[peter312]

I was lucky enough to receive a 64GB 3G iPod Touch for Christmas, which has replaced my iPod Classic. I was intending to buy some new earphones or IEMs anyway, but as the sound from the headphone out on the Touch seems to be totally different from the Classic, I have had to reconsider which ones to get.

I have tried the Sennheiser CX500s with the Touch and find the treble to be too sharp and cheap sounding - I think there's a large peak between 5KHz and 10KHz. My SE110s are not too bad at all(now that I have a decent seal) - I like the clarity and they give me but I find the treble a touch rolled off and would like a little more bass impact (without any muddiness).

I am considering some of the higher up Shures. I wonder if the SE530s might be a bit too bassy and at £250 or so, they are at the limit of what I am prepared to pay. Would therefore the SE310s (£115) or the SE420s (£170) give me what I am looking for? (Whilst I can go to £250, I would like to keep some back towards another full sized set of headphones, to use unamped with my laptop and occassionally with my Touch - a topic for another day, me thinks).

Any thoughts around the Shures (or any alternatives I should consider that don't go too deep into the ear cannal) would be very welcome.

Thanks all.

 

[acolyte289]

Unfortunately all the Shures do have some treble roll-off but as the 110 has a listed frequency response of 22Hz – 17.5kHz while the higher end models say 20Hz - 19kHz, you may find the treble on the higher end models fine. If you like listening for longer periods, I definitely recommend going with Shure phones. I can listen to any of mine for hours without fatigue. Although if you have a lot of mp3's below 192 you should rule out the 420 as low bitrate sounds terrible with them.

As far as bass goes I can't speak for the 310 but the 420 has pretty clean bass. From what I can remember of the 420, it has possibly better quality bass than the 530 but not as much bass quantity. If you do not consider yourself a bass head the 420 is worth trying. Compared to the 110, I'm sure the difference in bass quality will be night and day. I myself went from the e2c to the 420 and that is how I felt about it.

 

[intoflatlines]

The SE310 isn't worth it, in my opinion. It is very similar to the SE210 also. I haven't heard the 420 or 530.

 

[peter312]

Thanks for the replies.

I tend to listen to lossless files or v0 MP3s if desperate

The SE310s seem to polarise opinion. Some people seem to think they're very like the SE210s and therefore poor value for money, whilst others are very complimentary (eg Headroom).

The SE310s do look a little like they're on stalks!!

 

[Dobber65]

There are many options at those price points in the UK. The SE530 is an excellent IEM, but I have found that it is so focused on the midrange that it becomes fatiguing for me. I have found other IEMs that I use more often, but it remains a great device. The Triple.fi Pro is a bit of the opposite sound signature, good bass, great treble, and a somewhat recessed midrange, but the treble detail is outstanding. Fit may be a bit difficult.

The Sennheiser IEx range can be purchased from Amazon UK for much more reasonable prices in the UK than in the US. The IE8 has a warm signature, but retains very clear midrange and also has an extended, but well-integrated treble. I haven't heard the IE7 or IE6, but the IE7 has good reviews around here. The prices range from £99-160, so easily within your budget for any of the three.

Other options include the Etymotic ER-4P or -4S (P is preferred if you use only your iPod) with a wonderfully balanced midrange and detailed treble, the Phonak PFE which is supposed to be very balanced across the spectrum, or even some of the Radiopaq IEMs such as the Jazz, which are supposed to be fun, great sounding, and usually less than £40.

 

[SolidVictory]

Sennheiser IE7/IE8, you'll think your Shure SE110's are trash after listening to either of these.

 

[peter312]

I was under the impression from other posts that the IE8s were quite mid-bass heavy and that whilst the ie7s are more neutral, they have a rolled off treble. I used to have some HD650s but changed these for HD600s as the HD650s were too dark, IMO. Are the IE8s the IEM version of the HD650s?

Regarding the Etymotics, I understood them to be quite bass light and that they sit quite deep in the ear cannal.

Life would be so much easier if you could demo these things, but I understand the difficulties that would cause.

 

[Dobber65]

I would say that while the IE8s may be viewed as warm, the mid-bass hump is not a large issue to me (and I must state that I am not a basshead). They do tend to reflect the high-end Senn sound signature, but are also very detailed and extended, natural in the mids, have excellent bass impact, are fast, and reproduce instrument timbre exceptionally well.

The Etys tend to favor the mids and treble more than the bass, but the bass and bass quality are there. It won't have the impact of some newer IEMs that have a rising bass response, but these newer IEMs also are a lot of fun to listen to, and do not sound unnatural. The Etys may or may not sit deeply depending on your ear, but they are basically a tube you stick in your ear canal (compared to some more recent designs like the Shure SE530 and Westone models that sit more within your outer ear).

This may be a good time to test some of the lower-priced IEMs such as the Radiopaq series or Maximo IEMs, which are supposed to be very balanced and very reasonably priced. See what you like after you compare some new-generation (and relatively inexpensive) IEMs to your 110.

 

[acolyte289]

If you are strongly considering se310 I direct your attention to this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by HellaChinese /img/forum/go_quote.gif E4C's if you love crunching mids. These phones have the most pronounced mids of any IEM I've tried, including the SE530's and TF10's (but not as accurate as the SE530's) SE310's have more, but less accurate bass in comparison to the E4C's. All in all, the 310's are a more general, everyday listening fun earphone. But if you love the mids, id stick with the E4C

The e4c is now known as the scl4 (scl = shure classic line). It is worth looking into a bit at least. Price should be about the same.

 

[mark2410]

right, the 530 are stunningly good. the IE7 will get you nearish it with less isolation and the 8 will equal it but sound very different. the 8 has lots of bass and highs.

however i cant deny that for £156 the 8 is a major bargain

 

[priest]

I moved from the SE110 to the SE310 and the SE530. The SE310 has bass somewhere inbetween the other two. It is a great IEM in my mind and I highly recommend it at around US$150. It sounds very similar to the SCL4. It may sound close to the SE210 -- I have never heard the latter and don't see how that necessarily makes the SE310 a bad choice. If I lost my SE530, I would probably just stick with my SE310.

 

[intoflatlines]

For $150 you could pick up a SF5 Pro or even a TF10 Pro, both of which are much much better than the SE310. I own the SE210, SE310, SF5 Pro, and TF10 Pro, and the Shure single armature IEMs don't even compare in terms of sound quality. The Shures are way more comfortable though.

 

[peter312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 /img/forum/go_quote.gif right, the 530 are stunningly good. the IE7 will get you nearish it with less isolation and the 8 will equal it but sound very different. the 8 has lots of bass and highs. however i cant deny that for £156 the 8 is a major bargain

The IE7s seem to be £119 now and the IE8s £179. How do the IE7s compare to the SE110s, in particular how deep does the bass go and is the treble more or less rounded off.

I'm wondering if the IE7s would be a better choice than the IE8s as, for example, I prefer the HD600s to the HD650s.

Thanks

 

[mark2410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter312 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The IE7s seem to be £119 now and the IE8s £179. How do the IE7s compare to the SE110s, in particular how deep does the bass go and is the treble more or less rounded off. I'm wondering if the IE7s would be a better choice than the IE8s as, for example, I prefer the HD600s to the HD650s. Thanks

on the 7 everything is better than the 110. it does roll off a little in the highs but not much and that makes it rather smooth.

from what ive read (not heard 600 or 650) the 7 is more like the 600 and the IE8 more like the 650 so it may be the better choice for you. i prefer the 7 to the 8 myself.

 

[CooleyHighHarmony]

im new to this forum but i have been using shure se210 for about 3yrs now. I think that they are overpriced... way better options at its retail price but it is really comfortable, good quality build and looks nice. If those things aren't important to you, the head direct re0's are supposedly much better. my friend got them and we compared. my other friend with denon 751's are also better than my se210. but of the 3 the shures are most durable n best looking