[music_4321]

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[czqdtc]

You want best Price/performance ratio and maximum comfort, go with westone 4.
One thing to keep in mind is that Westone 4 won't wow you, you might even think of selling them maybe for the first few listening sessions. But they will grow on you, and you can't live without them after a while.

 

[xaddictionx]

+1. Totally agree. The W4 just sounds so magical. I was wowed by it when coming from UM3X. The tuning of the W4 just makes listening so relaxing and balanced.

 

[ostewart]

http://www.alclair.com/products/monitors/alclair-reference-custom-in-ear-monitor/

 

[janikishin]

Quote:

http://www.alclair.com/products/monitors/alclair-reference-custom-in-ear-monitor/

Thank you

 

[goodvibes]

Quote:

Thank you

Or the JH5. Both highly regarded at the same price as better universals. Czqdtc is certainly allowed his opinion but I personally didn't think the w4 held a candle to some customs. Great sounding phone but a bit enhanced sounding where there's enough extra top to cut through the warm mids. Works very well but not my idea of real.

 

[Mooses9]

besides a ipod classic what else does your setup consist of?

 

[janikishin]

Quote:

besides a ipod classic what else does your setup consist of?

Macbook ----- [size=small]tube amplifier ----- home cans. + ( ipod classic) it is only way I use headphones. Domestic system with vinyl + amp for loudspeakers + speakers, but I don't think the [/size][size=x-small]iem is really needed in this situation. 80-90% per cent - it is ipod classic. [/size]
[size=x-small]I am very grateful for all you answer. I decide to try customs, it is  Jh5. [/size]

 

[czqdtc]

Quote:

Or the JH5. Both highly regarded at the same price as better universals. Czqdtc is certainly allowed his opinion but I personally didn't think the w4 held a candle to some customs. Great sounding phone but a bit enhanced sounding where there's enough extra top to cut through the warm mids. Works very well but not my idea of real.

It all depends on the music you listen to and what is your source.
Personally I listen to music with mainly vocal, pop, jazz, you know, these kind of music, where vocal is the soul. JH13/16 is certainly technically superior and also customs IEM usually gives you this envoloping sound stage which is very nice, but W4's slightly veiled yet warm and liquid mids is just untouchable, it is enjoyable while non-fatiguing. If you want clear and strong vocal presence, I would recommend togo334 instead. JH13/16's vocal simply doesn't work, it makes the singer "younger" for some reason, the presence is there but the imaging is weak. It doesn't really pop out of the background with a clear "shape" to it, if that makes sense, where on W4 the vocal is a bit in front of the rest of the instruments (the instruments are a little bit fading away in a sense).

 

[barid]

I'd say go with the W4 and never look back.
 
I was in this same boat a few months ago, debating stepping up to a custom vs universal.  After buying/trying a decent amount of universals the question in the back of my mind was "how good to customs get".  So I made the short list of UERM / Miracle / JH13 after researching (no I didn't end up buying any of them).  Before I ended up pulling the trigger on any of them I got an interesting trade deal for a set of W4's which I took.  After that I decided it just didn't make sense to me pay 3x as much for a custom that at best would probably be just a different flavor and at worst I wouldn't care for at all.
 
Things that factored into my decision were:
- resale value
- total cost
- the fact I wouldn't be using any portable amps just my iphone
- use them mainly at work where isolation doesn't matter much and I need to take them in and out frequently
 
I suppose if you knew what signature was for you, had no plans to sell them ever, preferred the comfort of the customs to universals, and needed superior isolation for long periods of time then customs may be the choice.  I just felt the W4 ticked more boxes for me than a custom could, and besides for the EX1000, I haven't heard an IEM I've liked more.  If only I could get the EX1000 in a w4 shell

 

[goodvibes]

Quote:

It all depends on the music you listen to and what is your source.
Personally I listen to music with mainly vocal, pop, jazz, you know, these kind of music, where vocal is the soul. JH13/16 is certainly technically superior and also customs IEM usually gives you this envoloping sound stage which is very nice, but W4's slightly veiled yet warm and liquid mids is just untouchable, it is enjoyable while non-fatiguing. If you want clear and strong vocal presence, I would recommend togo334 instead. JH13/16's vocal simply doesn't work, it makes the singer "younger" for some reason, the presence is there but the imaging is weak. It doesn't really pop out of the background with a clear "shape" to it, if that makes sense, where on W4 the vocal is a bit in front of the rest of the instruments (the instruments are a little bit fading away in a sense).

Either you don't have a freq phase version of the 13 so your comments not applicable or you've done some odd cable matching etc. They have proper weight and great focus in their vocals once fully run in. That you prefer a 4 is fine but I find the sig comment on the 13 odd. I think you may like the treble bump on the 4 highlighting the vocal edges a bit and tempering the added warmth. Just sounds less right to me but that's why there's so many products out there. We like what we like.

 I do like the 4 as well but not in the same league for me. Here's a well rounded and experienced reviewers take in some similar priced customs and the w4. http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-279-iems-compared-audio-technica-ckm500-added-05-01-13-p-678

 

[czqdtc]

Quote:

Either you don't have a freq phase version of the 13 so your comments not applicable or you've done some odd cable matching etc. They have proper weight and great focus in their vocals once fully run in. That you prefer a 4 is fine but I find the sig comment on the 13 odd. I think you may like the treble bump on the 4 highlighting the vocal edges a bit and tempering the added warmth. Just sounds less right to me but that's why there's so many products out there. We like what we like.

 I do like the 4 as well but not in the same league for me. Here's a well rounded and experienced reviewers take in some similar priced customs and the w4. http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-279-iems-compared-audio-technica-ckm500-added-05-01-13-p-678

Yes the impression is from the old JH13, but I own the new JH16, which is a tad better in vocal than the old JH13 so I assume the new JH13 would be similar in terms of vocal presentation as the JH house sound is there. What you have said about my preference on vocal is absolutely correct, I do enjoy the added vocal edges and warmth on W4. And do you know why? because I am used to the "correct" vocals from high-end big cans like HD700, LCD3, LCD2, HE-500, which I considered 4 best headphones for vocal performance, and the W4 is more similar than JH13/16 to those big cans. That is why I think the JH's take on vocal is a bit off. BTW, the closest to neutral and still wonderful sounding vocal is from 1+2,which is also super clean like the JH13, not as enveloping but has better vocal imaging, 334 imo is too forward sounding.

 

[goodvibes]

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/totl-madness-24-top-line-custom-ear-monitors-reviewed Here's some unbiased ears. My reference is a guy in the room, not a different set of headphones.

 

[czqdtc]

Quote:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/totl-madness-24-top-line-custom-ear-monitors-reviewed Here's some unbiased ears. My reference is a guy in the room, not a different set of headphones.

Well maybe the NEW jh13 is massive improvement compare to JH16, in that case I can understand, and congradulations you got the world's best headphone. In my case, both old JH13 and new JH16 are just okayish, can't even touch my big cans.

 

[Ivabign]

Quote:

Won't that change the sound?

I can't imagine it would - they would be using the same parts as a new 8A or 4A - and tune it to the new impressions in order to make them sound like they are supposed to. I would think they would sound as new - just for my ears.