[aliasfox]

Hi,

I bought a set of Sharp MD-33 IEMs a year and a half ago and they broke a few months ago. Considering I've been practically broke since then, I've been limping along with my stock iPod headphones... until now.

Is the MD-33 still a good choice for the price ($50 shipped)? Or should I splurge for the Shure E2c (~$65), Ety ER-6i (<$90 at amazon), or the Altec Lansing iM716 (~$80 at amazon)? Conversely, should I just spend $30 on EX-71s if the cords are all as fragile as on the Sharps? I liked the sound out of the Sharps, though they were occassionally boomier in the bass than I would've liked (and my Senn HD-497s lack bass, making the difference all the more apparent).

I mostly listen to Classical and Classic Rock, with some modern pop stuff thrown in there. These are going to be used with a 4G iPod, a nano, and a Shuffle.

Thanks for any suggestions/opinions!

 

[theory_87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliasfox Hi, I bought a set of Sharp MD-33 IEMs a year and a half ago and they broke a few months ago. Considering I've been practically broke since then, I've been limping along with my stock iPod headphones... until now. Is the MD-33 still a good choice for the price ($50 shipped)? Or should I splurge for the Shure E2c (~$65), Ety ER-6i (<$90 at amazon), or the Altec Lansing iM716 (~$80 at amazon)? Conversely, should I just spend $30 on EX-71s if the cords are all as fragile as on the Sharps? I liked the sound out of the Sharps, though they were occassionally boomier in the bass than I would've liked (and my Senn HD-497s lack bass, making the difference all the more apparent). I mostly listen to Classical and Classic Rock, with some modern pop stuff thrown in there. These are going to be used with a 4G iPod, a nano, and a Shuffle. Thanks for any suggestions/opinions!

if you still interested in MD-33, why not get creative EP630. else Er6i or AL iM716 will be a good upgrade

 

[aliasfox]

Thanks for your response - another question: which of the two is better unamped? I don't plan on carrying an amp with me when I bring my iPods around, so this is a very important factor to me.

And yeah, I realize I have a typo in the title. oops. sorry!

 

[theory_87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliasfox Thanks for your response - another question: which of the two is better unamped? I don't plan on carrying an amp with me when I bring my iPods around, so this is a very important factor to me. And yeah, I realize I have a typo in the title. oops. sorry!

which 2 you refering to? if Er6i and iM716, Er6i will be better unamp. but once both is amp, iM716 will out shine Er6i by a respectable amount

 

[vYu223]

The iM716's have a higher impedance, so it requires more power to drive it. In other words, you'll be cranking the volume (on the mp3 player) higher than you would with other 'phones to achieve the same volume (in dB).

The iM716's still sound pretty good unamped, however like others said, the ER-6i is better unamped. I don't know how both would compare if used from a laptop or computer, though.

If you want first impressions, just type "716" in the search function and you'll find some threads. Mine is in my sig.

 

[aliasfox]

Thanks. Looks like I'll be going for the ER6i then, as the thought of carrying another box (and worrying about more cables and another set of batteries) with my iPod(s) is not a tasteful idea considering I often listen when I'm actually on the go (walking to classes etc).

Of course, having $40 to Amazon from the local Coinstar will help out considerably...

Thanks!

 

[vYu223]

Hmm... Ouch. Coinstar. Coinstar takes 8% of your money or something like that. Next time go to your bank. Pretty sure they do it for free, and don't take X% of your money.

 

[aliasfox]

Actually, Coinstar's free if you change it to an Amazon gift card. Pretty nice considering Amazon usually has reasonable prices for everything. If you want cash, take it to a bank- Coinstar charges 8.9%...

The ER6is should be here next week!

 

[LaBreaHead]

Check out the isolation on your new Etymotics -- try them on a bus, train, plane, etc. They don't transport you to a "cone of silence," but when they're playing you should find that a lot of surrounding noise just goes away.

And bear with them at first if it seems there's little or no bass -- they can take some getting used to, but you'll probably discover new stuff in songs you've heard many times before.

Handle them even more carefully than you would the Sharps -- they're made well, but there's not a whole lot there -- very light and tiny. So take care of them. And try the foamies for overall comfort/ease of insertion, or the flanged tips to burrow deep into your ear canal (kind of weird, and not for everybody ... and they can take longer to put in, get a proper seal, and take out).

Thanks for the tip about CoinStar/Amazon.

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliasfox Actually, Coinstar's free if you change it to an Amazon gift card. Pretty nice considering Amazon usually has reasonable prices for everything. If you want cash, take it to a bank- Coinstar charges 8.9%... The ER6is should be here next week!

Hmmm, didn't know that! Thanks for the info!

Lol, this will be useful... If I get the amazon gift card, then I'll have an excuse when I ask my dad to buy headphones (only for online shopping, but I pay him back in cash)...