[barid]

The W30 is nowhere near V shaped, it's pretty much balanced.

So im fairly ignorant to the new models. The w3 was definitely not flat...and i assumed the w30 was just the progression of that model. Is this not the case? I had read the w4 and w40 were similar.

 

[Daniel4IEM]

  I would suggest the W40 since you have already tried the W3 and were disappointed.

thanks for the feedback!

 

[MachBot]

So im fairly ignorant to the new models. The w3 was definitely not flat...and i assumed the w30 was just the progression of that model. Is this not the case? I had read the w4 and w40 were similar.

I won't comment on the other models since I have not tried them, but the W30 is very different from the W3.

 

[milford30]

The difference between w30 and w40 is basically w30 if you want something flat and brighter, w40 is basically like the w4, well tuned vocals warm, and better bass than the w4. So in my mind, it's between I want something that's technically good and have everything on the stage in front of me, or do I want the singer stand closer to me and draw me in with their voice.
 
For example, a guitar sounds is based around the mid frequencies, but if the highs are not as pronounced relatively (w40), it won't sound as realistic. If you get the w30, you MAY find it sounding flat and emotionless. 

 

[Silver]

  The difference between w30 and w40 is basically w30 if you want something flat and brighter, w40 is basically like the w4, well tuned vocals warm, and better bass than the w4. So in my mind, it's between I want something that's technically good and have everything on the stage in front of me, or do I want the singer stand closer to me and draw me in with their voice.
 
For example, a guitar sounds is based around the mid frequencies, but if the highs are not as pronounced relatively (w40), it won't sound as realistic. If you get the w30, you MAY find it sounding flat and emotionless. 

 
Do you mean w30 is brighter than w40?
 
I have Westone 2 and um2. I wonder if w30 is worth trying at all if I am happy with the warm and dark signature of UM2 and prefer it to W2. 

 

[milford30]

   
Do you mean w30 is brighter than w40?
 
I have Westone 2 and um2. I wonder if w30 is worth trying at all if I am happy with the warm and dark signature of UM2 and prefer it to W2. 

 
Sorry I havn't heard the UM2 or W2, to my ears the w30 is brighter relative to the w40, but by no means a bright iem. 
 
It is actually hard to tell if you would like the w30, to be honest, your brain gets used to the signature. It's only when you A/B another iem that you find there's this veil in the w4r's, sort of like tube amps with old records. 
 
If by try you mean listening to them in a meet or buying from a place with a good returns/swap policy, they're definitely worth a try. If you mean buying blind, then you have to decide what you like in an iem, emotional vocals but not crystal clean, or a more true to performance experience.
 
EDIT: I just noticed you are in HK too, just go to shops in MK and give them a listen for yourself.

 

[Silver]

   
Sorry I havn't heard the UM2 or W2, to my ears the w30 is brighter relative to the w40, but by no means a bright iem. 
 
It is actually hard to tell if you would like the w30, to be honest, your brain gets used to the signature. It's only when you A/B another iem that you find there's this veil in the w4r's, sort of like tube amps with old records. 
 
If by try you mean listening to them in a meet or buying from a place with a good returns/swap policy, they're definitely worth a try. If you mean buying blind, then you have to decide what you like in an iem, emotional vocals but not crystal clean, or a more true to performance experience.
 
EDIT: I just noticed you are in HK too, just go to shops in MK and give them a listen for yourself.

 
I can't help asking here but kinda refrain from going to MK to do any audition. For now I will just understand w30 also as a brightier and improved Westone 2 (as w2 was thought to be similar to w4). I guess I have got enough different favours of Westone by owning W2 and UM2 simultaneously and getting w30 would then be too obsessive to most normal people's eye I reckon. But then spending thousands of HK dollars in IEMs would probably be judged by most people here anyway... HK is a place where being having special interest is like a taboo.

 I will see.

 

[JGreen08]

How would you guys compare the Westone 4s to some of the full sized headphones like the HD 650, HE 560i, LCD 2? I've been loving my 4s, but with my new Lyr 2 and Bifrost, the audio bug has gotten me again and I've been debating what to get for awhile.

 

[milford30]

   
I can't help asking here but kinda refrain from going to MK to do any audition. For now I will just understand w30 also as a brightier and improved Westone 2 (as w2 was thought to be similar to w4). I guess I have got enough different favours of Westone by owning W2 and UM2 simultaneously and getting w30 would then be too obsessive to most normal people's eye I reckon. But then spending thousands of HK dollars in IEMs would probably be judged by most people here anyway... HK is a place where being having special interest is like a taboo.

 I will see.

 
If you say so, I don't see a problem giving it a try, If you like them sell one of yours and upgrade. The way I see it, if they can tell it's expensive, then they're in the hobby, and if they're not in the hobby(most people), they won't be able to tell. I don't live in a particular rich region, but I see people se846, ASG-2, customs, etc at least once every few days.

 

[MuZo2]

  W40 versus W4
 
W40 adds more bass but slightly smaller soundstage.  Everything else is same.
 
 

I dont see this in measurement
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/Westone4R.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/WestoneW40.pdf

 

[Ivabign]

They look pretty darned similar - maybe more peak distortion on the W4R - but the drivers seem better matched with the W4R - it looks like the variation that could occur between 2 examples of the same IEM...
 
or I'm way off base....

 

[milford30]

  I dont see this in measurement
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/Westone4R.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/WestoneW40.pdf

That's why graphs are not very useful, If they use the same source and volume for testing, then you see the w40 reaches 0db, while the w4r doesn't, both at 100hz, i.e more bass. Otherwise the highs peaks much higher than the lows relatively on the w4r than the w40, so more bass and mid should be heard if you try to match the high frequency volumes, since our ears are more sensitive to high frequencies, a peak in the highs means you tend to turn the volume down more.

 

[milford30]

  They look pretty darned similar - maybe more peak distortion on the W4R - but the drivers seem better matched with the W4R - it looks like the variation that could occur between 2 examples of the same IEM...
 
or I'm way off base....

 
decibels is not a linear scale, you have to look at the scale of the graph, at 10000hz, the peaks have a difference of about 2 db, which could be nearly double the power ratio. e.g -10db has a power ratio of 0.1 and -20db is only 0.01. add one 1db to each and it's wildly different.

 

[Spyro]

  From what I have read, there is not much difference between the latest models to the previous versions. That being said, if you are looking for a more v shaped sound, go for the W30. If you really liked the W4, I would say go for the W40 as there is a possibility you might be disappointed with the W30. Is there any chance that you can try the W30 or W3?

Please STOP!!  You are giving errant information.  W30 is very different than W3.  Mids are pushed much more forward.  They are not recessed at all with W30.
 
Daniel4IEM:   I prefer W30 over W40 because it is livelier/brighter sounding.  W40 is more lush but also darker.  Darker can come across as boring or lifeless on certain music.

 

[MuZo2]

 
Please STOP!!  You are giving errant information.  W30 is very different than W3.  Mids are pushed much more forward.  They are not recessed at all with W30.
 
Daniel4IEM:   I prefer W30 over W40 because it is livelier/brighter sounding.  W40 is more lush but also darker.  Darker can come across as boring or lifeless on certain music.

What filters are on W30?