[gerG]

That case is huge, about 3" by 3" by 1.5". Roughly the size of a 20' tape measure (but no belt clip). It has a center well, surrounded by a spool that is too small (imho) for winding the cable around. I don't like winding the cable that tight because it is a pain to unwrap, and they tend to want to stay curley when stored that way (based soley on experience with Shure and Etys). The case is 2 halves identical in form, engaged to a center body made of rubber. The lower compartment makes room for the center well, and has an insert to hold the 2 tip accessories. The insert can be removed to make space for a second set of canal phones. Actually it is a better space for the first set. In general it is a nice design, but I can't think of a use for it. In the briefcase I use a ziplock bag. In the gym bag a pelican 1010 has room for the canal phones plus the ipod.

The small leather case is, um, well, small. Fully expanded it is about 1.5" x 1.5" x 1" (external). Not sure how one would use it, unless you don't mind winding the cable really tight, and having the ear wires re-adjusted every time. I was able to set the earpieces inside the case, then wrap the cable around the outside, but it still rebends the wires.

The ear wire thing is going to complicate storage in general.


gerG

 

[Maranello]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerG That case is huge, about 3" by 3" by 1.5". Roughly the size of a 20' tape measure (but no belt clip). It has a center well, surrounded by a spool that is too small (imho) for winding the cable around. I don't like winding the cable that tight because it is a pain to unwrap, and they tend to want to stay curley when stored that way (based soley on experience with Shure and Etys). The case is 2 halves identical in form, engaged to a center body made of rubber. The lower compartment makes room for the center well, and has an insert to hold the 2 tip accessories. The insert can be removed to make space for a second set of canal phones. Actually it is a better space for the first set. In general it is a nice design, but I can't think of a use for it. In the briefcase I use a ziplock bag. In the gym bag a pelican 1010 has room for the canal phones plus the ipod. The small leather case is, um, well, small. Fully expanded it is about 1.5" x 1.5" x 1" (external). Not sure how one would use it, unless you don't mind winding the cable really tight, and having the ear wires re-adjusted every time. I was able to set the earpieces inside the case, then wrap the cable around the outside, but it still rebends the wires. The ear wire thing is going to complicate storage in general. gerG

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[msflsim]

So basically super.fi pros are great but the isolation and ugliness once in ear are the main cons...
how do these compare to E4c's?
does anyone know?

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by msflsim how do these compare to E4c's?

I will have prolonged physical access to a pair of E4s in three days time. In the meanwhile, going by memory alone, the UEs present far more midrange detail. The UEs do take some time to adjust to (and this is after owning a fair number of canalphones) which is why I held off on commenting the first week of ownership.

 

[msflsim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN I will have prolonged physical access to a pair of E4s in three days time. In the meanwhile, going by memory alone, the UEs present far more midrange detail. The UEs do take some time to adjust to (and this is after owning a fair number of canalphones) which is why I held off on commenting the first week of ownership.

Ok wont go into that then...UEs e5c?

 

[smting]

I use the large rubber tips to get the best seal. They are pretty comfortable for me while on my E3's, I had to use the medium soft flex and I always had trouble maintaining a seal when I moved or opened my mouth. The large tips on my E3's could get even less of a seal and the smalls were too small. The Super.Fi's also have the advantage of having a small plastic lip on the sound tube where the rubber tip has to slide over before popping off (similar to Sony EX71). I found for me on the E3's, the rubber would slide so easily after wearing them a few times until I changed to new ones due to oil buildup and I lost a tip or 2 because of it. Or I'd pull the E3 out to find the rubber tip still in my ear.

Can anyone tell how in the world you can change the cables on these Super.Fi's? I can't see any place where there might be a plug/interface that can be removed. Also, am I the only one that has problems w/ the wires shorting out near the stiff wire? if I bend them a certain way, I'll lose that side for both sides. In fact, out of the box, one side was dead until i squeezed and moved the hard plastic a certain way where the stiff wire and cables go into the headphone. I guess I did read 1 person who had 1 side DOA and I wonder if it was the same issue.

I haven't heard the E4's and am still debating whether I'd rather have those. I think for me, I prefer the extra bass and the impact it provides w/ the super.fi's, in addition to fit issues I had w/ the E3's which don't look like they will be different on E4's. When the black E4's finally come out, I'll try my best to get a hold of a pair to compare and put any debate in my minds to rest.

 

[PFRfan]

The cables disconnect right at the earpiece. If you follow the cable from the Y up to the phones, there is a short connector that simply pulls off of the phone. I can't remember them being marked, so it seems like it would be easy to get the left & right backwards.

 

[smting]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PFRfan The cables disconnect right at the earpiece. If you follow the cable from the Y up to the phones, there is a short connector that simply pulls off of the phone. I can't remember them being marked, so it seems like it would be easy to get the left & right backwards.

Ah, I see now. I had the nerve to pull harder when I read what you said and was able to disconnect it. Very cool! Thanks!

 

[smting]

After playing w/ my wires some more, the one side finally gave out totally. I called Chuck at UE yesterday and he promptly got me a new cable set overnighted first thing this morning, in addition to some other goodies. Way to go! Of course, people have raved about UE customer service before and this is nothing different! 2 Thumbs up!

PFRfan, if you look carefully under light, you can see that the cable connectors do have a "L" and "R" impression like the earpieces do. I love this design of replaceable cables!

 

[rincewind]

If ppl say it's easier to swap the left and right ear plugs on Super.Fi 5 Pro's to have them hang straight down, is there anything stopping u from plugging the left cable into the right driver and vice versa so that the angles are the way they should be instead of swapped around?

I have an IRiver H140, no amp, and currently using the Sony MDREX71SL. I mostly listen to heavy metal/rock but also a lot of stuff like Infected Mushroom, Massive Attack and Radiohead where impactful bass and/or detailed/clear highs are also much appreciated. I turn up the bass on the IRiver but it just gets muddy cos the Sony's are sloppy. I think I'd be looking at about $200-300 for budget.

How much of a jump in improvement would these IEM's be over the Sony's, compared to say the Super.Fi 3? I know their in a difference bracket, but if I won't be amping them, are the "better" IEM's really *that* much better? Cos for the price of the Pro 5's, I could get a Bithead/similar and the Super.Fi 3/similar... Which way would be better?

 

[thestumper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rincewind How much of a jump in improvement would these IEM's be over the Sony's, compared to say the Super.Fi 3? I know their in a difference bracket, but if I won't be amping them, are the "better" IEM's really *that* much better? Cos for the price of the Pro 5's, I could get a Bithead/similar and the Super.Fi 3/similar... Which way would be better?

IMHO, the 3's are an order of magnitude better than the Sony 71's in terms of detail. The bass wont be as boomy as the 71's, but it will be tighter and more detailed.

The 5's are supposedly MUCH better than the 3's in terms of bass response and overall detail/clarity.

Both of the SuperFi's really are *that* much better than the Sony's for most people, and the 5's are really *that* much better than the 3's.

And this is of course reflected in the prices

An alternative might be the Westone UM1's which I feel kind of takes the best features from the SuperFi 3's and the Shure E2C's and rolls them into one phone with great isolation and a very mucial presentation.

 

[rincewind]

Kool

So what if i dug deep and got say a Total Airhead and one of the better IEMs? *starts looking down the back of the sofa* What "factor" better then..

 

[thestumper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rincewind Kool So what if i dug deep and got say a Total Airhead and one of the better IEMs? *starts looking down the back of the sofa* What "factor" better then..

Its hard to assign a factor because everyone's listening preferences are so different. There are some that want DETAIL DETAIL DETAIL, some that want ridiculous bass, and others that prefer a balance. I prefer a balance.

Just for fun...

We all know that the stock Apple buds suck, so we'll rate them a "1". With that as my baseline, I would say on a scale of 1-10 that the Sony's are maybe a 3... maybe. The SuperFi 3's and Um1's are in the 5-6 range, and the SuperFi 5 Pro's are in the 7/8 range (closer to 8 IMHO). I reserve 9/10 for things like UM2's, SuperFi 10's, and custom IEMs.

Of course, its totally subjective, but thats how I break it down. An amp + the Westone UM1's would be an intriguing combination that I'd love to hear. And Westone has a very liberal 30-day money back guarantee with no restocking. Might be a good place to start...

 

[CMasten]

We will be releasing our Version 2.0 cable in late May – early June. It is thicker than the current cable and since all cables are user replaceable and will work with all current Super.fi products.

from EU support on 030906

 

[TheMarchingMule]

My guess is that the release is to be with their new universal triple-drivers.

Dang, UE needs better advertising