[mike1123]

Hi all,

I'm having trouble deciding which pair of IEM's to upgrade to. Here's some background: I've had the E4C's for three years, and I really like them, but the sound in one ear cuts off; I'm guessing it's faulty wiring. I'm hesitant for this reason to go with the SE530's. As for the sound of the E4C's, the clarity was fantastic, BUT they were very fatiguing for me to listen to for any length of time. I really want an IEM that I can listen to without having to worry about fatigue (I'm guessing it's due to the boost in high end).

I listen to the following genres: House (Deep/Progressive), Rock (much of which is mixed with orchestral elements i.e strings as background), Dance Pop, Soundtracks (huge varieties, but I'm a big fan melodic pieces with lush soundscapes), Smooth Jazz, and Instrumental/Chillout music (much of which has no percussion). So, in summary, I listen to very upbeat music with prominent bass/kick drums, but also to very calm, instrumental music with very little/no percussion.

I feel like the bass in the E4C's is present and has punch, but I would perhaps like a bit warmer of an overall sound if that makes any sense (also so my ears don't get too fatigued), but the clarity piece is important; I want my music to sound full-bodied and just pleasurable to listen to for long periods of time. The E4C's seem like they are more for accurate listening than for pleasure listening (I also produce music, so I have monitors for that), and after a while, my music is just tiring to listen to, if that makes any sense.

As for choice: The TF 10's are the cheapest by far, but I don't like how they protrude so much from the ear. The Westone 3's are definitely the most expensive of the bunch, but I can snag them for probably around $300 or so, and a little less for the Shure's (but Shure is more picky about buying from authorized dealers, I think).

Thoughts? Opinons?
Thanks to all in advance.

EDIT: On another note, should I expect to be blown away by any of these? Are they a sizable step up from the E4C's? These are all triple driver, whereas the E4's are single driver, correct?

 

[ZARIM]

SE530 are definitaly an upgrade and they sound more fuller, detailed than E4c. Wesone 3 has larger soundstage with great bass extention and overall warm sound signature(BTW UM3x are the ultimate upgrade over E4c if need more details). If you want more details than your E4c but overall fun sound(warm, fuller) with huge soundstage then IE8 are great upgrade.

 

[paulybatz]

Any more input?
An considering the same move. Want the best un-custom IEM.
Not to hijack but a great thread here.

 

[Teeter]

I can only comment on the TF10'S and SE530's. (Wish I'd had the budget to try the Westone's as well, but not yet.)

I really liked the sound of the UE's, but the fit was a joke for me. THEY'RE HUGE and simply would not stay in my ears. Any movement would shake them loose. I know that not everybody has that problem, but I've read many other complaints about the fit. If you have big ears or deep canals, this might not be a problem for you. The lows and highs are great on these IEM's. I don't know that I'd call the mids recessed, but they're nothing like the SE530's.

I've only had the SE530's for a week, but the sound fantastic AND fit great for me. Sonically, they're very smooth, detailed and easy to listen to. The bass, as I've just recently discovered, is very full and tight, but doesn't extend down to the deepest frequencies. Not an issue for me, for worth mentioning in case you're wanting subwoofer-like low end.

Fit aside, between the two I'd easily pick the Shure's. To my ears, they're just more "musical" and natural sounding than the TF10's.

 

[iponderous]

The highs of the SE530 do roll-off a little and lack some detail. They do not sparkle. The SE530 is a mid-centric phone with tight bass. However, the bass doesn't go deep and it does have a mid-bass hump. I find the bass somewhat monotonal in its presentation. However, if you like prominent, lush, mids then the SE530 could be for you.

My experience with the TF10 is the direct opposite of the above poster. The TF10 is a more balanced sounding phone to my ears, with more detailed, sparkly highs (I don't find the highs at all fatiguing), a slightly recessed mid-range, and bass that goes deeper, and is more textural than the SE530 - it's just rendered more realistically to me than the SE530. It also has a noticeably larger soundstage and greater instrument separation. I prefer it's sound signature to the SE530.

A few points that may be worth noting: the SE530 provides excellent noise attenuation; the TF10 does not provide that level of noise reduction; the TF10 has a larger nozzle than the SE530; it is a shallow fitting earphone and yes, it's a larger earphone overall that does have a reputation for being difficult to fit, although I haven't experienced that problem; as the above poster said, the TF10 probably works better with people who have larger ear canals.

And now for the disclaimer - all in my opinion, and I have not heard the W3.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Owning (or previously owning) here is are my preferences

IE8s / W3s (tie)
SE530
RE0
UE10 Pro
ER-4P

All though are incredible IEMs and a huge upgrade IMHO.

 

[Young Spade]

They are all strong upgrades but they are all going to bring something a little different to the table.

 

[something fishy]

This thread prompted me to check just how cheap Triple-fis now are. <US$200!!! on Amazon. I didn't check anywhere else but IMO at anywhere near that price they're a sonic steal.

That said all the criticism of the making you look like Shrek, not getting a good seal, falling out and hurting are entirely true. I bought a pair ages ago (for much more BTW) and never wore them. They were too uncomfy so i went with SE530s instead. Still I missed the Triple-fi sound - leaner but more muscular in the bass than the shures in my opinion and much better treble.

I've just had the triple-fi's put in custom shells. I live in Hong Kong so I used the Chinese company (workmanship exemplary BTW). Took four weeks, cost the equivalent of USD30 for the ear impressions and USD100 for the rebuild (I think that I was had with the impressions).
For the price you can get Triple-fis for I'd recommend buying them with the sole intention of getting them put into custom shells. Just regard them as a US$330 custom IEM.

I'm now a happy camper - comfort and sound. They can be driven very well using the headphone out of a current gen ipod touch (they're less happy with the HO on my old 5.5 gen ipod) and deliver extreme articulation across the frequency range. Custom shells offer great noise isolation BTW – important for me as I use them most while flying.

BTW if you do go this route keep quiet when you have the ear impressions done. I didn’t and my left ear was a tiny bit loose. One coat of clear nail varnish sorted it out but I suspect that jaw movement may be the original problem.

 

[intoflatlines]

Of all the IEMs you mentioned I only have first hand experience with the TF10, so keep that in mind.. I got the TF10 in the crazy Amazon deal back in December and I love the sound. It's warm and bassy but with strong and clear treble. Mids are recessed though. Fit and comfort were a huge issue with me. I have small ear canals and I had difficulty getting a solid seal and they were heavy and uncomfortable. I chose to get my TF10 reshelled and it might have improved the sound a bit but it really made them incredibly comfortable. When it's all said and done I am very happy with my decision.

$100 TF10
$50 impressions
$40 ES cable
$25 overnight shipping to Fisher (I know, I was just too impatient!)
$80 reshell charge
$25 artwork charge
$10 2nd day shipping to me
=$330
minus $100 (I sold a warranty replacement for a SF5 Pro I bought 2+ years ago)
= $230 well spent for triple driver customs w/art and nice cables.

 

[Malux]

if price is a big consideration, you can pickup the triple.fi's on ebay for 150-160. A lot of folks who picked them up on the amazon deal turned around and sold them on ebay.

I just ordered mine and actually am at my desk waiting for them to come in. i have small ear canals and will post an update to this tread on the fit.

Edit:

ok, they just came in and the SQ is amazing. Yes, the mids are a little recessed, but you can EQ that if your taste requires it. Bass is present but not overwhelming and the highs do sparkle. I tend to prefer a V shape frequency curve so the sound is great for me. Better than great, amazing really (at least compared to my denon 751s). I never thought i'd be one of those guys saying "I'm hearing things in songs i never knew were there" but I really am.

As for the fit, i have very small ear canals and was worried they would be uncomfortable. But, they fit me well. Isolation is great and comfort is good. If you've used the shure olives, you'll wish for them but you won't miss them. I'm not sure i'm going through the trouble of installing them on here. I'll see what I decide in a few days.

Overall, highly recommended at the price point. You won't be disappointed. The Triple.Fi's are truly amazing.

 

[Spyro]

While my pick would be W3, if E4's fatigued your ears I would suspect W3's would do the same even moreso since they reveal quite a bit of treble.

SE530 would be the safe bet. It's a big upgrade from E4 with a similar Shure sound sig.

 

[Pianist]

I recommend Ortofon e-Q7. Very, very balanced and natural sound. More so than any other IEM I've heard so far.

 

[mike1123]

Thank for all of the feedback. I've pretty much eliminated the TF10's because I don't like the ergonomics, and the IE8, from what I've hear, has a lot of bass, which is not a really bad thing, but I really value the isolation I get from my E4c's (excellent on the airplane and basically everywhere else). I think it's going to be between the SE530's and the W3's.

I really have no way to demo either one, so I'll probably just take a shot in the dark... I am a bit hesitant to buy the SE530's after what happened to the cable on my E4c's, and I hear it's a common problem (I don't really want to wait for the SE535's).

Either way, it'll come down to price. The SE530's can be had for $310 on Amazon from a couple of third party sellers that are fulfilled by Amazon.com and listed in featured merchants (I think I read on here that if they are fulfilled by Amazon then they are authorized resellers... any truth to that?). On the other hand, there is only one listing for the W3's on Amazon, which is not from an authorized reseller ($350).

The thing is, I have an $80 Amazon.com gift card, so it would be awesome if I could use that towards these. On the other hand, if I can find a good price somewhere else, I'll take it. Do stores like EarphoneSolutions give you lower prices if you call? I'd love to be able to get the W3's for $300, but I don't know if that's possible (and I'd rather buy new).

 

[MayaTlab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyro /img/forum/go_quote.gif While my pick would be W3, if E4's fatigued your ears I would suspect W3's would do the same even moreso since they reveal quite a bit of treble.

I can only concur with that.

However, have you thought about the Westone UM3x ? They're described by most owners as totally non-fatiguing. The SE530 seem pretty laid back as well according to most descriptions.

 

[jleewach]

if you're at a tossup between SE530 and W3, (and you're wanting more clarity & more bass extension,) my bet would be the Westone's. They will have better treble & bass extension, and wider soundstage.

In my opinion, the SE530's have amazing mid-range, but everything else is pretty mediocre...

As for Earphonesolutions, I was able to get them lower the price to 350, but couldnt go any lower. I think they're the better headphone.