[Mahoro]

I am an university student and finding an IEM that can give me some silence while communting thr subways and greyhounds and some good sound quality.

I had did hours of digging and reading in this forums and come out w/ the following summary.

Etyomptic
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Small, light compares to other IEMs.

Couldn't "put the wire bak of your ears"

Er6i- very crisp clear, yet no base, good sealing against noise.
er4p- Much more better then er6i but share the same sound signature as er6i (absent of bass)

UE
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5pro- Dual drivers, strong but kinda muddy base compare to e4, the mids and the high aren't as good as e4





Shure
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w/ thick wire
good customer service


e4- All rounded IME, not as bassy as 5pro
e3- ???????(a significant margine of different between e4 and e3, e3 has no bass @ all, and the high isn't high @ all) <-----bias, unsure
e2- not recommend


Westone:
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- not as good as Shure in term of the built and the durability
- thin wire


UM2- dual drivers, w/ the yellow foams they are far more then e4 in terms of comfort (ymmv), all rounded, comparable against e5c
UM1- an "inferior" version of Um1, all things are "degraded"


Altec Lancing
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IM716- There were rumors around that the drivers were exactly the same as er4p, but already confirmed it wasn't. Has a volumn control plus the "extra bass" button. It is not as good as er4p, yet it is still crispy clear in the mid and high.

Im616- Same thing w/o the volumn control


Ok, here is my situation, I am planning to get a e3 @ a discounted price @ ebay around 70-80USD (I aimmed for that price)
However, from what I perceive, it loses A BIG MARGIN compare to e4....

Since I will work during the summer, I can save up some bucks for e4 if that's the case....

Experiences w/ IEMs
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I tried the Eyptomic er6i and that's not what I want, I want something that has bass in it.
I tried the UM1 also, it isn't impressive compare to my JVC clip-on headphones.



I am currently using IPOD G3 20GB(Most of the songs/OSTsare ripped to 192kps-320kps) w/ JVC HA-E7 Clip-on headphones
They together provide a decent sound quality, adequate bass, and an oklish high, IMO.

For the UM2, E5c etc....they are overy my budget.....

And I am also using Audigy 2 NX (going to change to EMU 0404 w/in this week

)plus Altec lancing MX5021 for my computer.

I am looking for a similar sound signature (JVC headphones and MX5021),
So I wonder if the Shure e3 is good enough for me, or I should get the e4 instead.

Thanks for reading

 

[Lsportline43]

I say either get the Shure E2c or Etymotic ER 6i. Save the rest of your money for some nice headphones!

 

[angler31337]

The ety's aren't meant for bass-heads, but when properly inserted I definately wouldn't say they are absent of bass. It just doesn't have the punch of a good open can in that register.

Well, it sounds to me like bass is important to you. If that is the case, I'd take a second look at the super.fi 5EB. They won't break the bank, and should be about as bassy as any IEM can get.

-Angler

 

[jagorev]

Ultimately, your preference is on your sonic tastes. I can't comment since I don't know what music you listen to.

PS: I don't think the ER-6i's have no bass. I find them adequate in this respect.

 

[creyc]

Nooo, never the Super.fi EBs! lol

He quite a few claims to the clarity in midrange and high frequencies of the IEM's he comparing, so it doesn't sound like he wants to simply eliminate everything higher frequency than bass, as the Super.fi EB's tend to do.

For a bit more the Super.fi 5PRO are MUCH better, I mean quite a magnitude of a difference. Word on the street is a set of brand new Super.fi 5PROs can be attained for a mere $160.

Search around the forums and I think you'll be able to find it.

The Shure E4C's aren't too bad, though I dont really like or use my pair very much since I purchased the Super.fi 5pro. Not as comfortable and a bit harsh sounding but they do have better clarity in the highs.