[darknessproz]

Can you post comparisons of ES5 vs Miracle? I can't find much impressions on this comparison. Thanks
 
Quote:

The Mage is definitely not a bright customs. My impressions of it is it is a laid back customs. Much like the Sennheiser HD650, but not as dark. Due to the dual bass drivers, bass presence is there. But the Mage does not sound particularly dark. The soundstage is very good. The Mids and highs are quite smooth. The dual bass drivers do not interfere with the rest of the spectrum. Hence the overall SQ is a relaxing, laid back, moderately warm and smooth iem.

ES5 however sounds very different. Comparing it to JH13, it is equally transparent and clarity is excellent. Soundstage is wider than JH13. However, if JH13 comes across as a bit analytical and dry, ES5 is more listenable; reason being ES5 is a wee bit warmer and also airier. Despite just sporting a single bass driver, rest assure that bass is not lacking and quality of it is very good. But if u prefer IE8 bass, please look elsewhere. The signature magical Westone Mids is still there. The highs are quite crisp and very very smooth.

I understand from Janice that I was her 2nd customer to get ES5. I too also got it without any audition. But boy, i do not regret this purchase at all. ES5 will follow me on a very long audio journey. These r definitely a pair of keepers for me.

 

[Joe-Siow]

Can you post comparisons of ES5 vs Miracle? I can't find much impressions on this comparison. Thanks
 

 


Miracle. Hmm... Let me try to recall. It has been 2 months since I auditioned it after all.

Ok. Here goes. Like a chap before me commented, Miracle betters every department of the Mage. As the flagship of the UM customs series, it should rightly do.

Quantity and quality of bass are both present, with the bass of Miracle being tighter. Both seems to hit equally low. The Mids are very smooth and of fuller body. Vocals seems to be better brought out. The highs are definitely smoother than Mage's. Like ES5, the highs have a sort of sparkle for me. I remembered coming away being very very impressed by Miracle's highs.

Ultimately, Miracle improves on all departments of the Mage. But the question here becomes: is the Miracle worth shelling out an additional of S$400 over the Mage? For me, having auditioned Mage, Miracle and owing ES5, I would not hesitate to fork out S$900 for the Mage. It's that attractive and the keyword here is VALUE. However, I would go for the ES5 anyway when comparing Miracle to ES5. The difference of S$100 is very small in the world of customs. And ultimately, ES5 suits me better due to the genre of music that I listen to and my personal taste. But that's just my 2 cents worth.

 

[magic12kenneth]

How does the ES5 compares to moving Armatures IEM such as the Ortofon e-Q7 or Grado GR8 or GR10? Thanks
 
Ken

 

[Saintkeat]

Quote:

Quote:

anyways since i didn't like the miracle and the jh13 i'm assuming i'm not gonna like the westone es5.

 
But you did like the JH13s! I remember! You just couldn't justify the $1100 though.
 
You would really never know until you try.. the ES5s might change your mind completely about spending some serious coin.

Hmmm I reckon I said I liked it before I heard the JH16s. And I can justify the JH16's cost, I just can't afford it. I really enjoyed the JH16 as much as I enjoyed the IE8s. (btw pretty honored you remembered what I said lol)
 
I would very much still like to try the ES5s don't get me wrong, I'm looking for a kind soul in my local who would allow me to try his ES5s?
BTW, how much did Thinking Group in Singapore charge for ES5 with custom artwork?

 

[Qonad]

 
Quote:

 
Miracle. Hmm... Let me try to recall. It has been 2 months since I auditioned it after all.Ok. Here goes. Like a chap before me commented, Miracle betters every department of the Mage. As the flagship of the UM customs series, it should rightly do. Quantity and quality of bass are both present, with the bass of Miracle being tighter. Both seems to hit equally low. The Mids are very smooth and of fuller body. Vocals seems to be better brought out. The highs are definitely smoother than Mage's. Like ES5, the highs have a sort of sparkle for me. I remembered coming away being very very impressed by Miracle's highs. Ultimately, Miracle improves on all departments of the Mage. But the question here becomes: is the Miracle worth shelling out an additional of S$400 over the Mage? For me, having auditioned Mage, Miracle and owing ES5, I would not hesitate to fork out S$900 for the Mage. It's that attractive and the keyword here is VALUE. However, I would go for the ES5 anyway when comparing Miracle to ES5. The difference of S$100 is very small in the world of customs. And ultimately, ES5 suits me better due to the genre of music that I listen to and my personal taste. But that's just my 2 cents worth.

You seem to be comparing more of the Miracle to the Mage rather than Miracle to the ES5.
 
So are the Miracle and ES5 in the same league?

 

[roy_jones]

Quote:

The Mage is definitely not a bright customs. My impressions of it is it is a laid back customs. Much like the Sennheiser HD650, but not as dark. Due to the dual bass drivers, bass presence is there. But the Mage does not sound particularly dark. The soundstage is very good. The Mids and highs are quite smooth. The dual bass drivers do not interfere with the rest of the spectrum. Hence the overall SQ is a relaxing, laid back, moderately warm and smooth iem.

ES5 however sounds very different. Comparing it to JH13, it is equally transparent and clarity is excellent. Soundstage is wider than JH13. However, if JH13 comes across as a bit analytical and dry, ES5 is more listenable; reason being ES5 is a wee bit warmer and also airier. Despite just sporting a single bass driver, rest assure that bass is not lacking and quality of it is very good. But if u prefer IE8 bass, please look elsewhere. The signature magical Westone Mids is still there. The highs are quite crisp and very very smooth.

I understand from Janice that I was her 2nd customer to get ES5. I too also got it without any audition. But boy, i do not regret this purchase at all. ES5 will follow me on a very long audio journey. These r definitely a pair of keepers for me.

 
If I were a reader trying to form an opinion based on your perceptions, I'd be very cautious.  You seem to come away with very different conclusions than the average listener.  While I appreciate the added information and your effort, I think posts that clearly run counter to accepted opinion can be dangerous to buyers.   
 

 

[darknessproz]

Which part do you mean? If it is the part about the mage being a laid back custom, i can agree with it. It's sound signature reminds me more of a HD650 than a Grado-like sound, but not as dark. Oh, and Joe-Siow, more details about the ES5 vs the Miracle please? It would be nice if you can go into more details about the treble,mids and bass.
 
Quote:

Quote:

The Mage is definitely not a bright customs. My impressions of it is it is a laid back customs. Much like the Sennheiser HD650, but not as dark. Due to the dual bass drivers, bass presence is there. But the Mage does not sound particularly dark. The soundstage is very good. The Mids and highs are quite smooth. The dual bass drivers do not interfere with the rest of the spectrum. Hence the overall SQ is a relaxing, laid back, moderately warm and smooth iem.

ES5 however sounds very different. Comparing it to JH13, it is equally transparent and clarity is excellent. Soundstage is wider than JH13. However, if JH13 comes across as a bit analytical and dry, ES5 is more listenable; reason being ES5 is a wee bit warmer and also airier. Despite just sporting a single bass driver, rest assure that bass is not lacking and quality of it is very good. But if u prefer IE8 bass, please look elsewhere. The signature magical Westone Mids is still there. The highs are quite crisp and very very smooth.

I understand from Janice that I was her 2nd customer to get ES5. I too also got it without any audition. But boy, i do not regret this purchase at all. ES5 will follow me on a very long audio journey. These r definitely a pair of keepers for me.

 
If I were a reader trying to form an opinion based on your perceptions, I'd be very cautious.  You seem to come away with very different conclusions than the average listener.  While I appreciate the added information and your effort, I think posts that clearly run counter to accepted opinion can be dangerous to buyers.   
 

 

[Joe-Siow]

I'll be going down to Stereo to get my HD600 in a couple of days. I'll ask to audition it again then.

 

[darknessproz]

Ohh that would be nice! Thanks!

 

[Joe-Siow]

 
Quote:

 
If I were a reader trying to form an opinion based on your perceptions, I'd be very cautious.  You seem to come away with very different conclusions than the average listener.  While I appreciate the added information and your effort, I think posts that clearly run counter to accepted opinion can be dangerous to buyers.   
 

Hmm... I did say that this was my own 2 cents worth didn't I? Everyone hears differently. Just because the average listener says that the Mage is bright doesn't mean it is bright to my ears.
Mage is definitely not bright to me. The bass presence and the nature of the laid back presence reminded me of HD650. Though not as dark.
 
As for the Miracle, I would post another impression soon when I go down to Stereo to get my HD600.
Till then, peace.

 

[darknessproz]

Well, i agree with you. If the HD650 are said to be dark and laid back, and the typical grado are bright sounding, the Mage/Miracle is far closer to the HD650 signature. I don't have much experience with other customs, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. 
 
Quote:

 
Quote:

 
If I were a reader trying to form an opinion based on your perceptions, I'd be very cautious.  You seem to come away with very different conclusions than the average listener.  While I appreciate the added information and your effort, I think posts that clearly run counter to accepted opinion can be dangerous to buyers.   
 

Hmm... I did say that this was my own 2 cents worth didn't I? Everyone hears differently. Just because the average listener says that the Mage is bright doesn't mean it is bright to my ears.
Mage is definitely not bright to me. The bass presence and the nature of the laid back presence reminded me of HD650. Though not as dark.
 
As for the Miracle, I would post another impression soon when I go down to Stereo to get my HD600.
Till then, peace.

 

[Saintkeat]

you know the funniest thing was when i demoed the miracle, i found it inconsistent. i could tell theres more bass and its very revealing, but only acoustic and alternative rock seemed to be engaging while the rest of the genres like house, trance, lounge, and even a musical soundtrack sounded completely dull and flat.  i'm thinking it might be the seal or something off with the pair i tried. anyways Janice from thinking group has gotten back to me and shes qouting SGD$1450 for ES5 including shipping but no impressions, and SGD$150 for custom art work. any kind singaporean souls willing to let me have a listen? I'll buy you coffee? =D
 
 

 

[Joe-Siow]

Look at who got discharged from hospital today?
 

 
Welcome home!
 
 
I am very happy with Westone's quick turnover time for my RMA and request for custom art.
However, I was less than pleased with their explanation as to what exactly happened to my ES5 after it broke down only after 3 months.
This was their official response to my query as to why the damage occurred.
 
[size=10pt]Hi Janice,

Thank you for your inquiries.[/size]
[size=10pt]Although unusual, problems can sometimes occur within 3 months. It could be anything from moisture to accumulated earwax to an internal problem[/size][size=10pt].
Please let me know any further details for clarification.

Best regards,
Hank[/size]
 
 
The very generic response that I got for a product that costs over USD 1,000 is very disppointing. A product that is as advanced and expensive as the ES5 that breaks down after just 3 months of use does not inspire very high confidence in me as a consumer. As far as I'm concern, my ES5 was not the only one that broke down. This seems to indicate that my case was not one of isolation.
 
Hank mentioned that it could be anything that caused the damage. That response drew more confusion from me, as I'm very careful with this pair of baby. I do not use my ES5 in the open when it rains. They are always kept in a Pelican 1010 case whenever they are not in use and I clean them with the earwax loop and non alcoholic swaps weekly. What should happen if this problem occur again within the warranty period? What assurances does the consumer get? Conversely, what will happen after the warranty for my ES5 lapse? I hope to receive some real answers from Westone.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Look at who got discharged from hospital today?
 

 
Welcome home!
 
 
I am very happy with Westone's quick turnover time for my RMA and request for custom art.
However, I was less than pleased with their explanation as to what exactly happened to my ES5 after it broke down only after 3 months.
This was their official response to my query as to why the damage occurred.
 
[size=10pt]Hi Janice,

Thank you for your inquiries.[/size]
[size=10pt]Although unusual, problems can sometimes occur within 3 months. It could be anything from moisture to accumulated earwax to an internal problem[/size][size=10pt].
Please let me know any further details for clarification.

Best regards,
Hank[/size]
 
 
The very generic response that I got for a product that costs over USD 1,000 is very disppointing. A product that is as advanced and expensive as the ES5 that breaks down after just 3 months of use does not inspire very high confidence in me as a consumer. As far as I'm concern, my ES5 was not the only one that broke down. This seems to indicate that my case was not one of isolation.
 
Hank mentioned that it could be anything that caused the damage. That response drew more confusion from me, as I'm very careful with this pair of baby. I do not use my ES5 in the open when it rains. They are always kept in a Pelican 1010 case whenever they are not in use and I clean them with the earwax loop and non alcoholic swaps weekly. What should happen if this problem occur again within the warranty period? What assurances does the consumer get? Conversely, what will happen after the warranty for my ES5 lapse? I hope to receive some real answers from Westone.

There could be several reasons for such a generic response.  The person responding may not be privy to that informations.  Or sometimes a more specific response is given, and then as the story propagates over the internet it gets blown out of proportion.  For example, if they said a balanced armature died, then after the story is re-told a few times it starts to become a rumor that they have a problem with BA's going bad, when it was only that one time or two.  So, they may be trying to avoid feeding the rumor mill.  
 
There is always going to be a failure rate with any product, and someone has to get that 1 in 100 defective driver (don't know the exact failure rate).  And nobody is perfect when soldering tiny connections inside an IEM, and if a cold solder joint comes loose someone is going to get that 1 in 100 break.  I'm not sure that Westone is obligated to state what the actual cause of failure is.  

 

[Joe-Siow]

Avoiding of feeding the rumour mill at the expense of the confidence of the average consumer who forked out his hard earned money to purchase the company's product simply does not sound acceptable to me.
 
Actually, the problem is not how much the product costs. The crux of the problem to me is the treatment that is being dished out to the consumers who have the confidence in the products that are being sold by Westone. Westone's products, besides sounding excellent, also enjoy a good reputation in the industry due to it's very good customer service. I could easily have gone to Ultimate Ears for their customs, but I didn't; simply because I am confident in Westone's products both musically and well as the way they do their business. As plesed as I am Westone's excellent turnover time to my RMA, I am also disappointed in them evading my question as to how the fault occurred. Their action do not inspire confidence in me as a consumer. And because I am a paying customer, I firmly believe that Westone has an obligation to not only me, but also the rest of the paying customers in this forum.