Synergy
Efficiency
On the MACH 20 impedance is 96Ω and the sensitivity is 110dB @1kHz, whereas on the MACH 30 impedance is 91Ω, and the sensitivity is rated the same.
That suggests that these IEMs are not very easily driven but the bright side is that background noise is more suppressed even on noisier outputs.
Taking the positioning of these two IEMs to be put on various professional audio gears, the two earphones with higher impedance would sound more sibilance free. For example, when you test it on the earphone output of a guitar amp, the noises picked up are less prominent.
Power
Bass reproduction is favored with the higher impedance configuration, considering that you have matching sources with higher output power.
The numbers may look much higher than normal but in practice, the Shanling M7 and the FiiO M11 Plus ESS pairings are dynamic and firm in the bass. You just need a higher gain and pump up the volume.
The tuning feels consistent on different sources, and it is quite noticeable that the bass quality and density are better on desktop amplifiers.
Select Comparisons
Westone Audio MACH 40
$599
Technical
The MACH 40 under the Premium Reference line consists of a 4-driver design with a 3-way configuration putting together 1 tweeter, 1 driver for the mids, and 2 for the bass.
It may look quite similar to the MACH 30 that also has a 3-way design just that the bass driver number is halved, though their behavior and tuning are quite noticeably different.
Design
The housings are pretty much identical in design and the more noticeable difference is the SuperBax cable coming with the MACH 40, which has a larger gauge than the thinner standard Estron SuperBaX cable with the MACH 30 and MACH 20.
What differentiates the experience as the cable on MACH 20 and MACH 30 feels even sleeker as if they do not exist, while the more premium cable on the MACH 40 is of a lower impedance rating and would be more efficient, ideally introducing less coloring to the output.
Performance
The Westone Audio MACH 40 features lush, immersive tuning, and great coherence between backing instruments and the vocalist. The vocalist and instruments in the music are well blended without compromising resolving power.
Swapping between these earphones the MACH 40 is clearly more responsive to power whereas the MACH 20 and MACH 30 are ready to gulp up more power, or else they would sound less dynamic.
The MACH 20 with half the driver counts of the MACH 40 is tuned in a similar direction, you can feel the focus is more on the mid-range than the MACH 40 revealing deeper sub-bass and more treble details, also boosting the treble transients for a sharper vocal image.
With one more driver and a similar 3-way crossover, the MACH 30 comes closer to the MACH 40 in terms of definitive power, and it is more leaned to the low end, though you would need a powerful source to drive it properly and the MACH 40 can be much easier driven.
As for staging, it is more expansive and airier on the MACH 40 as both the MACH 20 and MACH 30 feel more dampened, just like in a recording room that is treated to withstand strong bass impacts without getting boomy. The smaller brothers don’t have the treble brilliance and texture as heard on the MACH 40 yet there is more control and room for sharper instruments and voices.
When listening to Operas the MACH 40 sounds more stereophonic however it gets hotter in the upper register than the other two, particularly the MACH 20.
Westone Audio MACH 50
$799
Technical
The MACH 50 houses 5 balanced armature drivers and features a 3-way configuration consisting of a pair of tweeters, dual mids, and a single bass driver.
Even though the structure feels similar to the MACH 30 on paper, the MACH 50 is rated 110dB in sensitivity and 32Ω in impedance, which is a lot more sensitive than both the MACH 20 and MACH 30.
Design
The design of the MACH 50 is identical to the MACH 40. The SuperBaX cable is also featured on the MACH 50 which marks it as a more premium model, and the rest of the aesthetics are shared amongst all MACH series designs.
Performance
Starting with the MACH 20, when compared to the MACH 50 on the Shanling M7 the treble is much shyer than on the MACH 50.
That doesn’t mean that the vocal on the MACH 20 is very laid back, just that the harmonics and airy details are not as obviously extracted. Both MACH 20 and MACH 50 use one driver for the bass and I suspect it to be the same driver.
The signature in the output varies quite a lot as the MACH 50 attacks speedier and with a faster decay, while the MACH 20 sounds as full in the bass but falls short in agility as well as dynamics.
As the treble isn’t as prominent when listening to the MACH 20 my focus is shifted more to the vocal and mid-bass region. Switching to the ADI-2 PRO the dynamics on MACH 20 are much enhanced and it scales up with power more than the MACH 50 to sound punchier in the bass.
When pushing up the volume both IEMs hold up quite well without distorting, though you would notice more details across the midrange when listening to the MACH 50.
The MACH 30, which also uses a 3-way crossover design, comes closer to the MACH 50 when it comes to detail retrieval level in the bass, and like the MACH 20, it does not capture the treble transients as much as the MACH 50 does.
This shifts the focus more to the mid-lows and the vocal body, which is presented in a more balanced and natural manner on the MACH 30.
Our Verdict
The Westone MACH 30 and MACH 20 were created with different target audiences in mind and they work well on portable sources to deliver consistent tuning and good overall neutrality.
The MACH 30 with uncolored performance is a more comprehensive design and the MACH 20 would allow you to focus more on the vocal performance.
The high impedance offers more room for power-sufficient pairings that yield fantastic bass reproduction. Pairing with DAPs sounds satisfactorily dynamic, with the professional outlook and tough cable design it makes a reliable package for those who want a workhorse for stage use.
Not to mention the fit and seal are as sweet as some custom stage monitors.
Westone Audio MACH 30 & MACH 20 Specifications
MACH 20
- DRIVERS: Dual Balanced-Armature Drivers
- FREQ RESPONSE: 20Hz – 18kHz
- SENSITIVITY: 110dB @1kHz
- IMPEDANCE: 96 Ohms @1kHz
MACH 30
- DRIVERS: Three Balanced-Armature Drivers
- FREQ RESPONSE: 20Hz – 18kHz
- SENSITIVITY: 110dB @1kHz
- IMPEDANCE: 91 Ohms @1kHz
