Caboose
Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 13, 2005
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Hey…….I can’t hear myself type! This is great!
First impressions of the E4’s (charcoal grey – not black) from a first-time IEM user:
Sound quality: Yep, everyone is right when they say “Make sure you have a good seal”. When I first popped them in, I was saying to myself “this better not be what I’m gonna’ get for 2 bills”
. After fiddling with them, I’m happy. Used the stock gray tips at first. The sound was good, but it seemed a little difficult to get the fit and seal I wanted, plus they’re a little hard on my “IEM virgin” ears. I might go back to them after I get more used to the IEM’s in general. For now, I’m using the foamies and getting good seal and sound. Boy, when I crank the X5L up (and I mean, just to 15), there is some serious volume going on.
I am not noticing any lack of bass. I am definitely not a basshead, but I do like the bass to be fairly accurately represented. I think these (along with the X5) do a good job of that. If I want more than the recording engineer intended, then I guess that’s what the EQ is for.
The midrange and treble seem to be good as well. Not artificial or over-represented and seemingly accurate. Some people have talked about sibilance (not necessarily just in E4’s) so I’ll hit on that briefly. I notice sibilance (the overly-present SSS’s) more with the E4’s, but that’s just because I’m noticing EVERYTHING more. If hearing the ride cymbals, guitar strings and piano keys more clearly means I have to deal with a little bit of extra SSS’s, I’ll take it. It’s really not an issue if the track was recorded correctly in the first place. There was a Green Day track I noticed it on, and a little bit here and there in other tracks, but certainly nothing unbearable.
There is microphonics if you don’t wear the cables over your ears, but really only between tracks, and not really that bad even then.
Don’t worry your pretty little heads about the charcoal grey vs. black thing. These are nice looking the way they are. They look and feel really well-built.
Shure, if you’re listening (reading), you could take a page out of UE’s book. The little round case is nice, but could use a little more thought with regard to storage of extra tips. Not a big deal, but these little things could be a tie-breaker in a close race.
All in all, I don’t know how you could be disappointed in these if you do the right things right with regard to inserting them in your ears. I know the source is important in the sound quality equation, so I’ll just say that these with the iAudio X5 is very pleasant to listen to
.
Cheers, Dean
First impressions of the E4’s (charcoal grey – not black) from a first-time IEM user:
Sound quality: Yep, everyone is right when they say “Make sure you have a good seal”. When I first popped them in, I was saying to myself “this better not be what I’m gonna’ get for 2 bills”
I am not noticing any lack of bass. I am definitely not a basshead, but I do like the bass to be fairly accurately represented. I think these (along with the X5) do a good job of that. If I want more than the recording engineer intended, then I guess that’s what the EQ is for.
The midrange and treble seem to be good as well. Not artificial or over-represented and seemingly accurate. Some people have talked about sibilance (not necessarily just in E4’s) so I’ll hit on that briefly. I notice sibilance (the overly-present SSS’s) more with the E4’s, but that’s just because I’m noticing EVERYTHING more. If hearing the ride cymbals, guitar strings and piano keys more clearly means I have to deal with a little bit of extra SSS’s, I’ll take it. It’s really not an issue if the track was recorded correctly in the first place. There was a Green Day track I noticed it on, and a little bit here and there in other tracks, but certainly nothing unbearable.
There is microphonics if you don’t wear the cables over your ears, but really only between tracks, and not really that bad even then.
Don’t worry your pretty little heads about the charcoal grey vs. black thing. These are nice looking the way they are. They look and feel really well-built.
Shure, if you’re listening (reading), you could take a page out of UE’s book. The little round case is nice, but could use a little more thought with regard to storage of extra tips. Not a big deal, but these little things could be a tie-breaker in a close race.
All in all, I don’t know how you could be disappointed in these if you do the right things right with regard to inserting them in your ears. I know the source is important in the sound quality equation, so I’ll just say that these with the iAudio X5 is very pleasant to listen to
Cheers, Dean
