I was contacted by John Creigan from Jackrabbit Media and invited to review the Westone MACH 60 IEM.
Westone is a brand best known for its IEMs designed for stage musicians. Currently its inventory includes the AM Pro X, Pro X and MACH ranges.
The MACH range itself has two categories, Premium Reference, which includes the MACH 20, 40, 60 and 80 and Premium Bass, comprising the MACH 10, 30, 50 and 70. The Premium Reference series tuning is designed to be neutral whereas the Premium Bass line has a warmer tonality.
The MACH 60 featured here is the second highest model in the Premium Reference series, equipped with six balanced armature drivers per channel, two each for the bass, midrange and treble. A three-way passive crossover divides the signal amongst the six drivers. A frequency response of 8Hz-20kHz is specified along with an impedance of 35Ω and a sensitivity of 100dB @ 1kHz. The MACH 60 retails for £1099.
The Packaging
The MACH 60 comes in a large rectangular box with a full-colour sleeve featuring a montage including an image of the IEMs and the model name MACH 60 displayed in a modern sans serif font. The rear of the box shows the specifications and a list of the contents. Removing the sleeve reveals a black box bearing the Westone Audio logo and the legend “Inspired by Lucid Hearing”. Within you will find a large black pelican case inside which you will find:
● Westone MACH 60 IEMs
● Estron Linum SuperBaX T2 cable
● 5 pairs of foam tips
● 5 pairs of silicone tips
● Carabiner
● Soft protective bag
● Velcro cable tie
● Cleaning tool
● Card with QR link to manual
Design and Build
The MACH 60 IEMs have a shell made from a durable plastic material in black and grey. The faceplate is metal with the right side featuring the Westone logo and the left bearing the model name MACH 60. The gold-plated T2 cable socket has a pronounced forward rake and the earpieces are lightweight and comfortable.
The Linum SuperBaX cable has a 4-core construction with 168 strands of silver-plated copper and has a braided black covering. The T2 termination and right-angled 3.5mm plug are gold-plated and the two-part Y-split detaches to provide a chin slider. The cable is approximately 1.2m in length and is very light with a weight of 9g and has a low impedance of 0.75 ohms. Bearing in mind the price level of these IEMs, I was disappointed that a modular cable was not included, which would have facilitated balanced operation.
Fit and Isolation
Once the MACH 60 was placed perfectly horizontally, it fitted snugly inside my ear. The long nozzles and extended eartips produced a deep insertion which was very comfortable and after a short time it was easy to forget that the IEMs were there. I experimented with the supplied tips and obtained the best result with the largest silicone type with an orange bore. Thus fitted, a healthy bass response was obtained with superb isolation. Westone’s long thin nozzles did not allow me to try standard IEM tips so “tip rolling” was not possible.
The MACH 60 was tested with a variety of sources: three different DAPs, a digital radio and a smartphone via a USB-C dongle DAC. A “burn-in” of 100 hours was performed to run in the components and the sound continued to improve throughout the burn-in period. Sensitivity was a little low, with a higher volume level necessary compared to the MACH 70. After a lengthy evaluation, I settled on the Xduoo X20, which provided more power and gave the most pleasing results, as the primary source.
Sound Impressions
Tonality
The MACH 60 immediately impressed with a well-balanced and neutral profile and good extension at both ends of the spectrum. Detail was copious with an attractive delicacy in the high frequencies and the soundstage was expansive with impressive stereo imaging. There was a solid impactful bass, open and expressive midrange and an airy smooth treble. The tonality throughout was very good with no evidence of “BA timbre”. In fact the MACH 60 shared the same Westone house sound with a similar character to that of the MACH 70, AM Pro x10 and AM Pro X30. The overall impression was of accuracy and refinement, commensurate with a high quality in-ear monitor.
Bass
The MACH 60’s bass was clean, detailed and fast, as expected from a balanced armature driver, whilst displaying a very natural timbre and accurate reproduction of decay and texture. The bass profile was largely neutral or “reference” style with good extension, but more or less on the same level as the midrange. Compared to the popular Harman curve, sub bass was somewhat rolled off but mid bass displayed good energy and impact and it did not bleed into the lower midrange. Orchestral basses and cellos displayed a natural warmth and accurate timbre with rich harmonic expression.
Aaron Copland’s popular “Fanfare for the Common Man” is a tour de force for brass and percussion. It has been recorded many times but the performance by the Minnesota Orchestra under Eiji Oue is perhaps one of the finest. This remarkable recording came to life in dramatic fashion on the MACH 60 with the initial strike and rebound of the bass drum’s skin beautifully rendered. The timpani displayed superb speed and impact, forming a perfect backdrop for the sparkling brass melody.
“Desseins Eternels” is the third movement of “La Nativite” by Olivier Messaien. It is a gentle, meditative and slow-paced piece exploring chordal harmonies. It features a somewhat meandering theme underpinned by deep pedal progressions. In the version performed by Louis Thiry at the organ of Geneva Cathedral, there was good texture and resolution from the MACH 60 but the very lowest notes were more distant sounding than ideal, though possessing an accurate timbre. This neutral bass tuning resulted in just a slight lack of “body” softening the impact of the piece and lessening its “gravitas”.
Kevin Kendle is a British electronic music artist with over 30 albums to his name. “Silent Trees” is a beautiful soundscape from his album “Winter”. A gently descending melody underpinned by a solid bass line gradually becomes more prominent with a more complex accompaniment. Brian Abbott’s guitar accents add interest and in the climax of the piece a deep sub bass foundation evokes a sense of foreboding. The MACH 60 handled this very well with a palpable sense of power and texture although a little more weight would have been welcome.
Midrange
With its reference-style tuning, the MACH 60’s midrange was clean, transparent and detailed with good detail. There was no evidence of recession and the tonality was consistent throughout the range. There was no warming influence from the bass and pinna gain was gentle with no excessive brightness towards the treble boundary. Voices were nicely projected above the accompaniment with male vocals possessing good weight and female vocals open and clear. Woodwind and brass instruments came over crisp and airy in character while strings possessed a realistic bite and resonance.
“Winter Light” is the theme song from the film “The Secret Garden”. Linda Ronstadt performs it wonderfully with an ethereal vocal delivery. The MACH 60 made the most of this with a detailed rendition marked by clarity and precision, full of atmosphere and emotion. Zbigniew Preisner’s beautiful orchestration sounded lush and spacious, forming a perfect backdrop for Linda Ronstadt’s beautiful vocal performance.
The Adagio fom Schubert’s String Quintet is a classic piece with a notably concentrated quality. In the version by the Melos Quartet with Mstislav Rostropovich, the MACH 60 brought the piece to life in dramatic fashion with the various instruments sounding natural and vibrant, and the atmosphere of the recording venue a joy to hear. The contrast of bowed and plucked strings was realised authentically with a perfect balance between the players and a fine
reproduction of the ambience of the hall. Violins and violas displayed a natural tonality and the pizzicato notes of the cello were nicely portrayed in a spacious manner with a real sense of “being there”. The balance of the various instruments was well judged.
The Piano Guys presented an enchanting version of “Bring him Home” from “Les Miserables”. Performed on cello with piano accompaniment, the listener was drawn in by the atmosphere and simplicity of the presentation. The MACH 60 delivered a warm and emotional performance with a perfect balance between the two instruments. With a believable timbre, the cello and piano came over as natural and authentic and in the central section, the rich tonality of the lower notes of the piano was particularly enjoyable.
Treble
With a detailed and accurate delivery and deceptively fine extension, the MACH 60’s treble was one of its best features. The speedy transient attack ensured that leading edges were reproduced with precision and verve producing a sound redolent of a live performance. The inherent smoothness ensured that there was no listening fatigue while still revealing abundant detail and air.
The MACH 60 produced a clean and crisp string timbre in Rossini’s “String Sonata No.1”. The natural harmonics defining the various instruments were accurately conveyed in the excellent recording by The Age of Enlightenment Orchestra. Each instrument displayed real character and the excellent transient attack with incisive and clean leading edges endowed the whole performance with a “live” quality. The details of bowing and pizzicato were authentic and micro-detail was also effective here with the subtle and delicate effects in the counterpoint easy to discern.
Vaughan Williams’s “The Lark Ascending” is a much-recorded work. Sarah Chang’s performance with the LPO conducted by Bernard Haitink is unusually vivid and dynamic and there was an attractive immediacy casting a different light on the work which is often portrayed in a more languid fashion. Once again, the MACH 60’s ability to reproduce harmonics accurately came to the fore with Sarah Chang presenting the work in a very direct and emotional way and the MACH 60 made the most of it with a most believable rendition of the soaring solo instrument set against a perfectly balanced orchestral accompaniment. The final few notes as the violin portrayed the ascent of the bird into the sky were communicated in a most sensitive and delicate manner.
“Vapor Drawings” is an album by Mark Isham combining new age, electronic and jazz elements. The opening track, “Many Chinas” begins with intricate electronic effects in the extreme left and right of the stage. The MACH 60 reproduced these with precise detail. Following this, a trumpet theme is introduced, supported by punchy bass lines and keyboard embellishments. The whole piece came together really well with excellent clarity within an expansive and airy soundstage while the MACH 60’s incisive transient response ensured that the rhythmic integrity of the piece was faithfully communicated.
Soundstage and Imaging
The MACH 60 produced a large stage with a good representation of width and height. Due to the forward nature of the midrange, I found there was a slight lack of depth which affected layering and the perception of the position of instruments within an orchestra. Recordings of smaller ensembles did not suffer from this effect but this was still only a minor issue. Separation was very well reproduced and movement within the stereo image convincingly handled.
“First Flight” by Alasdair Fraser appears on the Narada compilation album " A Childhood Remembered". It features solo violin supported by synthesisers supported by a whole range of acoustic instruments and percussion. On the MACH 60, the rhythmic lead melody stood out clearly against the colourful and complex accompaniment and deep synth bass with a palpable sense of space, producing a feeling of being wrapped in sound. Each of the disparate elements in the recording occupied their own space and were easy to locate within the overall picture.
In Anatoly Liadov’s beautiful “The Enchanted Lake”, bass trombones and tuba in the background created a menacing atmosphere overlaid by delicate strings and clear brass parts with the horns placed wide in the left of the stage and harp figurations adding to the drama. Later in the piece the woodwind arpeggios accompanied by brass chords produced a most pleasing effect. The dynamic shifts in the performance by the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of London under Charles Gerhardt were very realistically portrayed by the MACH 60 with only a little more depth in the staging required to make it perfect.
“On Air” from 1996, is the second solo album after the Alan Parsons Project split up and is inspired by the history of airborne exploration. The Alan Parsons Project’s series of progressive music albums feature a wide range of musical styles, all beautifully recorded and produced. “On Air” is in a similar vein. The opening track is a shortened version of the last track on the album. “Blue Blue Sky” begins with birdsong in the open air. The MACH 60 presented this very naturally with a real sense of space and a close miked vocal by Eric Stewart follows, with an exceptionally clear acoustic guitar accompaniment. After the final bars of the song, two jet aircraft speed across the image from right to left and the effect was very convincing and exciting with a realistic “airy” feel as the sound faded and reverberated in the air with a very natural decay.
Comparisons
Westone MACH 70
The MACH 70 is equipped with one BA for the bass, two BAs for the midrange and has four treble drivers. The packaging, contents and earpieces are identical to those of the MACH 60 apart from the cable which is the Linum Estron UltraBaX.
A frequency response of 5Hz-22kHz is specified with an impedance of 42Ω and a sensitivity of 110dB @ 1mW.
The MACH 70 sounds warmer than the '60, with a deeper sub bass, more prominent mid bass, a slightly recessed midrange and a smoother treble. The staging is very similar but it has more depth due to the moderate recession in the midrange referred to earlier. A major difference is in power requirements with the '70 needing far less power to sound at its best. Fit and comfort are identical to the '60, being the most comfortable IEMs I have tried and enabling the listener to enjoy music for long periods without fatigue. In a sense, the '60 and '70 are complementary with very different tunings, but both are very enjoyable with their different characteristics and applications. The neutrally-tuned '60 is more suitable for monitoring and has a better reproduction of detail whereas the '70 is aimed more towards musicality.
Westone AM Pro X30
The AM Pro X30 is the highest model in the Pro X series, equipped with three balanced armature drivers per channel, one each for the bass, midrange and treble. A three-way passive crossover divides the signal amongst the three drivers. A frequency response of 20Hz-18kHz is specified along with an impedance of 56Ω and a sensitivity of 124dB @ 1mW.
The MACH 60 and X30 do sound very similar in their tuning, which is designed to be neutral, focusing on accuracy with excellent technicalities. The major difference derives from the “passive ambience” feature in the X30 which allows some external sounds to be heard. The '60’s isolation is nigh-on perfect and this affects the staging. The X30’s stage is more expansive than the MACH 60 and comes across with more depth. This I believe, can be imputed to the fact that the passive ambience feature acts like a vented earpiece simulating the staging of a full-sized headphone. In most other respects the two are equal in ability except for the bass which is more extended on the MACH 60. The X30 does give the impression of being truly neutral whereas there is a touch more warmth in the MACH 60’s presentation.
Conclusion
Westone’s MACH series of balanced armature IEMs features eight models, all of which have individual tunings. The MACH 60’s tonality is designed to be accurate and neutral/warm with an expressive midrange. It succeeds in this respect with a near flawless performance, only wanting that last octave of sub-bass and a little more depth in the staging to be perfect. It is supremely comfortable, does not induce any listening fatigue and, like its stablemate the MACH 70, has a very natural timbre.
Sitting near the top of the MACH range, the MACH 60 is a considered purchase. It is not for “bassheads” or those who enjoy a V-shaped or Harman-type profile. However, if you value accuracy and technical prowess without abandoning musical satisfaction, then it comes highly recommended.
Hoping someone brings this to CanJam NYC in a few months, I am most definitely intrigued. (*Hint: Penon seems to have no US distributors?)
