[b0rk]

Hey all,

I was wandering through town the other day and passed the ipod store in Birmingham. Wandered in and started unplugging all their cans attached to ipods then testing them on my Sony HD5H

I'm no audiophile nor are these proper tests, just opinions based on setting my walkman to random and having a listen in a pretty busy store. I have Beyerdynamic DT330s at home (which I love!) and MX500s for portable.

I tested
PX100 - Very disappointed, expected much more, way too much 'middle' bass.
PX200 - Actually managed a good seal but a bit, erm, finicky.
Various Bose - Overpriced.

Anyway onto the point of this post

I noticed they had some E3Cs in, spoke to the assistant who said I could buy them, try em out then if I didn't like how they sounded return them within 14 days for a full refund!

Got them home and tested last night.

Impressions:
For me the bass is plenty, there, and tight. Now from various reading around and what I've experienced, the HD5H has a brilliant and powerful headphone out, imo its easily comparable to the X5 but doesn't get much attention. People on here complain about the E3C / E4C bass then hook em up to an amp and are amazed - well I get wicked bass unamped from HD5

I just felt something was missing.
That intangible thing that brings songs to life, you might call it 'emotion'. Like some of my favorite songs were just missing that 'sparkle', that 'kick' in certain places, its like more of a smooth undulation, just coming and going politely. Its not lack of bass its lack of 'musicality' and enjoyment.
I've read that people think theres something missing from the highs on the E3Cs, boosting the EQ by +1 on the high treble made things better but it almost like it boosted one part that needed it but two parts that didn't !

ANYWAYS!
I've decided to return them and I'm now looking at the CM7Ti and the E4C - would appreciate your opinions people, is music enjoyable on the E4C or flat and audiophilelike (my new word), I read a review on here with someone comparing the CM7Ti V E2C, E3C, E5C and CM7 came out on top, he compared the sound to the E5C! For this reason I'm taking the CM7 seriously. I'd most appreciate hearing from someone who has owned the CM7 and the E4C. Take it from the POV that isolation is not an issue and musical enjoyment is.

P.S. I listen to a wide spectrum - Indie, Rap, Electronic, Female Vocals, Rock (although not much 'dark' - Think Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, Queens of the Stone Age, etc).

Thank you!

 

[Hoedje]

I do not know about the CM7. But considering your story, the E4c would definately be a match. You are not a basshead and the E4c and also the E3c benefit from the midbass boost of the Sony DAP. The E4c has a better lower and higher range, without creating an overly warm sound (dependent on the source).

 

[b0rk]

OK coolio might go for E4C - hope it gives music life and emotion! Got another thread on full sized portable cans so may go in that direction to get the right sound!

 

[mrplow]

The CM7Tis have great clarity and treble extension for earbuds. The only thing they don't have is bass. They also are pretty forgiving on bad recordings. Overall, if you have the money, and sound quality is the number one issue, these are the earbuds to go for.

 

[fureshi]

i don't think either the cm7ti or the e4 has enough emotion even though i love my e4. save a bit more money and get the westone um2 used from the for sale forum here. i just purchased a set for approx $230 used and i'm in love with them. the bass goes deep and with the right tip and eq'ing, they have almost as much as clarity and treble energy as the e4.

 

[Kwisatz]

I haven't heard the E4's but I after lots of listening I do prefer my CM7s on a whole to my SF-5 Pro's. The CM7ti's sound, like most earbuds, varies greatly depending on how it sits in your particular ears so its very hard to say how exactly it will sound for you. On this particular earbud it's also dependant on how you have the earbud orientated in your ears, so yet another variable is in the picture. For me, I find the CM7's provide a very enjoyable sound. Unlike the SF-5 Pro's they do have recession in bass, but I've found that's true for all earbuds. (Those that do have lots of bass generally have crap bass.) While the bass might be slightly recessed, it definately is there, and very well defined at that. What made me fall in love with the CM7s though was the large soundstage, smooth mids and airy highs. There is just a very transparent nature to the way these things present themselves that's magical at times considering their size.

As much as I love their sound signature, they require a quiet room to enjoy as they offer zip for isolation. I can hear the bubbles given off by the soda in an opened soda can right with the music hehe. Also they are not suited well for movement as they tend to rotate out of the optimal position. If you are sitting in a quiet room though I think they are superior to IEMs. They lack the awkwardness of IEMs with prolonged wear, and the sound is equally non-fatiguing. For use in a noisy enviroment, or in one which you are moving around, I'd suggest going for the higher end IEMs as they maintain their position much better.

Also I'm not sure how well they'd do for rap or any other music that focuses heavily on bass. The bass on the CM7 is nice and controlled, but punchy and in your face its not. It simply sits unobtrusively in the background. Not enough to attract attention, but not leaving you wondering where it is.

 

[b0rk]

Thanks for that roundup! I'm sitting in the computing labs which is where I'll be using them the most. Theres about 140 computers + air con in here alongside 140 users max

So I think its gonna be a pair of IEMs for here then maybe some E888s for walking into university (don't wanna get splatted by a nasty car

). Now just to decide between the EC4s and UM2 lol :/

Update on my first thread: I listened to the E3C again last night but this time I boosted the EQ as follows:
+3+2+1+0+1+2
And the E3Cs really came to life! I'm very very tempted to keep them but the build quality is poor. So it seems a lack of lows n highs that were stopping that magic sound... Gonna read up on UM2 v E4C then decide lol I think it will be E4C tho as I like E3C sound so ynot?

 

[pauls]

I've got the E3 and the CM7Ti, and echo what Kwisatz said. For SQ alone, I much prefer the CM7ti, but they are not the best if you're moving around, or want isolation.

I'm surprised you question the build quality of the E3s - I have a few misgivings on them, but build quality isn't one of them.

 

[b0rk]

I'll post some pics when I get home.
The E3C looks to be built from 3 plastic parts, the seams arent completely sealed together - it looks like they *should* be because at one end/side they are but it opens up along the phone - only to fingernail depth but still worrying!
Also one of the two plastic sides seems to be 1/2mm offset from the other..