My e2c broke, need guidance

[berninme]

As a poor college student I bought a pair of e2c for my iPod and was totally blown away. The difference going from sony and apple earbuds to the e2c was astounding.

Fast forward a few years.

As a less poor software enginner I have been using my e2c for hours a day, 5 days a week. Yesterday the cord for the left ear went out and put me in the position of looking into high end audio for the first time in 2 years.

What I want to do is get the same kind of 'wow' experience going from the e2c to whatever I buy. I can spend a good chunk of money, but I don't want to break the bank. Under $300 would be excellent, but I could go over.

I'm really into prog rock and metal, as well as some jazz fusion and classical. I still use an iPod and I also need to hook them to my effects amp when I practice guitar.

So far I've looked into the e4, um2, and super fi 3.

Do you have any suggestions based on my music preference and price range? I hate to make this thread but I've been out of the game for years and my research has not revealed a clear contender.

 

[BassheadJazz]

My two suggestions would be the Ultimate Ears triple.fi 10 pro and (especially since you liked the e2c's that you owned) the Shure SE-420. Both IEMs are exceptional and should give you the 'wow' experience that you're looking for.

 

[berninme]

How is the durability on the new SE series? I've heard some people had cord trouble.

Also, what do you think of the ety er-4p? It seems that these have become much more affordable than 2 years ago.

 

[jinx20001]

Quote:

Originally Posted by berninme /img/forum/go_quote.gif How is the durability on the new SE series? I've heard some people had cord trouble. Also, what do you think of the ety er-4p? It seems that these have become much more affordable than 2 years ago.

ok the new se line is great and strong on most of the se models the cord trouble has been rectified and is as good as most others now, and ive gotta say if you loved the e2c the absolute best to go for is the se530 because shires signature is simalar on all iems,so if you loved the e2 you will wet yourself hearing those.

the triple fi are a very close second just lacking the quality in mids and bass but does give the impression of better highs.

the triple fi and se530 are both on the sound quality level of customs up to the ue10 price point so very much worth the cash

all the best in choosing

 

[BassheadJazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinx20001 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ok the new se line is great and strong on most of the se models the cord trouble has been rectified and is as good as most others now, and ive gotta say if you loved the e2c the absolute best to go for is the se530 because shires signature is simalar on all iems,so if you loved the e2 you will wet yourself hearing those. the triple fi are a very close second just lacking the quality in mids and bass but does give the impression of better highs. the triple fi and se530 are both on the sound quality level of customs up to the ue10 price point so very much worth the cash all the best in choosing

x2, I originally wasn't going to recommend the se530 because they're slightly over your budget, but what the hell-- you do want 'wow' factor anyway right?

 

[mdarnton]

When my E2C and Ety ER-6 both broke around the same time, I replaced them with ER4Ps, and am very happy, but if you liked the density and bottom end of the E2C you probably won't like ER4Ps, which are really quite different, more balanced and analytical, with a clear but not thumping bass.

 

[jinx20001]

thumping can be clear still, its when it gets boomy that the accuracy dissapears and the se530 are far from boomy

i know they are out of your budget but hey the way i see it is if your going to spend that much you may aswell boost your funds abit and get some of the best.

and as the se530 and triple fi are super close to high high end customs for sound quality you cant go wrong with either

 

[berninme]

It looks like you can get the se530 on amazon for $400. Ebay is hit or miss. Are there any other good places to look?

 

[jinx20001]

well i got mine off amazon so cant complain really

 

[MusicallySilent]

There is a regular ebayer who posts a bunch of e500s (basically the se530 just a older generation but identical in almost every respect) for about 280 bucks and has 10-20 at a time but I am not sure if he still has them in supply so the deal might be off

 

[SactoMan101]

My suggestion, if you plan to directly connect the headphone to your iPod: Shure SE310. You can get it for around US$195-US$200 from the top-notch eBay resellers; the sound quality is excellent and the headphone output of the iPod easily drives them.

But since you can afford up to US$300, you can get one of these well-like models:

Westone UM2
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro
Shure SE420

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

bobsound1 is the guy with frequent great deals on Shure E500's (same as the SE530). Sometimes they are as low as $259 for the PTH model. If all the SE500 series on eBay are over $350 right now, consider the SE310 for abour $170 + shipping these days. I almost liked them better than my E4c, but not as much as my E500. I have heard the SE520 is an improved E4c, with more base, and my E4c did have slightly better detail, so those are a good option.

If you are looking for comfort, the Super.fi 5 pro aren't/weren't very comfortable for me because of their big size. The Shure's all win again. I haven't recommended the Denon AH-C700 because they don't fit in as tight as the Shures, and don't block out as much sound, and if you were happy with the E2c then you'll want the fit and isolation (I can sleep with any of my Shures in and they are still in tight when I wake up, but my Denons don't stay in once I have fallen asleep after all the tossing and turning.)