[Deviltooth]

Kudos to Westone, unlike the previous W releases these are new models.  Obviously BA driver technology has progressed recently, there's no other way to explain the sudden spate of 6 driver universal IEMs.  Also, with competition in time that $1000 price tag will drop.

 

[Spyro]

It's a good move.  If I can get the same sound from a universal as I can a custom, I would always take the universal.  I lost $600 on 2 month old JH16's due to unfixable channel imbalance.  Scared me off buying anymore customs for life.
 
What's odd is why a 5 driver and a 6 driver introduced at same time.  It is noted W50 is "tuned by artists".  Isn't this verbiage used on the UM-series denoting more of a stage monitor type of IEM?
 
I would think they must sound distinctly different??
 
I'm guessing one will be a reference level audiophile's piece and the other will be a head-banging fun monster kind of sound but who knows which?

 

[vantagesc]

I'd be interested to know how they differ in sound as well.  Seems kind of odd to offer 5 and 6 BA versions unless the tuning was significantly different.

 

[charlie0904]

omg. waiting for ES70 announcement.

 

[wormsdriver]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

  It's a good move.  If I can get the same sound from a universal as I can a custom, I would always take the universal.  I lost $600 on 2 month old JH16's due to unfixable channel imbalance.  Scared me off buying anymore customs for life.
 
What's odd is why a 5 driver and a 6 driver introduced at same time.  It is noted W50 is "tuned by artists".  Isn't this verbiage used on the UM-series denoting more of a stage monitor type of IEM?
 
I would think they must sound distinctly different??

 
 
I'm guessing one will be a reference level audiophile's piece and the other will be a head-banging fun monster kind of sound but who knows which?

my Ouija board tells me the 5 driver will be the fun/musical/whatever one, and the 6 driver will be neutral/refrence-ish one

omg. waiting for ES70 announcement.

hahaha

 

 

[marcus ang]

Oh my gawd! I am so hyped but sad! I want that but I can't bear to let go of my BELOVED UM3x rc! Ahhhhhhhhhh I don't know what to do!!!!!!

 

[marcus ang]

But very boring, i understand they are taking the W series line from 1 to 6 drivers, so sticking with that line they are sticking with the same kind of design.........but i hate it, i dont care if it came out with 50 dynamics drivers and 50 ba drivers, i cant stand the new design. its lacks luster, totally boring in physical appeal, and i know we arent here for appeal of physical asthetics but more so sound.....i still just cant stand it.

and if the w40 is 500.00 i imagine the w60 to be in the 700+ range....now you are getting near the shure se846 which i think probably incorperates more technologies than the w60

 

[marcus ang]

Totally right!

 

[Mooses9]

i just still cant believe they are progressing the W line in the same style...i would totally be up for 5 or 6 driver uiems but i would never be able to fall in love with the asthetics of something that cost that much. again its just TOO bland..and i personally dont look at ANY iem and base weather or not if i like it based off of asthetics. but when the price is as high as it is for these i guess i just expect more.   
 
i HATE the mmcx connector (even though i do own the se535x2) i never like that connector i was so happy when i went with the W4R and it had the 2 pin connector. that was #1 downfall for the W series line #2 was trying to appeal to the masses by adding faceplates faceplates? i added faceplates to my NOKIA 5160 LOL....i donno when i think of a audiophile grade iem, i think of all business i feel like anything extra like faceplates ect could go into the sound department. instead of looks.much like the fitear togo334 it doesnt look like anything special just all business, sane thing with the 111
 
i think the audio scene is on a trend, more is more. funny how i just got my Etymotic ER4P yesterday gave them a whirl with my rig, and found myself dumbfounded at how phenomenal the sound is 1 BA driver,no crossover, and its rivaling my w4r with a $350.00 pure silver cable and my se535 With a $220.00 DHC copper cable, 3 and 4 balanced armatures triple crossovers yada yada...but a single balanced armature iem like the er4p sounding as good as multiple drivers and crossovers.
 
i just think that the audio scene is trending with more and more and more and more explain away etymotics what i think is almost perfection in sound and doing it with 1 driver.
 
ahhh i will end the rant just dont understand i guess this iem will appeal to who it appeals to. 

 

[mrhizzo]

ATTENTION! The next CES in 2015, all flagship earphones will cost 1999 USD.

 

[ostewart]

This is a bold move for Westone, and a good one. When they refreshed their line-up many criticized them for not doing anything new, just changing aesthetics. I recently got the UM Pro30 from Westone, and have been enjoying it a lot, the W series doesn't look as good as the UM series, but the shape and fit of Westone IEM's is great, also the cable is much more comfortable than Shure's offerings.
I don't have a problem with MMXC connectors to be honest, they can cause problems, but the fit is better as the connector is not fixed, it can swivel.
 
I hope to receive the W50 or W60, and write a full review, to see if they can hold their own in a world of ever more expensive TOTL universals, it will be interesting to see in which direction they have gone, to be honest the UM Pro30 is a little dark for my tastes, so a little more refinement and sparkle up top would be excellent.
 
Looking forward to peoples impressions on these.

 

[hifilover1]

Actually, I would be quite pleased if the W50 can perform exactly as the ES5 universal version for audition. In that sense, we will have an universal version of ES5 with a much discounted price.

 

[D Rob]

For some reason I read all this, and the one thing that came to my mind is what will this do for the universal iem market. I mean if Sennheiser has a $800 model, Westone has 2 +$650 models, etc, etc. 
 
I am all for advancement, but this makes me fear for inflation in the industry as a whole and I've only been getting my "audio-fi" on for 2 1/2 years. But in that time the top end in price points for both DAP's & in-ear's has almost doubled (if it hasn't exceeded it).
 
I just hope that all of these new products are quality, I don't question Westone at this point, but the industry in general.

 

[truckdriver]

I see how it may look like price inflation, but according to some people here, good sounding models are also showing up in mid and lower price ranges as well. I think advances in tech and competition will prevent price inflation.
 
I feel like in the future, we will only be buying driver cartridge packages (tailored for a specific sound) and we'll take that to the local 3-D printer place to make custom molds. They'll be a custom-cable vending machine next to the Red-Box.

 

 

[Spyro]

The "more drivers is better" thing is not just about marketing and gouging.  Perhaps if these were selling at Best Buy and Target but it this level and spending this kind of money I would doubt the manufacturers would try to insult our intelligence.  It still all boils down to the sound and what you are willing to pay.  
 
For example I think it is pretty safe to say that either the W50 or W60 will sound just like the W4R but with a subwoofer fullness (like  SE535 > SE846).  Whether you think that improvement is worth double the cost is solely up to you.  Don't buy it or better yet, DON'T sample it.  You can't miss what you don't hear.