Westone ES5

[JSLAPPA]

^^^ I'm hoping the jump between the UM3X RC and the ES5 is similar to that of the W4/ES5 disparity because I just returned the UM3X and had my impressions done Friday. How have I lived in Kalamazoo for so many years and NOT known that Westone had a facility right here?
 
Using a Westone-approved audiologist, I was able to pick up the ES5's for $900 all-inclusive and another $95 for custom art. And I have every single one of you to thank. I've spent months reading as many reviews and threads as possible, with many more to go. What a fantastic site for a ton of great information.

 

[Tronz]

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yes treble tonality to me sounds a little off - ride symbal to me sounds like breaking glass/plastic rather than brass, to me it sounds too dry no matter what source I use.  Midrange is really nice though and you can pick out a lot of detail in the vocals which sound very lush.  Female vocals especially sound seductive.  I might try burn in but I fear bringing driver failure closer...  Guess I have warranty to fall back on...

Yes, the ES5 seems to reproduce female vocals with the emotion they put into their voice that really makes the music that much better. I love vocal Trance!
 
 

 

[jamesta]

I know this sort of thing is hard to describe, but where does the ES5 excel, in clarity, soundstage, extension, detail, air?  It's so easy to drop so much $ on universal IEM and so damn scary to drop it on customs!
 
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Out of 10, the W4's is 7 and the WES5's is 10.

 

 

 

[Tronz]

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I know this sort of thing is hard to describe, but where does the ES5 excel, in clarity, soundstage, extension, detail, air?  It's so easy to drop so much $ on universal IEM and so damn scary to drop it on customs!
 


 

Hmmm, according to my last demo with the W4's, the ES5's top the W4's in everything but sound stage size. In my opinion, the ES5's are worth the jump.
 
 

 

[Anouk]

@anaxilus I am indeed not sure how portable the hdp is. I have neever heard of the uha120 but for the pb2 and db2 you will need a balanced cable obviously and I am not sure hoe much good going balanced will do for ba-based driver customs. Let us know how the synergy game continues though! Greetings, Anouk,

 

[uelover]

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yes treble tonality to me sounds a little off - ride symbal to me sounds like breaking glass/plastic rather than brass, to me it sounds too dry no matter what source I use. 

Let's see how it goes after 3 weeks. Different people look for different things in treble and I know many head-fiers who dislike brighter sound will find the treble in ES5 to be in the sweet spot for them.
 
I for one dislike the sound of UM3X and W4 (fully burned in set) because I find them a little dark sounding and the treble is a little rolled off but I am giving ES5 a try after reading so much good opinions about it here.
 
Currently they are acceptable.
 

 

[b0ck3n]

ES5 and UM3x highs have little in common. ES5 highs are very well extended - I'm age 26 and with the right fit the ES5 demo unit highs extended past my hearing. The treble was completely grain free and thus produced a very smooth and non fatiguing sound. I would think there's an important difference between it not being bright enough for your tastes and rolled off.

 

[cooperpwc]

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ES5 and UM3x highs have little in common. ES5 highs are very well extended - I'm age 26 and with the right fit the ES5 demo unit highs extended past my hearing. The treble was completely grain free and thus produced a very smooth and non fatiguing sound. I would think there's an important difference between it not being bright enough for your tastes and rolled off.

Quite so. I am spending quite a lot of time with the Solo and ES5. Both are great treble performers. I am switching back and forth between the Stepdance and Pico Slim. The latter's treble is quite a bit brighter but I do not think that the Stepdance's therefore quailfies as rolled off. They have different presentations for different tastes.
 
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Originally Posted by uelover /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Haha I think that you are the only one with with both Pico Slim and Stepdance.
 
Hmm the last time I tried Stepdance with ES5 the volume was ok. Had the gain switch set to high too. The volume step was quite linear. I would think that the output volume from the line-out dock from the ipod is not as loud as Solo.
 
Don't know. But if you ever get to hear Pico Slim and Stepdance from your ipod line out, let me know how different/similar they sound =)
 

The Solo is about 6 db louder than the iMod. I could not use either with the Stepdance + ES5 in high gain mode - not even close. My Stepdance had its low gain reduced by Jan by 6db. It's fine now for the iMod + ES5, still a bit too loud with some music and the Solo + ES5. All to my tastes of course.
 
Sorry, I really won't be making the effort to compare the two amps with the iPod line out. Life is too short. Once you own the Solo, it isn't a compelling listen.
 
I will say that the difference between the two amps will be less with the iPod line out than with the Solo. IME amps come into their own with a good source. 

 

[uelover]

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ES5 and UM3x highs have little in common. ES5 highs are very well extended - I'm age 26 and with the right fit the ES5 demo unit highs extended past my hearing. The treble was completely grain free and thus produced a very smooth and non fatiguing sound. I would think there's an important difference between it not being bright enough for your tastes and rolled off.

Yes ES5 is much better than UM3X in the area of treble and is certainly much more extended than UM3X. Which is why I still find ES5 to be acceptable. I am not questioning your hearing ability but am stating my experience after owning ES5 for over a week.
 
Representation of percussion is a little too polite and unrealistic, so are the higher notes to violin. There is also a limiting threshold to how much female vocals extend upward as compared to what I hear from my speaker and other headphones/iems (excluding Sennheiser"s).
 
You can say anything you want but I have been doing my best to make sure things work.
 
I am taking Anaxillus' advice to let it run in for a few weeks more to see if this situation improve and asking Drez to do the same thing to see if the problem that we are facing will indeed be gone after burn in.

 
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Quite so. I am spending quite a lot of time with the Solo and ES5. Both are great treble performers. I am switching back and forth between the Stepdance and Pico Slim. The latter's treble is quite a bit brighter but I do not think that the Stepdance's therefore quailfies as rolled off. They have different presentations for different tastes.
 

I have heard Stepdance myself and I certainly won't call its treble rolled off. I love its treble and mids a lot.

 

[aLm0sT]

Really interested in the ES5's.
I have owned the JH16 and I quite enjoyed them, but I needed to sell them for financial reasons.
That said, I'm now looking to get back into customs. The JH16 had a little bit too much bass for me so I'm looking at something with less bass and more neutral.
 
I was considering the JH13 as I liked the sound sig of the JH16 but something inside tells me to try out something new, something different. 
This led me to the ES5's. Many people who have heard both, the JH13 and the ES5, seem to prefer the ES5 over the JH13.
 
But then again, with the music I'm listening to most atm (modern, fast-paced music), I'm not sure if the ES5's would be the right choice.
Like most people, I'm concerned about the ES5 having too less quantity bass.
I'm wondering if the bass boost on the Headstage Arrow would synergize well with the ES5. Has anyone tried this combo?
 
Unfortunatly, I'm not able to try out demo's since there aren't any local store's who have them.
 
 

 

[b0ck3n]

@uelover: I was merely saying that it's not fair to say that the ES5 is rolled off. That it doesn't have enough treble prominence for your tastes is entirely up to you and you're obviously entitled to prefer a different sound signature than what you're getting. On the other hand I do still feel that there might be a problem beyond that, and I sincerely hope it works out for you. Who knows, maybe mine has the same issues when it arrives, but the demo unit certainly didn't. Time will tell.
 
@aLmOsT: e-mail info@variphone.com and ask if they have a retailer somewhere near you where they can send a demo unit of the ES5. Those guys are supremely helpful and will do everything they can to enable you to audition the ES5.

 

[Anaxilus]

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But then again, with the music I'm listening to most atm (modern, fast-paced music), I'm not sure if the ES5's would be the right choice.
Like most people, I'm concerned about the ES5 having too less quantity bass.
I'm wondering if the bass boost on the Headstage Arrow would synergize well with the ES5. Has anyone tried this combo?

Look at my sig.  I'll give the combo another listen tonight for you but my recollection is that the Arrow on default pushes the ES5's bass just north of neutral.  Bass boost 'I' would be overkill for me.  I'll have another listen and report back to confirm.
 

 

[Anaxilus]

Ok, aLmOsT.  If you plan on using the ES5 w/ the Arrow and have no aversion to using the BB it will blow your freaking mind man.  Don't worry for a sec.  Not even a nano sec.  Big, deep, powerful, hard hitting, slamming.  It's equivalent to the FX700 or Monster MD's at full bass performance w/ the right tips to extract that.
 
Holy crap man.  My playlist just transitioned from Aha 'Take on Me' to 50 Cent 'In Da Club'.  My heart almost stopped w/ this Bass boost on.

 

[aLm0sT]

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@aLmOsT: e-mail info@variphone.com and ask if they have a retailer somewhere near you where they can send a demo unit of the ES5. Those guys are supremely helpful and will do everything they can to enable you to audition the ES5.

 
Thanks for the tip! But I think that someone said that Westone doesn't offer any demo units?! :O I contacted them anyway.
 

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Look at my sig.  I'll give the combo another listen tonight for you but my recollection is that the Arrow on default pushes the ES5's bass just north of neutral.  Bass boost 'I' would be overkill for me.  I'll have another listen and report back to confirm.

 
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Ok, aLmOsT.  If you plan on using the ES5 w/ the Arrow and have no aversion to using the BB it will blow your freaking mind man.  Don't worry for a sec.  Not even a nano sec.  Big, deep, powerful, hard hitting, slamming.  It's equivalent to the FX700 or Monster MD's at full bass performance w/ the right tips to extract that.
 
Holy crap man.  My playlist just transitioned from Aha 'Take on Me' to 50 Cent 'In Da Club'.  My heart almost stopped w/ this Bass boost on.

Thanks for taking the time to listen to that combo for me again.
Just to clarify, I'm not necessarily looking for a flat/neutral bass response. I wouldn't mind if it were a bit north of neutral.
As said, I enjoyed the sound of the JH16 but with the Arrow and BB on "I" it was too much.
But with the Rx Mk II it actually sounded quite good. Sometimes I wish the midrange would be a bit more forward though. I do listen to female vocalists as well and I thought the JH16 was clearly not the perfect IEM for that.
 
Your impression sounds very tempting and makes me feel even more drawn towards the ES5.
I believe, coming from a JH16, I prefer more bass than you do, so I think the ES5 + Arrow combo might actually sound ok to me.
 

 

[Anaxilus]

Indeed Arrow BB set to 'I' w/ the ES5's mids sound up your alley.  I'm almost tempted to try out the Digizoid to see if it really is all they say and not some old gimmick with a different name and package.