I've spent at least eight hours reading up on the E3c's before buying them, and probably another eight since. I got them three days ago and just can't get a good treble response out of them with any of the sleeves. I tried Texipod's home-brewed triple flange, made from a drugstore-bought pair of Earplanes. I even tried cutting the stems, which helped to a degree. Most people complain about the bass response, but I can get a good seal with no problems. I'm very pleased with the bass. It seems flat to me, down to about 60 Hz where it falls off rapidly.
I think the problem is that my ear canal is very small, which causes the tips to either aim away from the eardrum, or to bend. I'm not getting much over about 6 KHz. When I put on my Sennheiser HD600's for comparison, the highs seem piercing because I quickly become acclimated to the lack of high end. But I know the HD600's aren't particularly hyped, so it must be my ears. If I position the buds just outside of the ear, I think I'm hearing those missing frequencies, but as soon as they go in far enough to get a seal, I end up with mud.
Any suggestions? I've got the Shure triple flange on the way, but I'm not optimistic.
Does anyone else have both the E3c's and the HD600's? If so, would you mind comparing the high end? If the E3c's are simply nowhere near as bright as the HD600's, maybe I just need to find another set of phones. But if the E3c's are in the ballpark, I guess I'll consider a custom mold. I'm reluctant though, because it will cost more than the E3c's did.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Brian.
www.colortheory.com