[JulieJJ]

Good day to y'all,

Im' new at this forum and quite honestly a layman when it comes to technical terms in audio.
What I do know is that I couldn't live without my music (in a matter of speaking of course, by the way excuse me if my English isn't always that perfect but I'm Belgian, so I'll do my best).
Since my Bose IEM's failed me, though I must admit that I ain't really sorry about that, I found the sound-quality and comfort (they kept falling out) very dissapointing .

I suppose Bose is more about good advertising then great sound.

Anyway, now I'm looking for new IEM's and I am really looking for a product in the high-end range. No more compromise!!! I want the real deal!

I've tried to do som research through internet and that's how I came to this forum and I truly hop you can help me out!!!
I'm in doubt between the Shure's SE530 and the Sennheiser's IE8.
Reviews for either of them are very diverse. Whilst one is ecstatic about their shure's, another finds them of poor price-quality.

I have learned that personal preferences in bass, trebble and clarity matter.
What I've also learned is that apparently the ipod is that great a player. Cowon S9, would be better. If that's the case then in time I would exchange my ipod for one like that, but the I wonder if all the music I've bought through i-tunes is compatible with another player then the ipod?
But that aside I really don't know which ones to take now.
Is the sound isolation from the shure's better then the sennheisers (for my job I'm often on a boat, so isolation is quite important).
Could somebody please advice me??

Thank you ever so much!!
Julie

 

[fyu]

se530 ie8 comparison

 

[mark2410]

okay, there is the big 4, the westone w3 shure se530 sennheiser IE8 and UE triple.fi 10.

all of them are excellent and all just a case of sound type preference. if you want a lot of isolation the 530 and w3 will give most then the triples then the IE8 giving the least but still a reasonable amount.

which one you want is really just about preference but im sure you would be very happy with any of them

 

[VoLTaG3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 /img/forum/go_quote.gif okay, there is the big 4, the westone w3 shure se530 sennheiser IE8 and UE triple.fi 10. all of them are excellent and all just a case of sound type preference. if you want a lot of isolation the 530 and w3 will give most then the triples then the IE8 giving the least but still a reasonable amount. which one you want is really just about preference but im sure you would be very happy with any of them

Couldn't agree anymore...

 

[gadgetman]

Honestly, I think you'll be happy with any of those four.. The TF10P has slight fitting issues for some people because of their humongous Frankenstein-Screws-like shape and size. But as for sound quality they're all superb.

 

[huxbnw]

Agreed that any of the top 4 universal IEMs will be great, but I'm having the same problem as Julie: the choice between the IE8s and SE530s. While many websites, including, Head-Fi, have had many discussions about the top IEMs, I have not found many substantive posts comparing the IE8s and SE530s (although there have been some great ones). Obviously, so much will depend on personal preference and musical taste. Yet on purely objective factors, what are the real differences between the two? I can't tell you how much I appreciate the helpful advice on this forum.

Also, does anyone know a place in Manhattan where I can try the SE530s? Thanks!

 

[JulieJJ]

Thank you all for your time!! I think I'll go for the shure's.
The only question is now where to buy them.
I found a seller on ebay who sells them at about $240. Since the dollar is a bit lower then the euro, that would cost me half the price (shipping included) the through a regulare on-line store.
Although this seller has good feedback (20000 sells, 99.9 % positive), I'm not quite sure if that can be trusted, I've seen some messages here on the forum about counterfeit! What do you think?

 

[VoLTaG3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JulieJJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you all for your time!! I think I'll go for the shure's. The only question is now where to buy them. I found a seller on ebay who sells them at about $240. Since the dollar is a bit lower then the euro, that would cost me half the price (shipping included) the through a regulare on-line store. Although this seller has good feedback (20000 sells, 99.9 % positive), I'm not quite sure if that can be trusted, I've seen some messages here on the forum about counterfeit! What do you think?

Make sure he allows you to send them back if they are fake for a refund. I have not seen or heard of any fake SE530's so you most likely are safe to purchase them...Also congrats! on your choice. The IE8's require like 12 years to sound their best and to my ears are still inferior to an out of the box SE530's....LOL.

 

[ka-boom]

Have you considered some phones from the Klipsch line? The Custom 3's are really good (see my review in my sig), and the Klipsch Image X10 also have a loyal following and score great in reviews across the web.

Also, don't count out the JAYS q-Jays. I have not listened to them, but from most accounts they provide super clarity and a nice warm mid-low end.

 

[JulieJJ]

Thanks again to everbody for taking the time to help me out!
Well I finally bought the shure's through Amazon and just got them today!
They sound superb! Do tey need any burn-in time like the sennheisers?
I haven't tried the different tips yet, since I find it quite difficult to remove them.
Sound-isolation is also great! I only to put half the volume I'm used to to get the same result!!

[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

I know! Heard about those too! Perhaps I'll buy a pare of those later on (to do my sports with).

How do you guys feel about the ipod? Is it true that other players, like Cowon, give much better sound-quality?

 

[VoLTaG3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JulieJJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks again to everbody for taking the time to help me out! Well I finally bought the shure's through Amazon and just got them today! They sound superb! Do tey need any burn-in time like the sennheisers? I haven't tried the different tips yet, since I find it quite difficult to remove them. Sound-isolation is also great! I only to put half the volume I'm used to to get the same result!! I know! Heard about those too! Perhaps I'll buy a pare of those later on (to do my sports with). How do you guys feel about the ipod? Is it true that other players, like Cowon, give much better sound-quality?

Congrats!
No they don't require 34 years to sound their best like the Sennheiser IE8's. They are balanced armature quipped which don't burn in. The iPod Touch 2G or iPod Classic or iPhone 3G are all superb sounding media players with a LOD. The Zune 120gb to me does everything better than a iPod Classic even in sound quality.

Also PLEASE READ THIS: [size=medium]CLICK ME[/size]

 

[jyle_t]

that default tips are seriously a nightmare.. be careful with removing them.

 

[Arjisme]

Yes, be very patient when removing the tips they were shipped with. They do come off, but are typically difficult to get off. There are threads here that discuss this. I haven't tried it, but some have suggested freezing the IEMs before trying to remove the original tips. I think they will come off anyhow with patient twisting and gentle pulling. That worked for me anyhow.

 

[K_19]

Grip is key, DO NOT attempt to take the tips off with your bare hands. Take a cloth of some sort and gently twist it, and with some effort it will come off.

And if all fails then try the freezing method.

 

[JulieJJ]

Patience obviously is the key!
After trying a few times, I just lay them away for a while and later tried again. Gently turning and twisting them, 'till they sat a bit looser, did the trick!
The sound is really great. Takes a while to get used to though, as it is so detailed!