Despite the wide array of tips, the Westone 3 earphones will provide a bit of a challenge for small-eared users. We were eventually able to get a comfortable fit and noise-isolating seal with one set of foam tips, but the 'buds still didn't seem entirely secure. Mostly, this has to do with the large size of the earpieces: they measure more than three-quarters of an inch across, and the eartip attachment arm doesn't stick out far from the 'bud. In fact, although the earphones are designed to be worn so that the wire loops over the top of the ear, we actually had to swap the left and right earpieces so that the cord was hanging down; they simply would not fit into the shape of our ears otherwise. On the plus side, the 'buds and cable are very light, which helps them stay put.
All that being said, we completely forgive the large size of the Westone 3's earbuds because the company manages to shove three balanced armatures into each one. Put simply, this equals fantastic audio reproduction. So good, in fact, we cringed whenever a file of a bit rate lower than 192Kbps came through on our test player (the Sony S-Series Walkman). Frankly, if you have a lossy music collection, there's no point in spending your dough here. For audio connoisseurs, music sounds exceptionally clear, deep, and balanced. We listened to songs across a variety of genres during our testing and were never disappointed. Akon's vocals in "The Sweet Escape" sound positively shimmery, and the bass in Massive Attack's "Protection" is encompassing without being overpowering. Mids are rich and buttery across the board. All in all, it's a $400 experience, just as it should be.
