Help: Shure E2c or Sony MDR-EX71SL??

[FallN]

Hi all,

I've had it with Apple's Earbuds. I also have a pair of Apple In-Ear 'Phones and they aren't much better: the fit is horrible, they don't stay in my ear, and the sound is questionable...

So I've decided to "upgrade" and for my budget and what I want, I've narrowed down the choices to either the Shure E2c's or the Sony Fontopia MDR-EX71SL.

I like the Sony EX71 because of the white color, shorter cord, cheaper price and wide availability. (Some say it has great bass which is something I'm looking for so if it's true, that's a MAJOR plus).

I've read a lot about Shure 'phones but they are just too expensive... if I could actually get my hands on a pair to "try out" before dropping literally HUNDREDS of dollars on them, I'd be a bit more forgiving of the price but I don't know where I can go to "try" them out. So I want to go with the "entry level" Shure's, the E2c's, and see how I like them.

What I DON'T like about the Shure E2c is the color. I already have a cheap pair of black Sony headphones, so I don't need another pair to try and "hide" the fact that I have an iPod in "bad areas", but instead I want a white set of 'phones that will be used 99.999% of the time, everyday and for hours at a time. The Shure's also look a bit "uncomfotable" and hard to insert into the ears and get a good seal... I have very small ears and small earcanals, so this is of concern.

I do a LOT of jogging and working out so I want to block out as much noise as possible and I need bass. The Apple 'phones are HORRIBLE for bass.

Can anyone help me decide between the two so I don't wind up wasting money on the wrong 'phones for my tastes, budget and usage? (My budget is $75 tops and I ONLY want in-ear/canal 'phones so I've narrowed it down to the Sony EX71 and the Shure E2c).

I want to order these tonight or tomorrow, so any advice you can lend will be put to use quickly. :)

Thanks in advance. :)

[MikeM]

I'm sure 99% of people who've tried both of those phones will say the shures are a big upgrade, myself included. I also don't think you'll find the sonys a huge improvement over the apple in-ears, other than the fit.

The shures do require some getting used to. They can definitely seem uncomfortable at first but your will ears adjust. i think for your budget, they are THE phones to get.

[FallN]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your input. I had just settled on getting the Sony EX71! LOL! Now you've got me thinking again. :D

I really want white 'phones and I really don't want the "L" shaped plug of the Shure's because it's awkward and I use my remote a lot...

I just want in-ears with great bass (mid and high are important too, but bass seems to be lacking most in the 3 different 'phones that I currently have), white in color (I'm a purist, sue me), a shorter cord would be a plus because I use the remote a lot and a straight plug...

Man, Mike... you just made my whole decision that much harder because the Sony's fit what I need perfectly so far... are the Shure E2c's REALLY that much better than the Sony EX71, worth the extra cash AND all the cons it has going against it physically (longer cord, "L" shaped plug, bulky, black)?

Thanks.

[P The D]

Without reading any of the specifics of your post I would say the E2C is far superior to the EX71.

For the street prices of both I would say the E2C is moderatly superior to the EX71.

E2C is my recomendation.

You can buy the E2C for under $70 shipped all over the place on the web and find them used for under $60. The EX71 is arround $30 everywhere. At these prices I know what everyone over at head-fi would tell you. Go ask and find out, they will let you in on some dirt on the Sonys that now man or woman should be without.

[kauffee]

I think you're fine with the EX71. Personally, I'd probably choose the EX71 over the E2c, despite the fact that the E2c produces higher quality sound. I don't like the sound signature of the E2c at all.

[FallN]

Ok, I'm still up in the air about all of this...

What I was thinking of doing was getting my brother who works at Best Buy to pick up the Sony EX71's. They retail for $49.99 but with his discount the price will drop, how much, I don't know... he has to check but I'm thinking around $35 + tax. If it's anymore than that I might as well just buy it on the web with free shipping and no tax around $35, but I'd have to wait up to a week to get them and I'm leaving for Vegas soon so I want some good quality in-ear headphones to block out all the airplane noise. :)

If the Sony's don't work for me then I'll have my brother return them to Best Buy, get my money back and order the Shure E2c's online and pray they get here before my trip.

I'm so confused... I'm REALLY tempted to just purchase the Shure E2c's online but what if I get them here and they aren't my "cup of tea"? Can I just send them back and ask for a full refund? Do they give full refunds on opened box returns? Or am I stuck with them and have to take a loss by selling them here or on eBay?

Thanks.

[kauffee]

Yes, that's the whole point of full refunds. You should check out Todd The Vinyl Junkie at www.ttvj.com. He often sells phones that customers returned on the 30-day trial at a bit of a discount. Call him and see if he's got any E2c's that were returned.

[FallN]

Ok, good news! I finally forced myself to take the plunge and I just ordered a pair of Shure E2c late last night. I seriously don't like the black color and the "L"-shaped plug, but if the sound is amazing, I'll deal with the mix-matched look and awkward plug.

I'm still thinking about picking up a pair of Sony EX71's just as a "backup" pair of phones and compare them to the Shure's if my brother can get them for cheap: he mentioned that he might be able to get them for $20. I might even buy 2 of them and sell one on eBay to help support my iPod-habit. LOL! :D

iPod therefore iPoor...

[Benco]

Ask yourself this question - What is the point in owning an iPod? I'll tell you the answer without being too rude about it. TO LISTEN TO MUSIC. The Shure e2c is superior in every musical aspect to the Sony MDR-EX71sl. Including bass. The Sony could be classified as boomy and very wide in general, lacking in clarity in definition. Conversely, the e2c will give you substancial bass, but the bass will be tight and accurate, not lacking in any way. and if you consider the sound signature, as well as all levels (ie: midrange and upper), the e2c blows the 71's out of the water. It seems to me that you see the iPod as a fashion statement instead of a music player. If you want superior sound, and just a little FYI: the sony has an L-plug too, the e2c will more than suit your needs.

[FallN]

Originally posted by Benco
It seems to me that you see the iPod as a fashion statement instead of a music player. If you want superior sound, and just a little FYI: the sony has an L-plug too, the e2c will more than suit your needs.

@ Benco:

1. WRONG! I do NOT see the iPod as a fashion statement. That's a blatant boneheaded, half-a$$ed remark. I'm looking for GREAT headphones in my price-range that PREFERABLY match! (Operative word = PREFERABLY!)

I want something that fits MY needs and MY tastes. PERIOD! If I wanted a fashion statment, I sure as Hell wouldn't have purchased the Shure E2c's. (That's right, I BOUGHT THE SHURE'S!!) They're the UGLIEST in-ears I've seen to date but I still bought them!! What do you have to say to that, smarty pants? :rolleyes:

I care more about how good something functions above ALL else. FYI, the Apple Earbuds look GREAT but they're pieces of #####- the reason why I don't want to use them. So please, get your half-baked ideas straight. :mad:

2. If you actually took time to READ what I wrote in it's entirety, which is becoming strickingly apparent that you haven't, you would have seen that I have a Remote that I use OFTEN and wanted the short cord of the EX71 because it works well with the Remote and I don't have foot after foot of cord dangling dangerously from around my neck.

Ask yourself a question: Do you know what the Hell you're talking about? Obviously you haven't seen the EX71's or maybe you just like playing stupid otherwise you would have noticed that the SHORT end, the part that has the earphones attached, HAS A STRAIGHT PLUG!! :rolleyes: There is also an extension cord and YES that end has the "L" shaped plug, but I will NEVER use the "extension" of the EX71. I made it clear in my previous post EXACTLY how the EX71 would be used with the Remote so the "L" shaped extention plug was NEVER an issue and won't even be taken out of the box. Again, you would have known that if you took the time to read everything before jumping to half-cooked conclusions.

Unfortunately, the Shure's don't have the shorter cord with the straight plug. It's a locked in "L" shaped plug that will be attached to my Remote making it easy to get caught on things and have a whole lot of excess wire hanging around. I'm going to have to find a tolerable way for ME to deal with it because I've gone ahead and ordered the Shure's.

We shall see how everything pans out when they arrive, but thanks for your narrowminded view that anyone what wants a straight short plug in white to match the iPod's color scheme and great performance "sees the iPod as a fashion statement instead of a music player", bonehead. :rolleyes:

[savowati]

do the SONY FONTOPIA MDR-EX71SL have any chance a blowing if the sound is placed on full with the iPod im scared that they will if i buy them becuase i blew my iPod headphones very quickly any others that can handle loud music ? like Sony MDR-EX81SL

[bordeaaj]

Originally posted by savowati
do the SONY FONTOPIA MDR-EX71SL have any chance a blowing if the sound is placed on full with the iPod im scared that they will if i buy them becuase i blew my iPod headphones very quickly any others that can handle loud music ? like Sony MDR-EX81SL

I don't think you have to worry too much about blowing the ex71sl at full volume. I have to turn the volume up most of the way to get moderately loud volume out of them anyway. If you want a good, reasonably priced set that won't have any difficulty at all at loud volume the shure e2 can attain the same volume as the ex71 at about 1/3 of the volume setting. And because of the much, much better isolation you can listen to your music at a much lower and safer volume in loud environments and still get more effect than the ex71 can give you at full volume. You can always turn the e2s up but then you have the very real possibility of blowing your hearing out rather than the earphones though.