I am considering purchasing a e3c but wanted to know if it is worth purchasing the e3 (in gray for 150.00 shipped) when I currently own the e2c. To me the E2's sound great, but i wish for a little more higher and lower end.

The E2's I have were terribly uncomfortable out of the box, however I made up that Sony EX mod (which is basically the sony EX silicone buds were fitted onto the E2's). On a comfort rating of 1-10 I'll give them a 8 right now, which is fine but I want something to be a 10, like the sony nude EX70 were (more comfy then the 71's in my opinion.anyone else?)

If I will achieve this comfort and the better sound i'd say the purchase might be worth it, but it is 150 bucks so I want you guys to help me with your opinions.

BTW I love the nice thick cord, durability, and good looks, of the E2's, I hope this isn't sacrificed with the E3.

In the unlikely case that muddy and slightly bloated bass is what you like, the E3c should be superior in every other regard.

Same thick and durable wires, and smaller, sleeker design. Although they did make a compromise by making it wearable both ways, so it doesn't have a shape that seems like it'll fit in your ear in the over-the-ear wearing method.

However, they will fit very nicely regardless.

How would you say the comfort is compared to the EX70's if you've ever had experience with this model.

And no i don't like muddy bass. Just crisp and punchy. But then again sound is very difficult to express with words.

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The soft flex sleeve of the Shure's is better made than the EX70/71 sleeves, imo.

They should give you a better fit and more comfort. Also, with the E3 you have the entire assortment of different fitting options, foams, soft flex and flex sleeves, and tri-flange as well. So you're bound to find something that works.

thanks for the help. luckily my friend has decided to purchase these and I will be able to try them out before I order them for myself. does anyone know when the http://www.microphonesolutions.com coupon code: F149E3 expires?

I upgraded from the E2 to the E3 and don't regret it.

I had my E2 for about 8 months and loved them - constant companion to my iPod. I also did a similar sleeve mod to use sony mdr-nc11 sleeves (similar if not same as EX70/71 sleeves) and found this fairly comfy. The E3 sleeve is very similar but since it is made for the E3 I think the quality and fit is a bit better than my mod - I find them very comfy. You also have the option of using foamies, the clear flex sleeves (yuck - not my choice) or the triple-flange (have to buy this separate though).

I find the E3 to be better in just about all respects. Fit better with new soft flex sleeves, sound better in terms of better resolution and clarity, better extension on the high end and tighter bass. The cord is slightly slimmer but just as rugged and well made and the earpieces are smaller and a little lighter.

Don't forget that if you buy from a vendor like Todd (http://www.toddthevinyljunkie.com/) or microphonesolutions.com, you get a 30-day money back guarantee so you only have to pay shipping for the chance to audition them live and first hand. I bought from microphonesolutions.com and had a very good experience - highly recommend this vendor.

IMO listening to them for yourself is the ONLY way you will be able to justify if they are worth the money (to you) to upgrade from the E2. I can tell you they sound better 'till I'm blue in the face, you have to decide this for yourself - just do it.

If you don't like them, or can't justify the expense in terms of comparison to the E2, just send them back and consider shipping charges as a rental fee and peace of mind.

Just do it.

Good advice; I will follow it.

i am also in a similar dilemma and i need some help. would you recommend the e3 over the e2c for rock/heavy metal/death metal/black metal music? i'm looking for bass similar (or better?) to the PX200's and KSC-35's. i've read the high end on the e2's are a bit weak, is this really noticeable? would a little EQ'ing on the Karma fix it?

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I haven't tried the KSC-35, but I've had the px200, e2, and e3c.

I decided 20 minutes after I had the px200 that I'd sell it. To me, it sounded very weak, didn't isolate very well, and seemed cheaply constructed (although the case was cool!).

I bought the e2s after hearing all the rave reviews, and my first impression was that everyone was crazy. The sound was very muddy, and I actually preferred my iriver earbuds. However, as I used them more and more, they sounded better and better. I'm not sure if it was the process of breaking them in (which I'm not sure is real) or just getting used to them or me becoming a better listener, but after 2 weeks, I thought the iriver earbuds sounded like crap.

Well, everyone who lingers here will eventually get that itch to try better headphones, and that is what happened to me. I never thought I'd spend over $150 on headphones, but I put down the money for the e3cs. They are much better than the E2s. The muddiness (sp?) is gone and has a flatter sound across the board. The E2s do, however, have stronger bass and midrange, but I think the E3cs are just much better overall phones. They are also MUCH more comfortable than the E2s, and I think much of that has to do with the fact that the earphone's diameter is much smaller. Moreover, the foam tips (which I eventually settled on) are softer than the foam tips of the E2s, and you can leave them in your ears forever.

In the end, I ended up selling all three headphones. Even though I liked the E3cs, I realized that I'm just not a canalphone type of guy. It took too long to insert relative to traditional headphones, your ears would itch after use from the ear hairs springing back into place, and they were just too isolating. Plus, I felt that I was paying a premium for the isolation. I think you can spend half the amount on traditional headphones and get equal or better performance. I decided to buy one pair of mx400s (which sound pretty decent with the radioshack foamies) and get a pair of good traditional headphones. But if you really are bent on getting earphones, I think you can't go wrong with the E3cs.

Just don't linger around here much longer or else you'll get that itch to justify spending another $100 and get the etymotics.

=)

I have the e2's and KSC-35 + Karma. I find that with the 5 band EQ of my Karma, I can make it so that I have more than enough bass, or anything else I am looking for.

Hope this helps.

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Although I agree with the rest of this post - I dont think you should exploit the 30 day money back in such a manner. Instead - why dont you REQUEST Todd for a review piece for you to try out and give him a security deposit till you return them. If you like them then go ahead and order a fresh piece.

I hate to treat Todd like Walmart...please uphold your ethics when you deal with these special people - they have done a lot for the forums and for the members.

No bashing here - just a simple gentle request and a reminder

cheers!

Personally I don't see anything wrong with using the 30-day refund as long as there is an intention to keep what you've bought if you think it measures up. It's another matter if you're just going to try it out and certainly return them to buy somewhere else to save $10, but I don't think that's what was recommended here.

The E3/c's are definitely a sonic upgrade from the E2c worth the money, and would be my portable in-ear phones of choice if I didn't own the E5.


Or should I say, with some of the tips dependent on your ears it's a significant sonic upgrade but you may need to resort to some tip tuning. It's worth doing to maximise your investment and it's certainly a revelation when the whole tip thing is working right for you. For the lucky you might get exactly the sound you like straight away. I had to work at it for a while. The fundamental excellent canalphone sound is there in the E3/c, but sometimes the tips prevent or overemphasise some components of the sound.


I like the E3c. It's comfy with the right tip, it's excellent for general portable use, efficient enough to properly use unamped, and it doesn't look as ungainly as the Etys can... and in my view in terms of social acceptability it even scores against the E5, which look like hearing aids.


However, the whole canalphone aversion thing is not unfounded. In my case I have mainly the Etys to blame, since the majority of my problems have cropped up since making regular use of the Etys (I was doing the same with the E5 for ages with no problems) but in-ear irritation is a possibility. However this is something you can only try yourself and see.


If it works out for you though, no doubt you will be asking the question "E5 over E3?" In a couple of months time

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Maybe for him, but it's not going to happen to me at least. I'd be too preoccupied worrying not to break these things when outdoors to actually enjoy what I'm hearing

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I kind of agree with both of you. On one hand, if someone provides a 30-day refund policy, why not take advantage? I think ultimately though, you have to keep in mind the vendor. With a vendor like microphonesolutions.com, they probably won't feel as much of a hit as someone like Todd. For instance, I don't know too much about him, but I think Todd ends up selling returns at 10% off. This is on top of the 10% sale that he has going on right now. For a small retailer like him, that has to hurt. Just keep this in mind and be respectful.