How are the Shure E5C with an iPod?

[mgasin]

I have UE Super.fi 5Pro's and they sound great with my iPod. I heard that they were made to have a "synergy" with iPods.

How about Shure E5C's? Do E5C's need an amp?

Thanks!

[Possédé]

I'm really enjoying the sound of my E5c's and my iPod. The E5c's don't need an amp, the iPod can drive them to unlistenable (Well, to the point where I start having sore ears - And the fear of going deaf! :o (Don't tease me, haha!)) levels, though adding an amp doesn't improve the sound much (Maybe adding a little more depth and headstage/airyness? From what i've read). The only thing i'd want out of my E5'c is a little more highs. Sometimes they sound a little plasticy :confused: Lol.

[ayn]

I'd also recommend the UM2's if anyone's looking at cans at the $300 print point.

[superbientotal]

they are the best earphones i ever had love them very much!!

[feh1325]

iem's aren't cans

make sure you have really high quality files!

[thedodgyguy]

The E5c's are pretty similar sonically to the Ultimate Ears SF5Pros. In fact, some might even find the sound a bit inferior. What you get though is a much better design. The assemblies are more robust, the fit is MUCH better. Is that worth twice the price? In my mind, no... but then the E5c was never really worth what it cost from an overall headphone view. Until the explosion of IEM's recently it just happened to be one of a very limited number of options for the performance it offered, much of which was priced at the same level.


The SF5Pro is the only sub-$400 IEM that actually (like the E5c) sounds like a headphone, and for me in terms of sound the Super. Fi certainly rewrote the book on IEM value for money, which is very poor on the whole when compared to headphones (but then headphones don't offer the practicality that IEM's do of course).


It's just that the SF5Pro is unfortunately inadequately designed IMO. There are a lot of compromises to bring a dual-driver design down to $250. In my case it doesn't stay in my ears, and it provides very little isolation compared to Shures/Etymotics in general. That makes it pretty useless for my needs, and if I was given the choice of the two I would still be forced to pick the E5c despite the much higher price because it functions as an IEM a lot better.


I guess you do kind of get what you pay for but if you are lucky enough that the SF5Pros are fitting you properly, I wouldn't bother moving to the E5c.

[warpdrive]

I'd wait for the Shure E500, now those should be worth moving up to