Verdict
In sonic phrases the Mach 70 have loads to advocate them, even when some further low frequency wouldn’t go amiss. As objects, although, they don’t remotely stay as much as the asking worth.
Professionals
- Sonic element and perception to spare
- Light-weight and cozy design
- Good passive noise-isolation
Cons
- Want extra low-frequency presence
- No unbalanced cable
- Perceived worth will not be nice
-
DriversOptions seven balanced armatures per earbud -
Frequency varyGoes as low as5Hz and as excessive as 22kHz -
Ear-tips10 totally different pairs to suit totally different ear sizes
Introduction
The idea of the on-stage in-ear monitor was Westone’s within the first place – so it’s not an enormous leap of creativeness to suppose the corporate is aware of precisely what it’s doing the place the buyer equal is worried.
However with venerable manufacturers from each continent trying to half you from a snug 4 figures for his or her alternate options, what have the Mach 70 obtained to assist them stand out?
Availability
The Westone Mach 70 wired in-ear screens are on sale now, and in the UK they’re yours for £1399. Of their native America they promote for $1399, whereas in Australia they’re extra like AU$2099. Remarkably, this kind of pricing makes equal high-end IEMs from firms as auspicious as Sennheiser and Shure appear like bargains…
Design
- Mild and ergonomic earbuds
- Mild and slim cable
- Not a lot perceived worth
It’s fairly an achievement on Westone’s half to have discovered house for seven balanced armature drivers in earbuds so light-weight and compact. The earbuds are rigorously formed, and as soon as in place utilizing the acquainted ‘twist/lock’ motion they keep comfy for hours at a time. Add in a cable that’s slender and equally mild, and also you’ve a pair of wired IEMs which might be no burden in any respect to put on.

Construct high quality and end is sweet, too – which is the least you’re entitled to anticipate on the worth. The casing is clean, the seam the place its two sections be part of is nigh-on invisible… however not like Audeze (for example) or Sennheiser (particularly), Westone seems to have gone to no lengths in any respect to create a notion of the Mach 70 as a premium product. There’s no tactility right here, no visible drama – and that gray plate with the ‘Mach 70’ legend on it’s as plasticky because it appears to be like.

Options
- Seven balanced armatures per earbud
- Linum Estron UltraBaX cable
- In depth choice of eartips
So sure, as already talked about: there aren’t any fewer than seven balanced armature drivers in every Mach 70 earbud. 4 deal with treble response, a pair extra deal with the midrange, and the one remaining takes care of the low frequencies.

The earbuds use T2 connectors to connect to 127cm of Linum Estron UltraBaX cable. It is a silver-plated copper, double-twisted litz design that’s famend for its super-low microphonics and crosstalk. It’s very mild at simply 6g, slimmer than appears attainable, and is skin-friendly too.
Westone provides the Mach 70 in a sturdy Pelican hard-case, and in addition to the cable, the earbuds and, oddly, a carabiner clip, the field comprises a gentle carry-pouch and no fewer than ten pairs of eartips. Unofficially, they’re sized from ‘very small’ to ‘extraordinarily massive’ – and there are 5 pairs in silicone and 5 pairs in foam.

There’s just one cable, although – and to double my disappointment at this truth, it’s terminated in an unbalanced 3.5mm jack. Fairly a number of rivals are provided with 2.5mm or 4.4mm balanced alternate options along with a 3.5mm cable, and even each – however Westone doesn’t even provide a 6.3mm adapter.
Sound High quality
- Open, eloquent, and constructive sound
- Sky-high ranges of element and perception
- Wanting low-end substance
Due to the way in which Westone provides the Mach 70, you’re restricted to utilizing sources (or headphone amps) with unbalanced outputs – and, until you’ve obtained a 6.3mm adapter useful, sources with 3.5mm unbalanced outputs. And this guidelines out just about each smartphone – though it appears unlikely anybody with this kind of cash to spend on IEMs goes to pair them immediately with a smartphone anyway.
Hooked up to an acceptable supply and with a chunky 24-bit/96kHz file of PJ Harvey’s I Contained in the Outdated Yr Dying enjoying, the Mach 70 are instantly, and in some ways profoundly, spectacular. In reality, even earlier than they begin making a sound, the mixture of sunshine weight, ergonomic good sense, and the assure of a pair of eartips that match very well, their passive noise isolation creates a fantastic first impression.
As soon as up and operating, the quantity of element they’ll extract and reveal in a recording is actually fairly startling. The place tone and texture are involved, in addition to the small harmonic variations evident in particular person devices, the Mach 70 are nearly fanatical within the consideration they pay. They determine even essentially the most minor and/or transient occasions with out effort, and all the time give them acceptable weighting.

This expertise combines nicely with an equal ability in soundstaging. These IEM create a remarkably open, spacious, and expansive soundstage, and organise a recording upon it with absolute authority. Each strand of a recording will get loads of elbowroom by which to precise itself – however on the identical, time, the Mach 70 are expert at making a unity and a singularity of efficiency from even a disparate or complicated recording. Their facility with timing, the power to conjure the feeling of commonality from a recording, is all the time evident.
From the highest of the frequency vary to the underside, the Westone are easily built-in and usually properly balanced. The excessive frequency copy right here is crisp and vivid, however there’s loads of substance to go together with the treble shine that’s obtainable. And within the midrange, the Mach 70 talk with actual freedom, giving vocalists of all types actual eloquence – regardless of in the event that they’re crooners, shouters, completed technicians or full chancers.

There are comparable ranges of conviction, of positivity, element, and management, as the underside of the frequency vary as elsewhere. Assault of bass sounds is straight edged, which implies rhythms are described confidently, and assault is managed with full conviction too. Momentum is appreciable, and there’s actual alacrity to the way in which the Mach 70 snap into and out of low frequency occurrences.
What there isn’t, although, is a substantial amount of physique or substance to the bass the Westone generate. There’s rapidity, sure, a substantial amount of element relating to form and texture, and loads of all-around constancy – however there’s no two methods about it, the Mach 70 could possibly be a punchier and extra strong hear.
That’s to not say they’re wanting dynamic headroom, you perceive. The space between the smaller, softer situations of a recording and its full-on assault overload is appreciable. It’s simply that there’s not as a lot low-frequency meat on the bones as is good.
Newest offers
Do you have to purchase it?
You plan to take heed to your high-end supply of music for hours at a time: If there’s a extra comfy wired high-end IEM on the market, it hasn’t but made it so far as Trusted Opinions.
You don’t personal a high-end supply of music: The Mach 70 aren’t precisely judgemental, however they solely start to sound like the cash’s-worth when paired with a succesful music participant.
Ultimate Ideas
You spend this kind of cash on IEMs in the beginning to get flawless sound high quality, after all – and whereas they’re not flawless, the Westone Mach 70 are deeply spectacular in lots of sonic departments.
However I refuse to imagine that anybody laying this kind of cash down doesn’t need to be made to be ok with their buy in different methods, too – on the very least you’re entitled to anticipate some mad drama a la Campfire Audio, or some difficult machining of premium supplies resembling is supplied by Sennheiser. There’s none of this with the Mach 70, not even a touch.
How we check
We check each set of headphones we assessment completely over an prolonged time frame. We use business normal checks to check options correctly. We’ll all the time inform you what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to assessment a product.
Discover out extra about how we check in our ethics coverage.
Examined with actual world use
FAQs
The Mach 70 is just provided with an unbalanced connection, so the very best efficiency is had with unbalanced outputs/sources.