Shure E2c or Monster Turbine?

I will recommend the Turbine because it's more detailed with better bass and if you need more isolation then E2c are fairly detailed IEMs.

The Turbines. It is not even close and I own both. You can get a refurbished pair of Turbines from the Monstercable outlet store for $50.

Don't be fooled by the price of the Monster Turbine's; they've been on "sale" for $100 for about 2 years now. While I still consider them a decent earphone for $100, I think you can find something a bit better. The Turbines sound really good in the low end, but at the expense of the mids/highs. They feel solid and have a decent build quality, but the cable is prone to tangles/warping over time (if you wrap it around your player like most people do). My pair lasted about 2 years before the left channel died.

Personally, I'd recommend something from the Westone lineup. While they may not be as flashy, they have excellent detail across the whole spectrum - not just the low end. I find they produce a more natural, involving sound. Since you mentioned Radiohead, I think these earphones might be better suited to your musical taste. I believe the UM1s are about $100, so well within your price range (the Westone 1, optimized for recorded music, is another candidate). I own the UM1s and find them to be vastly superior to the Monster Turbines. Just my opinion, of course, but I think you'll agree. The also have a cable that looks flimsy, but it is the most robust cable I have ever used. It doesn't tangle, warp or crack. I'm still a bit surprised at how durable it is. Anyway, I hope that helps.

I'd go with the Turbine Pro over the e2c.  As much as I prefer the e2c for fit (once they are in, the over the ear style just works), the lack of bass is what drove me to these forums in the first place.  Turbine Pros have the balls to properly present heavier music but they do get a little muddy.  The mids on the e2c are clear while the Turbine Pros are a tad recessed...

This really becomes a personal thing since the two are so wildly different!

Oh, and both have microphonics through the cable, but Turbine's is worse. 

As for Westone, I have the W2s, so out of the price range.  All I can say is they have incredible cabling. 

edit:  Also, I think the Turbines are more forgiving of poor recordings.  I just listened to my e2c's and they really pick up on 128 bitrate mp3s.

Had a pair of Shure E3C's and the mids are great but there is something noticeably wrong with how they present treble, the rolloff is very obvious and it was really painful for me. I still love them for their mids though but they're just accurate and not much else. If the E2C's are lower in the range, I'd have to go with anything else unless you're actually monitoring.

The Shure E2C is discontinued.  It looks like J&R Music world is getting rid of some old stock through Amazon.  You're better off getting the refurbished Turbines at the Monster outlet for $50. http://www.monstercable.com/outletstore/linelist.asp

Why not get the SE215 (clear color) for $89 on amazon? Its one of the latest releases from Shure. Or even the SE115 which is $50 new on amazon. 

I've owned both of these for a long time.

My two cents:

Turbines hands down. The e2c's suck actually. No bass whatsoever. Thin, reedy sound with screechy highs. They are god-awful. Their only advantage over the Turbines is that they have a good fit. The Turbines, I could never get a good fit on these. They are just too big and heavy.

The Turbines have bass galore, really warm, crispy sound that is just wonderful. Your mileage may vary, but I can't imagine anyone being happy with that failure of an IEM that is the e2c, unless they never heard anything better. 

Shure has much better options than the e2c, like the old SE110 and better yet the new replacement, the SE215. This might actually be able to compete with the Turbines from the accounts I've read here. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mochan 

I've owned both of these for a long time.

 

My two cents:

 

Turbines hands down. The e2c's suck actually. No bass whatsoever. Thin, reedy sound with screechy highs. They are god-awful. Their only advantage over the Turbines is that they have a good fit. The Turbines, I could never get a good fit on these. They are just too big and heavy.

 

The Turbines have bass galore, really warm, crispy sound that is just wonderful. Your mileage may vary, but I can't imagine anyone being happy with that failure of an IEM that is the e2c, unless they never heard anything better. 

 

Shure has much better options than the e2c, like the old SE110 and better yet the new replacement, the SE215. This might actually be able to compete with the Turbines from the accounts I've read here. 

"Shure has much better options than the e2c, like the old SE110" wow now I know the e2c is bad, I like everything about the SE110 (fit,prob my best build quality IEMs, by far my best isolation IEMs, etc) except the most important part, sound. Of course since the were my first taste of real not bundled or from walmart, sony or phillips IEMs I love them.
 

Haha I was trying to be nice with my review. I remember not being all that impressed with them going from CX300's
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mochan 

I've owned both of these for a long time.

 

My two cents:

 

Turbines hands down. The e2c's suck actually. No bass whatsoever. Thin, reedy sound with screechy highs. They are god-awful. Their only advantage over the Turbines is that they have a good fit. The Turbines, I could never get a good fit on these. They are just too big and heavy.

 

The Turbines have bass galore, really warm, crispy sound that is just wonderful. Your mileage may vary, but I can't imagine anyone being happy with that failure of an IEM that is the e2c, unless they never heard anything better. 

 

Shure has much better options than the e2c, like the old SE110 and better yet the new replacement, the SE215. This might actually be able to compete with the Turbines from the accounts I've read here. 

The e2c's were my first IEM. They really were that bad. The cheaper-at-the-time Apple IEMs (first generation) were actually better than the e2c.  Even though they were my first, I just couldn't come to love them. The best thing about them though were their included tips. I still have the Shure medium black soft silicon tips that I had with the e2c's. They are my favorite tips by far. I still use them today with my Turbines and my Metro.Fi's.  I even used them with the TF10s once upon a time. Best tips I ever had. 

The E3C's are the same way. You tell yourself that the 149 for the awesome midrange is worth it... but then you play a song with good in your face treble, and you get the all-too-familiar grainy sound of the rolloff. You know to be fair, those were made in the time when people were just impressed with isolation and thats it. The build quality is kind of bleh for such a thick cable. I still rock out with my SC3L (rerelease of the E3C) from time to time, since it's good for crunchy guitar, but other than that, the ER-6's are king of the hill until I can figure out how to get ER-4's in my life haha.

I cannot in good faith recommend Monster anything. The Turbines are good, not great. You have to spend bit more to get their decent IEM and I don't like that, I think any manufacturer should be able to make the best headphone they can given the money, and 100 dollars buys a LOT these days.

If it were me, knowing what I know now, I'd have to just buy a set of Etymotic HF5. If you listen to Radiohead and you want to hear everything, Etymotic has never disappointed anybody who listened to serious music. I'm listening to Radiohead right now on my ER6's just to be sure of this recommendation. If you don't like them, return them back to Amazon, no questions asked and swap 'em out. I've tried a lot of other IEM manufacturers over the years but somehow I've grown accustomed to listening to "quiet" music very clearly and with all the detail I was meant to hear. Radiohead is one of those artists that I frequently visit with my Ety's these days.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/391551/the-etymotic-hf5-it-s-new-it-s-etymotic-but-is-it-good-work-in-progress-review

You can get them in that badass ruby color! Etymotic is COOL now!