[djalberthiphop]

hello there fellow head-fiers!!
 
 
I have been using the Altec Lansing UHP 336 (which are rebrands of the UE sf3’s) for 2,5 years now, and have been mostly satisfied with them. I have used many many phones in the past, and those were the ones that stuck with me for so long. I just loved these little armatures, and found that they performed amazingly with  Hip-Hop, which is the only music genre I listen to (at least for me they sound great). i am not a basshead, i love it of course, but i really hate earphones with overpowering bass. i prefer a balanced sound, with good enough bass, and mids and highs, and these phones were great for me. (unamped, unEQed, just really good)
 
Well it happened that on the right earpiece, the cable broke, from inside the driver, so unfortunately, no replacement cable will work.. : ( all the local stores who could be able to take care of such a detailed “operation”, they all declared they could not cope with something like this, and that the cables are really small to re-attach or glue, so nobody would take that responsibility.
 
As a result, I find myself without in-ears for almost a week now, and I use some peanutz form Maxell that I bought for 5 euros, just to use at the gym until I decide on my next pair.
 
I could easily buy those again, but after reading a looot of reviews, mostly here, and checked some online, and domestic pricing, I found other earphones that could be good for me in the market (always talking at a below 100 euros price range).
 
Examples: Shure SE 215, Etymotic mc3/5, Ultimate ears UE600. Those are actually the ones that I checked in depth, and I think these options are among the best for the money.
 
It turns out that I am able to get a pretty good deal on the 215’s at a local store, and besides the fact that I hate the ridiculously (for my taste and need) long cable, I am attracted by the fact that these too have detachable cables, (which to tell you the truth, is why I don’t think I’d buy the ue600’s or the ety’s because I like having the option of changing a cable if something unpleasant happens), also that I have 2 years of warranty (the best selling point of Shures), and it also isolates really well (the sf3's do well on that too).
 
These are basically the reasons I am turning toward these phones, and I think I am decided.
 
Since there are fairly plenty reviews on the Shure se 215, I wouldn’t want this thread to turn out as another review or general comparison.
 
My question for opening this thread is for people who had the change to experience both the Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 3 studio’s and the relatively new Shure SE 215’s:
 
Should I go for the new Shures or buy another pair of sf3’s (which i was completely satisfied with)?
 
Are the 215’s noticeably better/worse than the ue’s?
 
Anyone able to compare those? and hopefully aimed to Hip Hop sounds?
 
That’d help a lot! Thanks guys!!
 

 

[ravefire]

I think the SE215's are noticeably better then the SuperFi's. That being said, aren't those SuperFi's a little old? Like I think you can still find the sellers on Amazon but I can't verify their legitimacy.

 

[KimChee]

There are a lot of fake SF3s out there.

 

[djalberthiphop]

thank you for you answers ravefire and KimChee. actually, that won't be a problem, as i have found a local seller here that has the Altecl Lansing again, so no problem in finding them. and it does not really matter for me that they are old. if this "I think the SE215's are noticeably better then the SuperFi's." is true, then that is the kind of answers I need. but how about justifying that? ravefire, have you owned both?

 

[Berkovajazz]

SE215 has a big sound like headphones. They are warm and melodical. Not good on details but very good IEMs.
SF3 has more details, they are thin sounding, analitycal. But very simple sound. If you want to try armature earphones - try, SF3 are not so bad, but if you want a good sounding IEMs SE215 will be much better for everyday using.
If you want to go with some good BA earphones take a look on something another, like Etymotic HF/ER, Shure SE315/425/535, Westone 2/3/4+UM2/UM3, maybe Ultimate Ears TF10 and 700 too. Their prices are bigger, but this is another level, all of them are really good BA IEMs.
If you are on budget, buy Dynamic IEMs, they will give you much more satisfaction than cheap BA IEMs.

 

[djalberthiphop]

Quote:

SE215 has a big sound like headphones. They are warm and melodical. Not good on details but very good IEMs.
SF3 has more details, they are thin sounding, analitycal. But very simple sound. If you want to try armature earphones - try, SF3 are not so bad, but if you want a good sounding IEMs SE215 will be much better for everyday using.
If you want to go with some good BA earphones take a look on something another, like Etymotic HF/ER, Shure SE315/425/535, Westone 2/3/4+UM2/UM3, maybe Ultimate Ears TF10 and 700 too. Their prices are bigger, but this is another level, all of them are really good BA IEMs.
If you are on budget, buy Dynamic IEMs, they will give you much more satisfaction than cheap BA IEMs.

thank you for your input man! as i said, i cannot go up to 100€... you are saying though that the sf3 are more detailed and analytical among other things you write, so you got me a little confused, have you been able to test both for a long period of time, with the same music? i will repeat, that even though the sf3 are quite cheap armatures, i've really love their sound over the last 2-3 years that i had them, even with hip hop. are you saying that by buying the se215's i will definitely experience a step-up on the sound, and eventually fall in love with those, instead?
 

 

[Berkovajazz]

SF3 is a starting level of ba earphones. They are not as good as more expensive b/a IEMs.
SE215 are very good sounding earphones, they are melodical and fun with emotional pack. Use them with stock foams and just feeling happy Upgrade from SE215 will be Sony EX600, Vsonic GR07, Sennheiser IE8 and other top rating earphones.
I mean that SE215 are not from budget segment, they cost 100$ and they are good for 200$.
Also they are very comfortable, durable, with detachable cable and with very good isolation.

 

[cnhardwick]

First, I know very little about the SF3 since I have never heard it. From what I have been able to gather though the SF3 sounds VERY different from the SE215. As others have said the SE215 is probably better than the SF3. However, the fact that the two sound completely different is just as important (if not more important) to consider than which one is technically better. For example, the SE215 has recessed highs, coming from the SF3 that might be really annoying. And the SE215 will sound really bassy coming from a BA like the SF3.

 

[djalberthiphop]

Quote:

SF3 is a starting level of ba earphones. They are not as good as more expensive b/a IEMs.
SE215 are very good sounding earphones, they are melodical and fun with emotional pack. Use them with stock foams and just feeling happy Upgrade from SE215 will be Sony EX600, Vsonic GR07, Sennheiser IE8 and other top rating earphones.
I mean that SE215 are not from budget segment, they cost 100$ and they are good for 200$.
Also they are very comfortable, durable, with detachable cable and with very good isolation.

wow the Vsonic's look sooo nice!! too bad they don't have a detachable cable, and they are also out of my price range... it may sound wierd, given that these eraphones are so well known for they good quality, but i have tried the IE8's in a store about a year ago, and i just couldn;t get a good fit... maybe it was just me.. anyway, thank you very much, you clearly support that the 215 are a big upgrade, i like what i am hearing!

 

[djalberthiphop]

Quote:

First, I know very little about the SF3 since I have never heard it. From what I have been able to gather though the SF3 sounds VERY different from the SE215. As others have said the SE215 is probably better than the SF3. However, the fact that the two sound completely different is just as important (if not more important) to consider than which one is technically better. For example, the SE215 has recessed highs, coming from the SF3 that might be really annoying. And the SE215 will sound really bassy coming from a BA like the SF3.

 
hmm.. yes that is exactly what iam afraid of, that my ears have been used to the armature sound of the sf3's for 2 years now, and maybe the shure won't seem as good, hopefully just in the beginning, or maybe unluckily, forever... they have never annoyed me with their highs.. i don't want an overpowering IEM..... thank you that helps a lot as well..

 

[djalberthiphop]

hi, any more input people??

 

[alangouvea]

First post so please forgive me.

I am not an expert as many here in the forum but I was in a similar predicament 5 or 6 months ago: I had used a pair of Brainwavz M1 for quite a while and was very fond of them. Used them always, even though I had a pair of Monster Turbine.

So one day my dog ate my M1 :mad:

I just could not get used to Turbine's intense bass. Went to a store to buy a new set of M1 but decided to try Shure 215 instead. Bought it. At first I thought I had wasted money but after a week I was in love with them. Fantastic fit, high quality material. Very clear mids with a strong but not overwhelming bass.

I guess it takes some time to get used to new signatures after using a pair of phones for extended periods, but greater quality usually makes the difference. Last week I tried my brother's M1 and could not believe I liked them that much.

To make it short, I would go with Shure. Higher quality and better equipment. If not at first, I think you will like them eventually. If not, I can lend you my dog

 

[djalberthiphop]

Quote:

First post so please forgive me.
I am not an expert as many here in the forum but I was in a similar predicament 5 or 6 months ago: I had used a pair of Brainwavz M1 for quite a while and was very fond of them. Used them always, even though I had a pair of Monster Turbine.
So one day my dog ate my M1

I just could not get used to Turbine's intense bass. Went to a store to buy a new set of M1 but decided to try Shure 215 instead. Bought it. At first I thought I had wasted money but after a week I was in love with them. Fantastic fit, high quality material. Very clear mids with a strong but not overwhelming bass.
I guess it takes some time to get used to new signatures after using a pair of phones for extended periods, but greater quality usually makes the difference. Last week I tried my brother's M1 and could not believe I liked them that much.
To make it short, I would go with Shure. Higher quality and better equipment. If not at first, I think you will like them eventually. If not, I can lend you my dog

 
hahahahahaha! nice! thanks man, I think i am going to get them... may I ask the experts, and you as well, cause you had them, how long is a good burn in period? you saw differences in the sound after 1 week? i saw somewhere a link for a website that creates sounds special for burning in earphones. i wouldn't really want to do that. can i burn them in with MY music (hip hop)? will they have the same impact? or they necessarily HAVE to be burnt in with these pink sounds an these special frequencies bla bla bla? also for how long should i leave them on playing continuously? ( i was never good with burn-ins)