Westone 1 True-Fit review

Now, the Westone 1 may be quite a bit more compact than the Westone 3, but it's for good reason: rather than three balanced armatures, you get just one (and that takes up much less space). Of course, the sacrifice is obvious. The Westone 1 earphones just cannot compete with their triple-armatured sibling in terms of sound quality, but they also cost significantly less, so it's not a fair comparison. Rather, we pitted the Westone 1 against the similarly priced Etymotic hf5. Unfortunately, the Westone 1 didn't quite stack up in terms of clarity and balance, so they came off sounding slightly muffled next to the Etymotics. Also, bass is far from thumping. On the plus side, mids are pleasantly rich and warm.

In the final analysis, we're very impressed with the fit of the Westone 1 True-Fit Earphones as well as the nice array of useful accessories that come in the box. Also, these earbuds seem very durable and the one-year warranty is adequate. However, you can find better-sounding earphones in this price range or even for a little less.