[Sanooj]

Okay, so I've been perusing head-fi.org for a couple of weeks trying to submerge myself into the wonderful world of headphones and such. Never happy with my ipod buds, I decided to "rent" the shure e2c's about a week ago as a starter IEM. At first, I was blown away by what I had missed my whole life, it was definitely an eye opener. But after 90 hours of burn in and getting used to the feel of the IEM, I'm already craving more. I kramer modded (just took out the 'washers' so they are returnable) but that doesn't seem like enough.

Basically I need an IEM that has good isolation, unbloated but powerful sharp bass, precise detail, better soundstage, and hopefully comfort as well. I currently run off of a nano, but will be getting a full sized ipod to hold my quickly growing music collection. My price cap is a soft under $250, but if there is a good valued IEM, I will maybe budge over that. I've heard good things about the UM1's (don't know anything about their bass), the UE super.fi 5's (any info about the EB version would help), and the atrios m5 (sp?). If you guys could point me in the right direction that'd be great.

 

[Jeffreybar]

Piece of cake. If you like the E2Cs, want one of the best universal-fit IEMs out there, and can stretch your budget just a little bit, the Shure E500 (aka SE530) is what you want. They're a big step up, although I've gotta be honest, you may still like your E2Cs even after you hear them...I also was a member of "these cheapo things are great!" even in the face of much more expensive phones for a while. But it's hard to go back down the ladder once you've climbed it...

Anyway, they run about $325-350 new from reputable dealers. You should be able to find a used pair for around $300. Do a search for them...you'll find a mountain of info.

 

[mow_the_hawk]

x2

but if the price is too high for you i would look into UE super.5 pros. I have heard the pros but not the EBs, sorry, but i have heard that the EBs are too much bass for some bassheads. I would really try to hear them before purchasing because it really comes down to your ear's preference.

 

[El Duderino]

A little more info with regards to your music preference will help folks on this forum suggest IEMs that may be a better fit overall. If you like the Shure sound, you will probably like the Shure E4. I actually upgraded from the Shure E2c to the E4 after listening to the E2 for about a week and realizing that, while good, I wanted more! There is no comparison between the 2 and the E4 can be had brand-new for well within your price range.

El Duderino

 

[LaBreaHead]

The Future Sonics Atrio M5's don't look cool (which can be an issue for some college-age people ... but they look fairly "normal" with foamies in place of their bi-flanges shown in the online photos), but they provide a big sound (bass, detail and more soundstage than a lot of in-ears). They list at $199, but you're on Head-Fi now, my son, so as a reward check out the Road-Dog listing on eBay and make a bid considerably below that for a truly excellent value in IEMs (Road-Dog is the real deal -- very reputable ... it's where I got mine).

The phallic superfi's have satisfied many Head-Fi members (in a manner of speaking), but the word on superfi's is that the EB version is a case of overkill ... more bass than you would ever need (plus your fillings might rattle out, over time).

I would recommend the Westone UM1's, even if I hadn't heard them; I like their cords and their reputaion for comfort, but the real attention-getter is the $299 UM2's, outside your stated range.

The Etymotics ER4's don't look like much (the praying mantis of IEMs

), but they're supposed to be much better than the ER6i's, which I have and really like for the price, size, comfort (with foamies), clarity and especially isolation.

And as the previous poster pointed out, the higher-end Shures is where Shure earns its reputation for in-ears ... don't start below the E4 level if you can afford not to.

Just to clarify -- do you want the isolation of IEMs, or would you also consider some of the better canal phone in-ears that block some sound but not to the degree of the in-ear monitors?


__________________________
Phones (in order of purchase):
Sony MDR71, Sony MDR51, Etymotic ER6, Panasonic RP-HJ50, Shure E3C, Koss PortaPro 2, Creative EP630, Etymotic ER6i, Sennheiser PX-100, Sennheiser HD555, Future Sonics Atrio M5

 

[Jeffreybar]

Yeah...as mentioned above, the E4s might not be a bad choice either, if you want to stay on-budget. Should be able to get those for around $160 or so. I think they're great IEMs...almost as good as the E500s in many respects. But in terms of your criteria (detail, strong bass, good isolation, and soundstage), they're only better than the E2s in 2 out of 4 (detail and isolation), about equal in soundstage, and actually a little worse in terms of bass power (although what bass there is is good and precise). The E500s come out on top in all 4 categories, which is why I suggested them.

Haven't heard the Super.Fi's, but from others' comments, they might not be a bad choice either. I'd stay away from Ety's if you like the E2 sound. I was very disappointed in them when I tried them. They've got tons of detail, but no soundstage and very weak (as in Where's Waldo-level) bass.

 

[uraflit]

u almost have enough for the UM2s. get those!

 

[DobsOnly]

Just a thought:
You now know a little about the Shure sound signature. If it is not quite what your looking for consider one of the entry level IEMs from another maker. I would recommend the Ety ER6 or ER6i ~$80 or less.

The only thing is they are not as extended on the low end. Super Detail and speed, shimmering high's, very natural sounding voices. May or may not suit your musical style.

Others here have made some good suggestions but IMHO figure out which kind of house sound you like with a well reguarded but lower end selection from, Ety, UE, Westone, Future Sonics etc. then upgrade if you still feel the need.

 

[Sanooj]

Wow, great help from everybody. As asked above, I listen to a lot of indie, dance/electronica, hip hop, rap, rock, and folk music. I need a versatile pair of phones for all that. I'm really interested in the atrio m5's now and possibly the super.5 pro's or um1's. I realized that I don't want to go over by budget because I want to get an amp as well now to complement the phones. Thanks again.

 

[el_matt0]

UE superfi 5 pro ROCKS the shure e2c by a longshot. id say check those out if the higher end IEMS like e500 are a little out of your price range. both comfort AND sound quality wise, the sf5 pros will absolutely shred the e2cs.

 

[Meloncoly]

I would definitely look into getting the Super.fi 5 Pros or the Atrio M5's, but I HIGHLY do not recommend the UM1s for the music choice that you listed. I can speak for the hip hop/rap/electronica/dance part since that's the music I love and I had the UM1s previously. UM1s sound too laid back and made the music boring. UM1s powered from my iPod headphone out had very little bass, and the trebles are a bit held back, which I found made dance/electronica music boring. Then when I plugged it into the PA2V2, it was the same, but the bass has more presence but still not enough for hard trance or something of the sort. The treble increased as well but because of the increase of bass, I could hardly tell the difference. With the Go-Vibe V6, it was definitely brighter, and more enjoyable, more treble + bass, but still not my cup of coffee. I can't comment on the Super.Fis nor the Atrio M5s, but I was looking into buying them. I bought the ER4S instead, and although it does not have bass quantity, the increased treble as well as bass quality satisfies me enough that I don't complain about the bass, but I don't recommend the UM1s.

 

[Sanooj]

UM1's out of the picture, thanks for that advice. Down to the UE superfi 5 pro's and the atrio m5's. I like both of em, gonna check out maddog on ebay for prices on m5's. If I don't get a good price, i'll get the UE superfi 5 pro's.

 

[granodemostasa]

If you can stretch your budget by about 50 dollars, the Triple-fi pro should be the king. I had the pro 5 for a while, But in all, I have to admit the triple-fi is far better, and the best universal IEM I have ever heard.

that being said, I very much like the 5 pro and have been able to find some used for around 150 (all you would need to do is buy the tips).

 

[tennisplyr3]

I remember a thread featuring the E500's on ebay, new in box. Here's the link:

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZbobsound1

$280. Free shipping inside the US.

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffreybar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Piece of cake. If you like the E2Cs, want one of the best universal-fit IEMs out there, and can stretch your budget just a little bit, the Shure E500 (aka SE530) is what you want. They're a big step up, although I've gotta be honest, you may still like your E2Cs even after you hear them...I also was a member of "these cheapo things are great!" even in the face of much more expensive phones for a while. But it's hard to go back down the ladder once you've climbed it... Anyway, they run about $325-350 new from reputable dealers. You should be able to find a used pair for around $300. Do a search for them...you'll find a mountain of info.

I think you would love the E5c or E500s. There were some E500s on sale (brand new) on Ebay for around $280 I believe. Some people from Head-fi brought from that seller and they were legit. I had both the E5c and E500 and I liked them.