More IEM questions...

So I received my Super.fi-5 (new version)... and I don't really like them. It's difficult for me to get a good fit with them, and the sound is a little boring. The "iPhone" compatible plug REALLY irritates me as well. It's so small and thin, it can be annoying to pull out of headphone jacks.

I'm likely going to return them.

Still on the search for an interim universal IEM while I wait for my '08 tax return and customs. The sound I'm looking for is essentially, like the ER-4P, but with better bass and a bit backed off on the highs. They can sometimes be fatiguing.

I'd like to hear some opinions about specific earphones...

Shure E4c/SCL4: Compared to ER-4P, how do these sound? I get the impression from many reviews I've read that they are a little toned down on the bass compared to other Shures and have better highs and clarity. My experience with Shure was they all sounded like mud, but then again I only used the E2, E3 and E5.

Futuresonic Atrio M5: They're ugly and huge but they appear to be very comfortable (as have many reviewers stated). I like the presence of memory wire. They're also 32 ohms which would knock the hiss on my A728 dead. I hear they have rolled-off highs; I want something less than the ER-4P, but I don't want something that sounds like mud.

Westone UM2: I hear a lot about these, about their wonderful comfort and near total lack of microphonic noise. I also hear that they have rolled off highs. Any UM2 owners, care to comment? I've heard they accept EQing well.

Any other suggestions would be welcome, but I've already tried the Sleek SA6 and the shape of the driver housing caused me too much discomfort, so they had to be returned. The UE Triple.fi are outside my budget; I can get customs for that price, and my ears are too small to comfortably fit the Super.fi 5 Pro, which are smaller than the TF10.

Forgot to mention, I did try the Image X10, and I found that they were too warm/soft for me and they were no less microphonic than the ER-4P. I am trying to get away from IEMs that don't have a facility for over-the-ear style.

I actually think I like the ER-6i better than the ER-4P. Certainly the highs are nice, but not too overemphasized. But I was hoping for something with a bit more low end. The 6i didn't have any more bass than the 4P did.

Mrr. I've already bought and returned 4 pair of IEMs since I decided to replace the ER-4P. I'm not knowing what to do at this point!

I tried doing it, trust me. =) I tried with my ER-4P also and was never able to. Because the IEMs have the shape of a round tube, when inserted into my ears they angle downward. If I try to twist the strain relief up to accommodate over-the-ear wear, the seal breaks. Apparently I have weird ears.

I have not tried Q-Jays yet, but I don't like the two-part cable. They are a little outside what I want to spend. I want to keep it around $150, since I will be buying custom IEMs when I receive my federal income tax return in 2009. These are just to use for the time being.

I did that too. The tension on the wire kept the tube housing the drivers from angling down, thus breaking the seal.

If the strain relief on both the ER-4P and the Image x10 were at a 90-degree angle to the driver housing, it wouldn't be as problematic, but because both strain reliefs are at a 45 degree angle it causes a problem.

The design of the ER-6i was far easier to use over-the-ear because the strain relief was inside the housing rather than out, and the wire left the housing perpendicular to the centerline of the device itself.