Shure SE425 vs Westone W10

Short answer: the Shure SE425, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #434 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 1.9/5, at $299. The Westone W10 ranks #435, rated 1.8/5, at $199.99, $99.01 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 450 in-ear headphones, and the Truthear Nova, ranked #2 at $169.99, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.

The case for the Shure SE425: Two balanced armature drivers with a 22 ohm impedance and 109 dB/mW sensitivity, so it plays loud from a phone without an amplifier. Watch for: A preference score of 48 in crinacle’s measurement places its tuning far from what most listeners prefer, so expect a clearly colored sound.

The case for the Westone W10: Its 122 dB SPL/mW sensitivity means a phone drives it to loud levels with no effort, and the cable includes a built-in microphone for calls. The tradeoff: Oratory1990’s measurement shows heavy treble loss, with an 11.5 dB dip near 6 kHz and the air band almost 18 dB below target, so cymbals, string texture and spatial cues are badly muted.

Buy the Shure SE425. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $99.01 with the Westone W10 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

More top alternatives to Shure SE425:

• V-MODA Zn vs Shure SE425
• Shure SE425 vs Audio-Technica ATH-E70
• Shure SE425 vs Mackie MP-360
• Shure SE425 vs Etymotic ER4SR
• Shure SE425 vs Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

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The Two Headphones In Full

Shure SE425: $299.00 B&H Photo Video eBay

Pros: Two balanced armature drivers with a 22 ohm impedance and 109 dB/mW sensitivity, so it plays loud from a phone without an amplifier. It is rated above the Etymotic ER4SR at the same price and the Westone W10.

Cons: A preference score of 48 in crinacle’s measurement places its tuning far from what most listeners prefer, so expect a clearly colored sound. It is wired only, with no wireless features or microphone remote listed.

Full Shure SE425 review and specifications →

Released	2010 (16 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	4.17 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Balanced armature
Drivers	2 x balanced armature
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	20Hz - 19kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	48 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	22 ohms
Sensitivity	109 dB SPL/mW
Tonal Tilt	+0.59 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.0 dB	0.70
Peak	223 Hz	-3.2 dB	0.57
Peak	8,943 Hz	+6.2 dB	1.83
Peak	48 Hz	+0.8 dB	1.86
Peak	5,492 Hz	+5.0 dB	3.43
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+5.8 dB	0.70
Peak	3,734 Hz	-2.7 dB	4.45
Peak	2,114 Hz	+1.2 dB	2.77
Peak	9,102 Hz	-3.1 dB	5.33
Peak	895 Hz	+0.7 dB	2.99

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Shure SE425 (crinacle measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Shure SE425 vs Audio-Technica ATH-E70
  • Shure SE425 vs Mackie MP-360
  • Shure SE425 vs Etymotic ER4SR
  • Shure SE425 vs Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
  • Shure SE425 vs V-MODA Zn

Westone W10: $199.99 Amazon eBay

Pros: Its 122 dB SPL/mW sensitivity means a phone drives it to loud levels with no effort, and the cable includes a built-in microphone for calls. The single balanced armature design suits listeners who want a dark, laid-back sound with no treble glare.

Cons: Oratory1990’s measurement shows heavy treble loss, with an 11.5 dB dip near 6 kHz and the air band almost 18 dB below target, so cymbals, string texture and spatial cues are badly muted. Sub-bass falls 6 dB short by 56 Hz, leaving little low end rumble. The cheaper Etymotic ER3SE and KZ ASX both rate higher.

Full Westone W10 review and specifications →

Released	Oct 2013 (13 years ago)
Back	Closed
Built-in Microphone	Yes
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	4.06 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Balanced armature
Drivers	1 x balanced armature
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	20Hz - 16kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	47 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Sensitivity	122 dB SPL/mW
Sub-bass Extension	Falls 6 dB below target at 56 Hz (-8.0 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.45 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+4.1 dB	0.70
Peak	237 Hz	-4.0 dB	0.18
Peak	5,987 Hz	+5.9 dB	0.63
Peak	2,493 Hz	+2.9 dB	2.11
Peak	59 Hz	+1.7 dB	0.82
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+5.6 dB	0.70
Peak	8,139 Hz	-2.8 dB	3.70
Peak	713 Hz	+0.7 dB	1.13
Peak	1,201 Hz	-1.0 dB	2.41
Peak	237 Hz	-0.4 dB	1.54

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Westone W10 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Westone W10 vs Shozy B2
  • Westone W10 vs Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
  • Westone W10 vs Oriolus Finschi Hifi