Probably the E3c. It's not that it's a bad headphone but I found myself at the airport one day and brought along a player and an amp but forgot my headphones. I had recently sold my E2s and thought they were fun, but not very detailed. Plus, I never really got the hang of IEMs.
But there I was at the airport facing a 4 day business trip with tunes but no phones. The only thing decent the Altitudes store had were the Shures. So I plunked down my $180. Yep, I paid full retail. Immediately I was disappointed in both the sound and the fit. When I first tried them out they sounded very thin and although detailed, they were too bright. Besides that I could never get a good seal on them and am still flailing with them.
On top of that, I need to send them back to Shure now because the sound signature has completely changed. They now sound very similar to the E2s, kind of bassy and a bit muddy. They also seem to have lost some of their volume. I think the tubes are all clogged up and I can't seem to clean them out. All in all I don't think they are bad but I paid too much and IEMs just don't seem to be for me.
1st and 2nd runner up would have to be the HD 25-1 and ATH-EW9. The HD 25 never did it for me. It just sounded too congested. I did buy an aftermarket cable which seemed to help but I still don't use them. The EW9 I bought solely on looks and thought they would make good bedroom cans. Actually, the sound is not bad and when played at low volume they have nice detail. Unfortunately, I find them uncomfortable as they seem to irritate my ears after about 45 minutes. Still, both of these cans I bought used for an excellent price, so it's more of a minor disappointment than actual buyer's remorse.
But there I was at the airport facing a 4 day business trip with tunes but no phones. The only thing decent the Altitudes store had were the Shures. So I plunked down my $180. Yep, I paid full retail. Immediately I was disappointed in both the sound and the fit. When I first tried them out they sounded very thin and although detailed, they were too bright. Besides that I could never get a good seal on them and am still flailing with them.
On top of that, I need to send them back to Shure now because the sound signature has completely changed. They now sound very similar to the E2s, kind of bassy and a bit muddy. They also seem to have lost some of their volume. I think the tubes are all clogged up and I can't seem to clean them out. All in all I don't think they are bad but I paid too much and IEMs just don't seem to be for me.
1st and 2nd runner up would have to be the HD 25-1 and ATH-EW9. The HD 25 never did it for me. It just sounded too congested. I did buy an aftermarket cable which seemed to help but I still don't use them. The EW9 I bought solely on looks and thought they would make good bedroom cans. Actually, the sound is not bad and when played at low volume they have nice detail. Unfortunately, I find them uncomfortable as they seem to irritate my ears after about 45 minutes. Still, both of these cans I bought used for an excellent price, so it's more of a minor disappointment than actual buyer's remorse.
Completely forgot about those. I tried them very early on, and only with my old X5, so I don't think I gave them a fair shake. I remember them sounding a little thin and bass-less, but that was probably more the X5's fault. The only other ~$100 headphones I still need to try are the MS1 and HD555 - seems kind of strange that I didn't try them first...
