[Rav]

I don't listen on the go very often, so at the moment i don't have a decent set of portable headphones. As such, i can't really justify spending a fortune on a mid-high end set of IEMs that will only be used once every now and then, but i'd like to get a set for when i do want some isolation on the move.

Budget wise i'm not looking to spend much more than £60 (which the super fi 3s fit right into). I do like the look of the Vibes, but concerned about how much isolation they offer (or not). Comparible Ety's are a bit more expensive, also i have a pair of tri flange ety attenuators which i can wear for a bit, but they get uncomfortable after a while.

Usage will be drect from a portable CD player, or occasionally amped from a CMoy. Music wise from rock to jazz and some electronic, a bit of pop, occasional classical. Regular system is in my sig for reference, which i enjoy a lot

 

[nfsu]

Super.fi 3 are good choice in this price range. With FS mod they offer quite good isolation and comfort (but if you have small ears, you can have problem with that). SF3's don't need amp and don't need powerful source.

 

[Meloncoly]

Don't get the Vibe if you want isolation. With them on and without music, I can hear myself type just as loudly as with them off, they are open IEMs, provide barely any isolation whatsoever. You might want to try out the Westone UM1s @ that price range. ^_^ I have mine on order but it hasn't come yet, so I can't tell you how it sounds, but a lot of people seem to like it.

 

[Rav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meloncoly /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't get the Vibe if you want isolation. With them on and without music, I can hear myself type just as loudly as with them off, they are open IEMs, provide barely any isolation whatsoever. You might want to try out the Westone UM1s @ that price range. ^_^ I have mine on order but it hasn't come yet, so I can't tell you how it sounds, but a lot of people seem to like it.

UM-1s are £40 more expensive over here, unfortunately

 

[corsair]

Am hoping someone can compare the Super. Fi 3 against the CK7.

 

[Rav]

Pulled the triger on the clear Superfi 3s, and they got here today. Some initial out of the box impressions...

Comfort isn't bad (these are my first IEMs, so nothing to compare with), havn't experimented with the extra tips yet, just the stock medium silicone. Using the reverse fit method seems like the best way for me. Isolation is top notch, I stood next to a diesel car while the emissions were tested (i work in a garage) and i felt it more than i heard it at peak revs. Compared to my HF-1s the SF3s are obvoisly going to sound a lot more closed in, to the point of sounding a little congested, but i've heard worse. The treble could use a little more sparkle to my ears (which are used to 'bright' grados) but it's nothing show stopping. Bass and mids are rich enough, I'd describe them as being on the dark side, but again this is compared to Grados.

Build quality is very good, the housings feel reassuringly solid, and the cable feels like it can take some punishment. The last 5 cm or so of each cable where it meets the earphone is reinforced with stiffer wire, so you can wrap them around the back of the ear to hold them in place, and this seems to cut any cable noise to a minimum. The connectors to each earphone are 2 pin, and take quite a bit of removing, so no worries about them falling out inadvertantly.

Included with the phones is a sturdy metal carrying case, extra tips (small, med, large and bi-flange silicon, and a pair of foamies), cleaning tool and an airline adapter/atrenuator (which isn't listed in the package contents, so not sure if that was an extra freebie that i was lucky to get or not).

Overall i'd say these are pretty spot on for my needs (occasional use). I wasn't expecting them to sound like a pair of open headphones (would have been amazed if they did) so i'm not disappointed by the sound presentation for the price.

 

[nfsu]

Quote:

Included with the phones is a sturdy metal carrying case, extra tips (small, med, large and bi-flange silicon, and a pair of foamies), cleaning tool and an airline adapter/atrenuator (which isn't listed in the package contents, so not sure if that was an extra freebie that i was lucky to get or not).

Is leather case included?

 

[Rav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfsu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is leather case included?

The package i got contains a two piece press together aluminium box, felt lined and the UE logo embossed on one side. It looks water proof as well, although i'm not about to test it

 

[nfsu]

Strange: a friend of mine received his SF3s with leather case, but without metal case...

 

[Millennium]

I bought mine from RadioShack (because I knew that I can return it if I don't like it). Radioshack sell them in red color - very nice.
I cannot compare them to any other headphones except IOM coming with Creative Vision M I have, but I like them. They offer very good isolation. I first put a large tips on and the sound was a little muted, then I changed to the medium tips and found them to sound better, even for some reason I think (not sure) they now have a little less isolation. But I maybe wrong.
I believe that leather case comes with old/previous version of SF3 and in new version (don't think they actually change anything in headphones itself) case
is aluminium.

 

[TaKe_Remaster]

didn't see millennium's post