Which Westones?

[Crash]

Casual listening? mixing? What are your plans with them? You can spend a small fortune on in-ears. Do you have a budget in mind?

[overgrown]

no budget (doesnt matter is what i mean).
this isnt for live, its more for casual listening, checking my mixes maybe starting off some mixes, though i doubt in ears would be good for mixing at all.
i dont want wireless ones either, i want ones that i can plug into my ipod etc etc.

edit: i've read alot of "i use 2 driver westones" but that doesnt really tell me much, considering the newest highest end model has a 5 driver system? i could be wrong on that. i'm really confused.

i just need something that i can use at low volumes but still do some mixing time to time but more for casual use, late night kinda thing.

[Crash]

It is really hard to answer your queries as it is so personal, much like monitors. I have a set of Sure E-5's and some Ultimate Ears three ways. They sound really different from each other with the Sure being flatter in response. The UE's have a bigger bottom end, which some may find appealing. It took me some getting used to. Each company will have a few that have various responses, 2-way up to 5 way, and so on. The field of in-ear manufacturers is expanding so it can be a bit overwhelming. You might want research Jerry Harvey Audio (JHA) if budget does not matter. I guess your best bet is to figure out if you like hyped or more flat response curves and then go from there.

[kpbenoit]

I went for the high end model (ES5 i think they are called) and love 'em. Problem with in-ears is that they are, by their nature, custom...so you won't find many people with a review that ranks the various models. For such high end gear, it is sadly like flying blind. Westone is an established company that gets good reviews overall. Pick the ones that work for your budget and I'm sure you'll be happy with the purchase. The ear-impressions are critical though. Make sure you find an audiologist that has experience fitting for IEMs (not just hearing aids and ear protection...) because if the fit is not right, the unit can't perform right and frequency response will be all over the place.

[mus1k_freak]

I'm in love with the 3 driver umx3 I think the model is to my ears they blew the more expensive other brands away. At least for live they are super clear and punchy hard to beat for the price.

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[overgrown]

Originally Posted by kpbenoit

I went for the high end model (ES5 i think they are called) and love 'em. Problem with in-ears is that they are, by their nature, custom...so you won't find many people with a review that ranks the various models. For such high end gear, it is sadly like flying blind. Westone is an established company that gets good reviews overall. Pick the ones that work for your budget and I'm sure you'll be happy with the purchase. The ear-impressions are critical though. Make sure you find an audiologist that has experience fitting for IEMs (not just hearing aids and ear protection...) because if the fit is not right, the unit can't perform right and frequency response will be all over the place.

so you guys just made me realize.. there would be flatter response in ears which would be better for mixing, and then more "hyped" ones for casual listening.

so lets eliminate the flatter ones, i wont be mixing on them, i'll be checking/listening on them.

there are some great audiologists in my city i'm sure LOL.

i'm pretty much set on westones, i'm going to look into the ES5's (thats the highest end elite model which was what i was talking about).

[Solidtube]

I've never used Westone's customs but I have UM2, UM3x and Westone 4. UM3x and Westone 4 have quite flat frequency response, good for checking mixes with. If you have no budget restrictions and you don't mind universals, go for Westone 4, great for both casual and critical listening alike.

[Aeolian]

I've had molds made by both Westone (which is a hearing aid company) and Sensaphonics (which is a musician oriented company) and it's not even close. Sensaphonics has trained all their registered audiologists in the specific needs of working musicians. Many are musicians themselves and the ones in musical cities have fitted most of the folks you see in concerts.

The Westone ER plugs I had needed to be pulled out every break or my ears would start hurting. The Sensaphonics I leave in all night. The softer rubber Sensaphonics uses not only is more comfortable, but it ensures a consistent seal, no matter what you are doing. That makes a big difference as the bass doesn't go in and out if you move your jaw. I also noticed that they take more care with the internal channels in the mold and the sound is more neutral. The dual driver Sensaphonics has a clear and neutral sound at any levels I want jammed into my ear canals.

If you have the funds and want to use them for live performance, Sensaphonics also makes a set with built in mics that you can mix with the monitor feed to get a balance of live stage sound and monitor that you want at levels that you want. That helps kill that isolated in a box feeling.

Note that IEMs only reduce the stage level by around 30dB. More in the highs and less in the lows. So you will
Still get some external noise.

My favorite use for them is flying on commercial jets. The reduction in noise makes both the flight and any music you turn on more enjoyable.

[ericdevine]

I've never tried the Westones but have been pretty happy with the shure in-ear phones. I've got the 500 series now and like them quite a bit. I had the s4 (I think) before and they were great as well.