[mastercheif]

Just a quickie....

I need a pair of IEMs to get me trough the day. I've tried lugging around my Proline 750's back and forth to school every day, and it is just to much. I am looking for a good pair of IEMs ~$170. I will be listing to these on a 80GB iPod, and I have a chu-moy, altough I really dont think a IEM in this range will need it. I like a rich sound, and bass is not on the top of my list of important headphone charactaristics. I was looking at the Shure E4C's. Is their another competing headphone I should consider?

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastercheif Just a quickie.... I need a pair of IEMs to get me trough the day. I've tried lugging around my Proline 750's back and forth to school every day, and it is just to much. I am looking for a good pair of IEMs ~$170. I will be listing to these on a 80GB iPod, and I have a chu-moy, altough I really dont think a IEM in this range will need it. I like a rich sound, and bass is not on the top of my list of important headphone charactaristics. I was looking at the Shure E4C's. Is their another competing headphone I should consider?

Most definately. The Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 Pro. They are awesome. I am just now upgrading to the triple driver Triple.Fi 10 pro ($399, but I got a $25 discount for winning the limited edition contest, being one out of the 180 available....#2/180 for me). When the Super.Fi 5 Pro came out, they were $249. You can get them on earphonesolutions.com now for $189 -- a great deal!!!

I don't own a pair of Westone UM2 but I hear those are great, too, however even on the cheap at earphonesolutions.com, they will set you back $299.

I think you will be very very happy with a pair of Super.Fi 5 pro. the Super.Fi 5 Extended Bass are about $50 cheaper because they use one armature and one 13.5mm diaphragm, but I hear that those are extremely bass heavy for subwoofer fanatics and Hip Hop junkies - so I don't recommend those for you.

The Super.Fi 5 pro by Ultimate ears is an excellent choice, in my opinion, and since you can get them now for $189, that's even better!!!
Since you use it with just an iPod like me and no headphone amp (or do you? what is a chu-moy? I'm not experienced with headphone amps), there are some tips and tricks you can do to your music to make iPod EQ distortion completely go away, if you like using your EQ presets. Some people here recommend using programs like MP3gain or ReplayGain.... I use one called Audacity (on my Mac) and use the amplify filter to lower the song by -2db.
Then I can use any EQ preset on my iPod with no distortion and no headphone amp, and those Super.Fi 5 pro puppies just shine! I also rip all my CDs at Lossless format though, but even if you don't, the Super.Fi 5 pros sound excellent in any circumstance. If you don't feel the need to EQ any of your songs when you hear these headphones, then you don't need to adjust your tunes at all.

If you do have a headphone amp and don't use EQ settings, you can ignore what I said about decibel adjustment, or you can still try it.

For the price you want to spend, I don't think you can find a better In Ear Monitor headphone out there.....

Maybe some others will give you some of their opinions as well. All I know is I love my Super.Fi 5 pros. They are superb!

PJ

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastercheif Just a quickie.... I need a pair of IEMs to get me trough the day. I've tried lugging around my Proline 750's back and forth to school every day, and it is just to much. I am looking for a good pair of IEMs ~$170. I will be listing to these on a 80GB iPod, and I have a chu-moy, altough I really dont think a IEM in this range will need it. I like a rich sound, and bass is not on the top of my list of important headphone charactaristics. I was looking at the Shure E4C's. Is their another competing headphone I should consider?

Ok, first off, what type of music do you listen to?

 

[mastercheif]

Well, mostly classic rock such as The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd ETC. But I also will trough some other things at it such as some Kayne West, or some random artist like that. Like I said, im not looking for a bass heavy can, I like em' nice a nuetral. If it makes any differance, like 85% of my libray is in Apple Lossless, so I really don't need the EQ since the lossless files sound SOO much better.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastercheif Well, mostly classic rock such as The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd ETC. But I also will trough some other things at it such as some Kayne West, or some random artist like that. Like I said, im not looking for a bass heavy can, I like em' nice a nuetral. If it makes any differance, like 85% of my libray is in Apple Lossless, so I really don't need the EQ since the lossless files sound SOO much better.

First off, I EQ anyway, and I use ALL 99% of my library is lossless. The other 1% is OGG 500. Anyway, Classic Rock stuff, all stuff recorded with original analog equipment, needs no editing with software, period.

Get the Super.Fi 5 pros, hands down my friend....
They have replaceable cables. Does Shure? I think not.

You'll be so glad you did.

I personally don't care much for the Shure e4. Never cared for Shure's sound signature as much as UE. UE owns 85% of the IEM marketplace, so what does that tell you?

And check this out:
http://www.earphonesolutions.com/she4bneweafo.html

The price of the e4c is $299. Way over your budget.
And are you talking American dollars here?

And how about reading the reviews on earphonesolutions.com
For example, here's one:

"FIRST IMPRESSION:

they cost me $280 AUD (new+warranty), but RRP is about $500, lowest retail price is roughly $430

and my first impressions are:

man oh man, are they ever so underwhelmingly dissapointing

i was prepared to be blown outta my socks after all the stuff i've read about these earphones, and for $300!! i thought i was going to get somethign really special

but it was nothign great, the bass was hardly there, i couldn't really 'feel' it, they weren't any better than the Sennheiser ones i got with my iRiver. What is up with that??

i thought the Sennheiser ones were really really good for stock earphones they give you, but the Shure E4's turned out to sound exactly the same. they're meant to be bassier, and better sounding than the E2's and E3's, i'd hate to have to listen to them

as a note, i did get a good seal, i stuck the thing in my ear, lifted my ear lobe up, shifted it around, pulled my earlobe down, shifted it around, and the earphones were in like a vacumm. i couldn't pull it off my ears, i had to twist them, with a small amount of force to get them out; ergo i had a good seal

these are just first impressions, i havn't listened to a variety of songs yet, in fact i've just listened to one, but this song Jem - Come on Closer, is really really bassy, when i listen to it on my Z-5500D's, the neighbours house will shake, and i did get any bass out of the earphones

anyway, i heard their meant to have a break-in period, so i've left them running with a variety of songs and sound levels to get them warmed up



FOLLOW UP

well i've burned them in for about 6 hours and been using them for about 2-3 hours so far

and the bass is still lacking, i thought it was going to get some degree of pounding in my ears, but all i get is the full-bodied sound of the bass

its bassically like the bass i hear on a good speaker set-up but without the body shaking

but compared to the stock Senn's they are much much better, its just becuae i had the SRS WOW on that made it sound the same

the sound quality is that of my Z-5500D's, so ive been used to ecceptional sound quality for over a year now, and havn't been hearing anything radically different.

i guess my ears have become tuned to high quality listening so it jsut sounds ordinary to me, but it probably would sound amzaing to somebody else

i listened to my mates $100 pair of Sony MDR, somthing a rathers, and they are no where near these

well, thats my 2 cents


CONCLUSION

great sounding earphones, will sound good to lay-people, just not good enough for me.


RECOMMENDATION

if you're going to spend $300 on earphones, EARPHONES, of all things, you mihgt as well go ALL OUT, and get the BEST damn ones on the market, so there will be absolutely no dissapointment whatsoever. thatll be the UM2's or the E500
3/5 stars"


DCHI (14 January, 2006)

Probably the best closed headphones you can find under $200. Amazing build quality. Specially the cnc milled aluminium ring is a nice touch. Good balance sound and musical presentation. Little on the analytical side, but not dry and harsh at all. Very tight fast bass and smooth midrange make these headphones shine.
5/5 stars


Peter (15 December, 2005)

I lost my great e3's and decided to buy the E4's. Boy was it worth the difference. The soundstage is is just so much better than the e3's and I didnt think much could sound better. Now when a song ends it is like being in front of a live band and my ears just flutter.
5/5 stars


Mike (21 November, 2005)

I'm happy with my purchase of these Shure E4's. I tried these and the Etymotic ER4P's and found the Shure's to be equally good sounding but much more durable -- the Etymotics have a lot of cord noise that occurs anytime you turn your head.
4/5 stars


Acidburn (20 November, 2005)

The first time I 'poped' these in my ears, I was like wow! Better mids and bass. Loved the sound more then my E3c.
4/5 stars


John H Ong (21 August, 2005)

Fantastic Its a portable Hifi system Wondering how much E5 can improve on this Thks Shure...
5/5 stars


Manuel (18 August, 2005)

Awesome. Is like having a pair of expensive hi-fi speakers inside your head. You can't find a more detailed sound out there.
5/5 stars


Anthony G. (10 August, 2005)

Outstanding product,excellent detail and clarity.the sound is very smooth,just the right amount of bass and the mids and highs are not harsh.built quality is top notch, i will enjoy this for many years.P.S. use the foam sleeves they are the most flexable and easiest to use.
5/5 stars


Nigel (uk) (01 August, 2005)

What I look for in speakers no matter how small, is accuracy timing and portrayal of the instruments,vocals and these little speakers seem to have it all, with comfort thrown in as well I am using the shure soft flex sleeves,I did not find any digital nasties that have been mentioned but have given them a couple of weeks to burn in. I am using them with an Iriver h340. To get the best out of these a bit rate of 192 or above is recommended as they reveal so much detail both on Rock,Jazz and Classical they are very addictive. Summing up all I can say I am very happy with the sound which overall is very balanced and dynamic.
5/5 stars


Thomas McHugh (01 August, 2005)

Best I've ever used
5/5 stars


David (28 July, 2005)

WOW!

I was really unsure if these babies would be THAT much better than my E3c's, but they are.

Let me start off by saying that I have used:

1. Apple's stock iPod buds. (lousy)
2. Koss "The Plug" earbuds. (slightly less lousy)
3. Sony EX-71sl. (nice, but muddy)
4. Etymotic ER-6i. (didn't like the sound)
5. Shure E3c. (LOVE these)
6. Shure E4. (Love these even more)

Basically, Shure took the tremendous sound of the E3c, and expanded it. As my brother said when he listened to them "they sound fatter". That's a good way of putting it. The sound is just fuller.

Bass has been increased tremendously, and the high end is crystal clear.

I took the Shure triple-flange sleeves, and snipped off the biggest flange. They now get right down in my ear canal, and are quite comfortable.

If you are on the fence about getting these, don't wait!

THEY ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!
5/5 stars


I think you'd be much happier with the Super.Fi 5 pro. Everyone has their favorites, but even the good reviews that you read sound nowhere as good as what I'm about to show you:

How about some Super.fi 5 pro reviews:

(_)_)IIIIIIIIIIIID
These buds PWN J00. Make my rod hard as fawk.
5/5 stars


pj (20 September, 2006)

superb, waiting anxiously for the triple.fi 10 pro to arrive!
(that one was mine)
5/5 stars


G. Hawkins (15 September, 2006)

Looking for an Earphone in the $100 to $200 range?.....look no further as this is it

I had a pair of Shure E3g's. After reading many reviews of the UE Super.fi 5 Pros I decided to give them a try as I wasn't swept away by the sound of the Shure's. My conclusion is simple.....I wish I never wasted my money on the Shure's. They simply are not in the same league as these headphones. The Shure's have a really nice midrange and that's it. Doesn't matter how or what ear tips you use with them they simply can't touch the highs, bass or soundstage capability of the UE's (let alone the volume levels these will achieve as well). How review sites like Cnet rates these an 8 and the Shure's an 8 is beyond me......I'd give the Shure's a 5 at best.

Onto my thoughts: Right out of the box with zero burn in the highs are very clean and reach the upper levels of the HZ scale very easily. The mids are perfect and the bass is strong enough that you can feel it while still being well defined. And as mentioned...that's right out of the box. Most users should notice the sound will get even better once they're broken in.

In short they were well worth the price of admission and to find something better you'll have to spend a lot more. That's about all I can say really....I just don't see somebody being disappointed with these. Every person I've let listen to mine all have one thing in common: They all balk at the idea of spending $170 on a set of earphones. That balking has changed to serious consideration for each of them after they have listend to their fav MP3's through my UE's. "Wow" and "Stunning" are the two common words out of their mouths.

Are there better? Of course....there always is. But considering the price they really do overachieve because they do compare with those $350+ models and because of that I think a value/performance ratio comes into play here and I unquestionably give them a 10/10.

Pros:

Warm full sound. Sweet highs, proper midrange and accurate bass. Easy to place in your ears for proper seal (much better than Shure). Comfortable for extended listening sessions (WAY better than Shure). Replaceable cord.

Cons:

A little bulky but you'll never notice once they are in your ears because they are extremely light. A sliightly larger case with cord organizer would have been nice.
5/5 stars


bobo (15 September, 2006)

Quite frankly disappointed expecting a dramatic improvement over the E3c... I'm starting to wonder how many reviewers have over ear phones - my Senn HD-230s make the 5s sound like am radio - I put on my Senn's & cymbals sound like cymbals again - bass is far deeper & tighter & the mids aren't muddy anymore...

If you get the E3c I suggest you invest another $10 in the E5 tri-flange ear seals... They really worked for me...

Haven't tried the Etymolics/Westones & only briefly the E5s, which seemed decent...

My 'real' system is carver amp based with decca ribbon tweeter bookshelves or kliphorn replicas...
(unfair review, he's comparing the headphones to a Carver speaker with ribbon tweeters, I mean COME ON NOW!!!!)
2/5 stars


Yoshi (30 August, 2006)

A great pair worth every penny. Mines failed after 4 months in the left bass driver, no problem in contacting Jeanette (great contact at UE) to arrange for a warranty claim and after a week I got the new version with clear cable. Wow, I have the bass back and I could only say that my Shures E4C's are going off to ebay. The soundstage of these are vastly superior than the shures and oh yeah, the bass. These are not as detailed as the shures and are more warm and musical, which I love because I can wear them for longer periods to enjoy my music. Love 'em, love 'em and love 'em. You will not regret it.
5/5 stars


prjct86z (18 August, 2006)

I Love them. Nice tight Bass and clear mids and highs. I hear flaws in my cds I didn't even know existed.
5/5 stars


8lias (23 July, 2006)

I received the newer version, metallic black with thick clear cable, very nice looking. Bass is there but won't blow your ear drums, mid and high is lively and fresh, fit just right, for me at least. Morever, I did a little modification to how I wear it, it's hard to explain but there are a couple of pictures at headfi.org. This way, the phone won't stick out at all, completely flat on your ear, where you can actually sleep with it. I love this modification, it gives me better seal, therefore, better sound reproduction. If you like bass and lively mid and high, try this, love will be at first sigh. Thank you to all of the musicians for creating beautiful musics, UE for delivering it, and earphonesolution.com for distributing it, at a great price and great service. It's a win-win combination. Enjoy.
5/5 stars


hgmec (14 July, 2006)

I did my research including a telephone call to UE sales before I made my decision to buy the Super.fi 5 Pros. I previously owned a set of Shure E3cs, and was very dissappointed in their performance. I read several reviews and researched the 5 Pros. First of all I could not believe that the frequency response of these buds were listed on several websites as 20-16k. It had me wondering because I personally can hear above 18k. I new that if this were true then they must be very dull sounding. Jeanette with ULTIMATE EARS assured me that I was making a wise decision to buy these phones. Boy was she right! For the record the frequency response is really 20hz to 20k! It says so right on the package! So the websites have incorrectly stated the frequency response for the EB version instead of the 5 Pro! So anyone out there that has any doubt, do yourself a favor and buy these buds. The bass is great, the mids and highs are crystal clear and transparent. Absolutely the best I have ever heard including the fullsize over the ear type headphones ie Sony, Seinheiser, Bose, etc. Also FTR the cords are not fragile at all unless you are one that pulls AC cords out of the wall by the cord instead of the plug anyway. Then there is no hope for you anyway. And if you do tear the cord up they will send you a new one anyway! It is very easy to change out the cord yourself. All I can say is WOW!
5/5 stars


8lias (05 July, 2006)

Amazing customer service, smooth transaction, great price, great product, lots of choices to choose from. Highly recommended, will do business again. Great job earphonesolutions.com.
5/5 stars


Anthony (26 June, 2006)

Seals great and sounds VERY good
5/5 stars


LAURIE (20 June, 2006)

great earphones--best out there--more importantly they deliver greats sound and can still block out external noise.
5/5 stars


M.J (02 June, 2006)

Anyone that dares to give this product anything less than a 4 star is just being plan crazy or doesn't have this product at all and just trying to write a bad review because they are stuck with a different kind of earphone that isn't as good. The bass..the bass is so tight and true it will amaze you, in fact it probably is the most perfect balance of Bass and Treble in a earphone. The clearness of the highs are a pure joy and I'm telling you people(this from a previous wearer of Shure)you hear things that you never heard before in your songs thanks to the clearness of these earphones. Trust me I've been from Sony x71's to down through 3 different shure designs. There is no better product under $500.... has down, case closed, bottom line, game over!
5/5 stars


mike (19 May, 2006)

Amazing earphones! Unfortunately I lost my first pair but these are so good I bought a second pair.
5/5 stars


Jeff (16 May, 2006)

I have had these for several months. For the money they cannot be beaten.
5/5 stars


PAW (13 May, 2006)

I still rate them 5 stars after about 3 months of use. Granted, I probably have a much simpler view of good quality sound, but the performance is amazing. I have taken them on several flights now. They definitely cut down on the noise in the plane. If I have music playing from my mp3 player, I can't hear a word anyone is saying to me. With the mp3 player off, you hear talking usually wihtin 3 to 5 feet of your head. However, it is muted and easy to tune out. I just replaced the wires on the headset (ripped the wires out of the plastic where the wires split apart) and UE has upgraded the wires! They are now coating them with a plastic sheathing. I envision that they will be more durable. Again, recommend the headsets to anyone.
5/5 stars


Rob (22 April, 2006)

One of the best I have ever owned. Worth every penny
5/5 stars


Rick (13 March, 2006)

These earphones are phenomenal. Once you get the fit correct, you'll enjoy incredibly realistic sound. Much better than any I've ever used.
5/5 stars


Robert D. (12 March, 2006)

THESE PLUGS ROCK !!!
I paid $120 less here,(discount+rebate) than buying them from a retail chain in town.

WHAT A SCORE !!!

Thanks Guys !!!
5/5 stars


So I hope that shows you how good they are! Overall, both good phones, but Super.Fi 5 pros have more 5/5 stars than the Shure e4c, and are $110 cheaper.
Man, I went through a lot of trouble to do this for you.
LOL

PJ

 

[jdimitri]

e4c IMO sounds best with songs that needs very quiet background and probably one of the more (or most) balanced sounding universal IEMs
More fun with more bass- save up for um2, about $250, the most comfortable iem i've tried so far (other than its little brother, UM1)

That guy is obviously a basshead.. if you don't need vast amounts of BOOM BOOM bass the e4c has great accurate bass with liquid midrange and clear highs

5g ipod right? appearantly the bass lacking 4g ipod drives these REALLY badly
But then again.. classic rock will probably sound better through um2s

Whatever fits your budget!

PS. click on that e-mail for best price thing to get a real price

And if that statistics is right, which i doubt, it's probably including pros and custom IEMs.. I'm sure that shure would have sold at least the same number of universal Iems, they were around first and has more models

 

[3X0]

Hehe IPodPJ reminds me of a salesman..

Anyway, depending on how low exactly bass is on your list of priorities, I'd consider the Etymotic ER4 or the Shure E4. Both _can_ be found new for under $200 (I believe around $170 each last time I checked PriceGrabber).

I believe that the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro are FAR from neutral. Their sound signature is so inclined towards fun that it neglects the closer neutrality found on competing headphones.

The ER4 is very accurate and analytical. Its shortcomings include a fairly low amount of bass (compared to its competitors) as well as a very cold and thin, fine sound.

The E4 is very forward and somewhat warm. Its shortcomings include highs that are not as extended as its competitors. What it can reproduce, however, it does so very well. It emphasized mids in front of both the bass and highs and has some nice bass that's not muddy, bleeding, or overwhelming. It's clean and articulate, but not as much as the ER4.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastercheif Just a quickie.... I need a pair of IEMs to get me trough the day. I've tried lugging around my Proline 750's back and forth to school every day, and it is just to much. I am looking for a good pair of IEMs ~$170. I will be listing to these on a 80GB iPod, and I have a chu-moy, altough I really dont think a IEM in this range will need it. I like a rich sound, and bass is not on the top of my list of important headphone charactaristics. I was looking at the Shure E4C's. Is their another competing headphone I should consider?

The E4Cs are very smooth and rich sounding, (the very first thing I noticed about them were the extremely smooth mids) and are very detailed and not muddy. I would recommend them over the super.fi 5 Pros. They have less bass than the 5 pros, but it is tighter, more controlled, and more detailed.

I also would not say that the ER4s are cold or thin. They are accurate, yes, and neutral, but not inherently cold or incapable of producing much bass output. I went from the 5 pro, then to the E4, and finally to the ER4, and I prefer the ER4's bass response out of the three. It is very deep, very tight, and melds in nicely with the rest of the audio spectrum, instead of overpowering it. But, because they have a flat frequency response, if a song is mixed bass-light or mid deficient, they will reflect it. After all, that is what they were designed for. So depending on what kind of music you listen to, they may not be the best choice for you. They work great for the classical music I listen to, but YMMV.

If you think the ER4s are not for you, then I would have to recommend the E4C/G. I would not recommend the super.fi 5 pro. I found it to be very mid-deficient and extremely uncomfortable.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdimitri And if that statistics is right, which i doubt, it's probably including pros and custom IEMs.. I'm sure that shure would have sold at least the same number of universal Iems, they were around first and has more models

Statistics? No, they were reviews and I posted all fairly from earphonesolutions.com, which clearly states that the E4C is out of his budget range.

And I wouldn't go so far as to say that Super.Fi 5 pros have overwhelming bass. The Super.Fi 5 EB have OVERWHELMING bass. And while both headphones I showed examples of had some equally good reviews, more people preferred the Super.Fi 5 pro to the Shure E4C.

It's all there in Black & White for you to read yourself on their website.

 

[lordson]

hahahaha, i wonder how many of you noticed that that was my review i posted up a few days ago

well after a bit of listeing

you will not be dissapointed by the Shure E4's

it doesn't have enough bass for me, but i think has plenty of bass for the vast majority of people, i listen to the beatles on this thing too; GREAT STUFF

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ Statistics? No, they were reviews and I posted all fairly from earphonesolutions.com, which clearly states that the E4C is out of his budget range. And I wouldn't go so far as to say that Super.Fi 5 pros have overwhelming bass. The Super.Fi 5 EB have OVERWHELMING bass. And while both headphones I showed examples of had some equally good reviews, more people preferred the Super.Fi 5 pro to the Shure E4C. It's all there in Black & White for you to read yourself on their website.

Yes, but that is earphonesolutions.com and this is head-fi. You are a basshead. Without even considering the type of music this guy listens to, you unanimously recommend the "be-all-end-all" Super.Fi 5 Pro's. Just because they may be right for you, it doesn't mean that they are right for the OP.

It's not all about the reviews (especially the ones on some store website). It's what earphone is right for the OP.


As for the OP: What's more important to you? Crystaline highs (ER-4), or very good mids - and more bass (E4)?

But yea... the ER-4 and the E4 are basically the ones you should be looking at.

P.S. Do you guys think the iM716's might be good for him? I know it's a lot cheaper, but since it has a more "fun" sound (but still the ety sound) than the ER-4's, it might be just right for him.

P.S.S. Do the iM716's have better highs than the E4's? If so, then I would recommend the iM716's along with a headphone amp.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek I went from the 5 pro, then to the E4, and finally to the ER4, and I prefer the ER4's bass response out of the three. It is very deep, very tight, and melds in nicely with the rest of the audio spectrum, instead of overpowering it. But, because they have a flat frequency response, if a song is mixed bass-light or mid deficient, they will reflect it. After all, that is what they were designed for. So depending on what kind of music you listen to, they may not be the best choice for you. They work great for the classical music I listen to, but YMMV. If you think the ER4s are not for you, then I would have to recommend the E4C/G. I would not recommend the super.fi 5 pro. I found it to be very mid-deficient and extremely uncomfortable.

The guy said he listened to primarily classic rock, which do sound extremely well balanced on the 5 pros. I'm not quite sure why you would find them to be uncomfortable, especially since the UE website shows you a second way to wear them. I think they are quite comfortable with the silicone tips, but then again, everyones ears are different, and the problem with a site like this, as well as its benefit, is that everyone has different preferences for what they want or like their music to sound like. I happen to find the Shure's rubber tips extremely uncomfortable as they provide much more suction and tightness, and also extend further from the opening of the canal and narrow at the end, limiting the amount of certain frequencies to enter your ear canal at as wide of an angle as the silicone tips of the Super.Fi 5 pro, which place themselves right at the end of the canal opening as to not limit any of the sound from entering your ear.

Another problem is that while many dealers let you audition big can-style headphones, most dealers WILL NOT let you audition IEMs.... at least not around my neck of the woods, and I live in one of the biggest cities in the country -- Los Angeles, CA, USA... So I took a gamble on purchasing both the Shure e2c and the Super.Fi 5 pro having never listened to them. I lost out on the e2c, but won highly with the Super.Fi 5 pro.

I believe with the EQ presets turned on (and he said he probably doesn't need to use his amp) then the sounds can become overlayered at times, as described in the Triple.Fi review as well. But to say that the 5 pros do not have tight, controlled bass, I believe is a farse. All you have to do is listen to a lossless file of one of Victor Wooten's (rated best bass player in the world at least 3 years in a row, and among the ranks if not surpassing Jacco Pastorius) songs to hear how tight and controlled the bass really is on the Super.fi 5 pro.

The treble is also very nice and clean and defined, and with no iPod EQ setting is very noticable with no sense of overpowering high end. The cymbal crashes are clear and defined and do not blend into a cacophony of high-end chaos. To prove that, put on a Steely Dan track (also classic rock, which is the genre he likes) and listen to the natural sounds of the drums. I think the Super.Fi 5 pros EXCEL ESPECIALLY in music recorded originally in Analog, which is why I think Classic Rock is a perfect fit for those IEMs....

Before I figured out the little trick on how not to get the iPod to distort with EQ use, I often found myself ONLY listening to classic rock because they were some of the only genres that excelled on the Super.fi 5 pro.

So with all these recommendations, it's really hard to tell you what's best for your ears because everyone hears sound differently -- some like more mids over bass, some treble over mids, some like it all.... I can't speak for the ER4 that was recommended by jdimitri, but if you don't know, they are made by Etymotic I believe, and I have never listened to them, but again, they are also a highly recommended IEM.

You mention that they are mid-deficient, and while I will say they may not offer as much midrange as other IEMs, many people prefer less presence in the midrange as they find it to be too overbearing to the highs and low ends. I think they are a very well balanced musical IEM however, and ESPECIALLY for classic rock music that was initially recorded with analog equipment, which was one of the first things I noticed about the Super.Fi 5 pro.

Based on budget however, I arrived at the conclusion that the Super.Fi 5 pro would be best for you. Sometimes they take a little fidgeting to get to feel just right, but when you get it, all is just wonderful with the sound. And like someone mentioned, I sound like a salesman for UE

that is only because I know from tried and true experience how good they have been to my ears. If budget was no issue for the guy, I would say go with a set of Triple.Fi 10 pro or UE-10 customs.

P.S. Another thing, the Super.Fi 5 pro now come with thicker, more durable cables. A unique benefit over the product is its ability to replace its cables in the event the ear loop fit gets too bent out of shape from forming it to your ears one too many times (which you shouldn't need to, unless you're like me and like to try all different ways of making the sound stage sound different). I ordered a pair or grey cables which are very thin in comparison to the new clear ones that come with the black or clear Super.fi 5 pro. Sometimes I like that thinner feel of a cable around my ears, and sometimes the thicker one works well too. These are all advantages to consider as well, that none of the other headphones (to the best of my knowledge) offer.

PJ

 

[3X0]

I didn't mean cold or thin in a negative way. I still think the ER4 is absolutely amazing with classical music, but when I need something more lively, fun, and warm.. it just doesn't seem to do those types of music too well. It just doesn't have the body for those types of music.

I still stand by my opinion that the Super.fi 5 Pro is not suitable for the OP's needs at all. It's not as neutral as, say, the E4. The bass may not be overwhelming, but it most certainly is not in balance with the rest of the audio spectrum. I firmly believe that the Shure E4's forward mids and decent bass will do best for the OP's preferred traits.

I don't recommend the OP make his decision based on reviews on retailing sites. Using reviews from a retailer that lists the Super.fi 5 Pro at more than $100 less than it lists the E4 isn't too sound; the Super.fi 5 Pro probably garners a ton more sales on that site (you can find the Shure E4 for equal or less than the Super.fi 5 Pro elsewhere). The Super.fi 5 Pro probably receives more reviews as a result, which doesn't seem very even-handed compared to proper analytical judgment. Moreover, very few of the reviews devote more than a vague sentence to the actual sonic properties of the respective earphone. Tip choice and fit are also prominent factors not addressed.

I have the ER4 and iM716 and have tested the E4 and Super.fi 5 Pro for a fair amount of time in the past. I would recommend them for classic rock in this order:
Shure E4
Altec Lansing iM716
Etymotic ER4
Ultimate EarsSuper.fi 5 Pro

The E4 seems to have the best sound signature for your preference. The iM716 is much like the ER4, but a bit warmer and with a ton more body which will lend itself well to your music tastes. It also looks the best out of the four (IMO). The ER4 is articulate and defined, slightly moreso than the iM716, but is really very lean and somewhat thin (great for classical music, but not so much for classic music). The Super.fi 5 Pro seemed the least neutral to my ears; while it was great for hip-hop and okay for electronica (I like my iM716 better for that: seems more detailed, defined, and articulate overall), it left something to be desired on less contemporary music.

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ The guy said he listened to primarily classic rock, which do sound extremely well balanced on the 5 pros. I'm not quite sure why you would find them to be uncomfortable, especially since the UE website shows you a second way to wear them. I think they are quite comfortable with the silicone tips, but then again, everyones ears are different, and the problem with a site like this, as well as its benefit, is that everyone has different preferences for what they want or like their music to sound like. Another problem is that while many dealers let you audition big can-style headphones, most dealers WILL NOT let you audition IEMs.... at least not around my neck of the woods, and I live in one of the biggest cities in the country -- Los Angeles, CA, USA... So I took a gamble on purchasing both the Shure e2c and the Super.Fi 5 pro having never listened to them. I lost out on the e2c, but won highly with the Super.Fi 5 pro. I believe with the EQ presets turned on (and he said he probably doesn't need to use his amp) then the sounds can become overlayered at times, as described in the Triple.Fi review as well. But to say that the 5 pros do not have tight, controlled bass, I believe is a farse. All you have to do is listen to a lossless file of one of Victor Wooten's (rated best bass player in the world at least 3 years in a row, and among the ranks if not surpassing Jacco Pastorius) songs to hear how tight and controlled the bass really is on the Super.fi 5 pro. The treble is also very nice and clean and defined, and with no iPod EQ setting is very noticable with no sense of overpowering high end. The cymbal crashes are clear and defined and do not blend into a cacophony of high-end chaos. To prove that, put on a Steely Dan track (also classic rock, which is the genre he likes) and listen to the natural sounds of the drums. I think the Super.Fi 5 pros EXCEL ESPECIALLY in music recorded originally in Analog, which is why I think Classic Rock is a perfect fit for those IEMs.... Before I figured out the little trick on how not to get the iPod to distort with EQ use, I often found myself ONLY listening to classic rock because they were some of the only genres that excelled on the Super.fi 5 pro. So with all these recommendations, it's really hard to tell you what's best for your ears because everyone hears sound differently -- some like more mids over bass, some treble over mids, some like it all.... I can't speak for the ER4 that was recommended by jdimitri, but if you don't know, they are made by Etymotic I believe, and I have never listened to them, but again, they are also a highly recommended IEM. Based on budget however, I arrived at the conclusion that the Super.Fi 5 pro would be best for you. Sometimes they take a little fidgeting to get to feel just right, but when you get it, all is just wonderful with the sound. And like someone mentioned, I sound like a salesman for UE that is only because I know from tried and true experience how good they have been to my ears. If budget was no issue for the guy, I would say go with a set of Triple.Fi 10 pro or UE-10 customs. PJ

Please truncate your posts. Yet again, you have unanimously recommend the super.fi 5 pro's. Have you listened to any of the other IEM's (E4 and ER-4)? PiccoloNamek has listened to all of these IEM's, so I would naturally have more trust in his opinion, because he made his claims out of experience, not assumptions. But even still his post is not the be-all-end-all recommendation. However, instead of unanimously recommending one of the IEM's, he pushed the OP in the right direction.

Man... it's 6 am... it's been an hour and I still can't go back to sleep... Sorry if I sounded a bit curt.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vYu223 Please truncate your posts. Yet again, you have unanimously recommend the super.fi 5 pro's. Have you listened to any of the other IEM's (E4 and ER-4)? PiccoloNamek has listened to all of these IEM's, so I would naturally have more trust in his opinion, because he made his claims out of experience, not assumptions. But even still his post is not the be-all-end-all recommendation. However, instead of unanimously recommending one of the IEM's, he pushed the OP in the right direction. Man... it's 6 am... it's been an hour and I still can't go back to sleep... Sorry if I sounded a bit curt.

Yes, I have listened to many IEMs including the E4, just not the ER4, which I mentioned I hadn't.