[Capital R]

EX51 -> Shure E2C and UE super.fi3 Studio.

 

[jmmtn4aj]

I went from the 51 to the Panasonic HJE50

Good isolation but a somewhat harsher sound (IMO). But since the main reason I switched over was because the damn cord on the 51 wore down in a few months, I was pretty pleased with the HJE50 with it's thick rigid cord and all.

 

[schneller]

Bump for more replies?

 

[derek8555]

The Sony's are trash, any IEMs will beat them down handily while providing more isolation. You can look into Sony EX90's as a canal-phone replacement to your 51's.

 

[cp8ir]

I recently went from the EX51 to the UE Superfi3. The EX51 sound quality made me not want to listen to my Ipod. Even these low-end UE's sound incomparably better, and are much more isolating, almost too much for my purposes at work! I chose them b/c they would be used under some harsh conditions at work and I didn't want to risk more expensive IEMs, and besides it was my first foray into the IEM market.

 

[schneller]

I see a lot of people hear upgrading to Ultimate Ears products like the Super.fi 3s.

How do these compare to the V-Moda Vibes in terms of sound reproductions and isolation? Anyone done that comparison yet?

 

[Jokieman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneller /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wish someone would explain the difference between IEMs, iBuds, Canal phones, etc. I thought they were all the same.

Buds sit in the ear, but they do not go in the canal. iBuds, Sennheiser MX 400's 450's 500's etc. all buds.

Canal Phones go a small ways into the canal. Sennheiser CX300's, Creative EP630's, etc, these are canal phones

IEMs or In Ear Monitors is a trademark of the Future Sonics company, but is a general term used to describe in-ear headphones or simply earphones or in-ears, as you like. These generally go the furthest into the canal and the driver housings are usually slightly larger than the ear canal and tend to sit in the area of the ear where the bud of an earbud would sit, while the tip is deep inside the canal. These offer the most isolation normally, and are usually what a lot of professional musicians use when they are on stage. In-Ear Studio Monitors is also another name for them.

The Vibes would be considered Canal phones.

 

[dwchin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneller /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see a lot of people hear upgrading to Ultimate Ears products like the Super.fi 3s. How do these compare to the V-Moda Vibes in terms of sound reproductions and isolation? Anyone done that comparison yet?

I believe there are some comparisons of the V-Moda Vibes vs Ultimate Ears in this thread.

I've never tried the UE Super.fi 3s, but I own the UE Super.fi 5 Pros and just picked up the V-Moda Vibes the other day. Just from first impressions, the Vibes are a great value. If UE Super.fis are fun earphones, I'd say the Vibes are even more fun to listen to. There is some sacrifice in the "accuracy" arena when it comes to the Vibes, but coming from something like the EX51, even the Vibes will sound amazing in terms of detail and clarity. There's hardly a boomy note with the Vibes after several hours of use, and you definitely won't be missing any bass. Not sure how they compare exactly to the Super.fi 3s, since those are closer to the Vibes' price range, but I doubt you'd be sorry if you went with the Vibes.

Also, you'll probably like the isolation level they offer. Slightly loose-fitting UEs would probably give you similar isolation. I actually purchased the Vibes for use at work, so that I could still hear things going on around me but can cut down some of the random chatter that's going on all day long.

 

[schneller]

This is my current list of possibilities:

Altec Lansing IM716 $105
Etymotic Research ER6i $98
V-Moda Vibe $83
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 $82
Shure E2C $72

Again, I like the Vibes the most from a design/packaging perspective. I just wonder if they offer enough isolation.

 

[LaBreaHead]

Canal phones: Creative EP 630 (better sound, almost as comfortable, same semi-isolation).

IEMs: Etymotics ER6i (smaller, more isolating, wider variety of tips available, detailed sound ... for many people, less "fun" and less of an everyday player unless greater isolation is a daily requirement ... they really shine in noisy environments).