Westone W80
Nov 1, 2017 at 4:08 AM Post #901 of 1,446
Guys,any recommendations on eartips for W80's? I'm just curios to try a bit of tip rolling

I have ordered some extra Orange Westone Star Silicone eartips which are what I use at the moment. As you know these came as part of the original bundle. I find these the extremely comfortable and get a great seal with them. UnfortunateIy I didn't care for any of the other tips that were included in the bundle so they are redundant to me.

Thanks
 
Nov 1, 2017 at 12:59 PM Post #903 of 1,446
Guys,any recommendations on eartips for W80's? I'm just curios to try a bit of tip rolling

I have ordered some extra Orange Westone Star Silicone eartips which are what I use at the moment. As you know these came as part of the original bundle. I find these the extremely comfortable and get a great seal with them. UnfortunateIy I didn't care for any of the other tips that were included in the bundle so they are redundant to me.

Thanks

This: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EASFX1-10L - shure silicone olive tips, similar size to orange star tips, but a shorter stem so W80 won't stick out of your ears as much. Could be a subtle change in sound, subjective of course, but comfort definitely improves.
 
Nov 2, 2017 at 1:47 AM Post #904 of 1,446
my current top IEMs are W80 (stock silicone tips), LCDi4 (with Comply T-600 tips) and XBA-Z5 (with special Sony tips from JP). W80 is the one I can easily recommend to anyone comfortable with using IEMs.
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 12:31 AM Post #905 of 1,446
I know, i'm rehashing an old post, but still curious if you can post a picture with your Westone earpieces/cable and that o-ring? I forgot if that was with W80 and/or Epic or Ref8 cable? Might want to try it with Ref8 cable and curious to see how it looks.


Regarding these O Rings, can you confirm that the link you provided is the right size? 3mm diameter and 1mm thickness? Cheers. BTW, that's not a metal J plate is it? (I live in hope.)
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 1:05 AM Post #906 of 1,446
I feel the need to pop my head up and shout out some praise to the W80. I've given Westone a "Proper Bollocking" as the English like to say, regarding the W60 faceplates. However, the W80 does appear to have (finally) corrected the issue. I find the W80 has been a substantial upgrade for the (otherwise) superb W60.

I'm not sure that I would pay full retail for them, but for me, the second-hand for $700, represents an attractive investment.

I prefer these to the K10s and Heir 8.0s that I've previously owned, as well as every other iem I've ever owned.

This isn't surprising to me, as I adore Westone's relaxed house sound (warm, fatigue-free signature) that tends to be found in their W range. I don't feel that the W80 departs far from the formula that works so well for them. It may sound crazy to some, but I honestly preferred the W60s to the Kaizer 10s for everyday use.

Of course, the W80 reaches higher, has a broader soundscape, and is more resolving than the W60, but then it brings two more drivers into play.

My listening has been limited to their EPIC cable, as unfortunately mine was purchased with the ALO separated from the sale. I do have a nice pure silver litz cable on order, so I'm looking forward to checking out any differences.

My set-up is (hear the audiophile groan...) the iPhone 8+. I also listen to (double-groan!!) mp3s using Apples' lossless file code. So I may be missing a lot, but I'm enjoying these A LOT. Also, their comfort remains first in class (even if at the likely cost of some longevity). These are keepers... but I do often say this right before some other shiny thing comes along!
 
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Nov 4, 2017 at 5:40 AM Post #907 of 1,446
Yes they are very good

I'm not sure that I would pay full retail for them, but for me, the second-hand for $700, represents an attractive investment.

You got a good deal. I have seen some around for sale missing various accessories, it makes me concerned that people may be buying a lost/stolen item which would be a shame.
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 8:36 AM Post #909 of 1,446
Regarding these O Rings, can you confirm that the link you provided is the right size? 3mm diameter and 1mm thickness? Cheers. BTW, that's not a metal J plate is it? (I live in hope.)

The link was provided by @javahut, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008JBW7ZS/ and he posted pictures here: https://head-fi.org/threads/westone-w80.821612/page-60#post-13819447 - so it works, assuming the correct size. And btw, it's not clear from amazon listing since they call it "washer", but when you scroll down it says nitrile rubber.

Also, I haven't spotted any metal J-plates yet :) But as you know there were more demand for C-clip metal plates due to previous crack issues, while I think J-clips are more reliable.
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 8:44 AM Post #910 of 1,446
I think with the missing cable the answer is less sinister, they liked the cable, but were less impressed with the W80 itself.

Another thing, there are so many new releases, people constantly upgrading, and in some cases buying and returning is the only way to really test the IEM. I talked to a few of my readers who got into a habit of doing that on amazon, until half a dozen of returns where they get banned and have to buy and sell it at a loss if they don't like it. But Ref8 is a great cable (minus microphonics which you can learn to tolerate), and removable cable is an investment because you can use it with different IEMs.
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 8:45 AM Post #911 of 1,446
I feel the need to pop my head up and shout out some praise to the W80. I've given Westone a "Proper Bollocking" as the English like to say, regarding the W60 faceplates. However, the W80 does appear to have (finally) corrected the issue. I find the W80 has been a substantial upgrade for the (otherwise) superb W60.

I'm not sure that I would pay full retail for them, but for me, the second-hand for $700, represents an attractive investment.

I prefer these to the K10s and Heir 8.0s that I've previously owned, as well as every other iem I've ever owned.

This isn't surprising to me, as I adore Westone's relaxed house sound (warm, fatigue-free signature) that tends to be found in their W range. I don't feel that the W80 departs far from the formula that works so well for them. It may sound crazy to some, but I honestly preferred the W60s to the Kaizer 10s for everyday use.

Of course, the W80 reaches higher, has a broader soundscape, and is more resolving than the W60, but then it brings two more drivers into play.

My listening has been limited to their EPIC cable, as unfortunately mine was purchased with the ALO separated from the sale. I do have a nice pure silver litz cable on order, so I'm looking forward to checking out any differences.

My set-up is (hear the audiophile groan...) the iPhone 8+. I also listen to (double-groan!!) mp3s using Apples' lossless file code. So I may be missing a lot, but I'm enjoying these A LOT. Also, their comfort remains first in class (even if at the likely cost of some longevity). These are keepers... but I do often say this right before some other shiny thing comes along!

You can get them brand new for 1000usd when there are some discounts on earphonesolutions or somewhere else. I just really love thesr IEMs, great bass and sub bass with very clear highs not too bright as the w60s which i have not usrd since i got these. The soundstage is wide enough and instrument separation is fantastic. And the comfort omg, i can sleep with them on, i can wear tem for hours as well. They dont get the praise they deserve. Most ppl here just talk about Andromedas, 64 a12 or 18 etc. Evrryone around me think im crazy for splashing this cash on iems but once they listen they just get amazed. And i listen to good music i.e. whatever sounds good to my ears. Only fault is the ref cable has terrible memory and has phonics when walking, and the iem makes hate popular tracks/albums because tehey are badly mastered
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 8:47 AM Post #912 of 1,446
Another thing, there are so many new releases, people constantly upgrading, and in some cases buying and returning is the only way to really test the IEM. I talked to a few of my readers who got into a habit of doing that on amazon, until half a dozen of returns where they get banned and have to buy and sell it at a loss if they don't like it. But Ref8 is a great cable (minus microphonics which you can learn to tolerate), and removable cable is an investment because you can use it with different IEMs.
Twister maybe you can do giveaways of gear you receive and dont use much :D
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 8:50 AM Post #913 of 1,446
You can get them brand new for 1000usd when there are some discounts on earphonesolutions or somewhere else. I just really love thesr IEMs, great bass and sub bass with very clear highs not too bright as the w60s which i have not usrd since i got these. The soundstage is wide enough and instrument separation is fantastic. And the comfort omg, i can sleep with them on, i can wear tem for hours as well. They dont get the praise they deserve. Most ppl here just talk about Andromedas, 64 a12 or 18 etc. Evrryone around me think im crazy for splashing this cash on iems but once they listen they just get amazed. And i listen to good music i.e. whatever sounds good to my ears. Only fault is the ref cable has terrible memory and has phonics when walking, and the iem makes hate popular tracks/albums because tehey are badly mastered

The reason why more people talk about Campfire, 64 Audio, Empire Ears, Noble, etc. because these manufacturers religiously attend every single CanJam, and many people get a chance to try it at the show. I have been chatting with Westone guys and trying to convince them to attend the next CanJam NYC. Hopefully it will give them more exposure to showcase the whole W-series and UM Pro series line up. When you attend CanJam shows, more people talk about your products.
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 8:54 AM Post #914 of 1,446
Twister maybe you can do giveaways of gear you receive and dont use much :D

I'm very open about the review samples I receive, those are not products I own. When I started reviewing, many were loaners, and as I continued and built my reputation, I started to receive long term loaners so I can continue comparing between different iems, test different dap pairs up, and test with different cables. Can't do giveaways or anything like that, these are all long term loan samples.
 
Nov 4, 2017 at 8:56 AM Post #915 of 1,446
I'm very open about the review samples I receive, those are not products I own. When I started reviewing, many were loaners, and as I continued and built my reputation, I started to receive long term loaners so I can continue comparing between different iems, test different dap pairs up, and test with different cables. Can't do giveaways or anything like that, these are all long term loan samples.
Ah i thought they were given to you for you to keep as phone and other electronic manufacturers do for their reviews :)
 

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