First Listen: Westone W60 universal-fit earphones

By tradition the Colorado Springs, Colorado-based firm Westone has offered several ranges of both custom-fit in-ear monitors and universal-fit earphones. Westone’s product lines are sufficiently complex that at time one feels as if a ‘decoder ring’ of sorts is needed in order to keep things straight. Herewith, please find my crude attempt at such a decoder ring.

Westone’s Custom-fit Models:

• ES (or ‘Elite Series’) models: Westone’s top-of-the-range CIEMs.
• AC Series models: Cost-reduced CIEMs “designed specifically for emerging musicians, worship teams, and personal listeners.
• CR10 Recreational Earphones: Despite its nomenclature, the CR10 is a CIEM, but with one important twist. Specifically, the CR10 features a very low profile earpiece such that it can be worn within the confines of various active sports-type helmets.

Westone’s Universal-fit Models:

• UM (or ‘Universal Monitors’) models: Westone’s top-of-the-range universal-fit earphones “designed specifically for the onstage performer.”
• W Series models: Westone’s preferred universal-fit earphones for personal listeners who will primarily listen to recorded music (as opposed to stage mixes at live musical events).
• Adventure Series model: These are the Land Rovers of the Westone earphone range; in short, these models are quasi-ruggedised earphones that can stand up to rough use in adverse listening environments.

In working on Hi-Fi+’s upcoming Guide to Headphones, Earphones & Related Electronics, I had a chance to catch up with the Westone team. In the course of our conversation I mentioned that while I had reviewed Westone’s former flagship models—namely, the ES-5 CIEM and Westone TrueFit 4 universal-fit earphone, I had never had a chance to try either the new ES60 CIEM ($1,299) or W60 universal-fit earphone ($999). A few days after the conversation, and to my pleasant surprise, a pair of W60’s arrived at my office for me to try out.

Like many other manufacturers of top-tier CIEMs and earphones, Westone has experimented extensively with using multiple groups of balanced armature-type drivers in its CIEMs and earphones. Accordingly, both the ES60 and W60 share an impressive three-way, six-driver array whose stated objective is “to accurately reproduce mastered music the way the artist and producer intended.”  But with Westone products, I have learned, the featured driver arrays are not the only aspects of the products worthy of our attention. I say this because, more than many other manufacturers, Westone has laboured mightily to get all the other aspects of earphone designs dialled-in to a fare thee well.

What other aspects of design are we talking about? Well, for starters the earpiece assembly itself. Westone has carefully juggled design parameters to ensure that the earpiece offers sufficient volume to enclose its six-driver array and attendant three-way crossover network, yet also to ensure that the earpiece is compact enough to fit the widest possible range of ear sizes and shapes. Moreover, Westone gave some thought to making sure the earpiece is easy for user to grasp, insert, remove, or to adjust or reposition during use. These might seem obvious and basic points to consider, but honestly you would be amazed to see how many earphone manufacturers somehow mange to get the basics “not quite right.” Finally, as a tasteful and fun aesthetic touch, the W60s come with three sets of differently coloured, user replaceable faceplates in matte metallic grey, gold, and red.

Moving on, Westone offers with the W60 one of the nicest and most complete sets of ear tips I have encountered with any earphone on the market thus far. Specifically, the W60 comes with five pairs each (sized XS, S, M, L, and XL) of TrueFit foam-type ear tips and of patented StarFit silicone ear tips. The latter are really quite clever as they offer a fundamentally superior alternative to the semi-spherically-shaped “bulb”-type ear tips that most manufacturers supply. Unlike traditional tips, StarFit tips have ribbed or fluted inner surfaces that enable the tips to bend and flex to adapt to the often irregularly shaped contours of the users’ ear canals. As a result, wearers enjoy a consistently comfortable, airtight fit with no fatigue-inducing pressure points.

Attention to details doesn’t stop with the ear tips, either, as the W60s come with two sets of EPIC signal cables. EPIC cables offer high-strength, ultra-low resistance tensile wire and are reinforce with aramid fibre to resist breakage. One set of cables features EPIC G2 cable in a “stealth” matte black round sheath with an Apple/Siri control, volume, and mic module. The other set of cables, which I think of as the ‘audiophile cables’, features glossy black braided EPIC cable. Both set of cables feature handy, swivelling, snap-to-connect fittings on the earpiece end.

Last but not least, Westone provides a padded, O-ring sealed, translucent orange moulded thermoplastic carry case for the earphone, with Westone’s distinctive “W” logo on the outside. My only quibble with the otherwise great case is that it is pretty small, so that getting the earphones with coiled-up cables to fit can be a bit of trick to master.

First listening impressions were favourable, though not necessarily in quite the way I anticipated. Unlike some earphones that strive to create an initial impression that “wows” the listeners, the W60 takes a different approach. Rather than bowling the listener over with this, that, or the other spectacular quality, the W60 gets under one’s skin with its effortless and almost self-effacing qualities of tonal neutrality and sheer evenness and smoothness of frequency response. In short, my first brief listening sessions with the W60 left me pondering one simple-to-say, but difficult-to-achieve, sonic quality: namely, balance. Thus far, in the early going, the W60 strikes me as being one of the most balanced and complete-sounding earphones I’ve encountered thus far.

Owing to the upheaval of an office move in progress, I’ve not yet had a chance to try the W60s with any of my better quality portable amp/DACs (I’m still digging them out of the packing boxes in my new office). However, unless I miss my guess, the W60 will likely prove to be the calibre of earphone that only fully comes alive when pushed by high-quality, high-performance ancillary electronics. This isn’t to say the W60 can’t be used with a smartphone or tablet, because that’s certainly not the case, but rather to suggest that it places on offer some heightened levels of performance that can only be tapped with better quality amps and DACs.

Once I get my new office and headphone/earphone listening station(s) fully operational, I’ll report back on additional finding as they emerge.

Until then, let me wish happy listening to one and all (and do go check out the W60s for your selves—they’re worthy of your attention).