Today’s review is about the Westone Audio MACH 60 in-ear monitors that are designed with six balanced armature drivers per side.
The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and i don’t use affiliate links.
The price of the Westone Audio MACH 60 is €1210 and you can buy it directly from Westone Audio.
About Westone Audio
Westone Audio is a brand with legendary status in both the professional and audiophile communities. The company was established in 1959, and it was in the 1980s that they started making custom-made earpieces for stage use.
They practically invented the in-ear musician’s monitor and was the first company to adopt the then recently developed balanced armature drivers, at a time when hardly anyone else in the world knew anything about earphones.
Eventually, Westone Audio launched its own mass-produced universal-fit and custom-fit earphones in 2002, at a time when Chinese and most other manufacturers were still largely out of the game.
Today, Westone Audio’s product lineup consists of the AM Pro X, Pro X and DJ in-ear series, intended for professional monitoring and stage use, as well as the MACH series, which is primarily aimed at audiophiles.
Interestingly enough, all these earphones date back to 2022-2023 and since then no new IEM family was released.
Westone Audio MACH 60
The MACH 60 is not exactly a new model, but when Westone Audio’s retailer reached out to suggest a review, I could not pass up the opportunity to check something from this celebrated brand.
The universal fit MACH series includes 8 different models, from the MACH 10 to the MACH 80, where the first digit designates the number of balanced armature drivers per ear piece.
So, the MACH 60 are six driver earphones, with a dual driver set-up for each of the bass, mid and high frequency bands, combined together with the aid of a passive three-way crossover. The drivers manufacturer is not disclosed but we know that they are custom designs made specifically for Westone Audio.
Design and Wearing Experience
At a time when most earphones come with fancy artisan faceplates and huge ear shells, the MACH 60’s plain and understated appearance might look unimpressive and out of fashion.
However, I don’t know about you, but when shopping for earphones, I am mostly interested in how comfortable they are rather than how they look. What good is a spectacular earphone if it is bulky, heavy and uncomfortable to wear?
The MACH 60 might look like the poor cousin, but it certainly delivers when it comes to fit and comfort. The low-profile, small ear shells (even smaller than those of some single-driver earphones) are made from some kind of polycarbonate material that is extremely lightweight, weighing just 3g per earpiece.
Their inner surfaces are smoothly contoured to fit the ears without exerting any annoying pressure. Unlike most other earphones, the MACH 60’s sound tubes are extremely slim and elongated, just like those of Etymotic in-ears. They are combined with longer, single-flange eartips, that allow for deep insertion into the ear canal in a natural way, without causing discomfort, even after hours of use.
Earphone fit and comfort are subjective, as they depend on each user’s unique ear anatomy, so your mileage may vary. Personally speaking, the MACH 60 are among the most comfortable and ergonomic earphones I have ever tested, while they also provide excellent isolation.
Stock Cable
The earphones use the T2 cable connector system, which has the advantage of being low-profile, water-resistant and offering minimal wear and tear on the socket section. However, it is rare and uncommon, meaning that you won’t be able to use your fancy cables with MMCX or 2-pin connectors.
Thankfully, it is easy to source inexpensive MMCX to T2 adapters, like the ones I had at my disposal, which allowed me to use my balanced Lavricables cable.
Going back to the stock cable, it is the Linum SuperBaX, which is extremely thin and lightweight, so it doesn’t pull the earphones downwards. It is soft and easy to handle, with minimal microphonic noise. The cable might look fragile, but it is actually very well made and has excellent resistance to stretching.
This is a high quality cable that retails for €174,99, but unfortunately, it is terminated with a 3.5mm plug, at a time when most sources offer balanced outputs. At this price point, I would like to see a modular cable or, at least, a balanced cable with an adapter.
Accessories
Except for the cable, the package includes 5 pairs of foam and 5 pairs of silicone, long flange eartips, plus a wax loop and a cleaning cloth.
As it usually happens, the foam eartips offer the best comfort and isolation, and also enhance the low-end perception, but they tend to lose clarity, definition and control. I prefer using the silicone tips but you may feel otherwise.
Inside the box you will also find a velour pouch and an impact resistant pelican case, that is huge and not practical for everyday carry, but it is so tough that it can survive a nuclear bombing.
Sensitivity and Impedance
The combination of a 35Ω impedance and 100dB sensitivity means that the MACH 60 is easy to drive and not particularly sensitive to source noise. Although I guess that people who can afford to spend €1,210 for the earphones, will most likely have high-quality equipment that is dead silent anyway.
For this review, I mostly used the iBasso DX270, but also the Muse HiFi M6 Double. The earphones play equally well with both solid-state and tube-hybrid sources, the latter adding some welcomed fullness to the low-end.
Listening Impressions
It’s all about the Tonality
Plain and simple, the Westone Audio MACH 60 has one of the most natural and speaker-like tunings I have ever heard, combining reference tonal accuracy with none of the sterility often associated with monitoring earphones.
In fact, it is one of the best-tuned earphones I have ever tested, with virtually nothing negative to criticize, at least when the objective is to reproduce the full instrumental palette of a symphony orchestra and human voices with the most realistic timbre.
Having tested so many earphones that emerge daily from Chinese and other brands, often featuring weird and heavily coloured tunings in their pursuit of tonal balance, it is quite a surprise to discover that Westone Audio had already succeeded in achieving this several years ago. It seems they were setting the standard back then, while others are still trying to catch up.
Looking across my entire collection, I can barely think of a handful of other earphones that offer similar tonal precision, and still they might not sound as convincing as the MACH 60. This is a subjective opinion of course, and the reader should consider that my goals when it comes to earphones tunings are reference tonal accuracy but also treble smoothness and lack of any clinical sterility or artificiality.
If there is something to criticize in the overall sonic presentation of the MACH 60, it is the relatively limited physical impact in the low end. It simply can’t punch as hard as a large dynamic driver. There is also a certain leanness to the textures throughout the entire frequency range. However, I wouldn’t describe it as particularly dry sounding, and the bass still has plenty of elasticity and reverberation for being produced by a pair of BA drivers.
From the lows to the highs
So we are talking about a tuning that delivers sufficient but not overpowering sub-bass extension, with bass that follows reference linearity, complemented by just a tiny, very well-implemented emphasis to make it sound pleasant and warm, without going out of tune. As mentioned earlier, it might not be particularly visceral or weighty, but it is full-bodied and fleshy enough.
At the same time, it offers outstanding technical performance thanks to the use of BA drivers. Fast, tight and controlled, with precise timing and excellent definition, the MACH 60 can handle everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat. Technical and pleasing at the same time, it is only for listening to acoustic music, but also for any other type without compromises.
The mid-range takes over where the bass leaves off, continuing in the same reference fashion. Exceptionally balanced from the lower to the upper mids, it sounds absolutely realistic and natural, both when it comes to instruments and voices. Clean, clear and well-defined, with excellent separation and articulation, it can also sound as harmonically rich, expressive and organic as the source will permit.
The timbre has a lifelike quality that works especially well with live recordings. Musical and engaging, the MACH 60 connects the listener with the music and avoids any kind of monitoring sterility, despite its monitoring credentials.
Uncommonly so, at a time when the great majority of earphones tend to sound too bright and ultra-resolving, the Westone Audio MACH 60 follows a radically different path. The treble is mildly toned down, aiming for smoothness and a fatigue-free listening experience, but without lacking in extension or sounding dull. Don’t be confused, the earphone offers exceptional resolution, but it stays in the background, serving the music rather than the spectacle.
Timbre and Soundstage
What sets it apart from the competition is its finesse and timbre, which are free from any artificial or metallic coloration, while its natural decay helps instruments sound very convincing, even in their upper harmonics.
Also highly admirable is the excellent integration of the driver groups, which results in remarkable sonic coherency throughout the whole frequency spectrum.
The soundstage is open and spacious, but not artificially expanded or excessively wide. It easily adapts from grand and holographic to more intimate and concrete, depending on the recording being played, while always remaining immersive and proportional.
It has a solid center image, with very precise positioning, both laterally and vertically, and a good sense of depth. I wouldn’t go as far as comparing it with high-quality open-back headphones, but the overall presentation is undeniably convincing and stays true to the recording.
Versatile
The Westone Audio MACH 60 is an in-ear monitor that can successfully serve audio professionals, critical listeners and casual users alike, with all kinds of music. However, as usually happens with earphones, it is not for everyone, especially those who are after special tunings that deliberately exaggerate certain parts of the frequency range. The rest can mix and match with various sources until they fine-tune their ideal tonal balance.
In the End
The Westone Audio MACH 60 is arguably one of the best-tuned earphones regardless of price, at least when tonal accuracy and ultimate sonic realism are what you are looking for.
After testing dozens of earphones from various brands, I have finally found one with a tuning that comes close to perfection. This is one of the very few – if not the only one – earphones in my collection that can reproduce instruments and voices almost exactly as they sound in the concert hall. At the same time, it remains very transparent and technically accomplished, as one would expect from an earphone at this price and beyond.
Leaving sound quality aside, the Westone Audio MACH 60 is also lightweight, compact, very well made and exceptionally comfortable for continuous use, while it comes equipped with a rich accessory set. I would have liked a balanced cable, but what can you do? Nobody’s perfect.
It seems that Westone Audio discovered the wheel many years ago, while others are still trying to figure out how it works.
Pros
Exemplary tonal balance
Outstanding timbral realism
Technical and well-defined bass
Naturally voiced mids
Smooth yet highly resolving treble
Excellent driver integration and sonic cohesion
Free from any BA-related artificiality
Grand and spacious soundstage
Stellar imaging precision
Lightweight and compact shells
Very comfortable for prolonged listening
High-quality, thin yet sturdy cable
Bombproof Pelican case
Cons
Less physical impact than dynamic-driver bass
The textures could use some extra weight
T2 connectors limit aftermarket cable choices
Elongated eartips might feel uncomfortable for some users
Stock cable comes with a 3.5mm single-ended plug
The Pelican case is not particularly practical for everyday carry
Copyright – 2026.
Authored by Petros Laskis for Ichos Reviews. All content is original and copyrighted. Republishing full reviews or portions without written permission is prohibited. Excerpts up to 100 words are allowed with a direct link.
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