[shoenberg3]

I was extremely excited to open up the package, but so many problems:

1) A extremely loud buzzing from right channel when playing music. It's so loud that I can even hear it when i am not wearing it.

2)The isolation is inferior even to my HD280. It isolates very little. Is this normal? I think I have a good fit.

3) The sound quality, even when disregarding the buzz, for now, seems, gasp!, worse than my HD280. It is OK but certainly not that good.

And few other questions.

1)How do you open the PTH module to put in batteries? This thing seems defective too. I can't seem to open the battery opening and the volume on it is so sunken that my nails can barely turn it.

2) Inserting tips is really not very easy. It feels like I am almost damaging the tips when I do this.

3) How do I get it replaced under warranty? Specifically, what do they mean by getting it "insured"?

I suppose I could be doing something wrong or live with the rest, but the first problem (buzz) I think is a definite defect.

Very disappointed...

 

[shoenberg3]

Just one more to the list: there is an audible hiss when the music is paused.

 

[kevinbk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoenberg3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was extremely excited to open up the package, but so many problems: 1) A extremely loud buzzing from right channel when playing music. It's so loud that I can even hear it when i am not wearing it. 2)The isolation is inferior even to my HD280. It isolates very little. Is this normal? I think I have a good fit. 3) The sound quality, even when disregarding the buzz, for now, seems, gasp!, worse than my HD280. It is OK but certainly not that good. And few other questions. 1)How do you open the PTH module to put in batteries? This thing seems defective too. I can't seem to open the battery opening and the volume on it is so sunken that my nails can barely turn it. 2) Inserting tips is really not very easy. It feels like I am almost damaging the tips when I do this. 3) How do I get it replaced under warranty? Specifically, what do they mean by getting it "insured"? I suppose I could be doing something wrong or live with the rest, but the first problem (buzz) I think is a definite defect. Very disappointed...

1) Don't know anything about that, except to say that my e500s don't have that problem. Have you tried multiple sources to confirm that it's not your amp or source as opposed to the e500s?

2) You don't have a good seal.

It's a whole lot harder than it seems to get a good seal and you can think that you have a seal then discover several weeks later that, in fact, you didn't. (This happened to me and I've read of it happening to other people. Keep trying things -- try different tips, etc. Some tips also "break in" and get more supple with time. I don't think anyone can give better advice than that since everyone's ears and ear canals are shaped differently.)

3) The sound is probably just different. (I've A/B-ed e500s and HD280Pros and found the 280s to sound muffled, bass-heavy and weak. I was, however, used to the e500s and not the 280s.) Give your ears a while to adapt to the sound of the e500s and you'll probably like it better. (Although if they are defective... get them replaced first... them give them a while.

) A better seal helps as well. Note also that people's perceptions of the bass of the e500s relative to other cans can differs quite substantially. Based on my own experience, when the IEMs are pushed in much closer to the ear drum, the bass improves drastically. The tiny drums of the IEM can't move much air, so a smaller pocket of air between them and the ear drum improves bass. So basically, if your ear canals are shaped a certain way or you don't have the IEMs sealed/inserted well you probably get a different sound. I imagine that these or similar observations apply with other parts of the frequency spectrum as well, but I haven't really tested that.

1) Yeah, that took me a while, too. The darker plastic cover on the end of the PTH slides back and flips outward.

2) Practice.

3) Not tried the warranty. If you haven't looked already, try the Shure website here: http://personalaudio.custhelp.com/cg...er/std_alp.php

IEMs are just different and it may just be a matter of you getting used to the sound. (Although that right channel thing seems odd...)

EDIT: Your next question: The audible hiss is completely normal. The shures are very high efficiency, low impedance headphones. To get rid of it, use the volume attenuator to turn down to a very low volume. Then turn up the volume on your source. (You may want to switch to high gain setting on your TBH when using the volume attenuator.)

 

[Tbln]

The reason the volume adjustment is 'sunken in' is because it is meant to be set once and then left alone.

Once an appropriate volume is set, the inset volume control will ensure that it is not easily/accidentally moved.

I believe that once you get a good seal, the isolation and sound quality complaints will disappear

 

[derek8555]

For the hiss problem, attenuators will work fine, but don't turn the attenuator to max because they tend to degrade sound quality (especially the Shure one), so I would say the opposite of what kevinbk have told you, turn it down to minimum (should barely attenuate) and then slowly turn it up until you don't hear hiss anymore or at least to a very acceptable level, then turn your volume up to match with the original volume. This way you do the least harm to sound quality.

 

[IPodPJ]

With all those issues, it sounds like maybe you are the problem and not your IEMs... LOL.. just kidding..

The fit can sometimes take a little practice to get right and you should try larger eartips.

The buzzing is not a normal issue, so it certainly shouldn't do that. Just in case you aren't used to how IEMs work, I would take them to a store that carries IEMs in general and let them tell you if something is wrong with them. It just sounds like there are way too many issues to be an IEM defect, but it's possible. I have had defective IEMs before, some with ever-so-slight armature buzzing -- but none where the actual housing buzzed.

Shure is a good company, and if you purchased them from an authorized reseller, they will certainly replace them for you. So let's hope you did. It's not worth buying them on eBay from someone who is selling them for $50 less than you could buy them at a store but without the warranty. To me, a warranty and good customer service come in second place to the actual sound quality. A warranty and good customer service, in my experience, is worth at least HALF the price you pay for the IEM. I would never purchase an IEM from a non-authorized reseller. I've just had too many little issues to ever chance that.

Best of luck!!

 

[Marasmus]

The loud bussing from the right channel should not be there. I hear only a very very faint hiss from both channels when I plug mine into my Clix.

I was using a snow blower the other day while wearing my E500s, and the sound from it, which is probably close to at least 100dB, was only a weak humming and allowed me to listen to crystal clear music.

 

[shoenberg3]

oh, the buzzing is gone!

Now, there is still one more problem. How do I open the battery case on the PTH?

And the "on" button does not press in nor slide.

But still happier!

 

[shoenberg3]

BTW, how tight is the fit is it on your ears?

 

[shoenberg3]

The sound.. It is certainly decent but not that impressive yet.
The midrange and highs are somewhat shrill(even more so than the already shrill HD280) but it is less harsh than the Senn.
and the bass, I think HD280 (with some EQing) has a phenomenal bass, and beats the Shure, at least for now.

 

[Assorted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoenberg3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The sound.. It is certainly decent but not that impressive yet. The midrange and highs are somewhat shrill(even more so than the already shrill HD280) but it is less harsh than the Senn. and the bass, I think HD280 (with some EQing) has a phenomenal bass, and beats the Shure, at least for now.

It has bad isolation? Maybe you should use different canals; I use the comply's which seem superior to the black Shure foams. I haven't had great fit, for example with the triple flanges. Generally, I know when I have "good fit" when the tips don't go into my canals further in, and when outside noise is most isolated.

 

[Singapura]

Don't forget that most IEM's need time to "burn in". Put them overnight on a repeating CD player or if you want to do it the geek way use "pink noise" and the mids and high's should improve.

 

[kuden]

the problem is with you ,at least with isolation ;p
since this is a fact not an opinion , the E500 have much stronger isolation than the 280

 

[Julien]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoenberg3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif BTW, how tight is the fit is it on your ears?

A good way to tell if you have a seal is when they are in have no music playing. If you can hear and understand someone talking at a normal level then you don't have a seal.

 

[Freed]

How I can tell if my seals on my e500 are good, is to clap my hands loudly near each side of my ears. If the seal is good, you'd just hear a muffled quiet clap evenly in each ear.

Start with the smallest flex tips then move up to find what size is best for you; or you can get some foam tips--which sounds the best, in most cases.