I'm bemused by these recurring references to harshness in the MC5. My main (but minor) beef with them is a lack of sparkle in the slightly too smooth highs. I guess that just shows that a lot of people have real trouble getting a proper seal with the triflanges.

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supersleuth said:

I'm bemused by these recurring references to harshness in the MC5. My main (but minor) beef with them is a lack of sparkle in the slightly too smooth highs. I guess that just shows that a lot of people have real trouble getting a proper seal with the triflanges.

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I actually really don't think its a seal issue. I can get a great seal with these, so much so that isolation is frightening and bass is readily apparent. It's not the usual tinny sound I'm getting from an unsealed phone. It may be a bad combination of source player with only-good amp (iPhone 4) and surprisingly hard to drive MC3's causing distortion, but I always experience a peak with the Etymotics a little bit below where I would normally experience Sss sibilance. So I end up getting a bit of a hard to listen to hot, smeared sound. I actually wouldn't mind more treble on the MC5's, but this mid-treble region really irks me. Sounds great with violins and trumpets, but infuriating with some filtered electronic effects.
 
It's also that I have occasional fit issues with the Tri Flanges where the deep insertion seems to actually do something in my ear canals so that I get fluttering in my left ear. (That's not assuring.) 

I use Shure silicone grey soft flex tips with mine. 

 
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Sounds great with violins and trumpets, but infuriating with some filtered electronic effects.

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Very good point- differences in the kind of music they're used for could also play a role in the divergent opinions.

I listen to a lot of different stuff (hip-hop, movie soundtracks, rock, punk, hardcore, funk, jazz) and these sound pretty good to my ears...

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supersleuth said:

 
Very good point- differences in the kind of music they're used for could also play a role in the divergent opinions.

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Hehe yep. Actually, if all I listened to was classical, I think I would probably love them. String quarters in particular really just jump out and wow me on the ety's. It's only with bad recordings that I'd get sibilance on the MC5's with classical. (I'm guessing that might be a lot, if not just what you listen to Super?)
 
Unfortunately my two favourite genres are electropop/electroclash and indie acoustic, and it can sometimes get a little messy with the former. A lot of mastering nowadays seems to go for a bit of a hot presentation to get that ultra clean studio sound, but then the trade off seems to be bad synergy with some earphones.
 

Yup, pretty much 100% classical. I can definitely see where you'd want something (non-Ety for sure) that would better compensate for the "hot" mastering in your preferred genres.