Headphone overview WESTONE W60 - 10 music lover's friends
Have you ever thought about how people choose their devices and gadgets? For some, the guarantee of the quality of the goods will be a big name, for some it is important to understand that the company is seriously engaged in the product that the person wants to buy. That is why there is a place in the market for such transnational monsters like Apple, Samsung, Sony, and highly specialized small companies that take not advertising and brand awareness, but focus on one particular area of ​​activity and try to produce the highest quality product.
Today I want to tell you exactly about such a Company - Westone Labs and their top-end consumer headphone line model - Westone W60
')
So, Westone ... This name will not say anything to a wide circle of consumers in Russia, and meanwhile, behind the "name of that" is hiding the manufacturer of such professional equipment, the level of which is caused by the envious singer of people who understand what they are holding. In general, Westone is a name rather for those who, as they say, “in the subject line” ...
It all began back in 1959 in Colorado Springs, as a small family business for the production of individual (custom) headphones, made on the basis of the impression of the auditory channel. And then there were research and development in the field of hearing protection, a contract with the Pentagon to provide hearing protection devices for American soldiers, access to the medical market, development of sound solutions for the sports industry, in particular, for cycling, and, of course, work in the music industry.
In the "summary" of Westone, there are joint developments with Shure, as well as work with such an icon in the music industry as Jerry Harvey, who has long collaborated with Van Halen, Skid Row and many other rock bands, founder and chief engineer of the legendary Ultimate Ears. Today, Westone Labs is a recognized leader in the production of hearing protection devices in industrial and military environments, as well as a trendsetter among manufacturers of musical equipment. No wonder such guys as Metallica, Jon Bon Jovi, Skillet, Snoop Dogg and many others flaunt at their concerts in equipment from Westone ... but what can I say ... the "grandmother of the world pop scene" herself Madonna does not disdain stage monitors from Colorado Springs , and Cirque Du Soleil generally get up in them something unreal.
In the photo, Michael Wagener, a German producer and sound engineer, one of the founders of the Accept group, is known for collaborating with many rock bands and performers, for example, Accept, Metallica, Ozzy Osborne, WASP
Okay, let's move on to the model itself ...
Immediately make a reservation, to analyze such headphones as the Westone W60 from the “good-bad” position does not work at all. It's like describing an expensive wine, each crop has its own notes and flavors, but to say which one is better sometimes is simply impossible.
The first thing that catches your eye when you open the box is a huge set of interchangeable ear cushions that comes with headphones. If to be completely accurate, then the kit includes 10 pairs of nozzles. The validity of such an amount, I understood only when I started listening.
The thing is that for each specific genre of music and practically for each performer I had to change sets, because the sound changed just dramatically from restrained bass and crystal tops for jazz, to rich, juicy bottom with muffled tops for heavy styles. And, by the way, I suffered a lot before Skyfall Adele, it sounded like I wanted.
In addition to a set of ear cushions, a miniature plastic case, ala “trunk”, interchangeable overhead panels that change the appearance of the model, a device to combat earwax, and a screwdriver for changing color panels are relied on to the headphones. The package bundle, I tell you, is rather dry and restrained, designed, apparently, to once again emphasize asceticism and professional background. A nice bonus to all of this is that the headphones have a headset function for the iPhone and a replaceable braided Epic cable ... yes, the cable for these headphones is interchangeable, which I, the owner of a young cat in the house, was very pleased with.
The model has a breech fit and a man unprepared, the installation of headphones in the ear canal will seem a very entertaining process. In fact, a separate quest, but ..., after a few minutes of torment and blasting, the W60 becomes an almost imperceptible continuation of your ear. Headphones are extremely comfortable, fully fitting inside the auricle and not interfering with hats, bandannas, which are so necessary in winter, or what else a typical lover of good sound wears on their heads)) And you can sleep in them ... I'm serious ... these are the first headphones in my a practice in which you can sleep peacefully and peacefully, with your ear buried in a pillow.
Let's drop the anchor here, no, better just six.
But. let's get to the main point ... Westone W60-model reinforcement (from the English. balanced armature- balanced anchor), so that you will not find the usual speakers in it. And not only is the reinforcement model, so is the six driver, equipped with a three-way crossover. Westone engineers managed to accommodate two drivers for each frequency range in a very compact package and ensure that the whole thing is also consistently agreed with each other.
The armature sound for the user unprepared for him, I tell you, is a very nontrivial thing. The thing is that from the very first seconds of listening, just a waterfall of sound information falls on you. The resolution is an order of magnitude higher than that of dynamic models and the substance that is in your head exactly between the auditory passages takes some time to comprehend.
The sound stage of the headphones is built just great, the sound really goes beyond the head and, often, the instruments almost physically feel somewhere in five centimeters behind the auricles, everything is clearly localized in space, everything is in its place. Moreover, the scene is built equally well both horizontally and vertically. So do not be surprised when listening to Hey You Pink Floyd, if you pass by some house at this time, you will find that David Gilmore shouts the very same Hey You from you out of the window, and Adele’s voice on Skyfall really sounds with Heaven ... Just in case ... the author did not use anything. In general, all the splendor of the spatial construction of sound is especially well felt on albums with large arrays of complex audio information, and the Pink-Floyd Wall is out of competition here. I don’t know what these guys ate at the time of her recording, but this is overwhelming. Some time to fit the headphones for themselves and ... stained, hammered hammers, and the meat grinder started spinning ...
* for those who do not know
Talking about the tone of the sound of the W60 something unambiguous is very difficult. The trick is that, in fact, I tested 10 different headphones in the same package. The sound affects ALL! The source, the quality of the audio material, a specific pair of nozzles, their size and material ... I ’d just make a reservation, these headphones were tested for the “Hamburg score” - Sony’s flagship NWZ-ZX2 from Sony, at least 24/96 quality, half of the DSD (By the way, forgive me audiophiles, marketing in this format is still more than real benefit). However, in general, I can say that for a person who is used to a “dynamic” sound, at first the model may seem too bright at the top and will surprise the sound of the bass. It seems to be there, but some other, more delicate, restrained, slightly dried ... Understanding the sound of the W60 comes much later, after listening to more than one dozen different songs and an active process of poking with handles in the equalizer.
In all other respects, you are faced with an extremely fascinating process of selecting exactly your own cushion size and finding exactly your perfect sound. Personally, I immediately rejected for myself the smallest and largest. The first just destroyed the bass. That is, in general. From the word "absolutely." When listening to Call of Ktulhu performed by Metallica with a symphony orchestra, Kirk Hemett's solo guitar parts just blew my brain. With too big ear cushions, the bass turns into a hum, without any hint of intelligible articulation, hammering all the sound information from the upper middle and higher. I will make a reservation that this is only my subjective opinion, caused by the specific features of the structure of my auditory passages.
Well, after that go completely individual preferences in sound. For myself, I sacrificed a little for the crystal clarity of the tops in favor of a more tangible, dense bass, which I added atmospheric in very many compositions. And in the end, he achieved that both Adele and Freddie Mercury sang for me exactly as they alone can do, Yanni almost brought the tears to the orchestral parts, and Moby and Infected Mashroom sounded as if I had vata out of my ears ... electronics sound so clean and transparent.
Finally, I want to warn you that Westone W60, with all its cold, unbiased cruelty, will tell you exactly where the hands of the sound producer, who reduced your favorite albums grow ... !), and Quincy Jones for his work on Thriller Michael Jackson got a separate applause.
Instead of some headphones, I tested 10 completely different-sounding models for every taste and genre of music, worked as an “sound engineer” myself, felt that I had joined something extraordinarily legendary and professional, realized the sacredness of “W” on the Company's logo and realized that all the beautiful things in this world come at a price. And this price starts from 1000 dollars
Today I want to tell you exactly about such a Company - Westone Labs and their top-end consumer headphone line model - Westone W60
')
So, Westone ... This name will not say anything to a wide circle of consumers in Russia, and meanwhile, behind the "name of that" is hiding the manufacturer of such professional equipment, the level of which is caused by the envious singer of people who understand what they are holding. In general, Westone is a name rather for those who, as they say, “in the subject line” ...
It all began back in 1959 in Colorado Springs, as a small family business for the production of individual (custom) headphones, made on the basis of the impression of the auditory channel. And then there were research and development in the field of hearing protection, a contract with the Pentagon to provide hearing protection devices for American soldiers, access to the medical market, development of sound solutions for the sports industry, in particular, for cycling, and, of course, work in the music industry.
In the "summary" of Westone, there are joint developments with Shure, as well as work with such an icon in the music industry as Jerry Harvey, who has long collaborated with Van Halen, Skid Row and many other rock bands, founder and chief engineer of the legendary Ultimate Ears. Today, Westone Labs is a recognized leader in the production of hearing protection devices in industrial and military environments, as well as a trendsetter among manufacturers of musical equipment. No wonder such guys as Metallica, Jon Bon Jovi, Skillet, Snoop Dogg and many others flaunt at their concerts in equipment from Westone ... but what can I say ... the "grandmother of the world pop scene" herself Madonna does not disdain stage monitors from Colorado Springs , and Cirque Du Soleil generally get up in them something unreal.
In the photo, Michael Wagener, a German producer and sound engineer, one of the founders of the Accept group, is known for collaborating with many rock bands and performers, for example, Accept, Metallica, Ozzy Osborne, WASP
Okay, let's move on to the model itself ...
Immediately make a reservation, to analyze such headphones as the Westone W60 from the “good-bad” position does not work at all. It's like describing an expensive wine, each crop has its own notes and flavors, but to say which one is better sometimes is simply impossible.
Equipment
The first thing that catches your eye when you open the box is a huge set of interchangeable ear cushions that comes with headphones. If to be completely accurate, then the kit includes 10 pairs of nozzles. The validity of such an amount, I understood only when I started listening.
The thing is that for each specific genre of music and practically for each performer I had to change sets, because the sound changed just dramatically from restrained bass and crystal tops for jazz, to rich, juicy bottom with muffled tops for heavy styles. And, by the way, I suffered a lot before Skyfall Adele, it sounded like I wanted.
In addition to a set of ear cushions, a miniature plastic case, ala “trunk”, interchangeable overhead panels that change the appearance of the model, a device to combat earwax, and a screwdriver for changing color panels are relied on to the headphones. The package bundle, I tell you, is rather dry and restrained, designed, apparently, to once again emphasize asceticism and professional background. A nice bonus to all of this is that the headphones have a headset function for the iPhone and a replaceable braided Epic cable ... yes, the cable for these headphones is interchangeable, which I, the owner of a young cat in the house, was very pleased with.
Landing
The model has a breech fit and a man unprepared, the installation of headphones in the ear canal will seem a very entertaining process. In fact, a separate quest, but ..., after a few minutes of torment and blasting, the W60 becomes an almost imperceptible continuation of your ear. Headphones are extremely comfortable, fully fitting inside the auricle and not interfering with hats, bandannas, which are so necessary in winter, or what else a typical lover of good sound wears on their heads)) And you can sleep in them ... I'm serious ... these are the first headphones in my a practice in which you can sleep peacefully and peacefully, with your ear buried in a pillow.
Sound
Let's drop the anchor here, no, better just six.
But. let's get to the main point ... Westone W60-model reinforcement (from the English. balanced armature- balanced anchor), so that you will not find the usual speakers in it. And not only is the reinforcement model, so is the six driver, equipped with a three-way crossover. Westone engineers managed to accommodate two drivers for each frequency range in a very compact package and ensure that the whole thing is also consistently agreed with each other.
The armature sound for the user unprepared for him, I tell you, is a very nontrivial thing. The thing is that from the very first seconds of listening, just a waterfall of sound information falls on you. The resolution is an order of magnitude higher than that of dynamic models and the substance that is in your head exactly between the auditory passages takes some time to comprehend.
The sound stage of the headphones is built just great, the sound really goes beyond the head and, often, the instruments almost physically feel somewhere in five centimeters behind the auricles, everything is clearly localized in space, everything is in its place. Moreover, the scene is built equally well both horizontally and vertically. So do not be surprised when listening to Hey You Pink Floyd, if you pass by some house at this time, you will find that David Gilmore shouts the very same Hey You from you out of the window, and Adele’s voice on Skyfall really sounds with Heaven ... Just in case ... the author did not use anything. In general, all the splendor of the spatial construction of sound is especially well felt on albums with large arrays of complex audio information, and the Pink-Floyd Wall is out of competition here. I don’t know what these guys ate at the time of her recording, but this is overwhelming. Some time to fit the headphones for themselves and ... stained, hammered hammers, and the meat grinder started spinning ...
* for those who do not know
Talking about the tone of the sound of the W60 something unambiguous is very difficult. The trick is that, in fact, I tested 10 different headphones in the same package. The sound affects ALL! The source, the quality of the audio material, a specific pair of nozzles, their size and material ... I ’d just make a reservation, these headphones were tested for the “Hamburg score” - Sony’s flagship NWZ-ZX2 from Sony, at least 24/96 quality, half of the DSD (By the way, forgive me audiophiles, marketing in this format is still more than real benefit). However, in general, I can say that for a person who is used to a “dynamic” sound, at first the model may seem too bright at the top and will surprise the sound of the bass. It seems to be there, but some other, more delicate, restrained, slightly dried ... Understanding the sound of the W60 comes much later, after listening to more than one dozen different songs and an active process of poking with handles in the equalizer.
In all other respects, you are faced with an extremely fascinating process of selecting exactly your own cushion size and finding exactly your perfect sound. Personally, I immediately rejected for myself the smallest and largest. The first just destroyed the bass. That is, in general. From the word "absolutely." When listening to Call of Ktulhu performed by Metallica with a symphony orchestra, Kirk Hemett's solo guitar parts just blew my brain. With too big ear cushions, the bass turns into a hum, without any hint of intelligible articulation, hammering all the sound information from the upper middle and higher. I will make a reservation that this is only my subjective opinion, caused by the specific features of the structure of my auditory passages.
Well, after that go completely individual preferences in sound. For myself, I sacrificed a little for the crystal clarity of the tops in favor of a more tangible, dense bass, which I added atmospheric in very many compositions. And in the end, he achieved that both Adele and Freddie Mercury sang for me exactly as they alone can do, Yanni almost brought the tears to the orchestral parts, and Moby and Infected Mashroom sounded as if I had vata out of my ears ... electronics sound so clean and transparent.
Finally, I want to warn you that Westone W60, with all its cold, unbiased cruelty, will tell you exactly where the hands of the sound producer, who reduced your favorite albums grow ... !), and Quincy Jones for his work on Thriller Michael Jackson got a separate applause.
Eventually
Instead of some headphones, I tested 10 completely different-sounding models for every taste and genre of music, worked as an “sound engineer” myself, felt that I had joined something extraordinarily legendary and professional, realized the sacredness of “W” on the Company's logo and realized that all the beautiful things in this world come at a price. And this price starts from 1000 dollars
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/366339/
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