Sennheiser mx500, mx550, and Shure e2c comparison

[gator12090]

Hi, I have basically narrowed it down to these three headphones. The reason why I put the e2c's in is because I can get them for around $50 on ebay or something. I cannot find the mx500's in any store near me, but I can find the mx550's. I know that the mx500s are supposed to be better, but the fact that it is not in stores is a downside. So my question is: Are the mx550's really that bad; and are the e2c's worth the extra $30 - $40 more than the mx line? Also, is there any other in-ear earphone that I can get that is better in this $20 - $50 pricerange?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[Kirosia]

The ety er-6 can now be found for $50. It's a decent portable phone. Not great, but it does the job.

 

[Andrea]

How did you get to think that MX550s are bad?

I've long had various pairs of MX500 (& also 300, and one 400); now, I have recently tried the MX450s and, to me, they're simply just better.
In fact I soon bought a second pair (you know, they felt 'precious'

).
Their only downside face to face with MX500 is the lesser presence of the bass.
For the rest, they're better throughout. Bass clearer; mids crisper (not harsh!), more 'inviting'; highs just much more there (this being the most significant improvement i.m.o).
I find them better balanced than the 500, bass notwithstanding, and this even without the foams on.
Instead, I could never find a satisfactory compromise with the 500: without the foams the fit was too bad and the sound too thin; with the foams on, the highs were overly cut off, and the transients ...vanished.
I wouldn't think twice, and just consider the MX450 or 550, depending on your views on that volume control... .

 

[funnytimes]

ety er6 for $50 was a rare one time deal, kinda like Sony V6 for ~$30. Its an excellent portable phone, very close to Ety ER4

oh and are all the sennheiser x50 buds straight plug?

shure e2c is a great canalphone, its pretty bassy by canalphone standards, and has rolled off treble like other shure canalphones. However, I did not like the comfort. The e2c are by far the heaviest canalphones, and the cable is rather thick.

sony ex71 are in-ear phones, not quite as isolating and less of a hassle than canalphones. bassy

 

[kramer5150]

How important is isolation to you?
Isolation of the e2c is the best in that bunch. If you dont need isolation there are better choices for the $$$. IMHO the extra 30-40$ is worth it only if you need isloation. IMHO they are very comfortable, and extremely well built.

IMHO the EX## series recessed mids, severely harsh treble, and congestion across 20-20K range make it the least favorable of the bunch.

Ive never heard an MD33 so I cant comment.

Garrett

 

[Hell_Gopher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea How did you get to think that MX550s are bad? I've long had various pairs of MX500 (& also 300, and one 400); now, I have recently tried the MX450s and, to me, they're simply just better. In fact I soon bought a second pair (you know, they felt 'precious' ). Their only downside face to face with MX500 is the lesser presence of the bass. For the rest, they're better throughout. Bass clearer; mids crisper (not harsh!), more 'inviting'; highs just much more there (this being the most significant improvement i.m.o). I find them better balanced than the 500, bass notwithstanding, and this even without the foams on. Instead, I could never find a satisfactory compromise with the 500: without the foams the fit was too bad and the sound too thin; with the foams on, the highs were overly cut off, and the transients ...vanished. I wouldn't think twice, and just consider the MX450 or 550, depending on your views on that volume control... .

Man, I probably have the exactly opposite experience! Had the MX500s for years, got the MX550 and have had it for a couple of weeks. I found the bass had way more presence and impact in the 550. Apart from that, I found it worse than the 500: shrill, nasty treble and a lot more open - they leak a LOT more. They're a lot easier to power though...if that's a consideration...

 

[fr4c]

heres my thought on the mx500 and the revised mx550:

mx500: everything is nice and very enjoyable. good performance and price ratio. construction is pretty solid and ultra portable. right angle plug adds convenience. the only problem i had with them was that it felt like something was missing from the sound; sorta gave you a "held back" sound.

mx550: just as enjoyable as the older mx500, but with cleaner and more upfront highs and upper mids. the bass was much tighter, not as boomy as the mx500 IMO. straight plugs for added convenience if you plan on using a remote with your DAP. construction is good, but looks very nimble and cheap compared to the mx500, which had much thicker cables.

so my conclusion on these 2 products is that sennheiser focused their aim on cleaning up the sound of the mx550, but sacrificed build quality over that.

 

[ssingh0]

where can you get er 6 for $50?

 

[MD1032]

Ugh! Why do people title their threads a comparison if they're NOT COMPARING ANYTHING?!?!?! MY GOD PEOPLE!!!!!!!!

Disappointment aside, I have yet to try the E2c's myself but am in the process of aquiring a pair. I can tell you the MX400's are fine phones for what they are, and very highly portable.

 

[funnytimes]

there was a sale at the palmone.com store, but its long over.

 

[midnight cowboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by funnytimes there was a sale at the palmone.com store, but its long over.

Why taunt us with this information?

 

[Cyclone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr4c so my conclusion on these 2 products is that sennheiser focused their aim on cleaning up the sound of the mx550, but sacrificed build quality over that.

what were the build quality issues? they look alot better than the 500's (i dont like the dark/black blue.

also i cant find these anywhere. can you get them in the U.S. or no?

 

[Andrea]

Maybe you would find the MX450 more easily...
They're so good by themselves, and I wouldn't even deny that they could happen to be the better of the 'line', without that silly in-line-volume-control and retaining the same quality as the 550 for the rest.

 

[fr4c]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclone what were the build quality issues? they look alot better than the 500's (i dont like the dark/black blue. also i cant find these anywhere. can you get them in the U.S. or no?

i find the cord attachment on the mx550 to be very flimsy looking. if you compare it with the older mx500, its also a lot thinner (good or bad thing). i have both, but i prefer the sound of the mx550 over mx500. IMO, the mx550 sounds a lot clearer and detailed than the mx500.

i brought the mx550 from my local Circuit City store, but you could probably get them cheaper online.

 

[bmorrison]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gator12090 Are the mx550's really that bad?

IMO, yes. Maybe it was a fit issue, but I started to hate mine by the time I got rid of it. There was no bass at all, the lower treble was too bright, and the upper treble had a roll-off similar to the E2C's. I didn't like how much sound they leaked either.

Quote:

and are the e2c's worth the extra $30 - $40 more than the mx line?

Not to me they aren't. My E2c really frustrates me. It does a lot of things so well, but the midrange is so "shouty" and aggressive that I just can't focus on the music when I listen to them.

Quote:

Also, is there any other in-ear earphone that I can get that is better in this $20 - $50 pricerange?

My favorite earphone in this price range is actually the MX400. I've got two pairs of MX500s and my MX400 sounds better than either -- crisper treble, less muddy bass. It could just be the item-to-item variation, or it could be that not having the volume control in-line cleans up the sound a touch, but I like the MX400 better than any of the other 'phones you mentioned without even taking price into consideration.

Still, some people here whose opinions I generally trust prefer the MX550. My advice? Get both the MX400 and the MX450. You should be able to get them both for around $10-14 each, so you'll still be on the low end of your budget. You may find that you prefer one or the other with certain types of music. I don't know of any headphone in that price range that's good for all types of music.