Melbourne grunge revivalists Cicadastone offer up the lastest track from their forthcoming album.
Draw the Line is the second effort from the band’s long form release Edge of Life, due on January 15 (XMusic). It will be the fourth album from the band. Order now and check out the clip below.
If you've spent any time in the IEM rabbit hole, you already know Westone's name. They've been making earpieces since before "audiophile" was even a hobby people talked about on the internet. Now they're back with the Mach 70, the second-from-the-top model in their Mach series, and it's aimed squarely at people who want flagship detail but also want their bass to actually hit. We spent time with the Mach 70 and put together this breakdown so you know exactly what you're getting into before dropping $999.
Westone Laboratories was founded back in 1959 by Ron Morgan Sr. in Colorado, and the company has been making earpieces for hearing healthcare, military, industrial, and recreational use ever since. If that sounds like an odd pedigree for an audiophile IEM maker, it actually explains a lot. Westone's DNA is rooted in medical-grade comfort and fit, which is why their monitors—from the old UM Pro line to the newer W series—have a reputation for disappearing in your ear during long listening sessions. The Mach series is Westone's current flagship push, built on over three decades of driver engineering, and the Mach 70 sits as the company's bass-focused co-flagship alongside the more reference-tuned Mach 80.
The Mach 70 is a universal-fit in-ear monitor packing seven proprietary balanced armature drivers—one low, two mid, and four high—run through a 3-way passive crossover. It's priced at $999 and shares its shell, color scheme, and overall design language with its sibling, the Mach 80. Where the Mach 80 leans reference and monitor-flat, the Mach 70 is tuned for listeners who want a fuller, more musical low end without sacrificing the resolution Westone is known for. It's marketed toward drummers, bassists, and electric guitarists, but honestly, any bass-leaning listener who still wants technical detail should have this on their list.
The Mach 70 uses the same dual-color black-and-gray shell as the rest of the Mach lineup, with a triangular faceplate that mimics the look of a custom IEM. It's plastic, but the finish does a decent job of faking an anodized metal look from a few feet away. Up close, though, the build doesn't scream "premium" the way you'd expect from some other brands at the thousand-dollar price point—there's no dramatic flourish here, just clean, functional plastic. With that being said, it does still feel durable and will hold up to heavy use.
Where Westone actually innovated is the connector. Instead of the industry-standard MMCX or 2-pin setup (both of which are notorious for wearing out or oxidizing over time), the Mach 70 uses Westone's T2 connector system, which is IP-67 rated for water and dust resistance. It's a more mechanically secure connection, though it does mean you're locked into Westone-compatible cables if you ever want to upgrade.
The included cable is the Linum Estron UltraBaX, a quad-twisted design built from 224 strands of silver-plated copper in a 4-braid litz configuration. It has an ultra-low impedance of just 0.6 ohms, meaning it won't color the sound at all—a nice touch for an IEM in this price bracket. That said, the cable is on the thinner end and can be slightly tangle-prone.
In the box, Westone includes an excellent accessory kit: a crushproof, waterproof Pelican-style case, five pairs each of foam and silicone ear tips, a cloth carrying pouch, a cleaning tool, and a cable organizer.
Overall Sound: The Mach 70's defining trait is bass. It's the bassiest IEM in the entire Mach lineup, and by quite a bit. But this isn't a one-note basshead earphone. The low end is full-bodied and forward without burying the midrange, and the treble stays smooth and detailed rather than getting steamrolled by the bass boost. It's a warmer, more musical presentation than Westone's typical reference house sound, and it works.
The bass on the Mach 70 is rounded, weighty, and surprisingly nimble for a single low-frequency balanced armature driver. Sub-bass extension is impressive for an all-BA design—you get real rumble, not just an upper-bass bump pretending to be sub-bass. It's controlled enough that it doesn't bleed into the midrange, even though it's clearly the star of the show.
The midrange stays forward and dense despite the added bass emphasis. Vocals sit right up front with good body and resolution, helped along by tuning bumps around 3kHz and 5kHz with a deliberate dip at 4kHz to keep things from getting shouty or nasal. It's not the most transparent midrange in the Mach lineup (that title goes to the Mach 60 and Mach 80), but it trades a bit of clinical accuracy for warmth and richness that a lot of listeners will actually prefer.
Treble is open, airy, and energetic enough to keep pace with that big bass without ever tipping into harshness. It rolls off naturally at the very top, which treble-sensitive listeners will appreciate, but it never feels dull or truncated. Detail retrieval up top is genuinely impressive for the price.
Timbre across the board sounds natural and true to instrument character; nothing feels artificially boosted or processed. The soundstage is one of the Mach 70's strongest features: it's wide, extends convincingly beyond the physical shell, and handles busy, layered mixes without collapsing. Imaging is precise, with instruments locking into specific, identifiable positions in the stereo field, which makes this a genuinely fun IEM for detail-oriented listening sessions, not just casual background music.
Westone's decades of medical earpiece experience show up here. The shell is compact despite housing seven drivers, and the ergonomic shape is built for all-day wear without the ear fatigue you get from some larger custom-style universal shells. All of Westone's Mach series are still some of the most comfortable IEMs I've ever worn, and the five pairs of included foam and silicone tips give you plenty of room to dial in a proper seal.
Isolation is solid, especially with the foam tips, making the Mach 70 a perfectly good option for stage monitoring or noisy commutes, not just quiet-room listening.
The obvious comparison, since they share the exact same shell and design. The Mach 80 adds a second bass driver (eight drivers total) and is tuned closer to reference-flat, making it the more "professional monitor" option. It also runs at 66 ohms compared to the Mach 70's 42 ohms, so it's noticeably harder to drive and benefits more from a dedicated dongle DAC or amp. If you want accuracy over fun, the Mach 80 is worth the extra $200. If you want musicality and a bigger low end, stick with the Mach 70.
The U12t brings 12 drivers and 64 Audio's tia and Apex venting technology to the table, delivering a more analytical, technically dense sound with excellent extension on both ends. It's a fantastic all-rounder, but it leans more neutral than the Mach 70's bass-forward tuning, and it costs $600 more. If ultimate technical performance is your priority and you don't need the extra bass, the U12t is worth the jump.
The Legend X is basically the basshead's basshead IEM, running dual subwoofer drivers alongside five balanced armatures for genuinely explosive low-end impact. It goes even further into bass territory than the Mach 70 and costs significantly more, but it's the natural next step for anyone who tries the Mach 70, loves the bass approach, and wants to chase it even further. Just know you're paying a real premium for that extra rumble.
The Westone Mach 70 is a fun, well-executed flagship IEM for anyone who wants their bass to matter without giving up midrange presence, treble detail, or soundstage width. It's not flawless—the build feels a little plasticky for the price (I personally don't mind it since it still feels sturdy), but the cable is thinner than expected and, in my experience, was quite tangle-prone. With all that being said, the sound tuning more than makes up for it. If you're a musician, bassist, or just someone who wants a bass-forward IEM that still resolves detail like a proper flagship, the Mach 70 earns its spot on our list as an easy recommendation.
Thanks for reading!
Country star Carrie Underwood has a well-documented history of onstage collaborations with Guns N’ Roses.
She first appeared with the band at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, in April 2022, and reprised the performance three months later at Tottenham Stadium in London. In addition, GN’R frontman Axl Rose gatecrashed one of Underwood’s solo shows the following year in Los Angeles.
Last weekend, the relationship was rekindled as Underwood joined GN’R onstage during their show at Truist Park in Atlanta, singing Sweet Child O’ Mine and Paradise City with Rose.
“Yet another amazing show from Guns N’ Roses,” Underwood posted on Instagram. “Thanks, Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, Slash, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Isaac Carpenter and the whole crew for having us and for letting me try and keep up on stage! You are always so kind! Love you all forever!”
Now TMZ reports that the relationship Rose is mentoring Underwood as she works on a rock music project. The website’s sources haven’t revealed any more details, but Underwood – who performed a four-song set of rock covers that climaxed with a version of Limp Bizkit‘s Break Stuff at the Velocity Festival in Dyersville, Iowa, earlier this month – has previously spoken about her love of rock music.
“I do have an affinity for rock music and metal, and I just love the energy more than anything,” she told Audacy in 2023. “I love going to rock concerts because it feels like freedom to me. You never really know with me. I never say never about anything. I feel like certain influences work their way into different songs and different moments, even if they’re not songs that I record.”
Underwood has previously collaborated with Papa Roach – on the 2022 single Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark) – and appeared with Mötley Crüe on this year’s American Idol series finale. Last year on the same show, she paired up with a contestant to sing Drowning Pool’s nu metal banger Bodies, and she’s also covered Ozzy Osbourne‘s Mama I’m Coming Home and Motörhead‘s Ace Of Spades.
Videos of Underwood’s most recent Guns N’ Roses cameos are below. The band’s Truist Park show was the final date of their 2026 North American tour, but they return to the road in November with shows in India, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Full dates below.
Nov 14: Bengaluru, Nice Grounds, India
Nov 17: Guwahati Khanapara Vetinary Ground, India
Nov 21: Jakarta Madya Stadium GBK, Indonesia
Nov 25: Singapore SG National Stadium, Singapore
Nov 29: Adelaide Grand Final, Australia ≠
Dec 02: Townsville Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Australia ≠
Dec 05: Brisbane Suncorp Stadium, Australia ≠
Dec 08: Newcastle McDonald Jones Stadium, Australia ≠
Dec 11: Melbourne Marvel Stadium, Australia ≠
Dec 14: Sydney Engie Stadium, Australia ≠
Dec 17: Auckland Eden Park Stadium, New Zealand ≠
≠ with Airbourne
HEALTH, Perturbator and King Yosef at the Roundhouse, Sydney. September 9, 2026
Cum metal worldwide!
Goth synthwave force HEALTH are the epitome of sex on stage. Whenever they’ve toured Australia, nine months later a boom of babies are born… allegedly. (Check back with us in nine months’ time)
With the house sounding like the title screen of Skyrim, all manner of electronic, Goth and metal fan have converged on the Roundhouse tonight. From Portland, Oregon, King Yosef is the outlier tonight, markedly heavier and less electronic than the two others on the bill, that didn’t stop the dancers and moshers from melding together. Sharp bursts of blast beats and industrial noise, Glimmer, Power… the mosh was small but hearty.
Those who wanted to see Frenchman James Kent, more commonly known as Perturbator, were in for a rude shock as the duo were clouded in smoke, silhouettes amongst the infinite bursts of strobe light. But when the music’s this good, it’s not imperative to see the stage. Just let yourself be enveloped by the sonic waves cascading across the venue.
This is music to dance to, to mosh to. It’s the kind of songs to drive real fast to, preferably into the sunset. This is the soundtrack to the 80s hero kicking the shit outta the villain’s henchmen on a trail to revenge. This is Perturbator. Apocalypse Now, Venger, Future Club… Sydney is getting down like Neo Tokyo. We may be just out of winter but the Roundhouse is heating up like summer.
“Sad Music for Horny People”, this is the slogan plastered across the back of punters in Health merch, and there’s never been a more apt description of the LA noise rock’s sound.
Taking the stage to the Evangelion theme song, the Roundhouse looking like the inside of a meat smoker, the pounding rhythm of VIBE COP gets the people moving.
Last here for Knotfest, we’ve had two new releases since then in the way of CONFLICT DLC and the accompanying Ep ADDENDUM, though the latter doesn’t get a look in on this tour.
Featuring heavily on CONFLICT DLC and 2023’s RAT WARS, the trio, plus touring guitarist Justin McKinney give us a bass heavy serving of SHRED ENVY, TRASH DECADE and CRACK METAL.
Between the blanket of smoke and strobing lights, it was difficult at times to see the band, a wild flick of hair from John Famiglietti reminded us they were there. The balcony was packed and the floor was pumping, a mix of sweaty mosh and sensual dance to get the juices flowing.
TEARS, a haunting YOU DIED and the heart pounding FUTURE OF HELL, the soft melody of Jake Duzsik’s vocals cutting through the driving beats.
Forgoing the traditional encore, Duzsik announced that they only had two songs left. “We could stand behind a curtain for a moment then come back out”. Personally this reviewer prefers this format of just playing a full set instead.
“No one knows what’s going to happen in the future, This is what we have right now.” The band polish us off with DON’T KILL YOURSELF and DSM-V, the final minutes to lose yourself in the moment, lose yourself to dance and find someone to spend the rest of the night with.
Afterlife and Aurorawave will be joining them.
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