[twister6]

  Great input about these W80's.  The one thing...if someone could help clarify....
 
...the general consensus seems that the W80 is less laid back (than W60) and more aggressive, a bit more forward with more attack in upper midrange.....which to ME....would sort of close things in a bit more like a Pro50 studio presentation.  But most are also saying it is a larger more holographic and soundstage than W60.   That seems kinda contradictory. Can anyone clarify?  Maybe I have missinterpreted something.
 
Not meaning to be funny here but if you crank up the volume on W60 and notch up a bit of treble EQ....would this help do similar to what they have done with W80?  I'm just trying to gauge the $800 versus $1500 pricepoints.  Thanks.

 
 

  Ialso saw that W80 is louder at same input as W60 so I assume more efficient?
 
Does this mean W80 does NOT require am amp to realize full potential?  Any moreso or less-so than W60?
 
Thanks again.   I have been enjoying my Pro50 for almost 20 months now with no upgrades.  I have the itch for a bit brighter detail and larger soundstage.   Wondering if W60 is good enough or I must spend almost double and go with W80?  Thanks.

 
For sure, W80 doesn't require any amping at all, and honestly I didn't find either UMPro50 or W60 requiring amping either.  Also keep in mind, with an upgraded cable which probably has lower impedance, your sound level will be higher.
 
Regarding EQ, you can certainly tweak the frequencies, and if you have access to Parametric EQ you can be very precise about the exact frequency and its bandwidth.  But certain things like transparency and resolution or soundstage expansion can't be tweaked with EQ.  I know we had a number of private discussions about it, and I'm glad that you bringing it up in the forum since it would be great to hear other opinions as well, besides me being vocal about Westone products   What I'm thinking, a lot of improvements in technical details of IEM upgrade could be only realized when dealing with a higher res source and using higher res audio files.  If your source is iPhone, sometimes it could be a bottleneck where these details are lost unless you are using external USB DAC/amp.  So for your it could be also a deciding factor.
 
What I like about W80, there is no need anymore to tweak any EQ or to try different upgrade cables.  It comes already "tweaked" to bring back the mids, to bring back more details and higher resolution, and to deliver a tighter and more articulate bass.  But I'm afraid, at the end of the day you might have to get both W60 and W80 and then decide which one is a keeper.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Ialso saw that W80 is louder at same input as W60 so I assume more efficient?
 
Does this mean W80 does NOT require am amp to realize full potential?  Any moreso or less-so than W60?
 
Thanks again.   I have been enjoying my Pro50 for almost 20 months now with no upgrades.  I have the itch for a bit brighter detail and larger soundstage.   Wondering if W60 is good enough or I must spend almost double and go with W80?  Thanks.

 
I'm reviewing the W80s now and for the better part of this afternoon I was using them from my iPad Pro...sounded just brilliant and as I mentioned last night, the large soundstage still had me smiling! That said, they do scale up higher with either my Mojo or AK240SS. They are more dynamic than the W60s as well to my ears.

 

[straden]

ok... I have been away from this hobby since I have gotten my shure se530 & triple-fi years ago.
and today, for some reason i was cleaning my spam mail box and saw 25% sale @ earphonesolution !
oh jeez, and then saw this w80 for like 1120usd or so...
I couldn't resist and ordered it, i am pretty sure it is my time to upgrade se530.
hopefully this is *the* best universal IEM i could possibly get...for now...

 

[audio123]

the w80 is extremely veiled sounding.
not sure how it is a flagship iem

 

[straden]

really? =(, would you know how it would compare to se530 or triple fi?
i personally like triple fi sound signature more than shure.
and never auditioned westone's before, how does it compare to triple fi?

 

[audio123]

  really? =(, would you know how it would compare to se530 or triple fi?
i personally like triple fi sound signature more than shure.
and never auditioned westone's before, how does it compare to triple fi?

i hate triple fi but triple fi is more enjoyable than the westone in all aspects.

 

[straden]

 
i hate triple fi but triple fi is more enjoyable than the westone in all aspects.

which other universal iem would you prefer in the similar price range?

 

[audio123]

  which other universal iem would you prefer in the similar price range?

andromeda, final audio design lab 1, heir 10, noble katana, uerr

 

[twister6]

  the w80 is extremely veiled sounding.
not sure how it is a flagship iem

 
Do you own W80 or is this based on your brief in-store audition?  What source did you use, assuming with Ref8 cable?  How many hours of burn in did it have?  Are you familiar with any other universal Westone IEMs, such W40, W50, W60, UMPro50, and their house sound of lush laidback smooth signature with slightly pulled back mids? 
 
Of course, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and I respect that, as long as you clear about it being subjective.  But to come out of the blue where I have never seen you mention Westone at least once in any of our previous discussions, and to drop "is extremely veiled"?!?  This is very misinforming.  I understand it's not your preferred signature, because you like brighter and more forward or flat reference/analytical sound based on examples you mentioned above.  In comparison to other signatures, W80 will sound smoother, more organic/natural, and not with as much sparkle in treble.  But its FAR from being veiled which usually refers to a dull "blanketed" sound that lacks clarity and has poor detail retrieval.
 
@straden : likewise, sorry, I'm not familiar with triple fi or se530, but was under impression those are brighter and more forward tuned iems.  My only Shure experience was with SE846, had a brief one week audition, and found their bass slam to be quite good, but their upper mids/treble to be too harsh and not as natural in tonality.  The biggest problem for me was the size of their shell which i found to be uncomfortable to wear for more than 10min.  But of course, this is purely subjective opinion based on my sound preference and ear anatomy.

 

[klove4252]

I completely agree with @twister6 . I actually find the w80's sound to be the complete opposite of veiled. To me, they have a very open and transparent sound. Very strong sense of clarity with a very wide soundstage. These are a true flagship. They do have that "relaxed" sound signature, but these are truly a portable IEM due to their size and non fatiguing sound. You can easily wear these for hours pretty much anywhere such as commuting or relaxing in bed. 

 

[musicday]

I completely agree with @twister6
 . I actually find the w80's sound to be the complete opposite of veiled. To me, they have a very open and transparent sound. Very strong sense of clarity with a very wide soundstage. These are a true flagship. They do have that "relaxed" sound signature, but these are truly a portable IEM due to their size and non fatiguing sound. You can easily wear these for hours pretty much anywhere such as commuting or relaxing in bed. 

Can you try and compared them with Ref1? Thanks.

 

[Malevolent]

  the w80 is extremely veiled sounding.
not sure how it is a flagship iem

 
Odd, I didn't find the W80 veiled at all. In fact, they were top notch in terms of clarity and detail. Mind you, I compared the W80 alongside the Katana, K10, and KSE1500, and it held its own amongst such illustrious company. I suppose you're not a fan of Westone's house sound, which is prevalent throughout most of their lineup, including the W80.
 
Unless you're speaking from the perspective of an owner, it would be nice if you could spare the W80 a 2nd audition. They are certainly worth the time, IMO.

 

[musicday]

I wonder if they will sound great paired with the Tera Player, as their impedance is only 5 ohm.

 

[klove4252]

Can you try and compared them with Ref1? Thanks.

Good question. I never thought to compare them. In terms of similarities, they both have "laid back" mids and a wide soundstage. There is much more boom from the bass with the Ref 1, but vocals are more forward with the w80 and there is more separation. To be honest, I need to put more time into the Ref 1 too to get a good feel for their signature. I have only listened to them for around 10 hours compared to the w80 which I have been using much more. If you are looking for something closer to the Ref 1 I think the Vega or the Oriolus mk2 would be better comparisons. 

 

[YAGIZ]

I always liked the Westone's guitar tone reproduction.. It took quite some time for Westone to come up with a new flagship though.