Well. Mighty impressive in many ways, but not without its flaws. Ah... where should I start? The overall sound reminds me of the UM3x + W3. The sound is not so in-your-face. There's a certain distance between you and the sound. I guess I would call the presentation 'laid-back', but not quite HD555-esque (ie horrible LOL). The bass is deep and textured. Midrange isn't as mellow or forward as some of the mid-centric IEMs out there, and the same goes for the highs. The upper midrange is reigned back so as to not sound overly bright. Room/ambient cues are reproduced convincingly, which says a lot about the W4's ability to retrieve fine details.
I can totally empathise with those who say it sounds better turned up. Perhaps the laid-back character is a little too much. It's not as 'bad' as say the UM3x, but still, I would've loved the more prominent, mellow mids say on the SE535. Listening to well-produced/recorded music, the W4 makes you feel like you're right there in the performance - great room cue retrieval, instruments/voices are meticulously detailed, laid-back presentation allows for a pretty expansive soundstage. All in all, it's a great experience, but I do have my complaints. Firstly, the timbre is off. It's a real shame. Violins sound a little too warm/muted, especially the upper mids. The rosin-on-string grittiness is faithfully reproduced, though. Secondly, the treble/upper midrange lacks energy. This is the laid-back sound signature I guess. For example, high hats don't sound quite as shimmering as in real life. Thirdly, the mid-bass/lower-midrange smears just a tad. The attack and decay in that range is just a little bit too loose. There aren't really issues with clarity though, despite what I found in my previous auditions. The sound is neither congested nor mushed up. I know, I'm having to eat my own words with dignity
I'm really nitpicking, but I believe what I don't like about this IEM is down to Westone's in-house design philosophy. They went with a highly (and I do mean highly) detailed sound, great soundstage for an IEM, great live feel, a detailed bass, reigned-back midrange and non-sibilant highs. It's a balanced sound, maybe
too balanced? I really wish the upper midrange was more prominent. At the moment, vocals feel like they're drowning (maybe too strong a word...) amidst everything else that is going on, especially when there many different instruments/lines playing at the same time. I also hoped for a
crisper treble, and more treble extension. It's far from sibilant at the moment. The shimmering clash of high hats are slightly muted, and the high notes on the violins sound like they're missing a few overtones. Then again, these aren't issues unique to the Westone 4.
My conclusion? The Westone 4 is a highly competent IEM. It's technically superior to many of its contemporaries and c
ertainly one of the very best earphones that I've listened to/own. As one reviewer wrote, it's really difficult not to like it, and if one has anything against it, it would be because of the sound signature. I'll experiment with tips to see if some of my complaints can be remedied. There's a lot to like about the Westone 4. I wonder what it'll sound like dual-bored
EDIT: I forgot to comment on its comfort and aesthetics, two things which the Westone 4 is brilliant at. The cable is superb - flexible, doesn't tangle, non-microphonic, and doesn't irritate the back of my ears even after a few hours of use. The right angle 3.5mm jack is perfectly sized, that is, sleek, low-profile and unobtrusive. Comfort is also great. A true-fit no less.