Are the Shure E4c's that much better than the ER6i's?

[Michael415]

First thanks for reading, and hopefully helping me to decide the best option. To be honest I have been trying to read all the posts and reviews of in canal headphones and feel almost more confused than when I started. I realize auditioning the phones would be best but its not an option. I also am not interested in traditional phones, these need to be discreet and able to survive well in multiple enviroments. What I am looking for are overall good phones. I am not a audiophile, but do appreciate good clean sound. The headphones will be used extensively in planes, relaxin in rooms and while I workout (usually jogging). I am replacing the apple buds for several reasons, they fall out of my ears, its hard for me to get a good fit where the sound is clear, and finally after about an hour it starts to hurt my ears.
So all that being said, it seems that people feel the shure e4's are better than the er6i's but I wanted to get ppl's view if they are worth the extra money especially for my uses. I am open to other in canal phones too, but within reason cost (under 200).

uses: planes, hotel rooms, gym
used on a 5g ipod
music: 50% techo/dance,
20% blues/jazz,
20% alternative,
10 % classical.

Thanks for your input and I look forward to your replies.

[Sinwerm]

While I don't own the E4c or the er6i's , I do own the E3c's and the U.E. superfi.5 pro's. First off , if this is your first pair of I.E.M.'s as the are called (in ear monitors) fitment is the hardest part , everyones ear canals are different and no matter what you decide on , take your time when you first get them , it will take awhile to get used to the feeling of your ears being plugged. With that said , I think both the Shure's and the Ety's may not be for your listening tastes , you list techno/dance as 50% of your time with music. The er6i's are always referred to as haveing a lack of bass and great detail. The Shure's have more bass but perhaps not enough for techno/dance , but still great detail for classical and blues/jazz. If your stuck between the two the E4c would be the better choice IMHO.

What I think is the best of both worlds is the Ultimate ears Superfi.5 pro , you will lose a little detail and the outstanding midrange of the Shure's but gain a nice bit of bass and have a dual driver I.E.M. that is very balanced for many types of music. Not perfect for all but for me a very reasonable trade off. You should be able to find them for $200. Hope this helps. Try http://www.earphonesolutions.com/uleasu5peawh.html very good authorized dealer and will price match any offer you send them.

[Michael415]

Thanks for your input, I will definitely put them in the running. And you are correct these will be my first IEM's so I am excited to discover the difference.

[Jackonicko]

UE5s among high end IEMs, or save some money and try the Sennheiser CX300s or the $89 Panasonic HJE 70s (good bass, good comfort, good fit, and better sound than the ER6 or E2).

[Sinwerm]

Actually I paid $150 when the were offered at $200 with a manufacures rebate for the other $50. The full MSRP. is $249 I think , at that price they are a bit steep. For what I paid for them I can't complain.

[Macromedia]

I'd try the IEMs out first. If you like the ER6i sound sig then go for Etymotic highest end one. ER4p. Or just go for the shure E4 (E4c, E4g)

[Sinwerm]

Originally posted by Macromedia
I'd try the IEMs out first. If you like the ER6i sound sig then go for Etymotic highest end one. ER4p. Or just go for the shure E4 (E4c, E4g) Exactly right , if you can find a retailer that will let you return or exchange them with no penalties. Everything is so very subjective with sound even more so with I.E.M.s because of the fit. If this is not possible garner as much info as possible and try to figure out what should suit you best , and luck does'nt hurt also.

[bobb-mini]

Say again.

Earphones are like shoes. Asking others how a pair of shoes feel does very little. Specially if this is your first pair of Canals.

U are confused 'cuz u don't know what people mean when they say great detail, 'cuz u probly never heard a pair like that. So doesn't EVERYBODY want great detail? one would think..... but no, not everybody love the "super detail" of the ER4Ps.

Get it from a place with 30 days money back, no question asked. I would even get both and test them back and forth and return the one u don't like.

[Michael415]

Thanks for the input and turning me onto the Superfi's . I did some more diggin and the reviews at headfi and went with the 5pro's. Should be here by monday, the place has a great return policy if I don't care for them.

[Sinwerm]

Glad to hear you may have found the "right" earphone for you , and if you ended up at Headfi then you have done alot of research (sorry about your wallet is the saying at headfi). Tell us how they work out for you and make sure to give yourself some time to get the fit and seal. May take you a week or so try all the eartips. Good luck.

[Michael415]

Well I have had the new earphones and I must say wow! I wish I would of gotten them years ago. They sound lightyears over the apple ear buds or other cheap headphones I have used. The other great perk is the volume. I now only turn the ipod up to about 1/4, before it was 3/4. The isolation makes a huge difference.

[Michael415]

lol, the only thing that will take some getting used to is all the internal sounds from my body. Other than that the fitting was amazingly simple and comfortable.

[Sinwerm]

The boost in volume your getting is partly from the isolation. The other key part it the fact that the superfi.pros are very easily "driven" by portable devices becuase of the Ohm impedence , 21 I think , not to get to technical. It makes a nice plus.

[yinyang]

Originally posted by Michael415
Well I have had the new earphones and I must say wow! I wish I would of gotten them years ago. They sound lightyears over the apple ear buds or other cheap headphones I have used. The other great perk is the volume. I now only turn the ipod up to about 1/4, before it was 3/4. The isolation makes a huge difference.

welcome to the lounge :)

and also to the super.fi 5Pros - be prepared though for the possible upgrade in a few years to the UE10s ;)

[superbientotal]

the etymotic ER4P would be my choice over all its like comparing a beast with poor losers, in my opinion their detail and the bass are excellent ;)

[Brainhunter]

I believe the er4p or super.fi5 are a bit too high end for people who have just started familiarizing themselves with the canalphone technology. As long as you can return it with no loss (with a decent amount of time to experiment with the buds before drawing conclusions), and you have the ressources to obtain such high end IEMs, then go for it! However, if you happen to order online (thus many times unless stated otherwise you'll have to pay for shipment to return the product to the seller), it is best you try a budget-priced (one might suppose!) canalphone of good reputation (the CX300s, for example, are gaining favours among the audio earbudheads, and if you opt for an even higher ranked canalphone, you can consider also the RP-HJE70s by Panasonic) to see the kind of sound good quality IEMs are meant to deliver, before moving up in the ladder. Just my two cents.

[MikEHunT]

I must say i love the CX 300's. This was my first real taste of earphone's, and for the money the sound is very good.
I am one of those ppl who would love the top of the top IEM's but tbh, i get tinnitus, LOL so it really is pointless going for the stupid priced gear when it wont affect what i can hear anyway.
I also bought the PX 100 as well at the same time, and again for the money, they are a quality and good sounding headphone.
Although, as my first comparison, i am now in love with earphones and i never used to be.
The outside noise reduction is brilliant in earphones and you can then listen at a lot lower volume than you used to.
Ideally it would be brilliant to be able to walk into a shop and try the various models and makes around to find the ones that suit you the best.
Unfortunately the internet screws that up :D