[Binaural Fusion]

Hi, I just upgraded from e4s to e500s. I'm not digging the sound so far (3 days) - the highs sound distant and muffled. I've tried EQing (treble boost) on my iPod, but then they sound harsh and tinny, but I enjoy the airier presence. I'm seriously considering returning the e500s and sticking with my e4s, sure the e4s lack in both treble and bass, but I think the sound was more balanced.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm adding a Hornet up in the mix in the next couple of days with my ALO cryodock. Do you think the line-out + Hornet sounds any better in this respect?

 

[JLai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binaural Fusion /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm adding a Hornet up in the mix in the next couple of days with my ALO cryodock. Do you think the line-out + Hornet sounds any better in this respect?

Thats a big yes. IMO, I found the ALO dock + Hornet combo to almost completely fix the treble roll off and bring the music more forward.

Here are my impressions in case you care to read --> http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=211442

 

[Binaural Fusion]

I am elated to hear that the roll-off will no longer be an issue. Great post BTW. I don't understand the "M" thing- Ray told me all the Hornets he ships are "M"?

 

[JLai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binaural Fusion /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am elated to hear that the roll-off will no longer be an issue. Great post BTW. I don't understand the "M" thing- Ray told me all the Hornets he ships are "M"?

The original Hornets are different than the new ones he ships now. This change is signified by "M"...I think for "modified." The new M Hornets sound much more like the SR-71 and the general consensus seems to be they are better sounding than the originals.

 

[judestudio]

I think Shure should seriously ship out a Hornet with each E500 they sell (...not a chance? oh well). The rolled-off highs was such a problem, I thought of giving them up. I was first introduced to the cryo dock, that was a bliss...when the Hornet arrived, it sent the E500s to heaven!! As you might have noticed, the treble is very detached from the rest of the music, the Hornet magically brought it back to the music, not only does it cleaned up the sounds, it also helped balance the sounds, making it a lot more pleasant to listen to. Amazing!

Personally, I don't like to use the EQ settings on ipods etc, I find it makes the music "fake". People say the Hornet (or any amp) more or less does the same thing to "correct" the sounds. It probably does, but it also does it by blending in the sounds, thus smoother and natural, and improves the sound resolution all at the same time. That's not the same thing as EQ-ing on your source.

Here's a Cryo dock-Hornet-E500 combo:

 

[fl00r]

I am very curious whether the SM III V6 can do the same wonderfull thing as the Hornet can.
Still waiting for the SM to arrive and I can't wait to hook 'em up to my X5 and E500's or ER4s.
There are various opinions about whether IEMs benefit from an amp

 

[JLai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fl00r /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are various opinions about whether IEMs benefit from an amp

There's no question at all in my mind, atleast with the aforementioned combination. Anyone who has heard the E500s without a Hornet, then with a Hornet can tell you there's a difference...its blatent. The reason I know its not just the dock out, is because I used it with a LDM+ before and the difference wasn't that extreme.

 

[Binaural Fusion]

That is one sleek lookin`rig judestudio. I opted for the red to go with my black iPod. Still waiting for the Hornet in the mail- I`ll probably get it today or tomorrow. Does the Hornet really need 300+ hours burn in?

 

[Ekkor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binaural Fusion /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, I just upgraded from e4s to e500s. I'm not digging the sound so far (3 days) - the highs sound distant and muffled. I've tried EQing (treble boost) on my iPod, but then they sound harsh and tinny, but I enjoy the airier presence. I'm seriously considering returning the e500s and sticking with my e4s, sure the e4s lack in both treble and bass, but I think the sound was more balanced. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm adding a Hornet up in the mix in the next couple of days with my ALO cryodock. Do you think the line-out + Hornet sounds any better in this respect?

Right now i'm very happy with my e500. I upgraded from e4s too. I went through all of my tips and finally Etys big yellow foamies worked fine. They brought very clear highs and balanced bass...but then, I decided to try the comply foamies (from earplugstore.com) and now it's there, everything is balanced and detailed. I have also Etymotics er4ps and still those shure e4s, but they don't compare to these. To my ears they are the very best earphones and I don't need any amps to this set

 

[frescagod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binaural Fusion /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, I just upgraded from e4s to e500s. I'm not digging the sound so far (3 days) - the highs sound distant and muffled. I've tried EQing (treble boost) on my iPod, but then they sound harsh and tinny, but I enjoy the airier presence. I'm seriously considering returning the e500s and sticking with my e4s, sure the e4s lack in both treble and bass, but I think the sound was more balanced. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm adding a Hornet up in the mix in the next couple of days with my ALO cryodock. Do you think the line-out + Hornet sounds any better in this respect?

i just received my e500s four days ago, and i'm also coming from e4s. out of the box, i was also disappointed with the e500s. the treble seemed WAY too rolled off, and i found myself wanting to listen to the [seemingly more detailed] e4 after about 30 minutes of e500 listening. still, i listened to the e500s over the entire weekend, probably ~15 hours' worth, and i've grown accustomed to the sound of them. there's no doubt that the bass is much stronger, pronounced, and detailed. the mids are fantastic, and the treble is still slightly rolled off, but not enough to make me want to EQ to jazz or latin on my nano. it's just something that shure does with most of its phones, albeit not with the e4, strangely. like you, i've found that the EQ'ing makes it sound strange, and there's also a harmonics/distortion problem with the EQ on all iPods.

all that said, after about 50 hours of listening to the e500s, i went back and forth with my e4s, HD280s, and koss ksc75s last night and immediately missed the rich sound of the e500. the e4 sounded harsh and definitely thin overall, and the soundstage seemed a bit narrow and cramped to me. i'm not a headphone guru, but i do have a classically trained ear so i can pick out nuances.

i do know that my 3rd gen 20gb iPod sounds better than my 2nd gen 8gb nano, which is very disappointing.

i was disappointed initially, but i stuck with it and i am now enjoying the e500s immensely. "burn-in" seems irrelevant, given the fact that there are no large coils or anything that need to be broken in. i think that it's more weaning my ear off of the super treble of the e4s and getting used to a more well-rounded earphone.

my $0.02.

 

[rextrade]

My experience is similar to frescagod's. I was underwhelmed by the e500s at first, and definitely preferred the e4s and etys. After about two weeks, my ears adjusted to the sound and I love the rich, full sound. I definitely want to go back to them when I listen to other HPs. Give them a couple of weeks (hopefully you have a thirty day return or something). If they still sound bad after a couple of weeks, I'd be a littly wary of relying on an amp to improve a hp sound you fundamentally don't like.

 

[Binaural Fusion]

Yeah, I have 30 day return. I don't think I'll return them, but to me it really feels like I'm missing some of every recording- and that's not what I want when I spend this much on a headphone. The e500s sound awesome for most of the spectrum but up top it sounds muted like my hearing for a couple days after sitting front row at RHCP. In every aspect except that, I love them they're comfy and convenient and the midrange and bass are the best my inexperienced ears have ever heard. I will not make any judgements until I can take the iPod amp out of the picture because I've not heard them from any other source.

And as for weaning myself from the e4s, I know I need to 'cause that's all I've been listening to recently like 6-7 hours every day at work.

 

[frescagod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binaural Fusion /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, I have 30 day return. I don't think I'll return them, but to me it really feels like I'm missing some of every recording- and that's not what I want when I spend this much on a headphone. The e500s sound awesome for most of the spectrum but up top it sounds muted like my hearing for a couple days after sitting front row at RHCP. In every aspect except that, I love them they're comfy and convenient and the midrange and bass are the best my inexperienced ears have ever heard. I will not make any judgements until I can take the iPod amp out of the picture because I've not heard them from any other source. And as for weaning myself from the e4s, I know I need to 'cause that's all I've been listening to recently like 6-7 hours every day at work.

honestly, i work ~10-11 hour days and i have earphones in for ~7 hours each day, just like you. i've been listening to my e4s basically every day since maybe a month after they hit the street, and i'm terribly used to their sound. i'm positive that's why my ears and brain reacted the way they did when i initially put on the e500s. if you get accustomed to the e500 and then start A/B'ing back and forth between them and the e4, i'm pretty certain you'll prefer the e500. it's a smoother, less harsh, and full sound, without sacrificing details. should you listen to some muddy earphones (sony fontopia earbuds or shure e2c) and then flip back to the e500s, you'll notice that the highs are there, but they're just not as pronounced as the e4.

 

[TestSpecimen]

My experience with the E500 coming from the E4 was wierd at first, but after a lot of listening to the E500 i couldn't possibly go back to the E4 (and i have tried just out of interest), they just sound way too harsh and lacking in bass response. Tracks by bands such as Massive Attack are just lacking on the E4's compared to the E500. Thom Yorke's new album The Eraser also has a noticable difference between the two. Don't get me wrong the E4's are amazing headphones, but they don't hold a torch to the E500. After lengthy listening i am still suprised at the detail the E500 produce across the whole range!

 

[judestudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binaural Fusion /img/forum/go_quote.gif That is one sleek lookin`rig judestudio. I opted for the red to go with my black iPod. Still waiting for the Hornet in the mail- I`ll probably get it today or tomorrow. Does the Hornet really need 300+ hours burn in?

The Hornet sounds great out of the box. But it grows when you burn it in, here is a review / journal of Hornet burn-in:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...ghlight=hornet