[rnd]

I've been contemplating trying some high-end earphones for portable use. I've read all the reviews about sound quality, etc. so I won't ask about that. But what I'm wondering about it comfort and isolation. I don't know if I could get used to putting canalphones deep in my ear like Etys, but I've never had a problem with my cheepo EX71 regarding comfort. They're actually very comfortable for me - let's not get into the sound though.

If anyone has experienced both, are the Shures similar to the EX71 in that regard or more like the Etys? As for isolation, the EX71 has almost none in my experience. Do the Shures isolate more or roughly the same?

 

[memorex]

I've got the e2c's and the isolation is pretty good- riding my bike with them got more dangerous because I couldn't hear as much.

Other than that, the sound quality, I thought, was great, and very detailed. I heard things that I'd never heard before-- Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit song (I think that's the one) has an odd kind of crunch in the main guitar riff which was very odd and thought it was something wrong with the shure's, but it's actually there, it's just really hard to hear otherwise.

They come with 3 sizes of sponge for your ear and the smallest ones seemed to work the best for me.

My complaint is only that after using them for ~6 months everywhere I went, and -small- amounts of jogging and bike riding, I can't get stereo any more without fiddling with the jack... the jack seems to have worn down, so without a jack replacement, they're basically useless to me now.

 

[deadlierchair]

Quote:

Originally Posted by memorex My complaint is only that after using them for ~6 months everywhere I went, and -small- amounts of jogging and bike riding, I can't get stereo any more without fiddling with the jack... the jack seems to have worn down, so without a jack replacement, they're basically useless to me now.

That same thing happened to me, luckily they have a warranty so I sent them back in and they just sent me a new box of E2c's.

 

[rnd]

But do they go real deep into your ear? In looking at them they look like they would fit in the ear very similar to the Sony EX71, which does not go all that deep.

 

[deadlierchair]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnd But do they go real deep into your ear? In looking at them they look like they would fit in the ear very similar to the Sony EX71, which does not go all that deep.

The way I have mine stuck in, you cannot see the plastic tips, just the actual earpiece, that's how far I stick mine in. They don't need to go super far, just enough to be comfortable and provide isolation.

 

[Mr Iriver]

Comfort and isolation

The ety's go deeper than the shures. As far as how deep the shures go, the answer is they go closer to how the etys, rather than the Ex71. The shures are very comfortable, though not Ex71 comfortable. The shures are more comfortable than the ER4, but the Etys are easier to get a good seal with. In my opinion neither etys, shures goes super far, both are comfortable, and they all isolate greatly especially the ER4. the only discomfort I find is the vacum pressure felling on the ear.

 

[Cyclone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnd But do they go real deep into your ear? In looking at them they look like they would fit in the ear very similar to the Sony EX71, which does not go all that deep.

if you take your pinky finger and put it in your ear completely horizontally without pushing real hard, the shures go anywhere from 4-7mm farther inside because they bend around and actually go into your ear canal, you can have them deeper but i find it uneccessary and uncomfortable/wierd and you can get a good suction seal by just going in 4 or 5mm's in.

 

[rnd]

Thanks, that helps me understand very well. Not sure if I could get used to that or not - sounds sort of freaky actually. The ex71 just doesn't go in at all like that - but then it doesn't isolate much or sound very good either.

Thanks for the clear descriptions!