[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha Yeah, it takes time to get used to IEM... give it at least a few more weeks. Though I will say, I often think the super.fi just plain suck compared to all the other IEM I've owned. Mainly for a lot of the reasons the original poster mentions - no treble, just a real lack of transparency all across the range, and overwhelming bass. Totally glossed over texture/detail to my ears. But there are plenty of other people with good ears and experience who disagree and like the super.fi. Best regards, -Jason

This is the relative impression I would get too in all probability. However what I believe is the case is that with the Super.Fi, you're actually hearing what a balanced armature driver sounds like if it competes head-on with dynamic drivers in their price range in terms of tonality.

 

[titaniumx3]

You honestly need to give them some time. Keep experimenting with the different eartips, try inserting them differently and fiddle with the memory wire so that it loops around ear as securely as possible.

It hard to believe but the percieved sound does change gradually. Everyones ears are different, we all process the sound differently and the end experience is as unique as you are. Give them at least a few weeks.

 

[Jasper994]

If you like the 280's a lot I think you may prefer the E4 (flatter overall response, better bass extension, truely beautiful highs), but I am still in agreement with everyone else that you should play with the seal of the 5 Pro and give yourself a bit of time to become acustomed to them. One thing you'll lose out on a bit with the E4 is the soundstage though so keep that in mind. It's not terrible but it's certainly not as expansive as the SF5P.

 

[depaulhifi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by titaniumx3 You honestly need to give them some time. Keep experimenting with the different eartips, try inserting them differently and fiddle with the memory wire so that it loops around ear as securely as possible.

I have found to have better luck with them with the memory wire pointing directly down. Getting the wire to loop around my ear was cumbersome and uncomfortable. If this is truly the key to getting the most out of these 'phones, I suppose I'll have to try it again.

I listened to them for a good hour or so today, whilst walking to two Blockbusters trying to find 24 Season 1 Disc 1... (checked out at both locations of course... bastards...). I have upgraded my opinion of them from "hate" to "tolerate." They were very comfortable to wear, provided complete isolation from outside noise at very moderate volume, and sounded alright. Some of the music I was listening to sounded very good, namely Orbital's The Middle of Nowhere and Nine Inch Nails With Teeth. The pronounced midbass on these 'phones fit in quite well on "Way Out," track 1 on The Middle of Nowhere. I think I may just need to get used to the sound of an IEM. Their soundstage is also very good.

 

[dhp]

earphone solutions has them for 210

 

[depaulhifi]

Not like this...

 

[swmtnbiker]

Amazon has them for $219.99 (black or white) with free shipping and a 30 day return policy with no restocking fee. A great deal if you want to try them out but aren't sure that you'll keep 'em.

 

[depaulhifi]

I bought mine on an inpulse. I didn't want to wait a week to save a few bucks, plus they look super dope in clear.

 

[swmtnbiker]

For me the big attraction to ordering from Amazon is that you can return them with NO RESTOCKING FEE if you don't like them. Most smaller businesses have very restictive policies on returning IEMs. They do look cool clear though.

 

[depaulhifi]

I didn't look too closely at GC's return policy on them. I know I wouldn't buy them online because I know I would have lost interest in them before they arrived. I walked in the door, said "I need to see Jay, I talked to him about a pair of super.fi 5pro's earlier today..." handed him my card, and was done with it. Then I made the mistake of asking about a Grace 902... uh oh...

I think I am slowly growing more fond of these headphone with use. They could use a bit more low bass extension, but other than that I am starting to like them more and more. I'll bring you guys back up to speed on them in a week or so.

 

[fureshi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha Yeah, it takes time to get used to IEM... give it at least a few more weeks. Though I will say, I often think the super.fi just plain suck compared to all the other IEM I've owned. Mainly for a lot of the reasons the original poster mentions - no treble, just a real lack of transparency all across the range, and overwhelming bass. Totally glossed over texture/detail to my ears. But there are plenty of other people with good ears and experience who disagree and like the super.fi. Best regards, -Jason

that was also the main reason why i got rid of mine. it's not that i don't like bass but the lack of transparency and the bloated bass was disappointing. adding treble boost on my ipod still didn't cure the transparency problems either since it just the upper range higher but didn't nothing for mids. it's hard to adjust to this type of sound signature after coming from e4 and er4p.

also, as they are inserted in the outer portion of the ear canal, rather than fully inserting, they gave me a constant feeling that my ears were under pressure (which they probably were) and would give me a headache after 10 minutes of use. i tried inserting them while pulling my ear upwards or inserting them with the memory wire pointing downwards but nothing worked for me.

 

[depaulhifi]

I get off work at 5 tonight, and I live a sad and lonely existence... so I think I may look into making my own EQ curve for them.

 

[etherealbeats]

Quote:

Originally Posted by depaulhifi I don't care for any signal modification of any sort. What comes in must come out un-altered. Plus I only use AAC.

I import all of my music as 192 bit MP3 which is of course considerably better than the standard 128 bit AAC. I even find that 192 bit MP3 is better than 192 bit AAC.

The phones may sound better if you try other formats. Try importing some songs in a Lossless formated like AIFF or WAV or Apple Lossless. Or try a different lossy format like MP3 but with a higher bitrate.

This could be the problem.

 

[depaulhifi]

I have found AAC to be vastly superior to MP3 in all aspects of performance. The chaps at hydrogenaudio share this philosophy. Plus the file sizes are smaller and the tags stay intact when moving the files around. Not so with MP3. MP3 is a very old and outdated codec. I already have my entire library ripped into 128k AAC which I feel is adequate for portable use. When I get super finicky, I sit in front of my stereo system at home and bliss out.

 

[etherealbeats]

128 bit is nothing though. I urge you to just import a couple of your favourite songs in a lossless format like AIFF or Apple Lossless and hear them through your new headphones. I think it would be a drastic improvement. I have some 128 bit AAC's on my iPod which I ripped for my wife, and with my Etymotic's, they sound very lifeless.