[methisappren]

Having just spent way too much time in the past week reading posts on Head-Fi, I still have a few questions regarding which would IEM would be best for me. My last pair of earphones were the Sony MDR-81's, and though nothing exciting, they worked until..well they stopped working (c: (the cord frayed) Thus I have arrived here, apparently in order to unload myself of any excess cash I may find myself in possession of.

My music is about 70% Classical (everything from Bach variations to Mahler Symphonies to Opera), 15% Jazz, and the rest a mix of classic rock and alternative. Unfortunately, its all pretty bad quality, a lot around 160kbps and 120kbps (lets not talk about the 50kbps stuff that managed to get in there). A lot of it was borrowed from my school's library, so I can't really re-rip it in better quality. I'm a pretty casual listener, I tend not to get into analyzing my music too closely, and I really couldn't say what kind of sound I like. I definitely do not need a ton of bass.

From what I've seen, almost everyday recommends the Er-4p (or er-4c) for classical in this price range, but this being my only pair of phones, I need something that I can move around in too. I've heard the Er-4p suffer from a number of design issues in this regard, the biggest being microphonics. In addition I live in a city, so their level of sound isolation might actually be too much.
I've heard the q-JAYs have a sound very similar to the Er-4p, so presumably that means they also work for Classical, and the design seems much more practical, but I've also heard that they tear apart badly encoded music, which I assume would be a problem for me.
I've seen a ton of people call the Super.fi 5 pro a good choice for pop and rock and what not, as its apparently "fun", but I haven't seen anything about classical. Does the "funness" not work for classical?
Given the quality of my music, and my lack of audiophile-ness, I was considering just going with the Westone UM1's, because they are apparently extremely comfortable, in addition to be a decent bit cheaper, but I hear they are particularly bad for classical music.

So, essentially, I currently stand at leaning towards the UE Super.fi 5, but I have a couple questions.
Would my music really sound horrible on the q-JAYs, assuming my ear isn't particularly refined?
Are the Super.fi 5 pro fine at playing classical?
Will I be thoroughly disappointed with the SQ if I decide to go with the UM1?

Any advice you can give, including other suggested models, would be greatly appreciated (c:

 

[mr.karmalicious]

I really would recommend the ER-4 or E4 for your preference. I can't really do it in good faith, though, because at those types of bitrates, they both would make your music sound absolutely terrible. They really deserve Ogg, V0, or FLAC... anything less (and 120kbps-160kbps is quite a bit less [I personally can't stand anything under 196kbps on my E4s]) isn't doing them or your music justice.

 

[methisappren]

In regards to bit rate, is music bought from Amazon.com considered listenable with highly detailed headphones? Obviously it is not as good as a loss-less format, but they claim 256 which doesn't appear horrible. What about itunes plus music?

 

[Leland]

Use foobar and do an A/B test - you'll quickly see whether you can tell the difference or not.

My guess is that you won't care as long as the tunes are flowing and the outside world is shut out.

 

[project_gt]

maybe 256k is okey
196 or lower is so horrible under er4

 

[noblsheep]

seconded on er4 or e4
you'll eventually notice the bit rate and want higher, but 160kbps will do for the time being

btw, what will u be using as source?

 

[number1sixerfan]

Ety's all the way on this type of music. Clarity and detail along with nuetrality. Go with the er-4. Good Luck!

 

[methisappren]

As a source I'm using a 4G ipod with no amp and a laptop. Is it worth the 15 or so dollars in shipping to just order two of them and compare them myself?

 

[deathsharp]

I walk with my Etys, the cable is not that bad actually.
But as everyone pointed out, at that bitrate it will be unbearable.

 

[milkpowder]

I've also owned the ER4 (P and S) and E4 and I think both are tremendous IEMs. Personally, I haven't quite noticed the E4's reported treble roll-off and neither did I mind the ER4's relatively weak bass. The ER4 is more detailed but may be lacking a bit of midrange warmth/lushness. The E4, on the other hand, really lacks detail. There's so much information that's glossed over. It's not particularly noticeable if you don't have something better to compare to so you shouldn't worry about it too much. However if you own higher end headphones like the K701 and HD650, the E4's lack of detail and refinement will take a bit of getting used to.