[Trippytiger]

So I'm thinking of upgrading from the MX550 earbuds that I'm using with my Carbon while on the go, and I'd like to go to something pretty good. From the little research I've been able to do (not so many reviews of IEMs out there, it seems), I think I've worked out all of the available options in my price range (about $100 USD - I might go higher, but I don't think I could really justify it).

And that means I'm looking at the Shure E2c and E3c, the UE super.fi 3, the Westone UM1, and the Etymotic ER6 (not ER6i - I'm not a fan of iPods; don't want to look like everybody else around campus with their white earbuds). Right now I'm split between the E2c because I can get it the cheapest, the super.fi 3 because of the replaceable cables, and the UM1 because it simply seems interesting.

I've heard a lot of different things about the sound quality of these three; I'm hoping that I can get a better idea of how each ones sounds here, because right now I'm pretty confused. Reviews of the UM1 seem to be especially hard to find (hmm, adds to the mystique

), so I'd love to hear about those, or be directed to some reviews I haven't found.

Durability is a big priority for me because I don't want to break something so expensive and because I'm rather rough on my earphones - I suppose I can change that, but I can't change the fact that I'll be wearing them outside in -30C weather for brief periods. Out of the ones that I'm looking at, is it a safe guess that the Ultimate Ears IEMs would be best for that? How do the E2c and UM1 hold up against abuse?

Ease of use is also important - I got so sick of putting in Koss' The Plug after a few months. All of the earphones I'm looking at seem to be pretty similar, but if one happens to be particularly easy or difficult to insert, I'd be interested in hearing about it.

Well, thanks for reading!

 

[cantsleep]

i went from mx500 to e4cs and down to e2cs
(b/c i thought that i wont be able to focus on listening, while on road)
but then again, dif. between e2s and e4s is.... huge

still, e2s are great upgrade from mx500s

(plus i find the e2s more confortable than mx500s)

never had super fi.s

 

[Homeless]

I'm using E3's and the only reason that I'd recommend them to you, apart from the fact that they're good IEM's is because I live in S.W. Ontario and they survive the cold weather fine...lol

They're not difficult at all to put in and they also come with a nice zip case to store them in so they can be thrown into a bag when not in use.

 

[Zeratul]

From what I've read shures seem to be the most robust. What kind of tips did you plan on using? IIRC, UM1s only come with foamies, and they are by far the most fiddly of tips. Etys go in deeper than the rest, so that might make insertion harder as well. I've tried E3cs before. The grey flex sleeves are very easy to insert and seem like they could be worn for extended periods without irritation. Can't imagine how I'd break them either. So I guess another vote for shure.

 

[smeerkaas]

You can put shure tips on um1's so you don't hve to mess around with foamies if you don't want to.

The um1's sound better then the e3's IMO and they are a lot cheaper

I believe that the um1's are the best value for money, being in the same pricerange as the duperfi3 and the e2 but having the SQ of an e3

 

[jerpol]

<del >

 

[jerpol]

< del >

 

[jerpol]

Thought I'd try the super.fi 3 after losing my ER-6 'phones and it's a step backwards. Honestly, after having the awesome isolation of the Etys, it's sad to have to hear ambient noise while listening. The sound profile of each is different and the super.fi 3 is probably more "accessible" - the ER-6s need a bit of tweaking to get the best out of them, but they put you in your own little world (once you get used to having your ears violated by them!). The super.fi 3s stick out of my ears much more than the Etys, which would be an issue if you plan on wearing a hat in the cold weather.

 

[CookieFactory]

ER6i comes in black now!

 

[LaBreaHead]

I got the ER6's and was amazed at the detail and the isolation with the flanged tips ... but I found them thin sounding to my taste. (If you go Etymotic at this price range, consider the ER6i's, instead.) Plus they seem relative flimsy; well-built, certainly, but vulnerable out and about in the real world. Getting them out of the ear can be a chore, too, especially if I'm being careful not to yank the cord by mistake.

So I switched to Shure E3C's for use with my Carbon. The foamies are very comfortable for long plane trips, and while not as total as the Etymotic isolation with flanges, the isolation on the Shures with the foamies is quite good. I consider them an easier-to-wear set of 'phones (the over-the-ear thing with the cord is not a problem, and you can wear them the "other" way, if you prefer). I'm a lot happier with the more robust-seeming build, too.

I've read very good things about the UM1's on these forums, too, but I haven't even seen a pair, much less heard them. It seems that, with the general public, white bundled earbuds are still in the vast majority...

 

[taran]

i went from a broken pair of mx550's to another pair of 550's (which were better taken care of) and about 2 months later i went for the e4's.

once i found the right eq settings for my m3 i thought the 550's were very nice if not lacking a little bass but my word the e4's. they are just too good. search on this forum and read how many people are satisfied with the e4s sound compared to its predicessors and other iems made by other companies.

the way they shove the sound in the middle of your head and how it sounds cristal clear (with well encoded music ofcourse). ahh i cant describe it.....

 

[Trippytiger]

Damn... I still don't know what to choose! Thanks for all of your replies; I appreciate it!

All of the good things said about the E3c's is really interesting me - they're more than I want to spend, but not too much more. They certainly seem like they have everything that I'm after, but the replaceable cords of the super.fi would be really nice to have. I also like that they're shorter than all the others - I hated having to deal with the stupidly long cord on my RP-HJE50's. It does concern me that they stick out so much; although I'm not wearing a toque right now, I probably should.

Are the E2c's worth considering? I know they're not generally considered the best sounding, and they're pretty huge, but they're just so much cheaper...

Of course, I'm still really tempted by the UM1's, in spite of myself. I guess I'll have to do some more research on those. The cord design looks like it might be pretty strong, but the foam tips are unappealing. Good to hear that they can take Shure tips, though - I think I can actually get those locally (more-or-less)!

Thanks again for the replies - I'm a little closer to a decision.

 

[Ant1]

I think you should consider whether you really want to get IEMs (In-Ear monitors, such as those you mentioned, .ie. Shure E2C, etc...). Going from earbuds to isolating earphones is not as evident as it might seem. I am in the same situation as you are, and i have read about IEMs in these forums for a long time. I also realised that I don't want the islation that IEMs offer. Although it does present advantages, such as blocking outside noises and letting you hear more of the music, I realised that I actually don't want to be THAT cut-off from the outside world. I enjoy hearing a bit from what's going on. And whilst earbuds annoy me because i never seem to find a comfortable fit, there is a middle ground, one that fits in-between earbuds and IEMs: Canal phones, such as the Panasonic RP-HJE70 (http://www.audiocubes.com/product_re...views_id=1571), Sharp HP-MD33 (http://www.audiocubes.com/product/Sh...eadphones.html) and Audio-Technica ATH-CK7 (http://www.audiocubes.com/category/H...arphones.html).
These canal phones do not offer the same amount of isolation as IEMs do, but more so than earbuds, which is exactly what I want. They are also easier to put on (none of this "pull your earlobe down with your left hand whilst inserting the phone with your right hand over your head" thing...).
In short, I'm only saying that going from earbuds to IEMs might be too much of change, and you might not be comfortable with them. You should consider therefore whether IEMs are indeed what you're after, and also consider the "middle-ground" (canal phones) which provide better sound and isolation than earbuds, whilst not closing you from the outside world in the way that IEMs do.
One last thing. I don't know whether those assymetrical cords that seem to dominate the earbuds market annoy you as much as they annoy me (you know...left cord shorter than the right side?...). I absolutely hate them, and was a reason why I considered for a while IEMs, since they all have "Y", symetrical cords. Of all the canal phones I suggested, it seems that the Audio-Technica alone have that symetrical "Y" cord.

A.

 

[Trippytiger]

Oh, I know what canalphones are like. The MX550's are the first non-isolating 'phones that I've used since getting my Koss The Plugs, which do a pretty good job of blocking out noise. My RP-HJE50's were okay in that respect, too, but now I'm going crazy (well, not quite) with all the noise I hear on the bus and in the busier buildings on campus. I think I would be fine with IEMs, but you've sorta piqued my curiousity, Ant1 - I've never really heard of Audio-Technica. Have you tried the ATH-CK7's? If so, how do they sound?

EDIT: I agree with you about the asymmetrical headphone cords - I can't stand them! I think they're a really terrible design, especially on the RP-HJE50's.

 

[Ant1]

Have you tried the ATH-CK7's? If so, how do they sound?

No, I have not tried them. That's the problem, they're quite new and there's not that much feedback on them yet, especially in this forum. I wanted to really investigate the field before I commited, because i can't afford the keep on buying stuff I do not like, and having to throw them away. But i think I will bite the bullet soon with the Audio-Technicas. I figure that they make pretty decent full-size phones already, so they have a good reputation, I love they way they look (they don't stick-out of your ears like the Etymotics or the Super-fi, which make you look like a dork, or like Westones, which look like a hearing-aid...). And they have the "Y" cord.
But if for you isolation is a critical factor - and since you already have experience with canal phones -then maybe IEMs are the way to go. And not everyone cares the same amount about how they look in public with IEMs, ans many also think that IEMs look good, so my opinion is a very personal one, obviously.
From what I gathered so far, it seems that there are three great choices of IEMs: The Super-fi 5PRO, the Westone UM2, and - further up the price scale - the Shure E5c. These three seem to offer bass and good mids/highs, with the Westones having the "creamiest" hi-fi sound of the bunch. Everything else seems to have great highs/mids (Etymotic ER4P, Shure E4c) but some people complain about the lack of bass. The Shure E2c has great bass, but not enough detail up top. The shure E3c has good detail up top (some say they are very similar to the E4c in that regard) but not enough bass, again. the Super-fi 5 EB: too much bass, some say. And so on... In other words, too many diverging opinions to be able to judge without actually hearing them yourself. On the other hand, the Super-fi 5 Pro, the UM2 and the E5 always seem to get reviews in this forum that give them great "everything": bass. mids, highs, soundstage, clarity. I can only comment from what I read in this forum - and I read a lot! - and if you spend a lot of time searching, you might come-up with the same conclusions as i have.
The problem is that even if I had some particular kind of phones, my opinion would still be subjective as far as you would be concerned. What i'm saying is that the advice I'm offering is just shortening your search process as i already have done a lot of the same investigative search you are doing now with regards to IEMs. Good luck though.

A.