[Big Kev]

I currently have a four month old pair of Shure E500 PTH's, but do miss the highs that my previous E4c's had, so have been looking at the possibility of trying another pair.

A few people on Headfi have recommended the Ultimate Ears triple.fi 10 Pro's, saying that they have better mids and highs, plus the soundstage is awesome and some even saying they prefer the bass.

The problem is, that in order to purchase them, I would have to sell the Shures first to finance the purchase, so I really need to be sure that I'm making the right decision.

Also, I've heard that Shure have altered their warranty policy, which now require proof of purchase from an authorised retailer, thereby giving us eBay purchasers no further protection. This has always been a big factor for me and very disappointing, as I'm not really prepared to pay another £40+ each time I get a new pair, just for the added protection.

Cheers,

Kev

[Big Kev]

Nobody have any input, surely there must be some people out there with an opinion.

Cheers,

Kev

[1012007]

Well the Shure E500 is meant to be "high end" but not as good as the price tag, however customs seems the way to go these days. Livewires and Ultimate Ears 11 are popular but un-customs "high end" earphones are Shure E500, Westone 3, q JAYS and Futuresonic Atrios even though these are all cheaper that the shure even though the quality doesnt justify the price tag

[Big Kev]

Cheers for that, the Westone 3's look like the nearest to what I'm after, but will they ever get released, they've been delayed for ages.

Also the fact that the triple.fi's stick out of the ear is putting me off as well, maybe I should stick with the E500's until the Westone 3's come out, after all, they're still great phones.

[1012007]

Hi,

Yeah good choice. I also hate the UE earphones as they stick out too far, However the super.fi 11 are customs. They are very expensive though and people have problems with customs etc with them not fitting perfect. Have a look at the Klipsch earphones as well as the westone 3. These 2 would be your best option. Both above the cheaper q Jays and Futuresonic atrios even though they are only a small step down

[Big Kev]

Took a look at the Klipsch and they don't seem to be any better than the E500's/triple/fi's, although they could hold their own in certain areas, best wait for some more detailed comparisons with other high end phones first.

The waiting game is the way to go at the moment I think.

Cheers for the input.

[doctorjuggles]

I've listened to both phones, I own the E500/SE530 and had the Triple-Fi for about a month. Overall, while the TFs had better bass response, I just couldn't get used to (a) the slightly overzealous treble that can get a bit screechy in my opinion but most of all (b) the absolute pain and suffering I had to endure when wearing them. At first I thought it might be that my ears needed to get used to them, but after a month it was clear that they were just not right for my ears. I don't know if others experienced the same thing, but I just could not get used to them.

The bottom line with them was that I couldn't wait to get home to take them off, whereas with the Shures I just cannot wait to leave home so I can listen to them. Which is the point of good sound.

Even if the fit was exactly the same, I'd still plump for the Shures, but with the extreme discomfort I suffered with the Triple-Fi, I'd never even consider UE non-custom IEMs again until they altered their design.

[Autopilot]

Wow, at the time of writing 7 people have voted - im supprised 7 people who had tried both sets had seen this poll already

Honestly, you might as well ask 'which ones have you tried/bought' instead. (But am sure there are some people that have tried both to be fair)

[Big Kev]

Originally Posted by Autopilot

Wow, at the time of writing 7 people have voted - im supprised 7 people who had tried both sets had seen this poll already

Honestly, you might as well ask 'which ones have you tried/bought' instead. (But am sure there are some people that have tried both to be fair)

My position when starting this thread, was that I'd narrowed my search down to keeping the E500's or trying the triple.fi's, so I only wanted some feedback from people that know/have heard those two.

Now though, the Klipsch's and Westone 3's come into play, so maybe I should reword the thread "which high-end IEM would you go for".

[sim0n89]

I have just ordered some Klipsch Image earphones, so can tell you what they are like when they arrive

[sheffsteel]

I doubt the people whom have voted have heard both the IEM's. People are probably just voting for the IEM they possess. I've not voted because i've never heard the SE530's.

I own the Shure E4c IEM's (for about 2 years) so that is the sound I'm used to. They had good reviews on Amazon but to be honest when I first listened to them I was underwhelmed. Yes they were OK, but nothing special.

I was tempted to buy the Shure SE530 but decided to go for the Ultimate Ears 10 Triple.fi's instead.

My triple.fi's arrived today (bought off amazon for £185). I been listening to them now for about 5 hours.

Within the 10 seconds of listening to these I noticed the sound is definately a little louder than the E4c. The overall sound is instantly more impressive.
The bass has loads more slam than the E4c and the treble is very noticible.

I'm describe the UE10 TF's as EXCITING. Details are thrown at you. SOme say the midrange is a little recessed. I can understand that because the bass and treble are so powerful. Must admit I'm very impressed.

Switching back to the E4C. The sound seems more distant and BORING. Although it's a mature laid back sound, maybe with extended listening people might prefer the E4c as the TF'a might end up beinf too exciting and tiring.

After 5 hours I'd recommend the TF's. It even makes the Iod Nano 3G sound good and it also sounds loud too. I'm finding that only the largest rubber silcone tips give me a proper seal. I must have really big holes in my ears nd the comfirt isn't too bad (for me).

I'm definately noticing sounds and intruments that weren't there with the Shure E4c's. It sounds like i'm closer to the music with the TF's.

[fermthe]

When you say earphones you mean headphones ? If yes after i tryed almost all the headphones on the market i bought Sennheiser HD-650 witch is the best headphones i ever used in my life But not very usefull for studio because they produce a lot of sound outside

[andyUK101]

I own and have tried quite a few high end headphones, my thoughts

Shure SE530 - Probably the pair i used the most due to the excellent noise isolation and secure fit, i tend to use these with an old sony HD5 with the music encoded in the Atrac3+ format at 256Kpbs - i find that most portable devices struggle to bring out the best in high end Shures especially ipods (tbh i havent tried lossless encoding on my touch yet but will). The bass and mid range are excellent and the only time i notice the Shures struggle a little is with the treble but this is rarely a problem with the type of music i listen to

UE super.fi 10 pro - i tried this for about 2 weeks and wasnt a fan, i found it difficult to get a decent fit and this affected the sound quality, nice tight mid range and treble but severely lacking in bass, possibly due to the poor fit

UE super.fi 5 pro - ive owned a set for about 3 months now, i still struggle slightly to get a secure fit with anything but the foam tips which dont help with noise isolation at all, i tend to use these in conjunction with a creative xmod amp on my laptop and it really helps bring out the detail and adds to the
bass, which again i found lacking when listening to them from a portable device

Ive found that using some form of amplification really brings out the benefit of the dual driver on the 5 pro - curiously enough it doesnt seem to have the same effect on the 530

I actually prefer the 5 pro over 10 pro, partly becuase of the size difference and but also due to the fact i found the 10 pros too bright

Bose in ears - probably the most comfortable in ear headphones i own, sound quality is lacking right across the range and woeful at the low end, i tend to use these with my ipod which has music encoded at 128kpbs, the higher end headphones are overkill for this type of listening as the quality of the music simply doesnt do them justice

Denon AHC-751 - good across the whole range but still a little lacking in detail on the lows, nice alumnium chassis but not really sure if this adds anything to the sound quality

Overall i would rate the 530 as the best in ears i have tried, but only with the right source.

[Paragon]

I moved from a pair of E3Cs (which broke, and Shure never even had the courtesy to reply to a letter saying it was unacceptable on such an expensive product - the moulding snapped and I treat my kit really well) to UE 5.Pros, and frankly the UEs beat them. The gulf is massive. I think Shures are overpriced now and the build quality/sound is vastly better on my UEs. They'll be getting my money again if/when I upgrade.

[andyUK101]

Originally Posted by Paragon

I moved from a pair of E3Cs (which broke, and Shure never even had the courtesy to reply to a letter saying it was unacceptable on such an expensive product - the moulding snapped and I treat my kit really well) to UE 5.Pros, and frankly the UEs beat them. The gulf is massive. I think Shures are overpriced now and the build quality/sound is vastly better on my UEs. They'll be getting my money again if/when I upgrade.

Shures customer service is normally excellent, they have swapped 2 pairs of high headphones for me with no proof of purchase and without any quibbles

I dont think there is much difference in build quality tbh but do prefer the look of my 5 pros (the clear cable sleeve ones with the visible wiring) and the storage case is much nicer

[vizviz]

I bought e500pth on a rush plane journey, I played them in airport, first I didn`t like the grey earpieces (the changable part) cause kept coming of my ears (paid £££ by the way) anyway I didn`t use them for long time.A while ago I put them on ebay, later I was bored so I wanted to listen them for last time, this time I changed ear buds to yellow spongy ones..OMG I`m blown away, what a sound, being a bit bass maniac I started trying different tracks as I know as reference to me. I mean I have owned various headphones, this is something else.Also I realised how comfy they are.I worked in audio industry long years I can tell you they`re the dogz bollockz plus PTH is great function.If you can get E500PTH then get it, as far as I know new SE models are the same but not shure if they have pth too.Anyway what have I done...ofcourse I took my listing don from ebay, I was that close to be an sad idiot.
Right now Im pupin my head with barra-barra remix Rachid Taha..

[HiFi Headphones]

Since this poll there are a few more candidates for best high end earphone, including the Sennheiser IE8 and Westone 3.

In my opinion the Shure SE530 still holds it's own at the top, especially for it's clarity and detail. Mind you it does cost a good deal more than the IE8 or Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10.

[Big Kev]

Since this thread started, I've now got the Westone 3's and they are the best that I've heard, followed by the Triple.fi's, then the E500's, who's lack in the treble department is very noticeable. I haven't heard the IE8's though.

[Steven]

You aren't missing much

Unless an exaggerated bass sound is your thing

imo of course

[vizviz]

Here is a interesting reading if you want to know more about your ears while you discussing which earphones is better, I must tell you it`s not just about which earphones, it`s more likely how much can you hear. What you think is best or better can be worst or no good at all for another at the end.
The Human Ear: Masterpiece of Engineering - Universal Unity
I came to the end of road for searching best earphones for my ears and I wish you all find yours too...mine is E500 PTH
P.S everyone has different bandwith ear capability, some can`t feel below 20hz and a lot can`t hear above 20khz (just about no one can) so thats why some people drop tears extreme low.Also if you could hear above 20khz you`d be very annoyed by the bikes on the streets which has device to keep away dogs attacking.