mr.gone
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2010
- Posts
- 18
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- 11
After I lost my NuForce NE-7Ms about a year ago, I decided to try the MElectronics M6 because of the positive reviews and because I didn't want to lose another $50 set. I use them mainly at the gym. My gym bag is black, so having black-corded phones made it a little harder to check on whether I put them in the bag or not. (What can I say? I get a little spaced out at the end of a hard exercise session.) The clear cord of the M6 was a real plus in being able to instantly check on where they were.
But that was one of the few positives about this $20 set. None of the tips that came with them wanted to stay in my ears at a fixed location. Moving around at all shifted the sound, which is not good when you're active. I bought some Sony Hybrid tips to see if I could stabilize the phones. They helped, but I still had trouble with retaining them in a good position. I also found them to be bass-heavy and lacking a strong midrange.
After putting up with this for a year, I wanted to see if there was something better out there that was still relatively affordable. I'm enough of an audiophile that I'd appreciate IEMs that cost several hundred dollars sound wise. But I know myself well enough that I'm sure I'd eventually lose them. So I decided to see if the NuForce NE-770Xs would make my trips to the gym more pleasant. At $35 a pair, they are still relatively cheap.
Initial impressions with less than a full burn-in: Why did I put up with the M6s as long as I did? The NuForce IEMs are far more detailed and far better at creating a sense of separation between the instruments. It all sounds far more musical and involving. On a scale of 1 to 10 for overall sonic quality, I would put the M6s at a 3.5 and the NuForce at a 7.
The main drawback for the NuForce is a slight harshness that I'm sure a higher quality set would likely best. Conversely, it may be that the source material from my iPhone is harsh to begin with and the NuForce is revealing that harshness, or maybe the burn-in will remove some of this. I can't make an accurate comparison because it's been a while and I used a "classic" iPod, but my memory of the NE-7Ms with Comply foam tips was that they didn't exhibit any of this harshness.
In short, if you're picking between these two, forget the M6 and get the NuForce. That's my take. BTW, I could have chosen the NuForce with a white cord, but I didn't like the looks. So I'm risking losing them again because I got the "Carbon" model. Fortunately, they now have a white case that gives me the color contrast I need!
But that was one of the few positives about this $20 set. None of the tips that came with them wanted to stay in my ears at a fixed location. Moving around at all shifted the sound, which is not good when you're active. I bought some Sony Hybrid tips to see if I could stabilize the phones. They helped, but I still had trouble with retaining them in a good position. I also found them to be bass-heavy and lacking a strong midrange.
After putting up with this for a year, I wanted to see if there was something better out there that was still relatively affordable. I'm enough of an audiophile that I'd appreciate IEMs that cost several hundred dollars sound wise. But I know myself well enough that I'm sure I'd eventually lose them. So I decided to see if the NuForce NE-770Xs would make my trips to the gym more pleasant. At $35 a pair, they are still relatively cheap.
Initial impressions with less than a full burn-in: Why did I put up with the M6s as long as I did? The NuForce IEMs are far more detailed and far better at creating a sense of separation between the instruments. It all sounds far more musical and involving. On a scale of 1 to 10 for overall sonic quality, I would put the M6s at a 3.5 and the NuForce at a 7.
The main drawback for the NuForce is a slight harshness that I'm sure a higher quality set would likely best. Conversely, it may be that the source material from my iPhone is harsh to begin with and the NuForce is revealing that harshness, or maybe the burn-in will remove some of this. I can't make an accurate comparison because it's been a while and I used a "classic" iPod, but my memory of the NE-7Ms with Comply foam tips was that they didn't exhibit any of this harshness.
In short, if you're picking between these two, forget the M6 and get the NuForce. That's my take. BTW, I could have chosen the NuForce with a white cord, but I didn't like the looks. So I'm risking losing them again because I got the "Carbon" model. Fortunately, they now have a white case that gives me the color contrast I need!
