[RockaRolla]

Quote:

No samples, I ordered it without seeing it. I asked about a smoke color, and the the lady at Westone suggested I try the gun metal. We'll see if it was a smart choice.
 

 

will be waiting to see ur gun metal! good luck!
 

 

[animalsrush]

Quote:

Westone should post more pics on their facebook page like JH does to give people an idea what the colors actually look like.

X2:  For a company that makes such good products their website lacks a certain degree of professionalism. Their FB page is even worse. Small companies like 1964 have better layout and pics . I think powderhound23 should notify corporate ...

 

[Kunlun]

Here's a review of a dual driver custom by sensaphonic which compares it to the ES5
http://www.avguide.com/review/sensaphonics-2max-custom-fit-ear-monitor-playback-36

 

[Kunlun]

From the same reviewer:
JH16 VS ES5
http://www.avguide.com/review/jh-audio-jh16-pro-custom-fit-ear-monitor-playback-35
 
This is the second professional review (2 out of 2, so far) to note sibilance for the ES5. Thoughts?

 

[Kunlun]

From the same reviewer in Avguide, at canjam:
Actually, Westone representatives did give us some off-the-record advance information about a compelling new universal-fit in-ear headphone they have in the works, but at this stage we are sworn to secrecy. Watch for further updates around the time of CES 2011.
 
Neat, huh? 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

From the same reviewer:
JH16 VS ES5
http://www.avguide.com/review/jh-audio-jh16-pro-custom-fit-ear-monitor-playback-35
 
This is the second professional review (2 out of 2, so far) to note sibilance for the ES5. Thoughts?

 
The ES5 do not enhance or exacerbate sibilance that isn't there in the recordings.
 
Quote:

From the same reviewer in Avguide, at canjam:
Actually, Westone representatives did give us some off-the-record advance information about a compelling new universal-fit in-ear headphone they have in the works, but at this stage we are sworn to secrecy. Watch for further updates around the time of CES 2011.
 
Neat, huh? 

Some people can keep a secret better than others.  Isn't that quote already letting the cat out of the bag?

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

From the same reviewer:
JH16 VS ES5
http://www.avguide.com/review/jh-audio-jh16-pro-custom-fit-ear-monitor-playback-35
 
This is the second professional review (2 out of 2, so far) to note sibilance for the ES5. Thoughts?

Kunlun, my thoughts are that your summary is misleading. Sibilance is a facet of recordings that may be emphasised by certain headphones The first professional review that you reference thought that the JH13 and JH16 are both more sibilant than the ES5. This second review does imply that the ES5  is more sibilant than the JH16. So I do not think that you have found two in a row of anything.
 
I have not personally found any problem with emphasised sibilance and the ES5.
 

 

[maverickronin]

Its been a while since I heard it but I remember it being very smooth, even on very sibilant recordings.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Quote:

Westone should post more pics on their facebook page like JH does to give people an idea what the colors actually look like.

X2:  For a company that makes such good products their website lacks a certain degree of professionalism. Their FB page is even worse. Small companies like 1964 have better layout and pics . I think powderhound23 should notify corporate ...

Their disregard for Facebook is actually a plus IMO.  

 

[Wildcard30]

I wonder if that reviewer actually used a custom set of ES5 or listened to the universal demo at canjam.

 

[goodvibes]

Quote:

From the same reviewer:
JH16 VS ES5
http://www.avguide.com/review/jh-audio-jh16-pro-custom-fit-ear-monitor-playback-35
 
This is the second professional review (2 out of 2, so far) to note sibilance for the ES5. Thoughts?

That he ranks the 16 as a '10' on tonal balance may be telling. Even JH will tell you the 13 is more neutral. Haven't heard the Westone but have heard the 13 and 16. 13 is the best I've heard.

 

[Kunlun]

Quote:

Kunlun, my thoughts are that your summary is misleading. Sibilance is a facet of recordings that may be emphasised by certain headphones The first professional review that you reference thought that the JH13 and JH16 are both more sibilant than the ES5. This second review does imply that the ES5  is more sibilant than the JH16. So I do not think that you have found two in a row of anything.
 
I have not personally found any problem with emphasised sibilance and the ES5.
 

 

 
From the first review, in the conclusion: "While I certainly wouldn’t describe both JHs or Westones as bright, they all exhibited more sibilance than any of the others."
It is true for the treble category he says that the ES5 has "Great detail, but occasionally approaching sibilant."
 
So, no, it's not misleading to say that the reviewer noted sibilance for the ES5.
 
The second reviewer also noted "the tradeoff is that the Westones can occasionally sound “spitty” on hard upper midrange transient sounds".
 
There are two professional reviews. They both note a tendency towards sibilance on the ES5. QED.

It is a valid point to ask about, just as it was valid to ask about the bass, just as it was valid to compare the ES5 with other Westone products.
 
Also, may I gently note that there's no need to defend the ES5. No one is attacking the ES5. I, and Davederek and others are just asking to better understand a product we either have not heard or have not heard in final form.
 
That you noted your personal experience with the ES5 is very nice. Thank you.
 
 Thanks also to HPA and other owners who comment on their experience.

 
Quote:

I wonder if that reviewer actually used a custom set of ES5 or listened to the universal demo at canjam.

He's a professional reviewer. Westone and JHA and Sensaphonic and Monster and Shure and Sennheiser, etc. all send him their products to review. This was a custom set of ES5s and a custom set of JH16s and a custom set of Sensaphonics.

 

[Wildcard30]

The reason I questioned it is that the Sensa and the JH were reviewed fully which the ES5 is simply compared to the two.

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Quote:

Kunlun, my thoughts are that your summary is misleading. Sibilance is a facet of recordings that may be emphasised by certain headphones The first professional review that you reference thought that the JH13 and JH16 are both more sibilant than the ES5. This second review does imply that the ES5  is more sibilant than the JH16. So I do not think that you have found two in a row of anything.
 
I have not personally found any problem with emphasised sibilance and the ES5.
 

 

 
From the first review, in the conclusion: "While I certainly wouldn’t describe both JHs or Westones as bright, they all exhibited more sibilance than any of the others."
It is true for the treble category he says that the ES5 has "Great detail, but occasionally approaching sibilant."
 
So, no, it's not misleading to say that the reviewer noted sibilance for the ES5.
 
The second reviewer also noted "the tradeoff is that the Westones can occasionally sound “spitty” on hard upper midrange transient sounds".
 
There are two professional reviews. They both note a tendency towards sibilance on the ES5. QED.

It is a valid point to ask about, just as it was valid to ask about the bass, just as it was valid to compare the ES5 with other Westone products.
 
Also, may I gently note that there's no need to defend the ES5. No one is attacking the ES5. I, and Davederek and others are just asking to better understand a product we either have not heard or have not heard in final form.
 
That you noted your personal experience with the ES5 is very nice. Thank you.
 
 Thanks also to HPA and other owners who comment on their experience.

 
Quote:

I wonder if that reviewer actually used a custom set of ES5 or listened to the universal demo at canjam.

He's a professional reviewer. Westone and JHA and Sensaphonic and Monster and Shure and Sennheiser, etc. all send him their products to review. This was a custom set of ES5s and a custom set of JH16s and a custom set of Sensaphonics.

Ah, mea culpa in that I had not noted that other professional review. You skipped the first which I referenced (from the Motion Picture Editors Guild which I think you have cited a few times). It would help to avoid such misunderstandings if you pointed to the specific review. Is this review the same bass player who said that the ES5 are the best IEM he has ever reviewed or is there a fourth professional review?
 
I am certainly not opposed to your comments but I will challenge them if I think it appropriate even, as it turns out, at the risk of making mistakes as to your references (which I did; my bad.)
 
I think that you are wrong though in comparing my banter with DD with our discussion (and this is not an insult in any way). Dave is occassionally scandalous and that is half the fun. He will of course deny this.

 

[Mr.Toad]

Update on the strange frequency response variations on my ES5s:
 
As I noted before, after extended listening on my new ES5s, I noticed some anomalies in the sound, particularly in spatial positioning of instruments. This led me to running a frequency sweep, which revealed a drop in the left earpiece centred at around 2.3khz and in the right at around 4.3 khz. These are not minor variations: although I have no way of measuring them, I'd guess at around 10db.
 
I spoke to Kyle at Westone and he has asked me to return the ES5s for inspection. The good news is, no-one has said "it must be your ears" - not yet, at least. I'll keep everyone posted on what Westone has to say after taking a look at the ES5s.