Super.fi 5 Pro/EB or Denon AH-C700

[ezekiel72]

So i got some money for christmas and im plannin on getting some IEMs with it. I have been looking at the Super.fi 5 Pro and the Denon AH-C700.
I found these prices for the headphones:
Super.fi 5 Pro EB $120
Ultimate Ears SUPER.Fi 5 PRO EB Extended Bass Earphones - (eBay item 130184943179 end time Dec-27-07 08:08:43 PST)

Super.fi 5 Pro $140
Amazon.com: Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro Earphones (Clear): Electronics

Denon AH-C700 $100
Amazon.com: Denon AH-C700K Reference Audio In-Ear Headphones (Black): Electronics

Also i was wondering... Whats the difference between the Super.fi 5 Pro and the Super.fi 5 Pro EB? Is there any major differences? Is one better than the other?

Any suggestions on what i should get would be greatly appreciated.

 

[intoflatlines]

The SF5 EB has one dynamic driver and one armature driver instead of two armatures, like the SF5 Pro. The EB has much more bass, although the quality of it is debated.

I have never heard the SF5 EB, but I purchased the SF5 Pro a few months back and I am very satisfied with the sound. If you are a huge basshead and/or listen to a lot of rap/hip hop/electronica then go with the EB. If not, go with the SF5 Pro.

 

[monolith]

The difference between the Super.fi 5 Pro and the Super.fi 5 EB is that the EB have Extended Bass. Basically, instead of using two armature drivers like the Pros (one for mid/high and the other for bass), they use one armature for mid/highs and a small dynamic driver for the bass (that's what the fat part is). I've never heard the EBs, but I can tell you that the Pros easily have enough bass to keep me happy, and I like bass. I can't imagine wanting that much more, especially at the cost of the huge size of the EBs.

I've never heard the Denons, so I can't comment there.

EDIT: Evidently I was beaten to much of what I wanted to say. It's all because of Nick Drake. He's distracting me with his beautiful music.

 

[ezekiel72]

Quote:

Originally Posted by intoflatlines /img/forum/go_quote.gif The SF5 EB has one dynamic driver and one armature driver instead of two armatures, like the SF5 Pro. The EB has much more bass, although the quality of it is debated. I have never heard the SF5 EB, but I purchased the SF5 Pro a few months back and I am very satisfied with the sound. If you are a huge basshead and/or listen to a lot of rap/hip hop/electronica then go with the EB. If not, go with the SF5 Pro.

Hmmm i see the difference now. I listen to rap/hip hop pretty often, and i listen to techno/electronica on occaison. I listen to rock, punk, alternative, and scream too though.

So im not quite sure if i should get the EB or not. I do like bass though...

 

[project_gt]

i think sf5 pro has too much bass...
may be i do not like bass though

 

[DKaz]

The EB version sounds very muddy in the lower midrange IMHO. The bass is also somewhat overwhelming.

The Denon AH-C700 are fantastic. They are on a huge sale at Amazon for $99.99 shipped (usually $200):

Denon AH-C700

 

[MfiveM]

I do not think the 5 Pros have much bass when compared to the EB. If you are a fan of bass, I would get the EB's if you are 50/50 you can not go wrong with the Pros.

 

[kuzzz]

i love my eb's and the bass is great!

 

[intoflatlines]

You may find the bass on the EBs overwhelming (and I guess some find it too much on the Pro as well). Basically, if you really love a huge amount of bass and are willing to sacrifice quality of bass, then go with the EBs.

However, I listen to some hip hop/rap and stuff with electronic beats, and my SF5 Pro sound amazing. Not to mention, they sound amazing as well when listening to rock/alt/punk/screamo/etc. Check out my last.fm in my signature.. that should give you a good idea of what I listen to.

 

[ezekiel72]

Thanks for all the info guys, it looks like im going to be ordering the Super.fi 5 Pro tonight. Unless someone comes in here who has tried both the Denon AH-C700 and the Super.fi 5 Pro and says that the Denon's are a better deal for $100

 

[project_gt]

5 PRO is okey except its wearing..

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ezekiel72 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for all the info guys, it looks like im going to be ordering the Super.fi 5 Pro tonight. Unless someone comes in here who has tried both the Denon AH-C700 and the Super.fi 5 Pro and says that the Denon's are a better deal for $100

I currently have the C700s and I also had the super.fi 5 Pro. The one advantage the super-fi has is a bigger soundstage. I found that to be the only advantage though. The soundstage on the C700s is excellent for a canalphone, the vocals are better presented (clear and detailed) and the treble is better defined.

And in my humble opinion, the bass is more accurate and much tighter than the super.fi's. Having said that, I enjoyed my super.fi's while I had them, but I got fed up with the vocals sounding slightly deeper and honeyed than they really were. I felt it added something strange to the tone, they were much 'thicker'.

There's a thread about the Denons here: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/off...ssions-254224/ I put links on the first page, so if you check some of them out you'll read other people's opinions on the C700 bass (all of which are positive).

The C700 and the super.fi have completely different sound signatures. The Denon has a very dynamic punchy sound with all the frequencies seeming to have the same impact - the super.fi's have a bigger soundstage, bass is probably more prominent, (but can overwhelm sometimes), and the midrange is more recessed.

If you really like bass and an upfront midrange - then the Denon C551 might suit you better as it has more bass impact than the C700 (too much for me long-term) but you evidently like bass

. . .

The C700 is still pretty much 'unknown', while the super.fi has been around for longer - so if you want to play safe with a more well-known headphone, then pick the super.fi's. The biggest difference is in the midrange, but that might not be a priority for you (as it is for me). So you need to pick whichever one will suit your music tastes better.

 

[cn11]

I've listened to the Super.Fi 5pros & the Denons (not back-to-back however), and I can unequivocally say I find the Denons superior. I demo'd the Super.Fi 5pros with the Futuresonics Atrio, and the Atrio handily trumped them. Now I feel that the Denons are more enjoyable than the Atrio even....and that they're $99 on Amazon they're pretty hard to pass up.

Hope this helps. If you do wind up going for the Denons, try to find some of the GENUINE sony EX series replacement ear tips. They help the sound and seal even further.

-Cheers.

 

[ezekiel72]

Thanks for the feedback from you guys that have tried both. Im still not quite sure on which pair i should get, getting the Denon's would save me some money. But if the Super.fi's are alround better headphones, then i might just spend the extra money and go with them. Plus i hear the support for them is really good.
Any other opinions?

 

[ZARIM]

I think Denon AH-C700 are better because it's quite bassy and shows incredible details in music. It's definitaly shows better details than SF5Pro/ EB. BTW i use SF5Pro/EB and Shure E4c, SE310. To me SE310 shows more details in music than SF5Pro/EB and bass(quantity) is little less than SF5Pro. I think someone on this forum who compared SE310 with AH_C700 and mentioned AH_C700 shows more details in music with more bass(quantity) than SE310.