Westone 3 - my first experience = MUST HAVE !!
Oct 4, 2007 at 2:38 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 105

HeadphoneAddict

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Quote:

Originally Posted by p0wderh0und23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Westone’s new 3 – The first true three-way earphone made for music lovers

The Westone 3 is the first true universal fit three-way earphone designed for personal listening. Its balanced armature drivers and three-way crossover network deliver powerful lows, lush midrange, and crystal-clear highs that add incredible realism and punch to your listening experiences. The 3’s ergonomic fit provides unmatched comfort, outstanding sound isolation, and accurate reproduction that will satisfy the most demanding music lover or audiophile.

The Westone 3 is the culmination of almost 50 years of experience creating products for the human ear, and 20-plus years of developing in-ear technology for pro musicians. Westone monitors’ clarity, response and fit have made them the favorites of top recording and performing musicians worldwide.

Technical Specs:
Sensitivity – 119 dB/mW
Impedance – 27ohms
Drivers – 3 balanced armatures with 3-way passive crossover

Accessories:
Inline Volume Control
¼” Adapter
Travel Case
Tips (various sizes and styles)


We will have prototypes at MacWorld in San Fran next week. Come hear them for yourself !



Hey Peeps!

I was over at Westone today, delivering my new ear impressions for my UM56 vinyl custom IEM tips.

While I was there, I bugged Dale for a while with all kinds of questions, and he was extremely helpful. We talked and he discovered I was an audiophile, not just a Shure E500 owner, and I offered to let him listen to my iBasso D1 portable DAC/AMP with my iRiver H140 and optical out.

He felt the need to get "listen to the good earphones" as he eyed my Shures. He comes back with some Westone 3 earphones for me to audition, so with Complys tips I listened to my Shure, and then the Westone. I also gave him the opportunity to listen to the Westone 3 with a nice source and amp.

My next question was HOW SOON can I have some, can I borrow them for a week to do a review, do you know when they will be available for review, can you tell me more than "SOON"?
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I only had 2 minutes to listen to them, but that was enough to tell that they improve on the SE500's noticably. It took me 3-4 hours to decide I liked the Livewires better than SE500's, and 2 minutes with the Westone 3 was enough to rank them. I CANNOT compare to the Livewires, but the livewires were in the same direction as the Westone 3 but with slightly less bass (from my recollection since I mailed them out Monday to be tweaked).

I can't decribe everything, but there was just as much or more soundstage, more mid and high presense, plenty of bass impact without boomyness or coloration, good extension on lows and highs, mucho detail and definition of individual instruments. Side by side they do reveal the failings of the Shure SE500's, and while the SE500's sound great on their own merits.

It appears that the Livewires and soon the Westone 3 will be replacing my Denon C700 and Shure SE500's.
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Oct 4, 2007 at 2:42 AM Post #2 of 105
Oct 4, 2007 at 2:43 AM Post #3 of 105
That's pretty high praise. Now let's just see if Westone ever decides to release them. At least it isn't taking as long as the Diablo. Still, it is taking them a while to get these out.
 
Oct 4, 2007 at 3:14 AM Post #5 of 105
Quote:

Technical Specs:
Sensitivity – 119 dB/mW
Impedance – 27ohms
Drivers – 3 balanced armatures with 3-way passive crossover


I believe the specs are wrong, the sensitivity is now 107 db/mw so less hissy when going unamped! (correct me if I'm wrong)
 
Oct 4, 2007 at 3:32 AM Post #7 of 105
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bolardito /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Yeah but the UE11 will eat them! just as it did with the E500


Um yeah, at almost 3 times the price and being custom, I hope they do.
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Oct 4, 2007 at 4:00 AM Post #9 of 105
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bolardito /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Yeah but the UE11 will eat them! just as it did with the E500


Do you also speculate that the UE11 will "eat" the 3 Custom?

Glad you got a taste of the 3 Headphoneaddict!
 
Oct 4, 2007 at 4:00 AM Post #10 of 105
Quote:

Originally Posted by vDrag0n /img/forum/go_quote.gif
when's the release anyways?


Status is currently unknown, but remember: good things come to those who wait!
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Oct 4, 2007 at 4:09 AM Post #11 of 105
WOW, dude u are so lucky to have the chances to test it before launch, awaiting for the review
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Oct 4, 2007 at 5:32 AM Post #14 of 105
There's some on fleaBay.

*

it's a preorder, i think i'll wait.
 
Oct 4, 2007 at 5:42 AM Post #15 of 105
check delivery date... the devil is in the details, i also almost fell for that one, pay now, we deliver when westone delivers, i saw that some specs changed from the last prototype and im starting to think that westone has a snowball on their hands, that each time its almost ready to go in to mass production, someone makes a "constructive" comment, or a new product reaches the market that causes them to modify the UM3 again and therefore delaying its release, westone should stop taking all this constructive advice and stop looking at others people product and just release the IEM´s they want to release,

anyways, futuresonics relighted the armature vs dynamic discussion again, and im starting to think this westone VS Ultimate ears vs Shure fight about who can stuff more armatures in to a single IEM is starting to look like the gillete VS schick/wilkinson fight, UE allready has a 4 driver custom, how long untill it trickles down to universal ?

Shure SE640 ? Quad.fi 25 ? UM4 ?
 

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