[martythestickman]

hey guys.

i was wondering if anybody with IEM experience could take the time out to rate the IEMs u currently/previously own as im looking to upgrade my sennheiser cx-300 but am unsure if its worth it in regards to price/performance ratio as im on a budget...

im quite happy with the cx-300 but im the type of person whos always thinking "there must be better" and admittedly these arent the most detailed or balanced headphones ive heard, as nice as they actually do sound...

if you could give me a rating out of 10 for each of these categories
** LOWS quality/quantity
** MIDS quality/quantity
** HIGHS quality/quantity
** ISOLATION

this is the easiest way i can think of for myself to get to understand the quality of a particular can without getting into the ultra technical aspects of sonic presentation such as resolution and such...

your time and opinion is much appreciated

cheers, marty.

p.s. if you would like to add any other notable characteristics for a particlar IEM in addition to those main categories, please feel free to do so!

 

[noblsheep]

maybe u could post what u think about the cx300 first and everybody use that for comparision?

edit: i'm getting a pair of hje70 on saturday, will post then...

 

[martythestickman]

sennheiser cx-300

LOWS = quality 6.5 / quantity 10
MIDS = quality 6.5 / quantity 6.5
HIGHS = quality 6.5 / quantity 8
ISOLATION = 7.5 (mdr-v7506 = 5.5)
CLARITY = low volume 7 / high volume 7
COMFORT = 10 (took 3 days to get used to it, canals were a bit chapped from constant re-insertion)
EASE OF INSERTION = 10

as i havent heard other IEMs i cant make any direct comparisons so ive used the hd-595 and sony mdr-v7506 as reference

at higher volumes the bass tends to be a little overly resonant/reverberating and i think its due to the light nature of the housing. the bass also tends to make vocals warble at extreme volume. possibly some damping material might fix this problem...if any1 with these buds and some handyman know how would like to take a look into this it would be greatly appreciated

the cx-300 overall has the typical sennheiser laidback sound signature, very easy to listen to, but i would most likely compare it directly with the sennheiser hd25-1 without the overall clarity. (considering the great isolating nature of these buds, could this be a very convenient alternative for club DJs?) ive seen such big names as Satoshi Tomiie using IEM to monitor his sets...

overall a nice little portable bud (but always looking for better)

 

[noblsheep]

sorry for the delay. the speed threads sink...

HJE70:

got them really cheap without packaging or case and only one pair of replacement tips.

LOWS = quality 5 / quantity 10
MIDS = quality 7 / quantity 6
HIGHS = quality 7 / quantity 8
ISOLATION = 8
MICROPHONICS = 10 (or maybe 0? anyway REALLY BAD!!!)

had these for a day. currently running it out of M5L and LDM+. the highs were harsh when i got them in the morning, now after some pink noise and a whole day of nonstop listening they're still a little bright. mids are a bit laidback, especially on male voices. bass is punchy and kind of excessive, but interesting to listen to.

the microphonics is driving me nuts though. i can hear my tongue moving... did a little walking around indoors and i'm thinking i'll never be able to use these outdoors. i'll try them outside tomorrow though, maybe the street sounds will drown them out.

 

[derek8555]

The following are my ratings on various IEMs I've owned to-date. I have also heard CX300. I currently own the UM2, the rest are all from my memory/impression.

ER4S

LOWS = quality 8 / quantity 5
MIDS = quality 8 / quantity 6
HIGHS = quality 9.5 / quantity 10
ISOLATION = 9.5 (with Ety foam tips)
CLARITY = low volume 9 / high volume 8.5
COMFORT = 7
EASE OF INSERTION = 8
*Thickness = 6
*Smoothness = 7.5
*Sibilance = 5
*Microphonics = 5 (with instructed method of usage)

ER4P (strictly with no additional 75ohm impedance)

LOWS = quality 7.5 / quantity 6.5
MIDS = quality 7.5 / quantity 6
HIGHS = quality 8.5 / quantity 9
ISOLATION = 9.5 (with Ety foam tips)
CLARITY = low volume 8.5 / high volume 8
COMFORT = 7
EASE OF INSERTION = 8
*Thickness = 6.5
*Smoothness = 7
*Sibilance = 5
*Microphonics = 7 (thanks to the braided cord...)

E3

LOWS = quality 6 / quantity 6
MIDS = quality 8 / quantity 9
HIGHS = quality 7 / quantity 5
ISOLATION = 9 (with Shure foam tips)
CLARITY = low volume 7.5 / high volume 7
COMFORT = 8.5
EASE OF INSERTION = 9
*Thickness = 8
*Smoothness = 7
*Sibilance = 6
*Microphonics = 8

E4

LOWS = quality 7.5 / quantity 7
MIDS = quality 8.5 / quantity 9
HIGHS = quality 8 / quantity 7.5
ISOLATION = 9 (with Shure foam tips)
CLARITY = low volume 8 / high volume 8
COMFORT = 9
EASE OF INSERTION = 9
*Thickness = 8
*Smoothness = 8
*Sibilance = 8
*Microphonics = 8

UM2

LOWS = quality 8 / quantity 9
MIDS = quality 9 / quantity 8.5
HIGHS = quality 8.5 / quantity 6.5
ISOLATION = 9 (with Shure foam tips)
CLARITY = low volume 8 / high volume 8
COMFORT = 10 (extremely comfy)
EASE OF INSERTION = 10
*Thickness = 10
*Smoothness = 9
*Sibilance = 6
*Microphonics = 10 (ZERO microphonics! at least in my case)

EDIT: added a few more categories I'd like to compare them with.
and to be clear, 0=worst 10=best relative to the scores of a CX300. But IMHO CX300 do not deserve such high marks...

Summary:
ER4S - sparkling highs and extreme clarity, especially in upper mid and treble, but quite sibilant and microphonic.
ER4P - inferior to ER4S, but with more bass quantity and less microphonic.
E3 - all about midrange.
E4 - an E3 with better bass and treble.
UM2 - Overall smoother and darker than E4, with best bass response among all 5 listed.

 

[martythestickman]

derek, thanks for clarifying the scores of the cx-300.

as i mentioned earlier, i have no experience with "high-end" IEMs amped and such, and even full cans for that matter, hd595 being the best ive owned at one stage, which werent particularly better than my mdr-v7506 so i gave to a freind.

so high end IEMs really are that much better that they justify a 3X or so price hike over the cx-300?

if you could post ur scores for the cx-300 i would greatly appreciated

also, were the scores of the IEMs u rated amp abided?

im tossing up between the er4, e4c, sf5pro, um2 (2nd hand)....

 

[Jam_Master_J]

Derek, I mainly agree with you Re: e4 vs ER4, but I think I'd put a bigger difference in sibilance. ER4 is borderline spitty sounding with some material, while E4 has never, ever sounded sibilant to me.

Here is my scale(getting a 10 just means best I've heard in an IEM, not necessarily "perfect"):

Shure E4:
(quality/quantity)
Bass-7/7
Mids-9/9
Highs-7/5
Isolation: 9
Comfort: 9
Insertion:9

Shure E500:
(quality/quantity)
Bass-8/10
Mids-8/7
Highs-7/6
Isolation: 9
Comfort: 10
Insertion:10

ER4(forget which one)
(quality/quantity)
Bass-7/4
Mids-8/6
Highs-9/9
Isolation: 10
Comfort: 6
Insertion:8

IM716(HD mode)
(quality/quantity)
Bass-8/9
Mids-7/7
Highs-8/8
Isolation: 10
Comfort: 6
Insertion:8

Subjective: E500 is the fullest sounding, it has nice weight and body. ER4 is detailed and crisp but borders on spitty and analytical at times. E4 is centered around great mids. IM716 is just great for the price, period. I'd own IM716 but I wasn't a fan of the build and fit.

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jam_Master_J /img/forum/go_quote.gif Derek, I mainly agree with you Re: e4 vs ER4, but I think I'd put a bigger difference in sibilance. ER4 is borderline spitty sounding with some material, while E4 has never, ever sounded sibilant to me.

True I have to agree with you on this, E4s never sound sibilant to me either.

 

[IPodPJ]

Super.Fi 5 Pro

LOWS = quality 9 / quantity 8
MIDS = quality 7 / quantity 7
HIGHS = quality 9.5 / quantity 9
ISOLATION = 9
CLARITY = low volume 8 / high volume 9
COMFORT = 4.5 (for this reason alone I am thinking about UE customs).
EASE OF INSERTION = 7.5

*Thickness = 8
*Smoothness = 8.5
*Sibilance = 3 (lower # means better here)

*Microphonics = (lower # means better here, too)
with older cables: 2, with newer cables: 1 but less comfortable as they are thicker

OVERALL RATING: 8.2 (Would have been 9.2 if comfort was good. SQ on these IEMs are excellent and IMO cannot be beaten for the price).

 

[derek8555]

Jam_Master_J: I think E500 have more mid than ER4, IMO the sound is laid back compare to E4 but they still have a good emphasis of mids.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Super.Fi 5 Pro LOWS = quality 9 / quantity 8 MIDS = quality 7 / quantity 7 HIGHS = quality 9.5 / quantity 9 ISOLATION = 9 CLARITY = low volume 8 / high volume 9 COMFORT = 4.5 (for this reason alone I am thinking about UE customs). EASE OF INSERTION = 7.5 *Thickness = 8 *Smoothness = 8.5 *Sibilance = 3 (lower # means better here) *Microphonics = (lower # means better here, too) with older cables: 2, with newer cables: 1 but less comfortable as they are thicker OVERALL RATING: 8.2 (Would have been 9.2 if comfort was good. SQ on these IEMs are excellent and IMO cannot be beaten for the price).

If highs on SF5P can be 9.5 and clarity 9, then what about ER4?? 15 and 20?

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek8555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Jam_Master_J: If highs on SF5P can be 9.5 and clarity 9, then what about ER4?? 15 and 20?

I'm comparing to ones I have listened too. I have never heard the ER4 so I wouldn't know. But I think without an overall good frequency response, what good are killer highs and clear mids with no bass? From what I have heard, Ety lacks in bass bigtime. That would just wear me out. As it is, IEMs are hard to listen to for long durations since they are so close to your eardrums anyway.

If we were going to do a rating system based on every headphone or IEM ever made, then none of us could rate our own headphones because none of us have heard every headphone ever made. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think ANYONE on this forum has heard EVERY headphone ever made, or at least every headphone on the market at the moment... There are way too many companies with lots of products all over the world to be able to do that.

 

[Jam_Master_J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek8555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Jam_Master_J: I think E500 have more mid than ER4, IMO the sound is laid back compare to E4 but they still have a good emphasis of mids.

Good point, guess the heavy bass of the e500 may have clouded the fact that the mids are still quite prominent compared to the er4, values adjusted

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ But I think without an overall good frequency response, what good are killer highs and clear mids with no bass?

Oh no man, you think SF5P can beat E4 or ER4 in classical? ER4 makes up the bass quantity with higher quality. And less bass does not mean worse mids and highs. Things are all relative you know... SF5P's strength is in bass quantity, but it lacks (both quality and quantity wise) in highs compare to ER4s, and mids compare to E4s. You have to judge them accordingly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ From what I have heard, Ety lacks in bass bigtime. That would just wear me out.

...but not everyone. If you are a bass lover all I can say is Ety's are not for you. But when they are amped properly, they kill the SF5P. Ety with Xin bassboost do not shy in bass by any standard.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek8555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh no man, you think SF5P can beat E4 or ER4 in classical? ER4 makes up the bass quantity with higher quality. And less bass does not mean worse mids and highs. Things are all relative you know... SF5P's strength is in bass quantity, but it lacks (both quality and quantity wise) in highs compare to ER4s, and mids compare to E4s. You have to judge them accordingly. ...but not everyone. If you are a bass lover all I can say is Ety's are not for you. But when they are amped properly, they kill the SF5P. Ety with Xin bassboost do not shy in bass by any standard.

Well, we like what we like

and that's all that's really important. Actually, before I amped by SF5pro I thought they had enough bass (but lacked the clarity and separation that the amp yielded). Now with an amp, sometimes they have too much bass. Too much bass in an IEM can get just as tiring as too much mid or highs. And I don't listen hardly ever to classical music, so Ety's aren't for me anyway it sounds like.

That is the great thing about this site though --- I have read great reviews which have pointed me towards great purchases and saved me a lot of money having to find them out all for myself. Ok, the SF5pro I did on my own before I came here, but if it weren't for Head-Fi, I would have never known about good interconnects or amps. Thanks to Head-Fi, I got both a good amp and an interconnect, and a Triple.Fi on order. All I need now is a longer IC (5" is way too short), and eventually a pair of UE customs (comfort is my motivation for them, SQ is an obvious perk).

Edit: Come to think of it, I might have read about the SF5pro here too before signing up as a member, I'm just not sure. But I am SURE about buying my Shure e2c before coming here.

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, we like what we like and that's all that's really important. Actually, before I amped by SF5pro I thought they had enough bass (but lacked the clarity and separation that the amp yielded). Now with an amp, sometimes they have too much bass. Too much bass in an IEM can get just as tiring as too much mid or highs.

Oh man I have to agree with you. I sometimes turn on bassboost with my UM2s to compensate the loss when riding subway and they are just overwhelmingly bassy

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif That is the great thing about this site though --- I have read great reviews which have pointed me towards great purchases and saved me a lot of money having to find them out all for myself. Ok, the SF5pro I did on my own before I came here, but if it weren't for Head-Fi, I would have never known about good interconnects or amps. Thanks to Head-Fi, I got both a good amp and an interconnect, and a Triple.Fi on order. All I need now is a longer IC (5" is way too short), and eventually a pair of UE customs (comfort is my motivation for them, SQ is an obvious perk). Edit: Come to think of it, I might have read about the SF5pro here too before signing up as a member, I'm just not sure. But I am SURE about buying my Shure e2c before coming here.

Oh yes yes definitely

I was using HD212 before I came to this site, can you believe that?