[Bluey]

i'm not really keen on over-the-ear wires, reason being i don't wanna mess with doing that.

plus, it's a drag if you're wearing glasses.

my Sony MD-somethings [€50 3 years ago] finally broke and i want a real hi fi pair. the sound of the sonys was not bad, if a bit too harsh, but i loved the detail. i've been reading posts here for days and can't make up my mind.

i need something a bit analytical, but with warmth, no over-the-ear wires and no extra amplification, <200€. i've heard of the new UE700s which are coming soon, maybe they are the ones?

CHeers,
Bluey

 

[ThePandemonium]

for the analytical sound you can try the Klipsch Image x5, that should be perfect for you. I hear it still as a cold(er) sound, but not as extreme as an Ety ER4P. It is small, good looking and is not an over the ear style.

The Klipsch Image X10 is smaller and much much warmer and very exciting to listen to. I think is has just as much detail as the x5 but it has alot more bass, which sometimes masks the detail. Over all I enjoyed the x10 better because it was smaller and such a pleasure to listen to.

 

[major_works]

I've used over-the-ear IEMs (Shures) and I wear glasses full time. Didn't bother me from that point of view. The thing with the Shures for me is the stiffness of the wires. Because I kept them stored coiled in the case Shure gives you, the wires tended to "remember" that coiled shape. It would often cause the wire to want to pop over my ear. But overall, over the ear doesn't matter to me.

 

[dweaver]

I use all my IEM's over the ear even when they are not as it helps eliminate microphics and help keep them in place.

 

[qusp]

you'll get used to over the ear in no time man, its really no drama once you get used to it and as has been said its great for reducing microphonics and actually helps to keep the wires out of the way. you will have a much greater variety of choices if you can deal with that as well. never heard of UE700 that would bve a real departure from the way they normally name things. there is already a UE7 custom. if you can deal with over-the0-ear you will have a myriad of choices for that budget. but one that isnt over the ear is the IE7 by sennheiser

 

[Bluey]

thanks for responses!

one very generous friend [and poster here] is sending me his ER4Ps to demo for a while, that should give me a benchmark, and i'll go from there.

i listened to a pair of Senn CX300 the other day, and they were extremely muddy for my taste, though admittedly not high end kit. Are the higher end Senns [IE7] also this bass heavy?

right, thanks again, and i'll post my impression of the ERs when they get here.

B

 

[qusp]

while the ER4 are a nice set of IEMs (not for my taste though) they are very deep insertion and not at all low profile, they stick out like some sort of alien thing. so perhaps they might put you off. wish I could make you such a generous offer.

 

[mark2410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluey /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for responses! one very generous friend [and poster here] is sending me his ER4Ps to demo for a while, that should give me a benchmark, and i'll go from there. i listened to a pair of Senn CX300 the other day, and they were extremely muddy for my taste, though admittedly not high end kit. Are the higher end Senns [IE7] also this bass heavy? right, thanks again, and i'll post my impression of the ERs when they get here. B

the IE7 isnt bass overpowering but there is still quite a lot of bass on them

 

[nc8000]

Every iem I have worn for the last 8 years has been worn over the ear (except my HF2 due to the microphone) and I wear glasses full time but have no problem. With the ER4 over the ear is imho essential as the cable is very microphonic. With the stock cable the do stick out a lot but with the APS cable they are so low profile that I have no problem laying on my side with them in.

 

[Bluey]

so, i'm compiling a list as everyone does, based on reviews i've been finding here.
of these in the list, are there any which require extra amplification to sound good?

UE SF5pro
UE 700
Etymotic ER4P
Sennheiser IE7
Klipsch Image x5
NuForce NE-7M

i only use an ipod Nano for the time being, and all my files are apple lossless.

 

[communic]

The IE7's have to be worn over the ear unless you have a R/L switcher or you don't mind hearing reversed channels!

 

[DeusInvictus7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by communic /img/forum/go_quote.gif The IE7's have to be worn over the ear unless you have a R/L switcher or you don't mind hearing reversed channels!

LOL yup. And to the OP, I use my IE7s over the ear and I wear glasses full time as well. You get used to it, and it really isn't a bother at all.

 

[Bluey]

actually, i find that if i switch L/R from time to time i hear more detail in my music.

some say that habits are something we should reduce, that to experience each moment in the 'here and now' it's good to try new ways of doing our everyday things, which keeps our brain occupied and leads to new experiences. i switch my headphones on a regular basis and it often reveals new subleties in the music. it may even be that one ear hears better than the other.

i don't think switching L/R has any detrimental effect on the music, at least not on portables, where you can't connect the Black/Red on each speaker incorrectly.

 

[Bluey]

Bonus!

for those who don't like to wear wires over-the-ear, i found this thread [IE8] and post [IE7] here on Head-fi.
i've added these to my list of phones to try.

a friend just bought a pair of SE420 as well, so i'll hopefully be posting some impressions in the future as i make a few comparisons.

 

[ah_long]

i could never get over the looks of the ER4.. they look like a pen15 sticking into your ears