[barkas]

They say it's a good phone.
If you like the etymotics sound signature, it could be for you. And it is way cheaper than the e4c.
I personally would rather buy e4c though.

 

[aluren]

i started out on this expensive hobby with IEM's as well, the e3c's. back then the e4c wasn't out yet... but i can say that IEM's will be an enjoyable experience for you, especially if you're always on the go. it blocks out external noise extremely well (with a good seal), leaving only you and your music. i find it very beneficial if you study alot outside - starbucks - like i do. i can sit next to the damn coffee grinders and blenders without hearing anything.

as far as the audio quality, since you have cds, trying ripping them in different quality - 128, 192, 320, lossless, and see for yourself if you can tell the difference. it only matters if YOU can tell that difference, regardless if someone says so and so quality is the best. i can hardly tell the difference between 320 and lossless and therefore i have most of my cds ripped at 320. lossless waste more battery and takes longer to load on my ipod. hope this helps...

 

[spinali]

A lot may depend on the individual track rather than the bit rate. While 320kb/s offers a notable improvement on just about everything, I wonder if EQ might offer some small improvement. I have some 128kb/s tracks that sound great simply because they were recorded so well, and some scungy high bitrate songs. I'm not sure if you can make broad conclusions.

 

[aliasfox]

128 Kbps music and IEMs... if you have stock headphones, anything from a set of EX51s or EX71s on up should be an improvement. However, plan on being more discriminating with your music in the future if you plan to go expensive. Buying a CD and ripping it at 192 or 256 AAC (or better) is the best way to go, though you do forgo the convenience of the iTunes Music Store.

I've ripped music at 192 AAC, been disgusted at it, and reripped it at 256 to get rid of distortion in bass (which I find easier to hear than in treble). This was apparent from the Sharp headphones I had to the Klipsch and Monsoon speaker setups... don't remember if I heard it on stock iPod buds or not.