[Vimes]

Hi
 
I posted a thread (http://www.head-fi.org/t/667333/upgrade-from-monoprice-soundmagic-iems-and-a-little-history) asking for recommendations on and upgrade from monoprice/soundmagic iems and I wanted something that had a good warranty and was durable.
 
I was recommended shure se215 which seem really good and fit the bill. I was reading a discussion here though and some people recommended the Etymotic HF5 instead, saying they are much clearer. I think both have a 2 year warranty? Though  I'm not sure on the build quality of the etymotic compared to shure so I'd like to know what people think about that.
 
The reviews here say the hf5s are great for detail and clarity which I love but the se215s have better bass which is also nice to have.I think I would miss the bass if the hf5s really lack a lot on bass.
 
I listen to a lot of electronic music, synth type stuff, a lot with no vocals, but some with.Most important to me is I always like to hear the crisp clear vocals and clear electronic sounds, but having a bit of bass along with it really helps too . I'm just wondering which one you would recommend over the other for electronic music. Stuff like Daft Punk,kavnisky ,vangelis,skream, and Disclosure.
 
I'm not sure if I should post this thread in a different forum  than the introductions though, but hoepfully someone will read this here.
Cheers

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

Hi
 
I posted a thread (http://www.head-fi.org/t/667333/upgrade-from-monoprice-soundmagic-iems-and-a-little-history) asking for recommendations on and upgrade from monoprice/soundmagic iems and I wanted something that had a good warranty and was durable.
 
I was recommended shure se215 which seem really good and fit the bill. I was reading a discussion here though and some people recommended the Etymotic HF5 instead, saying they are much clearer. I think both have a 2 year warranty? Though  I'm not sure on the build quality of the etymotic compared to shure so I'd like to know what people think about that.
 
The reviews here say the hf5s are great for detail and clarity which I love but the se215s have better bass which is also nice to have.I think I would miss the bass if the hf5s really lack a lot on bass.
 
I listen to a lot of electronic music, synth type stuff, a lot with no vocals, but some with.Most important to me is I always like to hear the crisp clear vocals and clear electronic sounds, but having a bit of bass along with it really helps too . I'm just wondering which one you would recommend over the other for electronic music. Stuff like Daft Punk,kavnisky ,vangelis,skream, and Disclosure.
 
I'm not sure if I should post this thread in a different forum  than the introductions though, but hoepfully someone will read this here.
Cheers

I had a chance to hear yamaha EP100 yesterday. It has better clarity than SE215 and similar amount of bass. But purely sound quality wise, hf5 beats both of them. If you don't mind, why not try SE215 bass edition?

 

[Vimes]

I've never heard of yamaha ep100 and I cant find them on google =/ . I'd like to try the special editions but they are hard to get hold of in the uk, I think i'm gonna try both the iems I mentinoned and see which I like the most.

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

I've never heard of yamaha ep100 and I cant find them on google =/ . I'd like to try the special editions but they are hard to get hold of in the uk, I think i'm gonna try both the iems I mentinoned and see which I like the most.

Sorry, I meant eph100, not ep100.

 

[Vimes]

oh nice.    They sound pretty interesting.  You think the hf5s are better though?

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

oh nice.    They sound pretty interesting.  You think the hf5s are better though?

That depends. Clarity and detail wise, HF5 is better. But HF5 will not have the bass. Compared to monoprice iems, you will feel that there is "no" bass. EPH100 has good detail and clarity, just not up at HF5 level. It's definitely better than SE215 and has really good bass impact.

 

[Vimes]

Well would you recommend trying both the hf5s and yamahas out or would you say hf5s are the clear winner and you can eq the bass if you need it?

 

[kimvictor]

Well, HF5 does have limited bass capability, so EQ won't help too much. I'd say demo them before you buy them.

 

[torta]

EPH is occasionally a bit to bright for me. I also have SE215. They are occasionally to dark for me . I listen to jazz, classical and some funk/rock music.
They are both good IEMs. With darker produced records EPH sounds great. Records with a bit to much bright edge (lets say on cymbals) work best with -3 db EQ at 8k.
SE215 are always polite and easy to listen to ... whatever the source. EPH are better for movies though ... better voice clarity. Actually they have more clarity/definition overall. A bit less bass than 215 ... but with less bloat (better definition and speed).
But as always ... it really depends on you ears. Literally. For me ... EPH 100 with a bit less high end sizzle would be perfect. But they respond to EQ very well.

 

[amzies01]

I'd go with the SE215 Special Edition... I modded mine to fit Sony Hybrids which added to the clarity and detail, brought out the highs, minimized some of the midbass therefore clearing up even more the already spectacular midrange... Very natural sounding.... Kinda reminds me of the RE-400 cept with a punchier, more impactful and articulate bass response (more sub bass than mid bass)...

 

[zombywoof]

Of the IEM's you mentioned in your original post I have the 215's currently, and find them better than the hf5's for a wide range of genres.  The bass is there when you need it and the mids provide great vocals.  For me the hf5's just didn't do it on the bass and I am not a bass head.  The Shure's take a bit of acclimation because the over ear fit is a bit different at first, but once you get it right they are super comfortable.  I don't know if isolation is important to you, but the Shure's will beat the hf5's in this regard as well.  Great for air travel and noisy public transport environs.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

Hi all, 
 
If you had to choose between the Shure SE215LTD's or the Yamaha EPH-100's  for a wide genre of music which ones would you choose and why? 
 
Eljo.com.au is offering them for me for a special price of AU$85.99.
 
I currently own the SE215LTD's and they've treated me reasonably well however the fit has always been a "hit or miss" for me. I have slightly smaller than average sized ears (the Sennhesier momentums fit my ears nicely) which makes it a bit of a process to put them on.
 
Let's say, If someone is trying to get my attention and it results in me having to take them out of my ears and then back on once we've finished talking my ears tend to not like the rubbing sensation of the earphones getting in contact with the inner part my earlobes when installing them.
 
Lastly, I think anyone would agree that the isolation of the SE215's is nothing short of exceptional. However I don't think it's all a good thing. With my experiences with the SE215's I've found that whenever I'm wearing them there has to be something playing at all times because wearing them with pure silence for a short period of time or temporally pausing the music can make my ears quite fatigued just by the pressure it builds up inside of my ears.
 
I absolutely think that the Shure's are a "best for your buck" pair of earphones however I've found that it's not a pair of earphones that I would wear for long periods of time which is why I've gradually started to steer away from using them..It's going to be hard to say goodbye to them if I decide to buy something to replace them.

 

[torta]

For my ears Yamaha are much less comfortable to wear, and mor difficult to insert/get good fit. You also get less option for aftermarket tip replacements. For me shure are also like earbuds ... I just push them in with one hand. Sound of Yamaha is abit more tight and tiny bit clearer ... Better for my ears, but I use Shure more often. They seem very sturdy and let you replace cable. Which I did - to get microphone combo.

 

[bobby12]

Every now and then I would see a thread about someone hating the se215 and they don't understand why it's so popular. It's easy to listen to, but it can sound muddy because of the lack of treble, and the bass/mid bass can get in the way sometimes. Some people don't like that, but many people do.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

Every now and then I would see a thread about someone hating the se215 and they don't understand why it's so popular. It's easy to listen to, but it can sound muddy because of the lack of treble, and the bass/mid bass can get in the way sometimes. Some people don't like that, but many people do.

 
That's very true. 
 
It can sound a little muddy at times depending on what your listening too which can cause my head to get a bit muddy as well. 
 
Maybe it's best to just buy the EPH-100's and selling whateva I like the least, after owning the MT-220's I've been very impressed with Yamaha so far. At the end of the day no matter how much research you do you won't tell until you listen to them yourself.