[jhawksley]

Ok guys i am completely new to head-fi, so bear with me. I've had my 3rd generation 15gb ipod for about 2 years, and have gone through 3 sets of headphones; the stock earbuds, some 10$ sonys, as well as some 20$ sonys. But i want more. I am looking for something less than 140$ that will be a big step up from what i am using, and have been consiedering the e3cs and the UE3s.

I ask of the community: which pair is better suited for ipods, and more importantly, a better value?

 

[jagorev]

I think the Etymotic er-6i is a great value. If your iPod has a weak bass output, the Ety should make up for that.

 

[orfeo]

i love my er6's and i don't want to trash the name, but, after mine have died after only a year or so of use i don't think they're suited to portable use (or perhaps even any long tern use). While the sound quality is great the build quality is terrible. A thin flimsy cord just isn't enough for eveyday use. I think i heard someone say the shure line has a better build construction. Also i assume all UE phones have the replacable cord? (like the 5.pro's), which would be great for extending the long term life of the product.

orfeo

 

[Oistrakh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagorev I think the Etymotic er-6i is a great value. If your iPod has a weak bass output, the Ety should make up for that.

ok...we get it...You really love your ER-6i, no need to repeat yourself on every thread about IEMs

plus this thread is about Shure E3c and Superfi3 and wants to know which of those two are better...

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh ok...we get it...You really love your ER-6i, no need to repeat yourself on every thread about IEMs plus this thread is about Shure E3c and Superfi3 and wants to know which of those two are better...

Whoa. Feel free to suggest whatever you like. If OP is looking for IEMs in this range, the Ety is a natural suggestion...not really irrelevant.

 

[Sczervok]

jhawksley although has declared the consideration of the e3c and SF3, he might have not run across the er6 yet. Judging by his post, I would not be suprised if that is the case. jhawksley, if you indeed have decided to throw out all other IEM choices at this price range, please do correct me.

e3cs cost a bunch more than the SF3, $130 and $80 respectively. The e3s are a lot less noticible, whereas the SFs actually stick out a bit from the head.

The e3c uses a smallish stem for fitting on the tips. It is the most common sized tube on IEMs, and has the most compatable tips. They can handle triflanges, whereas the SFs can only use biflanges. Both however can handle foams.

The er6 is known to have cord breakage, but that can be somewhat helped by both careful handling and a 90 degree adapter for the cord.

Also consider the Westone UM1, which is also rather hard to see, especially when looking face to face with the wearer.

www.earphonesolutions.com is a good choice for cheap prices.

 

[Homeless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagorev I think the Etymotic er-6i is a great value. If your iPod has a weak bass output, the Ety should make up for that.

Did you say the ety's will make up for weak bass and make it better? Last time I used the ety's I noticed the lack of bass...btw, I'd go for the E3's...why? because I have them...lol

 

[rick1970]

E3 without a doubt. I had the sf3 studio for about a week and just couldn't force myself to be satisfied with them. I thought the sf3 were just too lacking on the bass end (especially on pre-5th gen. iPods) and the treble can get a little harsh at times. The E3 has a better overall sound if you don't mind the bumped up mids. The E3 also seems to have a sturdier build quality.

You probably should also consider the UM1 as someone else also mentioned. I have not heard them myself but I have seen a lot of favorable reviews and appear to be a good value. If you are willing to consider used, look around for a good price on the E4.

 

[creyc]

I think you may be confusing the Ety's with something else in terms of bass response. They are notably thin in this area, not to the point they are undesirable just to the point that they don't compliment bass-heavy tracks, like electronic, hip hop, funk, etc...

To directly answer your question, I would go with the UE Studio 3s. To me the Shures are a bit shrill and harsh sounding, though this of course depends greatly on the user and their ears. The Etymotics are I feel, between the two but unfortunately due to their build quality and fragility I can't recommend them. Check out earphonesolutions.com for great prices on IEMs.

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by creyc I think you may be confusing the Ety's with something else in terms of bass response. They are notably thin in this area, not to the point they are undesirable just to the point that they don't compliment bass-heavy tracks, like electronic, hip hop, funk, etc... To directly answer your question, I would go with the UE Studio 3s. To me the Shures are a bit shrill and harsh sounding, though this of course depends greatly on the user and their ears. The Etymotics are I feel, between the two but unfortunately due to their build quality and fragility I can't recommend them. Check out earphonesolutions.com for great prices on IEMs.

For bass response, I'd put it this way:

1. Shure e3c
2. Etymotic er-6i with foam tips
3. super.fi3

Once you get a good seal, er-6i bass is really very good...and you have great mids and highs to boot.

 

[jhawksley]

Based on you reccomendations, i have decided that i will buy a pair of e3c/e3g headphones. Now the obvious question arises: where can i get the best deal?

Thanks for the help,
Joel

 

[LaBreaHead]

Don't pay the $179 list. I got mine on sale for around $129 (maybe a little less), and at that price, I'm very pleased. Check the Head-Fi sponsors and e-mail them for price quotes.