Topic: Shure E500 Vs. Etymotic ER4 Vs. UE

[bewildered]

I got to decide, anyone got experience with both of these? ive also considered the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10, but its not out on the market yet and i read in this Review that the shures come out ahead in sound isolation which is my primary requirement,

[kskreider]

.

[bewildered]

both  /boʊθ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[bohth] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1.   one and the other; two together: He met both sisters. Both performances were canceled.
–pronoun
2.   the one as well as the other: Both of us were going to the party.
–conjunction

[joeshambro]

i own both custom-molded UE-10 Pro and the E500.  the E500 has a bloated mid-range, and seems more "musical".  the UE-10 Pro (which is what the triple.fi is based off of) has a very balanced, accurate sound.  i enjoy listening to the UE-10 far more than i do the E500.  it also has a better soundstage.

i think you'll like the triple.fi much better.  although, if you can afford it, the $550 UE-5C is really, really good, and custom molded.

[bewildered]

But the UE's i would have to buy straight from the website cause of the custom element. i usually like to ebay stuff for a deal. i know i sure as hell dont have $500-900 to spend for what is essentially $1.25 in materials. Whats the advantage to the custom molded stuff cause i get the impression that the non-custom stuff works fine.

[Brian Skalinder]

But the UE's i would have to buy straight from the website cause of the custom element. i usually like to ebay stuff for a deal. i know i sure as hell dont have $500-900 to spend for what is essentially $1.25 in materials. Whats the advantage to the custom molded stuff cause i get the impression that the non-custom stuff works fine.

Custom molds will provide greater comfort and a tighter seal resulting in better attenuation.  How much better?  IME, significantly greater comfort, but only somewhat significantly better attenuation.

[bewildered]

Ok, then im at a crossroads here, would it be better to get custom molded 2 driver phones or non-custom 3 driver in reference to sound quality?

[bewildered]

Also how do custom molds compare to regular tips in reguard to sound leakage?

[joeshambro]

if you can swing it, go custom.

i find that the sound quality between the custom and non-custom earphones to be different.  here's why.

when places like ultimate ears make a set of earphones for you, they take the ear impressions you send them and fit the earpiece exactly to your ear, but that's not all.  they use sophisticated measurement devices to make sure that the audio response, when it reaches your ear canal, is perfect.  that's not an adjustment you can make on a universal-fit earpiece, you'll always be losing something.

they trim and custom-drill the vents in the ear canals on custom earpieces to make sure everything is perfect when it reaches your ear canal.

now here's my opinion on custom 2-driver vs. universal 3-driver.

dual driver is superior in many ways to single-driver (at least when we're talking about balanced armature drivers;  dynamic drivers generally sound best in single-driver configurations).  it's easy with a 2-driver system:  a high/mid driver, and another driver tuned for better low performance.  this is really the only way that a balanced armature earpiece can deliver really high-impact bass, because of the limitations in frequency range in the drivers themselves, not to mention the physical limitations on the speaker coils.

triple driver design is actually a misconception on both the UE and shure products.  what happens there is that there's dual low end drivers and the same single high/mid driver.  on the shure e500, the dual low drivers are tuned to have more frontal volume and more low-mid coverage.  on the UE-10/Triplefi 10, the low drivers sit back farther, and are actually lower volume and don't have hardly any low-mid coverage.  i prefer this -- the bass is more recessed but WAY more detailed.  you actually feel the soundstage of the low end.

the only company with a true 3-way IEM is westone, the ES-3.  it's a true 3-way crossover, and this gives it a bump in the midrange that people using it for music playback don't care for. 

if you want a very solid listening experience with bass and high/mids of the best quality, get the UE5c.  it's the same components as the UE-5 Pro, just tuned differently and at a price point for consumers. 

[bewildered]

well seeing as ive never had an canalophone before, im gonna start low end with the superfi 5 pro, save my cash and one day get the UE 10 pro. Every review says their the best, and from what your telling me i can see why. Of course i have to wonder if people say its the best just because the exorbitant price and no resell value would cause buyers remorse otherwise.

I read a ton of reports on how UE super-fi's stick out like frankenstien bolts, but after reading This im even more eager to get them. 

[BC]

well seeing as ive never had an canalophone before, im gonna start low end with the superfi 5 pro, save my cash and one day get the UE 10 pro. Every review says their the best, and from what your telling me i can see why. Of course i have to wonder if people say its the best just because the exorbitant price and no resell value would cause buyers remorse otherwise.

I read a ton of reports on how UE super-fi's stick out like frankenstien bolts, but after reading This im even more eager to get them. 

I just got a pair of these a couple weeks ago, and run em flipped over like this, really dig these phones. Happy listening!

[RebelRebel]

I have the etys and use them for live classical recording. I also have the custom earpieces from the audiologist.

I well tell you that there is not a significant sound/isolation difference. The etys, as they are, provide excellent isolation and sound quality. BUT, in terms of comfort the molds from the audiologist(as expected) are more comfortable.

I say go for the etys and get the custom molds when you have the cash..the stock ones are not bad either.. i used them for 3 months twice a week 2-3hrs at a time with no issues.