[nikp]

 
Quote:

 
 
 
W4 is dark. SE535 is bright. W3 is bright. You can also look at the DBA-02MKII as well

 
The W4 is not dark at all in my opinion. If you're saying it sounds like an HD650 which is a dark headphone, I heavily disagree. Also, dark is similar to being laid back, veiled, muffled, muddy - which does not sound like the W4. And by the way, you do know that dark and neutral cannot exist together, yes? If a headphone is dark, then it is coloured because presentation is darker than the way it is originally intended. The same thing applies to bright headphones.

 

[delladood]

I would throw my vote towards the UM3X.  The w4 is kind of... "Mehh" sounding.  Its not amazing in a single genre, but it is not bad in a genre either.  It is really an all around versatile headphone.  I love my um3x.  Im very glad I chose these instead of the w4.  The beautiful mids and the guitar cannot be bit.  The guitar honestly sounds like it is right next to you! either way. You get the infamous westone warranty!

 

[Jeremypsp]

 
Quote:

 
 
The W4 is not dark at all in my opinion. If you're saying it sounds like an HD650 which is a dark headphone, I heavily disagree. Also, dark is similar to being laid back, veiled, muffled, muddy - which does not sound like the W4. And by the way, you do know that dark and neutral cannot exist together, yes? If a headphone is dark, then it is coloured because presentation is darker than the way it is originally intended. The same thing applies to bright headphones.

 
It seems that we have nothing to agree on when it comes to sound signature. I did not find the W4 at all bright. And your opinion of bright and dark is different from mine, which I do feel that a headphone/IEM is bright or dark depends on whether the highs or lows are more prominent when compared to each other. I consider the UM3x dark as well. 

That being said, there is not true neutral IEM/headphone if put that way. One of the most accurate and neutral IEM is the ER-4, and it's bright in my opinion. 

 

[FlatNine]

 
Quote:

 
 
It seems that we have nothing to agree on when it comes to sound signature. I did not find the W4 at all bright. And your opinion of bright and dark is different from mine, which I do feel that a headphone/IEM is bright or dark depends on whether the highs or lows are more prominent when compared to each other. I consider the UM3x dark as well. 

That being said, there is not true neutral IEM/headphone if put that way. One of the most accurate and neutral IEM is the ER-4, and it's bright in my opinion. 

 
I had the ER-4P's and I agree - they were *extremely* accurate and neutral. I would dare to call them reference phones. Comfort was an issue for me though.

 

[Jeremypsp]

 
Quote:

 
 
I had the ER-4P's and I agree - they were *extremely* accurate and neutral. I would dare to call them reference phones. Comfort was an issue for me though.

 
Hmm, did you find them to be a little on the brighter side however? Compared to the W4 which sounds dark in my opinion. Well the tri-flanges does kinda poke.

 

[TheKillerPiglet]

It takes a while to get use the the ER-4's... intrusiveness. They are also a bit awkward to move around with. But they are absolutely perfect for use on board planes, the sense of detachment is simply surreal.
 
KP

 

 

[FlatNine]

 
Quote:

 
 
Hmm, did you find them to be a little on the brighter side however? Compared to the W4 which sounds dark in my opinion. Well the tri-flanges does kinda poke.

 
When I think bright, I think about my Grado S325si's. They were bright, even fatiguing. The Ety's weren't bright in the same sense, although I do remember that the clarity and separation were such that a searing guitar solo in the upper freqs could make you grab for the volume quickly. I prefer rolled off highs. Comparatively, my W4R's are much easier to listen to, and I agree, darker. I guess dark or warm is a relative thing. Like saying that at 6 feet 2 inches, I am tall. Well yes, but among pro basketball players, I'd be small-ish.

 

[vocalist]

 
Quote:

I would throw my vote towards the UM3X.  The w4 is kind of... "Mehh" sounding.  Its not amazing in a single genre, but it is not bad in a genre either.  It is really an all around versatile headphone.  I love my um3x.  Im very glad I chose these instead of the w4.  The beautiful mids and the guitar cannot be bit.  The guitar honestly sounds like it is right next to you! either way. You get the infamous westone warranty!

 
I'm really curious about the UM3X - especially after reading your review.  The biggest thing I've learned is that you really just have to try things and figure out what you do/don't like.  You could hate something - I could love it. 
 
I'm currently trying the SE425 vs the W4.  I realize it's not a totally fair comparison - 2 drivers to 4 but I wanted to try the "Shure vs Westone" sound signature.  I figured it would give me an indication of sound/fit if I chose to go for the 535 over the 4.  The olives were a complete PITA to get off and it took two sessions in the freezer to do it without snapping the nozzle.  The Shure's do insert deeper which gives me better isolation but the connector does not fit with my iPhone 4S case which annoys me. I also got some weird interference or connection issue last night but it hasn't happened since.  Because of the deep insertion, I can tell that I have iem's in whereas with the W4 it virtually dissapears and you feel nothing.  I would say they are both very comfortable.   That's all I'm going to comment on at the moment as it's going to take some more listening to give impressions between the two.  I will say that I'm getting more impressed with the W4 although I agree with delladood's impression above.  I'll try and write down my thoughts and then post them a little later.

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

  I'm really curious about the UM3X - especially after reading your review.

 
Is it just me, or has your budget been getting higher and higher and higher? lol

 

[vocalist]

 
Quote:

 
Is it just me, or has your budget been getting higher and higher and higher? lol

 
No, it's not just you

 
I guess I wanted something I'd be pretty happy with for a few years - instead of upgrading and upgrading - although I guess that hasn't worked, has it? lol 
 
 
 

 

[delladood]

Quote:

 
 
I'm really curious about the UM3X - especially after reading your review.  The biggest thing I've learned is that you really just have to try things and figure out what you do/don't like.  You could hate something - I could love it. 
 
I'm currently trying the SE425 vs the W4.  I realize it's not a totally fair comparison - 2 drivers to 4 but I wanted to try the "Shure vs Westone" sound signature.  I figured it would give me an indication of sound/fit if I chose to go for the 535 over the 4.  The olives were a complete PITA to get off and it took two sessions in the freezer to do it without snapping the nozzle.  The Shure's do insert deeper which gives me better isolation but the connector does not fit with my iPhone 4S case which annoys me. I also got some weird interference or connection issue last night but it hasn't happened since.  Because of the deep insertion, I can tell that I have iem's in whereas with the W4 it virtually dissapears and you feel nothing.  I would say they are both very comfortable.   That's all I'm going to comment on at the moment as it's going to take some more listening to give impressions between the two.  I will say that I'm getting more impressed with the W4 although I agree with delladood's impression above.  I'll try and write down my thoughts and then post them a little later.

luckily I have owned the SE425. Its honestly preference. And no! The etymotic can go about 10x deeper than the shures with the comply P-series that comes with all of the westone products.  yeah that always annoyed me when the jack wouldnt fit in my iphone 4 case.  As far as SE425 vs UM3X. I think its preference.  I wouldn't get hung up on the whole 2 vs 4 drivers. Because more drivers doesn't necessarily mean better.  The SE425 has a pretty chilled and boring sound signature to me.  I like them both, so its hard to say which one I would choose.  Given my current state.  Most likely the UM3X.

 

[Mooses9]

Quote:

luckily I have owned the SE425. Its honestly preference. And no! The etymotic can go about 10x deeper than the shures with the comply P-series that comes with all of the westone products.  yeah that always annoyed me when the jack wouldnt fit in my iphone 4 case.  As far as SE425 vs UM3X. I think its preference.  I wouldn't get hung up on the whole 2 vs 4 drivers. Because more drivers doesn't necessarily mean better.  The SE425 has a pretty chilled and boring sound signature to me.  I like them both, so its hard to say which one I would choose.  Given my current state.  Most likely the UM3X.

i have to agree. personally i wanted to like the 425 series but i could'nt get into the ''chilled and boring'' sound signature. i just couldnt find the ''fun'' in the iem when listening to music. so they had to go. i wanted to like them though

 

[FlatNine]

Quote:

i have to agree. personally i wanted to like the 425 series but i could'nt get into the ''chilled and boring'' sound signature. i just couldnt find the ''fun'' in the iem when listening to music. so they had to go. i wanted to like them though

 
 
I am the OP, and since my OP, I received my Westone 4R's. The reason I refrained from posting a review of them in the first week was that whenever you get something new, you tend to have a bias in their favor. Heck, if you didn't, you wouldn't have purchased them in the first place. After getting to a more realistic mindset, I have one small complaint - they are not as "fun" as my Senn HD-650's. The 4R's do everything well, and could certainly be the best all around phones I've listened to. But they are not fun and lively. They're like a woman who would make a great wife but there's just no chemistry. At that point, not much else matters. For $500 USD, I want chemistry and fun. I feel bad. As you state in the quote above, I wanted to like the 4R's, but am finding myself empty. Back to the drawing board. I love my full sized Senns, so I'm wondering if Senn IE8's might be similar. So many choices. ::sigh::

 

[delladood]

I am the OP, and since my OP, I received my Westone 4R's. The reason I refrained from posting a review of them in the first week was that whenever you get something new, you tend to have a bias in their favor. Heck, if you didn't, you wouldn't have purchased them in the first place. After getting to a more realistic mindset, I have one small complaint - they are not as "fun" as my Senn HD-650's. The 4R's do everything well, and could certainly be the best all around phones I've listened to. But they are not fun and lively. They're like a woman who would make a great wife but there's just no chemistry. At that point, not much else matters. For $500 USD, I want chemistry and fun. I feel bad. As you state in the quote above, I wanted to like the 4R's, but am finding myself empty. Back to the drawing board. I love my full sized Senns, so I'm wondering if Senn IE8's might be similar. So many choices. ::sigh::

With the ie8's and ie80's, you either love em or hate em.  Personally.... I LOVE the ie8's. if I would have known that the ie80's were not 449 from razor dog deals, but a simple 339ish, I would have gotten them over my um3x.  But the isolation that the UM3X and the SE535 have is great.  The IE80 will be a HUGE letdown as far as isolation goes.  I really feel like trying the SE535 or the um3x would be beneficiary.
 
Quote:

i have to agree. personally i wanted to like the 425 series but i could'nt get into the ''chilled and boring'' sound signature. i just couldnt find the ''fun'' in the iem when listening to music. so they had to go. i wanted to like them though

exactly! Its that feeling like.  "Well there is nothing wrong with these...  But there is nothing right about them either."

 

[vocalist]

Quote:

luckily I have owned the SE425. Its honestly preference. And no! The etymotic can go about 10x deeper than the shures with the comply P-series that comes with all of the westone products.  yeah that always annoyed me when the jack wouldnt fit in my iphone 4 case.  As far as SE425 vs UM3X. I think its preference.  I wouldn't get hung up on the whole 2 vs 4 drivers. Because more drivers doesn't necessarily mean better.  The SE425 has a pretty chilled and boring sound signature to me.  I like them both, so its hard to say which one I would choose.  Given my current state.  Most likely the UM3X.

I'm totally looking for sound preference - I tossed on the "2 vs 4 drivers" to get it out of the way because I figured someone, somewhere would say it was an unfair comparison.  I've actually been using the P-series in my right ear and the regular (what exactly are the different comply tips?) in my left ear.  I tried them with the Shures and I can't do it.  The only eartips that work on the Shures is the medium soft silicone.  Anything else either sticks far out or hurts like hell.  I'm trying to like the olives but I'm having issues with them as well.  This leads my to believe that while I might like the signature of the 535, the fit might turn me completely away from it. 
 
I'd like to hear more about the UM3X vs the W4 - SQ wise.