not Shure yet... (should I?)

[Jaspo]

At the moment I'm in posession of Senheisser Mx300 in ear headphones. They were as cheap as €10. After a year of using them, I'm still very content with the sound they produce. 99% of the time they're hooked up to my computer (Soundstorm). I don't own an mp3 player yet, but I'm planning on buying one in the future.

Not too long ago I overestimated my financial situation and thought of upgrading my mx300's. On various forums and websites, I found out about Shures. I was astonished by the prices they would go by. I never even could imagine in-ears at 3-figure prices. I started to read more and more about these magical noise makers. And the more read the more I started to crave them.

At one point I almost ordered the Shure E5's. When I realized my budget didn't allow that kind of luxery, I started to think about the E4's. Now I have a chance to buy them at €200. I have never heard hi fi earphones and I really want to know how the E4's relate to my Mx300's as they still sound good to me. Does the €190 really justify the difference between the Shures and my Senheissers? I listen to music quite a lot and I would like to hear stories of people upgrading from el cheapo headphones to ones that are considered 'head fi'

Thanks a lot. Jasper.

 

[n00b]

Wow, you must have huge ears if you consider the mx300s to be in-ears.

The Shure e4 will be a huge upgrade from the mx300s, providing better bass, detail and clarity.

 

[Jaspo]

*makes elephant sound*

These are my mx300's

I didn't know there were Sennheisers with the same name that don't go in ear without force. Hahaha.

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaspo I have never heard hi fi earphones and I really want to know how the E4's relate to my Mx300's as they still sound good to me. Does the €190 really justify the difference between the Shures and my Senheissers? I listen to music quite a lot and I would like to hear stories of people upgrading from el cheapo headphones to ones that are considered 'head fi'

Yes. It's a world of improvement. Totally worth it. I envy you, because your first experience of going from cheap earphones to hi fi equipment will be an absolutely awesome moment. I started out in much the same way as you (laptop speakers crapped out, cheap headphones broke, thought about getting some decent replacements), and before I knew it, I was addicted to the head-fi hobby. Be careful about your wallet - I've spent around $1000 gross since I first came to these boards looking for a nice cheap headphone. The e4c is a great choice to start with. Good luck!

 

[mr.karmalicious]

It more than does. They're amazing. BTW, you could get them for much cheaper...

earphonesolutions.com

"SPECIAL PRICE OF $179.99 + FREE shipping + FREE Airline Adaptor for E4c,
Code 15888E8."

Put that in the comments field. They're $180 US (about 152.45193528 Euros), and earphonesolutions will ship internationally. They mark them as a cheap gift, so you can avoid VAT.

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaspo I didn't know there were Sennheisers with the same name that don't go in ear without force. Hahaha.

Yeah, those are the MX300s. They are earphones, in that they sit in the outside part of your ear. In-ear monitors or ear-canal phones like the Shures have a tip that inserts directly into your ear canal. Some find them more comfortable and better-fitting, while others have a hard time with anything going into their ear canal.

EDIT:

This is the e4c:

The whole grey tip inserts directly inside your ear-canal and seals in place, blocking out external noise. Unlike earbuds, these don't sit in your ear through friction.

 

[Purgatos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr.karmalicious They're $180 US (about 152.45193528 Euros).

Hahaha... I'm sorry, but the "about" with 8 decimal places made me laugh.

 

[Jaspo]

On that site they're $299. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Jaspo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagorev Yeah, those are the MX300s. They are earphones, in that they sit in the outside part of your ear. In-ear monitors or ear-canal phones like the Shures have a tip that inserts directly into your ear canal. Some find them more comfortable and better-fitting, while others have a hard time with anything going into their ear canal. EDIT: This is the e4c: The whole grey tip inserts directly inside your ear-canal and seals in place, blocking out external noise. Unlike earbuds, these don't sit in your ear through friction.

Sounds a bit scary. Won't I be damaging anything?

 

[Jaspo]

 

[Jaspo]

1`1`

 

[Jaspo]

11

 

[Jaspo]

ah crap. dubble post

 

[jagorev]

on earphonesolutions.com, try entering 'select35' (without the quotes) at the checkout, in the field for coupon codes, and see if you get a discount.

Your response to IEMs is unpredictable. Most people get used to the sensation, and they don't damage anything. A very small minority get injured if they try to pull it out of their ear too fast (You have to slowly twist it out). If someone suddenly yanks the cable out of your ear, you could be in major pain. Other than that, it might take a few days or weeks for your ear-canal to get used to the sensation of having the tip inserted. On balance, though, IEMs are usually a good idea for protecting your hearing, since they block out sound and let you hear your music at much lower volumes.

Note: I was one of those who couldn't get used to the pain of my Etymotic er-6i, and eventually gave them away. I wouldn't use such deep IEMs again...the Shure doesn't insert as much as the Etys, AFAIK. I hope the IEM route works for you...it didn't for me.

 

[mr.karmalicious]

Jaspo: If you order them, the price will change after you order, but before they charge your credit card (don't worry, they're very reliable, and they're a Head-Fi sponsor as well!).