Need Help desperately... SE420, UM2 or Triplefi.10pro?

[natx]

Hey all =) My first post after lurking around so long =P

A week ago, I bought a Superfi.5pro and I have to say I'm very impressed. Initally my budget only covered up to Superfi.5EB, but I persuaded myself to get the Superfi.5pro as the EB lack so much detail...

Over the last week, my friend went to try out Ultimate Ears and fell in love with the Superfi.5pros as well and asked me if I wanted to let go of mine as I had done a considerable amount of burn in for a slightly cheaper than cost price.

I am considering agreeing but I would like to ask for expert advise as I am thinking of upgrading. The only thing I dont like about the Superfi.5pro is the lacking of richer bass. Everything else is fine for the price...


SO


Triplefi.10pro is pushing my budget to the max, but I heard that it is not good for lows and mids (when I say not good I mean does not excel). So I've narrowed down my selection to Shure SE420, Westone UM2 and Ultimate Ears Triplefi.10pro if I'm going to upgrade. No Shure SE530 please. Really out of budget =P


Ratings? Comments? Reviews? Rants? Anything anybody =)

ps, I've read a lot of reviews on them all but I dont exactly have them lined up for comparison like that so I figured I'd put it here and seek professional points of view before investing.

Thanks In Advance! =)

 

[oak3x]

I have owned the Triple.Fi, se420 (as well as se530, se310, E4C, and Er4P).

Out of the ones you listed, I would have to recommend the Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10's. They are an amazing sounding IEM. Balanced, detailed presentation...throughout the entire frequency range. Great lower emphasis (bass), and just the right amount of warmth. The only disadvantage is with the Triple-Fi is that they didn't provide the level of sound isolation as the Shures. Because I use IEM's for airplane travel, this was most important to me.

In comparison, I found the se420 to be a little too dark for my liking. Seemed like the lower frequency range overpowered the uppers (highs).

The IEM I kept was the se310, which to me provided a balanced. detailed presentation with excellent sound isolation.

Based on the models you are considering, I would easily recommend the:
Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi's

 

[natx]

I see.. So the triple drivers still beat the dual drivers eh =P thanks so much! Any more views? =)

 

[chewynuts]

I've tried the triple.fis, um2s and the e530s. But I still prefer my super.fi 5pros I sold them once only to buy another set again. IMO, they give the best balance between treble and bass; analytical and musical.

The highs on the triple.fis are gorgeous, you can hear every last sparkle as the BeeGees sing. The comfort the um2 has is also unrivalled, the braided cables have almost no microphonics.

But at the end of it all, they just can't match the impact of the 5pro's bass.
So I would recommend you putting your extra funds into an amp, rather than upgrading the phones.

My 2 cents, cheers!

 

[jant71]

You might want to get the Westone ES cable if you can. It will close the SQ gap between the Triple.fi and 5 Pro to very little for much cheaper cost. First, you think the 5 pro lacks rich bass. The Triple.fi has less bass if that is what you mean so you may be dissapointed. Also, the Triple.fi is quite bigger than the 5 Pro and potential fit problems can hurt SQ. So it is not all automatically better hands down. The Westone cable is also much better comfort-wise than the stock UE cable. There is a chance you may like an ES modded 5 Pro better than a stock Triple.fi and it is way cheaper!

 

[Walie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jant71 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might want to get the Westone ES cable if you can. It will close the SQ gap between the Triple.fi and 5 Pro to very little for much cheaper cost. First, you think the 5 pro lacks rich bass. The Triple.fi has less bass if that is what you mean so you may be dissapointed. Also, the Triple.fi is quite bigger than the 5 Pro and potential fit problems can hurt SQ. So it is not all automatically better hands down. The Westone cable is also much better comfort-wise than the stock UE cable. There is a chance you may like an ES modded 5 Pro better than a stock Triple.fi and it is way cheaper!

so you can just plug in the ES cable into the 5 pro? hmm, the only thing that held me back from UE stuff was the rediculous cable they came with...

 

[jant71]

Yes, just to recap, they plug in the same way. There are just two things. It is best to snip the prongs a little shorter so they don't fit as tight. I heard that at Jaben they just insert them all the way in but I would advise against that especially if you want to switch wearing styles. Also, you need to plug them in right(in phase) just like the normal cables. Except the UE stock cables have lines to match up showing the right way and the ES cable doesn't. You need to plug them in with the red and blue dots facing away from or opposite the UE logo on the housing. Reverse this if you wear your UE's flip-side modded.

Easy enough and well worth it. An ES 5 Pro will have a more fun sound and more forward mids than the Triple.fi. The soundstage will increase and be similar to the Triple.fi. Of course detail and resolution catch up also. Again the cable is more comfortable, less microphonic than the UE stock. So, I can see many people liking a more detailed, more fun, more comfy than stock 5 Pro than a Triple.fi. esp. factoring in the price difference.

 

[Spiritboxer]

Heh, I was just gonna sell my Super-Fi 5 Pros, having found the cables much too uncomfortable compared to the UM2. Being able to switch to a Westone cable is just what the doctor ordered!

 

[Friskyseal]

if you're most interested in lows and mids, the se530s are definitely for you! the triple.fi is $400. you can easily find new se530s for WELL under that. i just bought a pair for $280, with tax and shipping.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by natx /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see.. So the triple drivers still beat the dual drivers eh =P thanks so much! Any more views? =)

That's not what he said. The SE310 is a SINGLE driver, and I agree it is an excellent IEM.

 

[chewynuts]

Yes, the westone es2 cable on a super.fi 5pro should probably be your best bet
I recommend you join headphonehaven.com, which is a forum based in Singapore (where I live). They've got a thread bout the custom cables on 5pros with everything you need to know. Cheers!