Are IEM’s any better at noise reduction than plain, old foam ear plugs?

[Fan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrJon Thanks for the further thoughts. Fan- I appreciate the E4c feedback. Interesting you have some discomfort on planes. Do you try to sleep at all? I was on a flight yesterday, wearing my spiffy foam earplugs. I slept for part of the way and had my ears pressed into a pillow (OK, my jacket rolled into a ball). If those were IEM’s, I’d think it would hurt some and not really work. I’d probably have to take the IEM’s out before sleeping.

Haha, actually I tend to fall asleep in the low light environment of the airplane cabin very easily, so I tend to fall asleep with my E4c on all the time

. I don't usually bother taking them out and I find that it's actually quieter if I leave them on while listening to soft classical rather than listening to the airplane engine roaring. Then again, I don't usually sleep on my side. One more note, the Shures were designed to have the cables wrap behind your ears and go down your back. You could let the cable hang from the front, but I don't like the way it looks

. From my experience, you're going to get quite a tug from the cable if you're carrying something on your back such as a backback or notebook bag. If you haven't tried IEMs before, also keep in mind the other sounds you may hear... ie. "the cable just hit my shirt effect", "I can hear myself chewing effect", "I can hear my own breathing/ heartbeat effect", "I can hear myself walking effect", or if you're a student like me you may turn out to be making a lot of noise on the quiet floor of the library without even knowing it! Nevertheless, the E4 are still fantastic IEMs IMHO.

 

[DrJon]

Fan-
Yeah, some quiet classical could be a very nice addition to a dark, evening flight. Ahhh... I don't much care for flying, so bringing some music along would be nice. I haven't tried IEM's too much, so it will all be new to me. That's why I'm thinking of capping the expenses around the E4c level, more or less.


Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino the rockbox supporters might argue otherwise...

So what is the prefered format- AIFF? Is there a link or something? I just need to know before re-ripping all my CD's. Thanks.

 

[dotbydot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stewtheking And then you'll think about an amp to improve the sound quality... maybe a PA2V2, then obviously a pocketdock, or lineout cable, and then an amp or 'phones upgrade... and Head-fi has claimed another victim. Welcome to head-fi. Sorry about your wallet!

omg that's so true

I've also started with Super.Fi Pro 5, then PA2V2 + LineoutCable, then SR225, and now I'm looking at some UE5c or RS1/GS1000 and a Xin Amp

 

[setmenu]

I have both the ER4 and the E4.
For my ears the ER4 provides considerably better sound isolation than the E4.





.

 

[teemi]

I regularly sleep with the e3s, on my side, but those are a bit smaller than the e4s, I think.

And as has already been said, these don't isolate as much as foam earplugs, but just the addition of very, very quiet music does so much to cover up residual noise that you'll be amazed. Steady noises like airplanes and a/c just disappear, and even people speaking (or snoring!) become so muffled as to be not a problem -- you can hear them if you're listening for them, but they're not noticeable otherwise -- and this at the very lowest volume settings possible. I generally find myself starting out at two or three "clicks" and then turning it down to one once I'm starting to get into my music.

 

[DrJon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by setmenu I have both the ER4 and the E4. For my ears the ER4 provides considerably better sound isolation than the E4.

So that’s consistent with my readings- the ER4’s provide better sound isolation. But I’ve also read that, in the $200-ish range, the Shure E4 and the UE Pro5 seem to be the favorites in terms of sound quality. Would you agree that the ER4’s are better at isolation and the Shure E4 better at sound quality? I think I’d prefer better sound quality over better isolation. Thanks.


Quote:

Originally Posted by teemi I regularly sleep with the e3s, on my side, but those are a bit smaller than the e4s, I think. And as has already been said, these don't isolate as much as foam earplugs, but just the addition of very, very quiet music does so much to cover up residual noise that you'll be amazed. Steady noises like airplanes and a/c just disappear, and even people speaking (or snoring!) become so muffled as to be not a problem -- you can hear them if you're listening for them, but they're not noticeable otherwise -- and this at the very lowest volume settings possible. I generally find myself starting out at two or three "clicks" and then turning it down to one once I'm starting to get into my music.

Nice to hear. Sounds very pleasant.

 

[setmenu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrJon So that’s consistent with my readings- the ER4’s provide better sound isolation. But I’ve also read that, in the $200-ish range, the Shure E4 and the UE Pro5 seem to be the favorites in terms of sound quality. Would you agree that the ER4’s are better at isolation and the Shure E4 better at sound quality? I think I’d prefer better sound quality over better isolation. Thanks.

Some people prefer the E4 some the ER4.
It depends on taste.[also the source , amped or not amped etc etc]
I would not call one inferior to the other just different.
Both have their shortcomings.



Myself, I enjoy both equally, but use them for different purposes.
Plus I also tweak the sound of them to my own tastes with filters, so
they now sound more similar to each other than when stock.
[both are amped for this]











.

 

[DrJon]

Thanks, setmenu. I don't think I'll use an amp- just a simple iPod. (To start with, at least. I'm trying to travel light.) Without an amp, would that influence your comparison of one versus the other?

 

[warpdriver]

For sleeping with IEM's on, I really like my ER6i's. The main reason is that the body of the IEM is very stubby and the body goes quite deeply into your canal with very little protruding out. It's a very low profile fit. Isolation is a bit lower than the ER4's but you can also buy foam plugs that fit the ER6i (it comes with slimmer foams, but not the thick cylindrical type that the ER4 comes with)

They have much of the same character as the ER4's, but with a sound balance that more closely approximates the Shures (the ER4's tend to have more treble presence compared to the ER6i). As for the sound quality, I think it's great for its price compared to other IEM's.

ER4 vs E4, there is no right answer. The ER4 is a brighter slight colder sounding IEM than the Shures...it's all preference.

 

[fondy44]

Actually when using the standard length Comply tips with the E4c (no music playing), I noticed more isolation than I get with the earplugs my employer provides. Then again, my company is pretty cheap, so it's hard to tell what their crap is made of.
The isolation was kind of a double-edged sword for me. It worked so well that when someone needed to talk to me, it usually took more than just pausing the music for me to be able to hear them, and re-inserting what is essentially an earplug every 30 minutes or so can get annoying pretty fast (especially when the music sounds so good).
I had a lot of hope for that new Push-To-Hear device from Shure, but judging by the photos I've seen, it looks like it may be a little too bulky.