45 + 20 = 3

As has been well documented in the media, personal listening is at a record high. Led by Apple’s iPod^®, personal listening devices have become incredibly popular. Around 22 million iPods were sold in the fourth quarter of last year alone. Clearly it’s a market to be reckoned with.

While this has certainly been a boon for Apple and other PLD manufacturers, an entire ancillary industry has also sprung up around it. From customized cases to miniature speakers and amps to specially formatted movies and games, this revolution stretches far beyond just sales of the devices. How far this bleed-over will eventually go is anybody’s guess, but it has already reached our industry.

Many consumers dissatisfied with the comfort or retention of their stock earbuds have opted to see a hearing care professional for custom adapter earpieces (Westone style #7). Others, frustrated that they cannot appreciate the full fidelity of the digital music with stock earbuds, have upgraded to higher end universal earphones such as our UM1 and UM2, and even the custom ES1 and ES2.

Looking at this trend, we took note that our existing line of music products was designed, and the sound shaped, for the performing musician. But an on-stage musician looks for something a little different in their sound than an audiophile would. With that thought in mind, we have developed the new Westone 3, a true three-way universal fit earphone, featuring separate low, mid and high frequency drivers in each earpiece. The sound accuracy and frequency range is unbelievable. The feedback we’ve received from testing has been very encouraging and there is already a lot of positive “buzz” for the product appearing in online blogs and forums.

We are certainly excited about the positive feedback for the Westone 3 and its potential in the market. But this is also another opportunity for you to bring new customers in your door. For someone who’s hearing is that keen and discriminating, who better for them to see for a high-end earphone than a hearing care professional? For more information please contact music@westone.com.

(By the way, if you’ve been wondering about the arithmetic in our headline, don’t worry - it’s not more “new math” that you’ll need to learn. It’s just marketing-speak for “The new Westone 3 is the result of over 45 years of making products for the human ear and 20 years of involvement in the music industry.”)