[Joeywhat]

I have a quick question for you guys...I currently have some Sony MDR-EX71 earbuds that I find fairly enjoyable. I work in a loud environment, so sound quality isn't terribly important. I would like some more comfortable/better isolating buds, though.

I have yet to find a freq. response graph for the Sony's, however. What I'm wondering is if the high end is as awful as the Shure's (going by the graphs only). Also, how does the bass compare? I find the Sony's to have pretty good bass, and I'd like to keep that. Again, since I work in a loud environment, it's not necessary that the high end be amazing...just at least equal to the Sony's.

I'd like to stay under $200...$150 is preferred. I'm open to other suggestions as well, although I do prefer foam cushions as opposed to silicone.

 

[pez]

Super.fi 5 EB's are what's coming to my head.

 

[jinx20001]

lets make one thing clear, frequency response graphs do not tell you the quality of sound produced but simply what the phones can produce at what volume level.

the shures high end is not bad, its what some people call smooth and warm, which basically means the higher the sound gets the quieter it gets,which some people prefer in a big way.

bass is bass and it depends what you want and ofcourse what you know, the ex series of phones generally have lots of bass but that bass is usually boom over tightness...the shures will certainly give you tighter more professional quality bass and sound overall but as a result, tighter bass usually appears quieter but thats simply because it wont boom.

anything in the $150 and above price range usually gives better highs and lows than the likes of the ex71.

without coming across as biased and alot of people think im a shure maniac but i think they will be with me on this one. the main point i think i need to get across is, dont look at frequency response graphs as a guide to quality of sound, but look at them as a guide to what the earphones produce, louder high end dont mean better high end, definition is the key and usually the $150 and above range will give you better definition of sound.

hope this helps, i am not trying to be a shure bore but simply trying to help you discover sound usually gets alot better than those sony's (which frankly...are rubbish)

if its good solid booming bass lines you seek id say head in the ultimate ears dual driver direction...if you want sparkling accuracy and amazing highs, nothing touches the etymotic er4's, and for good clean solid mids, shures do that very well. one thing is for sure, no earphones give a perfect all round sound

 

[Joeywhat]

Thanks for the replies...are there any other IEM's that use foam cushions?

As for bass...I'm not sure what I'd like to go with...on one hand, boomy bass is good in my book...then again there is a point where it gets to be too much. I listen to pretty much every genre ever created, so being able to have decent deep bass for rap and hip hop is needed, as well as tight, well behaved bass for rock, metal, so forth.

I guess in the end, tight bass will win if I had to choose only one. I think I'll grab the Shure's, though...

 

[Joeywhat]

Also, how would you rate the Shure E3 versus the newer SE310/210? The E3 is at a much nicer price...but do they compare to the new models?

 

[misterDX]

if you are in for tight bass, you should be happier with er4p or Q-jays, shure bass aint that much better than the ex71