[KLS]

 
Quote:

It's a sad thing that they are so fragile, for such a special beast..... if not mistaken, in this thread I saw someone's SM3 plastic shelling broken apart along the gluing line... 
 
For a premium price, I started to wonder if their heavenly sound is really worth it and will overweight the poor durability and built quality...
 
@KLS: did you pay the shipping fees back to the earsonics factory or did they take care of it?

It's mine I think so far I am the only one who is suffering from the build quality. Perhaps the problem lies within me, but I swear I never abuse them.
 
I paid the shipping fees...
 

 

[ace8888]

^ Ouch, sorry to hear that!
 
off topic,, but, same thing happened with my UM3x before (shell broken along the gluing line) and Linda from westone labs took care of it, sent me an international airway bill from FedEx ( I was out of state for business trip at that time) and I had my new replacement within a week (since I shipped them back to the westone's factory), which I didn't pay, not a single cent for the shipping fees. Now that's what I call a great CS.

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

 
It's mine I think so far I am the only one who is suffering from the build quality. Perhaps the problem lies within me, but I swear I never abuse them.
 
I paid the shipping fees...

Oh man, I am sorry to hear that KLS.  You do have the worst luck.  I hope you get them back fast.  The thin tubes scare me (with all IEMs with the thin tubes), but mine seem solid.
 
Quote:

We definitely need more impressions of those who use custom earmold with the SM3, vs just using universal tips. 100 euro is another big plop of money, and I'd rather go for another amp, unless the sound difference is huge enough to warrant making the earmold.

Well, since my impressions have been sent back for the EM3 Pro, i might as well get the custom sleeves for the SM3...and I requested some of the new silicon tips as well...

 

[ericp10]

Asked this question in the FX700 thread, but should have asked it here. So here it goes:
 
One of the most endearing things about the e-Q7 sound to me was the way it made drums and percussion sound. I mean, to me drums were so realistic sounding on the e-Q7 (like the snare and hand percussions). So the SM3 slams the e-Q7  in this? I mean you can hear the hands' weight on bongos, or detailed tapping of the snare? What about finger squeaks going across guitar strings? I love those type of sounds. And are the SM3s analytical like the Eytmotic HF5?

 

[SolidVictory]

Quote:

Asked this question in the FX700 thread, but should have asked it here. So here it goes:
 
One of the most endearing things about the e-Q7 sound to me was the way it made drums and percussion sound. I mean, to me drums were so realistic sounding on the e-Q7 (like the snare and hand percussions). So the SM3 slams the e-Q7  in this? I mean you can hear the hands' weight on bongos, or detailed tapping of the snare? What about finger squeaks going across guitar strings? I love those type of sounds. And are the SM3s analytical like the Eytmotic HF5?

Yes, weight on drumsticks hitting a drum, as well as the sound coming from that drum resonating into the air (realistically dissipating in all directions, like in real life), every detail is there.

 

[lucozade]

@ERICP, I'm listening to the greatfull dead ,live in concert  playing there song DRUMS , details and timbre of the drums is stunning on the SM3 , your going to love them ericp,they do everything you stated in your queston with great conviction and I'm sure they will satisfy you

 

[Pianist]

 
Quote:

Asked this question in the FX700 thread, but should have asked it here. So here it goes:
 
One of the most endearing things about the e-Q7 sound to me was the way it made drums and percussion sound. I mean, to me drums were so realistic sounding on the e-Q7 (like the snare and hand percussions). So the SM3 slams the e-Q7  in this? I mean you can hear the hands' weight on bongos, or detailed tapping of the snare? What about finger squeaks going across guitar strings? I love those type of sounds. And are the SM3s analytical like the Eytmotic HF5?

 
SM3 is at least as good as the e-Q7 in the bass department IMO. I can't really say which one is better - both are really great.

 

[average_joe]

@ Pianist: if you think the e-Q7 bass is close, you are not getting a good seal with the SM3.  Here is my direct comparison (from the 2nd post in this thread).
 
e-Q7:
Bass - The e-Q7 has nice, deep bass that doesn't sound lacking, until you hear the SM3 bass, which has much more power and much better reverb. There is a very noticeable difference in warmth also, as the SM3 is much warmer. The only place where the e-Q7 may be better than the SM3 is lower mid/upper bass clarity, and only by a bit. Bass speed of the SM3 is superior to the e-Q7.
Mids - Both have very good mids, but the differences are in how liquid the SM3 mids are as well as the warmth and fullness, with the SM3 being warmer/fuller. The mids IMO come down to preference, but the more liquid presentation of the SM3 is much preferred.
Treble - I think the treble of the SM3 sounds much better than the e-Q7, and is more extended and liquid, but not smooth. The details are all there, but not etched or rough at all, just presented in a very convincing way. The e-Q7 on the other hand does not convey the realism in the treble that the SM3 conveys.
Soundstage - The e-Q7 has a similar shape to the soundstage, so both of these IEMs portray instruments with similar accuracy from a 3D perspective. But size is where these differ, which is song dependent. The more space in the song, the better they both sound, but the SM3 has more room for the space to grow. Straight out of a DAP I think the SM3 does better, but when amped, the e-Q7 can catch up for some songs. But again, when the song has a lot of space in it, the SM3 pulls away.
Transparency - This is similar, and I actually think the SM3 is a little superior due to the additional speed.
Summary - The e-Q7 is a very capable IEM, but still not quite as good as the SM3. I do really like the sound, and without A/Bing, this would be my favorite IEM (and the FX700 a very close 2nd), but with the SM3 around, the e-Q7 is expendable, as it constricts what the SM3 does and the bass or treble really don't compete.

 

[sebhuber]

Sorry I can't read the whole thread. Has anyone been able to compare the JH13s to the SM3? I know this is an apples vs oranges comparison, but it seems to preform very well.

 

[knubbe]

There's a JH13 vs EM3 comparison here that would be more equivalent
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/473930/against-jh-ue-driver-wars-a-first-view-of-earsonics-em3-pro-customs
 
 
Oh yeah and there's no comparison between the EQ7 and SM3 as far as bass goes I think.

 

[rawrster]

There's something I'm curious about these. The majority of the people here who own them say they are above the IE8, TF10, W3, etc level meaning this is the top universal. I believe you saying that esp those with experience with multiple high end universals such as search, joe, etc. However I'm wondering how wide the gap is since we do tend to exaggerate differences between gear. The step from stock to entry level universal is big. The step from entry level universal to high end universal (TF10, IE8,etc) is big. That means something like stock buds to ER6i is a big step. ER6i to e-Q7 is a big step. RE0 to e-Q7 not a very big step. What I want to know is what kind of difference are we talking about.
 
I haven't been keeping up so hopefully this wasn't answered already

 

[anomalouscode]

Quote:

Sorry I can't read the whole thread. Has anyone been able to compare the JH13s to the SM3? I know this is an apples vs oranges comparison, but it seems to preform very well.

Quote:

There's a JH13 vs EM3 comparison here that would be more equivalent
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/473930/against-jh-ue-driver-wars-a-first-view-of-earsonics-em3-pro-customs
 
 
Oh yeah and there's no comparison between the EQ7 and SM3 as far as bass goes I think.

 
and after reading knubbe's link, do a search in this thread,...
 
i think shigzeo said something to the effect of:
 
the step from SM3 to EM3 was not that big a step and that only certain things were better as far as the sound goes. naturally fit, comfort and all that stuff was better being customs.
 
that was a while ago though, and i dont really know how useful a cross reference like jh13 vs em3 and therefore em3 vs sm3 would be,.... but it did help me to take the plunge.
 

 

[average_joe]

te:

There's something I'm curious about these. The majority of the people here who own them say they are above the IE8, TF10, W3, etc level meaning this is the top universal. I believe you saying that esp those with experience with multiple high end universals such as search, joe, etc. However I'm wondering how wide the gap is since we do tend to exaggerate differences between gear. The step from stock to entry level universal is big. The step from entry level universal to high end universal (TF10, IE8,etc) is big. That means something like stock buds to ER6i is a big step. ER6i to e-Q7 is a big step. RE0 to e-Q7 not a very big step. What I want to know is what kind of difference are we talking about.
 
I haven't been keeping up so hopefully this wasn't answered already

I had started trying to answer your question based on my experience in detail, but thanks to the new forum, had to abandon the post thanks to the scroll bar disappearing and then things going haywire when I tried to create a table.  So, here is the gist of it:
 
What you are asking for is mainly subjective.  I can tell you where I think the SM3 technically outperforms the others in addition to me not being able to find any sonic weaknesses, if that would be helpful.  I thought I already did in the 2nd post of this thread, but I could summarize if you would like.
 
But (subjectively) the SM3 is a HUGE step up from the rest as it gets everything right.  I need deep visceral bass, it is there.  Transparency is automatic.  I want to hear the minute details of the cymbals being hit, I can, and it sound realistic.  The space is unmatched from any IEM I have heard, and the SM3 even bests the T1 depending on the song.  If you break down how much better the SM3 is compared to the others song by song, you will have results ranging from very little to absolutely huge.  Another thing contributing to my HUGE step up comment is the lack of a sound signature of it's own.  Others conform the music to what they can do, the SM3 does what the music tells it to do, and does it flawlessly!  The SM3 has redefined my standard.

Before the SM3, I kept all my top-tier IEMs as each did something better than the other.  They are all obsolete (as I believe search phrased it).  That to me is HUGE!
 
Again, this is based on my experiences and my thoughts on the SM3 vs. others.  I don't expect everyone to agree, but then again, I already know a few that do.

 

[JxK]

^Does that mean you're planning on getting the custom version of the sm3 in the near future, or when finances allow? Or is the sm3 good enough to preclude the necessity of such a purchase?

 

[average_joe]

If you are asking me, yes I am getting the EM3 Pro and custom sleeves for the SM3.  I think the natural progression for me from the SM3 is the EM3 Pro.  I have been thinking of getting a custom for some time now, and reading the EM3 Pro v JH13 thread and hearing the SM3, which has confirmed to me what was posted in that thread, I think I would like the EM3 Pro better than a JH13 or JH16.  I guess I will find out first hand if the EM3 Pro is worth the extra money; I am sure hoping it is!