iamdacow
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Damn that sounds nice
Westone ES5
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googleli
Headphoneus Supremus
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Tiffany
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Hey Lillee what serial number is your ES5? I just want to get a sense of how many ES5s Westone is making per month. Mine is in the 1700s. Oh and what color are they?
cooperpwc
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Quote:
I'm serial #11, ordered in Hong Kong on the first day of release, June 29, 2010. Westone has come a long way in just over two years, especially as the numbers were slow to build for the first six to eight months. Then the word got out there: These IEMs are good.
I'm serial #11, ordered in Hong Kong on the first day of release, June 29, 2010. Westone has come a long way in just over two years, especially as the numbers were slow to build for the first six to eight months. Then the word got out there: These IEMs are good.
googleli
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Dude - haven't heard from you for a while. I have since moved onto full size headphones and speakers in the past year or so. Do you still think the Stepdance is the best match for the ES5? The ES5 still amazes me from time to time, which goes a long way considering the gear I currently have.
Quote:
Quote:
Tiffany
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Wow #11! How did they label it back then? ES511-L? Or did they do ES50011-L?
Lillee
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Quote:
It's in the mid 1700's. In the end I just went Pinot Noir no custom art. Looks light sitting on the table but once in your ear it's suitably dark. Can see the drivers clearly and that's sort of what I wanted.
Hey Lillee what serial number is your ES5? I just want to get a sense of how many ES5s Westone is making per month. Mine is in the 1700s. Oh and what color are they?
It's in the mid 1700's. In the end I just went Pinot Noir no custom art. Looks light sitting on the table but once in your ear it's suitably dark. Can see the drivers clearly and that's sort of what I wanted.
athenaesword
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lol you got me set on these. if i don't like them, cp on you.
Congratz, dude !!!
lol you got me set on these. if i don't like them, cp on you.
Lillee
Member of the Trade: Tralucent Audio
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My initial impressions:
I find that initial impressions are always good because your ears are hearing it for the first time, fresh, unbiased. Later you get used to something and your perception changes.
No hiss at all from Fostex HP-P1, first bit of relief.
Firstly the cable, as strong as it is, is inadequate IMO. Mids sounded veiled and micro details were less than recabled SRH940 which surprised me initially, left me scratching my head. Swapped to Toxic Cable Silver plated copper and noticeably more bass but i felt that slight mid veil was still there so swapped out to Toxic Cable Silver Poison pure silver cable. much better. Excellent synergy. Nothing is lacking in bass, mids veil lifted, micro details veil lifted. Now i know why everyone was talking about TWag which is also a silver cable. Yes definately worthy upgrade on my setup, YMMV. From this setup is where I started to critically analyse the ES5s.
Fit is actually almost perfect. Comfort is high, soft tips really aren't just marketing gimmick, they are truly comfy and isolation is the best I've ever experienced, even better than P series comply foams, and they are very good already. Can truly listen at lower volumes, but also because bass is good and mids not rolled off so no need to pump up volume to compensate.
It's still very early days yet (6 hours) but initially the bass is much more than SE535ltd, and SRH940. Actually come to think of it the SRH940 with cable upgrade is a decent performer in the bass department, contrary to what others say. It's accurate, tight and not over stated. ES5 has slight bass hump and performs as well as DT1350 tesla driver without the funky timbre issues. Punch, extension and amount is all there and satisfying but it cannot slam like a 50mm driver can physically (move whole ear) but it does a pretty convincing job. Bass not as slamming as Edition 8, but ES5 has bass texture: different levels, different flavours, rumble, growl to gravelly crunch to sythesised snap. Double bass is chunky and not just a blob of bass. Its not lacking in anyway at all, very good balance, very satisfying.
Micro details are all there, nothing missing. SRH940 does good job of this too but ES5 does a better job with upper mids and highs. Maracas and cymbals seem more prominent, clear and crisp than before in tracks I've heard 100 times. In fact upper mid to high instrument separation is superb. Some tracks astoundingly good. As cliche as it sounds, I never thought I'd hear anymore after SRH940 but I am hearing new things on tracks I've heard 100 times, honestly. Astounding.
Now most important to last, mids and vocals. Shure products have more forward vocals that is for certain. Es5 not recessed by any means but not as in your face forward as Shure, will take time to get used to it. But mids on es5 are full, lush, crisp and creamy. Guitar pluck is so lifelike, note decay so realistic. Piano reverb inside wooden cabinet. Harp string pluck and reverb very lifelike. Miles ahead of 535, much more lush and full than 940, more realistic than DT1350.
Voices are superb. Complete, full, nothing lacking at all. Captivating. Stop typing just to listen.
Soundstage nothing to write home about. It's good but it's as good as an iem can get, which is nowhere near floorstanding speakers obviously (I've heard some of the best money can buy so have a high bar). Maybe not as convincing as S logic on edition 8, but don't get me wrong, nothing inadequate, just nothing spectacular either. Still need to use imagination, unlike floorstanders. Better than any iem I've heard so far though, some tracks much better than others obviously.
In the end, worth it! This is what I expected from es5 and I am not at all disappointed. Far from it I am satisfied and relieved that I made a totally blind $$$$ purchase and it turned out great. They remind me of the Fitear Private C435s that i demoed, which is a good thing. I don't feel the urge anymore to look into other customs or those FitEar 334s. These are superb and end game for me as least for the next few years. Come to think of it, it's a relative bargain all things considered!
I find that initial impressions are always good because your ears are hearing it for the first time, fresh, unbiased. Later you get used to something and your perception changes.
No hiss at all from Fostex HP-P1, first bit of relief.
Firstly the cable, as strong as it is, is inadequate IMO. Mids sounded veiled and micro details were less than recabled SRH940 which surprised me initially, left me scratching my head. Swapped to Toxic Cable Silver plated copper and noticeably more bass but i felt that slight mid veil was still there so swapped out to Toxic Cable Silver Poison pure silver cable. much better. Excellent synergy. Nothing is lacking in bass, mids veil lifted, micro details veil lifted. Now i know why everyone was talking about TWag which is also a silver cable. Yes definately worthy upgrade on my setup, YMMV. From this setup is where I started to critically analyse the ES5s.
Fit is actually almost perfect. Comfort is high, soft tips really aren't just marketing gimmick, they are truly comfy and isolation is the best I've ever experienced, even better than P series comply foams, and they are very good already. Can truly listen at lower volumes, but also because bass is good and mids not rolled off so no need to pump up volume to compensate.
It's still very early days yet (6 hours) but initially the bass is much more than SE535ltd, and SRH940. Actually come to think of it the SRH940 with cable upgrade is a decent performer in the bass department, contrary to what others say. It's accurate, tight and not over stated. ES5 has slight bass hump and performs as well as DT1350 tesla driver without the funky timbre issues. Punch, extension and amount is all there and satisfying but it cannot slam like a 50mm driver can physically (move whole ear) but it does a pretty convincing job. Bass not as slamming as Edition 8, but ES5 has bass texture: different levels, different flavours, rumble, growl to gravelly crunch to sythesised snap. Double bass is chunky and not just a blob of bass. Its not lacking in anyway at all, very good balance, very satisfying.
Micro details are all there, nothing missing. SRH940 does good job of this too but ES5 does a better job with upper mids and highs. Maracas and cymbals seem more prominent, clear and crisp than before in tracks I've heard 100 times. In fact upper mid to high instrument separation is superb. Some tracks astoundingly good. As cliche as it sounds, I never thought I'd hear anymore after SRH940 but I am hearing new things on tracks I've heard 100 times, honestly. Astounding.
Now most important to last, mids and vocals. Shure products have more forward vocals that is for certain. Es5 not recessed by any means but not as in your face forward as Shure, will take time to get used to it. But mids on es5 are full, lush, crisp and creamy. Guitar pluck is so lifelike, note decay so realistic. Piano reverb inside wooden cabinet. Harp string pluck and reverb very lifelike. Miles ahead of 535, much more lush and full than 940, more realistic than DT1350.
Voices are superb. Complete, full, nothing lacking at all. Captivating. Stop typing just to listen.
Soundstage nothing to write home about. It's good but it's as good as an iem can get, which is nowhere near floorstanding speakers obviously (I've heard some of the best money can buy so have a high bar). Maybe not as convincing as S logic on edition 8, but don't get me wrong, nothing inadequate, just nothing spectacular either. Still need to use imagination, unlike floorstanders. Better than any iem I've heard so far though, some tracks much better than others obviously.
In the end, worth it! This is what I expected from es5 and I am not at all disappointed. Far from it I am satisfied and relieved that I made a totally blind $$$$ purchase and it turned out great. They remind me of the Fitear Private C435s that i demoed, which is a good thing. I don't feel the urge anymore to look into other customs or those FitEar 334s. These are superb and end game for me as least for the next few years. Come to think of it, it's a relative bargain all things considered!
hkppl
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Great review, glad that you love your new toy
Btw, from my experience, most people who said they got their "end game" gear will eventually buy another "post end game" gear again the next year
Btw, from my experience, most people who said they got their "end game" gear will eventually buy another "post end game" gear again the next year
iamdacow
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I have money, aannndd it's gone
Anaxilus
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If you want bass slam just get the right amp, flick to high gain and remove global feedback then give it some juice.
cooperpwc
Headphoneus Supremus
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cooperpwc
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
Your gear looks pretty nice!
Yes I have been listening to the ES5 with a wide variety of amps during several visits to Hong Kong. The Stepdance still rules. (IMHO YMMV)
Your gear looks pretty nice!
Yes I have been listening to the ES5 with a wide variety of amps during several visits to Hong Kong. The Stepdance still rules. (IMHO YMMV)
Lillee
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I think you misinterpret what I meant. < 1cm driver cannot physically do what 12 inch sub can do. Not that the ES5 does not have enough bass slam. It does but it cannot create physical sensation of bass around my entire left and right side of my head that full size headphones can, that's all. It is convincing and satisfying, but it's not what it isn't.
Let's be honest, they are IEMs, not holy relics sent from god himself.
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