Shure E3c OR Etymotic ER61 Ultimate Comparison

[g_davis88]

I just recently gave away my Sennheiser HD-497s and have been on the look out for a pair of good isolator in-ear headphones. Both the Shure E3cs and the Etymotic ER61s look fantastic, but in every thread there is one issue with either the Shure or Etymotic phones. For those of you fortunate enough to already have a pair of either one of these great headphones, could you do every potential buyer a favor and rate them on these scales.

(1 abysmal-10 great)
-Comfort-
Do they hurt when you put them in, or are they comfortable?

(1 abysmal-10 great)
-Sound Quality-
How is the clarity, the bass etc.?

(1 abysmal-10 great)
Isolation Capabilities?
How well do these headphones block outside noise from your eardrum?

(1 abysmal-10 great)
-Continued Usage-
How much will I have to spend to buy foam earpieces, how much cleaning is required etc.?

(1 abysmal-10 great)
-Overall Value-
Do you feel as if you got completely ripped off, or are you satisfied with your purchase?

(1 abysmal-10 great)
Anything else I am missing?

Thanks in advance!:D

[NeoteriX]

Not to be a debbie downer, but I've found that you won't find too many people qualified to conduct a comparison -- it requires a decent drop of money -- only a couple folks here like "thedodgyguy" have listened to both etys and shures -- do a search for him.

I own the e3c, and am pretty satisfied with it. The cords are a bit more durable and are thicker than the etys, and the way they wrap over your ears significantly cut down on the microphonics, which is still an issue with the etys -- again this is all 2nd hand info I've read about the etys.

You might want to check somewhere like http://www.headfi.com/ or http://www.ipodstudio.com/ but be warned, opinions are like... um buttholes, everyone's got them :) -- and on headfi, some will be more vocal than others. You'll spend a lot of time browsing and searching there, and you might not find all the answer.

If you're willing to spend shipping and a restocking fee, maybe you might want to buy them at earphonesolutions and just send back the ones you don't like.

[thedodgyguy]

I'm getting the ER-6i back from a loan tomorrow. I'm quite busy right now but will try and weigh in briefly. It's actually been quite a while since I've listened to both with a critical ear so would be interesting to refresh my opinions too.

[gropo]

Do they hurt when you put them in, or are they comfortable?
7: silicon (creates a good deal of pressure if you jam them in. Requires a little bit of niddling to slide them in without the pressure issue)
9: foams (perhaps I'm used to foam earplugs, but the ety foams feel heavenly to me)

How is the clarity, the bass etc.?
8: clarity
6-8: bass (extremely clear bass, audible not visceral)

Isolation Capabilities?
8: silicon
9: foams

How well do these headphones block outside noise from your eardrum?
Swear by them on the NYC subways.
Definite 9 (foams)
7-8 (silicon)

How much will I have to spend to buy foam earpieces, how much cleaning is required etc.?
5: foams - get dirty quickly (expected - I'm working out a scheme to make my own)
8: silicon - easy to clean and a hair delicate

Do you feel as if you got completely ripped off, or are you satisfied with your purchase?
7: keep second-guessing myself over the "do I want to HEAR the bass or FEEL it" issue.

Anything else I am missing?
cable strength: tangles easily and is easily crimped & snagged... Upside: doesn't turn rock-hard in sub-freezing temepratures like the stock iBuds. The included shirt clip is a godsend.