Units Reviewed: Westone Mach 30, Mach40
MSRP: $499, $599
Disclaimer: I demo'd these for free for a week as part of the Mach World Tour
Westone have recently launched a new series of universal IEMs called the Mach Series, replacing the previous W Signature series. Thanks
@Zachik for arranging the global Mach launch tour - I am grateful to have been able to spend some time with the Mach 30 and 40 to launch the North American 30/40 leg.
The Mach 30 features 3 balanced armature (BA) drivers (low, mid and high), while the Mach 40 features 4 BA drivers(2 low, 1 mid and 1 high). All of the Mach series featured newly updated shell and faceplate design, as well as Linum connectors and cables.
Packaging and Accessories:
Both the Mach 30 and 40 come in nice premium packaging, generously included with the tour units. Each is packaged with a sturdy, water/dust proof pelican case and a Linum BaX cable. The 40’s case is much larger and it comes with a Super BaX cable rather than the standard BaX which comes with the 30. The 30’s case is red and nicely compact, whereas the 40’s larger one is sleek black and more transportable than portable.
<Super BaX (left), BaX (center) and Ultra Bax (right) shown for reference>
The SuperBaX cable is of excellent quality, it both feels more substantial and weighs heavier on the ears than the standard. I did not find the standard BaX nearly as objectionable with the incredible light weight Mach inserts, however, as I did with the heavy Etymotic Evo. The lighter, spidery cable actually makes some sense with the Westone units, helping them vanish on your head. If you do want the sturdier feeling superBaX, that alone is worth the price difference in models.
An assortment of tips, cloth bag, cable organizer, a sticker and a QR code to download the product manual round out both packages.
IEM Build and Fit
The shell body feels like some light weight composite, and seems quite sturdy. The updated design is understated and minimalist. Visually, Lucid is developing a design language across brands, the Machs look completely at home next to the much beefier and heavier Evo from Lucid’s Etymotic.
Westone’s substantial expertise in shell materials and molding really shines through with these. I have always struggled a bit with concha fit IEMs. Generally with these types of IEMs, over time they will get weighed down and slowly drag out of my ears, the weight of the Mach units is so negligible this simply isn’t an issue. The form factor is small enough to rest comfortably in my concha and allow some rotation to adjust the seal for comfort.
Put simply, of any IEM I’ve tried, these are far and away the closest to ‘disappearing’ in my head, and by a good margin too. Westone has over 35 years experience building IEMs, and it really shines through in the ergonomics and design choices here. Whichever model of the Mach series you are looking at, be assured the fit and comfort will be top notch.
Electrical
The Mach 30 are listed at 91 ohms / 110 dB sensitivity at 1 kHz, whereas the Mach 40 is 30 ohms / 100 dB sensitivity at 1 kHz. I drove them from a combination of the RME ADI-2 IEM output and the 3.5 mm headphone output of my LG V60 without any issues. I would not imagine these are too picky on source, neither requiring tons of power to drive nor being prone to amplifier hiss etc.
The differing impedance/sensitivity did make direct comparison between models tricky, as volume needed to be readjusted between models. Despite the higher impedance, the Mach 30 is easier to drive (sensitivity trumps resistance here), I’d usually throttle them back ~7 dB or so on my RME (the V60’s impedance based auto-gain was much more cumbersome as the Mach 30 triggered high power mode whereas the 40 do not).
Impressions
Both units feature a quite flat frequency response. There is no evident ear resonance boost around 2-4 kHz as has become typical in IEMs. Details are present but not as emphasized as one might expect from more common tunings. These are monitors in the truest sense, producing a flat loudspeaker response rather than one according to a hearing or preference target model.
I could imagine that the main acoustic design objective for these was to be able to listen and functionally monitor music for a very long period of time and at this they undeniably succeed. The sound, like the physical design, is catered to extended listening, ideal for musicians but also for the audiophile with some serious time to enjoy.
The flat response took a little adjustment for me. At first, as I tried to critique and analyze the specifics in the sound, the overall balance actually interfered with this and gave a bit of a veiled impression. Their lack of ‘character’ makes them hard to get to know, but also means they’re universally unobjectionable.
There are no particular gaps or spikes to criticize or curated boost to praise. The 40 in particular sounds full and easy on the ears across genres, but also they don’t necessarily excel or grab your attention. Rather than accurate or neutral, I’d describe these simply as comfortable.
As I just let myself actually enjoy some music rather than critique or analyze it, the laid back, smooth sound really began to make sense. The wow moment with these earphones comes not in some specific sonic revelation in a song, but rather in realizing you’ve let the full album play out already.
Differences in tuning between the 30 and 40 are relatively subtle. I expected the 40 to have more bass,since it sports an additional low driver, but this was generally not the case. Instead the 30 sounds just a bit stretched out in comparison to the 40.
This stretch is most evident in the 30 for some extra high frequency presence in the 30 that I am guessing might not be desired given the broader tuning. Classical performance, particular wind instruments and organs get a touch too much emphasis in the higher harmonics. Digital noise and recording hiss was also slightly more evident in YouTube podcasts etc on the 30 compared to on the 40. The recording quality is no fault of the headphone of course, but the tuning seems like a concession given the overall ‘non fatiguing’ approach taken here.
Conclusion
The comfort of the Westone Mach series is excellent, maybe unrivaled among universal IEMs. Build wise, these seem very sturdy and capable. Along with the included pelican case these are well suited for the needs of traveling/touring professionals.
Tuning wise, their non-fatiguing but slightly veiled sound ensures that these will also be comfortable to listen to for extended sessions and are capable across genres. I did find myself wanting a bit more detail emphasis at times, but this is the trade off I suppose.
The Mach series are super comfy, and the 30/40s flat, balanced tuning is ideal for epic long sessions where you just want to relax and let the music flow around you. They would not be my first choice if I wanted to really focus and analyze a recording, but for relaxed listening (or monitoring) these are an excellently executed design and product.
While the tuning of the 30/40 took some personal adjustment, I found the IEM build quality and comfort highly compelling. These particular models are great all rounders, particularly suited to those looking for a laid back sound for longer listening sessions. Those looking for more detail or heavier bass would probably do better elsewhere in the Mach series. I wholeheartedly recommend both the 30 and 40 for fans of a balanced, warm sound.
TLDR: SUPER COMFY, balanced tuning is laid back and pleasant across genres. Ideal for long haul listens, but might be a bit recessed for detail fiends.
