[crazyeyes]

I love my new E4c's compared to my E3c's. My E3c's now sit in a drawer as a backup pair. I might be getting some E5c's here in a couple of days if i do i think i am gonna sell my E3c's. But as for the E4c's man they sound so sweet. I was listening to a song with the E4c's and then went back to my E3c's on the same song and before i had the E4c's the E3c's sound clear and awesome to me on this song. Well now they sound muddy and just not clear. These E4c's really point out the shortcommings of the E3c's. Now i just can't wait to get my hands on some E5c's to see which of those i will like better.

 

[boodi]

any other update on e4c vs e5c ?

 

[crazyeyes]

I just got my E5c's today and after some brief listening i find the E5c's to be superior to the E4c's IMO. Now just so you know this is my oppinion and what i hear with my ear could be different to what other people hear so take this post as you will. The E5c's IMO seem to have the ability to hit deeper bass notes than the E4c. The treble isn't as good as on the E4c but i like the treble on the E5c better cause i found the E4c to be a bit fatiguing on some songs. The E5c definitely handles the little details better than the E4c. The soundstage(or headstage) is much better on the E5c IMO when listening to some Miles Davis i find that every instrument is placed perfectly. The trumpet sounds better to me on the E5c also and the seperation is amazing. Now jazz isn't all i listen to (as a matter of fact i don't listen to much jazz at all i just find it a good type of music to do comparisons with cause jazz can be the toughest music to recreate the way it should be). So for now after a couple of hours of listening the E5c comes out on top in my book. I will keep you updated as i do some more comparisons i am gonna give the E5c a week to get used to it then i will do some more comparisons.

 

[KenB]

I just received a set of E4C's, replacing Sony EX71's, and I'm having a few issues:

1) Comfort. I switched to the smallest grey flex tip; but still, after wearing them for only an hour, when I remove them, I feel an uncomfortable stuffiness in my head/ears that is hard to describe but lasts for several hours afterward. It's like there is cotton still in my ears. I don't think I'm pushing them in too tight, but maybe I am. I'm not listening too loud, maybe 75-80% on the IPOD volume wheel (3rd gen). Anyone know what's happening? I never experienced this sensation with the EX71's.

2) Drum cymbals sound a tad mushy and inarticulate vs. the crisp tight ping that I'm accustomed to hearing with other headphones, e.g. CD3K, HD650, and even my previous Sony EX71's (cascaded to my teenage daughter). It almost sounds like the drummer is playing on a sizzle cymbal when, by A?B comparison, I know that it not the case.

3) The bass is definitely weaker in terms of punch/impact than the EX71's and, being a drummer, I'm missing that element in the music. I do find that, if the earphones are not inserted pretty deep into the canal, the bass almost disappears.

4) This next one is an early impression, but I have the sense that the music is being played through a veil, a term that has often been applied to the Senn HD650 (which I DO NOT hear). Compared to my HD650's, these E4C's sound extraordinarily warm/dark (not bright), muted, and maybe even dull -- the term "veiled" sorta fits. I'll listen more carefully over the weekend and perform other comparisons (including my new STAX rig that just arrived), but I'm not really blown away by the sound of these earphones so far.

After just two days, I'm already thinking about selling them and buying/trading for E5C. Couple of questions:

1) Can I run the E5C straight out of an IPOD without other amplification? The E4C's are very efficient (even more than EX71) and, if the E5C's are similar, fine. My canalphones are primarily for unamped IPOD use.

2) Can the E5C's be worn similarly to the E4's? I like to insert them and just let the chords hang straight down without going over the ear. The E4's accommodate that by switching R and L to get the angled driver inserted properly. Same with the E5's or not?

3) I understand that the E5's present a heavy duty bass which would be a BIG plus, but I'm concerned about comments that the treble is "softer". If the E5C's are darker/warmer than the E4C's, I'm heading in the wrong direction.

KenB

 

[Volpino]

Owning both the E5 and the E4, I can tell you that the E5 is undoubtably a darker sounding phone than it's lesser sibling. The strong suit of the E5 is it's "weighty" presentation, whereas the E4 trumps the E5 in terms of detail and a sense of air with an overall lighter presentation. If you already find the E4 lacking in this regard, then the E5 is likely a wrong (and pricey) step. I still haven't decided which of the two I prefer, although I feel that I'm leaning towards the pleasing musicality of the E4. Unless you've got lots of expendable cash, I would make a strong effort to audition the E5's before purchase.

Conerning your other questions, the E5 is a more sensitive phone that, despite it's higher impedance, drives easier than the E4. It functions very nicely unamped from a portable player.

I suppose that the E5 could be modded to wear straight down from the ear. This would probably involve the complete removal of the memory wire that runs aong the cord extending from the driver housing. The E5 cabling is generally less yielding than that of the E4 or E3 so the end result may not be entirely comfortable. Not so sure on this one. Personally, I find the memory wire convenient and not at all annoying but that's just me and a lot of time spent wearing the suckers.

 

[Jmmmmm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenB I just received a set of E4C's, replacing Sony EX71's, and I'm having a few issues: 1) Comfort. I switched to the smallest grey flex tip; but still, after wearing them for only an hour, when I remove them, I feel an uncomfortable stuffiness in my head/ears that is hard to describe but lasts for several hours afterward. It's like there is cotton still in my ears. I don't think I'm pushing them in too tight, but maybe I am. I'm not listening too loud, maybe 75-80% on the IPOD volume wheel (3rd gen). Anyone know what's happening? I never experienced this sensation with the EX71's. 2) Drum cymbals sound a tad mushy and inarticulate vs. the crisp tight ping that I'm accustomed to hearing with other headphones, e.g. CD3K, HD650, and even my previous Sony EX71's (cascaded to my teenage daughter). It almost sounds like the drummer is playing on a sizzle cymbal when, by A?B comparison, I know that it not the case. 3) The bass is definitely weaker in terms of punch/impact than the EX71's and, being a drummer, I'm missing that element in the music. I do find that, if the earphones are not inserted pretty deep into the canal, the bass almost disappears. 4) This next one is an early impression, but I have the sense that the music is being played through a veil, a term that has often been applied to the Senn HD650 (which I DO NOT hear). Compared to my HD650's, these E4C's sound extraordinarily warm/dark (not bright), muted, and maybe even dull -- the term "veiled" sorta fits. I'll listen more carefully over the weekend and perform other comparisons (including my new STAX rig that just arrived), but I'm not really blown away by the sound of these earphones so far. After just two days, I'm already thinking about selling them and buying/trading for E5C. Couple of questions: 1) Can I run the E5C straight out of an IPOD without other amplification? The E4C's are very efficient (even more than EX71) and, if the E5C's are similar, fine. My canalphones are primarily for unamped IPOD use. 2) Can the E5C's be worn similarly to the E4's? I like to insert them and just let the chords hang straight down without going over the ear. The E4's accommodate that by switching R and L to get the angled driver inserted properly. Same with the E5's or not? 3) I understand that the E5's present a heavy duty bass which would be a BIG plus, but I'm concerned about comments that the treble is "softer". If the E5C's are darker/warmer than the E4C's, I'm heading in the wrong direction. KenB

1. You just have to get used to canalphones. You would have experienced this with any canalphone, not just the e4c. You need some time to get used to the abuse you are giving to your ear canals. It took me about 2 weeks to get used to the e2c's when I came from the ex71's.

2. You're comparing a $200 canalphone against those full-sized headphones? In my experience, take a full-sized headphone, double the price, and that's about how much a comparable sounding canalphone will cost. However, I am surprised you could think the ex71 is superior to the e4c in any way. I'll have to respectfully disagree with you there.

3. Coming from the ex71's, an extremely bass-heavy headphone, you will certainly find the e4c's lacking in bass. However, you have traded boomy, loose, one-noted bass, for tight, accurate, bass. Let yourself get used to the somewhat bass-deficient sound of the real canalphone world. If you want more bass without sacrificing bass quality, then you need to get the e5c or um2.

4. I certainly hear no veil, but I guess I am not comparing them to your headphones. I hope you did not expect to be blown away by the e4c's, coming from your 650's....

pII
1. Yes the e5c's are very sensitive
2. No they cannot. You have to wear them as shown in pictures.
3. The um2's are certainly warmer than the e4c's, so I would assume the e5c's are as well (since they are supposed to be 'warmer' than the um2's)

 

[en480c4]

IMO, the E4's sounded much better with the foamies. The bass was both more pronounced and tighter. It did seem to smooth the treble out a bit, too. Coming from the E2's there's definitely an improvement. Compared to my 650's or my 325i's they sound a little lacking, but they seem to be the sweetspot for canal phones in both price and performance.

 

[KenB]

Quote:

1. You just have to get used to canalphones. You would have experienced this with any canalphone, not just the e4c. You need some time to get used to the abuse you are giving to your ear canals. It took me about 2 weeks to get used to the e2c's when I came from the ex71's.

Thanks for this explanation. I haven't read much about this issue on Head-Fi, so I wasn't sure what to make of it. I'll certainly give it time. I thought the EX71's were considered "canalphones," but the insertion was definitely less snug than with the E4C's.

Quote:

4. I certainly hear no veil, but I guess I am not comparing them to your headphones. I hope you did not expect to be blown away by the e4c's, coming from your 650's....

This morning, I wasn't doing A/B comparisons at all -- just listening to various MP3's for about an hour. All of the music sounded warm/dark, but I'm now wondering if I need to give my ears canal a rest. I had them on for many hours last night. I'm still feeling that stuffiness in my ears, many hours later, so maybe I'm not hearing things properly in this condition. Most owners report the E4C's to be on the bright side, so it's quite possible that this "early impression" is inaccurate on my end.

KenB

 

[Jmmmmm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenB Thanks for this explanation. I haven't read much about this issue on Head-Fi, so I wasn't sure what to make of it. I'll certainly give it time. I thought the EX71's were considered "canalphones," but the insertion was definitely less snug than with the E4C's. This morning, I wasn't doing A/B comparisons at all -- just listening to various MP3's for about an hour. All of the music sounded warm/dark, but I'm now wondering if I need to give my ears canal a rest. I had them on for many hours last night. I'm still feeling that stuffiness in my ears, many hours later, so maybe I'm not hearing things properly in this condition. Most owners report the E4C's to be on the bright side, so it's quite possible that this "early impression" is inaccurate on my end. KenB

Well, yeah, I guess the ex71's are canalphones, but the ety's/shures/etc go much deeper, and definitely take some getting used to. I almost gave up on my e2c's until they came out with the ultra soft sleeves.

I also think the e4c's are bright compared to other shures, but they aren't that bright objectively, imo. That might depend on recordings, though, because with some poor quality files, I did find them bright on some parts. They might not have as much treble as the 650s etc, though, and are certainly not as bright as ety's, in my experience. I guess someone could consider them dark, but I don't find them that way.

Anyway, give them some time, new canalphones take some getting used to.

 

[KenB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volpino Owning both the E5 and the E4, I can tell you that the E5 is undoubtably a darker sounding phone than it's lesser sibling. The strong suit of the E5 is it's "weighty" presentation, whereas the E4 trumps the E5 in terms of detail and a sense of air with an overall lighter presentation. If you already find the E4 lacking in this regard, then the E5 is likely a wrong (and pricey) step. I still haven't decided which of the two I prefer, although I feel that I'm leaning towards the pleasing musicality of the E4. Unless you've got lots of expendable cash, I would make a strong effort to audition the E5's before purchase. Conerning your other questions, the E5 is a more sensitive phone that, despite it's higher impedance, drives easier than the E4. It functions very nicely unamped from a portable player. I suppose that the E5 could be modded to wear straight down from the ear. This would probably involve the complete removal of the memory wire that runs aong the cord extending from the driver housing. The E5 cabling is generally less yielding than that of the E4 or E3 so the end result may not be entirely comfortable. Not so sure on this one. Personally, I find the memory wire convenient and not at all annoying but that's just me and a lot of time spent wearing the suckers.

Thanks for the info. It doesn't appear that upgrading to the E5C's is the correct move. I will give the E4C's more time, but after a couple of days rest. I may have done a little damage to my discernment (I hope not my hearing) by wearing the E4C's too many hours before I've conditioned my ears properly to canalphones. That dark/veiled sound I'm hearing may be coming from me! No one else seems to report that quality in the E4C's, so I'm prepared to consider it a temporary misperception.

I'll be absorbed with my new STAX rig for the rest of this weekend which should completely rid my hearing of any dark/warm/veiled characteristics!

KenB

 

[geardoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vranswer No way the E4 replaces the E5. Period. ...snip

Agreed! 100%. E5's are significantly better. E4's are muddy, veiled, like the E3. Sounds like cotton in my ears with the E4's.

 

[KenB]

I had reported, earlier in this thread, that I was hearing the E4C's as veiled/dark. After too many disconfirming comments from other respected owners, I became concerned that I had done some temporary damage to my ears by wearing the E4C's too long, too deep, and too soon without becoming accustomed to them. I was feeling a kind of stuffiness in my ears that persisted for several hours.

So, I waited about 48 hours before trying them again. Fortunately, my hearing did recover.

Indeed, I must have done some minor damage because -- what a difference! In A/B comparisons with my new STAX SR-404's, clearly, the E4C's are not dark/veiled at all. They are actually brighter than the SR-404's and now remind me of the Sony SA5K's with a noticeably raised timbre in voices/instruments. The bass response is nothing to write home about, but it's acceptable to me. I will look for an EQ on the IPOD that deemphasizes treble and accentuates the bass a bit.

Using the smallest soft gray earpiece, they are now pretty comfortable and don't hurt my ears.

KenB

 

[walkman666]

bump.

I'd love to get more comments if anyone has anything new to add comparing the e5 to the e4. I have the e5 and find them just a little too cumbersome and not perfectly fitting when commuting and exercising. I had no such probs with the e3s, but the e5s are just so superior. However, if the e4s are close or better than the e5s, then I'd consider getting them, too.

thx, - walkman

 

[MonkeyButt]

Yeah, I ordered the E4s and not the E5s due to the bulkiness of the latter and the stiffness of its memory cord. The E5s may have better sound overall, but I want something more portable. I even read some people are using them for home use only because they are sorta a pain to deal with on the go. Hell, getting the E3s in and out of your ears is enough trouble when running around . . . and using this rationale, I think I'm safe from wanting to upgrade to the E5s as well . . . I think

 

[walkman666]

We're never safe, MB. Aaaaaaar. I guess I'll have to wait until you get your e4s, and then we can both try out the other and see if an e5 makes sense for you need to upgrade and an e4 makes sense for my portability needs (snags on the 6 train are not good!).

cheers, - walk