sknight Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 Before I take the plunge into the realm of the expensive earbuds, I wanted to get feedback on how well they fare through years of usage. Such things as poor contacts, cable pull, and simple long term deterioration through usage. A trick I've used on my Sony earbuds is to put a drop of Krazy Glue whereever the wires go into something. The plug, the earbud, and any bushings. I've found that this has been very effective with keeping the wires from pulling out and damaging the solder joints. Just a small drop, enough to make a bond. If there's a bit the wire can go into the connection, push it in, to relieve the stress before you glue them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeriyn Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 Hmm. Not owning any very expensive earbuds myself (my most expensive pair being Shure E2cs, which are not expensive) I would only guess that some would be more fragile than others. I believe that Etys are rather rugged, but taking care of them would make them last even longer. They certainly appear to be designed with durability and repeated use in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sknight Posted November 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 I was also wondering about the service life of the internal components. Thanks. I'm about to take the plunge into the "higher priced" earphone realm. I'm thinking between the Shure E2, Etymotic Er-6, and the Audio-Technica earbuds I posted on another thread here. I'm researching right now. The only thing turning me off about the Er6's is that the frequency response ends at 16khz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linzq Posted November 8, 2004 Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 I have the Etys (Er-6i) coming by UPS tomorrow. I'll let you know how they work out. I chose them over the Shures, because apparently they make voices sound clear, and not muffled... Edit: So it turns out that they're wonderful. I used to have to have my MD volume turned up to 28/30 to hear anything, now I can keep it down at about 14/30 or 15/30. I'm really pleased with the sound quality... they have actually turned me off of mp3s, because the sound is that good, and they show the lack-of-quality in the mp3s. But my CDs and MDs sound gorgeous... it really does sound like the singers I listen to (classical sopranos) are right inside my head. And they block out sound quite well... I've been experimenting with the TV. Hope that helps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sknight Posted November 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 I listen to progressive metal, so I'm not necessarily looking for thumping bass. I'm looking for clarity for the technical compositions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeriyn Posted November 8, 2004 Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 For a bit more than ER6 I believe you can find Shure E3cs... not quite as expensive as ER-4Ps, but I've heard they aren't as "delicate" as the Etys are. I've seen them for 170ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyther Posted November 8, 2004 Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 LOL, rest assured the ER-6s go a lot higher than 16kHz. Ety is just over conservative with their measuring standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sknight Posted November 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 So in that roughly $100 USD pricing category, what would you recommend for decent bass, and really accurate high end? I'm also using an NHF 800, so I believe it's 5mW. But I'm so drawn to those Audio Technica's. So we're looking between Shure E2's and Ety's Er-6's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyther Posted November 8, 2004 Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 IMO you're asking too much of a hundred bucks. The ER-6i goes for USD120-ish but although it's reasonably detailed, it's also a little bass shy for most. Like Aer said, I would think the Shure E3s would fit you best but they're not within your price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sknight Posted November 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 So what is your preference? I listen to progressive metal, so bass isn't such a huge priority to me. I care more about the reproduction of the high end. I'm going to be using this with an NHF800 and I record only in HiSP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyther Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Please do not post duplicate threads - keep your (related) questions in the same thread. This time I've merged it for you, but the next time I'll just delete it. It's pointless to ask what the preferences of others are in this case since the E2s and ER-6s sound entirely different. It's not as simple as comparing which has a stronger bass and which is more detailed, but the way each earphone sounds as an overall experience. Listen to both and do a comparison for yourself. It's not something that can be compared scientifically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sknight Posted November 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 I was referred to these, but they are waaaay too expensive: http://www.ultimateears.com/index.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyther Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Aja. Those are actually better suited for professional uses (ie. stage) though I've heard they sound fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sknight Posted November 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 It looks like I've decided on the E3. Partically on more recommendations, as well as the price factor. They can be had for just a few dollars more than E2's. It seems to be a worthwhile jump for a bigger difference in performance compared to what I'm using now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeriyn Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 It looks like I've decided on the E3. Partically on more recommendations, as well as the price factor. They can be had for just a few dollars more than E2's. It seems to be a worthwhile jump for a bigger difference in performance compared to what I'm using now.Just a few dollars? Waaaaii, link me, link me! I bought my E2cs for ~70USD. The cheapest I've seen E3cs for have been more than double that price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sknight Posted November 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 About $80 for the E2's and I can get the E3's for about $120-130. Go on Ebay. There are also some local dealers who are trying to get rid of their stock pretty much everywhere, as I've found out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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