daniel422
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2003
- Posts
- 84
- Likes
- 10
Ahh...back fresh from HE2003 up in SF. Not a bad show, but definitely one of the least impressive (sound wise) of any I've been to in recent memory. But then again, I was rushed -- with business on my mind. This time it was all about Class D amps for me...
But I was happy to see Shure was their, along with our very own resident Shure rep, Matt (Sugarfried). He was happy to see somebody from Head-Fi over there (this was Friday -- maybe more of you guys stopped by on the weekend), and set me up with a demo of the E1C, E2C, and E5C.
I've been looking to purchase either the E2 or E1 sometime in the near future to go with my new iPod. Sorry fellas, but the E5C is a little out of my league price-wise. Even etymotics E4 series is seriously stretching it. I went through hell with my wife when I picked up my HD580s several years ago. Get married (and have some kids) and you'll know exactly what I mean
Having seen both nagative and positive reviews of the E2, I was very interested in hearing these for myself and comparing to the somewhat better reviewed E1. At about $80 and $120 for each of these they are the perfect price to slip under my wife's checking account radar.
Matt had several iPods to listen to (which is my intended source), but nothing I was familiar with, and nothing at high bitrates. (NOTE TO MATT@SHURE: get some high bitrate songs on these iPods. This was a serious audiophile show in most respects, and although I know iPods aren't exactly audiophile, low bitrates just make things sound worse. Use the demo to your full advantage!) I just happened to have a CD I was intimately familiar with on me (as I always do at these shows) -- the latest Pink Floyd DSOTM on SACD. I popped that in a discman he had (again, not the greatest source, but it would play the redbook layer on the CD) and away we went.
E2C
I started with these. Matt actually stuck the things in my ears (I have very strange, small ear canals) , and after a few moments of messing with the seal thing seemed OK. Shure was in a big common room with lots of other vendors (and people). With no source the E2s did an admirable job of blocking out all the noise. Snapping next to my ear produced no sound. I could still hear muffled background noise, but it was OK all things considered. At this point you could pretty much tell if you had a good seal or not. There would be a major difference in outside noise, and it just wouldn't FEEL right. It didn't take long to get a good seal for me.
I started with track 1. BUM BUM....BUM BUM. Oh, yeah, the bass sounded pretty good. I'm used to my HD580s (which are just mind-blowing sometimes), and the E2Cs had very good if not quite comparable bass. I didn't get the sense that it was over-boosted, it was just there. I liked it.
Next up was Time. Lots of good high-frequency noises with all the clocks in the beginning. Not as good a test disk as my All-Star Percusiion album, but it sounded OK. Something seemed to be a little lacking in the highs, and I was immediately reminded of all the posts I've seen noting this in the E2s. It wasn't bad, though. Perfectly listenable (as opposed to the stock buds that come with the iPod), just not awe-inspireing. I switched over to the Great Gig in the Sky and the amazing vocals by Clare Torre. This confirmed my earlier observation. Just a little something lacking on the highs. Not bad -- not as good as my HD580s, but for what there were, not bad at all. Pretty darn good I'd say.
E1c
Next up was the E1c. I had high expectations for this phone, mostly due to my perceived lack of high-end on the E2s. Matt helped me fit them again, I got a good seal again (deadening seemed to be about the same as the E2s), and away we went. Same tracks, same order.
Bum Bum....Bum Bum.... Yeah, the beat was there, but not the same as the E2s. Maybe I've spoiled myself with years of listening to the HD580s and also having a 12" sub in my Honda Del Sol (yeah, it's like a hammer to your head with all 10 cubic feet of space in that car), but I like a little more bass than that. It definitley HAD decent bass, just not up to that of the E2.
Ahh...the clocks in time sounded a little better to me intitially. Well, wait a minute...maybe a little harsh. Ouch. Too harsh for me. Switch to vocals in Great Gig in the Sky. Yes..and then no. The highs were just too harsh for me. They actually started to sounds smeared -- like all the high frequencies were just combining into one big HF mush. I don't know if this was the player or I was starting to get tired (easy to do at these shows -- especially when you've got to go up and down all the damn floors of this 30 story hotel), but I did not like it.
OVERALL
OK, so I pussed out and DIDN'T listen to the E5s! I know, almost sacriligious of me, but I was seriously pressed for time at this point, had other colleagues waiting for me, and honestly wouldn't be buying the E5s anytime in the near future. I can keep coming up with excuses, but the truth is I didn't want to hear something better that I couldn't possibly afford at this point. I stuck with the E1s and E2s. So when it comes time for me to purchase I will be buying...
the E2Cs.
Yup, despite the slight lack of high end, the mids and low were so gut-punching that this is what I'd go with. I don't know what was going on with the E1Cs that day, but they weren't for me. I'm really a firm believer that in-ear phones are seriously dependant upon your ear canal shape (and fit), and this seemed to confirm that for me. The E2s have a great design, seem ruggedly built, and come with a nice compact carrying case. This will be my next weapon in my mobile audio assault arsenal. I'll still be using my HD580s at home.
But I was happy to see Shure was their, along with our very own resident Shure rep, Matt (Sugarfried). He was happy to see somebody from Head-Fi over there (this was Friday -- maybe more of you guys stopped by on the weekend), and set me up with a demo of the E1C, E2C, and E5C.
I've been looking to purchase either the E2 or E1 sometime in the near future to go with my new iPod. Sorry fellas, but the E5C is a little out of my league price-wise. Even etymotics E4 series is seriously stretching it. I went through hell with my wife when I picked up my HD580s several years ago. Get married (and have some kids) and you'll know exactly what I mean
Having seen both nagative and positive reviews of the E2, I was very interested in hearing these for myself and comparing to the somewhat better reviewed E1. At about $80 and $120 for each of these they are the perfect price to slip under my wife's checking account radar.
Matt had several iPods to listen to (which is my intended source), but nothing I was familiar with, and nothing at high bitrates. (NOTE TO MATT@SHURE: get some high bitrate songs on these iPods. This was a serious audiophile show in most respects, and although I know iPods aren't exactly audiophile, low bitrates just make things sound worse. Use the demo to your full advantage!) I just happened to have a CD I was intimately familiar with on me (as I always do at these shows) -- the latest Pink Floyd DSOTM on SACD. I popped that in a discman he had (again, not the greatest source, but it would play the redbook layer on the CD) and away we went.
E2C
I started with these. Matt actually stuck the things in my ears (I have very strange, small ear canals) , and after a few moments of messing with the seal thing seemed OK. Shure was in a big common room with lots of other vendors (and people). With no source the E2s did an admirable job of blocking out all the noise. Snapping next to my ear produced no sound. I could still hear muffled background noise, but it was OK all things considered. At this point you could pretty much tell if you had a good seal or not. There would be a major difference in outside noise, and it just wouldn't FEEL right. It didn't take long to get a good seal for me.
I started with track 1. BUM BUM....BUM BUM. Oh, yeah, the bass sounded pretty good. I'm used to my HD580s (which are just mind-blowing sometimes), and the E2Cs had very good if not quite comparable bass. I didn't get the sense that it was over-boosted, it was just there. I liked it.
Next up was Time. Lots of good high-frequency noises with all the clocks in the beginning. Not as good a test disk as my All-Star Percusiion album, but it sounded OK. Something seemed to be a little lacking in the highs, and I was immediately reminded of all the posts I've seen noting this in the E2s. It wasn't bad, though. Perfectly listenable (as opposed to the stock buds that come with the iPod), just not awe-inspireing. I switched over to the Great Gig in the Sky and the amazing vocals by Clare Torre. This confirmed my earlier observation. Just a little something lacking on the highs. Not bad -- not as good as my HD580s, but for what there were, not bad at all. Pretty darn good I'd say.
E1c
Next up was the E1c. I had high expectations for this phone, mostly due to my perceived lack of high-end on the E2s. Matt helped me fit them again, I got a good seal again (deadening seemed to be about the same as the E2s), and away we went. Same tracks, same order.
Bum Bum....Bum Bum.... Yeah, the beat was there, but not the same as the E2s. Maybe I've spoiled myself with years of listening to the HD580s and also having a 12" sub in my Honda Del Sol (yeah, it's like a hammer to your head with all 10 cubic feet of space in that car), but I like a little more bass than that. It definitley HAD decent bass, just not up to that of the E2.
Ahh...the clocks in time sounded a little better to me intitially. Well, wait a minute...maybe a little harsh. Ouch. Too harsh for me. Switch to vocals in Great Gig in the Sky. Yes..and then no. The highs were just too harsh for me. They actually started to sounds smeared -- like all the high frequencies were just combining into one big HF mush. I don't know if this was the player or I was starting to get tired (easy to do at these shows -- especially when you've got to go up and down all the damn floors of this 30 story hotel), but I did not like it.
OVERALL
OK, so I pussed out and DIDN'T listen to the E5s! I know, almost sacriligious of me, but I was seriously pressed for time at this point, had other colleagues waiting for me, and honestly wouldn't be buying the E5s anytime in the near future. I can keep coming up with excuses, but the truth is I didn't want to hear something better that I couldn't possibly afford at this point. I stuck with the E1s and E2s. So when it comes time for me to purchase I will be buying...
the E2Cs.
Yup, despite the slight lack of high end, the mids and low were so gut-punching that this is what I'd go with. I don't know what was going on with the E1Cs that day, but they weren't for me. I'm really a firm believer that in-ear phones are seriously dependant upon your ear canal shape (and fit), and this seemed to confirm that for me. The E2s have a great design, seem ruggedly built, and come with a nice compact carrying case. This will be my next weapon in my mobile audio assault arsenal. I'll still be using my HD580s at home.
