Upgrading from Sharp MD33s

[h-man]

lol, guppi I wish I could be as sensible as you!

 

[TenaciousO]

I just received the md33, and after trying the e2, e3, er6i, er4p, and the um2, it is definitely true that the md33 is the best bang for the buck earphone. The e3, er6i, and the er4p are better earphones but not enough to justify the price difference. Keep what you have and instead purchase a good pair of low-impedance, home headphones.

 

[doni]

well, i'm not ready for my full review yet (if i can even manage to write one), but i received my three Shures today and can share some initial reactions. first of all, I will never again use my EX51s. I just can't. they sound like crud next to the Sures, let alone my MD33s (which are now broken, btw). secondly, I'm not thrilled with the E2s and E3s compared to the MD33. i actually prefer the MD33 to the E2. i find the E2 bassy and muddy (which was fun for some music, but not in general), while I find the MD33 nice and crisp in the mids, and clear in the bass. the E3 seems to have better mids than the E2, but the bass still muddies the mids, giving an overall dirty feeling. the E3s just don't seem to pop enough with pop tunes that have range, although they're smooth enough with tunes that are more gradual. in fact, the E2s feel poppier, despite their grittier bass. odd, but that's just my feeling. i also don't like the fit of the E3s; I have a heck of a time getting them in place comfortably. It's just my freakish ear shape.

now, the E5s are just totally rocking. the bass is light, crisp, and punchy, rather than gritty and overpowering, the mids and highs are clear and clean. they easily handle tunes that cover a wide range and that go low to high quickly. i also find they fit well (so far i like the rubber tips, the flanges are just too much for my canals) with the help of the memory-fit cable. as people have written, the memory-fit cable seems annoying at first, but you quickly get used to it and love it. the downside is that it also makes these the hardest phones to simply yank one ear out for a quick conversation, which is something i love about the MD33s or EX51s. and the other major downside, of course, is the huge price of these phones. i was hoping i would prefer one of the cheaper ones, somehow i knew i wouldn't, especially since i don't EQ and my most common source is an iPod. so no wonder i much prefer the E5s. and i encode my music at high bitrates, so bringing out artifacts isn't usually a problem.

so, for now, i would say that the MD33s are my favorite budget phones. they don't compare to the E5s, but neither does their price. but they do compare favorably to the E2s and IMO even the E3s unEQed (although EQed, i'm sure that's not true). i'm going to keep listening and see if my opinion changes. as for me, i think i just talked myself into a new pair of E5s.

but i may go out and get a replacement for my broken MD33s, as a backup and for ocassions when I know I'll have to keep taking them on and off.

addendum 1: the MD33s and EX51s both have that uneven cable thing, where one ear cable is shorter than the other, so you wrap the long one around your neck. i HATE that. Shure's behind-the-ear system is much better. it keeps everything snug, but also keeps your neck mobile. the cable doesn't snag on any clothing when you turn your head.

addendum 2: while the Shures are no better in terms of occulation (maybe a bit worse?), the microphonics of the cable rubbing against your body isn't an issue. both the MD33s and the EX51s have big problems with that, requiring a shirt clip.

 

[baies]

I agree with many of the of the posts here when they say the MD33's are the best bang for the buck. Here is where I would rank them based on some of the canalphones I own or have heard:

E5 (amped & unamped) -> ER-4P (amped) -> E3 (amped) -> MD33 (amped & unamped) -> e3 (unamped) -> ER-4P (unamped)

So, in my opinion, you would need to spend a few hundred more on the E5's or a few hundred more an an amp and one of the other phones to achieve an upgrade from the MD33's.

 

[ixeo]

flava of the month?

 

[h-man]

Yes, its about time we had a new flavour of the month, especially one that doesn't break the bank (a good month for wallets everywhere!).

 

[doni]

Well, after comparing MD33s, EX51s, E5cs, E3cs, and E2cs, I've decided to stick with my trusty old MD33s. They severely outperform EX51s and E2cs, and also sound better than E3cs unamped and unEQed. (See my previous post for more details.) I'll admit that E5cs sound better, but for their price, not THAT much better. I've already returned the E3cs & E2cs, and will return the E5cs this week. As for the dreadful Sonys, which I cannot return, I'll either resell, give away, or use them as emergency backups... in case I mis-mod my MD33s again and have to buy a THIRD pair.

So, for unamped, unEQed listening, my opinion is that MD33s are the way to go, unless $ is no object and you can afford to drop $350 for significantly, but not astronomically better E5cs.

 

[godchuanz]

Looks like I have gotten myself a wonderful pair of earphones!
I think I will just stick with my MD33s. I tested out my old Sony discman stock earphones, and they sounded awful. Much worse than I thought it to be.

Thanks for all your help, guys. I think I better get a few more MD33s just in case. They are really cheap anyway!

As for now, I shall wander into the world of headphones. Considering the A900

 

[aeriyn]

I use my MD33s with my Sharp DS8 minidisc player and I love them. They are very very comfortable, just as comfy as the EX51/70/71 types, but they don't suffer from the nerfed mids of said canalphones.

The difference in clarity using the MD33s "short" (plugged into the DS8 remote so the 4-conductor plug comes into play) between the EX71s are very good. I feel these actually sound better than my E2cs but are not nearly as efficient. For such little earbuds designed for low-power MD players (with a specific type of amp that has reduced output voltage) you'd think these things would be rather efficient... but they really aren't. My DS8 can drive my DT440s just as loud at 22/30 (as opposed to 20/30 on the MD33s).

The truth about MD33s: they are great. Buy a pair. No, buy two pair; they are so cheap anyhow! =P

Quote:

Originally Posted by doni the MD33s and EX51s both have that uneven cable thing, where one ear cable is shorter than the other, so you wrap the long one around your neck. i HATE that. Shure's behind-the-ear system is much better. it keeps everything snug, but also keeps your neck mobile. the cable doesn't snag on any clothing when you turn your head.

This is to facilitate the use of a MiniDisc player wired remote; since the remotes are generally clipped to the left side of ones' shirt. Personally I'm not too fond of it myself, the cable always slides to my left side and then pulls out my right earpiece. That's another thing I like more about my Shures. Although, this is much reduced if you use the '33s "short."

Not much use for you iPodders though. *cries* I want a pink iPod mini...

 

[RobbaDobba]

I've said it on myriad posts here...the Sharp HP-MD33S are the best "canalphones" I've tried. My search ended here. Had the e2c and the e3c and hated them. Won't pop for the e5c because I just can't justify paying more for portable phones than I paid for my iPod.

I wanted buds that approximated the sound of my trusty Koss KSC-35's and Sony MDR-7506's...and I found them.

The only complaint I have is that you must use the extension cord to connect them to anything other than Sharp MD portables, which effectively adds 6 useless feet of cable. If Sharp or someone better with solder than I am can create an ADAPTOR or a shorter cord to go from 3-pole to 2-pole, I'd stock up on these puppies in a second.

 

[aeriyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbaDobba The only complaint I have is that you must use the extension cord to connect them to anything other than Sharp MD portables, which effectively adds 6 useless feet of cable. If Sharp or someone better with solder than I am can create an ADAPTOR or a shorter cord to go from 3-pole to 2-pole, I'd stock up on these puppies in a second.

I've heard of someone soldering a small flat piece of copper wire across the two negative conductors on the 4-conductor plug, then lightly sanding it down to form a regular 3-conductor.

I haven't done it with mine, of course, since I use it with a Sharp Auvi MD. But does someone care to try this?

 

[sigma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeriyn I've heard of someone soldering a small flat piece of copper wire across the two negative conductors on the 4-conductor plug, then lightly sanding it down to form a regular 3-conductor. I haven't done it with mine, of course, since I use it with a Sharp Auvi MD. But does someone care to try this?

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...light=pole+mod

 

[godchuanz]

Somehow, my MD33s tip came off on the right side, and it's the size that fits my ears best(the mid size). I can't listen to anything without these phones, so please help point me in the direction of any stores selling these tips!

If there aren't any, I'll just go and buy another pair of these phones and give my existing ones away with the large and small tips. This time, I'll make sure I buy 2 pairs, just in case.

 

[guppi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by godchuanz Somehow, my MD33s tip came off on the right side, and it's the size that fits my ears best(the mid size). I can't listen to anything without these phones, so please help point me in the direction of any stores selling these tips! If there aren't any, I'll just go and buy another pair of these phones and give my existing ones away with the large and small tips. This time, I'll make sure I buy 2 pairs, just in case.

For one, the Sony EX series tips fit the Sharps, but their sizes are slightly different (a tiny bit larger at each size). You can get them for example from Audiocubes or from Sony service.
Another idea is to do swap with somebody who uses a different size of tips. Like me. I use the large tips. And since I dont plan to ever sell these phones I really have not use for the other tips. So if you are interested in trading your large tips for my medium ones, send me PM.

 

[neueziel]

Stupid thread, I shouldn't have clicked on it. I now want a pair of MD33's, is Audiocubes the only place?