[daveemac]

I'm a professional musician, but I don't currently play stadium shows so these IEMs will be for pleasure listening and perhaps for mixing/mastering things I record in my home studio as well. I'll be using a 3G ipod listening to high bitrate AAC and lossless as well. My home recording setup is protools LE on a Digidesign 002, probably adding a nicer DAC/ADC (rosetta?) later on.

The UE-10 seems like overkill for me, so I've been deliberating between the UE5C and the sensas. I think I'll be very happy with either sonically, but after reading everything I can find on both products I'm having a hard time deciding how they compare in terms of comfort and longevity.
There's been quite a bit said about the sensas being more comfy than the UEs, but then many have said that the UE, even without "fullsoft" is as comfortable as they could imagine. I was leaning towards believing that the UE was comfortable enough, but then came across the following quote:

-->Mike’s world includes 12 stereo ear wireless broadcasts, while the three backline techs each use 6 to 8 wirelesses per performer; according to Adams, they use primarily Shure PSM600s with some 700s for the horns. Molds are by Sensaphonics: “It’s the new one,” he says, “with the ballistic wire that doesn’t have the break in the coupler anymore – and are actually even softer than they use to be. They don’t get as loud as a UE product – and don’t get me wrong, Ultimate Ears products rock, and if you need to get it on, that’s where you want to go – but they’re a little firmer in your ear. However, these guys may sound check for four hours, and it’s just a little better for them to have the Sensaphonic in their ear – for fatigue issues.”<--

This is taken from
http://www.totalproductionus.com/Sit...john_mayer.htm
an interview with the guy doing sound for John Mayer.

I'll be honest: at $550 the UE-5C is already a bit indulgent to me, but I'm going to be using headphones as my main setup for a while, and I'll be doing some traveling, so I'm prepared to make the investment and spend more if necessary. As I said, I think I'll be very happy sonically with UE or Sensa, but I want to be sure that I'll be happy comfort-wise as well. Could all of you using UE or Sensa please chime in and address the comfort issue? I'd be most appreciative. There have also been some contradictory remarks here on the forum about longevity issues with the UEs (yellowing, cracking) which I'd love to hear more about as well.

Thanks!

 

[Welly Wu]

I'm the guy who was first to get the UE-10 PRO. They are mucho comfortable. I can sleep with them. I can exercise with them. I can go to the gun range with them. It's easy as snap to clean them and Ultimate Ears customer support is there for you always. The full-soft material is probably a contributing factor in terms of uber comfort and the sound quality is much better and more accurate than full sized headphones such as the HD600, RS-1, and ER-4P/S. I know because I owned these other cans and earphones. The UE-10 PRO tops them all in terms of sonic performance and comfort. If you are serious about using an IEM as your primary pair of earphones for awhile, then get the UE-10 PRO. You will not be sorry. Except for your wallet.

 

[gorman]

I just posted a review for my UE-10 Pro with full soft option. You can find the link in my signature. I mention comfort toward the end of the review.

 

[random person]

Hi Daveemac!

Well I would have responded earlier to your question but I've been out late at a Bella Fleck/Edgar Meyer concert -- they were amazing!

Anyway to your question. I hope you read my review of the UE5c -- if not let me know I'll try to find the link for you. Comfort really is amazing -- I forget I am wearing the 'phones. I now find I am leaving them in for hours at a time -- unheard of for me. And I literally forget they're in my ears (except for the music coming out of them, of course!) Ultimate Ears told me that there was no compromise in comfort with the UE5c -- the full soft is available to give you that slightly snugger fit as the material warms up in your ears. But the comfort is the same. Judging by my own experience I really can't imagine anything more comfortable.

One thing that may persuade you also is that Ultimate Ears has 75% of the professional musicians market. So while you may find some individual preferences for other brands, it is pretty clear that the pro market has voted with their ears fairly resoundingly towards UE. This was a big factor in their favor for me.

As for price/value and indulgence factor, I really believe that the UE5c is not a compromise but is instead the optimal choice for recorded music. While you can pay more and can probably get more (the UE10 with three drivers) I feel wonderful about my choice. The fact that the more expensive model is out there makes me feel I behaved with some level of fiscal responsibility! (Unusual for me) So I feel noble about it! Plus I feel all the better knowing I optimized my choice for my usage and didn't spend more than necessary to get fantastic sound. Really, I couldn't be more delighted with the UE5c -- I love them! I know it's strange to feel that I got a bargain by spending *only* $550 vs these other choices -- but that's how I feel. Believe me, at $550 the UE5c is a steal!

As for durability, UE made a point of discussing durability with respect to the UE5c and that was in part what drove their decision to stick with hard acryllic. I will tell you these look pretty indestructable to me! I'm not afraid to use them. Plus they come with a long guarantee (a year) vs other companies (six months). Together with their fantastic client list -- there's no question in my mind that UE represents the ultimate in quality.

I do truly believe that you can't go wrong with any of these choices -- the Sensa, all of the UE products -- these are wonderful audiophile canalphones! You won't be disappointed with any of them. I suggest you contact the companies -- by email (UE's President will answer your email personally) or by calling them (you can ask for Mindy the President or Jerry the founder and designer) and they will put you thoroughly at ease. Contact Sensaphonics as well. See how you feel about how you are treated, how thoroughly they respond to your questions and concerns, and so on.

Also feel free to PM me and grill me with any questions at all! I would be happy to help answer them.

Happy hunting!

 

[lindrone]

Heh.. just waiting for the flames..

But of course, softer the material, the better the comfort.. whether or not that comfort matters to you is another matter. Hard-shell IEM's has been deployed for years without problems, of course, once you get something more comfortable you fall in love with them.

ProPhonic 2X-S is softer than the full-soft material offered by UE.. you should check both material for yourself... I personally found enough vindication to pay for the 2X-S. 2X-S also has a more elegant cable, as in... the connection to the earpiece are integrated, and the cable itself are thinner (yet still just as strong, because of the material being used.. some military grade thing rated up to 50lbs of pull). Of course, replaceable cable at the earpiece might a be good feature for some, but I want to avoid extra contacts as much as possible.

Contacts wear out over time with consistent replacement of the cables. This is true with even Sennheisers. You don't really want to unplug and plug in cable all that often. So I don't see a point to it. If you want different length cable, Sensa has a design where the cable is switchable at the point where the two L & R wires "join". I got the option without that switchable cable, for a much lighter, braided cable that's very elegant. There is a point to possibly damaging the cable and having to replace them.. in that case Sensa has to go back to the factory, where UE can just be a plug-in replacement. I think you would probably have to purposely run a blade over them though

The thinner cables from the earpieces are also even lesser visible on-stage than UE's cable.

I believe that UE-10 Pro is $900, +$50 for audiologist fee, +$50 for full-soft option, right? I'm not sure about that last $50 for full-soft option part, that's what I remembered..? Full-soft is an option on their other products, it might be included on the UE-10 Pro. It's really much, much more expensive than the UE5c...

Given your intended use... for mixing and mastering.. I don't know how the UE5c would fair in those applications.. I mean, they're meant for playback of recorded music more than for mastering music. I would email UE and tell them what your intended use are, and they should be able to point you towards a direction in their product line.

As for Sensa, 2X-S is simply their best product... there's really no question on what to get from Sensa.