Head-Fi's Sponsors
(Premier Sponsors bolded) |
|
|
Can Jam '09
(2009
International
Head-Fi Meet)
Impressions,
Reviews, Photos |
Can
Jam '09 graphic
courtesy of Edwood
Click on the links below
for Can Jam '09 photos,
impressions and reviews:
blubliss
1,
2,
3
dallan
1,
2,
3,
4
santacore
1,
2
nhat_thanh
1, 2
vpivinylspinner
1,
2,
3
amb
1
augustwest
1
eaglejo
1
johnsonad
1
shellylh
1
Jon L
1,
2,
3,
4
Germancub
1
zippy2001
1
IPodPJ
1
bhd812
1
Edwood
1,
2
abellaw
1,
2
minidiscs
1
atothex
1
HighLife
1
achristilaw
1
SiBurning
1,
2,
3,
4
SiBurning
5,
6,
7
LFF
1
Iron_Dreamer
1
doping panda
1
morphsci
1
ironbut
1
shaizada
1
jasper994
1,
2
jp11801
1
Uncle Erik
1
drubrew
1
(More impressions/photos
still being added.)
|
|
|
Head-Fi Blogs
and Facebook |
|
|
Head-Fi's Sponsors
(Premier Sponsors bolded) |
|
|
|
| Headphones (full-size) Discussion of full-size headphones. |
12-01-2006, 12:30 PM
|
 |
500+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Nor cal
Posts: 505
|
|
PC Mag - UE triple.fi {vs} Shure e500 {vs} er-4p
well sort of...
Ultimate Ears makes personal custom-molded monitors for everyone from the Who to Cirque du Soleil. Now you can get headphones of similar quality without having a professional audiologist make molds of your ears, thanks to the new UE triple.fi 10 Pro.
Designed to please true audiophiles, the triple.fi have three tiny speakers in each earphone. The high-frequency driver is the same one used in the company's famous custom UE-10 Pro monitors. Sound shoots into your ear canal via a dual-bore tube, which has separate holes for high and low frequencies. They're also extremely comfortable, with a very secure fit provided by the flexible over-the ear loops. The metallic blue color of the earphones provides an elegant accent without being garish or boring.
I found the sound to be gloriously well balanced, with sparkling highs, tight bass, and an impressive amount of detail in the midrange. I tested them against another triple-driver set of earphones, the Shure E500PTH, as well as my Etymotic ER4-P (with the S-adapter cable attached), and I definitely prefer the triple.fi 10 Pro above all of them. Compared with the Shure E500, the triple.fi's bass is tighter and less overwhelming, and the highs are more prominent and crisp. The Etymotic headphones are more accurate, but that means less bass and a somewhat harsh overall sound compared with the triple.fi, which sounds warmer and has stronger bass. Overall, the triple.fi gives me the best balance and most expansive sound among any in-ear models I've tested.
The triple.fi is an efficient set of headphones, but not quite to the same degree that the Shure E500 is. Still, it's been optimized for use with portable music players (and terminates in a gold-plated, L-shaped, eighth-inch stereo minijack), so your devices will have no trouble whatsoever driving it.
Included flexible over-the-ear loops and the relatively nonintrusive silicone tips (foam tips are also included) make for a very secure fit and eliminate any noise from the cables. Although the noise isolation isn't quite as effective as that of the Shure and Etymotic headphones, the triple.fi blocks out plenty of ambient sound. It's also easy to get a good seal once you've figured out which size tips (three sizes are included) is right for your ears. Choosing a proper tip is also important for getting the best possible sound out of in-ear headphones. Foam tips provide slightly better isolation than silicone ones for some people, though your results may vary.
Inside the package are a metal hard case, cleaning tool, fit kit with silicone and foam tips, a level attenuator (for high-output audio sources), and a quarter-inch plug adapter. Of course, the Shure E500PTH's modular cable design and Push-To-Hear unit are certainly nice perks, but the triple.fi's replaceable cables are more practical. In addition, the handy flexible loops and nonintrusive tips make it very easy to slip the headphones out of your ears temporarily when you need to hear what's going on around you.
At $399.99 (direct), the Ultimate Ears UE triple.fi 10 Pro is definitely aimed at the audiophile crowd. That said, consumer MP3 players and other portables have absolutely no problem driving these high-end headphones, and they're excellent for enjoying every subtle nuance of music, whether you're in the office, at home, commuting, or on a plane. My only gripe is that they're a little bit on the bulky side, tending to stick out of your ears a fair amount; I sometimes feel a bit Frankenstein-ish, but the comfort and sound quality are well worth it.
|
12-01-2006, 12:30 PM
|
|
500+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Nor cal
Posts: 505
|
|
for reference this is what he said in the e500 review
The E500PTH is the best-sounding set of in-ear headphones I've ever tested. Comparing them with, say, my Etymotic ER-4P is like comparing a set of bookshelf studio monitor speakers with a pair of floor-standing three-way speakers. Unlike the ER-4P, which favors studio-style accuracy that can sound harsh to some, the E500PTH has a muscular, rich, and extremely detailed sound that's neither harsh nor too in-your-face. I listened to everything from Coltrane and Bartok to Zeppelin and Moroccan Gnawa masters (all encoded using lossless compression); it all sounded glorious, with deep bass, nicely extended highs, and crystal-clear midrange, all of which blend together smoothly.
|
12-01-2006, 01:19 PM
|
 |
1000+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,217
|
|
The TF10's are suppose to be awesome IF THEY EVER COME OUT! 
|
12-01-2006, 04:54 PM
|
 |
100+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 400
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ssingh0
for reference this is what he said in the e500 review
The E500PTH is the best-sounding set of in-ear headphones I've ever tested.
|
but also said "..I tested them against another triple-driver set of earphones, the Shure E500PTH, as well as my Etymotic ER4-P (with the S-adapter cable attached), and I definitely prefer the triple.fi 10 Pro above all of them."
Which one is it that sounds better, the E500 or the tripfi? PC mag says one is "best-sounding" and the other is a "...definitely prefer.." Is this like saying the best sounding one is not as fun to listen to?
|
12-01-2006, 05:22 PM
|
 |
Headphoneus Supremus
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Hong Kong SAR & Edinburgh, Scotland
Posts: 8,283
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ssingh0
for reference this is what he said in the e500 review
The E500PTH is the best-sounding set of in-ear headphones I've ever tested. Comparing them with, say, my Etymotic ER-4P is like comparing a set of bookshelf studio monitor speakers with a pair of floor-standing three-way speakers. Unlike the ER-4P, which favors studio-style accuracy that can sound harsh to some, the E500PTH has a muscular, rich, and extremely detailed sound that's neither harsh nor too in-your-face. I listened to everything from Coltrane and Bartok to Zeppelin and Moroccan Gnawa masters (all encoded using lossless compression); it all sounded glorious, with deep bass, nicely extended highs, and crystal-clear midrange, all of which blend together smoothly.
|
x2
I can't wait for the Triple.fi come out though... Sparkling highs, tight bass, detailed, but smooth mids all sound wonderful 
The E500 are too coloured for accurate classical music reproduction. Its presentation is completely different to anything I've listened to. However, they're still very nice. Switching between the analytical 404 and the E500 introduces gasps and cries  It takes about 5-10 minutes to get used to the new sound.
__________________
desktop • foobar-asio → cambridge audio azur 740c → stax srm-oo6t/raytheon → sennheiser he6o
portable • bb storm → acs t2
|
12-01-2006, 06:14 PM
|
 |
Headphoneus Supremus
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Wherever I lay my head at the moment!
Posts: 2,532
|
|
WHY EVEN BOTHER POSTING THAT!! (sorry for the caps...)...
I just got off the phone with the UE people and the @#%$ buds won't be shipped until MARCH!! Gaaah.... I guess you're right e500s are the way to go until then.... or maybe I'll just stick with the lowly sounds of my sfp5s .. 
|
12-02-2006, 01:09 AM
|
|
Headphoneus Supremus
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Hong Kong SAR & Edinburgh, Scotland
Posts: 8,283
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morph201
I guess you're right e500s are the way to go until then
|
darn right
__________________
desktop • foobar-asio → cambridge audio azur 740c → stax srm-oo6t/raytheon → sennheiser he6o
portable • bb storm → acs t2
|
12-02-2006, 01:33 AM
|
 |
1000+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: FL
Posts: 1,141
|
|
I guess the count for non-headfi reviews is now 1 to 1.
iLounge liked the E500s.
PC-Mag liked the Triple.Fi's.
|
12-02-2006, 02:17 AM
|
|
1000+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,217
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morph201
WHY EVEN BOTHER POSTING THAT!! (sorry for the caps...)...
I just got off the phone with the UE people and the @#%$ buds won't be shipped until MARCH!! Gaaah.... I guess you're right e500s are the way to go until then.... or maybe I'll just stick with the lowly sounds of my sfp5s .. |
WHAT? I thought that they were going to have at least for the first 180 customers some number of units before Xmas.
E500's are looking better and better...
|
12-02-2006, 07:51 AM
|
|
500+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Nor cal
Posts: 505
|
|
Quote:
|
Which one is it that sounds better, the E500 or the tripfi? PC mag says one is "best-sounding" and the other is a "...definitely prefer.." Is this like saying the best sounding one is not as fun to listen to?
|
the e500 review was written before the triple.fi was
|
12-02-2006, 09:36 AM
|
 |
Headphoneus Supremus
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 1,994
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morph201
WHY EVEN BOTHER POSTING THAT!! (sorry for the caps...)...
I just got off the phone with the UE people and the @#%$ buds won't be shipped until MARCH!! Gaaah.... I guess you're right e500s are the way to go until then.... or maybe I'll just stick with the lowly sounds of my sfp5s .. |
For some reason I think UE is in the midst of a big change. Anyone else get this sense?
__________________
"So I jump ship in Hong Kong, and I make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over there in the Himalayas. (a looper?) A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper,..a jock. So I tell 'em I'm a pro jock and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama himself. The Twelfth son of the Lama; the flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So i'm on the first tee with him, I give him the driver; he hauls off and whacks one - big hitter, the Lama - long...into a ten thousand foot crevasse right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says: (pause) 'Gunga Galunga... gunga, gunga-lagunga.' So we finish the 18th and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, 'Hey, Lama, hey. How about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know?' And he says, 'Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.' So i've got THAT going for me. Which is nice."
|
12-02-2006, 09:44 AM
|
 |
500+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Abilene TX
Posts: 985
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ingo
For some reason I think UE is in the midst of a big change. Anyone else get this sense?
|
I think they should have just stuck with doing customs and not entered the universal market.
__________________
Ipod Classic 120>Pico>Ue-11 Pro
Team UE-11pro
Team UE-5c
Team Tea-Fi
Past phones.-Sony ex51, sony ex71, shure e2c, shure e3c, shure e5c,ES2, other cheap buds from every manufacturer.
Past player-ipod classic 160gb, Creative Zen vision:M, Ipod 3g, many cd players and a few MD players
Past amps- RSA Hornet M, RSA Tomahawk
|
12-02-2006, 09:53 AM
|
 |
Headphoneus Supremus
∙ 1/2 hamster, 1/2 Turkish
∙ Blueteething
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Cage
Posts: 19,883
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ssingh0
Compared with the Shure E500, the triple.fi's bass is tighter and less overwhelming.
|
Uh it's the other way around.
The Triple.fi has a LOT of bass in comparison.
-Ed
|
12-02-2006, 12:28 PM
|
|
1000+ Head-Fi'er
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,217
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by chef8489
I think they should have just stuck with doing customs and not entered the universal market.
|
That's not a very lucrative market.
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 04:56 PM.
|
