[buffalowings]

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If you're wanting more bass/treble, then that's cool, it's just not recorded that way. The bass on the SE535s is totally flat...so you're pretty much hearing it the way it was recorded (as best as a universal IEM can do). Any more is coloured...different strokes for different folks I say.
 
I prefer the flat response of the SE535s. I found the sparkly treble of the W3s very nice, but over time quite fatiguing. Overall these are both great IEMs, just different flavours...neutral vs. fun.
 
The nice thing with a neutral IEM is that they pretty much go with everything...coloured IEMs are typically limited to a few genres of music.

 
Sorry bud, I have to disagree. I have recordings that I'm intimately familiar with and the 535's sound a touch off to me.  My HD600's do a fantastic job of bringing them together and I think the W3's are actually closer than the Shure's to the real thing. 
 

 

 
I've heard a lot of things said about the Westone 3s.....the IEM version of the Denon D7000s, but never the HD600. Goes to show how differently we can hear.

Oh God no... No sir, I didn't say that or intend it.. I just said that the 600's and the W3's reproduce certain details more natural and realistic than the 535's.   They are nowhere near the same signature.  The 600's are the most neutral can I've heard to date.  The W3's are the most fun, yet detailed, V shape I've ever heard.  The only thing they have in common is that they both reveal more detail than the 535's in the highs and lows, they just go about it in different ways.  
 
 And don't get me wrong, the 535's are fantastic.  I just feel that Shure played it safe with their tuning.  Forward mids aside, they are very polite across the board.  The mids can spike and cause fatigue at higher listening volumes, but otherwise they aren't aggressive.  They lack the bite I'd like to hear in guitars and violins, and yet remain detailed.  It may be my hearing or the way they work with my ears, but they need a little more on both ends to be perfect for me.

Slightly off topic..  but I would kill for the sound of the HD600 in an IEM..  

hmmm...I'd kill for the sound of a grado in a IEM

 

[genesis]

I agree with Spyro in regard to the fatigue factor. I found the um3x to be fatiguing because of the small soundstage and forward mids. I don't find the w3 fatiguing with any tip. The only way I can see would be to boost mid to higher frequencies on the eq and listen at a pretty loud volume. 

 

[JoeyRusso]

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If you're wanting more bass/treble, then that's cool, it's just not recorded that way. The bass on the SE535s is totally flat...so you're pretty much hearing it the way it was recorded (as best as a universal IEM can do). Any more is coloured...different strokes for different folks I say.
 
I prefer the flat response of the SE535s. I found the sparkly treble of the W3s very nice, but over time quite fatiguing. Overall these are both great IEMs, just different flavours...neutral vs. fun.
 
The nice thing with a neutral IEM is that they pretty much go with everything...coloured IEMs are typically limited to a few genres of music.

 
Sorry bud, I have to disagree. I have recordings that I'm intimately familiar with and the 535's sound a touch off to me.  My HD600's do a fantastic job of bringing them together and I think the W3's are actually closer than the Shure's to the real thing. 
 

 

 
I've heard a lot of things said about the Westone 3s.....the IEM version of the Denon D7000s, but never the HD600. Goes to show how differently we can hear.

Oh God no... No sir, I didn't say that or intend it.. I just said that the 600's and the W3's reproduce certain details more natural and realistic than the 535's.   They are nowhere near the same signature.  The 600's are the most neutral can I've heard to date.  The W3's are the most fun, yet detailed, V shape I've ever heard.  The only thing they have in common is that they both reveal more detail than the 535's in the highs and lows, they just go about it in different ways.  
 
 And don't get me wrong, the 535's are fantastic.  I just feel that Shure played it safe with their tuning.  Forward mids aside, they are very polite across the board.  The mids can spike and cause fatigue at higher listening volumes, but otherwise they aren't aggressive.  They lack the bite I'd like to hear in guitars and violins, and yet remain detailed.  It may be my hearing or the way they work with my ears, but they need a little more on both ends to be perfect for me.

Slightly off topic..  but I would kill for the sound of the HD600 in an IEM..  

hmmm...I'd kill for the sound of a grado in a IEM

I used to feel that way too, but I prefer the 600's versatility to my dearly departed 325i's

 

[poliact]

w3 fr casual listening , 535 for amping.W3 suits  pop rock, 535 more towards rich, more balance music. In other words, w3 for more fun listening, 535 for serious listening. Just most pop songs dont need those elemnts, so w3 all the way. Also, 535 is very bulky, w3 is lower profile, light, and can slit into pockets easily. In the end, you make the choice. I just pinpoint the facts.
 
 
 

 

[Onza]

Joey and Spyro my experience with the 535 and the W3s mirror yours. It is clearly a sound signature thing but IMO the SE535, whilst being a very good IMO, cannot match the W3 for fun, musicality or detail retrieval. I can see how some could find the W3's high a tad fatiguing as there is energy there, but to my mind I think they are more or less perfect. Also many people describe the W3s as V shaped but I don't even agree with this, yes the highs and lows are extended but the mids are very prominent also.
 
Aside from the fit issues I had with the 535s, the main questions I had about their sound was the lack of sparkle in their top end - which caused music to lose its liveliness, musicality, and detail.
 
Spyro, I find it interesting that it took you a few months to decide that you preferred the W3 over the 535. I liked the 535, but the minute I heard the W3 I knew I preferred them to the 535. Also your comments on the UM3X give me some good info on what they would sound like, although I still intend to listen to them at some point in the future...

 

[JoeyRusso]

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Joey and Spyro my experience with the 535 and the W3s mirror yours. It is clearly a sound signature thing but IMO the SE535, whilst being a very good IMO, cannot match the W3 for fun, musicality or detail retrieval. I can see how some could find the W3's high a tad fatiguing as there is energy there, but to my mind I think they are more or less perfect. Also many people describe the W3s as V shaped but I don't even agree with this, yes the highs and lows are extended but the mids are very prominent also.
 
Aside from the fit issues I had with the 535s, the main questions I had about their sound was the lack of sparkle in their top end - which caused music to lose its liveliness, musicality, and detail.
 
Spyro, I find it interesting that it took you a few months to decide that you preferred the W3 over the 535. I liked the 535, but the minute I heard the W3 I knew I preferred them to the 535. Also your comments on the UM3X give me some good info on what they would sound like, although I still intend to listen to them at some point in the future...

I'm not sure if there's another IEM out there that's as much fun as the W3 (for my brand of fun - maybe the Hippo VB? 

 ).  They aren't perfect, but they're what I like in an IEM.  My IEM's are for block out the world, take my mind off of things, fun, period.  If I want to dissect a piece of music or concentrate on learning new music, I'll reach for my HD600's.  The Senn's may not be perfect either, but they are as neutral as I want to get.  
 
 I agree the W3's aren't as V shaped as they're made out to be.  The mids aren't as forward as the 535's, but I don't consider them recessed like the Meelec M6 (another head pounder). The W3's mids fit well in the mix to me.  Vocals are outstanding, guitars sound great. Are they perfect?  No, but music appreciation isn't about perfection, it's about emotion, or it is for me anyway. The W3's get me moving..
 
 I've been trying to like the 535's for 3 days now and they're just not doing anything for me.  I've found things that they do well and genres that sound great, but they don't surpass the W3's in any one of them for me.  They were worth a listen, but  someone else will probably appreciate them more than I do.  I wish they were more like the SRH840's.

 

[MacedonianHero]

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 I wish they were more like the SRH840's.

LoL, I sold my SRH840s just because the didn't sound as good as my SE530s.

 

[JoeyRusso]

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 I wish they were more like the SRH840's.

LoL, I sold my SRH840s just because the didn't sound as good as my SE530s.

Too much of everything??  They are a little thick.  Worlds apart from the HD600's but still fun. 

 

[MacedonianHero]

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 I wish they were more like the SRH840's.

LoL, I sold my SRH840s just because the didn't sound as good as my SE530s.

Too much of everything??  They are a little thick.  Worlds apart from the HD600's but still fun. 

Honestly, if you're really loving the W3 sound, the closest full sized headphone that matched them IMO was the Denon D7000s. I would be interested on your impressions.

 

[JoeyRusso]

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 I wish they were more like the SRH840's.

LoL, I sold my SRH840s just because the didn't sound as good as my SE530s.

Too much of everything??  They are a little thick.  Worlds apart from the HD600's but still fun. 

Honestly, if you're really loving the W3 sound, the closest full sized headphone that matched them IMO was the Denon D7000s. I would be interested on your impressions.

 
I'd love to hear them, but here's the weird part... (famous last words - LOL)  I prefer an open, more neutral sound from a full size headphone.  I love my HD600's and I really need to get to a meet to hear some of the true top tier cans (or take a trip to Canada - LOL).  The Shure's are fun, but they're only good in small doses.  They were bought after a hiatus from cans and the only reason I still have them is because my daughter likes them  My IEM's serve a different purpose all together.  They have to be more guttural, raucous, primal, savage, etc... LOL  just kidding.. 
 

 

[rawrster]

I don't think you have to go that far There's lots of stuff in new york ;p

 

[JoeyRusso]

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I don't think you have to go that far There's lots of stuff in new york ;p

Really?  Hmm.. If you know the places to go for a demo, I might have to meet you at Penn Station in a few weeks

 

[rawrster]

J&R and B&H lets you audition them. J&R is probably preferred although I've never tried it before. I think you can try your own gear while B&H is left with their crappy setup. There's also a meet this weekend in White Plains. If you are in the area you can bring your SE535

 

[MacedonianHero]

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I don't think you have to go that far There's lots of stuff in new york ;p

Really?  Hmm.. If you know the places to go for a demo, I might have to meet you at Penn Station in a few weeks

I live in Toronto, but here's a few really good places in NYC I can recommend: B&H Photo and J&R, both have really incredible headphones for trying out. And both are great stores.

 

[JoeyRusso]

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J&R and B&H lets you audition them. J&R is probably preferred although I've never tried it before. I think you can try your own gear while B&H is left with their crappy setup. There's also a meet this weekend in White Plains. If you are in the area you can bring your SE535

I almost forgot about that.. are you going??  I actually have a free weekend.. Hmmm... 


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I don't think you have to go that far There's lots of stuff in new york ;p

Really?  Hmm.. If you know the places to go for a demo, I might have to meet you at Penn Station in a few weeks

I live in Toronto, but here's a few really good places in NYC I can recommend: B&H Photo and J&R, both have really incredible headphones for trying out. And both are great stores.

Umm.. DUH!!!  Why didn't I think of that??  I've bought from both of them for crying out loud.. LOL