[Hajime]

Hello folks. I'm trying to decide which earphones I should purchase for my daily CTA trips. I've narrowed my choices down to the Westone UM1, the Etymotic ER6i, any model of Shure's that I can find on the cheap, or the D Jays. Yes, I know - that isn't very narrow!

My goal is to block out a decent amount of sound while getting good sound quality. Comfort is a large factor. The headphones will be driven straight out of an iPod.

I mostly listen to classical music such as Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, Lauridsen, Schubert, and Stravinsky. In headphones, I love the Sennheiser HD600 and the AKG K401's.

Thank you for any recommendations!

 

[Bigburger]

This is probably the general advice you will get. It will depend on what is most important to you I'm guessing.

Isolation - ER6i
Comfort - UM1
Bit of both the above and fun sound - d-JAYS
Higher budget - Shure SE210
Even higher budget - Shure E4 and upwards
No budget - UE-10

 

[Hajime]

Thanks! That's a neat summary! Both the Westones and the Jays are interesting to me as they weren't around when I used to peruse the forums. Are they as detailed as the Etymotics?

 

[otprof]

For classical, step up to the ER4P. You'll love them. In a noisy environment with some Puccini on, I feel like I'm starring in my own movie. It helps to mimic slow motion walking.

 

[unclejr]

Unfortunately, I cannot speak to anything but the Etymotics and the entry level Shures, but considering your music interests, I can shurely

second the Etymotic ER-4p recommendation.

I find the Etymotics to be accurate, accurate, accurate. Instrumental reproduction is perhaps the best I've heard. They are also detailed, and they have corrected all of the problems that I had with the 6i's (namely: brightness, lack of a low end, and comfort). Of course the latter is a more personal matter.

The Shure SE210s were disappointing and boomy in the midrange, though rich on the low end. The highs were nothing to write home about, slightly rolled off, I guess.

 

[Dunbar]

I rode the CTA for several years and all of those IEM's are going to block roughly the same noise out (enough to enjoy the music.) I'd second the ER4 for classical, I'm a UM2 fan myself but the ER4 is the most analytical IEM I have heard. I've owned both the ER6 and ER4 and the ER4 is a huge step up. BTW the microphonics of the ER4's aren't really ideal for listening on-the-move.

 

[Hajime]

Dunbar,

Aha! Another CTA rider. I take the CTA to work and back every day.

I like the look of the ER4's, but for a portable setup I am not willing to spend more than ~$100. That is why I was looking at the more budget-minded headphones. Are the ETY 6i's that much worse?

How do the UM1's and D-Jays compare in terms of sheer sound-quality? Are they comparable to the 6i's?

 

[neoufo51]

For 150 bucks, you can get the Futuresonics Atrio M5's along with a set of Shure Black Foam sleeves and have great isolation and great sound.

 

[mdarnton]

Another CTA/Classical/ER4P vote, after experience with ER6 and Shure E2, but not any of the other possibilities.

 

[Denver Max]

I have the ER6i and use it often to commute on Houston's Metrorail and flying, I must say I can't personally ask for anything better. They need new filters now though because I use them so much! I guess that's a good thing.

 

[unclejr]

You find that some folks prefer the ER-6i's to the ER-4p's, but I don't have any experience with the former. Microphonics seems to be the reason most cited?

Anyway, if you want to hear the cellos, oboes, bass clarinets, standing basses, etc. etc., under 100 USD, then I guess I would deafly recommend the ER-6i's. Especially with stock amplification on a portable, as they do not require a high voltage to drive them adequately.

 

[Hajime]

The ER-6i's look like winners in terms of sound, but not function. My concern is that they are not as comfortable or durable as the alternatives. The design of the newer Shures, Jays, etc. seems better: no filters or earbuds that need replacement.

I'd like earphones that I can insert without fuss and have a good seal immediately. In the best case scenario, they'd be comfortable for a few hours. I don't think the 6i's have that.

 

[LaBreaHead]

"I'd like earphones that I can insert without fuss and have a good seal immediately. In the best case scenario, they'd be comfortable for a few hours. I don't think the 6i's have that."
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In general, Head-Fi posters have reported that they like foamies or flanges for isolation, and foamies or silicones for comfort (your mileage may vary). With the short Comply foams, the Etys are very small and easy to insert, they maintain their fit/seal (thus isolating well), and they are very comfortable (since the cord isn't intended to wrap around the ear, they feel barely there even compared to the fairly comfortable Shure E3Cs I've also used). I use them on cross-country airline flights unamped out of an iPod Nano or Rio Carbon, and they really enhance the quality of each trip -- at a reasonable price. Plus they would be very good for classical music, which would be good for you.

Yes, the ER6i's do have the filter issue ... if that's a deal-breaker, then think about one of the others you've mentioned (I've been generally disappointed by the way Shure's E3C's sound out of iPods unamped, but maybe someone can comment on how the new Shures sound ... I think they look good).

 

[b7nguyen]

IMO, the Shure e4c is very boring. The Ety ER4p on the other hand is very crisp and fun... for more bass, just tweak the source or get an amp. I found no configuration was possible to correct the e4c's muddiness.

Both, the Shure e4c and Ety ER4Ps are easy to seal with the tri-flange. I cut the last tip on the medium for a better fit.

So my vote is for the e4c's... :jk

, Etys all the way!

 

[Hajime]

LaBrea,

Thank you for the detailed analysis! I really like the description of the Etys, but the filters are a deal-breaker for me. They seem like a poor design choice.

b7nguyen,

All of the Ety's have filters, right? Too bad!

Just an update:

I emailed three companies I have dealt with in the past: HeadRoom, Todd the Vinyl Junkie, and EarPhoneSolutions. I asked for a recommendation. Yasmine at EarPhoneSolutions recommended the Shure SE210. They look good. I'll wait till I hear back from the other two.