Like so many decisions in audio, the Tri-Fi 10 will be a matter of taste/personal preference. As with the Super-fi 5's, I found the size of these earphones made part of my ear cartiledge a bit sore after half an hour or so of listening. Likewise, the actual part in the ear canal is very comfortable, as it doesn't go very deep, and is very soft. Folks with more normal shaped ears would likely not have the problem I had with outer comfort. It was no worse than the rubbing of the somewhat rough Shure E5 in the regard of discomfort (i.e. bearable, but mildly irritating). They do seem quite a bit better put together than the SF5's, with a smoother finish and much more impressive overall look.
Soundwise, they were certainly very detailed, I'd have to hear the E500 back-to-back to determine a winner in that department. The balance was a bit more to the bass and treble, whereas the E500 has a more prominent midrange. Overall, this gave the TF10P a sound that would likely please the fans of Grados or other more upfront headphones, as it presents the music as a very physical and in-your-face experience (closer-in, more intimate soundstage). Electric guitars have a similar "excited" sound to what John Grado cans produce, which can make them a bit dominant, depending on the mixing of a particular track/album. Extension of both the highs and lows was very good. I was surprised by how much the bass impact was improved by listening amped vs. unamped (iHP-120), though this player has hardly the best amp for low impedance cans.
The new Metro-fi 2 earphone is really a blast to listen to, while hardly the most accurate piece. It certainly has a deep and prominent bass that is fun without being overbearing. The upper-midrange is a bit forward which can make them sound slightly harsh, but nothing that is too offensive. The frequency balance definitely sounds a little off for listening to symphonic music, but for music I'd listen to on the go, like trance or rock, it's much less of an issue. The extra bass, if anything, will likely help cut through remaining ambient noise (while not muddy-ing up the sound).The smaller housing makes them more comfortable to me than the other UE IEM's, and I think they look a bit nicer to boot. Certainly an awesome product for the price, it absolutely cleans the floor with the Shure E2, which sounds very dull and veiled by comparison.
Thanks to UE for the experience and chance to check out their new gear!
