[mgtitans17]

Im either going to buy the cx300's or the ep-630's for my first iem. I really would like a headphone with just a good balanced sound, comfortable to wear, and has a low profile. I originally thought the EP-630's were at a price to good to be true but now that ive read a lot of threads and reviews about them im thinking about buying them. Im leaning more towards the creatives right now than the senns. Anybody that has ever used both of these headphones which one do you prefer and why? I listen to a lot of rock and alternative music and this would be my first pair of headphones that doesnt come with the mp3 player.

 

[gshan]

If you read all the recent threads about the CX300, I believe there are comments saying the CX300s seem to be slightly less bassy and more "balanced" sounding but still very close. The EP-630s are indeed a very good deal. People paid near double for them when they came out months ago. I'm sure the CX300s will slowly become cheaper and cheaper too.

edit: Did you see the thread on this front page titled "Creative EP-630 or CX300????" ?

 

[Soundscape]

this has been covered several times..there are threads on the first couple of pages alone about this subject. the reviews are pretty inconsistant so far as to how these 2 compare.
i'd only get the cx300's if you can find them for a good price(ie not 80 bucks).

 

[gshan]

It might be worth noting that SennheiserUSA might have a better, longer warranty and part replacement (the silicon tips?). That could be something to double check too.

 

[asap2006]

Sennheiser has a 2 yr vs creatives 1 yr warranty. I would go for the creatives...I've listened to both for a few days now and have come to the conclusion that the difference in sound is so slight that the Sennheiser's extra cost isn't worth it at all. If you want cheap monitors, get the creatives, but they definitely won't give you the sound of a more upscale iem such as the e2c, e3c, um1, etc... I've just ordered a pair of the um1s and am expecting them to beat the creatives/sennheisers by a great deal, we'll see.

 

[mgtitans17]

The only reason i really dont like the senns is because they have the uneven Y cable and i dont think i would like that. Im also looking at just stepping the price up a little bit and gettin some UE super.fi 3's or some shure e2c's. How do you think the senns would compare with either of those two IEM's?

 

[asap2006]

I believe either of those will sound better than the senn/creatives. I personally can't say for sure, but I believe that many who have tried the senn/creatives, do not prefer them to their shure e2cs or superfi3s. There has been a lot of raving about the sennheisers/creatives but I have tried both and while they are great for the money, they still sound the way cheaper iems should sound, not as balanced, a bit offensive one way or the other (boomy, sibilant). I sold my sennheisers and purchased the westone um1...should get it tomorrow or wed. I'll let you know how big of a difference there is.

 

[nabwong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by asap2006 I personally can't say for sure, but I believe that many who have tried the senn/creatives, do not prefer them to their shure e2cs or superfi3s.

Maybe it's just me but i prefer the cx300 over the e2c and er4p.

 

[mgtitans17]

Asap2006: If you have gotten your westone um1's how do you like them? Are they comfortable and how do they compare to other IEMS you have used?

 

[asap2006]

hey, yea i actually just got my UM1s yesterday...and they are fantastic. I think they are significantly better than the sennheiser and creatives, which both sound very similar, so similar that I'd go the creatives for sure. In this case, I think its worth spending 100 rather than 26-50 if you're looking for really good sound. The creatives/senns to me serve a great market for those who just want cheap semi isolators to throw around or don't notice/care for the difference in sound quality.

One of the biggest difference between those 2 and the UM1s is that the UM1s are just much more balanced, this is especially noticeable in the midrange, which is the most crucial area in sound frequencies. The UM1s and other 100+ iems just have a smooth, natural, correctly balanced midrange that sounds 'real' where the other cheaper iems, like the sonys, creatives, senns, etc have midrange that is usually not enough (which I definitely notice with the senns/creatives) or not balanced. The result is like hearing as if the singer is singing backstage whereas the more expensive iems sound like you're there in the studio or concert with them. Detail is also much easier to hear, you can hear teh differences between songs/recordings, and the nuances of instruments/effects. Great recordings sound absolutely great with these UM1s whereas the creatives/senns will sound just a little better than worse recordings.

The other big difference is bass...the creatives/sennheisers have much more bass, I think its bloated bass, not overly boomy, but not very well balanced imo, which results in overpowered mids but some people like this sound.

Also, with the triflanges, the isolation is much much more than the creatives/senns. I can barely hear people scream without any music playing, since the triflanges go in so much deeper than the short silicon tips with the creatives/senns. Now i'm not sure if you can put triflanges/biflanges on the creatives, but I dont think so.

Oh and comfort wise, these are fantastic too, just as comfortable to me as the creatives/senns. The drivers are very light and so is the chord and they fit flush with your ears that people can't see anything from the front.

Microphonics from the cord are also much less noticeable than the creatives/senns, maybe its the braided cord design and material, but I like it.

So, I think it was way worth my money, I so much more happy with these than my creatives/senns. BUt the creatives are a great deal for 26-30, for the less discerning listener. They definitely serve their purpose well, just don't expect them to sound like 100+ iems.

My advice would be to splurge a little for either the UM1s, er6i, superfi3, or shure e2/3, the e4cs and such are probably out of your price range. I've bought so many cheap earbuds/headphones and have never been satisfied with their sound, you get what you pay for in my opinion with iems. I think 100 bucks is the sweet spot in terms of value/performance, I wasn't willing to pay the extra $190 for the UM2s better sound.

 

[needmoretoys]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gshan If you read all the recent threads about the CX300, I believe there are comments saying the CX300s seem to be slightly less bassy and more "balanced" sounding but still very close. The EP-630s are indeed a very good deal. People paid near double for them when they came out months ago. I'm sure the CX300s will slowly become cheaper and cheaper too. edit: Did you see the thread on this front page titled "Creative EP-630 or CX300????" ?

I have both and that is my conclusion. I got the EP630 for $27 and the CX300 for $40 at Amazon. I would choose the CX300 at the $40 price, but if I had to pay the current $60 range, I would probably choose the EP630. I plan to use both. I will keep the EP630 with my Zen Nano and the CX300 with my X5L, along with my HD25-1.

 

[mgtitans17]

Thanks for the info asap2006! I think i am going to order some ultimate ears super.fi 3 for like $76 shipped off of earphonesolutions.com. If anybody has any info or experiences with these how do you likem them and how do you think the sound?