Radius
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2007
- Posts
- 30
- Likes
- 0
First, this got a little longer than I wanted it. Sorry about that.
Well.. this has been quite the adventure. After spending $X (edited - S/O might read this!
) on IEM's over the course of the last month and a half I finally found the best compromise for my listening needs. Fortunately for me, all of the phones I bought are returnable with a moneyback guarantee. *whew*
Unfortunately, not a single set of phones was perfect for my needs. *sigh* Such is life I suppose.
I resisted buying a portable mp3 player for a long time since I truly didn't have the need. Of course, life changes and with it I found I could actually justify the price of a player. I picked up a Sansa E280 and promptly discovered the stock earbuds sucked bad! Of course this isn't news to any of you. Not only would they not stay in my ears no matter what I did, they sounded awful. I also quickly realized that my poor little Sansa would never have enough power to adequately drive a set of good quality headphones, so I picked up a PA2V2. Yeah, it's not perfect, but it's not bad for only $60.00. I'm never going to spend $850 for a headphone amp! I haven't been involved in the headphone "scene" for a very long time. As a matter of fact, before I bought a bunch of IEM's, the last set of headphones I got are a set of Sennheiser HD540 (original) reference series my uncle in Germany gave me. I wish I could still get parts for these.
I have several basic requirements that must be met by a set of IEM's. There are:
Excellent sound quality. I'm basically a basshead, but I want good quality midrange and highs to go with it. Yeah, in other words, I want my cake and I wanna eat it too!
Comfortable to wear while riding my bicycle and/or exercising.
Comfortable and with enough isolation to work well with my motorcycle helmet at let's say less than legal speeds
The following music types were listened to while trying all of the headphones: Techno/trance, downbeat, ambient, some classical, top 40, old skook rap, 80's new wave, Rock, etc. Specifically the following artists were listened to extensively at the risk of making me sick and tired of some of my favorite music!
Fischerspooner
Crystal Method
Ice Cube
2-Pac
Dave Matthews
Beethoven as performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra
Darude
Ten Madison
Massive Attack
Depeche Mode
The Cure
New Order
Etc.. you get the idea.
Also, keep in mind that I do use EQ. I'm of the mind that since I'm listening to the music that I paid for through my ears and I really don't care what anyone else thinks it should sound like. I like my music to sound a certain way. Part of this is due to my oversensitivity to midrange frequencies. They just plain hurt my ears if there is too much. However, I did listen to all of these IEM's for at least a couple of hours with a flat EQ in order to determine what they really sounded like before I started messing around with the EQ.
So of course the first thing I tried was the Bose Tri-port IE. These actually sounded ok, but not for the price. Plus IMHO they aren't true IEM's so they fell out all the time. Yeah.. I had these less than 24 hours. So let's get those out of the way.
I returned the Bose junkheaps for a set of E2c. Aaahh! This is more like it. Wait a minute.. These have pretty decent bass, but midrange and high end were severely lacking. *sigh* Yet another trip to Best Buy. I got the best results with these with the included orange foamies.
Next up were a set of E3c. Hey, midrange and high end on these were pretty good, but... HEY! Where did the bass go? I paid $70 more for these and they have less bass than the "lower model" E2c? What? This was unacceptable. Again, I used the included foamies for the best result.
At this point, I had pretty much exhausted the options available to me at the local stores. By this time I had discovered head fi and after reading a few threads, checking reviews on cnet, etc, I decided that a set of Super.fi 5EB's might be what I needed. I ordered a set online and waited.
Finally the EB's arrived. Holy crap! These things are HUGE! Not only were they physically very large, they were very difficult for me to get them inserted into my ears and once I did get them inserted they were painful. I chalk part of this up to my inexperience with IEM's though. At first I couldn't get them to seal with any of the included tips. Finally, out of frustration, I jammed a set of E2c orange foamies on them and got a good, although slightly painful seal. WOW!
There's the bass I wanted, but midrange and highs were muffled and vague. like a thin blanket thrown over a speaker. After 48 hours of pink noise, they were much better! After a while, I kinda mastered the technique of getting those monstrous things into my ears and even got the included biflange tips to not only seal well but actually got them reasonably comfortable. After a while I really enjoyed the sound these provided. However there was no way I could ever get these under my motorcycle helmet. Plus I really hated the memory wires.
Around this time I read the threads regarding the JVC Marshmallows. So I bought a set. Now I gotta say that these things, even with the stock tip, were damn impressive for $10! IMHO, they completely blew the E2c's and E3c's out of the water. I now own 4 pairs of these!
Why did I buy 4 pairs of them? Because I knew that I would end up with one set of higher end IEM's, and I wanted somewhat disposable IEM's for what I regard as high risk use.
While I was waiting for the EB's, I had read lots of good things about the E4c's so I ordered a set of those too. If I hadn't tried anything else, the E4's would have been the best compromise. Excellent detail and clarity in the midrange and high end, and good bass. But not quite enough bass for me. The mids and highs were almost "just right" with very little midrange cut needed to tailor them to my personal tastes. The fit and comfort of these with the yellow foamies was very nice and I got a great seal. Probably the best seal so far. The only complaint I have of Shure's yellow foamies is they make my ear canals itch after a few hours. If I could have had the bass of the EB's in these headphones then I would be done right here. But of course, I'm never satisfied.
So I ordered a set of Westone UM2's.... and a set of E500's based on a recommendation from another head.fi member. First we'll visit the UM2's. I ended up with a set in clear even though I asked for black. I'm glad I did since I decided I actually like the clear units better. Maybe it's just the geek in me.
I was slightly disappointed by the lack of included accessories in a set of phones in this price range, but that's life. I do like the fact that they are made here in the US. But that's another topic.
Anyways, I put on the shorter tips and couldn't even get them into my canals. So on went the longer tips. I found out that for me to get the best seal, I can only put the tips on *just* past the retaining ring on the nozzles. I also have to say that these are the most comfortable IEM's I've worn so far. I could wear these all day long. The comply tips are awesome. As for the sound quality.. Well.. When I first listened to them they were like the EB's. A bit too bass heavy, muddy and cluttered in the midrange and highs. Just like the EB's, they needed about 48 hours of pink noise in order to start sounding their best. I'm very impressed with these. The sound signature is very close to what I like. They still require some cutting of the midrange bands, but not as much as say the E500's. We'll get to those in a minute.
The nice low bass hits of old skool rap come through nice and clean, with good sounding midrange and highs. Overall, I love these UM2's. They aren't ultra "fast" so the attack and decay of something like a snare drum is very nice and pleasant. The "punch" is there, but not so much that it hurts. They are the best compromise for the type of sound I like. What would I do to make them better? A little better clarity in the bass and midrange along with a tiny more emphasis on frequencies above 4KHz. But I wouldn't want more emphasis on midrange, just a bit more clarity. IMHO, the UM2's seem to come alive with more power and more volume. At lower volumes they aren't that great. Which is good since I like the volume higher.
Now on the the E500's. You'd think that for what these things cost, they would be the end all be all. But, in a nutshell, I hate them. Yes, I hate them. Why? Well.. Glad you asked.
First, let's talk about what's good with them. The are fairly comfortable, but not quite as comfortable as the UM2. Overall sound quality at lower volumes is absolutely stunning. The quality of the bass is stellar and they seem to extend lower into the frequency range than the UM2 with one caveat: with my portable devices, the UM2 has better balanced bass. On my old SAE TWO equipment hooked up to my computer, the E500's went *really* low but only with certain types of music. If I never used portable devices, the E500's would be staying. But I do, so they gotta go. Also on the good list are the highs. Crystal clear and phenomenal. You can hear the actual impact of the drumstick just as it taps the cymbals. Much better than the UM2's. I love the PTH device. Very handy for listening at home. I also like the different cable lengths that can be made from the different extensions, etc, included with the phones.
Now for the bad. As the volume increases, so does the pain. The midrange is so bright it's literally painful. I found myself cutting the midrange far more than other headphones to make them tolerable. They are far too fast and punchy for me. Certain passages in certain songs such as Beyonce's Irreplaceable were literally painful. To me, the headphones are focused on midrange frequencies. As I previously stated, I'm oversensitive to midrange as it is. While the Bass and highs are very good, they just aren't balanced enough for me for my personal sound preferences.
If I could build the perfect set of IEM's for my tastes, I would combine the bass capabilities of the EB's with the midrange sound of the UM2's with a bit more clarity plus the highs of the E500's coupled with the fit and comfort of the UM2's. Someone build this and I will buy it at any price... Well.... almost any price.
So, the winner is: The UM2. They are the best compromise for my tastes. Their overall tonal balance is closer to my ideal than any of the others. Are they perfect? No. But they are close. I might try the UM3's when they come out, but with a dedicated midrange driver and my adversion to overly bright midrange, I doubt I will like them.
Oh, and here's another odd thing I noticed. On all of the Shure headphones, the stereo image seemed slightly off to the right as do the Marshmallows. But the EB's, UM2's and Triport IE's are perfectly centered. What's up with that? It's definitely not a sealing issue as I was getting a perfect seal with all of the headphones except the Bose.
After immersing myself in this crazy hobby, I find I use my UM2's far more than I thought I would. It's absolutely fantastic to be able to listen to high quality sound without disturbing anyone else. Plus, when the S/O's children are being loud, it's now easy to escape the noise. Wonderful! Yeah, you kids over there! Yeah You! Make all the noise you want. I don't care anymore as long as I have my UM2's!
I tried to write this not from an audiophile's perspective, but more of the perspective of a layman who appreciates good sound. People who don't understand what terms like "soundstage" mean.
It just goes to show that no matter who you are everyone hears differently and has different preferences. For any newbies out there listening: listen to everything you can before making a decision! Don't rely solely on other people's opinions on what to buy. Listen for yourself then decide.
I want to sincerely thank the following merchants for sticking their neck out and offering satisfaction guarantee on the products they offer:
Crutchfield
Best Buy
Circuit City
Road Dog
Without them I would have never been able to listen to all of these different headphones since there isn't anyone who carries IEM's that allows demos anywhere near me. Besides, you really have to listen for a few days before deciding.
I hope you guys and gals enjoyed this review in some small part.
Michael
Well.. this has been quite the adventure. After spending $X (edited - S/O might read this!
I resisted buying a portable mp3 player for a long time since I truly didn't have the need. Of course, life changes and with it I found I could actually justify the price of a player. I picked up a Sansa E280 and promptly discovered the stock earbuds sucked bad! Of course this isn't news to any of you. Not only would they not stay in my ears no matter what I did, they sounded awful. I also quickly realized that my poor little Sansa would never have enough power to adequately drive a set of good quality headphones, so I picked up a PA2V2. Yeah, it's not perfect, but it's not bad for only $60.00. I'm never going to spend $850 for a headphone amp! I haven't been involved in the headphone "scene" for a very long time. As a matter of fact, before I bought a bunch of IEM's, the last set of headphones I got are a set of Sennheiser HD540 (original) reference series my uncle in Germany gave me. I wish I could still get parts for these.
I have several basic requirements that must be met by a set of IEM's. There are:
Excellent sound quality. I'm basically a basshead, but I want good quality midrange and highs to go with it. Yeah, in other words, I want my cake and I wanna eat it too!
Comfortable to wear while riding my bicycle and/or exercising.
Comfortable and with enough isolation to work well with my motorcycle helmet at let's say less than legal speeds
The following music types were listened to while trying all of the headphones: Techno/trance, downbeat, ambient, some classical, top 40, old skook rap, 80's new wave, Rock, etc. Specifically the following artists were listened to extensively at the risk of making me sick and tired of some of my favorite music!
Fischerspooner
Crystal Method
Ice Cube
2-Pac
Dave Matthews
Beethoven as performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra
Darude
Ten Madison
Massive Attack
Depeche Mode
The Cure
New Order
Etc.. you get the idea.
Also, keep in mind that I do use EQ. I'm of the mind that since I'm listening to the music that I paid for through my ears and I really don't care what anyone else thinks it should sound like. I like my music to sound a certain way. Part of this is due to my oversensitivity to midrange frequencies. They just plain hurt my ears if there is too much. However, I did listen to all of these IEM's for at least a couple of hours with a flat EQ in order to determine what they really sounded like before I started messing around with the EQ.
So of course the first thing I tried was the Bose Tri-port IE. These actually sounded ok, but not for the price. Plus IMHO they aren't true IEM's so they fell out all the time. Yeah.. I had these less than 24 hours. So let's get those out of the way.
I returned the Bose junkheaps for a set of E2c. Aaahh! This is more like it. Wait a minute.. These have pretty decent bass, but midrange and high end were severely lacking. *sigh* Yet another trip to Best Buy. I got the best results with these with the included orange foamies.
Next up were a set of E3c. Hey, midrange and high end on these were pretty good, but... HEY! Where did the bass go? I paid $70 more for these and they have less bass than the "lower model" E2c? What? This was unacceptable. Again, I used the included foamies for the best result.
At this point, I had pretty much exhausted the options available to me at the local stores. By this time I had discovered head fi and after reading a few threads, checking reviews on cnet, etc, I decided that a set of Super.fi 5EB's might be what I needed. I ordered a set online and waited.
Finally the EB's arrived. Holy crap! These things are HUGE! Not only were they physically very large, they were very difficult for me to get them inserted into my ears and once I did get them inserted they were painful. I chalk part of this up to my inexperience with IEM's though. At first I couldn't get them to seal with any of the included tips. Finally, out of frustration, I jammed a set of E2c orange foamies on them and got a good, although slightly painful seal. WOW!
Around this time I read the threads regarding the JVC Marshmallows. So I bought a set. Now I gotta say that these things, even with the stock tip, were damn impressive for $10! IMHO, they completely blew the E2c's and E3c's out of the water. I now own 4 pairs of these!
While I was waiting for the EB's, I had read lots of good things about the E4c's so I ordered a set of those too. If I hadn't tried anything else, the E4's would have been the best compromise. Excellent detail and clarity in the midrange and high end, and good bass. But not quite enough bass for me. The mids and highs were almost "just right" with very little midrange cut needed to tailor them to my personal tastes. The fit and comfort of these with the yellow foamies was very nice and I got a great seal. Probably the best seal so far. The only complaint I have of Shure's yellow foamies is they make my ear canals itch after a few hours. If I could have had the bass of the EB's in these headphones then I would be done right here. But of course, I'm never satisfied.
So I ordered a set of Westone UM2's.... and a set of E500's based on a recommendation from another head.fi member. First we'll visit the UM2's. I ended up with a set in clear even though I asked for black. I'm glad I did since I decided I actually like the clear units better. Maybe it's just the geek in me.
Anyways, I put on the shorter tips and couldn't even get them into my canals. So on went the longer tips. I found out that for me to get the best seal, I can only put the tips on *just* past the retaining ring on the nozzles. I also have to say that these are the most comfortable IEM's I've worn so far. I could wear these all day long. The comply tips are awesome. As for the sound quality.. Well.. When I first listened to them they were like the EB's. A bit too bass heavy, muddy and cluttered in the midrange and highs. Just like the EB's, they needed about 48 hours of pink noise in order to start sounding their best. I'm very impressed with these. The sound signature is very close to what I like. They still require some cutting of the midrange bands, but not as much as say the E500's. We'll get to those in a minute.
The nice low bass hits of old skool rap come through nice and clean, with good sounding midrange and highs. Overall, I love these UM2's. They aren't ultra "fast" so the attack and decay of something like a snare drum is very nice and pleasant. The "punch" is there, but not so much that it hurts. They are the best compromise for the type of sound I like. What would I do to make them better? A little better clarity in the bass and midrange along with a tiny more emphasis on frequencies above 4KHz. But I wouldn't want more emphasis on midrange, just a bit more clarity. IMHO, the UM2's seem to come alive with more power and more volume. At lower volumes they aren't that great. Which is good since I like the volume higher.
Now on the the E500's. You'd think that for what these things cost, they would be the end all be all. But, in a nutshell, I hate them. Yes, I hate them. Why? Well.. Glad you asked.
First, let's talk about what's good with them. The are fairly comfortable, but not quite as comfortable as the UM2. Overall sound quality at lower volumes is absolutely stunning. The quality of the bass is stellar and they seem to extend lower into the frequency range than the UM2 with one caveat: with my portable devices, the UM2 has better balanced bass. On my old SAE TWO equipment hooked up to my computer, the E500's went *really* low but only with certain types of music. If I never used portable devices, the E500's would be staying. But I do, so they gotta go. Also on the good list are the highs. Crystal clear and phenomenal. You can hear the actual impact of the drumstick just as it taps the cymbals. Much better than the UM2's. I love the PTH device. Very handy for listening at home. I also like the different cable lengths that can be made from the different extensions, etc, included with the phones.
Now for the bad. As the volume increases, so does the pain. The midrange is so bright it's literally painful. I found myself cutting the midrange far more than other headphones to make them tolerable. They are far too fast and punchy for me. Certain passages in certain songs such as Beyonce's Irreplaceable were literally painful. To me, the headphones are focused on midrange frequencies. As I previously stated, I'm oversensitive to midrange as it is. While the Bass and highs are very good, they just aren't balanced enough for me for my personal sound preferences.
If I could build the perfect set of IEM's for my tastes, I would combine the bass capabilities of the EB's with the midrange sound of the UM2's with a bit more clarity plus the highs of the E500's coupled with the fit and comfort of the UM2's. Someone build this and I will buy it at any price... Well.... almost any price.
So, the winner is: The UM2. They are the best compromise for my tastes. Their overall tonal balance is closer to my ideal than any of the others. Are they perfect? No. But they are close. I might try the UM3's when they come out, but with a dedicated midrange driver and my adversion to overly bright midrange, I doubt I will like them.
Oh, and here's another odd thing I noticed. On all of the Shure headphones, the stereo image seemed slightly off to the right as do the Marshmallows. But the EB's, UM2's and Triport IE's are perfectly centered. What's up with that? It's definitely not a sealing issue as I was getting a perfect seal with all of the headphones except the Bose.
After immersing myself in this crazy hobby, I find I use my UM2's far more than I thought I would. It's absolutely fantastic to be able to listen to high quality sound without disturbing anyone else. Plus, when the S/O's children are being loud, it's now easy to escape the noise. Wonderful! Yeah, you kids over there! Yeah You! Make all the noise you want. I don't care anymore as long as I have my UM2's!
I tried to write this not from an audiophile's perspective, but more of the perspective of a layman who appreciates good sound. People who don't understand what terms like "soundstage" mean.
It just goes to show that no matter who you are everyone hears differently and has different preferences. For any newbies out there listening: listen to everything you can before making a decision! Don't rely solely on other people's opinions on what to buy. Listen for yourself then decide.
I want to sincerely thank the following merchants for sticking their neck out and offering satisfaction guarantee on the products they offer:
Crutchfield
Best Buy
Circuit City
Road Dog
Without them I would have never been able to listen to all of these different headphones since there isn't anyone who carries IEM's that allows demos anywhere near me. Besides, you really have to listen for a few days before deciding.
I hope you guys and gals enjoyed this review in some small part.
Michael
