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Artif3x
13
Dec 5, 2017
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Okay, guys. I need a little help here. I'm looking to replace a pair of venerable, well-loved Shure 500-series earbuds that are creeping up on 15 years old. They're still working, but the cords are showing a lot of wear and have been repaired multiple times. I'm expecting them to give up the ghost sometime soon. Problem is, there's a HUGE number of IEMs here on Massdrop, and it's impossible to hear any of them prior to purchase, and return policies can be hit-or-miss.
I need a breakdown of what IEMs are going to give me the same or better sound as my aging Shures. Anyone have a broad experience with the Massdrop IEMs to give me some guidance?
Dec 5, 2017
HifiHero
29
Dec 6, 2017
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Artif3xAre you looking specifically on Massdrop, or would you also consider buying elsewhere? Also which of the 500 series do you have?
Dec 6, 2017
HifiHero
29
Dec 6, 2017
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HifiHeroThe Nu Force Hem 8 is an excellent option, but I would also highly recommend the Logitech UE900S, and the Etymotic ER4SR.
Dec 6, 2017
HifiHero
29
Dec 6, 2017
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Artif3xThe Pinnacle P1s available are extremely comfortable, and have extremely low distortion rates.
Dec 6, 2017
Artif3x
13
Dec 6, 2017
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HifiHeroMassdrop isn't necessary. It just seems like they've got boatloads of them. Not sure what the model number on my shures is. They don't say on the housing, and I did buy them 15 years ago :D
Dec 6, 2017
jaydunndiddit
3262
Dec 6, 2017
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Artif3xI own the se535 and they're my dailies now since I upgraded my music amp on my S7 Edge (running an alpha build of Poweramp and it is pure bliss). Prior to that, I was using the Nuforce EDC's and they are a great set especially for the dollar. When I don't care or need a lot of instrument separation or clarity, they're a very fun set to just pop in while working 8-hours a day. They're just outright "fun" sounding and do bass well.
I also own the Pinnacle PX and while I've been using them on and off, they require a bit more power and EQ to get them to where I think they shine. They're a great set that's very comfortable but I don't always want to lug around amps/dacs and switch over my EQ settings for a new set. If I didn't already own and love the 535's, the PX would be my dailies for sure. The 535's I barely have to push them to 50% volume before they get loud. The PX I have to push to 80-90% to be equivalent.
I also have the Nuforce HEM2's and much like the EDc's, they're just more "fun" sounding. They do however have better separation and clarity than the EDC's but tend to distort a bit at higher volumes and definitely don't have the same bass impact. I'm eyeing the HEM8 as I don't have a quad-driver set yet from everything I've read they're a very pumped up HEM2 (which I would enjoy compared to some of the leaner HEM offerings).
Personally, if you're used to the Shure sound, I would check out their current se535 as it's still on sale from them and other places. Actually most of their IEM's are still on sale except for the 846. I just snagged my 535's for $270 new last week thanks to a bunch of holiday deals.
Dec 6, 2017
HifiHero
29
Dec 6, 2017
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jaydunndidditI was wondering, how would you rate the sound stage on the EDc's? Most budget in-ear headphones I have tried sound tinny and condensed, making it sound like the sound is coming from the inside of your head, rather then around you.
Dec 6, 2017
jaydunndiddit
3262
Dec 6, 2017
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HifiHeroIf I had to quantify it I would say average. But for me, it really depends on the song. Most of the time, yes, it will sound as if it's coming from right in front of you. Other times, in the song 'Beat It' by Michael Jackson, his voice is all over the place and the separation of instruments kinda tells where everyone would be on a stage. Is it as wide as an open back headphone? Not in the slightest. But they do convey enough width, and just a wee bit of height, to be considered average to me for the cost. Personally, the Shure se535's and the HEM2 do a much better job of placing sounds left to right and up to down compared to the EDC's or my se215's. The PX's surprisingly fall right smack in the middle of them but it sounds softer to me by comparison. For them, I REALLY have to be listening and paying attention to pick up on the smaller subtleties. But compared to my Senn 579's or the HE-4XX, they fall behind greatly in the soundstage department (rightfully so).
I will say though the 535's give me the best sense of feeling as if sounds are above and below my head as well as a bit behind my ears. And they do it consistently across a vast majority of my music compared to my other current sets. Kinda curious if a quad-driver type will yield more of that widened soundstage and separation.
Dec 6, 2017
HifiHero
29
Dec 6, 2017
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jaydunndidditThanks, I would definitely say a quad driver setup would increase sound stage, especially if they are B.A. drivers. I have a pair of Logitech Ue900s ( highly recommended) , they have Quad B.A. drivers. Dynamic drivers displace a lot of air, meaning that they need a vent to balance the air movement, which many times cause sound leaks, or faded single instruments. Generally the more drivers, the more flexibility is given to assign each driver a certain pitch, increasing the sound stage quite a bit.
Dec 6, 2017
iatsbohdan
200
Jan 15, 2018
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HifiHeroI wouldn't say that the Pinnacle is "extremely comfortable." They are good, and it's very convenient that you can wear them with the cable going down if you need to (I find it rather uncomfortable to have the wires go over my ears when I'm in bed, for example,) but they are heavy and the housings get really cold if you wear them outside during winter.
Jan 15, 2018
jaydunndiddit
3262
Jan 16, 2018
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iatsbohdanI'd agree they are heavy but they feel almost the same weight as my SE846's. I can wear them for 8 hours a day and feel no ear fatigue at all. Oddly enough, they are my only set that I can use a triple-flange with and still have them feel comfortable. My only gripe is how long the MMCX jacket is. It's longer than most types so I have to angle mine a certain way before I can route the cable around my ear. It's a nuisance but it doesn't make them uncomfortable by any means. Also, they don't get very cold to me or maybe I'm used to it as I already have metal gauges in my ears and it all feels the same to me.
Jan 16, 2018
Artif3x
13
Apr 17, 2018
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HifiHeroI think they're the Shure 535, but like I said, they're 15 years old, and I heart them greatly, but they're becoming impractical after patching the rubber insulation on the cord about 3 times. Fortunately, I got them at a steal for ~$260 when (half off) when I originally bought them. I'd be looking in the same price range, but hoping for a lower cost after all these years.
I don't have to buy from Massdrop, but there's tons and tons of earbuds to choose from here that have been curated by the Massdrop voting process, so this seemed like a good place to start.
Apr 17, 2018
FizzaFarian
0
Dec 17, 2018
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jaydunndidditCould you share which deals you used to get the Shure's for that price, and from where? Haven't seen anything that could get them down that far.
Dec 17, 2018
jaydunndiddit
3262
Dec 18, 2018
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FizzaFarianVia my Amazon credit card. When I bought them last year right around Black Friday, they were marked down to $300-350 (I forget the exact amount) and my CC gave me an additional 20% off the top. I did the same for my Shure 846 and 1540's but this year, the markdowns aren't as severe and the CC discount seems capped at 10% for the audio category. They rotate them so you have to just keep checking. They're also sneaky and don't advertise this stuff so I set up alerts for this sort of thing: https://camelcamelcamel.com/. I use the site above for watching prices and that helps me get great deals. Also, Amazon is good about taking cash rewards and points from AmEx and Discover so I tend to do that a lot as well. Discover is offering 5% back on all Amazon purchases until Dec. AmEx also offers discounts and promos for filling gift cards when using AmEx points so you can get an extra $15 here and there until you hit the reload limit. The max is quite high per every $100 reload. Probably more info than you wanted but there are tons of tricks out there. Best Buy is the same way as they don't advertise some of their really good offers and they price match to Amazon so they'll tend to work with you to make sure they don't lose that business. Some online vendors do that too but will take 2% off the price to sweeten the pot.
Dec 18, 2018
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