Westone 3 Earphones by SierraHotel01 (Head-Fi Member)

Dec 7, 2008

Kudos, congratulations, and thanks to Westone – they’re simply wonderful! (and every other superlative I can think of).

The Westone 3’s were DEFINITELY worth the 2 year wait, as well as the full retail price (and, even the cost of buying SE530’s in the interim – which will promptly go up for sale, or be given away!)

Picked my “3’s” up from Fedex an hour ago.
Slapped on some Shure Olive tips,
and plugged them into my 3G Nano / ALO Cryo Dock / Tomahawk rig.
Within 30 seconds, I was “gone”.

Absolutely lost in the most immersive earphone (maybe even headphone) listening experience I’ve ever heard.

What an epiphany!

This is exactly why those of us who frequent Head-Fi do this stuff. (continually abuse our wallets in search of sonic perfection)
I just can’t get over these things.

Listening to Bella Sonus as I write this (extremely well engineered album – which Ray Samuels references for deep sub bass along with detail in the rest of the audible passband).

So far, the only comparison that comes to mind is with my Definitive Technologies BP2000 speakers (bipolar line source + 15″ 500 watt powered subwoofer in each). The 3’s sound more like the Definitives, than anything else; and more than any other headphone I own (HD600, SR325i, ER4P, SE530, PK2). I swear; they sound just like I stuffed the Definitives into my ears. Only difference is the lack of chest thumping sub bass from the 1,000 watts of subwoofer power on the Definitives.

These little puppies sound more like high end speakers than ANY headphone I’ve ever listened to. Balanced, detailed, more PRAT than you can shake a a stick at; deep, tight, articulate & punchy bass, almost surreal mids, and sweet, sweet high frequencies.

They put you right there – in the 2nd row.

wrt high frequencies: I don’t know how Westone managed to maintain the detail and air I’m hearing, without getting that “too sharp / analytical” quality to the sound that I hear with the Grados & Ety’s.

The bass is simply the best I’ve ever heard in an IEM, by a factor of 2, at least.

What really surprised me is the superior, smooth, lush mids. They blow the SE530’s away in mids too (and I thought that was the 530’s strong suit). The 3’s do male & female vocals like no other. And, electric guitars are simply visceral on the 3’s!

Matter of fact, it almost seems trivial to attempt to discuss the Westone 3 sound in terms of the traditional low / mid / high frequency parameters common in these forums. There is something about the 3’s that seem to “integrate” those otherwise distinct sections of the frequency curve into a single, unified, holistic experience.

Headstage is fantastic. Close your eyes, and you can easily position each instrument.

May have to “call in sick” today – because I don’t know if I can uplug, anytime soon.

A few non-SQ comments:

- cable length perfect
- distance to the Y-junction perfect.
- no cable microphonics
- fit with the Shure Olives perfect
- even less obtrusive than the 530’s
- 90 degree 1/8 inch mini jack fits iPhone with Griffen leather case

Don’t know when, but I will do some serious A/B’ing and report.
(although, it seems superfluous at this point)

Per Headphone Addict’s recommendation, I plan on getting fitted for the vinyl UM56 tips. However, at this point, I can’t even begin to imagine how the 3’s could sound ANY better.

Better end this post now.
Spent the last 10 minutes just staring off into space, shaking my head at the sound of this “disruptive” product.

The Westone 3’s are un-freakin’ believable!

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Can you handle the truth?

Dec 7, 2008

Can you handle the truth?

 

 

Just 2 songs so I don’t go too crazy. My ears are itchy!

 

I don’t know if anyone likes them but I do a lot: CREED. Songs:

 

1) BULLETS

2) WHO’S GOT MY BACK?

 

Disclaimer: We have and sell all models on that pic I just took minutes ago. We make a bit more money when we sell SE530s. About the same with IE8 and W3. Less $ with UM2.

 

I am about to shoot myself on the foot because we are out of stock on W3 at the moment just to show the skeptical my true motivation is to make customers happy by telling them how we truly feel about the products we sell and NOT to move inventory.

 

Unfortunately to those seeking technical explanations, I lack the vocabulary to describe sound and colors in words. According to my mom though, I have always been an unforgivable critic since an early age and I know what I like. I currently own 12 amplifiers: Manley Tube, McIntosh SS, Lexicon, and a lot of Sansui vintage. Like red wine I’m a strong believer that more expensive doesn’t always mean better. Add to that the fact that I cannot afford higher end brands but having been a Westlake Audio dealer some years back, I had access to very expensive gear (as in to listen to — not take home )

 

Following the money line, a couple of vintage amps I got on eBay kicks the McIntosh’s butt for 1/10th of what I paid (granted the McIntosh was new from a dealer) — and taste is subjective.

 

So this is my take:

 

After listening to those 2 songs from CREED with my SE530, IE8, UM2 and Westone 3 here’s what I say: Westone 3 –> NO COMPARISON!

 

Vocal on “Who’s got my back?” is PERFECT, CLEAN and UNBEATABLE! Vocal on this particular song should be presented forward (to my taste) and that is what I get with the 3 in a way I don’t get with the others.

 

They are all GREAT EARPHONES. But when you do an A/B/C/D comparison you have to over emphasize the differences and I think that anyone upgrading from a different category of earphones would be happy with any of these models. I would be happier with the W3.

 

Vocals on the IE8 are shy in comparison to the others. It’s a different sound signature all together that will make the IE8 one of the best choices for certain types of music.

 

SE530 – excellent vocal but with less bottom. A bit too treble for my taste. As the vocal gets louder the W3’s advantage becomes even more obvious.

 

There is a guitar with chorus or a keyboard on the background during the initial vocal on “Who’s got my back?” that the W3 maintains all along that part whereas the Shure “forgets” it and the vocal comes out dominating but with less body, less velvety (I hate writing about sound! — it’s so difficult for me). I wish there was a way to playback what one hears with in-ear earphones but I have been told by people that know better that it’s impossible

 

The Westone 3 “resolves” much better the congested parts of BULLETS. Sounds are separated and presented clean and quite frankly, all other IEMs in comparison make a big confusion out of that part.

 

If you don’t have BULLETS, I suggest you download it and run this test.

 

At 46 seconds you feel sorry for the way the other IEMs try to “resolve” the music. That’s all I’m going to say.

 

If you try this and your W3 doesn’t kick every other IEM’s butt, I think it’s safe to say you have a defective product or I need to go to an audiologist Monday to have my ears checked.

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