Westone MACH 70 Review

April 5, 2023 4:41 pm

It’s been a while since there’s been anything new from Westone, but they’re back with a whole new series of IEMs. These MACH IEMs look to reintroduce Westone in the high-end market, and the first one I’m looking at is the MACH 70 for $1,399. Is it a great place to get reacquainted with Westone?

What You Get

IN-EAR MONITORS MACH 70 Universal Fit In-Ear Monitors
CABLE: Linum UltraBaX T2 Cable
CABLE LENGTH: 50″ (127 cm)
TIPS: 5 Pair Foam + 5 Pair Silicone
ACCESSORIES:
- Impact Resistant Pelican Case
- Westone Audio Cloth Pouch
- Cable Band
- Cleaning Tool

Look & Feel

In terms of build and aesthetics, the MACH 70 is outclassed by a lot of other models in this price range. Its design is more in line with professional IEMs from the likes of Shure, but I think the shell just feels too plasticky. When worn, I felt that they were comfortable enough, but the back out of the housing seemed to not sit as well. It didn’t feel quite as ergonomic as other IEMs do so I did feel some fatigue after a while.

Design

The MACH 70 combines seven balanced armatures with a 3-way crossover system. They are extremely easy to drive, leaving me a ton of headroom when using an iFi Go Link attached to my iPhone.

Soundstage

Right out of the gate, the MACH 70 reveals a magnificent soundstage. Its width is expressed gracefully, filling out the left and right channels right up to the outer shell of the earphones. Everything is identifiably stereo, but the response is never linear. Tracks employ an incredible amount of separation between sound elements, where the layers stand out with even more dimension. You can really feel yourself in the middle of the mix, with the instruments sticking to easily localized positions, and vocals sitting a bit above you in front of the other performances. Tracks like “Can’t Wait” by Chon are great examples of how well the MACH 70 uses its accurate imaging, as the clean guitars sit on the extreme left and right channels of the mix, while bass comes up from the bottom. It all feels full and natural, but I also would have liked to hear a bit more height just to add the icing on the cake.

Low End

There is some considerable energy to this bass, and it results in a stimulating response that is pretty consistent. It has a nice drive to it, and it forms a bodied tone that sprouts from the sub-bass. Although you’re able to get some great detail from this natural timbre, you won’t get much vibration from it. Bass tones have awesome weight, but it doesn’t have any rumble to them. This didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the low frequencies too much though, as the bass still offers strong dynamics and great control. If you’re looking for slam and impact, the MACH 70 isn’t that kind of profile.

Mids

Everything that appears in the midrange on the MACH 70 is performed with rich clarity. Its transparency is super elegant, with each range of frequency performing with an organized structure to form a realistic portrayal of sounds. You’ll get maximum precision here, and every note from pianos, guitars, horns, and synths has a significant bite. The instruments are individualized for the most gratifying expression of their clean timbre. While the mids showcase the most revealing details in the sound signature, it also never feels colorized. There is a serene, natural quality to this response, and it makes every sound that comes through it incredibly dignified.

Highs

The clarity of the mids is reflected in the treble as well, supplying you with balanced highs that are expressive but not harsh. These frequencies feel very refined, featuring an even response that offers enough shine to give character to the frequencies. They’re not quite delicate, but there is a lightness to them that is very refreshing. You get a proper tail to each sound but it won’t stand out as crisp, though it still displays clean tones.

Summary

When it comes to the sound signature, the MACH 70 is a delight. Its soundstage is super wide, and its frequency response is highly accurate with tons of detail in the lows, mids, and highs. While its design isn’t all too impressive for the price and the fit has some issues for me personally, the sound easily won me over to the point where It didn’t bother me as much. I welcome this new MACH series as a great change for Westone, and I’m looking forward to listening to the other models in this line.