Westone 4R: Westone 4 + Removable cable
Sep 2, 2012 at 10:40 PM Post #137 of 150
Yes, I'm curious to know as well between Westone 4 and Westone 4R, because from WIkipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westone):
 
Westone 4    =   Four balanced armature drivers with a passive three-way crossover (2 low, 1 mid, 1 high)
Westone 4R  =   Westone 4 with removable cable and ± 2 dB acoustic symmetry between earpieces.
 
I wonder what is "± 2 dB acoustic symmetry" ? how c an it make any difference to our ears ?
 
Sep 3, 2012 at 12:03 AM Post #139 of 150
Quote:
johnsantana said:
Yes, I'm curious to know as well between Westone 4 and Westone 4R, because from WIkipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westone):
 
Westone 4    =   Four balanced armature drivers with a passive three-way crossover (2 low, 1 mid, 1 high)
Westone 4R  =   Westone 4 with removable cable and ± 2 dB acoustic symmetry between earpieces.
 
I wonder what is "± 2 dB acoustic symmetry" ? how c an it make any difference to our ears ?
Click to expand...

I think the so called "acoustic symmetry" is more a marketing hype.... Normally you should not hear any difference.
 
Sep 3, 2012 at 12:05 AM Post #140 of 150
Quote:
hkppl said:
I think the so called "acoustic symmetry" is more a marketing hype.... Normally you should not hear any difference.
Click to expand...

 
Actually, I've seen many posts about W4 imbalances...  They were around in the past. 
 
Sep 3, 2012 at 12:11 AM Post #141 of 150
Quote:
tinyman392 said:
 
Actually, I've seen many posts about W4 imbalances...  They were around in the past. 
Click to expand...

There never were imbalance issues (maybe a very limited amount that was no bigger than any other IEM) and a removable cable would only serve to make things worse. A soldered cable is more reliable than a press-fit cable.
 
Sep 3, 2012 at 1:31 AM Post #142 of 150
Cool,
Many thanks for the confirmation and clarification people.
 
So in case bad things happens to your earphone and you broke the cable, what can you do to repair it ?
can you send it over to Westone for cable replacement ?
 
Sep 3, 2012 at 1:34 AM Post #143 of 150
Quote:
johnsantana said:
Cool,
Many thanks for the confirmation and clarification people.
 
So in case bad things happens to your earphone and you broke the cable, what can you do to repair it ?
can you send it over to Westone for cable replacement ?
Click to expand...

 
With the W4, if you still have warranty, Westone will replace it iff you bought from an authorized retailer.  That said, buy authorized!  With the 4R, you can replace the cable yourself, I think Westone may also replace it if you send it to them, but don't quote me on it. 
 
Sep 3, 2012 at 4:07 AM Post #144 of 150
Quote:
tinyman392 said:
 
With the W4, if you still have warranty, Westone will replace it iff you bought from an authorized retailer.  That said, buy authorized!  With the 4R, you can replace the cable yourself, I think Westone may also replace it if you send it to them, but don't quote me on it. 
Click to expand...

Yes I got that from Authorized seller in US (earphonesolutions.com) which said that they give 2 years warranty.
but since I'm Australia, I'll have to send it over to US with FEDEX I guess.
 
Sep 3, 2012 at 5:06 AM Post #145 of 150
Quote:
johnsantana said:
Yes I got that from Authorized seller in US (earphonesolutions.com) which said that they give 2 years warranty.
but since I'm Australia, I'll have to send it over to US with FEDEX I guess.
Click to expand...

Not sure about Australia. I live in HK and I also have bought W4R from earphonesolutions. Recently the right side got some problems and I email Westone CS to ask for send back and repair, and they said I should contact my local dealer for checking and repair/replace, even my W4R is not purchased from my local dealer. So I think you may email Westone for the arrangements before sending your phones to Westone.
 
Feb 15, 2013 at 10:08 PM Post #146 of 150
This was my experience with my 4R's this week.  
 
Worked on set with them all week.  13 hour days, 50% of the time in one ear to hear my head of sound conveying directions to me, then the other half with both in, listening to actors over my boom.  I could really hone in when I was on axis with the Schoeps CMIT5U and even more the Schoeps CMC5/MK41 mics because even though I got a good signal off them, the "T"'s and "S"'s would not poke out until I was right in front of them.  Great stuff.  The whole world was dull unless I was on axis.  
 
I'd listen to some music on them in the evenings and would notice some things in the recordings that I had not heard before.  The Cars debut album tape hiss was distractingly annoying until the rest of the music comes in on many of the songs.   The Bird and the Bee debut album has a ground noise on the intro Rhodes part!
 
I mastered my frist song on them last night.  The client came back thrilled with the sound (I really had to reduce the kick drum freq that was tuned too high and add a nice low end boost at the same time as compressing below 200 Hz to tighten everything up).
 
After wearing for +13 hours a day, I do feel the stuffed ear feeling, but who wouldn't.  Hearing still sounded normal, though it was a feeling.  I'll be wearing them like that for the next 4 months, and not worried about it.  I'm using the largest silicone mushroom caps that came with the kit.
 
I still have not learned them like I know my mastering speakers, but I've lately been on a headphone kick after many years of staying away from them for critical listening.  The job has leant me in the direction to pay more attention to them (I also bought a pair of Grado PS1000's that I really love, but have not had the time to get to know the way I want.  Booming has been the gig at the moment).
 
Soundstage is smaller than the Grados, not surprisingly.  But they do translate the music and dialog very well for a full time, professional user of in ears.  They are warm and full sounding.
 
I'll post more about them soon, and as well as the Grados, possibly on our blog.
 
I know creds are important and talk is cheap.  Check us out at redtuxedo.com
 
I am getting a pair of solid silver cables for them, as from personal experience, I have notice a clearer high end from using silver cables.  Will it help these in my professional experience?  Don't know, that's why I'm trying it.  Silver cables from my Bryston 4B to my Manley ML-10As really helped the top end, and translation of my work to the outside world.  
 
Other than that, I've read many reviews on a lot of in ears, and these seemed the most versatile, and offered the sound that I was looking for.   I lean away from any review of a top end that was fatiguing, and many of the other in ears that I read had too many people mention this, other than the 4Rs.  I can make the top end brighter if I want, but I feel it's harder to make them darker without phase problems and eq-ing.  
 
Jul 8, 2013 at 2:16 AM Post #150 of 150
Thought I'd throw up a video of my the old W4's. I really wish my cables were removable.
 

 
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