[nothing101]

well my good ol ety er6i earphones have bust for the second time and now theres no warranty soooo i need new iems. ive read through pages and pages of searching but while it has given me some direction it hasnt quite answered all my questions. i would preferably have iems that are sturdy and carry a decent warranty.

as for the sound... a balanced sound with a good midrange. clarity is important. I like my bass but too much is worse to me than too little. Since im only in the process of going deaf, i can still hear upper highs. again, too little is better than too much.

The obvious choice would be the er4p. i like the ety sound but a slightly more warm and smooth sound might be a nice change. i was thinking of the se310 but the treble rolloff has scared me away. especially looking at the frequency response graph on headroom. the slightly more mids and bass approach does look good though. the super-fi 5 pro look too bassy and look like they have a slightly recessed midrange. They seem much more popular than the se310 but i dont think i will like them one bit.

i listen to a wide variety of music but most of it is guitar orientated. blues to jazz to shred and metal.

thanks

 

[rapier84]

Since you do like the Ety sound I think you can't go much wrong with the ER4P. Although to be honest graphs mean very little(at least to me) as the sound from IEMs are dependent on many factors including fit and so if possible try to find a place to audition(but I understand its not always possible to do so

)

 

[nothing101]

well i dont think there is a way to audition either. i cant really remember well but dont foamies increase bass response?

 

[rapier84]

Well, from what I've experienced thus far is that bass response is dependent heavily from seal. Better seal leads to a greater perception of bass response, thereby giving the impression that bass is increased with foamies...that said the only concern is that the ety grey/black foams are rather expensive...

 

[4saken]

The Shure Black Foams aren't too expensive, and they seem to last ages (they also fit Etys)

 

[nothing101]

arent the sures washable as well?

 

[EEXO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif arent the sures washable as well?

Yes they are, just dont squeeze them when you do.

 

[ClieOS]

Just a suggestion, you might also want to look at q-Jays while you at it.

 

[Naim.F.C]

My personal recommendation is with either the Etymotic ER4p or the Shure SE310's. The SE310 sounds more reasoable based off what you wrote. They aren't as detailed as the Er4p, and lack the highs, but they are nice and warm, base has that nice punch and thud the Etys lack, and they are quite neutral and dialed back, not too energetic and vibrant like the Super,Fi 5 Pro's.

 

[nothing101]

im leaning towards the etys at the moment. i might also get some shure tips eventually as well.

 

[asacks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just a suggestion, you might also want to look at q-Jays while you at it.

x2. As a recent purchaser of q-Jays, I couldn't be happier--I would definitely say that they are a bit warmer than your etys (I previously owned SF5s, ety 6i), with stronger bass, but still quite detailed and good treble, and, most importantly, ridiculously small and comfortable (I still don't know how they got two armatures in here). I liked my SF5s, but found them uncomfortable for long-term listening (either normal or with FS-mod--which for the uninitiated means wearing backwards--you can search for that on here). I will say I stuck with the SFs for over a year and am still glad to have them as backups, and I wish more companies would use the replaceable cable, as that is just brilliant--but I definitely prefer both a slightly more mellow sound of the q-jays and, most importantly, their comfort.

 

[nothing101]

how does the er4p compare to the k501? i have a pair of k501 which i love the sound of but i find to be a little on the bright side. which is warmer and which is more refined?

 

[nothing101]

the black er6i looks like it has a different plug to the white one. do any of you think there will be a difference in durability. if so, there might not be need to get a more expensive pair.

 

[nothing101]

how do the um1 sound? they look a lot more durable than the er6i. do they sound better or worse? ive heard both answers so im a bit confused...

 

[rapier84]

The UM1s don't really sound better or worse(IMO)....just different, very flat from bass to mids but lacking that high end sparkle of Etys. Smooth and non fatiguing, some say bland and unexciting, but having owned that previously I'm very happy withthe sound quality and build quality, but is more a sidestep than an upgrade