[biyand]

Hello everyone!
I'm new to Head-fi and have a dumb question.
I'm trying to get a pair of decent in-ear headphones. How is the Westone 4 compares to the custom IEMs like the Alclair Reference? Is the difference worth the $200 more for the Alclair?
By the way, I listen to the classic mostly and pop songs sometime.
Thank you very much!

 

[lwells]

  Hello everyone!
I'm new to Head-fi and have a dumb question.
I'm trying to get a pair of decent in-ear headphones. How is the Westone 4 compares to the custom IEMs like the Alclair Reference? Is the difference worth the $200 more for the Alclair?
By the way, I listen to the classic mostly and pop songs sometime.
Thank you very much!

 
 
I recognize I'm a bit late on this, but i listened to the Alclair RSM today and am well accustomed to my w4r's.  I wasn't able to get the best seal on the 'universisal' RSMs, but the almost immediately made the mid-range on my w4rs feel muddy.  That is saying quite a lot.  Even with a poor seal, the bass quantity was about equivalent to the westones, but the lower frequencies were noticeably more textured.  The RSMs are quite a step up from the w4rs. 

 

[lwells]

I should note that I asked Alclair to make me some RSMs that day. I look forward to being able to give a better comparison to my w4rs in the near future.

 

[lwells]

I just picked up my Alclair RSM's.  
 
I intended to do a detailed comparison of these to my W4rs.  They are my only reference point right now anyhow.  
 
After five minutes of listening though, this is going to be difficult.  I may have to wait a week so that i can articulate my thoughts appropriately without sounding like I am bashing the westones.  My W4rs are great, I love them.  But they are not in the same league with these Alclair RSMs.  
 

 

[lwells]

I posted my impressions on this comparison here.  http://www.head-fi.org/t/727186/alclair-rsm-quad-custom-in-ear-monitor-impressions-thread