at the time that so many different tips were available (perhaps at that point in time so long ago, there really wasn't such a wide selection of tips to play with). It is true that it was easier for me to find, what to me, was the best sounding tip for the Triple.fi 10 Pro, than it has so far been for me with the Westone 3. Generally speaking though, I'm having more issue with excess bass bloom than with the top end being too bright. In most situations, when I can get the bass to the point I want it, it pushes the vocals a bit too far into the background. I think if I tweak a set of tri-flanges just right, I'll get the sound I want, but I've already modified my one pair to the point of no return, so I need to wait for the spare ones I just ordered to come in for further experimentation.

-Ed

 

[Spad]

I find that I'm able to listen to the 3s at considerably lower volume than with my other 'phones. I assume this is be due to the slight bass bump and the Fletcher-Munson effect. It's a bit like engaging the old "loudness" button.

 

[Edward Ng]

The loudness button is a very good description indeed...there's got to be a solution, and I believe it lies in the tips, if I can figure it out.

-Ed

 

[tstarn06]

Just opened my W3s for Xmas (well, last night) and after a couple of hours of listening, two observations:

One, I can see why some folks don't dig them, because the tips are so critical in getting the best sound. I tried several foamies and other sleeves, but until I modded the tri-flanges to bi-flanges and trimmed the stalk a wee bit, I could not get the max SQ from them. My ear canals are different sizes, and my right ear is much more problematic. So finding the right sleeves was tricky. I also have an old pair of soft silicone custom sleeves from my FutureSonics' EM3s (going way back), and at first, the silicone sleeves sounded okay. But in the end, too thin with the W3s, and too ugly (they make the W3s stick out way too far).

I do have some old Comply P-Series "shorts" (same size as T400s, but with the smaller sound tube) and they worked very well. But I don't see them listed any longer on the Comply site. I only see standard and thin in the P series. Also tried the T100 smalls, and they are a wee bit too small.

So for now, the modded flanges are the best sleeves for me.

On the SQ front, to me, these phones really reveal poorly recorded tracks, much more than my other IEMs I have owned. So I do agree that some tracks sound somewhat muddled with the W3s, but when they are matched with high bitrate, quality engineered tracks, wow. So they may cause me to rerip even more of my tracks from CD to Flac, Apple Lossless (on my iPods) or at the very least 256/320k vbr. But even high quality rips sound lousy if the recordings are poor, and the W3s have the ability to have that happen.

So, in my view, these are much less forgiving IEMs, but when they are at their best, especially with certain musical genres (swing, jazz, acoustic, etc.), they sound fantastic to me, best IEMs I have heard (never owned the TF10s or SE530s). I don't notice the bass bump others mention, but maybe it just doesn't bother me. I love the bass on the W3s, in fact.

I just need to listen some more, and enjoy.

 

[Edward Ng]

I feel the bass bump became a little more apparent after a few weeks' break-in time, averaging a couple of hours a day listening at medium to medium-high volume level.

-Ed

 

[Jensen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicktheNorse /img/forum/go_quote.gif So another couple of days since I started forming my first impression of the W3s. Nothing has really changed. I go a few hours listening to the W3s and start thinking "ok ok, these sound pretty good." Then I get onto some punk or rock and the sound breaks down. I pop my TF10s back in and everything just sounds so clear and defined. As I type I'm listening to Norah Jones "The Prettiest Thing" which on the W3s sounds great - nice, warm and laid back. But everything is too laid back. Listening back on my TF10s the piano and voice sounds extremely good, and the light drums are so extraordinarily well defined I can hear the snares on the snare drum vibrate against the drum skin. On the W3s the snare hits come across much more simply. I suppose I just prefer the TF10s brighter sound signature. But the sibilance and weak composure for rock with the W3s I still can't get my head around. I'm clearly not the only one who has formed this opinion. Might try the IE8s as well just so I can have a third comparison.

Nick, I just wanted to chime in and say I totally agree with this comment. I sometimes feel like the Westone 3 is a technical wonder with its true 3 way design - but they couldn't quite get the technology to work in such a way that it creates a flowing musical sound. The bass is heavy yet controlled - so I know it has a dedicated subwoofer, the mids are there and sound ok - but for some reason they tuned them in such a way that they take a back seat to everything else, and then the highs are very present and loud - but again not tuned to fall into place with the rest of the music and just appear very foward and harsh to me.

I also have heard the exact same thing in rock music you describe where everything just sort of falls apart. All I hear is cymbals crashing and a kick drum with a bunch of "noise" around it.

The Westone's do seem pretty good with classical music, although even here the violins aren't as loud and foward as they are in my SE530's. They sound very well reproduced, just... farther back in the sound.

 

[Sideman7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Ng /img/forum/go_quote.gif I feel the bass bump became a little more apparent after a few weeks' break-in time, averaging a couple of hours a day listening at medium to medium-high volume level. -Ed

I've noticed the same thing... I'm glad someone else mentioned this, because I thought my hearing was going a bit weird on me... I am now looking forward to receiving my redone UM56. The exaggerated midrange I got from them before maybe more balanced with the way the W3 sounds to me now...

 

[NicktheNorse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jensen /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also have heard the exact same thing in rock music you describe where everything just sort of falls apart. All I hear is cymbals crashing and a kick drum with a bunch of "noise" around it.

Yes! This is exactly it. It gets to a point where all I hear is a high pitched, shimmering "noise" on the W3s as opposed to the individual instrumental components that I hear with my TF10s.

Anyway, I'm sending the W3s back next week and I'll be trying out a pair of IE8s

 

[jinx20001]

hey guys i just read a review of these from a customer at cnet.com, he said they were good for 2 seconds but brok in 2 seconds when he turned the volume all the way up on an ipod touch...is this possible or is he taking the pi$$?? i know theres no real need for it but has anybody had these at full volume on an ipod touch?

 

[Edward Ng]

My finger slipped and for an instant I was experiencing full blast from my iPhone 3G with the Westone 3 and while it did not damage my IEMs, I have to admit that the reviewer who wrote that must be straight deaf to even bother because at full volume, even if it doesn't damage the equipment, it most certainly will damage your hearing.

-Ed

 

[bossnass15]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Ng /img/forum/go_quote.gif My finger slipped and for an instant I was experiencing full blast from my iPhone 3G with the Westone 3 and while it did not damage my IEMs, I have to admit that the reviewer who wrote that must be straight deaf to even bother because at full volume, even if it doesn't damage the equipment, it most certainly will damage your hearing. -Ed

x2...probably a westone hater

 

[hockeyb213]

well idk how it is on my iphone but on my classic I can max it out without hitting ridiculous volumes

 

[jinx20001]

yeh no doubt, but at full blast it would not damage your hearing. not for a while anyway as the westone 3's arent all that sensitive, given enough time, lets say an hour at full volume your sure to walk away feeling like somebody shot you in your ears tho.

i can listen fairly comfortably with my se530 and cowon d2 set at 40/50 for easily half hour with no problems and the shures are more sensitive and the D2 is more powerful than the iphone.

dont get me wrong the westone 3's are still very sensitive and powerful, but we as humans could take 107db bursts quite easily. but for a certain period of time your sure to do damage.