When I first put on the Westone W10 and started cranking music, I thought something was wrong with the headphones.  My music didn’t sound the same.  After a few minutes letting my ears warm up to the headphones, it became apparent that I was listening to music on a premium in-ear headphone for the first time, without the distortion that plagues cheaper models.   This is the Westone W10.

Sinking $200 into a headphone may not be for everyone.   Certainly, most folks aren’t going to sink that kind of money into the Westone W10.  At least, they won’t until they listen to it.

The W10 is very, very balanced.  The upper end is sweet.   Highs and mids are good.  The low end is there too, but there’s no noticeable bass.  If you like even a little bit of bass, you should consider an amp for these headphones.

That being said, clarity is through the roof on these headphones, and you can really start to pick apart the music bit by bit.

There’s a relatively low nominal impedance of 27 ohms, and a frequency response of 20-16000 hertz.  Sensitivity is 122 decibels at 1 miliwatt.

So how do they sound?  Some might say dull and lifeless (if bass is your thing), while others might point to the  lively highs and mids, as well as the overall clarity which imparts a not unappreciated crispness.

Build quality is fantastic, with a design that allows the cable to be replaced.  A wealth of eartips are included.  Seriously, if you can’t find a suitable set of eartips out of the bunch, you have problems bigger than eartips.  There’s also a second cable.

What isn’t to love about these headphones?  JACK.  Okay, maybe they could have some bass.  But for most of the people who will buy Westone, that isn’t going to be a problem.  These headphones work great for in-ear monitoring or mixing.  They also sound fantastic when playing layer acoustic music.

In all, would I recommend them?  Yes.  If you’re looking for an in-ear monitor, you can’t beat the clarity of the Westone W10.  If you’re in the market for an even-sounding in-ear headphone with NO BASS, this one is probably worth considering.  If you’re after $200 worth of headphones for a wide array of music, keep looking.

Check out the Westone Headphones Store at Audio46.com.