[AdamP]

I am on the preorder list for the TFP10 Pro. Right now I'm being quoted a price of $420 which includes the international shipping. With the exchange rate as it is right now it will be about $475 shipped. On top of that there will probably be like $50 or more of brokerage. I can get the Shure E500s from a guy that claims he is an authorized Shure dealer in Canada for $525 shipped. (http://www.marcopolo.ca/)

Here's the things I am considering:
-I own the SFP5s and I've had them crack on me once. I ended up gluing them together again with superglue and they have been good for 2 years strong. I didn't want to ship them to the states to get repaired because it would be a big hassle and expensive.
-I'm still weary about the durability of the new ones.

However, the thing I really like about them however is the removeable cord. Usually the first thing to go on portable headphones is the cord. When I had issues with my old SF5P cord UE just sent me a new one. With the E500's... although the cord is attached. That kind of worries me in the longrun. How long can I expect this piece to last? In addition, it doesn't seem to have a memory wire in it which is another distractor. Also have any people had any issues with the E500s cracking open?

Ergonomically wise I think the E500's beat the TF10P by a large margin. Even though I wear them using the "FS" method they are still not as low profile as the E500's.

I guess the basic issue is the reliability since I am a Canadian buyer. From my understanding the E500s have a warmer and more detailed sound than UE's offering. I have sampled the E500s briefly and they sounded nice but I don't really have a benchmark to another 3-driver headphone. I prefer electronic/hip-hop/jazz music.

I'm hoping some E500 can give me their opinion if I'm making the right choice.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

What the *bleep* is a "TF10P"??

 

[Ace o' Spades]

Triple.fi 10 Pro.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Oh, duh... *smacks forehead* I need more sleep.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace o' Spades Triple.fi 10 Pro.

Ya, I assumed so, but he's got an extra P in there. "TFP10 Pro" doesn't make sense, although "TF10P" (the way he has it the second time) does.

Why not? We've got the SA5K, K1K, L3K, etc.

To answer the question, I don't think anyone really knows at this point. I doubt that more than a handful of people have even heard both the E500 and Triple.fi 10 Pro, let alone for enough time to develop a strong opinion one way or another. Of course, we can all speculate, as I'm sure some of us will...

 

[solvexyz]

UE has already fixed the cracking issue with the Super.fi Pro by introducing version 2. Therefore, I do not think you should worry about the crackling issue now. I pretty sure UE has known about this issue already.

As for the Shure E500, it is a very solid built IEM. The cord is very light, and I do think some people like light cord over heavy cord such as the one with memory wires.

I am an owner of Shure E500 and UE10 Pro. I find myself using Shure E500 more. Simply one word, Shure E500 is more fun to listen to, and I find Shure E500 with tri-flange gives me better isolation than UE10 Pro.

 

[warpdriver]

Well, I was reading the iLounge comments and review, and based on that, it's clear the E500 is better sounding, but I'm going to wait until somebody compares both head-to-head here before ordering. I have my doubts that the descriptions of the sound signature are accurate, they seem to say the E500 is has livelier highs and lows, and is more detailed.

I've learned to dismiss a lot of the reviews and only trust my own ears but in this case, one has to take a leap of faith a bit. I don't think I will get the opportunity to hear both side by side in the near future.

I'd actually rather give my money to UE as a company for reasons that aren't really clear, I just like them better. With them offering freebies and UE10P prizes, they seem to be pretty proactive in our community. I also didn't like the fact that Shure doesn't officially let companies ship to me in Canada.

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamP . On top of that there will probably be like $50 or more of brokerage.

The "brokerage" will be only $5.00, not $50 because EarphoneSolutions ships using USPS Mail. You will pay PST/GST too.

So the actual price will be $475+$5+GST/PST

Marcopolo will also charge you PST/GST correct?

 

[Trogdor]

I wouldn't believe the iLounge review, the guy there doens't seem to like the UE sound. Moreover, I would have not given the Super.Fi Pro 5 (SFP5) an A-. I've been using a friends for quite sometime I wouldn't called them detailed.

It is MY understanding the the UE10P has a much better SS than the E500 as well as having much better treble extension, i.e. the UE10Ps are still the most accurate IEM out there (obviously YMMV).

I really really like the E500's (I had the pleasure of demoing the E500's at the 2006 National Meet for hours) but the three major drawbacks are SS, fuzzy warm midrange, and treble extension. With that siad, they were the best IEMs I've ever heard.

The TF10P according to UE is a cut from the UE10P not the SFP5. Again, I was told that the sound will be as detailed as the UE10P with a slight bass boost around the 60Hz area. To me that could be audio nirvana.

We shall see...we shall see...

 

[milkpowder]

The E500 are SOOOOOOOOOO good for Jazz. You sacrifice a bit of detail for the smoothest sound ever! Ella Fitzgerald's voice sound so soothing. The highs are actually pretty detailed and extend pretty well too, but I do understand what some of you say when treble extension is a problem. The bass is also quite fun and has a good presence, providing an excellent, deep, punchy bassline. Mids are fairly intimate and do have a warm, cosy glow to it. If you're looking for the ultimate in analytical listening, the E500 will dissapoint! There's no doubt about that; the E500 doesn't have the reference, super-neutral, ultra-detailed sound of many other headphones (eg K701/ER4S, which sound bright, thin and slightly harsher in contrast). You've been warned.

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder There's no doubt about that; the E500 doesn't have the reference, super-neutral, ultra-detailed sound of many other headphones (eg K701/ER4S, which sound bright, thin and slightly harsher in contrast). You've been warned.

Does the E500 compare to the ER6i in terms of treble airiness and extension? How about the E500 vs HD650?

 

[Trogdor]

I'm really telling ya the E500 are the new GRADO of IEMs...really fantastic sounding but lacking analytical detail...

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trogdor I'm really telling ya the E500 are the new GRADO of IEMs...really fantastic sounding but lacking analytical detail...

Hmm....Grado of IEM's? Grado's have always had a really sparkling sound to them. So what you are saying is that the E500 is a Grado minus the peaky treble?

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trogdor I'm really telling ya the E500 are the new GRADO of IEMs...really fantastic sounding but lacking analytical detail...

To the OP... I agree with you on the detachable cables. my e2c cable dissintegrated after ~9 months of heavy use. My skin oils reacted to it somehow and made it brittle. My next IEM will have a detachable cord.

 

[cantsleep]

i was somewhat hoping an IEM that would sound like ety er4 and as comfortable as e4 but apparently both e500 and triple xxx arent the ones..

am i right?