[ARoach]

What're the pro's n' cons of these?

How much should I be paying for them? Big upgrade from SR 60's?

 

[azncookiecutter]

I think you mean the Shure E4Cs. In any case, the E4Cs have a wonderfully balanced sound signature, and have great isolation. The bass is incredibly punchy and detailed, but not to the point of boominess. The mids are lush and warm, vocals can sing to you very beautifully. Highs are nothing to complain about, although I sometimes wish there can be slightly more details up there, and a bit more decay in the notes. Other than that, I love my E4s.
You can get them for around $180 USD these days, and although I wouldn't say that it is a huge upgrade from the SR-60s, it is a pretty significant upgrade, especially if you plan to use them as a portable can.

 

[luckybaer]

Pros: Very portable with terrific isolation and lots of different fit options; great looks.

Cons: IEM fit can be hit or miss with many users.

Sound: Bass is there, but it will not satisfy the hardcore bassheads, IMHO. It is tight, controlled, and very clear. No murkiness here. Pretty obvious, but the bass is most satisfying if you can listen in a pretty quiet environment. Mids are absolutely beautiful. Vocals, trumpet, tenor sax, rhythm electric guitar are presented nicely. Highs are clean, but I can see where some crave more detail. Cymbal crashes hit, and kind of go away at times, rather than fading away. Nothing to complain about, though.

Summary: My 'phone of choice for all music except for my dance and hip-hop stuff. For that, I bring out the DT 770 or KSC-75. My DT 770s are pretty much just gaming and movie cans now, or when I am tired of the E4c's smaller soundstage. My KSC-75s are used when I don't feel like bringing a $200+ set of 'phones somewhere, or when I want a more open and airy sound experience.

Probably the best all-around 'phones of the 4 I own (DT 770, KSC-75, MDR-V300, E4c).

 

[nirvanalvr12]

I agree with the two posts above. They are a very nice set of IEMs. Some people believe that the bass is lacking, although, unless you are a bass-head, the bass is very sufficient IMO. Also, with the addition of a portable amp, the bass really deepens and tightens up. There is always the chance that, if you have never tried IEMs before, that there will be a comfort issue, although with a little time and a good fitting tip, you should be able to get used to them. The e4cs are a great IEM and perfect for a portable phone, especially if isolation is a big factor.

 

[souladdikt]

The mids on these things are wonderful. Coming from the ER-6i's (which I still listen to on occasion) I, perhaps strangely, don't find myself missing the highs. I think the E4's are a nicely balanced IEM and even are a good match for hip hop because bass is already over emphasized on many hip hop tracks. As many have said about the E4's, the bass is not lacking--just tighter and more "refined."

As with all IEM's, portability is a plus. But, then again, IEMs aren't for everyone. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for an "all around" IEM. I picked mine up for 180.

 

[malvinas]

Compared to my UM2, E4C is not comfortable at all(I have tried all kinds of eartips even UM2's), I can hardly tolerate it, and its bass sucks.
Just to add something to the above
I own a pair of SR-80, but only use it at home. I don't think E4C is any kind of upgrade, you can't compare headphones to IEMs, they are of different use, at least I wouldn't wear SR-80 on streets.

 

[cantsleep]

e4s with foams sound

they are comfortable too

ive recently sold mine but i know that im going to get back to these later...

 

[Jam_Master_J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by malvinas I own a pair of SR-80, but only use it at home. I don't think E4C is any kind of upgrade, you can't compare headphones to IEMs, they are of different use, at least I wouldn't wear SR-80 on streets.

I used to own SR-80s. E4s are more balanced and have nicer mids. Grado has the edge in speed and slam but I prefer the E4.

 

[Spyro]

I've had mine 2 months and I honestly can't find a "con."

It's all good! Best $180 I ever spent on an audio product.

 

[warpdriver]

I don't think they are a big upgrade from SR60's in terms of sound quality, maybe even a step backwards in some ways, but certainly if you want portability AND isolation, these are one of the better choices out there.

 

[fondy44]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARoach What're the pro's n' cons of these? How much should I be paying for them? Big upgrade from SR 60's?

I've only had mine for a day, but the cons to me are about the same as for most IEM's:
1) they're not as easy to insert/wear as regular earbuds. The isolation is so good that, rather than just pause the music, I have to pull out one of the buds, then reinsert it every time someone wants to speak to me. This gets annoying pretty quick.
2) the disposable (read: costs more in the long run) tips seem to provide the best sound quality. I picked up a pack of the Comply tips because the foamies that ship with the E3/E4 sound and feel like crap to me. Ironically, I've never had any problems with the E2's foamies. I had hoped that the tri-flange tips would work for me, but they seem to muffle the highs.
3) another minor gripe about the E3/E4 is the way the cord connects to the end of the driver at a 90° angle. This makes it kind of hard to get the cord to stay looped over your ear. On the E2, the cord runs almost parallel to the driver, which allows it to loop more naturally around the ear. On the plus side, the E3/E4 design allows you to switch them around (left driver - right ear) and wear them like regular earbuds.

Aside from sound quality improvements, the E4's come with a free pair of tri-flange tips, a volume control, and user-replaceable nozzles (at least mine did).

I bought the E3's last week from Best Buy, then later found that I could get the E4's from earphonesolutions for only $10 more than I paid for the E3's. Having listened to both side by side, the E4's definitely sound better (less midrange hump), though not necessarily $120 better (comparing MSRP's).

HTH

 

[greatfool]

To me a characteristic E4c moment was standing in a noisy crowded train and hearing no outside noise -feeling like I was in one of those movie scenes where you hear just the music and no other sound.

Hearing things like fret noises and singer's breath intakes in loud environments is really chillingly good sometimes. So basically the most outstanding feature of the E4c is clarity and detail especially in the midrange.

I remember when I demoed them to a Mariah Carey album, of course it was probably a SACD and with a great headphone amp but it was one of those amazing headphone experiences.

There seems to be a wide range of opinions on the bass, and whether or not it is lacking. One thing that is certain is that you cannot compare IEM bass to full sized cans, IEM's just don't have the same kind of impact.

I find the E4c bass to be very substantial- but tight and textured, not over-emphasized, kind of like you can make out each individual note and feel of the instrument as the bassist plays it, as opposed to a big bloated bass (EX71).

Of course I haven't heard too many other IEM's and none the same price as the E4c, just a noob here

 

[Febs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greatfool I find the E4c bass to be very substantial- but tight and textured, not over-emphasized, kind of like you can make out each individual note and feel of the instrument as the bassist plays it, as opposed to a big bloated bass (EX71).

I agree with this. I also find that the bass on the E4 responds well to equalization.

 

[LaBreaHead]

Yeah -- don't think in terms of "upgrade" when going from open headphones to IEMs. If not an "apples and oranges" difference, then at least it's "apples and pears." But when portability and (particularly) isolation are important, good IEMs are pretty sweet.

I was on a five-hour flight yesterday, and was glad to tune out the airplane cabin noise levels by listening to the E3C's and a Rio Carbon. (And then I used my Koss PortaPro 2's when I reached my destination!) I really like my E3C's and ER-6's, but I'd like to move up at least to the E4C's ... hope you find a great price.

 

[scatteredshadows]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greatfool To me a characteristic E4c moment was standing in a noisy crowded train and hearing no outside noise -feeling like I was in one of those movie scenes where you hear just the music and no other sound.

Exactly!

Yesterday was the first day I was able to wear my e4's while commuting to and from work. It was just me and my music. I felt so much more engaged to the music than I've been in a long time, because I didn't have all the detail washed clean by the rumble of the train. At one point after we'd descended underground, I paused the music. Still, all I could hear was a faint whoosh, similar to picking up on someone in the apartment below mine using their vacuum cleaner. Awesome.

I know that I'd probably have the same type of isolation with most other IEMs, but with my new U3 and the precision of the e4's, I'm really enjoying my commute so much more now.