[soozieq]

Quote:

The Westone 4 needs approximately 10% more volume than the UM3X. I'd say so far that the most noticeable improvement is in the mids. Vocals are more forward and these start to sound very audiophile-like on some delicate and complex Classical pieces such as Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte.

 
Hi Flavio, glad you're enjoying the W4

 
But WOW!! I can't imagine any vocals being more forward than on the UM3X! That was my main gripe with them, well, that and the small soundstage. How much more in-your-face are the W4 vocals in comparison? Is the W4 soundstage bigger than the UM3X? If so, that might balance out the mids a little more.
 
And do they (the W4) sound warmer or brighter than the W3? What about the size of the housing compared with the W3 and UM3X? Sorry if this has all been answered previously, but it's very late here in the UK and I'm too tired to search

 
 
 

 

[syed786]

hey guys i just used MEMORIAL as coupon code at earphone solutions it worked with 10% off my total came out to $404 with free shipping.
oh yeahhh

 

[Confispect]

Quote:

And do they (the W4) sound warmer or brighter than the W3? What about the size of the housing compared with the W3 and UM3X? Sorry if this has all been answered previously, but it's very late here in the UK and I'm too tired to search

 
 
 

This is a question I would like answered as well.
 

 

[kahaluu]

Can't wait to get a detailed review about them. Sounds very promising though!

 

[imackler]

Quote:

hey guys i just used MEMORIAL as coupon code at earphone solutions it worked with 10% off my total came out to $404 with free shipping.
oh yeahhh

Aahhh!!!! That is so tempting!!!

 

[monsieurguzel]

I wonder if that will actually go through since on the website it specifically writes that other promotional coupons are not applicable for the Westone 4 since it's a pre-order item.
 
Quote:

hey guys i just used MEMORIAL as coupon code at earphone solutions it worked with 10% off my total came out to $404 with free shipping.
oh yeahhh

 

[demo1]

Just ordered a pair using the MEMORIAL code. I couldn't pass up such a good deal. For those who have tried them, do the Westone 4s sound more like the Shure SE535 or UM3x? I read that Westone 3s sound "dark" -- are the W4 the same? I definitely prefer the sound signature of the UM3x more than my Shure 535 (they sound a little too laid back for me). I also like the sound signature of the UE TF10 (with the exception of bass) if that helps. Hope the W4 are just right for me.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Quote:

The Westone 4 needs approximately 10% more volume than the UM3X. I'd say so far that the most noticeable improvement is in the mids. Vocals are more forward and these start to sound very audiophile-like on some delicate and complex Classical pieces such as Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte.

 
Hi Flavio, glad you're enjoying the W4

 
But WOW!! I can't imagine any vocals being more forward than on the UM3X! That was my main gripe with them, well, that and the small soundstage. How much more in-your-face are the W4 vocals in comparison? Is the W4 soundstage bigger than the UM3X? If so, that might balance out the mids a little more.
 
And do they (the W4) sound warmer or brighter than the W3? What about the size of the housing compared with the W3 and UM3X? Sorry if this has all been answered previously, but it's very late here in the UK and I'm too tired to search

 
 
 

 
In my opinion they are more forward then W3 or TF10Pro, but less forward than UM3X (or ES3X).  They are NOT "in your face" in ANY way to me, and strike a great balance.  In my mini-review in this thread (1st and 2nd impressions posts) I found the soundstage to be deeper than UM3X but not as deep as W3, although the air and ambience or acoustics of the venue would surround me and put me right there at the performance.  They are not as bright as W3 or UM3X, but not as dark as my old SE530.  So they are more forgiving of low bit rates or poor masterings than my W3, UM3X, ES3X or ES5.  ANYONE who found the W3 to be bright or sibilant is gonna love these.  Anyone who loves mids but not at the expense of being in your face is gonna love these.  Anyone who likes powerful bass with good speed and control is gonna love these.
 
The housing is identical to the W3, so it's a little more difficult to get them very deep into the ears with single flange silicone tips vs triple flange or long complys.  It is still possible to get them pushed in too deep with silicone tips if you rotate the IEM just right, in which case the sound becomes a little darker in the highs - that was my first listen, and it was a little disappointing.  But with a shallow insertion the single flange silicone tips sound just right, and after removing the W4 and re-inserting them I discovered the Magic.  A deeper insertion with long complys or triple flange does not make them too dark, and a shallow insertion does not make them bright or sibilant.  I found I could enjoy the W4 with any of the tips.
 
Also, I noted that they sounded so good with just an un-amped 6G Nano that at one point I forgot what I was listening with, and when I reached for the volume knob on my Amphora and SR-71b amps behind me nothing happened, making me realize that I was not listening to the amps through my Macbook and DAC, but just the Nano alone.
 
1st and 2nd Impressions:  
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/527694/westone-4/225#post_7175150
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/527694/westone-4/270#post_7183324

 

[Spyro]

The more I read...the more they sound like a clone of SE535 with a little more bass. Not saying Westone copied Shure....more that that's what they ended up with.

 

[Flavio T]

Quote:

ANYONE who found the W3 to be bright or sibilant is gonna love these.  Anyone who loves mids but not at the expense of being in your face is gonna love these.  Anyone who likes powerful bass with good speed and control is gonna love these.
 

 

HeadphoneAddict hit the nail on the head (as always). 
 
 
 

 

[shigzeo]

These are xcllent, but I'd not say that vocals are more forward than the westone 3. They are 'better' maybe for male vocals, and as mentioned, are more controlled in both high and low than the westone 3, but I'd hesitate to mention anything else. Very very nice earphones.

 

[Confispect]

Sounds like a definite must have if only my wallet wasn't empty at the time...

 

[monsieurguzel]

Yup, I totally agree with them sounding great ampless.  I understand using an amp for something harder to drive, but for something so sensitive as a Westone 3/4, an external amp would only be used as a form of tone control, not making it better necessarily.  The people at Weston know that 99.9% of people buying these products will specifically be listening out of an iphone / ipod touch / nano, so it makes a lot of sense that they are tuned quite specifially to Apple Mp3 players.
 
As I said, I don't really believe too much in portable amps for iems, but I do believe in external dacs.  When I listened to the Algorythm Solo at canjam I was amazed at the difference that the DAC and quality output stage made over the sound of a regular iPod (which sounded a little flat in comparison).  I'm looking forward to when portable ipod dacs (with built in amps) will become more prevalent and more manageable in size...since I believe that is what will really make the difference in the end.

 
Quote:

 
Also, I noted that they sounded so good with just an un-amped 6G Nano that at one point I forgot what I was listening with, and when I reached for the volume knob on my Amphora and SR-71b amps behind me nothing happened, making me realize that I was not listening to the amps through my Macbook and DAC, but just the Nano alone.
 

 

[Daniel4IEM]

I did a lot of research on the W3 before buying it on December 27th from Earphone Solutions. Several days later the W4 was announced. I can still return the W3 and upgrade to the W4, but the question is whether it is worth the price premium. I have followed this conversation and hear mixed opinions. I listen to a mixed collection of music from Latin to Hip-Hop to accoustic and classical to rock. Thoughts?

 

[Onza]

Quote:

These are xcllent, but I'd not say that vocals are more forward than the westone 3. They are 'better' maybe for male vocals, and as mentioned, are more controlled in both high and low than the westone 3, but I'd hesitate to mention anything else. Very very nice earphones.

Interesting impressions shigzeo, especially on the vocals. are you able to post more impressions on these?