Which phones

[James M]

which phones to use with my iPod, Shure E3c or Etymotic ER-6i

I was set to get the E3c's but then I read a review which said they were lacking in bass but how true that is I don't know, really not sure which to get now.

[alexs2]

James....you need to search through this forum for a recent set of posts on exactly the same topic,and also take a look at www.head-fi.org where you'll find plenty of other views on the same topic.

In short,neither the Shures nor the Etymotics are short on bass,but they are both good sets of phones,and will sound dry in comparison to less linear phones,and also require a good seal between the phones and the ear canal for any bass to be heard properly.

[James M]

I have looked through the recent posts but I was unable to define which was the better of the the two, one thing that does seem to be important is the seal and this can sway peoples judgement but I would like to know the better of the two before I place my order.

[doctorjuggles]

Originally Posted by James M

I have looked through the recent posts but I was unable to define which was the better of the the two, one thing that does seem to be important is the seal and this can sway peoples judgement but I would like to know the better of the two before I place my order.

There is no 'better of the two' otherwise discussions about it here and on head-fi wouldn't exist. There's always someone who thinks the Etys are better than the Shures and there's always someone who thinks the Shures are better than the Etys.

Personally, I think if you're worried about bass the Shures are more than likely a better bet for you, as they're generally percieved to have more bottom end than the ER6s.

The Shures also come with more fittings options, so where seal is concerned, it's often easier to find a fitting that you're able to get a good seal with. That said, once you're used to doing it it's pretty easy to get a seal with almost any fitting.

[extremelydodgy]

Both have some problems in the sound which prevent me from saying either is 'great'.


Sound:
E3c:Too 'middy'. The midrange is emphasised, which results in a strident tone, and the slightly de-emphasised highs contribute to the feeling that these don't sound as clear as they should.
ER-6i: Rather tipped up in the highs in order to create the illusion of detail. In reality, ER-6i resolves the same or less than the E3c. The high tip results in a reduction in the already slightly deficient lows, so everything sounds anaemic.


Physical:
E3c is fairly easy to fit and you can wear it up over the ear (recommended, then run the cable behind your back and adjust the clear plastic tube to cinch the cable to your head) or dangling down from the ear. It's robustly constructed and although I've had some problems with the number of E3c's that have passed through my hands, I haven't had any issues that Shure haven't almost immediately corrected. Cable thump is a problem if you wear them with the cable dangling down. It's less of an issue if worn the proper way, up-and-behind the ear.
ER-6i has given me quite a lot of gyp, due to the self-detaching filters. That'll be qualified though to say it happened during the test period, where each of the ER6i's could have had as many as four tip changes a day. However, it is an issue. The flyweight cables prevent a lot of cable thump, but they vibrate in the wind causing a whistling noise. The compact dimensions of the ER-6i make it slightly more difficult than the E3c to insert/remove, and the flexibility of the body (as well as the flyweight cable) is something of a concern as far as long-term durability is concerned. The best isolation of the two phones 'out of the box' is achieved by the ER-6i with the foam tips. But you can actually fit the ER-6i foam tips onto the E3c, giving the same effect.
Shure offer a 2-year warranty. Etymotic offer 1.


A word on using both with the iPod: The iPod is known to be slightly lean in the lows as a portable device. Many portables emphasise the low end as standard, and provide further boost capability. Not the iPod. It's EQ is famously useless for bass and the sound is not emphasised. The character of tone of the iPod is what makes it a favourite among technical audiophiles and at the same repellent to the 'dum-bass' contingent. Neither phone will achieve 'boom' levels of bass with the iPod. Both are actually capable of producing fairly large amounts of bass when the host sound is so tweaked, although the E3c has the edge with a more 'bouncy' bass. The ER-6i low ends sound rather dead and even when boosted in the lows, instead of 'boom' it's still more a 'splat'.


My choice? The E3c. Although in absolute terms it doesn't sound natural, I'd say it does sound more natural and is more entertaining than the ER-6i while passing along enough sonic information to make the extra spend over the E2c worthwhile. It's better to wear and more robust. It does not offer the initial 'sparkliness' of the ER-6i but for long-term use the E3c sonic character generally wins out for me.


You could get a headphone with less sonic compromises for roughly the same money... but it'll be bulkier of course, and it'll be less isolating.

[James M]

Excellent comparison thanks

I think the E3c's sound like the better choice for me, I was half tempted by the E5c's even though they are loads more than I wanted to spend the reviews seem good but I'm not sure I would be able to tell the difference.

One thing that puzzles me is the E5c's have a 110 ohm resitance which seems very high, how can the iPod actually power them when the more restiance you have the less power the amp puts out?

[extremelydodgy]

The impedance is high... but then so is the efficiency. Milliwatt for milliwatt, the E5c is one of the loudest phones in existence.

I just happened on a great and cheap answer to in-ear headphones:
I bought some Koss 'The Plug', which are very reasonable at $15.
Couldn't get on with the earbuds though.
It just so happened though that I had some earPlanes, http://www.earplanes.com, (9$) which are comfortable to wear.
I pushed out the ceramic inserts, cut some of the long ends off, and they fit perfectly on the 'Plugs'.
So now I have some great, very comfortable, don't fall out, in-ear phones for flying for $24!!
I find them at least as good as the Sony MDR-EX51LP, (but I can't compare them with the Etymotic ER-6i !).