Westone Audio Mach 70 Review

Westone Mach 70 – Sound

Before diving deep into the details of the 70, let me remind you that the 80 had a linear, detailed, and reference-like approach. On the other hand, the 70 approaches the sound quite differently. Starting with the signature, the 70 is smooth, musical, and warm. 

Just like the 80, it comes with a relatively high impedance. I tested the 70 with E70V & L70 combo, as well as the remarkable Mojo 2. The Mach 70’s musical approach ensures a smooth and fatigue-free experience across different music genres. The Mach 70 is Westone’s interpretation of a flagship swiss army knife IEM, it is designed to offer a smooth, enjoyable, comfortable sound no matter what you pair it with. It is not as nit-picker as Mach 80 when it comes to the source. Shall we take a closer look at it?

Bass

The Mach 70 comes with a powerful, rounded, and thick bass reproduction that is surprisingly agile despite offering more bass in quantity than its 8-driver sibling. The texture is smooth and does a great job of conveying the weight of the instruments to the listener. The accentuation of sub-to-mid regions increases the musicality and natural tonality of the BAs resulting in a smooth render from the lowest range to the very end of the midrange.

The signature is colored and saturated, however, that was the intention. Every bass-dependant genre I’ve listened to with the Mach 70 felt vivid, dynamic, and alive. It is easy to listen to the 70s, and it is really fun.

Midrange

The midrange of the Mach 70 is sweet, smooth, and clean. The vocals have good authority and presence in the presentation. They are articulate and velvety. Mid-based instruments such as the majority of woodwinds sound natural and organic. The beautiful house timbre of the Westone is at play here, just like other Westone monitors.

The guitars feel tonally right and quite enjoyable with the added note weight coming off of the upper bass to the lower mid regions. You hear every vibration of the strings, smooth and it does not feel lacking in detail. I mentioned in its review, the Mach 80’s lower mid-quantity felt somewhat lacking with some instruments. This is not present in the signature of the Mach 70, they feel fuller, sweeter here. 

The upper midrange of the Mach 70 is controlled, they carry adequate extension and good clarity. The hi-hats are present but they’re never the star of the show, they never shadow the mids as they follow closely from behind. The Mach 70 emphasizes the midrange and places it more forward, resulting in a smoother midrange compared to the Mach 80.

Treble

Similar to the upper midrange, the treble reproduction is clean and carries a good amount of detail without being prominent. The extension and the resolution are great. If you pair the 70s with a flat and resolving source such as the E70 & L70, the treble takes a step forward and follows the midrange closer compared to Mojo 2 and other portable gear I’ve tested it with. No matter the source, treble always stays controlled, clear from any sharpness. This treble tuning also contributes to the feeling of air and improves the technical ability of the monitors.

Technical Capability

Despite having impactful, round bass, the 70s do not feel slow. The 70s handle congestion pretty decently, even when there are multiple instruments on the stage, playing simultaneously. The Mach 70 has adequate space between the instruments and you feel like it is always in control, tuned to get you that sweet presentation without trading-off precious details.

The stage rendition is great too, it features a deep and adequately wide stage that feels realistic. You get layers and layers of instruments, clean and distinctive without congestion issues. 

Comparison

vs. Mach 80 (1599 USD/EUR/GBP)

There are significant differences between Mach 80 and Mach 70 in terms of sound signature. The Mach 80 is the most linear offering of the Mach family. Mach 70 comes with a smoother and rounder presentation and offers a warmer, more musical approach compared to the uncolored Mach 80. Especially in the mid-bass and upper-mid rendition, the two monitors are polar opposites.

The Mach 70 has a colored midrange with a sweeter tonality that emphasizes vocals and mid-based instruments. The note weight of the 70 is thicker and thus giving natural instruments a warmer timbre, while the 80 is focused on reference-like accuracy. 

Bass-wise, the Mach 70 delivers both the sub-bass and the rest of the low end with more emphasis and authority compared to the 80. The 70 has a mellower upper mid and treble response, but it also carries good amount of detail and does not feel lacking compared to the 80. The 80 puts the upper mids and treble more forward. The 80 does not have the Mach 70’s ‘fun’ factor and musicality, and listening to bass dependant tracks do not feel as dynamic and vivid as they do with the 70. But you get a more accurate render in exchange.

The 80’s superiority in terms of pure technical capability is undeniable, but the difference is definitely not major, especially if you are after a bolder, smoother sound signature with more bass. At the end of the day, they are both flagship-worthy monitors which are tuned to appeal to two completely different audiences.

vs. FAudio Mezzo LE (1900 USD)

The Mezzo LE is the 7th-anniversary IEM from FAudio. It is a limited-edition release that FAudio has been working on for more than 3 years. It utilizes unique technologies and combines a dynamic driver, a couple of BAs, and a piezo driver inside an acrylic, bespoke shell. It also comes with a 3-band tuning switch on each side, allowing the user to fine-tune the response up to some extent. Make sure to check out its review via this link as it is a very interesting and unique IEM.

When we compare the FAudio Mezzo LE with the Mach 70 while its most balanced tuning setting is active, they feature a similar presentation with their prominent bass to mid-bass tuning. The Mezzo’s dynamic driver puts out more bass, quantity-wise but Mach 70 feels a tad more natural with the BA timbre. Mid-wise, the Mach 70 feels more romantic and slightly meatier, while Mezzo LE offers more detail and a cleaner midrange.

Source matching with the Mezzo LE is a bit easier as it is fine-tunable via its 3-band panel. If you prefer musicality and smoothness, the Mach 70 can make you quite happy. If you are looking to trade some of that musicality and smoothness with finer details yet still have impactful bass, the Mezzo LE could be a logical step up if you don’t mind the 500 bucks difference.

Last Words

Mach 70 is a unique IEM set aimed at a wider audience. With its all-rounder construction, smooth presentation, and incredibly comfortable chassis, it can be the go-to headphones for many audiophiles.

Westone has done some pretty cool things with the new series, such as substantial improvements in build quality and a partnership with Linum cables. I’m very impressed. The new Mach shell is so comfortable that you can even fall asleep with them still on. Many flagships on the market come with huge shells and thick cables. The Mach 70 offers a similar performance in a much more comfortable way.

If you like smooth and musical IEMs, be sure to listen to the Mach 70!

Page 1: Westone, Mach 70, Packaging & Accessories, Linum UltraBax, Design, Build & Fit

Page 2: Sound, Low, Mid, High, Technical Capability, Comparison, Last Words

 

4.4/5 - (261 votes)
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Long time Tech Enthusiast, an ambitious petrol-head, Yagiz likes his gadgets and always finds new ways into the tinkerer's world. He tries to improve anything and everything he gets his hands onto. Loves an occasional shine on the rocks.

2 Comments

  • Reply February 7, 2023

    Donkey Kong

    Pro X series and Mach series. Which is more commonly used?

    • Reply February 7, 2023

      Yagiz

      The Mach series. Only Mach series offer high-end options as Pro-X series are limited to 5 drivers max.

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