Time for a change I think :-)

[Amsterdamned]

I very rarely post on this site but do pop back, every now and again.
 
My personal choice of IEM has been Shure, for quite a while now, since I bought my first pair (E4) back in November 2005, after reading quite a bit on this forum; you guys did a good job, as I eventually purchased a second pair (SCL4) in November 2009, after my original pair started getting a bit tatty (split cable boots etc.). The originals still work perfectly, which is lucky as the SCL4 developed a fault after around 14 months (sound cutting out on one side). The SCL4s were sent back to Shure Asia who duly informed me that they were irrepairable; I have no receipt for warranty purposes so they're basically junk (tips on a repair anyone?).
 
I'm now back to the original Shures but have been looking around at updates to the Shures and offerings from other manufacturers, like the UE TripleFi 10s. Bear in mind that I'm in Australia so buying a nice pair of IEMs, retail, is unbelievably expensive. Amazon have now started shipping more electronics outside the US but there are precious few IEMs available. Both Shures were purchased on a well known auction site so I'm guessing I'll be scouring their pages for more bargains, when the choice has been made, unless I can find a bargain locally; this would obviously be prefereble, for warranty purposes.
 
Shure did, in fact, offer me a direct replacement (at a cost of almost $200 Australian), in the form of a brand new pair of the SE310, but offered them without any accessories or warranty; I politely declined their generous offer. It's still possible to find the SCL4 but, after mine failed to make it to 18 months, I think I might try something different this time. I did spot a brand new pair of E500PTH for around $250 but didn't pull the trigger; I like the price but know the E500 has been around for a while now and, ideally, would like to find quality equalling (or bettering) the SCL4 for less money. If the consensus opinion is that I should have bitten the guy's hand off, let me know and I'll see if he still has them...
 
I love the neutral sound the E4/SCL4 produces; they don't have loads of low end grunt but I think they're better for it. I listen to a bit of everything really, so they'll need to handle everything from Beck to Beethoven, with a bit of drum and bass and indie thrown in for good measure.
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[Amsterdamned]

One extra thing...

I'm a little disappointed to see the new Shures are lacking replaceable nozzles. I've just replaced one, yesterday, and have replaced some in the past too, so what happens when the nozzles need replacing on the new models?

 

[dweaver]

I have never heard of replacing the nozzle on an IEM???? Are you refering to the tips? If so the tips are replaceable.

 

[Amsterdamned]

The replaceable nozzles look like this:

http://www.earphonesolutions.com/shuree4nozzle.html

Not sure what my ears do to them but they come in very handy. The Shures come with 2 spares...

 

[dweaver]

holy whack!!! I didn't know they di that on their older models! hmmm interesting concept. Wouldn'y they be more susceptable to breaking? or are they designed to pop out before they break??

 

[Amsterdamned]

The metal ring, on the E4 and SCL4, holds the nozzle very tightly in place. The design looks identical to the fixed item, on the newer models, just replaceable.

 

[Amsterdamned]

Quick update...
 
I fixed them! Scoured the web and found a couple of guys that had successfully repaired theirs, one even had some photos. I managed to cleanly separate the two halves of the plastic housing and spotted a sole strand of the earth wire had come loose - must have been intermittently shorting out, causing the problem. I snipped the offending strand, carefully reassembled (with the help of some super glue and black kitchen-grade silicone, and they work perfectly.
 
Best of all, you can't actually tell they've been opened at all.
 
Bargain!!
 
J.