Shure SE115 or Ultimate Ear Super Fi-3
Sep 14, 2009 at 12:16 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 14

phoney

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Hi guys, this is my first post :)

I've been wanting to buy a good set of headphones for myself and have narrowed it down to the Shure SE115 and the Ultimate Ear Super Fi-3s. They both weigh up equally in terms of quality etc. However, I want to know how they compare in terms of performance. Shure is supposed to extremely lenient with their warranty and I know that for a fact. Also they have a 2 year warranty compared to the 1 year given by Ultimate Ear. But are the Ultimate Ears more durable then the Shures that the warranty wouldn't matter? I'm just really confused between these two

Thanks in advance for the help
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Sep 14, 2009 at 5:48 PM Post #2 of 14
well.. I really dont wanna confuse you, but there are better options that you must consider before you choose our IEM..
From whatever I have read on these forums, the following IEM's are the best bang for buck, competing with some of the $100 IEMs out there.

NE-6 (same as NE-7M minus the mic at $39)
RE-2 ($39)

Meelectronics M6 (not in the same league as the two above, but for $17 you cant ask for more..)

super.fi 3 are overrated for the price.. I had a pair for a coupla years.. they were loud and clear, but coming from stock buds, it was nothing that blew my mind..
 
Sep 14, 2009 at 5:58 PM Post #3 of 14
The Super.fi 3 is the same thing as the Altec Lansing UHP336 (which I own). There's some minor differences like packaging, cable, and color, but they're the same headphones from what I've read. If you're going to get the Super.fi 3's, save some money and get the UHP336's instead. They sound pretty good to me, but they were an upgrade from Sony's MDR-EX55's.

If you're going to spend ~$100, consider the Head-Direct RE0. They get great reviews and are supposedly a steal for the price. I ordered some online and they should be in this week, so I can give some impressions on them later. Reviews around here have them competing with $250+ IEMs (like the Shure SE530).
 
Sep 14, 2009 at 7:13 PM Post #4 of 14
I have both (uhp 336). The SE115s after burn-in are a notch above the superfi 3's.

For comparison--depending on what kind of music you like--they compare to the RE2s in quality but have more ambience and soundstage vs RE2s detail and balance. At least that's how I hear it. Generally--depending on the recording--I'll go with the RE2 but each has its strengths.

The SE115s are extremely comfortable and built extremely well; they look like they can take a beating. A decent purchase, especially if you can get them online for a discounted price off the $99.

If durability is your thing, the SE115s are the answer (had to replace the 336s already and the RE2--while excellent value--isn't exactly sturdy).
 
Sep 15, 2009 at 6:16 AM Post #5 of 14
I should have probably mentioned before, I'm located in Australia so the prices are a bit higher. My upper limit for the headphones is AUD$170.

From what you said Virgil, I'll probably go for the Shure's if they are "a notch above the superfi 3's".

bba1973 and mokshaa thanks for the help but I've researched all those headphones and they are either a bit over my budget in Australia or not exactly the kind of headphones I want.

I'll let you know when I finally buy my headphones
Thanks Guys
 
Sep 15, 2009 at 10:19 PM Post #6 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by phoney /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I should have probably mentioned before, I'm located in Australia so the prices are a bit higher. My upper limit for the headphones is AUD$170.

From what you said Virgil, I'll probably go for the Shure's if they are "a notch above the superfi 3's".

bba1973 and mokshaa thanks for the help but I've researched all those headphones and they are either a bit over my budget in Australia or not exactly the kind of headphones I want.

I'll let you know when I finally buy my headphones
Thanks Guys



Ah. No sense in going hungry over IEMs, but there's definitely good stuff within your budget and location. Haven't heard the Shures, but from what I've read, they probably would be the better choice. But by all means, stick with what you can afford and let us know how it goes for you.
 
Sep 15, 2009 at 10:48 PM Post #7 of 14
One advantage to the Shures is that all SE series models can fit the foams, if you want to use them.

I can't say the UE driver housings are particularly durable, nor the cables (from what I've read, not in my experience though). Also, memory cable; not cool.

The problem I see with $100 IEMs is that the $150 segment is so close by. SF5P, Westone 1, UM1, etc.
 
Sep 16, 2009 at 1:45 AM Post #8 of 14
If you're able to stretch another $30 I'd go for Etymotic HF5's. Haven't heard them myself but they use the same drivers as my ER4-P's and so I assume they'd sound very similar. As long as you're not a basshead they're a very detailed IEM and neither me or my friend have had trouble with the fit, but we both have trouble with the fit of his Super.fi 3's. HF5s will be a big step up from the Super.fi 3's if they're as similar to the ER4's as I think they are.
 
Sep 21, 2009 at 8:41 AM Post #9 of 14
I ended up choosing the Ultimate Ears over the 115's because the armature is supposed to be more sensitive than the dynamic which the Shure has. I'm listening to them ATM and when I compared them to the SE210's earlier this day, they were quite similar in terms of sound. The mids in the Shure's were slightly more crisp, however the Ultimate Ears had more bass than the Shures, but not the 'bass head kind of bass', enough for one to listen to the bass line clearly. I'm very happy with these headphones in terms of sound and quality. They also seem quite durable.

Menisk, I'd love to buy the Etymotic HF5's but my original budget was AUD150 which was stretched to around 170-180 so sadly that couldn't happen :).

Thanks for the help guys
 
Sep 21, 2009 at 4:30 PM Post #10 of 14
Good choice. Hope you like them as much as I liked my UHP336's. They're pretty hissy, but an amp fixes that (a Fiio E5 might work). The bass really improves after a few days of heavy use.
 
Sep 21, 2009 at 4:48 PM Post #11 of 14
just get the RE0.
I came from Shure E5's and I am a happy man.
 
Sep 21, 2009 at 4:49 PM Post #12 of 14
Just take care of the cable, I find the UE's abit fragile at the plug - no stress relief and very thin wire. My Super.Fi. 4 vi had problems after only 6 months - lucky for me the dealer was willing to replace it (with new ones).

I can definitely say they are the most fragile phones I have used.
 
Sep 22, 2009 at 12:52 PM Post #14 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by phoney /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Yeah I might look into the amplifiers in a bit
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The cable at the plug was one of the first weak spots I discovered. I'll have to be particularly careful with that.



yes be very careful with that, i just had to replace mine because the contact was loose, i.e. if the cable wasn't bent in a particular position, i would only hear on one ear. and mind you, UE doesn't cover the cable or accessoires in their warranty and although some ppl say UE is lenient with their warranty, I bought mine from a local dealer = no replacement.
 

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