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I was hoping to put some thoughts together on the Westone ES3’s themselves as well as comparing them to the Sensas and UE10s. I have a new addition to the family (7 week old boy) so time to sit down with all three, write up thoughts, etc. is very limited. I do not have a mastery of the ability to describe sound as many here on this forum do. I did want to pass on some of my IEM experiences and my thoughts on the Westone ES3s. My IEM experience has been a long, strange trip indeed….
Four years ago, I decided if I was going to the gym on a regular basis, I’d get the best portable system I could. Figured if I was going to the gym, my reward would be killer sound. I ended up with Etymotic ER4S (with custom molds), Headroom Total Airhead (very first version) and a Panasonic PCDP. The combo was killer. The Panasonic eventually started to die, I started to consider an iPOD and at the same time I thought I’d check out what was new in the market. My search for ultimate iPOD headphones lead me to head-fi.org and life was never the same. I first came to head-fi right after Welly Wu’s UE10pro review. I subsequently read and re-read every review, post, etc. regarding the ensuing UE10pro vs. Sensaphonics debate. I knew early on I would likely end up with both IEMs at some point, if nothing else just so I could know what each of them sounded like for myself. And to know that I really had the best possible IEM sound for me. The majority of my usage is portable so knowing that I have the best possible portable sound for me is important. After all, that sound is what keeps me going to the gym and helps me to keep a certain sense of balance in my life.
In early August, I decided I would get the Sensaphonics and hopefully their sound would cause me to be satisfied to the point of not even purchasing the UE10s. My thought process was that I wanted a sound with more bass, as I had spent so long with the Etys and found that I really missed a good sense of bass.
I spent quite a while trying to get a good fit with my Sensas. I am not a perfectionist but I did want a fit that did not cause me any significant fit or sound issues. I became frustrated to the point where I decided to order the UE10pros as I figured I’d probably never get a really good fit with the Sensas. The Sensas for me needed to have a bigger stem in order to seal right, block out external noise, and not suffer from a weird puckering sound when I moved my mouth even slightly. This fit provided me a good seal, yet also causes pressure to build up in my ear canals over time so I cannot wear them for more than an hour without some serious issues. Wearing them on a plane turned out to be quite an unpleasant experience for me. Unfortunately this is what I agreed to live with in terms of fit. PM me if you want more info on my experience here. In the end, I ended up with a fit that I could (after learning how to go through an exact fit ritual) live with.
The Sensas are incredible, hands down. Their ability to deliver the bass while providing a sense of balance across the spectrum simply can’t be matched. They have a sense of groove going on that is addictive. Unfortunately for me, I always wanted a greater sense of clarity from their sound. To me, they always sounded slightly recessed or congested, especially in the midrange.
Enter the UE10pros in early December. Similar issues in terms of fit. Needed much larger stems than what they were making me. Numerous refits later, I ended up with a pair that is in effect too large for my right ear. I get a great seal, just not necessarily comfortable.
The UE10s deserve the recognition they have received in the reviews. Their ability to produce detail leads me to literally say “wow” when listening to the music at certain times. I can hear things I’ve never heard before in the music. I can hear sounds start from a distance and end up right in front of you. I can hear the exact instruments the two different drummers are playing with a six piece rock band on a CD I’ve listened to a hundred times (literally) that I’ve never been able to hear before.
Their sound to me, seems to have changed slightly since my first pair I received. This I believe is due not only to me getting a better fit, but I also believe as BigD stated that the bass response has improved as well, particularly when coming straight out of the iPOD. This ‘new’ sound (at least for me) yields a sound I feel is very comparable to the Sennheiser HD650/Zu. Very lush and beautiful. Honestly, I’m more likely to grab the UE10s than the 650/Zu because to me, the UEs have a greater sense of clarity across the spectrum. Unfortunately, the UEs still seemed to exhibit a slight congestion in the midrange that bothered me. And, just as I would not necessarily pick up a Sennheiser every time to listen to rock, I was looking for something with more of a fun, “excitement” factor going on. The majority of what I listen to on IEMs is rock/heavy metal and with both the Sensas and UEs I had not yet found the Grado type sound I was hoping for.
In typical head-fi fashion, I read one, brief post by a member twenty replies into a thread that mentioned the Westone ES3s. I had considered the Westones prior to purchasing the UEs simply because Westone had made my custom molds for my Etys and they fit perfectly. Those Westone molds were the ones I ended up sending to both Sensaphonics and UE asking that they make the stems as large as the Westone molds. After a few PMs I decided to order the Westones.
Westone ES3s:
$795
Including:
Molds
Shipping to and return (two day)
Pelican case (with silica gel pack, cleaning tool, cleaning cloth, bottle of Oto Ease)
Name card on the case
Free T-shirt (a nice bonus – why not, right?)
Hard plastic shell, canal piece that softens once it is heated. Very similar to the early version of the UEs soft option.
Replaceable cord – 64 or 50 in lengths.
My audiologist handled the entire transaction including payment.
9 business days from having my molds made they arrived back at my audiologist.
Fit like a glove from day one.
The sound:
Very Grado like sound. These are not a laid back type of presentation.
Upfront, aggressive sound. Electric guitars sound like they should. Bass is tight, strong and very well controlled. Great midrange clarity. Vocals are upfront when the recording calls for it, however they do not exhibit the same type of strange effect the UEs do with pulling vocals forward even when not on the original mix.
They are highly sensitive. Meaning you could blow your ears off if you cranked them up too high.
They seemed to benefit from break in. The sound seemed to settle in a bit more and relax a bit. The highs weren’t as sharp (a good thing).
The sounds, particularly the guitars, etc. can literally jump out at you. If you’re not expecting it, it can be a bit surprising at first.
The sound has the ability to come from outside your ears to a certain extent. Most of it is concentrated right within your head/ears, however they are able to create a certain sense of air with the instruments that is refreshing. They do not sound nearly as “closed” to me as the Sensas tend to.
Due to their sensitive nature, I figured they might benefit from the Etymotic ER4P-24 cord (cord that makes the ER4p to an ER4S) and the SR-71 combination. I tried this combo this morning and was amazed.
I think any piece of equipment can sound great with a few instruments playing. Try getting some complicated, well recorded heavy metal going and see what happens. A lot of gear simply falls apart in this scenario.
Using iPOD photo 60gig à Sik Din à Cardas mini à SR-71 à Ety ER4P-24 à Westone ES3 listening to Tool Lateralus. I was blown away. For the first time ever, I was able to hear all of the individual instruments as they are mixed in. Incredible separation between the instruments. I could concentrate on any given persons playing within the context of the song without losing the overall musicality of the song itself. I heard tons of details, guitars were sounding just like they should. The experience was magical. I was on the elliptical machine at the gym and had found myself jamming out. I had to keep reminding myself that I was at the gym and everyone else couldn’t hear what I was. All I could think was…I wish somebody else could be hearing this right now…..
The Caveats:
All of the IEMS (Sensaphonics 2Xsoft, Ultimate Ears UE10pro, and Westone ES3) are all very high caliber listening devices. Once you get to this level, it really isn’t about which one is ‘better’. They are all incredible. It becomes more about personal preferences and the type of sound you like than anything else. The whole Sensa vs. UE debate is to a certain degree a bit silly. One is not necessarily better than the other, they are both amazing, as is the Westone.
As has been stated many times, the difficulty with IEMs is that you can’t hear them before you buy them, unless you are lucky enough to be close to Las Vegas or near one of the few Sensa audiologists with a universal fit pair. Considering this fact, and the price tag associated with custom IEMs as well as the fact they cannot be resold, makes it a difficult choice for the consumer and is the reason why I would not recommend one product over another to someone. I ended up with all three and feel very lucky to have the opportunity to listen to each. I don’t see me retiring any of them very soon. |
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发表于 2006-9-5 12:08:32
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