Westone Audio - UM Pro 30 (1st Generation)

Shure 215 are the best value on a budget. You can get a pretty decent mix if you know what you’re doing, but the bass is a little low. I’d recommend going a step up and looking for a two-driver or three-driver model. I think the 315 has two drivers, and heard good things. Personally I rock Westone UM30 which sounds amazing. Wouldn’t go beyond that.

Westone UM30. Solid three driver set. Not too expensive if you can find them on sale.

Westone 3 ! 2012, around 600 with tax, from B&H Photo Video. It was excellent for the time, but quality was really fragile=poor. I probably should’ve bought Shure

I started to use my Westone 3 again that I bought on launch with the shure tri flanges cutten to two flanges, I really like its sound signature (I think people say it's bassy?). The left side started to malfunction a bit. I started to wear glasses and full sized headphones are a bit discomforting so I pulled the Westone 3 that was sealed for like almost a decade. Can I buy something WAY BETTER than it for the same price I paid it, around $300? Or should I buy a used and working Westone 4 for like $40?

Once a titan in quality audio (especially in the recording/performing artist niche) that sat on its laurels and was left in the dust with other companies who innovated. I feel like, initially, they fell behind on driver configurations, but were then also overtaken on things like tuning options. This is the same for their customs which couldn’t keep up with the features and options from 64, UE, etc. Westone did try to improve their lineup, but it was either a bit too late, nothing the market was asking for, catered to the wrong audience, or disproportionate to the asking price. Personally, I used to enjoy using their IEMs and I found that the size/shape of their shells were really comfortable for my smaller ears and the plethora of tips they used to give was nice for tip rolling (though they weren’t always the best acoustically). That said, I don’t think I’ve ever used any for the last 5+ years after trying newer things. At the moment, my Westone 3s are clipped on my travel bag as a spare for flights and stuff.