B50
The B50 continues to give the same warm, smooth and dark presentation, but it has more resolution and it has technical advantages over the B30. Let me explain below:
The B50 has more bass in terms of quantity, but the quality also sees a jump when switching from the B30. Lows have more texture, resolution and the decay is slightly better. You have a more authoritative bass with good slam and kick. This is even more suitable for Pop or Electronic Music. You have a more dynamic and attacking bass as well.
The B30 produces a little congested bass compared to the B50, which makes the B50 a better alternative for Jazz and Classical. It’s not the most ideal IEM for those genres, but it plays them better then the B30. Yet, you might like this much bass quantity, since its even more than the B30.
Mid section is more resolving and open sounding compared to the B30. Vocals and instruments have more detail and they have more space to shine. The difference is not incredibly huge but apparent between the two. The tonality is better and the instruments have more air overall.
Westone B30 & B50
Treble-wise it’s the same story. The B50 has more detail, extension and air in treble with better articulation. You have more transparency and resolution in highs, resulting in a more open presentation. The distance is the same however; cymbals sounding from behind so they’re not the focal point.
Sound-stage is also better with the B50, thanks to its capabilities in the mid & treble sections. The sound has more room and width, and that creates more space between the elements of a song. This provides a better imaging with a more 3D staging performance. The overall transparency is quite good, despite the sound signature which is darker than many IEMs.
So, B30 or B50?
First off, this decision is all about your budget. The B50 doesn’t come cheap, and to be honest, it requires a good source to showcase its capabilities over the B30. So if you don’t have a good source, the B30 can be a very nice companion for you when commuting or at work when you want to focus. It’s a great IEM for using on a day to day basis, even with smartphones.
Also, I found the B30’s bass presentation more ideal and balanced compared to the B50 in terms of quantity. Sure, if you like to have your bass with authority, the B50 will easily be your choice. But in my case, I think the B30 provides a smoother and flatter experience which is more likely to perform better with several genres.
However, the B50 has obvious advantages which give it the upper hand over the cheaper model. It has better resolution and transparency with a cleaner separation and more impressive soundstage, together with more dynamics. So basically take the B30, put more bass in it, give it more technical power and you have the B50. This is the simplest explanation that I can give to you for comparison. But again, a good source would make it more justifiable in this case.
Westone B30 & B50
Bluetooth Cable
Despite we audiophiles aren’t really convinced yet, Bluetooth sound is a reality of today. We see many offerings of TWS IEMs nowadays so we can’t deny the progression. When will Westone release one? We don’t know, but we do know that Westone provides a Bluetooth cable with the B30 & B50, which is a good addition.
The Bluetooth cable uses the aptX codec as I mentioned, so it’s not the highest quality codec out there. But I found the sound to be pretty good, not much behind of the wired use. The bass response is downgraded which is audible in the first listen, but the other parts are actually close to the wired solution. Of course you might not want to go with the Bluetooth cable if you like to have the best sound, but it’s very useful on the go with your smartphone.
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