Performance

The Westone ES5 in-ears use five drivers hooked up to a three way crossover. The design is somewhat similar to the JH AUDIO JH16|PROs we recently covered in the sense that they both use a three way cross over and feature lots of balanced armatures. Westone have gone against the recent trend to use multiple low end drivers, and have instead focused on using one larger, more powerful unit. This design philosophy stands in stark contrast to the Westone 4s which use dual low end drivers and the JH16|PROs which feature four bass drivers. Normally balanced armatures do not need burn in, however, for this review we let them burn in for 100 hours just to be one the safe side.

The ES5s where tested on the following portable rigs: iPhone 4 (headphone out), HiFiMAN HM-801 (with GAME-card upgrade).

Even though the ES5s only have one bass driver they are far from bass light. In comparison to the Westone 4s they have around the same amount, but the ES5s have the upper hand when it comes to low end extension and control. The bass is equally dominant in terms of volume, but the better definition of the ES5s makes you notice it more especially on tracks with an intricate bass line. Compared to the JH16|PROs the ES5s bass is less powerful and does not have quite the same slam. Bass quality wise it is a toss-up between the two, the Jerry Harvey Audio in-ears have slightly more thump, but definition wise the ES5 wins.

The Westone ES5 have a very controlled and slightly forward midrange. It is very natural to listen to because note decay is portrayed faithfully. With the ES5s it is the subtleties that makes them great, whereas the JH16|PROs have a less sophisticated more forgiving quality to them. The transition from mid bass to midrange is done without any oddities occurring. There is no mid bass hump like you get from some bassy earphones. The level of midrange detail is a bit above that of the JH16|PROs because nothing is hidden from the ears due to excessive coloration. The most flattering description of the ES5s midrange is natural. The ES5’s midrange makes them stand out from the crowd. On tracks with a lot of midrange details the ES5s are simply in a league of their own.

The upper midrange is perfectly balanced, there is no sibilance to be noted, yet crunch guitars retain that aggressive sound. Sibilance is not an issue with the Westone ES5s, even harmonicas sound right with just the right amount high end edge. Same thing goes for the treble. The very flat frequency response of the ES5s makes the high end appear at similar intensity to the midrange. This balanced sound produces no artificial sparkle that the JH16|PROs have a hint off. Because Westone have gone for a balanced sound the minute details are slightly easier to hear.

The sound stage of the Westone ES5s takes after the Westone 4s in the sense that your listening position is a bit further from the orchestra than with the JH16|PROs. Compared to the Westone 4s the sound stage is a little less wide, but is more precisely defined.

Like the JH|16PROs the ES5s are very capable sound stage wise. Both these in-ears exhibit a coherent and highly defined sound stage. The ES5 have an edge, under some circumstance, due to the fact that you are a bit further back there is a greater sense of space between the instruments. The JH|16PROs sound a little more engaging because of this perceived closeness. It does, however, all come down to personal preference.

The Westone ES5s are even more sensitive than the JH AUDIO JH16|PROs, but the difference is marginal. A more noticeable difference between the two is the fact that the Westone in-ears are equipped with a much softer and thinner cable. While it is less durable it also performs a lot better in terms of handling microphonics.