[mister__big]

I've had the E3c for 2 days now and the first thing I noticed with my 3G iPod is that the midrange sounds kind of muddy, so I've been playing with the EQ settings. I know, the iPod EQ isn't exactly the best but I found that some settings clear up the midrange while destroying the highs or lows. I'm just wondering if any 3G iPod + E3c owners have played with the EQ settings and found the best one for most musical genres. Or will burning in the E3c clear up the muddy sound? How long does the E3c need to burn in for?

 

[RunsWithScissors]

I find that the iPod EQ adds distortion - period. The E3 have enough resolution to put this distortion "in your face" so my advice is not to use the ipod EQ at all.

Another possible cause of the sound you hear could be your encoding since mp3 is a lossy compression and encoding with certain encoders or at low bitrates can add distortion and artifacts.

As a test, you might try encoding same songs that you hear 'muddy midrange' at higher bitrates and compare to current mp3 version. You might also try storing the .WAV (ie uncompressed) song directly on your ipod and listening to it as this will completely rule out mp3 encoding and just leave you with your source (ipod), your headphones, and your EQ settings - best test to see what the source of the bad sound actually is.

I'm not suggesting that you store all of your songs as uncompressed WAV files on your ipod - just try one as a test to determine what the deal is.

One last note - if you rip a song with errors, you will hear garbage no matter what you do with the encoding afterward - ripping is the most important step so rip well.

I personally use EAC to rip CDs, LAME to encode using -alt preset standard or extreme and this gives me very good results. I also own the E2 and E3. I find that the E3 midrange is very clear and even a bit overpronounced or forward - I have not yet heard any muddiness in my experience.

Hope this helps.

 

[mister__big]

RunsWithScissors:

Thanks for the input. I also use EAC + LAME to rip my CDs and for the purpose of testing compared Yanni's "Live in the Acropolis" CD in WAV files to 192Kbps VBR files, and found that while the E3c did perform better as expected with WAV, the difference, to me, was somewhat subtle. Perhaps it's because I've been listening to VBR files for too long and have lost the ability to distinguish MP3 from WAV. I did find that the E3c is very good at exposing poor recordings whilst the EX-71 I used previously was not. I assume this is the problem.

After much tweaking, I found that most music sound better on the iPod with the E3c with Rock EQ setting on. Perhaps you could try this combo and see what you think?

I've also found that after over 72 hours of burn-in, the sound quality of the E3c has improved noticeably. I will continue to burn them in until I reach about 250 hours before I make a final judgment on the sound.

Edit: Added the last paragraph.

 

[RunsWithScissors]

I gave a listen to Yanni live at the acropolis (EAC LAME -alt-preset extreme , no access to WAV files handy).

I did not perceive the midrange to be "muddy" though I did not feel that this recording was exemplary, not bad, but not great. Perhaps you hear something I don't - quite possible. Maybe our perceptions simply differ. Try other music and get more accustomed to the sound signature of the E3 is all that I can say.

If it sounds good to you - then it *is* good. Don't let me or anyone else tell you otherwise.

fwiw - I tried the iPod EQ again. I find that I still prefer no EQ though the Rock EQ is probably my favorite of all the settings if I had to choose one to use. I just leave EQ off and I like what I hear.

Also, regarding burn in - interesting comments here:
http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...highlight=time

IMO - burn in can't hurt. I think that you get used to the sound of the phone over time and this has an impact on your percpeption of the cans too so this must be taken into consideration as well.

I'm enjoying my E3 - hope you are too

 

[mister__big]

RunsWithScissors:

I think I have found the problem: I was using the foam tips and the sound, while good, was not what I had expected. I tried the clear tips after reading what Lindrone said about the difference in sound between foamies and clear tips and immediate noticed that the overall sound was much clearer. I'm quite certain the seal wasn't a factor since I stuck the foamies in pretty deep and could hear my own footsteps. Hence, I come to the conclusion that the clear tips do indeed sound better and are easier for on-the-go use. Unfortunately, I accidentally ripped one of the tips whilst switching from the foamies, although I don't think this will affect the sound quality much.

I agree that the E3c produces great sound without EQ, but I'm a bit of a bass head at heart and the Rock EQ gives the bass just enough of an "oomph" factor to make most songs more enjoyable IMO.

Thanks for your help on this matter. I was considering returning the E3c but now I love them and have decided to keep them instead! I agree the sound signature takes a little while to get used to; I came from the EX-71 and HD590 so I probably wasn't adjusted to the Shures at first.

 

[RunsWithScissors]

I'm using the new soft flex sleeve (grey). It is the most comfortable although sometimes I hear some sibilance in the highs - I can live with that for the comfort and ease of use.

I may order the triple flange to try as well. I find the foamies to be pretty comfortable, but I don't like that you have to compress/roll them each time you insert them and they get icky after a while too - I was able to use foamies on my E2 for about a month before I had to toss them. Contrary to what some members say, I have not found it worthwhile to try to wash them as they lose elasticity when wet/rewet over time. Better to just use them and toss them.

The clear flex sleeves never really gave me a good fit nor did I find them very comfortable - one of the main reasons I moved up from E2 to E3 though I did perform a sleeve mod on the E2 to use an mdr-nc11 sleeve (same or similar sleeve to the EX70/71 I believe) and this is comfortable. Moot point now that I have the E3.

Will most likely sell my E2 soon.

Try the other sleeves just for the hell of it - you may be surprised to find an even better mix of comfort and sonic bliss.

Enjoy!

 

[mister__big]

Quote:

Originally posted by RunsWithScissors Try the other sleeves just for the hell of it - you may be surprised to find an even better mix of comfort and sonic bliss.

It's interesting because the first sleeves I tried were the grey tips that came preinstalled on the E3c. Even with the smallest size, the grey tips did not fit my ear canal. It's worth noting that I have small ear canals and the phones barely fit using the smallest clear tips. Therefore I'm stuck with either the clear tips or the foamies, which I don't think is a loss since I heard the grey tips have the worst sound and isolation out of the three.

 

[gorman]

Quote:

Originally posted by mister__big which I don't think is a loss since I heard the grey tips have the worst sound and isolation out of the three.

Can't see why the grey flex should isolate any less than the clear ones... I can see the mechanic difference with foamies... But clear and grey have the same exact shape, why the difference?

 

[mister__big]

Gorman:

I don't know why the grey tips isolate less since I can't even get them into my ears, that's just what I read about them. I believe it was Lindrone who said that (my apologies if I'm mistaken). Try a search and you might be able to find it.

 

[gorman]

Have you tried licking them before insertion? It made a world of a difference for me... ridiculous as it may seem...