[twister6]

 

  @Ivabign : when you say filter disappeared, do you mean a little silverish cylinder thing in the nozzle?  Do you have a picture you can share?  The reason I'm asking, I went through a mad tip rolling with my pair of Pro 50s, including trying a bunch of spacers to use with regular tips, etc.  At some point I was hearing a bit of imbalance until I looked closer and saw one shell had some tiny foam piece stuck inside of the nozzle.  I figured it came off one of the foam tips I tried, rather than disappearing from other nozzle which didn't have it.  After removing it with a toothpick, now it sounds perfect!
 
Regarding Westone warranty, I have a feeling they will send you a new pair.  They typically don't repair it, but rather replace it.  I even remember reading that some people who serviced their W4R under warranty got W40 as a replacement.

Don't have it to send now - it's on the way to Colorado Springs....
 
But one nozzle had a silver cylinder in it - the one that sounded wrong, didn't - I jut figured they were in both and one went missing....
 
If they send me anew pair, I won't complain - if they fix it, I won't complain - warranty is a warranty

 
Yeah, that one gotta be a filter!
 
Btw, spent the last fews days listening and comparing W60, W40, UM Pro 50, and SE846.  Should start working on that review sometime earlier next week.  What is still fascinating, W60 with 6xBA drivers is still the same size as W40 with 4xBA drivers and nearly identical to UM Pro 50 with 5xBA drivers, through drivers are not in separate partitioned units and some are combined, but nevertheless.  W60 is definitely an upgrade and a step forward from W40 in terms of an even warmer and more organic sound with a lot higher level of detail retrieval (the mids are among the best I heard).  It is very warm, lush, and laid back, with a very thick mids (especially lower ones) so not for the fans of bright/analytical sound.  In my book, UM Pro 50 is still the KING because I like a faster mid-bass punch with more low end quantity, in comparison to W-series, and Pro 50 is brighter with a better treble extension.  What completely turned around Pro 50 for me was using Shure silicone tips.  Again, in my case, a seal created with those tips provides a perfect balance of lows and highs.  I still like UM56 custom tips, but for a "faster" use, Shure tips is the way to go for me. 
 
And speaking of Shure, I was VERY intrigued by SE846 hype and got a loaner from a friend.  Well, I gotta tell you that it was a bit of a disappointment for me, actually more than just a bit.  If I wouldn't hear Pro 50 or W60, SE846 would have been impressive, but in comparison it really pales.  It has an impressive bass, but I like sub-bass extension of Pro 50 better.  Pro 50 has also better treble extension, though W60 treble is almost the same is 846.  What it all comes down to is mids.  SE846 lower mids are thinner and upper mids are more forward, in your face, and to my ears they sound off, very artificial in tonality.  Other than that, 846 is almost twice as thick, heavier, and felt very uncomfortable in my ears for extended listening period, and that hissing (thanks to 9 ohm low impedance) is very noticeable in mellow/instrumental tracks, almost like a raised background noise floor.  Again, just my opinion.  Was testing all these IEMs with Whiplash Pure Silver cable and comparing between AK120ii and N6 sources.
 

 

[xaddictionx]

Yeah, that one gotta be a filter!

Btw, spent the last fews days listening and comparing W60, W40, UM Pro 50, and SE846.  Should start working on that review sometime earlier next week.  What is still fascinating, W60 with 6xBA drivers is still the same size as W40 with 4xBA drivers and nearly identical to UM Pro 50 with 5xBA drivers, through drivers are not in separate partitioned units and some are combined, but nevertheless.  W60 is definitely an upgrade and a step forward from W40 in terms of an even warmer and more organic sound with a lot higher level of detail retrieval (the mids are among the best I heard).  It is very warm, lush, and laid back, with a very thick mids (especially lower ones) so not for the fans of bright/analytical sound.  In my book, UM Pro 50 is still the KING because I like a faster mid-bass punch with more low end quantity, in comparison to W-series, and Pro 50 is brighter with a better treble extension.  What completely turned around Pro 50 for me was using Shure silicone tips.  Again, in my case, a seal created with those tips provides a perfect balance of lows and highs.  I still like UM56 custom tips, but for a "faster" use, Shure tips is the way to go for me. 

And speaking of Shure, I was VERY intrigued by SE846 hype and got a loaner from a friend.  Well, I gotta tell you that it was a bit of a disappointment for me, actually more than just a bit.  If I wouldn't hear Pro 50 or W60, SE846 would have been impressive, but in comparison it really pales.  It has an impressive bass, but I like sub-bass extension of Pro 50 better.  Pro 50 has also better treble extension, though W60 treble is almost the same is 846.  What it all comes down to is mids.  SE846 lower mids are thinner and upper mids are more forward, in your face, and to my ears they sound off, very artificial in tonality.  Other than that, 846 is almost twice as thick, heavier, and felt very uncomfortable in my ears for extended listening period, and that hissing (thanks to 9 ohm low impedance) is very noticeable in mellow/instrumental tracks, almost like a raised background noise floor.  Again, just my opinion.  Was testing all these IEMs with Whiplash Pure Silver cable and comparing between AK120ii and N6 sources.

Which filter did you use for the 846? If possible you should try out the 846 with modded blue filter, star tips and plugged with a silver cable. IMO it is quite a lot of difference from the stock sound. The Westones house sound is very opposite of Shures which is a good compliment to each other. The Westones sounded more natural with good details and reasonable distance from the stage. Both Westones and Shures offers excellent listening on the go!

 

[prot]

...
Regarding Westone warranty, I have a feeling they will send you a new pair.  They typically don't repair it, but rather replace it.  I even remember reading that some people who serviced their W4R under warranty got W40 as a replacement.

For me westone had the best service ever .. out of warranty um3x replaced with new um pro 30 .. with new cable, box and a few eartips. Dont know if I was just lucky or it was cause I already bought a few HPs from them but the whole thing was speechless-wow.

Dont think I'll ever buy IEMs from any other company, inspite of the USA based service inconvenience (I'm in EU). Also everything else I tried was at least one order of magnitude less comfy. The westones have zero comfort issues for me: neither mechanical nor sound-related. I can wear em the whole day or even sleep with em without any trace of discomfort. Quite amazing for a pair of universals.

 

[twister6]

 

Yeah, that one gotta be a filter!

Btw, spent the last fews days listening and comparing W60, W40, UM Pro 50, and SE846.  Should start working on that review sometime earlier next week.  What is still fascinating, W60 with 6xBA drivers is still the same size as W40 with 4xBA drivers and nearly identical to UM Pro 50 with 5xBA drivers, through drivers are not in separate partitioned units and some are combined, but nevertheless.  W60 is definitely an upgrade and a step forward from W40 in terms of an even warmer and more organic sound with a lot higher level of detail retrieval (the mids are among the best I heard).  It is very warm, lush, and laid back, with a very thick mids (especially lower ones) so not for the fans of bright/analytical sound.  In my book, UM Pro 50 is still the KING because I like a faster mid-bass punch with more low end quantity, in comparison to W-series, and Pro 50 is brighter with a better treble extension.  What completely turned around Pro 50 for me was using Shure silicone tips.  Again, in my case, a seal created with those tips provides a perfect balance of lows and highs.  I still like UM56 custom tips, but for a "faster" use, Shure tips is the way to go for me. 

And speaking of Shure, I was VERY intrigued by SE846 hype and got a loaner from a friend.  Well, I gotta tell you that it was a bit of a disappointment for me, actually more than just a bit.  If I wouldn't hear Pro 50 or W60, SE846 would have been impressive, but in comparison it really pales.  It has an impressive bass, but I like sub-bass extension of Pro 50 better.  Pro 50 has also better treble extension, though W60 treble is almost the same is 846.  What it all comes down to is mids.  SE846 lower mids are thinner and upper mids are more forward, in your face, and to my ears they sound off, very artificial in tonality.  Other than that, 846 is almost twice as thick, heavier, and felt very uncomfortable in my ears for extended listening period, and that hissing (thanks to 9 ohm low impedance) is very noticeable in mellow/instrumental tracks, almost like a raised background noise floor.  Again, just my opinion.  Was testing all these IEMs with Whiplash Pure Silver cable and comparing between AK120ii and N6 sources.

Which filter did you use for the 846? If possible you should try out the 846 with modded blue filter, star tips and plugged with a silver cable. IMO it is quite a lot of difference from the stock sound. The Westones house sound is very opposite of Shures which is a good compliment to each other. The Westones sounded more natural with good details and reasonable distance from the stage. Both Westones and Shures offers excellent listening on the go!

 
Used all 4 IEMs (W40/60, Pro50, 846) with the same large size shure silicone filter and Whiplash pure silver cable.  846 was used with a default filter, didn't try blue filter, thanks for the tip, will definitely try that, though it looks like changing those filters takes time with all those tools...  Also, read in some posts those filters are a bit fragile and expensive to replace, so I was anxious to play with it.

 

[bavinck]

  I just found the cable that takes my Pro 50 to a couple different levels...... This is what I was looking for in cable (at a fantastic price). Taiwan cables company. Happy listening!
 
 
 
http://www.asen.com.tw/
 
 
 
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RVKGLZA/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1433549217&sr=1&keywords=asen+cable

Have you tried the BaX cable in comparison? I am thinking of buying a new cable for my pro50s, either this one or the BaX cable....

 

[Ivabign]

For me westone had the best service ever .. out of warranty um3x replaced with new um pro 30 .. with new cable, box and a few eartips. Dont know if I was just lucky or it was cause I already bought a few HPs from them but the whole thing was speechless-wow.

Dont think I'll ever buy IEMs from any other company, inspite of the USA based service inconvenience (I'm in EU). Also everything else I tried was at least one order of magnitude less comfy. The westones have zero comfort issues for me: neither mechanical nor sound-related. I can wear em the whole day or even sleep with em without any trace of discomfort. Quite amazing for a pair of universals.

Very good to hear - I miss the 50's - There is a place in my collection for the 50's AND the SE846 - they are a different bird and change personalities with different gear - at first I thought they could be a bit harsh and fatiguing - especially straight out of an iPod or phone - but they respond well with power - and they sound impressive balanced. My new Toxic Virus cable (ag/cu + balanced) has been a lot of fun - can't wait to try it with my repaired Pro50's

 

[twister6]

 

Very good to hear - I miss the 50's - There is a place in my collection for the 50's AND the SE846 - they are a different bird and change personalities with different gear - at first I thought they could be a bit harsh and fatiguing - especially straight out of an iPod or phone - but they respond well with power - and they sound impressive balanced. My new Toxic Virus cable (ag/cu + balanced) has been a lot of fun - can't wait to try it with my repaired Pro50's

 
846 definitely makes a nice addition to a collection of TOTL IEMs.  Their build is almost over-engineered, typical of German design (while Shure is US company ), with those filter inserts and removal tool, the whole process of removing nozzle to replace filters, anchored mmcx connectors, clear shell exposing all the guts, etc.  I just went through all 3 filters, from a neutral white to enhanced treble blue and enhanced bass black, and just for my personal taste the mids are not as enjoyable as Westone; their character sounds off to me.  As you know, you can really get spoiled with W- and UM- series!  To my ears, UM Pro 50 just outshines them, and as you correctly pointed out, a replacement cable can really bring up a level of refinement!

 

[Tuneslover]

One of the medium sized star tips seems to like staying in my ear canal every time I remove my UMPro30's. Getting annoyed of trying to fish it out so I thought it's time to check out some of the other supplied tips. Man do these suckers ever change the sound characteristics. Sticking with the star tips...I hated what happened to the sound, actually wondered if there was something wrong with the IEM's themselves. So next I decided to select a similar size medium foam tip. It took a bit of work to get them to mould into the ear canals and stay in there but once that feat was accomplished I got a very nice and comfortable seal.

The sound...WOW...just as good as with the medium star tips but better balanced sounding and less muddy sounding. Different sounding, yes ever so slightly. Better, a bit yes...bass extension and tightness definitely to my liking. Treble, still a bit rolled off sounding but clearer to my ears. Man I hope these tips last forever!

 

[Smurfs2010]

One of the medium sized star tips seems to like staying in my ear canal every time I remove my UMPro30's. Getting annoyed of trying to fish it out so I thought it's time to check out some of the other supplied tips. Man do these suckers ever change the sound characteristics. Sticking with the star tips...I hated what happened to the sound, actually wondered if there was something wrong with the IEM's themselves. So next I decided to select a similar size medium foam tip. It took a bit of work to get them to mould into the ear canals and stay in there but once that feat was accomplished I got a very nice and comfortable seal.

The sound...WOW...just as good as with the medium star tips but better balanced sounding and less muddy sounding. Different sounding, yes ever so slightly. Better, a bit yes...bass extension and tightness definitely to my liking. Treble, still a bit rolled off sounding but clearer to my ears. Man I hope these tips last forever!

 
I had the same experience.  The star tips (after few months of use) started to stay in my ear and it was super annoying as I wrestled with my ear like my dog.  I truly enjoy the Westone foam tips but have recently moved to the Shure olive tips.  The Shure do provide a good seal but I may go back to the Westone foam (too early to tell).  When you get bored with the foam, you may want to try the Shure.  I have also tried the Adueo tips but they also ended up staying behind in my ears.

 

[Baroninkjet]

For me, Westone foams are too narrow and closed-in sounding. Stars sound better, but the vacuum seal drives me crazy. So far, I'm liking Comply better. I have not yet tried Shures though.

 

[ronnel0918]

Interesting, the Noble Savant is priced exactly the same as Westone UM Pro 50 at ￥79,800.

 

[bavinck]

Been going back and forth between the star tips and the shure. Something about the shure tips sounds off to me. Almost a tin like sound with piano and other treble, and the bass is tight but does not feel expansive. Moving back to the star tips the organic nature of the treble is back, piano sounds right, and the mids seem more full with an expensive bass. I think I am sticking with the star tips for now, it is interesting to me how different ears hear so different.

 

[twister6]

My W60 (vs W40/UM Pro 50/SE846) review is up: http://www.head-fi.org/products/westone-w60-signature-series-6-driver-universal-fit-in-ear-headphones/reviews/13390

 

[bavinck]

Great review. Very cool to see the pro50s we all love stacking up so strongly in your opinion. The next iem I would like to try some day is the Angie....

 

[Ivabign]

I was told by Westone my UM Pro50's would be shipped via FedEx tonight! (fixed or replaced, I'm cool with it)

 
Does anyone know if they use FedEx air or "home delivery" ground shipping? It being Thursday, I'll see it Monday or Tuesday....