[varunkumar]

Now i have a question for you guys i use my phone as Music source and i want the best IEM's. I have been using Shure SE 530 for 4 years now. They are worn and almost dying. But i must say SE 530 is the best. So wanted to upgrade to Weston 4R then i realized they just released SE846. Money is a factor but shure is a premium and i trust the brand. Now my questions are
 
1.) 9 ohms impedance, will this work the same as SE530 with my phone(iphone 5) or do we need a heavy source like amplifier ? I ask this question because of the 9 ohms impedance.
 
2.) Weston 4R is $350 and SE846 is $1000. Is it a value for the extra money ? I have no experience with Weston or any other brands for that matter but i trust Shure. I am willing to spend that extra money even if there is a little difference because i feel that is what matters.
 
I want the best sound and bass is really really really important to me. So basically i want to know if these IEM's are sensitive enough to get the power from a source like iphone just like SE530. My SE530 is an amazing experience and i don't want to regret for the money i spend. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Mooses9]

  Now i have a question for you guys i use my phone as Music source and i want the best IEM's. I have been using Shure SE 530 for 4 years now. They are worn and almost dying. But i must say SE 530 is the best. So wanted to upgrade to Weston 4R then i realized they just released SE846. Money is a factor but shure is a premium and i trust the brand. Now my questions are
 
1.) 9 ohms impedance, will this work the same as SE530 with my phone(iphone 5) or do we need a heavy source like amplifier ? I ask this question because of the 9 ohms impedance.
 
2.) Weston 4R is $350 and SE846 is $1000. Is it a value for the extra money ? I have no experience with Weston or any other brands for that matter but i trust Shure. I am willing to spend that extra money even if there is a little difference because i feel that is what matters.
 
I want the best sound and bass is really really really important to me. So basically i want to know if these IEM's are sensitive enough to get the power from a source like iphone just like SE530. My SE530 is an amazing experience and i don't want to regret for the money i spend. Thanks for your suggestions.

846 are 9 ohms
530 are 36 ohms
w4r are 31 ohms
 
to give you a perspective of the ohm differences.
 
noone will be able to say weather or not the value is better or worse, becuase it depends on the taste of music. for the price the w4r are excellent iem's. IMO i think if you are dead set on getting the 846 then get the 846, HOWEVER for the price difference, you could get a dac,amp,dap,cable,interconnect i mean thats a $650.00 difference. will you hear a $650.00 difference, IMO nah i couldnt imagine it....i mean the 846 is a great iem from what i read and what reviews ive read.
 
IMO the w4r are not bassy they are more on the neutral side. with a iem they come alive....the 846 is designed to give more bass response but are you willing to spend $650.00 to get that bass response, to me its too much.....but thats up to you.

 

[varunkumar]

Hi Moose9,
 
I appreciate your response. More than money i want to know if SE846 is sensitive enough with a source like iphone. Will i get a better experience than SE530  with iphone as a source? 

 

[ubs28]

If you have a good EQ, can't you just mimic the sound signature of the Shure SE846 with the Westone 4R if you like the frequency response at a fraction of the cost?
 
I can do this with my Shure SRH 1840 from flat to a very warm sounding headphone for example.

 

[Mooses9]

  Hi Moose9,
 
I appreciate your response. More than money i want to know if SE846 is sensitive enough with a source like iphone. Will i get a better experience than SE530  with iphone as a source? 

i think the 846 would be sensitive enough, the higher the ohms the harder they are to drive (need amp ect) the lower the ohms the easier to drive.
 

  If you have a good EQ, can't you just mimic the sound signature of the Shure SE846 with the Westone 4R if you like the frequency response at a fraction of the cost?
 
I can do this with my Shure SRH 1840 from flat to a very warm sounding headphone for example.

 
i personally dont think that you will be able to replicate shure's research and development as far as the bass response that the 846 have. the w4r are excellent IEM's they are more of a reference sound in ear monitor.
 
i have owned the se530 and the w4r are miles better as far as sound quality is concerned. imo the fit is better, however fit is going to be personaly preference.
 
personally i would get the w4r, then a dap, then a dac/amp or dac and separate amp or something. 

 

[varunkumar]

Moose9,
Here in the article author talks about his experience with iphone. And as you said yes an iphone can drive it pretty easily.
 
http://www.earphonesolutions.com/se846-vs-um3x.html

 

[truckdriver]

I have several of the Shure flagships (E5, 530, 535 and the SE846). I had the W4 (for a month). The W4 is different, but (IMHO), it is not an upgrade for the 530.
 
Varunkumar, if you've become very accustom to the strong mids of the 530, you may be frustrated by the (relatively) mild mids of the W4. I don't think that you will think the bass is an improvement either. If you truly enjoyed your 530, my first suggestion is to exchange your 530 for a 535. The exchange cost is $240 (with info on Shure's website).
 
If you are adventurous, you can have your 530 re-cabled and buy some filters and turn that 530 into the 535 or 535 limited edition (said to have even better highs). There is a thread here for instructions. That may be the cheapest option.
 

 

[Mooses9]

  I have several of the Shure flagships (E5, 530, 535 and the SE846). I had the W4 (for a month). The W4 is different, but (IMHO), it is not an upgrade for the 530.
 
Varunkumar, if you've become very accustom to the strong mids of the 530, you may be frustrated by the (relatively) mild mids of the W4. I don't think that you will think the bass is an improvement either. If you truly enjoyed your 530, my first suggestion is to exchange your 530 for a 535. The exchange cost is $240 (with info on Shure's website).
 
If you are adventurous, you can have your 530 re-cabled and buy some filters and turn that 530 into the 535 or 535 limited edition (said to have even better highs). There is a thread here for instructions. That may be the cheapest option.
 

 
The w4r is a Reference sounding in ear monitor, i too have owned ALL the shure's line, with the exception of the 846 (although its on my mind)..and i agree. the w4r is different. if you are up to a ''different'' sounding iem the w4r might be a good choice. i currently have both the se535 and w4r and they are totally different. but the w4r with the right equipment is totally capable of producing sounds that are phenomenal,  definitly different sounding iem when you get a cable good amp,dac,dap ect sound completely changes but it all stays relitive to its sound signature.

 

[uelover]

If iPhone 5 is what you will be using to drive the iem, 535 will be a much much better pairing than 846 due to the high output impedance of the iPhone 5.

The 846 truly shines with the right source (ipod nano 6 and itouch 5) but fares extremely poorly with the iPhone.

Never tried the w4r with iPhone to give any comment.

 

[Spyro]

I would take, both, the SE530 and the SE535 over the W4R let alone the SE846.
 
Would not even consider W4R unless you amped it.

 

[truckdriver]

   
The w4r is a Reference sounding in ear monitor, i too have owned ALL the shure's line, with the exception of the 846 (although its on my mind)..and i agree. the w4r is different. if you are up to a ''different'' sounding iem the w4r might be a good choice. i currently have both the se535 and w4r and they are totally different. but the w4r with the right equipment is totally capable of producing sounds that are phenomenal,  definitly different sounding iem when you get a cable good amp,dac,dap ect sound completely changes but it all stays relitive to its sound signature.

I don't know what you mean by “reference” (referring to what?). Don't get me wrong, the W4 is a fine IEM. I just wouldn't recommend it to someone who used “really” (to the third power) in describing the importance of bass.

 

[Mooses9]

  I don't know what you mean by “reference” (referring to what?). Don't get me wrong, the W4 is a fine IEM. I just wouldn't recommend it to someone who used “really” (to the third power) in describing the importance of bass.

reference in a sense that it replicates how the track or file is supposed to sound. it reproduces how the track was mastered. its not emphasizing something that isnt there ie: high mid or low frequencies. soundstage is wide, imaging is spot on, background is black stuff like that.

 

[spook76]

If you have a good EQ, can't you just mimic the sound signature of the Shure SE846 with the Westone 4R if you like the frequency response at a fraction of the cost?

I can do this with my Shure SRH 1840 from flat to a very warm sounding headphone for example.

I beg to differ. No amount of EQ will give the deep visceral bass that the SE846 can deliver. Having owned the 535-J, 4r and now the 846, if you have the money buy the 846 it is truly the culmation of the Shure house sound.

 

[truckdriver]

  reference in a sense that it replicates how the track or file is supposed to sound. it reproduces how the track was mastered. its not emphasizing something that isnt there ie: high mid or low frequencies. soundstage is wide, imaging is spot on, background is black stuff like that.

I've sat in at a few studios (and listened to master recordings) and they definitely had emphasized sounds and dynamics that I have never heard in portable audio. In fact, I've never heard portable audio reach the CD level of reproduction thru stereo speakers. I'm not saying it doesn't exist in high-end portable audio (just that I've never heard it—let alone studio level).

 

[Mooses9]

  I've sat in at a few studios (and listened to master recordings) and they definitely had emphasized sounds and dynamics that I have never heard in portable audio. In fact, I've never heard portable audio reach the CD level of reproduction thru stereo speakers. I'm not saying it doesn't exist in high-end portable audio (just that I've never heard it—let alone studio level).

OK, im not saying that a mastered track isnt emphasized, but what im saying is the w4r doesnt emphasize what shouldnt be emphasized, for instance being overly bassy when its not really in the track. i feel the w4r are true to form. there not 1500.00 iem's that have more reference detail.....but for the price IN MY OPINION they have reference detail per track.
 
i guess what i should have said, is the w4r doesnt emphasized what doesnt need emphasized, true to form true to the track.
 
the w4r is a excellent iem, i own both the w4r and the se535 becuase i feel they both bring something to the table, both are decently different, but both deliver IMO.
 
we have to take into consideration that really comparing the w4r to the 846 isnt really a fair fight,  now comparing the 846 to the 334 or 1 plus 2, that to me would be a fair fight.
 
i just feel like if the w4r is in considsideration with all the money saved you could buy a amp,dac,interconnects,cable ect....and have more to show for you money.