[delorean]

Today I nearly bought a pair of Etymotic ER-6i's. I'm glad I didn't.

I found a store nearby that had a listening station inside and tonight for the first time I got to try the following:

Shure e2c
Shure e3c
Shure e4c
Shure e500 PTH
Etymotic Research ER-6i
Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 3 Studio
Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 EB
Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5

After all I had read I was convinced I wanted to buy the ER-6's. but upon trying them out I was ultimately disappointed. I found that out of everything I had tried, the e3c were my favourite.

The e500 PTH were amazing but for my budget and what I want to use them for they fell by the wayside, far too expensive but very very good quality.

The ER-6i compared to the e3c were a let down for me, I felt they lacked any real 'punch' to them. The mid and top were amazing, but the low end was just flat and lifeless. For the music I mostly listen to, I was disappointed with them.

The Ultimate Ears 3 Studio were great compared to the e2c's but the e3c was clearer and bassier for me. So with bass in mind I tried the Super.Fi 5 EB's. These phones are horrid. All bass and nothing else. Very disappointing and I have to say I was not surprised when the guy in the store said since he's been working there he hasn't sold a pair yet.

The Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 Pro's were fantastic too, very nice and clear, quality bass too, not too overpowering for me (unlike the Super.Fi 5 EB's and the e2c's) and comparable to the e3c's, though I liked the fit and quality of the e3c's better.

Oddly enough I found next to no difference between the e3c and e4c, if someone could explain the difference to me I will be more than happy to listen. But for me, the difference in price does not warrant the purchase of the e4c over the e3c for my casual ipod use.

Overall I have decided to buy the Shure e3c. Lovely build quality, they fit great in my ears and provide wonderful sound quality compared to everything else I tried tonight (apart from the Shure e500 PTH which were just jaw-droppingly amazing).

Anybody else a fan of the Shure e3c or been let down by the Etymotic ER-6i's?

 

[exX08]

It all just depends on your type of music.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Where are you located? You really need to direct other people to that same store since it allows customers to audition such a wide variety of competitive products. You should have visited them to begin with! It would have saved your eyes a lot of strain from all of that reading you did. Your ears need to make your decison, not your eyes, mind, or anything else. I think we've all said this a million times, but your experience makes an unmistakable case in point.

 

[3X0]

E3? That's really unexpected.. although I understand your not liking the Etymotic signature (believe me, for many it is an acquired taste), the E3 is generally not too highly-regarded. Many have lambasted the E3 for poor performance in the higher and lower registers. The E3 is by many considered to be a midrange phone with little bass or treble. Simultaneously, individuals extol the E4 for its more prominent upper and lower frequency representation while still appropriately expressing a smooth and milky midrange.

Seems like some sort of an anomaly to like the E3 so much.. were there any palpable difference in tips, isolation, et cetera?

 

[swmtnbiker]

You found a store with a listening station for IEMs??? Practically unheard of. How do they handle the hygeine issue pray tell?? They can't just give out new foamies or tri-flanges to every potential customer.

 

[thislittlepiggy]

a public iem? ah-awww, nasty! anyways, i've experienced a few disappointmenting purchases after doing a lot of research on these forums, but the er-6i wasn't bad to my ears. at first i was kinda iffy about the er6i's because the bass was really faint when i first started using them, but eventually my ears adjusted to the sound and the bass became more apparent. comparing headphones in such a short timespan doesn't do the phones justice because your ears don't have time to become accustomed to the sound. that's just my experience....

 

[EFN]

So it means you're a Shure person after all. Not all will be able to get attuned to Etymotic signature.

Enjoy your E3C

 

[tomb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpippel /img/forum/go_quote.gif You found a store with a listening station for IEMs??? Practically unheard of. How do they handle the hygeine issue pray tell?? They can't just give out new foamies or tri-flanges to every potential customer.

The Shure listening station does that very thing. It comes with a little stand and a drawer at the bottom with dozens of different silicon or foam plugs. Hi-Fi Buys (Tweeter) in Atlanta does this.

 

[IPodPJ]

That's neat that they offer an IEM listening station, as long as they give you fresh, sanitary foamies of silicone tips to use. Using used ones would just be a little too gross for me.

I guess purchasing them at that store makes sense, however you could have purchased a pair of E4C online for the price you probably paid for the E3C in the store. If you liked the E3C more, you could have got those online for even less! But nothing wrong with being loyal to the store that was so helpful to you... they sound like a good store to offer services like that, especially from more than just one manufacturer of IEMs.

Can you please tell us what the store is called, and where it is located? Thanks, and congrats on your new purchase!

 

[delorean]

Yep a store here in Toronto has a Shure listening area with all models available to try out with your own ipod etc.

They supply demo pairs of all the others too! They supply you with free foams only, but that is fine. You can bring your own stuff too. They give fresh foams for each product.

I loved the e3c's and could spot little difference in those and the e4c's.

I'm gutted the ER_6i's let me down, maybe I had illusions of grandure about them from all I read? The difference between e2c and e3c though was very noticeable. I love the fit of them too, very comfy.

Is the e3c that bad a buy though? I lkove them and am looking forward to buying a pair soon!

By the way the store offered me Westones to try too but I turned them down. Still coming to terms with the fact I was so disappointed with the ER-6i's.

 

[delorean]

If I could get the e4c online for the same-ish price I would get them, just the cost in store doesn't justify it to me.

Where can I get them in canada for cheap? I have no credit card so my options are limited

 

[jo427]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpippel /img/forum/go_quote.gif You found a store with a listening station for IEMs??? Practically unheard of. How do they handle the hygeine issue pray tell?? They can't just give out new foamies or tri-flanges to every potential customer.

Maybe John DeLorean fell asleep stoned and dreamed the whole episode. It's too gross to think about swappin' wax with one person, but the entire customer base of "Bills Ear Canal Listening Post"? How many times have you wanted to turn a friend on to your earphones, then thought, nah.

 

[mwallace573]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomb /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Shure listening station does that very thing. It comes with a little stand and a drawer at the bottom with dozens of different silicon or foam plugs. Hi-Fi Buys (Tweeter) in Atlanta does this.

Which Hi-Fi Buys has a Shure listening station? Last time I checked the one in Kennesaw doesn't even carry Shures, just Bose and a few Sennheisers.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by delorean /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yep a store here in Toronto has a Shure listening area with all models available to try out with your own ipod etc. They supply demo pairs of all the others too! They supply you with free foams only, but that is fine. You can bring your own stuff too. They give fresh foams for each product. I loved the e3c's and could spot little difference in those and the e4c's. I'm gutted the ER_6i's let me down, maybe I had illusions of grandure about them from all I read? The difference between e2c and e3c though was very noticeable. I love the fit of them too, very comfy. Is the e3c that bad a buy though? I lkove them and am looking forward to buying a pair soon! By the way the store offered me Westones to try too but I turned them down. Still coming to terms with the fact I was so disappointed with the ER-6i's.

You still didn't mention the name of the store. And it's in Toronto, I assume?
Can you tell us what the name of the store is?

Check online for prices, I'm sure you will find great buys. Earphonesolutions.com you will have to call up, since they can only list online Shure's minimum advertiseable price.

Yes, you should have tried the Westones, especially the UM2. It's supposed to be the most comfortable of all the universal dual-driver IEMs and have excellent sound quality. My only complaint with it is that is doesn't have a user replaceable cable.

 

[nsjong]

The E3c's actually grow on people with some listening time.

I liked them once I got used to them but the lack of the lows and the highs made me end up with something else.

If you like them, no one's going to stop you.
Whatever you like, go for it.

But IMO I think you should buy a E4c if you have the budget incase in the future, you may want to upgrade.