[Beyerfan70]

Quote:

 

I first bought the triple fi 10 which I loved but I couldn't deal with the closedness feeling. So I sold it. 
I bought HJE900 zirconia. I like it, but I find it to have poor to not useful isolation, as It isolates so you can't hear people around you, but for trains, metro or even bus it is useless. Despite not being as great as the triple fi 10, It does the job for me as I don't feel closed at all with them on. I do have the phiaton ps210 for complete openness.
So now for the situation when I need extreme isolation the mc5 may do the job.
I read your review of etymotic mc5, and you say isolation is great and I know etymotic is well regarded for their isolation, so I am keen about it.
 
At ~55 £ it is inside my budget. So my question is: How Good is isolation compared to the IEM you have had. How does its isolation compare to ER4S? I am asking so because Joker gives it 5 for isolation.
 
Isolation on the Mc5 is brilliant, In regards to a comparisson against the er4 i would say a small touch less but nothing really noticeable, They will certainly be perfect for trains buses etc and indeed they are as i use them on the bus sometimes with no music and all i get is peace and quiet.
Like all my ety phones NOTHING i have or have owned comes close to the level of isolation they give period!
​

 

[mglak51jk]

Slightly off topic-Can anyone compare the bass (or lack thereof)on the ADDIEM's  to the bass on the MC5? I've gotten used to the clarity of the ADDIEM's, but really could use some more bass. I've read through the thread, and was pleased to learn that it seems like a substantial upgrade, but if anyone has had both and would care to go into a bit more detail on this, I would really appreciate it. Also, I'm a small-ish female with tiny ears so am concerned with the tips. In the past I've had good results with the SONY hybrids which seem to provide a good seal...Thanks guys

 

[rawrster]

The Etymotic level isolation is great and on my list of earphones they probably are 2nd or 3rd for isolation that I've tried. My Livewires are the best isolation I've had. The ER6i and MC5 are next and since I don't have them both can't compare but they are either tied or 2nd/3rd

 

[jant71]

 
Quote:

 
 
I couldn't believe just how awful they made these phones sound, or that Ety would even offer such an abomination.

 
I don't use Ety tips on Ety phones. They clearly put isolation above SQ. They are stubborn on not using more than one driver too. To be fair, lots of brands don't pay as much attention to/test enough tips as they should and Head-fier's often pick up the slack and get that extra SQ that should be there in the first place or tune them a bit in a preferred direction.
 
Still, the best tips I've heard on them so far...
  The Kanen tips are not that thick or stiff so they don't isolate that highly but they give great detail, sound balance, the right tone/timbre, and good size stage. Good iso, well above average but below Ety tip level. Something like the imitation Hybrid tips and for me have worked well on Klipsch and Ety phones.
 

 

[stevenswall]

^Nice tips, do they require adapters to fit the Etymotic sound nozzle? I am currently using the Monster Supertips (gel filled silicone, single flange) with my Etys, and haven't been able to hear much of a difference these 4 days. Comfort is better, isolation is worse, but SQ wise, not much gives with any of the tips.
 
Where did you get the Kanen tips, and how much where they? The Monster SuperTips sampler pack is about $25 on amazon.com... I got it as a review unit!
 

 

[jant71]

No adapters needed. They come with the KM-948 which are $5 or less shipped from places like DealExtreme, Focalprice etc.

Worth the $$$ as you get a usable set of phones, a little tray for tips etc. and a little holder for the other sizes which is convenient at times.

 

[legodt]

How well do these stack up against the DBA-02s? What IEMs are better than the MC5s?

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

How well do these stack up against the DBA-02s? What IEMs are better than the MC5s?

IMO, and YMMV, the DBAs crush them on every level except isolation, price and build quality.  No contest in every single aspect of SQ.
 
I also think if you are the EQing type, the Brainwavz M1 smacks the MC5 around on SQ as well.

 

[stevenswall]

^So does the DBA 02 seem to have a more realistic FR than the Etymotic? This was the biggest thing that seemed to click for me sound wise. Other headphones I have heard have succeeded in being more neutral or musical, but never as natural as the Etymotics equal loudness FR (85% matched to the human ears hearing).

 

[rawrster]

The MC5 and the DBA-02 are in much different price brackets and have different bang for your buck values. I found the DBA-02 to be a very good bang for your buck while the MC5 feels like a decent buy even at the price I got. I don't have the DBA-02 anymore but I would be pretty surprised if the MC5 beat them in any aspect of sound if one was to A/B them.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

^So does the DBA 02 seem to have a more realistic FR than the Etymotic? This was the biggest thing that seemed to click for me sound wise. Other headphones I have heard have succeeded in being more neutral or musical, but never as natural as the Etymotics equal loudness FR (85% matched to the human ears hearing).

IMO, absolutely yes.  I think the MC5 is a bit warmer than I would like from an Ety and doesn't have the same level of clarity as an ER4S.  The DBA is like a love child of the ER4S and SM3 to my ears.  More like what I would want a dynamic Ety to sound like if they made one.  I personally believe the DBA to be more natural, detailed and resolving than the ER4S, SM3, MC5.  YMMV.  There is a question of which has more texture the ER4S or DBA.  I liked the ER4S because they had that texture w/o sounding unnaturally sterile like many BA's do.  The texture doesn't jump out from the DBAs but I don't find it lacking either otherwise I would have sold them for shure.  

 

  

 

[radiohlite]

well, I just ordered some MC5s based on this thread...eagerly anticipating their arrival!!

 

[JOEYBUCKETS]

just got mine today from J&R in NYC.. they sound excellent i am burning them in as we speak

 

[pekingduck]

Is mc5's cable as microphonic as the er4's?

 

[rawrster]

Quote:

Is mc5's cable as microphonic as the er4's?

That's very unlikely. I wear mine over the ears and have no problems with microphonics. I would be surprised if people started complaining about the microphonics unless they wore them straight down