[spazz]

Thanks daveDerek.  I'm really glad that I found this forum.  I've been lurking around for months, but never posted .
 
I've been using universal iem's for a very long time and I've always been frustrated with those universal tips.  They never fit in my ears and I can never get enough base.  Everything sounds like tin cans.  I always get custom tips from Sensaphonics to use with my Shure and they are very comfortible as long as I get the right impressions.
 
I've been looking at getting custom iem for a while and I have looked at JH and UE.  Actually, UE is local to me.  They are in Irvine and it's about a 15 minute drive.  When I contact UE's about their products, I got very little help and kept getting the sale pitch.  When I contacted Westone, they wanted to know more about my needs and took time with me and helped me decide on which model to get.
 
My Audiologist always deals with Westone.  He told me whenever I am ready to let him know.  I've been talking to him every so often and finally going to see him this week <YAY>.
 
When you got your ES5, how long did it take?  Did you get the 50" cord or 64"?  How long did it take to break them in?

 

[musicday]

I had a hard time to choose between UE , JH and Westone. But i think that Westone ES5 really worth the money and they seem to have the best costumer service from all three.But becouse i am located in South London i cannot order direct from Westone USA, so i have to go trough Variphone.My question is if any of you got theirs ES5 fro Variphone, can you please post your impressions here? They build them in their own lab from Belgium and i heard that they don't do art work. Is it really any diffrence between the ES5 build by Westone in USA and the one build in Europe? Also would like to see some pics if possible.
Your help much apreciated guys...

 

[music_4321]

^^ From the very few reports I've seen of people getting their Westone customs from Variphone, all have reported excellent build quality, which hasn't always been the case when dealing directly with Westone (my case and others) -- at least that was the case when the ES3X was the hot new item on HF nearly 2 years ago and Westone were getting quite a few ES3X orders in. It must be said, however, that my 4th and final ES3X set had perfect build quality, likely due to the fact that I pointed out previous cosmetic/ QC issues on my 3 previous sets. Also, it's been reported that Variphone's CS is excellent. I've been on the phone to them a couple of times and I always got excellent service and was given useful information.

 

[SteelerFan58]

I got my molds done in Colorado Springs last week for my ES5's.  The audiologist used to work for Westone - and of course, Westone is just down the road from his office.  I'm hoping that staying local will improve my chances of getting a good experience in this custom IEM process.  Although they charged me the MSRP price of $950, I was pleasantly surprised there was no additional cost for the molds and no sales tax applied.
 
Currently, I'm using the Shure SE535's as my main IEM's.  I also own the Westone W3's, which for my musical tastes, just don't compare well with the SE535's.  I had given thought to upgrading to the W4's, but I was afraid if they sounded better to me than the SE535's, the difference would only be incremental.  I have no doubts that the ES5 will blow both the W4's and SE535's out of the water.  It's really amazing to me just how sharp the competition has developed over the past 3 years in both the universal and custom IEM market.  Hopefully, I can keep my promise to the wife that this is my last IEM purchase -at least for a few years.

 

[uelover]

I never know that there are other authorized dealers that would make customs for Westone as I thought that all dealers merely handles purchase orders while Westone makes the custom in their 'workshop'. Something new to learn =)
 
Decision between JHA and Westone is tough. Basing on the relatively few reviews comparing these two high end customs, the sound signature of both seems to be quite different so it is actually not a bad thing to own either one of them now as it will be easy to get the other in the future as complement.
 
UE was ruled out rather easily due to their customer support that sadly has got little to do with SQ.
 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Anyone here in the process of making an ES5 review?

I'm working on it, in between bouts of feeling ill.  I've posted some impressions here, and it seems a general consensus among owners that the ES5 is indeed a top tier IEM, and in my case it's my favorite.  I also still love my JH13Pro and ES3X, but if I could only have just one it would be the ES5 (then JH13 then ES3X).

 

[drez]

I hope these suckers last - I just ordered a pair from the states and I don't fancy spending almost 1k on gear that will only last a year or so.  Guess thats the problem when buying a product thats new to the market.

 

[b0ck3n]

Did you order it from Earplugstore or somewhere else? Would love to hear more of your experience with whatever retailer you chose to run with, as I'm in the same situation only on the other side of the planet.

I hope these suckers last - I just ordered a pair from the states and I don't fancy spending almost 1k on gear that will only last a year or so.  Guess thats the problem when buying a product thats new to the market.

 

[AudioTiger]

OMG 

 Look what just came in... 
 

 
I Am Number 313 

 and so far it is DOWNRIGHT AMAZING. Perfect fit - open and closed jawed.
 
Impressions soon!
 
p.s. have followed this thread for some time

 

[b0ck3n]

Congrats What color is that? Looks great.

 

[AudioTiger]

Quote:

Congrats

What color is that? Looks great.

Candy purple! Was debating between this and Blue/Red but reckoned trying a less common color. Happy with the color tone 

. Dark yet translucent.

 

[RockaRolla]

Quote:

Candy purple! Was debating between this and Blue/Red but reckoned trying a less common color. Happy with the color tone 

. Dark yet translucent.

 
sexy colour yo!

 
im sending in my es5 for refitting tomorrow, and cant decide whether to stick with my ice blue colour or change to candy red!

 

 

[AudioTiger]

 
Here goes, early impressions:
 
Concerns Pertaining to the ES5s:
 
Fit: Refits necessary? This one would be quite a big issue if it happens, especially  to those living outside the States. Being customs, one would expect weeks of to-and-fro from the manufacturers in-between. Thankfully the audiologist I went to has done a superb job, i.e. it really gives you the feeling of a deafness, open jaw impression is done etc. It is absolutely critical that the ear impressions are done properly when one plunges into the world of customs. Regarding the earpiece construction, one thing that caught my eye was Westone's hybrid acrylic body and heat-sensitive vinyl tips. It sounds more ergonomic than pure acrylic customs, from my point of view, and futuristic Having worn it for a couple of hours, it works for me so far. Comfortable once you get used to the sensation.
 
Waiting Time: Quoted one month. From Singapore, half-way across the world to USA, and back. Two and a half-week was all it took. Nice!
 
No. of Bass Drivers: One. Its competitors, the JH13/JH16 and UM Miracle have two. Hmm. Would it mean that it would be light on the bass? Looking at the way triple driver customs have ruled the roost in the previous generation, it doesn't make sense that this should be a huge concern. Suffice to say, the ES5s do not disappoint in bass extension, impact and detail compared to my reference Hi-fi setup. Being free of room constrains, the ES5s go rather deeper than what I am used to. Dual subwoofers in the head, indeed. Rattles your skull without being uncontrollably boomy. One caveat is that with the increased bass extension it brings, it seems to exhibit a reduction in the so-called "bass tightness" I seek. It happens when listening to certain bass-heavy tracks. My reference hi-fi remains "tighter" in the bass across the board, even when driven at moderately high levels. However, the ES5s remain enjoyable to listen through and through, when focusing on its bass. Perhaps it is more unforgiving in poorly mastered bassy tracks?
 
Early Shocks from the ES5:
 
The Sound of Silence: Between tracks. This was a bit unnerving. When tracks cut out, the silence is rather unnatural. Personally, this is a minor drawback in the world of customs, I suppose.
 
Inserting and Taking it Out: Twist and lock in = 5 seconds. Twist and take out = takes a longer time. Its ease of use is not its strongest point, especially if you are in a hurry.
 
My motivation in purchasing the ES5s:
 
Has technology come far enough to replicate the sound of a traditional stereo hi-fi in a small pair of earphones?
What about movies? Games? To be continued..
 
Listened to iPad (with Aiff Tracks) > Westone ES5... perhaps will need to find a better source to truly exploit its capabilities.
 

 

[drez]

Yeah I used earplugstore.  They had a bit of a problem verifying my visa debit card with my bank so I just used paypal.  Doesn't matter as there is no surcharge, and I would probably recommend this method.  Store FAQ states that they should arrive in 10-14 days from when impressions arrive, which as it turns out can take a while with customs clearance see http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/523244/shipping-ear-impressions-to-the-us.  I'm hoping mine aren't delayed in this manner.  I'm guessing with international postage you can add another few days to their estimate, plus I have no idea when my impressions will arrive so I'm not holding my breath

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

.  
Inserting and Taking it Out: Twist and lock in = 5 seconds. Twist and take out = takes a longer time. Its ease of use is not its strongest point, especially if you are in a hurry.

 

 In a few days/ weeks you'll be very pleasantly surprised to learn just how MUCH faster you'll be able to insert & remove your customs.