HIFIMAN HM901 + Westone W40

Awesome IEM's

First, let me say writing product reviews is not my forte; however, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on my Westone’s W40 In-Ear-Monitors.

After researching the different brands of IEM’s available in the market for several months, via the internet and in stores, I purchased a pair of Westone W40 IEM’s. This was a major purchase; I’ve owned several other brands over the years, but nothing remotely close to this investment price for IEM’s. I travel for work and was looking for IEM’s that had the following qualities:

• Comfortable, with noise isolation qualities
• Clear, controlled sound
• Bass delivered as it was intended (full but not overpowering)
• Compact light travel case

My W40’s arrived and I could not wait to plug them in to see how they sounded. My first impression was they were just OK; not great, but not bad either…just neutral. Factored into my decision was the required time to ‘burn in’ for my W40’s. My W40’s came to life (WOW) after about 50 hours of use. Activities during the ‘burn in’ phase included, listening to music, watching movies and multiple conference calls using the provided MFI cable.

Here are my thoughts after two weeks of using my W40’s – SWEET, AWESOME, FANTASTIC! The sound is absolutely impeccable! I enjoy hearing the bass (robust and full, while not overpowering), the beautiful mids and trebles are balanced along with superb separation of instruments and vocals (in many instances, I feel like I am hearing new instruments in my music selections). I am simply amazed with the clarity and overall sound my W40’s deliver.

Additional items worth mentioning:

• People sound like they are sitting in the same room with me during conference calls when I dial in from a remote location. The pitch is flawless (an added benefit I did not consider in my purchase requirements).
• The product comes with two types of ear buds; silicone and foam in multiple sizes. My recommendation is to try both types of ear buds and the different sizes. It took me about a week of trial and error to find the ones that work best for me.
• The mini vault is a nice touch, but I find it difficult to store my IEM’s with the MFI phone cable attached.

While the price was higher than I planned on spending, I don’t regret my purchase. My W40’s are everything I thought they would be and more. My only regret …not buying them sooner.

Very good

I had never spent this much money on ear buds. I was a little reluctant to shell out that much money but I wanted the great sound that everybody was raving about. I took the plunge and have been very happy with these Westone w40. I use lossless music files and I can listen to them for hours on end. My Ibasso dx50 died just after I received them so I had to go a week before stepping up to the Fiio x5. This is a very good pairing. I get lost in the music now.

W40 Review

Preface: I primarily listen to rock and roll, hip hop, and electronic music. During my testing I

enjoy nice clean bass, decent mids, as well as a good open soundstage. I primarily use

earbuds for traveling so another important factor is sound isolation. All testing was done on with

the Lotoo Paw Gold DAP.

Features: Some key features this IEM includes a detachable cord so if you would like to

upgrade your cable you could do so. It also comes with quite a few tip choices including True-

Fit foam tips as well as Star silicone tips of various sizes. This quad driver IEM has an

impedance of 31ohms and comes with red, blue, and black faceplates. The quad driver design

includes four balanced armature drivers with a three way crossover. Also includes a hard travel

carrying case as well as extra cable which includes a three button Apple control system with

mic.

Build Quality: I feel the build quality on these is excellent only issue I have is the connector

with the detachable cord. It doesn’t stay in place but however rotates so at times could be

difficult to position correctly.

Comfort: These IEMs have a thin barrel which allows for good fit into the ear canal. When it

comes to IEMs with thinner barrels I usually have to use triple flange ear tips in order to get the

best sound and seal. However, for this IEM I preferred the foam tips as the barrel isn’t long like

in other IEMs such as the Shure SE535.

Bass: The bass on these was nice and clear. The mids don’t get overshadowed by the bass

and the bass hits are very clean. It doesn’t hit as hard as some other IEMs I have tried but I feel

like this is a nice change as it doesn’t take away from the beauty of vocals. It may not reach

down as low as you would like but definitely makes up in other areas.

Mids: Mids are solid and clear. You can clearly hear the instruments as well as the vocals.

This is in part to the excellent implementation of the crossover I feel. With the bass not as

pronounced it allows for excellent mid and treble extension. I would easily highlight this as

being the star of the show. Just an excellent reproduction of music and such a clean sound.

Treble: Treble is very solid on the W40 as it’s not too bright or tizzy. To some it might sound

slightly rolled but I feel there is a certain balance you need in order to achieve good quality

treble. For me too much treble extension could cause fatigue however, cymbal hits are great

and don’t cause fatigue or discomfort.

Soundstage/Separation: The soundstage and instrument separation on the W40 is the

highlight for me. The details come through very clear. It’s what I would call the ideal sound

stage for me as everything comes through very clearly. You don’t miss anything and are able to

catch details that usually aren’t present when the sound stage is too cluttered.

Overall: This IEM is valued at $499.99. I think if you like music and are looking for an IEM with

solid mids and great treble extension this might be the IEM for you. The tonality is excellent and

felt that this IEM overall just really enjoyable. Excellent for vocal focused music like Diana Krall

as well as jazz, classical, and the blues.

Thank you for reading my review and I hope this helps with your purchase decision.