Sennheiser MX 500 vs Sony MDR-E888LP ?

[beowulf]

Has anyone tried both? So far I am really not all that impressed with the Sennheiser MX 500, and am still looking for small earbuds to use at work...

Sorry MX500 fans... I admit these are excellent for the small amount of cash I left at the store... but even so, sound is lightyears behind of that would please me.

I'm not sure why I don't fall for the MX 500. Bass isn't bad, but to my ears, it seems that there is a lack of detail, I feel I am missing too much from the music. Maybe their are a bit darker than I'm used to. (Senn HD590/CD3000 fan). Also, I'd prefer a wider soudstage...

Since the Etymotic design probably won't be practical (I have to remove them often)... maybe the Sony E888 are a good choice?

I will be using them mostly in relatively quiet environments (at the office) and never outdoors, so maybe any added detail with the 888 might be worth the extra $$$.


So far, search engine magic gave me a few guidelines...

""The MX500s sound a little dark, more bass than the E888s, less midrange and a slightly tamer treble..." - ?

"At HIGH volume (8/10 on the D-E905) the E888s lose most of their bass definition,
the mids completely flood the mix, and there is sibilance galore, making this a
very unpleasant experience."
-Duncan

"I'll take the E888 any day of the week. It loses on price-performance, but it's
still worth every penny; we aren't talking R10 levels of cash here, anyway. I found
its sound more elegant, smooth, and refined than the MX500's. It loses on the low end,
but the sweet mids and glittering highs triumph."

"But for what it's worth, when I'm sitting around at home in the dead middle of the night,
2AM, and there isn't a peep in the world to disturb me, the 888s definitely trump the MX500s."
-Vertigo-1

"the 888 sounds more airy, transparent, detailed, things that just give it an edge over the MX500s
if you're looking to simply get the best earphones possible, money aside. In comparison the MX500s
had a slightly thicker midrange and a bit more of a boomy bass, and the treble detail wasn't as good.
Transparency particularly suffered compared to the 888s, I was just simply hearing more there in the
music with the 888s. <..> But despite this, I keep the MX500s in my backpack, and not the 888s. Why?
Because once I step out that door, the above becomes irrelevant. And I'd rather have my 10lbs books
smash the MX500s than smash my 888s. "
-Vertigo-1

"That aside... to my ears:
888: good midrange, poor bass, OK treble.
500: OK midrange, good bass, OK-to-good treble.
So the 500 come out slightly ahead in overall sound. Plus they cost $15 compared to $50-$60 for the 888.
So to me, it's a clear choice.
" - MacDEF

888:

Anyone else has tried both? Price doesn't count this time.. I'm looking for the best sound... Can the E888 kick Senn butt?

 

[joelongwood]

I actually prefer the MX500s to the E888s. Even though I find the midrange of the E888s to be fuller and more lush, I like the increased clarity of the MX500s. The E888s sound as if the highs are rolled off a bit in comparison. The MX500s sound a bit more dynamic to me. At least that's my opinion.

 

[MacDEF]

search engine... search engine... search engine...

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...ht=500+and+888

 

[blr]

I have both and to me there is no clear winner. If you want more upfront sound IMO the 888s won´t deliver. They´re also warm sounding. To me their major positive side is the liquid midrange (but sometimes overpresent) and great soundstage for an earbud.
Yesterday I found the solution- Aiwa. Look at my trhread. The Aiwas have similar sound to the Senns but are clearer and with more detail.

 

[beowulf]

I did search. Head-Fi, HeadWize, Google, and pretty much everything Copernic threw at me.
But wasn't still happy with the amount of info... looking for some fresher comments, especially from people with both the MX500 and the 888.

And tell you what... considering that I'm truly happy with my MDR-CD3000, I decided to give Sony another chance... I ordered the 888 today at a local store. That will be the best way to find out if they are better or not...

They will cost me 62 Euros. The Sennheiser MX500 cost me less than 15 Euros.

The math is simple.. you can buy 4 Sennheiser MX500 with the price of one Sony 888.... are the 888 4 times as good? I'll see when the order arrives....

Blr: I looked for the Aiwa today, but couldn't find that model. I did find other (cheaper) Aiwas with the air cushion system, they looked comfy, but didn't risk getting one of those unknown models.

 

[Audio-Me]

The real question is, are the 888s 4x crappier than the MX500?

I haven't heard the Sony earstuffers, so I can't answer that for ya. However, MX500 rocks the god damn ship with JMT CHA-47 (dual 9v, 470uf caps). *award in price/performance portable excellence. Pretty good straight out of pana 570 for those times where minimal mobility is a must.

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

And tell you what... considering that I'm truly happy with my MDR-CD3000, I decided to give Sony another chance... I ordered the 888 today at a local store. That will be the best way to find out if they are better or not...

I'm anxious to hear what you think in comparison to the CD3000s.......to my ears, the E888 and CD3000 sound nothing like each other. The E888, with it's lush midrange, is closer in sound characteristics to the CD1700. Keep us posted, beowulf.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by beowulf The math is simple.. you can buy 4 Sennheiser MX500 with the price of one Sony 888.... are the 888 4 times as good? I'll see when the order arrives....

That's pretty much the logic I use; from the other thread:

888: good midrange, poor bass, OK treble.
500: OK midrange, good bass, OK-to-good treble.

So the MX-500 come out slightly ahead in overall sound, for 1/4 the cost.

(But I like the Koss KSC-35 better than *both* of these headphones, and they serve much the same purpose: comfortable, small, inexpensive, portable use.)

So for the $50 to $60 that the 888 cost, I could get two pairs of headphones that I like better (MX-500 and KSC-35).

 

[jpelg]

are the 888 4 times as good?

Assuming that both earbuds are within your ability to afford either, the question is really if the 888's are even the slightest bit better than the 500's. If they are, and you can afford them without questioning the price, regardless of the comparable price of the Senn's, then they may be worth it to you. I think they would to me.

What I am liking about earbuds lately is that, unlike conventional full-size phones, they have a potentially greater ability to suspend your disbelief that you are listening to private earphones. Assuming you find a model that fits your ears comfortably and stays put without any fuss, then they can provide a close-to-speaker-like experience, albeit usually without the range (Etymotics probably being the exception, of course, which is why I am saving up).

So the MX-500 come out slightly ahead in overall sound, for 1/4 the cost.

Uh, that depends if you prefer bass over midrange. Not necessarily for everyone.

MacDEF

What happened to your head?!!!

 

[Audio-Me]

Mac, are you talking amped or straight pcdp? How do the MX500 sound of of the max?

I'm a midrange sucker. This is making me nervous. When you say good midrange, could you be more specific? Remember I'm all about tone as well (richness, lush timbre).

Warmth and smoothness are huge plus, sparkly sweet laid back highs would add to the touch. (this is my tastes for all audio, hehe)

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by jpelg Quote: So the MX-500 come out slightly ahead in overall sound, for 1/4 the cost. Uh, that depends if you prefer bass over midrange. Not necessarily for everyone.

Very good point. I was talking about my personal feelings, but wasn't clear. Thanks for pointing that out.

Quote:

What happened to your head?!!!

Funny how for the past 9 months noone has asked "What happened to your body?!!!"

Quote:

Originally posted by Audio&Me Mac, are you talking amped or straight pcdp? How do the MX500 sound of of the max?

Well, unlike the KSC-35, which sound much better with the Max than they do out of a portable, there isn't as big of a difference with the MX-500.

Quote:

I'm a midrange sucker. This is making me nervous. When you say good midrange, could you be more specific? Remember I'm all about tone as well (richness, lush timbre). Warmth and smoothness are huge plus, sparkly sweet laid back highs would add to the touch. (this is my tastes for all audio, hehe)

The 888 are famous (or notorious, depending on your POV) for having as "lush" of a midrange as you can get from an earbud. But they don't have great bass or highs. If midrange is more important to you than anything else, the 888 are definitely for you.

 

[Audio-Me]

I'd rather not dish out $50 to Sony, what about the Etys?

I'll get a chance to try them at the headroom tour (I hope). Then again, they're not exactly mobile are they? (microphonics, thud dud, thump, ahhhh)

 

[beowulf]

Well, I finally got the Sony MDR-E888LP a couple of hours ago. I have them here next to me together with the Sennheiser MX 500 and the Sony MDR-CD 3000 (I'm using it as the point of reference).

I'm spinning some tracks on the "Beowulf Audiophile CD" (Chesky stuff and tracks I collected here and there) and have no conclusions yet.

For now, there is something I truly hate on the 888 and love on the MX500. The plastic case. The case of the MX500 is a perfect example of simplicity with absolutely perfect usability. Only 2 plastic pieces, yet, very fast to coil the wire, decent looking and a good shape.
The 888 case is truly a joke. The little "door" made to break after a week or so, manual coiling, strange shape (stick that in your pocket and people will ask if you have a starwars phaser sticking out of your pocket).

Fortunately, the 888 fit nicely on the Senn's case, so if I start using them, at least I keep the case...

But will I replace the MX 500 with the 4x more expensive 888 that fast? Still trying to find out...

CD3000...888...MX500....888....MX500....CD3000.... MX500.....888....MX500....888.... boy, testing headphones is tiring...

 

[Superbaldguy]

I'm comparing the 888's to my MX 400's, which are identical to the 500's, minus the volume control. The 888's simply snuggle into my ears, better, and do have a better, overall sound.

Lately, I've been using my MDR-D22SL's for most of my listenting, and, for times when the traffic is relatively quiet and I want THUMP, I use my KSC-35's.

 

[beowulf]

I didn't know that. Do the MX400 really exactly the same drivers used in the MX500? Is that little volume control on the cable the only difference?