[zloy loup]

Quote:

we really hear the other way around.. i came from the um3x and prefer the sm3 over it..
but for me i sold my um3x because i thought the w4 had more clarity and transparency over it..
the mids of the um3x are too dry for me..

Same thing here. W4 has more treble presence than the UM3x, how can it have less clarity? To me the UM3x sounded muffled in complex passages... Maybe I need another listen to compare them more closely.

 

[milarepa]

On the clarity issue I gotta stress recabling. For me it did wonders. 
Also the difference made by different tips are mindboggeling on the w4's as mentioned earlier in this thread.
To my ears olives make them sound boring, wheras the comply foam makes me smile.
To others it's the opposite, go figure... 
 
I'd sure like to try those 334's though, but my bank/wife won't have it... 

 

[saraugie]

On the clarity issue I gotta stress recabling. For me it did wonders. 
Also the difference made by different tips are mindboggeling on the w4's as mentioned earlier in this thread.
To my ears olives make them sound boring, wheras the comply foam makes me smile.
To others it's the opposite, go figure... 

I'd sure like to try those 334's though, but my bank/wife won't have it... 

Do what I did. Give your wife the the ones your
using now and then you NEED another pair

 

[longbowbbs]

Quote:

Do what I did. Give your wife the the ones your
using now and then you NEED another pair

Sneaky...I like it!  

 

[Unfie]

Quote:

On the clarity issue I gotta stress recabling. For me it did wonders. 
Also the difference made by different tips are mindboggeling on the w4's as mentioned earlier in this thread.
To my ears olives make them sound boring, wheras the comply foam makes me smile.
To others it's the opposite, go figure... 
 
I'd sure like to try those 334's though, but my bank/wife won't have it... 

 
Does recabling really make a difference? I'm a skeptic on this, and so are many others. The only reason I would recable is to get the kind that has a microphone so I can attach it to my phone and talk. 
 
The olives to me seem to provide the best seal and the most bass. Besides, I don't really like having to deal with waiting for the foam to settle in my ears. Sometimes I just like to stick it in right away and continue with my workout.......... ¬_¬

 

[soullinker20]

w4 had more clarity especially on the midbass area and this is really noticeable in comparison to the um3x.. on the um3x, the electric guitars sound really close to you but this is the um3x's forte after weeks of ABing .. the w4 sounds more pleasant to me and coherent. um3x is just really different but very proficient

 

[longbowbbs]

I love my custom cables on my Senn HD650's. I don't think there would be much benefit for my workout cans. The cables are great for a listening session, not so much while working out.

 

[catscratch]

Same thing here. W4 has more treble presence than the UM3x, how can it have less clarity?

Because treble presence and clarity are not the same thing. The Omega 2 has less treble presence than most high-end headphones but it also has absolutely incredible resolution that's second to none.

Listen to midrange-specific instruments - flutes, violins, etc. See what headphones pick up more microdetail, i.e. where can you hear a lot more texture, fingers plucking strings, reverberations of the instrument body, etc.

This sort of comparison can be kinda pointless with canalphones at this level anyway since none of them really have the sort of microdetail to make these things immediately evident. But you can still do relative comparisons, even if they're more difficult.

Also, if you have a good EQ you can EQ both to have a similar response, and see how the resolution compares. Granted, for this to be effective you need more than an mp3 player usually.

I do think the UM3x is pretty loose in the bass though. That is it's main weakness, and it's not a minor one. The W4 does bass a lot better, and the SE535 better still.

 

[zloy loup]

Quote:

Because treble presence and clarity are not the same thing. The Omega 2 has less treble presence than most high-end headphones but it also has absolutely incredible resolution that's second to none.

You're right about that and I agree with you. I don't think I phrased that quite well, so let me restate my opinion more elaborately.
 
I think overall clarity is about two things: neutrality across the spectrum and definition of every frequency range. The Westone 4 beats the UM3x in the neutrality respect, but I'll probably have to compare them more closely to pick out differences within individual frequency ranges. Right off the bat though, W4 sounded like the one with the more detailed sound.
 
 

Listen to midrange-specific instruments - flutes, violins, etc. See what headphones pick up more microdetail, i.e. where can you hear a lot more texture, fingers plucking strings, reverberations of the instrument body, etc.

Texture, finger plucks and other overtones are higher than the fundamental frequency, at least part of it extends into the treble region. So wouldn't taking that away mean less clarity?

 

[crossjeremiah]

i know this question gets asked alot. how do you close the westone 4 case without it squishing the comply tips.

 

[Sylaw]

Quote:

i know this question gets asked alot. how do you close the westone 4 case without it squishing the comply tips.

huh??? it doesn't make any sense to me dude!  even if it get squished theirs no harm at all.. isn't it?? 

 

[longbowbbs]

Any perspective on the Westone 4 (Either version) vs the Shure 535's?

 

[crossjeremiah]

i have to use my hand . and pick out the caress/impression that the case made.. because it doesnt seem to go back to its original shape if i dont
 

 

[Sylaw]

 ;p

 

[Sylaw]

Quote:

i have to use my hand . and pick out the caress/impression that the case made.. because it doesnt seem to go back to its original shape if i dont
 

 
 
dude! its NT a big Sean... Wrap  the  cable  around three fingers and put it... normally this is what i do..