[Jeffreybar]

I haven't blown any money on headphones in a while, so I'm thinking about buying some e3s. I've done some research on here, and they sound like a potentially good match for me, but there are a lot of conflicting opinions. Here's what I've thought of the canalphones I have owned so far:

E2Cs (my current phones): I really like these phones, strangely enough. I love the visceral impact of them, bass is good, and they are quite comfortable for me. I wish they had a little bit more separation & resolution though. Also, I find them to be a bit sibilant at times.

ER4Ps: I didn't really like these phones. Good detail & instrument separation, but they just sounded thin & unmusical, and had very little bass & zero visceral impact. I actually liked the ergonomics of them, however, when I used them with the huge foam tips. I know I'm in the minority on this one though.

E5Cs: I liked the sound of these phones a lot, but the ergonomics drove me nuts. I'd say that for 80% of what I listen to, these would be the best-sounding of the 3 phones, probably 15% would be the E2s (because they are more visceral than the E5s, I don't care what anyone says to the contrary), and like 5% would be the ER4Ps. I hated the physical design, though. They were just a serious pain to put in and take out and get a good seal. Both the ER4Ps and E2s were way superior in those respects.


I feel pretty confident that the E3s would be good ergonomically, since they sit more like the E2s than the E5s, but I guess I'm a little concerned about the sound. Do they sound closest to E2s, ER4Ps, or E5s? I guess I worry that they will sound more like the ER4Ps than the E2s or E5s. I know they're a bit bass-shy compared to the E2s, which isn't a huge deal, so long as they're not as bass-shy as the ER4Ps. Also, are the E3s closer in visceralness and warmth to the E2s or to the ER4Ps?



thanks!

 

[Oski]

I really like my E3c phones, but why not wait a month and get the E4c when it comes out? Based on early accounts, it seems to have a nicely balanced presentation with good extension on the top and bottom compared to the E3c and even E5c. It is also just a tad more streamlined than the E3c so it should fit your needs ergonomically. Otherwise if you decide on the E3c, get ready to poach them for cheap on the FS forum when the current crop of E3c owners ditch them in favor of the E4c (as I will be doing if the trade-in option doesn't seem compelling enough).

As for the E3c, I really enjoy mine. I find the sound full and warm. While it's a bit less pronounced in the top end compared to the ER-4 (based on anecdotal information on this board, I've not heard the ER-4 for myself), I find that the detail is still there, just not in your face in a hyper-real type of way. It also presents a decent soundstage with good placement of instrumentation. The bass is also very punchy, and is exceptional when amped, at which point it takes on the visceral quality that you are talking about and is full of percussive energy.

Good luck on your choice and I hope you enjoy whatever phones you get.

 

[stevesurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oski I find the sound full and warm. While it's a bit less pronounced in the top end compared to the ER-4

I'm in a similar position, but my ears are too sensitive to highs and the EX-71s can almost be painful at times! So now I'm trying to decide between e3 now or e4 later.

 

[Oski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevesurf I'm in a similar position, but my ears are too sensitive to highs and the EX-71s can almost be painful at times! So now I'm trying to decide between e3 now or e4 later.

Okay, I just put on my EX-70s (which should be very similar to the 71s) through the SR-71. Right away my ears were engulfed by boomy, loose, lazy bass. Once I recovered from that initial affront, I was assailed by shrill sibilance. There is really not much soundstage, with everything collapsing in the middle with no depth to speak of. It is unfathomable that there should be a camp on Head-Fi that actually prefer the EX-70/71 to the E3c! By the way, I'm only being this harsh on these Sony buds because I know you have much better headphones, the EX-81 I think are much improved over its predecessors...though still not in the league of the E3c.

Now that I put the E3cs back on, audio order has been restored. All the sounds now snap into focus and spread out in space. The bass is articulate and the treble...ACTUALLY sounds more pronounced than the EX-70s! However this is due mostly to the better clarity, but is a bit mellower and not as harsh like the EX-70. So I'm not sure if your sensitivity is to sibilance or to higher pitched sounds. If it's to higher frequency sound you may have to get phones that really roll off the top or reduce the treble through EQ (it's use I don't really advocate always). But, again based on initial impressions from people that have actually heard the E4c, the E4c has more treble than the E3c and reduced mid-bass hump (generally more extended and flatter response). So given your sensitivity, the E3c may be better suited...and cheaper too.

Edit: I just tried the EX-70 and the E3c unamped throught the iPod mini headphone out directly. The wildly boomy and hissy EX-70 amped appear to be less so unamped, but is still sibilant and splashy. In this comparison the E3c treble seems to be much more subdued. So the E3c may very well work for you.

 

[stevesurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oski If it's to higher frequency sound you may have to get phones that really roll off the top or reduce the treble through EQ (it's use I don't really advocate always). But, again based on initial impressions from people that have actually heard the E4c, the E4c has more treble than the E3c and reduced mid-bass hump (generally more extended and flatter response). So given your sensitivity, the E3c may be better suited...and cheaper too.

Thanks, Oski! I really feel from what I've heard that the e3c's will do just fine for me. My source is an iPod Mini; good SQ, but the EQ is pretty awful - it just distorts. I really can't use the equalizer preset in iTunes, because I also use the Mini with the SR-71/HD595 combo, which I really like.

Now if only the e3c can look like the e4s, but I'm not buying 'em for looks, right?

 

[number1sixerfan]

I'd wait for the e4cs. They should be better than the e3cs and I love my e3cs when I had them. They are like grado canalphones.

 

[Jeffreybar]

thanks for the suggestions Oski, you may be right...but before my thread gets further hijacked, is there anyone who has heard the e2s, e3s, ER4Ps, and E5s who can give me a response?

thanks

 

[stevesurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffreybar thanks for the suggestions Oski, you may be right...but before my thread gets further hijacked, is there anyone who has heard the e2s, e3s, ER4Ps, and E5s who can give me a response? thanks

Sorry,for the hijack Jeff...I have heard all the Shures and heard a big difference between e2s and e3s, the e3s having very accurate soundstage all the way from lows to highs; they were definitely not "boomy" like my EX-71s. I heard very little, if no difference (I was demoing them in an airport) between e3s and e5s; in fact I found the cables extremely annoying.

 

[IC-Silencer]

In Google i found some Photos of the new Shure E4c. The Design looks .....

http://ipodstudio.com/photopost/show.../cat/544/page/

.....brrrrrrrr.....like an i pod

Marco

(Sorry for my big size proile and my bad English)

 

[Mr Iriver]

I can't help much as the only shure phone I have heard is the E3, and on the Ety side the ER4, and ER6i. The ety's (ER4 only) I think have an exagerated WOW detailed treble. This WOW detail effect seems to be just an exxareation in the treble. THe bass and mids of both the Etys is thin boring and dead. The shures in comparison have rolled off highs which can be fixed through equalizer, and have excellent midrange, and more bass that is still clean. The midrange is the thing I love about the shures. It makes the vocals on the etys mids sound dead compared to the shures. The shure midrange sounds very lush and alive. The bass, If you equalize can give you vicseral impact (some say close to E5 depending on the boost of the lower frequencies.). The best part is that this bass retains its cleaness. The highs are shure's weakness however. Like I said you can fix them through equalization. If you lie E2cs highs then you'll love E3s highs as they are better but not exagerated like etys.

 

[Jeffreybar]

Thanks Mr. Iriver. That's pretty much what I was looking for. I don't particularly care about the lack of highs (a bit more than the e2s would be nice, but it seems I'm more sensitive than most to treble -- unequalized, the er4ps sound like a tinny old AM radio to me). I was mostly concerned about the overall sound signature of the e3s, which, if I understand correctly, should be closer to that of an e5 than the er4p, just with less bass and resolution.

-jeff

 

[Mr Iriver]

I have never listened to E2c nor E5c. From what I have read E3c have better mids and highs than the E2c, and also better bass, though the bass is not as loud, but rather more accurate. The E5c seem to carry the same type of sound, but with a much more powerful bass, and an even better high end than the E3. I do, have listened to the ER4, and ER6i however. The ER4 and ER6i sound similar, except that the ER4 sound way better, though with the same sound flavor. Becuase of this I would expect that all shures have a similar sound flavor/signature. The etys and the shures however sound very different. The etys exagerate the highs to allow the user to hear fake detail, meanwhile shure's highs are the opposite (rolled off). This is fixed with equalization (Even after equalizing, the ER4 still has better highs however). The etys mids are thin and boring the shures mids lush and alive (equalizing the Etys I found only makes the mids louder, however they stay thin sounding). Bass on the Etys is very nicely detailed (more than shure's) though not as real sounding in my opinion as the shure bass which is louder and thicker still clean sounding (again equalizing the ety's here gives you louder bass, which stays thin in comparison to shures bass). As far as the resolution it seems E3's bass is cleaner. Read this thread on comments of bass of E3 vs E5c http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...15#post1066215.
I hope this helps.