The New Super.fi 5 Earphones Reviewed!

[penguindude]

Head over to my site www.compudio.ca to check it out.

Here's the individual link: Exclusive: UE Super.fi 5 Review

Let me know what you guys think!

 

[tstarn06]

Very nice review. I bought the SF5s as a complement to the Sleek SA6s, my favorite IEM for the past half year. At first, I really liked the UEs, my first pair from the company. But as a the first week went by, whenever I used them out and about, I felt I was missing something, something the Sleeks seemed to deliver.

I did some AB listening, to the same tracks with the same sources, with the two, and decided that the Sleeks delivered a richness of sound that the SF5s just seemed to lack. Granted the UE soundstage is wide, but that wasn't it. I can't even describe it very well, but to me, the SF5s just sounded sort of flat, boring, by comparison. Granted, the Sleeks have an MSRP of $249 ($200 street), so maybe it's not a fair comparison.

Also, EdWood preferred the SF5s over the SA6s, but to my taste, the SA6s are a better choice.

Anyway, I do think the UEs are a good IEM upgrade for those on a $150 budget (I think you can get them that cheap now).

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Very nice review. I bought the SF5s as a complement to the Sleek SA6s, my favorite IEM for the past half year. At first, I really liked the UEs, my first pair from the company. But as a the first week went by, whenever I used them out and about, I felt I was missing something, something the Sleeks seemed to deliver. I did some AB listening, to the same tracks with the same sources, with the two, and decided that the Sleeks delivered a richness of sound that the SF5s just seemed to lack. Granted the UE soundstage is wide, but that wasn't it. I can't even describe it very well, but to me, the SF5s just sounded sort of flat, boring, by comparison. Granted, the Sleeks have an MSRP of $249 ($200 street), so maybe it's not a fair comparison. Also, EdWood preferred the SF5s over the SA6s, but to my taste, the SA6s are a better choice. Anyway, I do think the UEs are a good IEM upgrade for those on a $150 budget (I think you can get them that cheap now).

Yep, the UE is much more laid-back, more smooth with a big soundstage, like the Sennheiser house sound.

And yes, you should be able to get them for well below $150 when there's more availability on the market. The earphones just came out a while ago and hasn't received much coverage yet.

 

[Styrbjorn]

Thank you, intresting review.
Looking forward to try these phones myself, does anyone know good online shop with shipping to Russia?
I could order directly from UE site, but price is too high: $170 + $70 (for shipping)

 

[musicmind]

Very nicely done penguindude, nicely structured review with nice pics

 

[vulc4n]

ugh... I'm so disappointed that UE moved to a straight plug on these.

 

[TJ Max]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vulc4n /img/forum/go_quote.gif ugh... I'm so disappointed that UE moved to a straight plug on these.

Whys that? I was happy that it was straight when I got my Triple.Fis. It makes it easier to trail from my pocket without bending the cable.

 

[nephilonic]

I notice in your reviews that you say the Shure SE210 have bigger bass than the super.fi 5. Would you recommend the SE210 to people who listen to electronic music and generally prefer a more bassy sound over the super.fi 5?

 

[vulc4n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJ Max /img/forum/go_quote.gif Whys that? I was happy that it was straight when I got my Triple.Fis. It makes it easier to trail from my pocket without bending the cable.

I much prefer the low profile right angle connectors. Particularly with a tall player like an iPod touch / iPhone it results in putting much less stress on the connector and the DAP.

Really I cannot think of any time I would prefer a straight connector.

 

[schneller]

Nice review, but I would like a good comparison with the Super.fi 5 Pros (which only cost some $40 more).

 

[vulc4n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice review, but I would like a good comparison with the Super.fi 5 Pros (which only cost some $40 more).

I can't find the thread right now, but I have heard a few times now that the new 5's actually have a slight edge. Would def be nice to see a through comparison though.

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nephilonic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I notice in your reviews that you say the Shure SE210 have bigger bass than the super.fi 5. Would you recommend the SE210 to people who listen to electronic music and generally prefer a more bassy sound over the super.fi 5?

Make no mistake, the super.fi 5 definitely got bass. But the low ends are not as deep and as refined as the SE210. So, if ure really into bass, i think the Shure would suit u better.

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vulc4n /img/forum/go_quote.gif I much prefer the low profile right angle connectors. Particularly with a tall player like an iPod touch / iPhone it results in putting much less stress on the connector and the DAP. Really I cannot think of any time I would prefer a straight connector.

True, I definitely prefer right-angled plug more. The straigt plug on the new super.fi 5 is so small, it looks good, but its definitely much harder to use.

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice review, but I would like a good comparison with the Super.fi 5 Pros (which only cost some $40 more).

I didnt have a chance to audition the super.fi 5 and super.fi 5 pros side by side. But recalling from memory, the new super.fi 5 has a bigger soundstage and much laidback. Details wise, the pros got a bit of edge over the non-pro.

 

[MarcusL]

Thanks for the nice review, penguindude. Your description of "chocolaty – rich, full, and smooth" is spot on.

I'm a lover of lush mids and in my search for decent mids in iems without sacrificing too much on some aspects, I finally found the sweet spot in the new super.fi5s. I tried loving the mids of the E500 but some tunes just sounded unnatural because of the sucked-out highs. The 5's are doing an amazing job in delivering Diana Krall's voice, as well as the acoustic guitar tunes of Keith Jarret. And the details sound so addicting due to the huge soundstage. Lush and airy. Haven't heard a lot but this pair has the biggest soundstage in an iem I've heard so far. I'm using the midium sized black silicone tips from Shure. The UE stock tips fit me fine but the softer silicone material from Shure feels more comfy.

The 5s are not perfect but if you're a lover of mids, neutral, non-fatiguing highs and lows, try these. I wonder if anybody has the graphs of these phones. These are definitely neutral sounding in my book and also great for low volume listening with classical tunes. I'm guessing these would synergize well with RSA portable amps.