[dj nellie]

Yeah I went to Dr. Resnick too. Nice guy and very professional. I went to him for my UM-56 Westone 3 tips and my JH16. I had fit problems with both, but I really don't think it was due to any shortcoming in his impression-taking skill, and that's reinforced by your positive experience. My rough estimate is that he's already done dozens of JH13/16 molds, based his 6 per month rate, in addition to years of doing Westone impressions and hearing aids.  I posted my recommendation of him in the audiologists thread like last spring.
 
I was seriously considering having Beth Orliss take my impressions, she's another highly-regarded Westone/JHA/UE audiologist. I wanted to try someone else just to see if it would make any difference in the fit, but I'm thinking that any experienced audiologist's impressions should be the same; the variables will be the expertise of the technician making the shell and tip, and uncontrollable factors like quirks in the way your ear canal is shaped and moves when you talk, walk, etc. In any event, Beth wasn't available for 2 weeks and I couldn't wait that long! She's also based in Jersey, but will visit you in the city if she can find the time.
 
What I can't believe is that the ES5 has been out for like 8 months and there hasn't been one full-fledged review on Head-Fi. Plenty of short impressions have been posted, and there are "professional" reviews of varying usefulness scattered around the web, but no thorough Head-Fi review. (Hint, hint...)

 

[The Big Sleep]

Quote:

What I can't believe is that the ES5 has been out for like 8 months and there hasn't been one full-fledged review on Head-Fi. Plenty of short impressions have been posted, and there are "professional" reviews of varying usefulness scattered around the web, but no thorough Head-Fi review. (Hint, hint...)

Hopefully I can remedy that once I get mine 

.
 
Im a little antsy now though after seeing these complaints of drivers failing 

. This is my first custom IEM and for $1000 I would probably go nuts if they crapped out after a few months, hopefully the warranty isnt too short (I think its 1 year). 
 
My audiologist had great reviews from the research I did on Google, but when I got impressions made I told him "Westone suggests doing Open-Mouth/Bite-Block impressions" and he insisted it doesn't make a difference (almost in a condescending tone). Lo and behold due to my passive nature I didnt argue and just sat there as he did the impressions trying to keep my jaw motionless. Ill be pretty upset if the fit gives out just because I open my mouth or wiggle my jaw. 
 
Also, does anybody know about how long the turn-around time is when ordering through an authorized Westone seller? The audiologist said its usually about 1-2 weeks, which actually seems fairly quick and I was curious if I should believe that?
 

 

[Wildcard30]

It took only about 5 days for them to be made once Westone had received the impressions.

 

[sleepymaam]

 
Quote:

Hopefully I can remedy that once I get mine 

.
 
Im a little antsy now though after seeing these complaints of drivers failing 

. This is my first custom IEM and for $1000 I would probably go nuts if they crapped out after a few months, hopefully the warranty isnt too short (I think its 1 year). 
 
My audiologist had great reviews from the research I did on Google, but when I got impressions made I told him "Westone suggests doing Open-Mouth/Bite-Block impressions" and he insisted it doesn't make a difference (almost in a condescending tone). Lo and behold due to my passive nature I didnt argue and just sat there as he did the impressions trying to keep my jaw motionless. Ill be pretty upset if the fit gives out just because I open my mouth or wiggle my jaw. 
 
Also, does anybody know about how long the turn-around time is when ordering through an authorized Westone seller? The audiologist said its usually about 1-2 weeks, which actually seems fairly quick and I was curious if I should believe that?
 

I believe Westone is suggesting the open-mouth method under the presumption that the user will be using these monitors on-stage/live-show. However, if the user is primarily using them for music listening, the close mouth method should be adequate as well. I can imagine there may be occasions that a less-filling (but nonetheless still providing a seal) impression would be a better pick for prolonged listening sessions in comparison to a more bulging impression that absolutely fill-out and stretch-out the canals.
I would say give it a shot and see how they fit first, isn't there a one or two free re-fit?

 

[kaneman]

I did open mouth impressions and the fit is bang-on perfect. This is as opposed to doing closed mouth for a set of ER-4 custom eartips. I had the audiologist redo my impressions once. Here's what to look for. Once the impressions set? Open and close your mouth. Do you feel irritation? Does the ear canal feel 'full' and stay sealed or do you feel the mold shifting and do you lose seal? Do NOT be quiet about this. Tell 'em the impressions don't feel right and you want them redone. The ES5s feel spectacular. No irritation whatsoever and they go in very easily. I find it easiest just to 'twist' them in and out vs inserting them as I would a universal.
 
As for the sound? Everything universal I have is just on a lower level. Nothing compares. The sheer level of texture and detail is significantly beyond what I hear with any universal I have (and I have quite a few). I now hear not just what's played but HOW. Fingers on strings. Brushstrokes on snares. Tympani hits. Fuzz tone. Pedal changes. Effects. Breaths taken. All things that were subaudible before. The ES5s reward a good source and spotlight bad. S:Flo2 playing MP3s? You're gonna hear the compression, even with 320Kbps. With FLAC? Glorious. I now have to go back and re-rip everything I own in lossless. All the stuff I purchased from iTunes? Sucks 'cause I am now going to go back and get the stuff I really want on CD so I can GET it in lossleess. I may actually take the plunge and get an HM-801... if anything were to make the difference between 16 and 24 bit stand out? The ES5s will.
 
Another thing: The isolation is excellent. I can listen far far more QUIETLY than before. Yeah they get plenty loud??? But I don't *need* to turn it up to get the full satisfying spectrum and impact of what i'm listening to. They do reward volume and power tho'. Using a Pico Slim? Lots of slam and attack. And PLENTY of bass. It's accurate bass too. Perhaps not head shaking in the sense of the MD Tributes? But they do get subterranean and there's ample bass on hand. If you're a bass-head tho? I can see why the JHs would be more the ticket. For the range of music I listen to? (Everything from classical to death metal to R&B & Rap & hip hop & electronica & dubstep and and and) These offer the best balance. They're worth every penny and more. I now make time to do nothing but listen and can't wait to listen. That's not happened to me before with headphones. The home big rig? Absolutely.
 
My home rig is an Amazon Referenz turntable, Triplanar VII tonearm, Denon DL103SA, Manley Steelhead, Edge Electronics NL12 amp and B&W 802D speakers. The ES5s give up nothing. If you want to know what no-compromise sound is like? Get 'em.

 

[b0ck3n]

Thanks for your post, it was an interesting read and good advice as I'll be getting impressions done soon. How do you feel the ES5 performs from the headphone out of your iPhone 4?

I did open mouth impressions and the fit is bang-on perfect. This is as opposed to doing closed mouth for a set of ER-4 custom eartips. I had the audiologist redo my impressions once. Here's what to look for. Once the impressions set? Open and close your mouth. Do you feel irritation? Does the ear canal feel 'full' and stay sealed or do you feel the mold shifting and do you lose seal? Do NOT be quiet about this. Tell 'em the impressions don't feel right and you want them redone. The ES5s feel spectacular. No irritation whatsoever and they go in very easily. I find it easiest just to 'twist' them in and out vs inserting them as I would a universal.
 
As for the sound? Everything universal I have is just on a lower level. Nothing compares. The sheer level of texture and detail is significantly beyond what I hear with any universal I have (and I have quite a few). I now hear not just what's played but HOW. Fingers on strings. Brushstrokes on snares. Tympani hits. Fuzz tone. Pedal changes. Effects. Breaths taken. All things that were subaudible before. The ES5s reward a good source and spotlight bad. S:Flo2 playing MP3s? You're gonna hear the compression, even with 320Kbps. With FLAC? Glorious. I now have to go back and re-rip everything I own in lossless. All the stuff I purchased from iTunes? Sucks 'cause I am now going to go back and get the stuff I really want on CD so I can GET it in lossleess. I may actually take the plunge and get an HM-801... if anything were to make the difference between 16 and 24 bit stand out? The ES5s will.
 
Another thing: The isolation is excellent. I can listen far far more QUIETLY than before. Yeah they get plenty loud??? But I don't *need* to turn it up to get the full satisfying spectrum and impact of what i'm listening to. They do reward volume and power tho'. Using a Pico Slim? Lots of slam and attack. And PLENTY of bass. It's accurate bass too. Perhaps not head shaking in the sense of the MD Tributes? But they do get subterranean and there's ample bass on hand. If you're a bass-head tho? I can see why the JHs would be more the ticket. For the range of music I listen to? (Everything from classical to death metal to R&B & Rap & hip hop & electronica & dubstep and and and) These offer the best balance. They're worth every penny and more. I now make time to do nothing but listen and can't wait to listen. That's not happened to me before with headphones. The home big rig? Absolutely.
 
My home rig is an Amazon Referenz turntable, Triplanar VII tonearm, Denon DL103SA, Manley Steelhead, Edge Electronics NL12 amp and B&W 802D speakers. The ES5s give up nothing. If you want to know what no-compromise sound is like? Get 'em.

 

[letloverule]

I use them straight out of my iphone all the time. To my ears they are GREAT! I don't really see the need to amp them on the go. To me its not worth the hassle. 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

I did open mouth impressions and the fit is bang-on perfect. This is as opposed to doing closed mouth for a set of ER-4 custom eartips. I had the audiologist redo my impressions once. Here's what to look for. Once the impressions set? Open and close your mouth. Do you feel irritation? Does the ear canal feel 'full' and stay sealed or do you feel the mold shifting and do you lose seal? Do NOT be quiet about this. Tell 'em the impressions don't feel right and you want them redone. The ES5s feel spectacular. No irritation whatsoever and they go in very easily. I find it easiest just to 'twist' them in and out vs inserting them as I would a universal.
 
As for the sound? Everything universal I have is just on a lower level. Nothing compares. The sheer level of texture and detail is significantly beyond what I hear with any universal I have (and I have quite a few). I now hear not just what's played but HOW. Fingers on strings. Brushstrokes on snares. Tympani hits. Fuzz tone. Pedal changes. Effects. Breaths taken. All things that were subaudible before. The ES5s reward a good source and spotlight bad. S:Flo2 playing MP3s? You're gonna hear the compression, even with 320Kbps. With FLAC? Glorious. I now have to go back and re-rip everything I own in lossless. All the stuff I purchased from iTunes? Sucks 'cause I am now going to go back and get the stuff I really want on CD so I can GET it in lossleess. I may actually take the plunge and get an HM-801... if anything were to make the difference between 16 and 24 bit stand out? The ES5s will.
 
Another thing: The isolation is excellent. I can listen far far more QUIETLY than before. Yeah they get plenty loud??? But I don't *need* to turn it up to get the full satisfying spectrum and impact of what i'm listening to. They do reward volume and power tho'. Using a Pico Slim? Lots of slam and attack. And PLENTY of bass. It's accurate bass too. Perhaps not head shaking in the sense of the MD Tributes? But they do get subterranean and there's ample bass on hand. If you're a bass-head tho? I can see why the JHs would be more the ticket. For the range of music I listen to? (Everything from classical to death metal to R&B & Rap & hip hop & electronica & dubstep and and and) These offer the best balance. They're worth every penny and more. I now make time to do nothing but listen and can't wait to listen. That's not happened to me before with headphones. The home big rig? Absolutely.
 
My home rig is an Amazon Referenz turntable, Triplanar VII tonearm, Denon DL103SA, Manley Steelhead, Edge Electronics NL12 amp and B&W 802D speakers. The ES5s give up nothing. If you want to know what no-compromise sound is like? Get 'em.

Though I've only heard the demos so far, I can concur w/ your impressions.  Well said.  

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

I use them straight out of my iphone all the time. To my ears they are GREAT! I don't really see the need to amp them on the go. To me its not worth the hassle. 

Yes the ES5 is wonderful straight from an iPhone. I find that I go back and forth. The last few days, I have been taking the iMod + Stepdance combination with me and loving the subtle but material improvements. It is fun to have options. In my experience, so long as the file quality is good, with any decent source the ES5 does not disappoint.

 

[The Big Sleep]

Quote:

I did open mouth impressions and the fit is bang-on perfect. This is as opposed to doing closed mouth for a set of ER-4 custom eartips. I had the audiologist redo my impressions once. Here's what to look for. Once the impressions set? Open and close your mouth. Do you feel irritation? Does the ear canal feel 'full' and stay sealed or do you feel the mold shifting and do you lose seal? Do NOT be quiet about this. Tell 'em the impressions don't feel right and you want them redone. The ES5s feel spectacular. No irritation whatsoever and they go in very easily. I find it easiest just to 'twist' them in and out vs inserting them as I would a universal.
 
 

Quote:

 
I believe Westone is suggesting the open-mouth method under the presumption that the user will be using these monitors on-stage/live-show. However, if the user is primarily using them for music listening, the close mouth method should be adequate as well. I can imagine there may be occasions that a less-filling (but nonetheless still providing a seal) impression would be a better pick for prolonged listening sessions in comparison to a more bulging impression that absolutely fill-out and stretch-out the canals.
I would say give it a shot and see how they fit first, isn't there a one or two free re-fit?

Well I'll make sure when I go in to get them that the fit is perfect and if not Ill definitely speak up as it is a very expensive investment and I want it to be as perfect as possible. Part of me has a bad feeling about how my impression was taken from everything Ive read, grrrrrr

 


Quote:

It took only about 5 days for them to be made once Westone had received the impressions.

Wow that seems quick. Good to know though. Its been about 10 days since we sent the impressions so Im hoping to hear something this week.

 

[letloverule]

Yeah I agree, you need good quality files for the ES5. Otherwise it won't sound as great. 

 

[SolidVictory]

Thanks for your insight on the ES5. I was wondering if you could go into detail on the soundstage of the ES5 (precision, width, does it sound "real" or "artificial"), and do a slight comparison to the EarSonics SM3. Thank you.
 
Quote:

I did open mouth impressions and the fit is bang-on perfect. This is as opposed to doing closed mouth for a set of ER-4 custom eartips. I had the audiologist redo my impressions once. Here's what to look for. Once the impressions set? Open and close your mouth. Do you feel irritation? Does the ear canal feel 'full' and stay sealed or do you feel the mold shifting and do you lose seal? Do NOT be quiet about this. Tell 'em the impressions don't feel right and you want them redone. The ES5s feel spectacular. No irritation whatsoever and they go in very easily. I find it easiest just to 'twist' them in and out vs inserting them as I would a universal.
 
As for the sound? Everything universal I have is just on a lower level. Nothing compares. The sheer level of texture and detail is significantly beyond what I hear with any universal I have (and I have quite a few). I now hear not just what's played but HOW. Fingers on strings. Brushstrokes on snares. Tympani hits. Fuzz tone. Pedal changes. Effects. Breaths taken. All things that were subaudible before. The ES5s reward a good source and spotlight bad. S:Flo2 playing MP3s? You're gonna hear the compression, even with 320Kbps. With FLAC? Glorious. I now have to go back and re-rip everything I own in lossless. All the stuff I purchased from iTunes? Sucks 'cause I am now going to go back and get the stuff I really want on CD so I can GET it in lossleess. I may actually take the plunge and get an HM-801... if anything were to make the difference between 16 and 24 bit stand out? The ES5s will.
 
Another thing: The isolation is excellent. I can listen far far more QUIETLY than before. Yeah they get plenty loud??? But I don't *need* to turn it up to get the full satisfying spectrum and impact of what i'm listening to. They do reward volume and power tho'. Using a Pico Slim? Lots of slam and attack. And PLENTY of bass. It's accurate bass too. Perhaps not head shaking in the sense of the MD Tributes? But they do get subterranean and there's ample bass on hand. If you're a bass-head tho? I can see why the JHs would be more the ticket. For the range of music I listen to? (Everything from classical to death metal to R&B & Rap & hip hop & electronica & dubstep and and and) These offer the best balance. They're worth every penny and more. I now make time to do nothing but listen and can't wait to listen. That's not happened to me before with headphones. The home big rig? Absolutely.
 
My home rig is an Amazon Referenz turntable, Triplanar VII tonearm, Denon DL103SA, Manley Steelhead, Edge Electronics NL12 amp and B&W 802D speakers. The ES5s give up nothing. If you want to know what no-compromise sound is like? Get 'em.

 

[dogears]

^Yeah, thanks for that very insightful post.
 
Which is the most worthy [cost-effective] stand alone DAP for the ES5? S:Flo2 perhaps?

 

[Wildcard30]

The S:Flo does sound great with the ES5's but the UI is a bit difficult to use.  The Cowon J3 I think sounds just as good but with way better battery life and much better UI.

 

[LCeh]

Had a brief listening session with the J3, but coming from the i7, I thought the sound wasn't all that different, could be mistaken though. If it wasn't for the slight hiss I hear from the 601, I would have gone with that right away, but will have to listen some more before making a decision. Any comparisons between J3 and the 601 for the ES5?
 
EDIT:  Another thing I noticed was that the 601 had a slight but noticeable hiss with the ES5, even with the volume pretty much all the way down. Is that the case with others? Is there any way to reduce that?