[Kabbalist]

Hi, assembled multitude.

Another 'help me decide' question, if you will...

I am the somewhat-unsatisfied owner of a pair of UE super.fi 3s. They have served my needs decently in the past, but it's time for something new.

I work in a rather loud environment (human chatter) and need something to take the pain away for long periods of time. I don't really care about the portability issue, so I'm debating between a good pair of closed cans (HD 280s, for the greater noise attenuation, or ATH-A900s, because everyone loves them and I'm an eargasm virgin) and some upgraded IEMs.

Here are the problems with the UEs: they cause me hearing fatigue. After an hour of listening it's a relief to take them off and let the ringing in my ears subside (I use them at very low volumes.) I attribute this to the fact that the highs are a little harsh, and there iss some ssibilance in ssnare drums/etc. There is also an audible background hiss/squeal, even when using them unamped from an Ipod Mini (no moving parts!). They're also a pain to get a good seal from, given that they don't go very far into the ear canal.

I'm looking for something that won't do that, but at the same time, offers a whole lotta noise attenuation. The super.fi 3s are decent, but more is always better. I tend to like my music lush and bassy, and soundstage (not the inside-your-head feeling) is a big plus. Are there any IEMs out there that I can leave in, comfort and soundwise, for hours at a time without pain or fatigue? I've read good things about the UM2s, for instance. Can they sound at all as smooth and realistic as decent closed headphones? And on the flipside, can any closed cans provide a decent level of attenuation? I'm worried that the Ath-A900s won't help me much in that regard.

(If there are IEMs that fit this bill, how prominent is their profile? It's impossible to sleep with the Super.fi 3s. Is this the same for all IEMs?)

Thanks for your time!

 

[dux]

I've been using my E4's since mid-December. They do not fatigue my ears, nor are they sibilant. I listen for several hours per day with no problems.

They also go deeper into your ear, attenuating more sound than the Superfi 5 Pro, probably your Superfi too.

With all the sleeves except the triple flange sleeves, the earphones go in far enough so that even sleeping with them is not an issue. The triple flange sleeves make them stick out a bit more, but I'm thinking of trimming the triple flange stems.

 

[tattoou2]

I guess different strokes for different folks, but I have had my super.fi 3S for about three months and haven't encountered any of the misgivings you have about them. I get a very good seal using the medium tips and fairly good isolation. I have not noticed any real sibilance except on the few 128 kbps MP3s I have. They are very comfortable. I have worn them up to four hours at a stretch with no fatigue or pain and they maintained a good seal.

Have you tried them with another source? It's just that I am surprised someone would find them fatiguing and uncomfortable.

 

[Kabbalist]

It might be the quality of my recordings... they're all AAC. Not knowing really what I'm doing, I've tried them from my laptop/soundcard (where it's worse,) ipod, and cd player, all crap with default cords etc. They've all had that sound, though. Maybe my ears are oversensitive...?

As far as the seal goes, I can usually get one but it always involves a fair amount of wiggling them around. The tips that have worked most often for me are the double-flangers. This is in contrast to a friend's Shure e2cs that I tried and they popped right in, and at the same time blocked (I'd estimate) 40% more noise. I didn't listen to them, though. I have read on headfi that the UEs attenuate less and don't go as deeply into the ear canal.

/shrug

 

[Kabbalist]

A little bump for the evening crowd...

 

[nikongod]

you could very easily be hearong "computer noise" in your headphones.

i can really hear it alot in my ms-pros when i plug them into my computer.

stop using your computer as a source. try that first. after that works stops most of the hiss and noise, try adding a fiew ohms in the line from the ipod to the headphones. perhaps the etymotic er4 p-s adapter...

 

[iScream]

Don't know how much this helps but I've been wearing my UM2's for 4 or 5 hours a day for the last two weeks and I find them very easy to live with for a couple hours at a time. I never get longer than that without interruption, or I'm sure I would just keep listening. I've never once felt fatigued or bothered by them, and I tend to be rather sensitive to that type of thing. The sound quality isn't as good as my AKG K271S but it's a pleasant sound overall and the isolation is great.

-Chris

 

[plainsong]

It sounds like maybe it's time to think getting something that's made from the ground-up to custom fit your ears, either UE's or if you don't like their house sound, then Sensaphonics. Sensa has sort of fallen from favor here at head-fi, but it hasn't changed the fact that they reproduce sound as close to the real deal as you can get, considering limitations of source and recording.

No backround hiss, if it's sssssibilant, either you don't have them in right or the impressions of your ear need to be re-done, they don't have to go in deep to sound good, and it's not a characteristically in your ear sound... not like something like a Shure E3. Etys do a good job mimicking soundstage, but for fullness of sound, you'll have to go custom.

I imagine those above remarks are true of UE's as well, it's just that even the glowing reviews of those left me thinking they're too too sensitive for use with portable gear, and that the sound was very cold.

I know I know, before anyone jumps on my back for that, firstly, I haven't heard the UE10's and I certainly wouldn't say "they sound cold". What I mean is that even the good reviews left me with that impression of what I think cold sounds like. That's what impressions and reviews do for all of us anyway, give us an idea.

You could read those same reviews and come away with a completely different conclusion from me.

Myself? After getting the Sensas, I've hopped off the upgrade train.

But as with any custom IEM, comfort should be a non-issue. They're made for your ears.

Expensive, but think of buying an upper end pocketpc, like the imate jasjar or something. It's the same price.

 

[catscratch]

You know, insane as it sounds, I do have to agree with the custom-molded suggestion, if price is not an issue. Still, it's a massive gamble and I don't expect many to take it, especially with a prior negative canalphone experience.

You could try the Shure E5c. Very smooth sound, little to no sibilance, very warm tonal balance overall, though they're not quite all that comfortable. The Westone UM2 is probably the champ of canalphone comfort, but it can be more sibilant than the E5c.

The HD280 attenuates by about 10 dB, not all that much, but probably enough for human chatter. It does have a fairly bright sound though, so it might cause you some fatigue. It's not expensive, though, and returnable from most stores, so you can try one risk free. The only issue here is that it needs 200+ hours to burn in (not kidding), and you will only glimpse it's true sonic performance after a lengthy burn-in period. It also needs a bassy source, even though it's easy enough to drive.

The A900 is, well, the A900. Entirely too much has been said about this headphone for me to need to add anything else. Yes, it's great. No, I have no reservations in recommending it whatsoever. It won't isolate nearly as much as a canalphone, but it will give you some isolation, and the sound is great. It's a bit bright at first, but settles down with burn-in.

 

[root]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plainsong Myself? After getting the Sensas, I've hopped off the upgrade train.

There is something else now as well plainsong: ACS T2PRO/T2i.

 

[plainsong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by root There is something else now as well plainsong: ACS T2PRO/T2i.

If I understand you correctly, isn't that a UK company using the Sensaphonic recipe, making European-made Sensas... with the blessing of Sensaphonic of course.

So the 2x-s and that T2 should sould the same.

 

[root]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plainsong If I understand you correctly, isn't that a UK company using the Sensaphonic recipe, making European-made Sensas... with the blessing of Sensaphonic of course. So the 2x-s and that T2 should sould the same.

It is not so anymore. Also, it was Sensaphonics who used ACS recipe first of all...

You can find my review here: http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=159345

 

[plainsong]

Awesome review. I wonder how far behind Sensa will be?

Sensa, ACS, UE, Westone.. good times to be thinking of custom IEMs. Whichever one you pick will be the one your ears thank you for.

Or wait for the Shure e500's, but my main concern with those is comfort (because apparently sound is certainly not going to be a problem). Foamies form to your ears, but not even they can't match my Sensas for comfort. Seriously, foamies are like some form of medival tortue now. Me personally, I can't go back.

 

[Kabbalist]

Thanks for the replies!

I've decided that the custom-fits are definitely out of my budget. I wouldn't want to spend more than $200, $250 if absolutely necessary. That also disqualifies the E-500s in may. With some more investigation (read: using the 'search' function at head-fi prodigiously) I've come to the conclusion that the E4c's are the most acceptable compromise. However, I've read heated debate about whether or not, in fact, their bass is lacking.

Given my likes and needs (warmth, bass, soundstage, smallish profile) would the E4c's be ok for me? How much of an upgrade in various areas do they represent from the super.fi 3?

Thanks again!

 

[Jasper994]

Wait for the E500...