Kaician
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2004
- Posts
- 68
- Likes
- 12
Ok, no review from me, there are other reviews that are very well done and I don't think I have the will to write one either, I just feel that after reading so much about different headphones on this forum and going through some upgrade stages I have a, "duty" if nothing else, to report how I find the result of buying headphones that are such a large step and under as much debate as the UE series is now.
I ended up getting the UE-5c. I got these without the the notch filter after hearing so much about the sound being more like the ER-4P. I had the 4P for about a year or so but and absolutely loved the highs and clarity that it pumped out, but as for the bass, I just could not stand it. There were times where I would just stop listening because it was just annoying to not hear what I knew should have been there. After hearing Lindrone and Bangraman go on and on about the e5c's and the fact that they had so much bass to them, I knew that it was time for another upgrade.
The e5c's actually came only about a month ago and they definitely had the bass that I was missing. But, on the opposite end, the highs were missing. This isn't because I was missing the ety highs, because I got used to the sound and if I didn't upgrade i could have lived with that sound, but we all know that in this hobby it's not what you can live with but what you would like to live with. Then all this crazy talk about UE canalphones started popping up. A couple of people took the plunge and mentioned that it was AMAZING and that it made up for the deficiencies of the other headphones they owned. That was pretty much the marker that I would be getting a version the UE's. A big deciding factor was definitely price. I was actually thinking about the 10pro's also but the UE-10pro's being near double the price of the UE-5c's pretty much screamed "UE-5c" to me when I actualy looked at my bank account.
I went about ordering the 5c's and, since for the time being I am in Japan, wanted to make sure that everything went smoothly so there would be no return shipping as that would get mad expensive. I could only communicate with UE over email and, true to what is being said, their customer service is among the best that i've ever encountered. Every single email was answered and every question addressed, kudos there.
Fast forward to today where I am now listening to the UE-5c's. I put them in my ears and was RELIEVED (can't stress that enough) to find that the fit was pretty much perfect (might get it redone later, but the sound is perfect and the seal doesn't break with any movement so it's pretty comfortable). The sources that I am using these on are probably looked down on by most in these forums, but taking that into account these headphones are amazing. Although they are being used out of a pocketpc and computer (ogg and flac) the sound is pretty much what I was looking for. I knew as soon as the first note played that there would be no upgrading done from here on out (at least for a good couple of years, damn no resale value...)
I don't know if I correctly remember the ety sound or not, and I'm not sure if I care or not, all I know is that I'm not left wanting for more highs. I feel comfortable that what I hear is what I feel should be there. Whatever it is, from my experiences it is comfortable, so I like it. The bass, oh my the bass. Just a note, I turn up the bass because I like it there and pronounced(at least on the pocketpc). Without the bass boost it sounded very nice, but the bass can do whatever you would like it to do. The depth that it can go to while still being so clear is so amazing that I just could only sit and listen. The bass drop on Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" was so perfectly reproduced that I realized I had never heard it correctly before.
These are all experiences without and amp so if you're planning on getting some canalphones without planning on an amp, I would recommend the UE-5c to anyone who is going to buy anything higher than the ER-4P. The new price for those headphones give a very justifiable purchase in my eyes. The e5c's are expensive and, unless you are just really afraid of the prospect of the custom molded phones not being resellable, then you should just head for the UE-5c.
One more thing on comfort and looks. The ER-4P, while not being nearly as uncomfortable to me as some people have mentioned it was for them, it was indeed ugly, wait, ugly... I never looked at myself in the mirror as I knew that I looked like an idiot with things sticking about half an inch or so straight out of my ears. The e5c's were fairly comfortable, but the cord on them was annoying, so very annoying. Whenever it was wound up it would just tangle, and tangle badly. Though that was the only bad point comfort and looks-wise, it was still a bit annoying. The UE-5c, tangle free with a cord that is so light in comparison to both the 4P (old version, don't know the new one) and e5c it was actually surprising. And the look, I got it matched to my skin tone, so, although not perfect, in combination with the brown cord it just makes it so much more difficult to see that I'm wearing headphones if you just pass by me without looking intently, and that makes me feel just a little bit less fashion selfconciouss
That's about my impression of the UE-5c. I'd like to give a special thanks to random person and wolfen68 for their recommendation and defense of the 5c's. That probably saved me a good $350 or so (and no, you can't have part of that
) I would like to say that now, for what I know, I am in sonic bliss and am not wanting for more. And you really can lay down comfortably with them on, I've NEVER been able to do that with any other headphone, good job UE...
(crap, it turned into a mini review...
)
I ended up getting the UE-5c. I got these without the the notch filter after hearing so much about the sound being more like the ER-4P. I had the 4P for about a year or so but and absolutely loved the highs and clarity that it pumped out, but as for the bass, I just could not stand it. There were times where I would just stop listening because it was just annoying to not hear what I knew should have been there. After hearing Lindrone and Bangraman go on and on about the e5c's and the fact that they had so much bass to them, I knew that it was time for another upgrade.
The e5c's actually came only about a month ago and they definitely had the bass that I was missing. But, on the opposite end, the highs were missing. This isn't because I was missing the ety highs, because I got used to the sound and if I didn't upgrade i could have lived with that sound, but we all know that in this hobby it's not what you can live with but what you would like to live with. Then all this crazy talk about UE canalphones started popping up. A couple of people took the plunge and mentioned that it was AMAZING and that it made up for the deficiencies of the other headphones they owned. That was pretty much the marker that I would be getting a version the UE's. A big deciding factor was definitely price. I was actually thinking about the 10pro's also but the UE-10pro's being near double the price of the UE-5c's pretty much screamed "UE-5c" to me when I actualy looked at my bank account.
I went about ordering the 5c's and, since for the time being I am in Japan, wanted to make sure that everything went smoothly so there would be no return shipping as that would get mad expensive. I could only communicate with UE over email and, true to what is being said, their customer service is among the best that i've ever encountered. Every single email was answered and every question addressed, kudos there.
Fast forward to today where I am now listening to the UE-5c's. I put them in my ears and was RELIEVED (can't stress that enough) to find that the fit was pretty much perfect (might get it redone later, but the sound is perfect and the seal doesn't break with any movement so it's pretty comfortable). The sources that I am using these on are probably looked down on by most in these forums, but taking that into account these headphones are amazing. Although they are being used out of a pocketpc and computer (ogg and flac) the sound is pretty much what I was looking for. I knew as soon as the first note played that there would be no upgrading done from here on out (at least for a good couple of years, damn no resale value...)
I don't know if I correctly remember the ety sound or not, and I'm not sure if I care or not, all I know is that I'm not left wanting for more highs. I feel comfortable that what I hear is what I feel should be there. Whatever it is, from my experiences it is comfortable, so I like it. The bass, oh my the bass. Just a note, I turn up the bass because I like it there and pronounced(at least on the pocketpc). Without the bass boost it sounded very nice, but the bass can do whatever you would like it to do. The depth that it can go to while still being so clear is so amazing that I just could only sit and listen. The bass drop on Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" was so perfectly reproduced that I realized I had never heard it correctly before.
These are all experiences without and amp so if you're planning on getting some canalphones without planning on an amp, I would recommend the UE-5c to anyone who is going to buy anything higher than the ER-4P. The new price for those headphones give a very justifiable purchase in my eyes. The e5c's are expensive and, unless you are just really afraid of the prospect of the custom molded phones not being resellable, then you should just head for the UE-5c.
One more thing on comfort and looks. The ER-4P, while not being nearly as uncomfortable to me as some people have mentioned it was for them, it was indeed ugly, wait, ugly... I never looked at myself in the mirror as I knew that I looked like an idiot with things sticking about half an inch or so straight out of my ears. The e5c's were fairly comfortable, but the cord on them was annoying, so very annoying. Whenever it was wound up it would just tangle, and tangle badly. Though that was the only bad point comfort and looks-wise, it was still a bit annoying. The UE-5c, tangle free with a cord that is so light in comparison to both the 4P (old version, don't know the new one) and e5c it was actually surprising. And the look, I got it matched to my skin tone, so, although not perfect, in combination with the brown cord it just makes it so much more difficult to see that I'm wearing headphones if you just pass by me without looking intently, and that makes me feel just a little bit less fashion selfconciouss
That's about my impression of the UE-5c. I'd like to give a special thanks to random person and wolfen68 for their recommendation and defense of the 5c's. That probably saved me a good $350 or so (and no, you can't have part of that
(crap, it turned into a mini review...
