gdgt

Frankly, it's tough to justify $449 for a set of earbuds ... But if you place an absurdly high value on precision and comfort, and would rather hear your music than the gentle roar of airline engines when flying, we can't help but wholeheartedly recommend the Westone 4s.

... the worst results you could get from these headphones are still better than the best results from many other models. Similarly, when our only problem with the design and handling is a lack of in-flight adapter, there's clearly not a great deal of room for improvement!

Westone has delivered a highly competent earpiece with a sound signature that’s closer to reference grade than heavily slanted.

At a retail of $449, the Westone 4 is more expensive than some custom earphones (however, not with 4 armatures per ear). But when you combine comfort, sound quality and attention to sonic detail, the Westone 4 is one of the best universal-sized earphones available today.