Need help Shure e3c, e4c and Super.Fi 5 Pro with ipod.

[tarinsk]

I want to buy a new in ear headphone. I read a lot of review but still need a confirm from people who have this three headphone. I have 3 choices Shure e3c, e4c and Super.Fi 5 Pro. I want to use it with my ipod mini. Someone told me that e4c is good when connect with power amp. But i will mainlly use it with my ipod mini.
Please recommend for me e4c or super. FI 5 pro or just e3c is enough.

Thank you

 

[Spyro]

Forget E3. It is overpriced. Very good midrange but very little bass or high end detail. I prefer E4 over Super Fi but it's personal preference thing. Super-Fi will have a heavier thicker sound with big bass but the highs will be a little rolled off. E4 will have terrific clarity overall, very good detail, tight, punchy bass and a fairly spacious sound. It is probably more balanced and better for jazz type music. Super-Fi's would be better for hip hop. Not sure this helps.

 

[LaBreaHead]

I liked my E3's with products that can be custom EQ'd (ex., Rio, Cowon), but I really don't care for the E3's with iPods. And yes, their list price is much too high compared to the competition. Just a word of caution ...

Much depends on what kind of music you listen to, and how much isolation and bass you want. Each earphone has its characteristics, and advantages and disadvantages based on the user's preferences. Also, would you expect to be getting another player in the next year or two?

 

[tarinsk]

I think I will buy e4c. Is the e4c have good performance with ipod?
May be i will buy 80gb video ipod for lossless rip.

Thank you all

 

[peter_m]

I'm in the same boat as you but I decided to not take the jump untill I find the SF 5pro locally to listen to them first. From what I understand, the e4c will give you better detail and better isolation. They will shine with classical and jazz. The SF5pro will give you more base and sute everything except for classical... They are kind of complementary or opposites.

Good luck

 

[LaBreaHead]

The E4s are supposed to be good all-around earphones. Not a lot of bass, supposedly, but Head-Fi members have reported what bass there is to be "tight." I wish I had just gotten the E4s rather than the E3s.

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBreaHead The E4s are supposed to be good all-around earphones. Not a lot of bass, supposedly, but Head-Fi members have reported what bass there is to be "tight." I wish I had just gotten the E4s rather than the E3s.

ditto.

E4's will also outperform SF5P in vocals for sure. Basically for classical, jazz, pop I would recommend E4, unless you are serious about the extra bass, and willing to sacrifice the better midrange and treble, then get SF5P.

 

[akasan]

E4's

 

[DJShadow]

Do not get the e3c. Repeat in your sleep until you buy a better value IEM such as the e4c or er4

 

[CMasten]

I find that with my 5g IPOD the SP5Pros are the most effecient as I dont need to drive them as hard to get a good sound and my battery on my IPOD lasts a lot longer. Their signature does tend to roll the highs off a bit, but nothing the treble booster doesnt fix for me. There is treble in this IEM, its just not as dominate as the bass, but its been an easy EQ fix for me. On my Shure and other IEM's I can't do much about the bass if its not there, so I primarly use my SF5ps on my IPOD and really like the comfort and fit, the ear loops if your active really keep them in place.

I like clean, clear mids, but dont like them too prominant, I prefer a bottom/top signature which the UE's are known for. Just another perspective to know about, as I find my UE's to be more flexable in that I have more of my type of signature to work with , the EQ (while fixed) on the IPODS is helpful in dialing these IEM's in for my various types of music, and I do listen to a fair amount to classical, Josh Groban etc.. but classic rock, no question is where these shine.

 

[PixelSquish]

i am in the same boat. i have the um1s for a year and am looking to upgrade.

now i have the zen vision 60gb and the thing is i listen to 75% electronic/triphop/breaks/rock and then 25% classical and some jazz.

so i am torn between the super 5 pro vs the e4 by shure.

oh the agony!

i probably couldnt go wrong with either.

 

[jant71]

I searched and read all the reviews a while back. I came to the conclusion that the E4's were the best for me. Great mids and clarity with good detail and a decent soundstage. I recently went through them all again and came to the same conclusion especially vs. the SF.5 Pro. I kept hearing recessed mids. Veiled mids. Distant mids.The SF.5 was out. I made my choice and it was time to buy.

In the last week I have had both. The clear winner for unamped use is the Ultimate Ears. Actually amping them does not change that outcome. The E4 is still not as good it just closes the gap some.

In my experience most of what I researched here was not the case. The UE has mids that are 85% of the Shure's great mids. Not better but more impressive mids considering that the bass and treble are more upfront and the bass quantity is much greater than the E4. The headroom review of the SF.5 is dead on in my experience. They say it is a superbly balanced earphone with a great silky midrange. So many reviews with recessed mids. IMHO, they are right up in front with everything else and quite good.

The UE is quicker and has a more lively sound. The clarity is the same to me. I Know the E4 is thinner and gets the rep for having more clarity. I don't feel they have less clarity at all. More full sounding and impactful yet still clear.

Soundstage goes to the Super.fi. It sounds like a bigger phone.

Comfort goes to the E4's. Like breaking in a new pair of shoes the UE's will take some time before they become comfortable. But they will and the comfort issue is not in any way a deciding factor.

Details, details, details. UE wins. The E4 has a little more detail than the Super.fi 3 and clearly not as much as the 5 Pro's.

The UE responds to EQ a little better.

The Super.fi has, to my ears better tone and timbre. Most evident on the high end where cymbals etc. sound more correct and natural. As for the high end on the whole, the UE and E4 are equally rolled off but the UE has more detail in addition to sounding more natural.

The Super.fi sounds better with the regular single flanges than the E4 does
with foams. The E4 sounds best with foams so the super.fi is cheaper in the long run since you get better sound with non-disposable tips.

For around the same price the UE just plain beats the Shure.

 

[derek8555]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMasten /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find that with my 5g IPOD the SP5Pros are the most effecient as I dont need to drive them as hard to get a good sound and my battery on my IPOD lasts a lot longer. Their signature does tend to roll the highs off a bit, but nothing the treble booster doesnt fix for me. There is treble in this IEM, its just not as dominate as the bass, but its been an easy EQ fix for me. On my Shure and other IEM's I can't do much about the bass if its not there, so I primarly use my SF5ps on my IPOD and really like the comfort and fit, the ear loops if your active really keep them in place. I like clean, clear mids, but dont like them too prominant, I prefer a bottom/top signature which the UE's are known for. Just another perspective to know about, as I find my UE's to be more flexable in that I have more of my type of signature to work with , the EQ (while fixed) on the IPODS is helpful in dialing these IEM's in for my various types of music, and I do listen to a fair amount to classical, Josh Groban etc.. but classic rock, no question is where these shine.

All IEMs are pretty efficient. The only exception so far (from my experience) are the ER4S. With UM2 I even find the volume out of ipod lineout->SM3 to be too high even on lowest settings.

Regarding the UM2:
I believe UM2 don't have a very prominent midrange like the Shure's. They are more balanced, just rolled off treble and a tad more bass. The midrange on UM2 is one of the best I've heard from an universal IEM. Quality wise, it's slightly better than E500 IMO.

BTW, doesn't iPod EQ distort the sound? I do EQ sometimes, but with rockbox's hardware EQ.

 

[Spyro]

Jeez....E4's thin sounding??? That's astonishing to me. I find mine darn near boomy straight out of the nano. I'd love to know what those same people think of the Etys?