Shure E4c.... am I missing something???

[wakeride74]

I just got my E4c's yesterday and was very excited, nice package with lots-o-tips and a little zip case. I messed around with some tips to find the best ones for comfort before plugging in.

Once I found the tips that worked best for my ears I plugged into my Headroom Micro> iriver H10 20gb and played Alison Krauss...

Initial thoughts... huh???? this can't be right... they sounded like crap! Far too bright, flat and tiny lacking any punch, bass and the fullness I have been used to. And yes I did adjust eq, bass, and other settings on my source which only made minimal differences.

This was my first IEM purchase and I know my equip is decent because my DT770-250 and HD650's sound great through the same gear.

My question... are mine bad or is this just how they sound??? I don't see the appeal to IEM's apart from the size of course.

 

[elnero]

Are you sure you're getting a proper seal? That's one thing I noticed with the Shures when I first got them, I thought I had a seal but in reality I didn't. When I didn't have a proper seal the sound was thin, bright and lacked any bass energy. With a proper seal it's pretty much the opposite, the bass fills out and becomes tight and punchy, mids come forward and the highs smooth out for what IMO out of my Rio Carbon is one of the best sonically balanced headphones I've heard.

 

[catscratch]

Check your seal. If you're not noticing greater bass amounts with bass EQ, then chances are you're not getting a good seal in the first place. I would suggest trying different kinds of tips. In the canalphone world, you cannot rely on other people's experiences with tips since everyone's ears are shaped differently, so try as many tips as you can until you find something that works.

 

[Jamey Warren]

Sounds like you're missing a good seal.

 

[warpdriver]

The e4C isn't a bright sounding IEM, so I'd suspect bad seal.

 

[jagger333]

actually that's what i thought when i first got the E4C...there is a noticeable difference with burn-in

 

[Jamey Warren]

You'll most likely get better at inserting them over the next few days. I'd give yourself at least that much time to get accustomed to them. Maybe longer. It is helpful to moisten the tip if you're using the rubber tip. I usually do this by moistening my finger and wrapping it around the outside. This keeps any excessive moisture out of the filter. Licking them is a bad idea.

Cheers,
Jamey

 

[Caboose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamey It is helpful to moisten the tip if you're using the rubber tip. I usually do this by moistening my finger and wrapping it around the outside.

Jamey, Thanks for the clarification. Just in case there was anyone thinking you actually licked your ear canal

.......sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[wakeride74]

seal huh.... interesting, I guess I'll have to play around with it and see what kind of results I can get. Does the foam vs. rubber change the SQ?

I thought it was because I am so used to the fullness and warmth I get from my other cans it made these sound bad by comparison. I am very partial to my 650's and did not expect competition for them but I just couldn't believe that a $200 pair of IEM's would fall so short (with respect to cost vs. SQ).

I will run through different tips and see how much I can improve them, thanks for tips...bad pun

 

[some1x]

It is impossible to predict which tips work best for your ears.

For me, the foam tips sound best BY FAR. I already ordered 14 spare pairs of foam tips. Make sure you roll the foam tips right before inserting them into your ears, and don't let the phones move around until the foam expands.

 

[BRBJackson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakeride74 I messed around with some tips to find the best ones for comfort before plugging in.

Just an FYI. the most comfotable tips are not always the best for seal. I'd suggest that you play around with more options to see if your sound improves, find the best candidate regardless of comfort, THEN spend a few days to see if you acciimate to the feel of them.

Have you tried tri-flanges?

 

[warpdriver]

Foams are usually better for most people in terms of seal.

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakeride74 I just got my E4c's yesterday and was very excited, nice package with lots-o-tips and a little zip case. I messed around with some tips to find the best ones for comfort before plugging in. Once I found the tips that worked best for my ears I plugged into my Headroom Micro> iriver H10 20gb and played Alison Krauss... Initial thoughts... huh???? this can't be right... they sounded like crap! Far too bright, flat and tiny lacking any punch, bass and the fullness I have been used to. And yes I did adjust eq, bass, and other settings on my source which only made minimal differences. This was my first IEM purchase and I know my equip is decent because my DT770-250 and HD650's sound great through the same gear. My question... are mine bad or is this just how they sound??? I don't see the appeal to IEM's apart from the size of course.

I suspect its a poor seal... experiment to get the right fit.
My e2c sounded much bassier post burn in.

Not familiar with that amp. Im a strong believer in amp-can synergy. The DT770-250 and HD650 are high impedence, low sensitivity cans. I believe all the shure canal phones are the drastic opposite... low impedence high sensitivity. Is that amp designed for low impedence / high current loads?

one more thing... canal phones and full sized cans are apples/oranges. Dont expect a $250 canal phone to keep up with a $250 full sized can.

????

Garrett

 

[dskywalker]

The seal affects sound quality a lot. For me, the yellow foamies, gray soft sleeves all work fine. But when I tried those clear ones, o man, nothing sounds right. So I suggest try out everything that comes with it. Heh even the er-4p flanges work on my e4c.

 

[wakeride74]

Quote:

Not familiar with that amp. Im a strong believer in amp-can synergy. The DT770-250 and HD650 are high impedence, low sensitivity cans. I believe all the shure canal phones are the drastic opposite... low impedence high sensitivity. Is that amp designed for low impedence / high current loads?

Not sure, but I have a SM3 on the way which seems a bit more geared to the IEM class so well se what difference that makes.

Quote:

one more thing... canal phones and full sized cans are apples/oranges. Dont expect a $250 canal phone to keep up with a $250 full sized can.

I don't expect them to keep up but I expect to hear my $$ worth as I am not only paying for size, if that was the case I'd use the stock iriver's.

Quote:

Have you tried tri-flanges?

I'm assuming those are the white ones with three separate flares. Those were the ones that were most comfortable and my basis for this opinion, though I still need to run through the foamys.