[Gigabomber]

I want to upgrade and an wondering what your opinions are as to which of these are the best using a portable mp3 player (IAudio m3l) and soundblaster card as sources.

Etymotic 4p (two year warranty) $250
Shure e3 (two year warranty) $180 or less
Westone um2 (same dual drivers as shure e5; only 90 day warranty - ouch) $330 ($280 no warranty)

The reason I chose the shure e3's instead of the e5's is that the e5's have 110 impedance though they can run under $400. All of the above have 27 ohm impedance and around 26 decibels of noise reduction.

Shure and Westone are both over-the-ear designs and Westones seem to be the more comfortable of the two in the few reviews I have read comparing them (this is the primary concern being that the um2's and e5's drivers are both made in the same factory). They both have seemingly more durable cords than the 4p's as well.
One of my biggest concerns is that the 'phones are not too bright, but still very accurate and will accept my meager drivers. If you have any other 'phones to recommend that fit the bill - any style - post ahead.
Thanks
I listen to all types of music and radio btw.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Impedance matters little with the Shure E5 since it is extremely efficient as well.

 

[EdipisReks]

the Er-4P can be found for $200 brand new in the US. the ER-4P is pretty easily driven by portables, so it should be fine out of a sound card. i haven't heard the Westones, but i've heard the similar E5 and the E3c, and i think that the Etys are the best of the bunch.

 

[easypeasy]

Really hard to advise from another owner.
Basically your best bet is to try them yourself. I didn't like the e5cs much, maybe being used to 6i's. UM2 were more impressive to me, but I tended towards the 4Ps.
Acctually I had a go on the magnificent UE-10s but that doesn't matter. Only you will know which will suite you.

 

[Fidel]

I agree with EdipisReks.
It all depends on what type of sound you like. I use er4p with my ipod and it sounds quite good (neutral, detailed). However, many others think they lack bass and sound dry. If you're a basshead, get the e5c. Personally, I could not take the e5c's because the bass gave me headaches.
If you are planning to get an amp in the future, I advise you to get the er4s - they sound way more detailed than the p's.

 

[aeriyn]

If you really want to get the most out of your Etys, get the ER-4P and the P-S conversion cable, and post a WTB for a small portable amp (Porta Corda, TAH, MINT, PIMETA, etc). The etys can be rather bass-shy unamped.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabomber Westone um2 (same dual drivers as shure e5; only 90 day warranty - ouch) $330 ($280 no warranty)

50 bucks for a 90 day warranty?!

if that's really the case, i would scratch the westone's off the list entirely.

p.s. i'm an ety man, myself... and i don't find them bass shy 85% of the time. and for the other 15%, i find the "electronic" eq setting on my ipod fills out the sound very nicely. the shure line is a little dark for my taste. however, if you don't like a bright sound, the etys may not be for you.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax 50 bucks for a 90 day warranty?! if that's really the case, i would scratch the westone's off the list entirely.

I have personally found Westone's service to be unparalleled, and the length of warranty a complete non-issue.

 

[Hiratsuka]

I have an Iaudio M3 as well. I use E3c's with it and I really enjoy the combination. By using the different music settings on the M3 I found I could get the E3's to sound exactly like I want them to.

Search for the thread "Cheapest place to buy Shure E3c's", they can be had for around $120 shipped.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN I have personally found Westone's service to be unparalleled, and the length of warranty a complete non-issue.

have you ever needed a repair? how do they compare, sound and comfortwise, with the shures?

 

[Zemo]

shure E5c's side by side with Ety er4's, then side by side with UM2's...

Ety - bright, almost harsh high end, hardly any bass

Shure - lots of bass, lacking detail, a bir recessed midrange

UM2's - lots of bass, but not over powering, fair midrange, lacking a bit of detail, but smoother overall than the E5c's.

My pick? UM2's.

-Z

 

[emadgin]

it depends what type of sound you are looking for........ if you want your music to sound like it is being analyzed and picked apart by a Harvard graduate level creative writing professor paying attention to every little detail and syllable before it reaches your ears then go with the er4p/s as they have a very very accurate and refined sound the detail is absolutely incredible no other phone will give you the extreme detail as the ety's. If you are looking for a warm fun sounding fun can that seems a bit faster, with rolled off highs with a good amount of detail although not nearly as much as the ety's then go with the shure's. I chose the shure's from the start without ever hearing the ety's then friend of mine let me borrow his er4p's for a week and i must say they are an excellent sounding can and i don't have any complaints about them whatsoever and i would recommend them to anyone in a second, but i am glad i chose the e3c's and wouldn't trade them for the ety's because they are more suited to the sound signature that i like. So my advice is try and listen to both before purchasing or purchase from a site such as Headroom that has a great return policy so you can demo them for a while and keep the one you like best

 

[Gigabomber]

I am over halfway through reading tons of posts with the words "westone um2" in them and am leaning toward them for a test drive. I recall one such post as saying that the westones represent solid mid-ground between the e5 and etys (I would prefer the sonic quality over the bass any day; that kind of nixes the e5's though I like the warranty). Also, the more I read, the more I am reminded how little I may actually need the isolation when run up against the sonic quality of a pair of alessandro ms2's.
The idea is to get single pair of 'phones that I could use to listen to my mp3 player with isolation and then go home and plug into my comp to listen to the same mp3s, net radio, and then pop in a game or movie and get sucked in without having to fork over 650 for ms-2s and westones (this is not really an option because I am finding - botton line - the isolation is secondary to the sonic quality). Then again, being that I am going to use the 'phones for multiple applications, maybe I should just go for the ety's? or even buy a pair of lower end sony fontopias for the minimal isolation and try on the ms-2s?
Course that is probably not the best considering the staggering difference I would notice between the two from the same music.
Ultimately this is a "most bang for the buck" situation because i strive to be as efficient as i can with this type of purchase - this is why I found headfi.

judgement: I am just trying to minimize the pain to my wallet. I already ate 100 when I tried out ultrasone 750's and the brightness ate my brain (the build quality and comfort were not worth 400 dollars. Bottom line). In hindsight I should have burned them in for longer (shows my inexperience), but I was so dismayed by my gut feeling that I sold them off.

My main pickle is between the um2's good comfort, design and limited warranty and the ety's microphonic cable and better sonic accuracy.

 

[Thaddy]

From my extended experience with the E5C's and the ER-4S, I noticed two main differences in the canal phones that helped me choose which pair I wanted to keep. With the ER-4S's, I found myself analyzing the music. I would pinpoint certain parts in the song and listen to them. While this may be fine for some people, it wasn't for me. The Shure's allowed me to actually listen to the music. The experience was more engaging, and allowed me to enjoy the music, rather critique it.

I don't have experience with the UM2's yet, as they could possible arrive later this week

 

[Gigabomber]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thaddy I don't have experience with the UM2's yet, as they could possible arrive later this week

Maybe I will just wait on you. *applies pressure*