[dragonfyra]

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ES50341 has just landed in my ears. The more I listen, the better they get! Kudos to my audiologist who nailed the molds.

Amen to that brother, I remember the first moments I had my es-5's I wasn't totally impressed.  It was a bit messy sounding and the frequencies hadn't settled into it's natural smooth state yet, soundstage was also a bit lacking too in the beginning.  After 2 months though, things are really getting better and better.
 
First pair of in ears that I've tried that just does not give much fatigue at all, while showing you so much details....

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I had the following posts in another thread last week to someone trying to decide between JHA customs and Westone ES5, and I wanted to make sure it was in here - he has specific things he was looking for in either IEM:
 
 
 
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I think you will get everything you want from either the ES5 or JH13Pro (don't have JH16Pro).  They're both incredible with a wide variety of sources or amps, or DAPs, offering a nice powerful, warm, rich, crisp, detailed, transparent and spacious sound.  Both have better depth of stage than my ES3X which put me on stage with the performers rather than in the first couple of rows.
 
There is only an occasional source or amp that doesn't work well with one or the other.  I tend to use the ES5 most with my iPhone and Pico Slim or HM-602 portable, and the JH13Pro with my balanced SR-71b/TWag cable connected to a nice USB DAC on my Macbook.  Neither ES5 or JH13Pro have as much hiss with a noisy amp as the W3 and ES3X, which I think it also very important.  As for comfort, I still prefer the heat sensitive vinyl tips (canal portion only) on the ES5 over full acrylic body and tip of the JH13Pro, but in general even the full acrylic customs are more comfortable for me for hours of listening than a universal IEM with standard tips.
 
- The main differences to me are that the ES5 has a little fuller or more vibrant mids than my JH13Pro, but some amps like my RSA amps (Protector/SR-71b) bring out the JH13Pro mids more.  The ES5 are slightly more forward than the JH13Pro, but not nearly as forward as my ES3X, so it's just right.  The JH13Pro mids are not really recessed and are more forward than those in a W3 (or full size Denon), but they are sometimes a little farther away than I like (depending on the amp).  Usually my complaints are when using the Pico Slim with JH13Pro, which itself is not a recessed sounding amp but somehow doesn't match the JH13pro nearly as well as my Protector or SR-71b. 
 
On the other hand, the Slim is a perfect match for my ES3X and ES5, with incredible soundstage approaching that of the balanced SR-71b, and good bass control, rich mids, and crisp but refined non-sibilant highs. In general I'd say the JH13Pro sound a little more laid back and I've compared them to my O2 Mk1/WES before.  I'd say the ES5 are a little more energetic or alive sounding, and remind me a bit of my HE-6 although the mids are not as forward as the HE-6.  (I've previously compared the ES3X as sounding more like an HD800, and my UE11Pro were more like a D5000).
 
- The second difference is in the bass, where the ES5 bass is very strong and extended but the JH13Pro bass is a little more boosted in the deep bass.  So occasionally with some amps like my Pico Slim the JH13Pro bass sounds like the deepest bass is disconnected from the rest of the bass and that it's coming from everywhere (like a unidirectional subwoofer).  One example is with the Pico Slim and the JH13Pro reproducing a string bass, where sometimes the position of the deepest bass "thump" of the string being plucked is not as well pinpointed in the imaging and soundstage as the mid-bass and upper-bass, or even the higher pitched scratching sounds of the fingers on the strings.  
 
Again, switching to my RSA Protector or SR-71b (and other amps) makes the bass much better in the JH13Pro, but the Slim just doesn't sound quite as good with the 13's as the others.  This bass issue for me is only one of imaging within soundstage being divided with the Slim, and I don't think the JH13Pro bass energy is too much as I found with the UE11Pro.  Neither IEM is overly warm, but they are warm enough to keep almost anyone happy.  They wont be mistaken for an ER4, RE252 or PFE122 and yet wont put off lovers of those either.
 
- The third difference is not as big, and that is the high treble of the ES5 is a little more present or energetic than the JH13Pro treble, but totally without grain or harshness; and so with a bright or aggressive source like a 4G Nano or RSA Protector the ES5 don't sound as good as they could with a better source or amp (SR-71b is better than Protector, and works well with both JH13Pro and ES5).  Switch to a 3G or 6G Nano, iPhone 4, HM-602 or HM-801, DACmini, Amphora, DACport, uDAC-2 and the ES5 come into their own again (as do the JH13Pro).  
 
Despite this slight bump in the high treble for me, the ES5 seem to work very well with all genre and with most of my low bit-rate music, and do not increase sibilance at all.  So, when I listen to some of my sibilant recordings like "Girl in the Other Room" or some Kathleen Edwards "Back to Me" I don't have an issue and can enjoy them.  However, one recording that sounds horrible with both IEM is the 3OH!3 album "Want" that my kids bought on iTunes, but it sounds much worse with the ES5 - the highs are awful with that album (at least the iTunes 256K version).
 

 
 
 
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Originally Posted by SolidVictory
 
Thank you for the very detailed write-up. I understand more of how the JH13 sounds now from your description. However, I am curious about how the ES5 handles bass. You mentioned that the JH13 is a little more boosted in its deep bass. Would this technically be good for someone who enjoys bass impact like myself? Can the Westone ES5 contend with the bass impact of the JH13, or does it fall short? You wrote that the Westone ES5 bass is very strong and extended; however, in your opinion, for someone who listens to a lot of J-Pop and Jazz (both of which requires a tight yet powerful bass response in my opinion), would the JH13 better serve the bass in these genres or would the ES5 do better?
 
I know a lot of people are skeptical of the Westone ES5's bass performance, since it only has one bass driver. Albeit, I understand that the number of drivers don't matter--it's the tuning of the drivers that does. However, I'm still a fan of a very good bass response--it is an essential part of the music that I do not want to be disappointed upon listening to the Westone ES5. For comparison, I thought the Sennheiser IE8's bass was too thick, but had the best bass impact that I've heard from an IEM (impact wise, it beat my EarSonics SM3; bass texture and bass detail-wise, it did not).
 
Would you say the Westone's ES5 has a slight dB boost in the lower frequencies to deliver an "expected" bass impact from modern hip-hop and club songs that emphasis bass? I don't want an overbearing bass--just something that can sound like it's not struggling to impact the bass as best as it can. I've also read some of your posts, and you seem completely content with the ES5's bass, while other users (like parrots), feels that the ES5 is lacking bass. Do you think he feels that the ES5's bass is lacking because he listens to genres of music that might emphasis the bass more? Or perhaps he would not notice the lack of bass impact on the ES5 if he had never heard the JH13 or JH16?
 
If no one wanted to read my long ramble (I was being rather redundant and I realize that). I am basically asking: can the Westone ES5 handle bass impact and extension as well as the JH13 or does it simply fall short (even if it is minutely, like 5%).
 
 
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Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict
 
 

Well, when I wrote "the ES5 bass is very strong and extended..." I meant that It has plenty of impact, weight and depth.  That's what strong means to me, and it doesn't fall short.  I thought everyone with an ES5 has been saying that it's great (I didn't know about parrots), but the question doesn't seem to go away with the majority loving the impact.  I have no idea why he didn't think it was enough - perhaps a poor seal/fit, poor synergy with his gear, or he's a bass-head, etc?
 
With the Pico Slim, because the ES5 bass doesn't seem to have that "split" personality like the JH13 where it's coming from multiple directions in the very low end and from the direction of the instruments at higher bass frequencies, I think the ES5 bass is a little better defined in the imaging and cohesiveness than the 13's.  That is not really an issue with JH13 and most other amps, so usually with the JH13 you just get a slightly stronger deep bass "ring" or hang with things like kick drums and string bass.  With drums and electric bass or synth that may be slightly better, but with a string bass it sometimes makes it feel like someone has put a microphone up to the string bass and amplified it (but you can still hear the sound of the acoustic bass transmission in addition to that).  
 
Switching quickly from the JH13Pro to ES5 after acclimating to the JH13 does not make me hear a sudden loss in bass impact in the ES5, but sometimes switching from ES5 to the JH13Pro makes me feel like the 13's have slightly too much bass quantity (although with a similar impact).  I separate impact from quantity (and quality), because I think impact is that hit that you get when the note strikes, but quantity is the overall volume level.  It's possible to have a muddy or diffuse or slow bass impact and strong bass volume, or a quick snappy impact that hits hard and quick but doesn't sustain high levels.  I suppose that impact can be a little bit of a bass quality issue like speed, detail and texture.  Both IEM have good impact, but the JH13Pro have a little bit more quantity.
 
But, like comparing a single 12" sub to a pair of 10" subs, the JH13pro dual-bass drivers with the right amp can be slightly faster sounding, if you really focus hard on the music for qualitative differences.  And the two 10" subs might have just a little more quantity than a single 12" as well, even if impact is similar.  However, I don't find the ES5 bass to be slow in any way (just like a Zu speaker with 12" woofer), only that the JH13Pro bass is slightly faster (with the right amp).  I too thought the IE8 bass was thick, even boomy and sluggish - the only time it seemed good enough to me was with my ALO Amphora, and with everything else I didn't like it as much.  Only then was the bass quality as good as the impact and quantity, with a proper amount of bass.
 
I've heard IEM that I saw ran flat in the bass on the oscilloscope, and while not totally lacking I've wished for a little more bass with them (Xcape, RE252 come to mind).  The ES5 are not flat in the bass and have that typical rise in the lower frequencies that many good IEM or headphones have, and their bass is clearly better.  Based on auditory memory (fallible) I'd say the ES5 bass quantity is close to but a little more than my UM3X or ES3X, with better impact; and possibly more quantity than my W4 as well, but less than the W3, IE8, JH13Pro or UE11Pro.  
 
Of the four with more bass, I've thought the IE8 and UE11Pro bass could be thick and overdone, the W3 a little less so, and the JH13Pro the least offensive of the four bassier IEM.  I'd really have to pull out ALL of these IEM again if I wanted to give you the most accurate estimate of bass impact, quantity and quality.  So take my memory based estimates with a grain of salt.  But I wouldn't let a couple of dB one way or the other make or break my decision if I were you.  Basically the ES5 bass is not "overbearing" nor "struggling" to keep up.  It's just right.
 

 

[SteelerFan58]

The entire process took two weeks for me.  YMMV, since my audiologist was in Colorado Springs.  They dropped off and picked up directly at Westone's facility

 

[spazz]

I have a question.  What is the process for the artwork?  Do they scan in the art and than use a printer to print or do they do each one by hand?  

 

[spazz]

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The entire process took two weeks for me.  YMMV, since my audiologist was in Colorado Springs.  They dropped off and picked up directly at Westone's facility

 
Very nice.  My Audiologist said that it should take 7-10 days once they get my impressions (via Fedex), but since I added artwork, it will take a few days longer.

 

[The Big Sleep]

Just got my ES5's today! My first foray into custom IEM territory 

. I have a few questions after my initial test run with them:
 
-Is it normal for my ears to ache when I wear them the first few days? I had to stop listening after about 30 minutes because of how achy/strained my ears felt.
 
-From what I could tell, these definitely put out what you put in; crap recordings sound like crap, good recordings sound heavenly. 
 
-I would agree with the bass being regarded as precise/accurate. It doesn't add boom when unnecessary and comes across "just enough"; still leaves a little too be desired for me at this point, but Im assuming this will change when I give it a decent amp and some burn-in.
 
-No notable hiss which was good. 
 
-No harsh sibilance unless I turned it WAYYYY up.
 
-Mids, uppers, and separation are all things I thought stood out.
 
Quote:

I have a question.  What is the process for the artwork?  Do they scan in the art and than use a printer to print or do they do each one by hand?  

Looks like they just print it on, but I have to say Im quite happy with how my photoshop pics turned out 

 


 
 

 

[Anaxilus]

My ears were a touch sore day 1, less day 2, now I have no issues.  I just let my ears have some time off to acclimate figuring they were a muscle like anything else that needed to build up/adjust.  
 
This may seem dumb but I have to ask.  Are your customs 'locked' in when you insert them?  30 minutes sounds quick especially since the tips should form better after that time.  If it doesn't get better after a week sounds like a refit will be needed.

 

[The Big Sleep]

Anaxilus,
 
They did "lock" in, but they felt pretty intrusive the whole time and if I moved my jaw or head enough it felt like I heard an air bubble popping sound. What seems to be the issue is that they feel like they're prodding my eardrum rather than just sitting in my ear. The sound also seemed a bit underwhelming/dull and I think it was do to the seal not being correct.

 

[kaneman]

So after getting some time with the SM3s and going back and forth with a variety of material? (Classical, dubstep, jazz, metal, rock, country, and some folk thrown in for good mix) It's not really a fair comparison. The SM3s are great 'phones but the ES5s are in a different league.
 
Biggest difference to me? The mids. They're quite a bit more pronounced on the ES5 throughout the vocal range. Not a bad thing at all, it's a GREAT thing. In comparison? The SM3s sound quite recessed. They're also quite a bit more shut in on the highs, and I hear them getting overwhelmed in the lows in a way I never noticed before. The bass is still solid and very good, but the deepest subsonics have 'em 'running to catch up' so to speak whereas the ES5s simply let fly. The SM3s still can shake your ear canals, but the ES5s do so with complete ease and lack of strain.
 
Soundstaging was one thing I really loved about the SM3s. The ES5s are far more intimate, and 'closer in perspective' if that makes sense. In that sense? I like what the SM3s do. But what has to be given up to get there? No thanks. Overall they just sound more veiled, slower, and while they're excellent in their own right just can't keep up.
 
I don't own another 'phone that can hold a candle to the ES5s.
 
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Will do this weekend. The SM3s have seen NO activity since the ES5s got here (indeed, no other headphone has). So I need to re-familiarize and get used to their sound again. 
 

 

 

[SolidSnake3]

Big Sleep, got to admit I really like the threads of life artwork. I'm a Microbiology major taking some Biochemistry courses right now and found both of your ear pieces to be pretty awesome 

 Science geeks! *no offense intended*

 

[Anaxilus]

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Big Sleep, got to admit I really like the threads of life artwork. I'm a Microbiology major taking some Biochemistry courses right now and found both of your ear pieces to be pretty awesome 

 Science geeks! *no offense intended*

All about the Adenine, Cytosine, Thymine and Guanine right?  Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away.....  

 

 

[Tronz]

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All about the Adenine, Cytosine, Thymine and Guanine right?  Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away.....  

 

DNA for the win!

 
 

 

[SolidSnake3]

For sure Anaxilus, the grad student I worked with the other was musing about this genomic DNA being attracted to a magnetic column and before I could think about it I spewed out that the DNA phosphate backbone is negatively charged so you could separate it using that....

 

[The Big Sleep]

Quote:

Big Sleep, got to admit I really like the threads of life artwork. I'm a Microbiology major taking some Biochemistry courses right now and found both of your ear pieces to be pretty awesome 

 Science geeks! *no offense intended*

 Science is FTW snake 

. Chemistry major myself, I wouldnt change it for the world.
 


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All about the Adenine, Cytosine, Thymine and Guanine right?  Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away.....  

 

Precisely, and dont forget those 5-carbon sugar and phosphate backbones 

 

 

[uelover]

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Well mine just stopped working on the right earpiece. No sound at all.
I am very disappointed with these now to say the least.

Oh dear. I suppose there is warranty?