Shure e3c or Ety er-4p??

i dont think the e3's fold behind the ear like the e2's do. altho i am not totally sure on that...i am basing my opinion on the looks of the e3's they dont look back flipping friendly =P

i am very much debating getting a set of e3's, eventho I was kind of set on getting a set of grado 325's. grr decisions!

The E3c was designed to function as a dual position earphone. It is able to be worn with the cable over the ear (like the E2 and E5) or you can turn the earpieces over and let the cable hang down in front.
Unfortunately there aren't many images that show this yet.

A few folks on this board have had a chance to see the E3c, so maybe one of them will comment.

Yup, looks like they can be worn both ways...

I would wait until E3c's official release date, then see if anyone's got reviews... *hint* *hint*.. hehehe

Mr Lindrone i wondered if you were tempted to get an IHP-120 or Karma, both of which probably have a better sound quality than an Ipod ?

I can't speak to weather or not Lindrone has been tempted by either of these models, but they don't have better sound quality then iPods.

Hehehe.. a little bit off topic. Whether or not either of those models has better sound quality than the iPod is more or less a matter of opinion. They definitely has different sound signatures, but I haven't seen a real comparative review in terms of measured results.

Just like judging any source, some CD players can be considered analytical, some can be considered musical. Some can be considered thin in the bass region, some extract more detail. It comes down to more a matter of personal preference rather than true superiority within sources of the same level. Of course, if they made a $1000 Rio Karma, it should have better sound quality... but comparing sources within the same price class is often harder than comparing headphones and amps of the same price class.

Not to mention, portable HD players has other factors that goes into the buying decision outside of just the sound quality. Aesthetic is one thing, usability is another, and that includes usability both on the software side as well as the device itself.

Factor all that together... I was more tempted by the Rio Karma than the iHP-120. I have no desire to get iHP-120 at all... but Rio Karma looked attractive at the right size/design/features. However, it didn't have definite superiority for me to consider getting it instead of the iPod.

Maybe when I get to that next round of HD player upgrades.. but I'm hoping Apple has something up their sleeves at the next Macworld as well. (And that's just around the corner in January)

I personally got a chance to borrow my friend's 3rd gen ipod when I just got my ihp-100. I must admit I was amazed by the sound quality of the ipod, BUT it just doesn't have that amazing crystal clear sound of the ihp.

sound quality:
ihp: 9.8
ipod: 9.0

if you get the shure 3c's you get a full 30days to try them out and return them with no questions asked from shure. furthermore they have a deal where if you order now free shipping, so even if you don tlike them, you would only be out like 5-6 dollars for return shipping. not a bad way to try them out imo! this is why im so tempted.

You can get the same thing on the Etys from Headroom.

I can't wait to see a review of the e3c, since my purchase of etys will be delayed some until after the new year.

Shure should "leak" some to people for review on here.

Or better yeat, an across the board canal phone review.

Scott

I assume you were playing the same track encoded at the best quality available on each device to make your comparison. I ask because I suspect you weren't. An AAC encoded file on the iPod, at anything up to 320kbps, will surpass anything out there in musical fidelity terms, assuming a decent pair of earphones.

I would be very surprised if anything even comes close to an iPod playing AAC encoded files and listended to through Shure or Etymotic (preferably the Etys) canal phones. Put a head amp in line and the difference in quality is even greater.

Simon

But... have YOU done the same?

And what does it have to do with comparing etys and shures?

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