physh
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I'm new to all of this, so I don't know too much about the technical details, but I'll give my impressions on the two.
I've been searching for decent IEM's for awhile. I started with the V-moda vibes. I was disgusted with the sound they made despire the nice looks, and returned them 30 min later.
Next I purchased some Shure se210's. They were good, but not quite what I expected from 150 dollar IEM's. The sound was muddy, and distorted. It sounded like the sounds were all muddled togeather, and I couldn't hear very much detail. The best way I can describe it is they sounded like listening to music while listening through a toilet paper roll.
I returned them before the 14 day period was up.
Now, a couple of months later, the se110's came out, and I saw super.fi 3 live's for sale for 80 dollars.
So I decided to get both to compare.
The Shure se110's have less distortion than what I remember from the 210
s. The se110's dont sound significantly different from the 210's, if anything, I like the 110's better.
The UE super.fi's impressed me right away. The sounds are balanced, sharp and clear. Not muddy like the Shure's. The Shure's all sound kind of warm, while the super.fi's sound the way I think the music should sound.
I compared using various genre's of music in .mp3 format, from an iphone, 5.5g 80gb, and also .flac format in a computer with soundcard.
From the computer I noticed a lot more interference with the super.fi's than the shures. The interference is a bit more muffled in the shures, while that is good, the music is kind of muffled too.
Listening to Chapter by Psapp in .flac format, I noticed a distinct difference between the two.
To sum it up:
Shure se110's
Pros:
Ear buds are much more comfortable.
Two piece cord, and a the ability to add a microphone are a big plus.
The cord fits the iphone port.
Cons:
Sounds are warm and muddy
There isn't as much separation between instruments and sounds, they are all kind of stringed togeather. (muddy sound)
There are some sounds I can't even hear with the se110's, or they come out distorted/indistinguishable.
UE super.fi 3 live
Pros:
The sound is crisp and detailed. I can hear all of the seperate layers of music, the instrumentals, and the vocals are clear and defined while they sound jumbled togeather in the Shures.
Nice red metal case, and the buds have a nice red metallic look.
Cons:
All of the tips are uncomfortable to me. The foam tips with the smooth surface on the Shure's are very comfortable.
The metal wires get in the way, The shures can be worn wire over the ear, or down, the super.fi's dont fit as well with the wire down.
The plug dosn't fit the iphone.
The cord is not two piece.
So overall, I personally like the way the Super.fi's sound better, but I don't think I have the experience to say which product is better in the audiophile standpoint. Despite the shortcomings of the fit in the super.fi's I like the crisp detail.
These are my impressions, ymmv. I recommend that you buy and try both as they can be purchased locally.
I've been searching for decent IEM's for awhile. I started with the V-moda vibes. I was disgusted with the sound they made despire the nice looks, and returned them 30 min later.
Next I purchased some Shure se210's. They were good, but not quite what I expected from 150 dollar IEM's. The sound was muddy, and distorted. It sounded like the sounds were all muddled togeather, and I couldn't hear very much detail. The best way I can describe it is they sounded like listening to music while listening through a toilet paper roll.
I returned them before the 14 day period was up.
Now, a couple of months later, the se110's came out, and I saw super.fi 3 live's for sale for 80 dollars.
So I decided to get both to compare.
The Shure se110's have less distortion than what I remember from the 210
s. The se110's dont sound significantly different from the 210's, if anything, I like the 110's better.
The UE super.fi's impressed me right away. The sounds are balanced, sharp and clear. Not muddy like the Shure's. The Shure's all sound kind of warm, while the super.fi's sound the way I think the music should sound.
I compared using various genre's of music in .mp3 format, from an iphone, 5.5g 80gb, and also .flac format in a computer with soundcard.
From the computer I noticed a lot more interference with the super.fi's than the shures. The interference is a bit more muffled in the shures, while that is good, the music is kind of muffled too.
Listening to Chapter by Psapp in .flac format, I noticed a distinct difference between the two.
To sum it up:
Shure se110's
Pros:
Ear buds are much more comfortable.
Two piece cord, and a the ability to add a microphone are a big plus.
The cord fits the iphone port.
Cons:
Sounds are warm and muddy
There isn't as much separation between instruments and sounds, they are all kind of stringed togeather. (muddy sound)
There are some sounds I can't even hear with the se110's, or they come out distorted/indistinguishable.
UE super.fi 3 live
Pros:
The sound is crisp and detailed. I can hear all of the seperate layers of music, the instrumentals, and the vocals are clear and defined while they sound jumbled togeather in the Shures.
Nice red metal case, and the buds have a nice red metallic look.
Cons:
All of the tips are uncomfortable to me. The foam tips with the smooth surface on the Shure's are very comfortable.
The metal wires get in the way, The shures can be worn wire over the ear, or down, the super.fi's dont fit as well with the wire down.
The plug dosn't fit the iphone.
The cord is not two piece.
So overall, I personally like the way the Super.fi's sound better, but I don't think I have the experience to say which product is better in the audiophile standpoint. Despite the shortcomings of the fit in the super.fi's I like the crisp detail.
These are my impressions, ymmv. I recommend that you buy and try both as they can be purchased locally.
