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.