I updated my post, due to fit issue.
After couple days of use, here is my extended impression about this earphone:
I notes that they are record sensitive and truly “reference” tuned. Let me explain what I mean about “reference”. Sony XBA-H3 with slightly more bassy sound, they add bass and body to every track that you listen to, when W500 however, only if track has bass. For example, in EDM tracks Chase & Status - International, Sub Focus Turn Back Time, both H3 and W500 have almost same bass quantity, but in IDM tracks however, Underhill - Happier, Displacer - Micro Chip Logic, bass on W500 is slightly more warm than on UE900 and sound overall lightweight in comparison to H3.
Do they tuned right?
For me,
not exactly
perfect! While bass and highs are good in quality, they are
not slightly V shaped (reminds me UE900 with more smoothed highs and extended bass), soundstage
is close to your head in right 3D size, which is
not good for electronic music,
however, with more closer soundstage, and flat sound, mids is not so good, speed is
not good, they
can’t can handle Drum’n’Bass, Hardstyle, Breakcore
, mids become to aggressive.
While, atmospheric slow rhythmic electronic such as Ambient, Downtempo, Trip-Hop sound good
(not perfect) to me
too.
But especially dark side of electronic, Drone, Dark Ambient, Mutant Breaks and Bass sound good
doesn’t have enough with good dark depth.
W500 have good coherence between dynamic driver and they BA drivers. Especially between sub bass BA woofer and Dynamic bass.
But, mids sounded more dynamic driver like to me (not anymore). Overall, sound is natural
and musical with good dark depth background thick, but they sound more like Dynamic driver headphone rather than BA headphone.
But still best coherent sounded hybrid is Sony’s hybrid earphones, AWW is in the second place. On Sony, Sub bas and mid bass have best available dynamic type sound but dynamic driver don’t bled to mids, and mids have BA type clarity, speed and details. (now they both equally good!)
Do they worth they money?
Go to W300, if W300 have same dynamic driver, then you should forget about W500, there is nothing special on W500 in highs, high is typical BA sound, mids even with BA drivers sound more like dynamic driver. 70% of sound is dynamic driver, so W300 should give you more price/performance. After Sony’s hybrid, I believe that all that multi driver war is ******** and marketing, nothing more. More driver gives nothing, I believe that only driver quality gives better sound, Sony’s BA tweeter for example, have a different BA design and sound much better than any multi tweeter BA drivers. If you don’t listen to music on subway or airplane, try Sony XBA-Z5, they are really best available earphone on the market for today. YES!
Do AHMorph version worth they price difference?
If you can listen to W500 before purchase and if you like how they sound, then you shouldn’t go to AHMorph version. But if you can’t try them before purchase, so I defiantly recommend you go to AHMorph. It really helps you tune sound almost to any sound signature. It add EQ in around 2-3dB. If you rotate nob just slightly, it change sound slightly. For example, when I first tried W500, in the default settings it sound too upper mid focused to me, due to FiiO X5 have a little forward mids, while I prefer more “dynamic mode” than “default”, however, in “dynamic mode” it sound more like typical dynamic earphone, while I’m not a dynamic driver fan, I’m more detail, speed and clarity fan. So I rotated nob to that position and it made upper mids a little smoother and just a little more V shaped which I prefer more. But I still lose a little clarity of BA here in comparison to default mode.
Do I like them?
Yes
and No. I like how they tuned, I will keep them for “reference” sound and maybe someday will use for sound writing.
But they
are not so good for final mastering, soundstage and instrument separation
doesn’t give you
out of your head experience exact place and size. Most of my music collection are experimental, speedy and progressive type of music,
which are not they type of and they can handle they with use, however mids is slightly in slow side, metal music sound good but not perfect.
However, I still can enjoy with W500 with more relaxing or more commercial smoothed type of music (now I enjoying with all my music collection).
But if they had a better tuned mids or tuned to be more coherent V shaped sound with out of head soundstage they could be a stellar to me (sorry, it was my mistake, they tuned exactly perfect as I wanted that every earphone was).
Difference between tunes are:
Yellow (Default) is flat, reference tuned sound for
monitoring neutral tune lovers with enough bass quantity
(bass is almost in the same as UE900 quantity, but with more dynamic driver type impact).
Red (BA mode) is upper mid forward sound, with thin mids notes. Overall out of balance sound signature
(I will need now test it again with correct fit).
Blue (Dynamic mode) slightly V shaped sound, but still more monitor like, rather than fun, but much more musical than default mode. Sound signature more close to Audio-Technica monitor house sound but with more powerful bass impact. However, if you are not dynamic driver lover, I won't like that tune BTW.
(I will need now test it again with correct fit)
Conclusion:
Thick, natural
and musical sound. Dynamic driver is good but not superb
(hard to tell now ). Mids tuned
not quiet good.
If you can offer, go to Sony's CIEM Just Ear instead, otherwise W300 should be a better option for the price.