[mourges]

Hi All,

Long time lurker, first time poster (or maybe second)

I'm looking for some IEM's. I was flying on a plane recently and was frustrated by the engine noise whilst attempting to listen to my ipod so isolation is a must.

The source of music is an Ipod Mini running Rockbox and mostly FLAC

(*big smile*) with a wide range of music on it. Currently in high rotation is Nine Inch Nails, Johhny Cash, Nick Cave, Spiritualised, Hilltop Hoods, Joanna Newson, Liz Phair and Tom Waits

Current headphones are Grado SR60, Koss Sporta Pro, Koss KSC75's - ie nothing that gives me any isolation at all. Of these, I like the 75's best, then the SR60's which are still burning in.

I've read a number of reviews and bits of advice on here, and I thank everyone who has contributed their knowledge to those entries.

I'm located in Australia so prices are a bit diffent over here - we pay a fair bit for postage, so purchase over the internet can get expensive.

Locally I have found the Etymotic Research ER6i for AUD$150, the Westone UM1's for AUD$215.
To give you some other pricepoints in Australia, the Etymotic ER4(p/s) are AUD$449 which is way more than I want to pay. Shure E2c is AUD$139. Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 pro are AUD$369.

Can anyone give me some suggestions for my types of music - and will I really go wrong with either Um1 or ER6i? I am guessing an amp would do wonders for any of these - is the combination of the PA2V2 with the either the UM1 or the ER6i better?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Adrian

 

[EFN]

UM-1 will fare very well if you enjoy strong mids and vocals, but they are not as impressive when it comes to highs and certain lower extensions. ER-6i being the little brother of ER-4, will have better control and presentation on bass extension which goes deep and the highs chimingly sweet. But you may find the mids slightly recessed if compared directly to UM-1. UM-1 is more musical if you are not concerned about getting analitical with your listening.

But honestly, I would go for ER-6i because of the superb isolation factor which helps a lot in giving full listening experience - once you can get the seal correct.

 

[mourges]

Not really concerned about getting analytical - just want a set of IEM's that will give me something close to what I like with the Grados and Koss.

If the isolation is better with the ER-6i then that sounds the way to go - are they more difficult to seal than the UM1?

 

[mourges]

One other thing - it seems from looking at the two products, the UM1 is a bit more robust and easier to use. Any thoughts?

 

[solo2]

Yes I would think the westones seem hardier than the etys. Cord management should be easier on the westones too. I thought the westones seal well especially when used with shure triflanges. I own a westone and a ue myself. But AUD215 for the um1s are pricey. In Singapore, the um1s could be had for SGD169 but strangely enough the er6i are costlier at slightly over 200SGD.

 

[frescagod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mourges /img/forum/go_quote.gif The source of music is an Ipod Mini running Rockbox and mostly FLAC (*big smile*) with a wide range of music on it. Currently in high rotation is Nine Inch Nails, Johhny Cash, Nick Cave, Spiritualised, Hilltop Hoods, Joanna Newson, Liz Phair and Tom Waits

hey, kind of off topic, but how do you fit all those FLAC files on your iPod mini? last i checked, they're only 4 and 6 gb.

 

[Spyro]

I think the ER-6i are far superior. I thought UM-1's sounded bland and veiled on all counts. I think ER-6i will sound much closer to Grados anyway if that's the sound you are looking for.

 

[LaBreaHead]

I find that on airplanes and other loud environments, my ER6i's really shine. I like portability, so even unamped out of a 2G iPod Nano, for example, and using short Comply foamies, I get a good combination of isolation and sound quality. They have occasionally been described as "thin sounding," but in my experience with them, unless the music you're playing has a thin sound and you haven't gotten an adequate seal, they won't sound thin. ("Modern" high-gain recordings -- for example, the more recent Tom Waits and Nick Cave recordings from your list -- come across quite well on the Etys.)

Regarding the seal -- I had used the Ety bi-flanges with my earlier pair of ER6's, and gravitated toward Ety foams. With the ER6i, I tried the tri-flanges, didn't like them, and went straight to Complys. The Complys are comfortable and give me a consistent fit -- with various flanges, I found that moving my head could temporarily break what had been a very impressive seal. With the foams, the seal doesn't seem as absolute, but it's consistently good, if that makes sense.

I look forward to trying Westones some day, but for now, and at the price I paid, I'm very happy with my (black) ER6i's as "travel 'phones."

 

[Equus]

I actually purchased UM1's specifically for travel, and they worked for me very well. I didn't have to change the volume at all really between being in the airport and being on the plane. They isolated more than well enough...in fact I would get slightly disoriented when I had to took them off to walk around a bit. Comfort-wise, they were more than comfortable enough for me to for the 1-2 hours in the airport and the 6 or so hours on the plane.

Sound-wise is probably where your big decision will come. I have no experience with the ER6i's, but the UM1's are a little weak on the upper and lower ends, as EFN mentioned, so if you like to hear/feel the thumping bass on NIN songs, you might miss it on the UM1's. They also sounded a little veiled to me after coming from my Senn earbuds, but either I've gotten used to it or they've opened up with extended useage.

 

[mourges]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frescagod /img/forum/go_quote.gif hey, kind of off topic, but how do you fit all those FLAC files on your iPod mini? last i checked, they're only 4 and 6 gb.

I rotate them through frequently - just copying stuff on and off. I plug it in at night and use Syncback SE to build profiles of what I want. They are then scheduled to run overnight and when I grab it in the morning I have a new selection of whatever I feel like listening to

 

[mourges]

Do you find you have to replace the filters and foamies regularly - and if so, how often?

 

[potatotron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by solo2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes I would think the westones seem hardier than the etys. Cord management should be easier on the westones too. I thought the westones seal well especially when used with shure triflanges. I own a westone and a ue myself. But AUD215 for the um1s are pricey. In Singapore, the um1s could be had for SGD169 but strangely enough the er6i are costlier at slightly over 200SGD.

Which UEs do you have, and how do they compare to the UM1s?

 

[norseman8485]

I have the um1s and its true the treble extension is not as good as I wished, and neither is the bass extension, though not as bad. They are quite musical and midrange is pretty sweet. Got to try the etys recently and immediate impressions are of very light bass and thin sound compared to um1's lushness. Somehow, the bass goes 'thud' when they sound 'boom' on other cans.They are VERY tiny though, I think almost half the size of the um1.

 

[mourges]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I've gone with the ER6i's. Will report back (although after reading the last post maybe I should have gone with the UM1s)

 

[nothing101]

the er6i sound N O T H I N G like grados. they are more balanced and more polite. i love how balanced they are and how they do nothing wrong. while they dont do as much right as more expensive iems their sound is so balanced that you cant say it has recessed mids or a midbass hump or grate-o treble.

to me its the iem that everyone can enjoy

IMO

i miss my er6i... but not for long