Umm.. I found a place in toronto to buy Shure In-ear earbud for cheap w/ warranty!!!

[WLJ101]

http://www.marcopolo.ca

I called up this guy and I am looking for the shure e5c for $549 tax included which is "Cheap" and it has 2-year Canadian replacement warranty.

http://www.shurestore.com/earphones/eseries_e5c.html#tech

I think that's the cheapest in Toronto and they are Authorized Shure Dealer.

Is there any place that sell it cheaper in Toronto? They can get me the E5c within 2 days which is fast...

The also have Shure E2c, E3c, E4c which is cheaper for great audio preformance. I bought the Ety's Er-6i and I am going to give it to my GF.

WLJ1O1

[MizTEcK]

wow... so much money for buds??... u must be rich

[Sash[DSL]]

i personally dont dig the idea of spending $550 on a pair of earbuds but thats just me. The e2c's look pretty good though, if theres no taxes then $110ish is a good deal for sure.


This would really be HOT if the person was located in toronto and allowed you to try the headphones out before buying or offered a return policy as the only thing stopping me from getting a pair of those is that I dont want to pay $120 and then find out that I have unstandard ears and cant comfortably wear these.

[Sash[DSL]]

and whats with the warranty? If they brake for whatever reason theyll replace it for me?

[yanger]

I've purchased 2 sets of E3c's from this marcopolo.ca guy. Always dealt in person in the GTA. He's also got ebay sales of the earbuds. Never had issues to date, planning to buy another set for myself since i've given the previous ones away as gifts. They're AMAZING quality, you really have to hear them to realize that they are worth every penny. They will double the value of your ipod.

[i-o_o-i]

wow thats really cheap, a $549 pair of headphones...they must sound really really good for $549... :-0

[wanted]

$549 for earphones....wow I can't even afford an MP3 Player at that price :-0

[etcbq]

http://www.marcopolo.ca
The also have Shure E2c, E3c, E4c which is cheaper for great audio preformance.WLJ1O1
Do you happen to have the prices for these?

[Gordon]

dude... Talk about 500 bucks just for ap air of headphones bro.

If oyu can slap on 500 bucks on just a pair of ear buds you must drive a fricking ferrari! or your rich and chinees who drive a Bmw 7 series.

Well those better be good. Anyone have any i can test out?

[MizTEcK]

at this price, the sound quality better be better than real live recording studio quality

[Amuse]

$549 :-0

http://www.themu.com/images/ShureE5c/TriflangeWorn.jpg

[wanted]

at this price, the sound quality better be better than real live recording studio quality


and included an MP3 player as well :mad:

[chicadam]

First time I've heard of $500 ear buds... good to know though :)

I was just thinking... if you can pay $500 for ear buds why would you need hot deals?

[wanted]

First time I've heard of $500 ear buds... good to know though :)

I was just thinking... if you can pay $500 for ear buds why would you need hot deals?


LOL, that's such a funny question.
Sometimes people come here and sell 600 dollar shirts and one guy sold a Lexus.
People always put, no way someone on RFD can buy that :lol:

[ProfessorChaos]

and included an MP3 player as well :mad:

lol i hope your happy with your s#1tty little white ipod earbuds that are possibly the worst quality i've ever encounted....literally i threw mine out the second i got my ipod photo and use e2c's now.

[wanted]

lol i hope your happy with your s#1tty little white ipod earbuds that are possibly the worst quality i've ever encounted....literally i threw mine out the second i got my ipod photo and use e2c's now.

lol, I have them still after my dad won it.
He's too cheap too open it, that's why he uses cling paper to prevent scratches on the ipod.
WOw, you paid ~500 for headphones... :eek:

[ProfessorChaos]

lol, I have them still after my dad won it.
He's too cheap too open it, that's why he uses cling paper to prevent scratches on the ipod.
WOw, you paid ~500 for headphones... :eek:
your too cheap to know quality even if it punched you in the face anyways.

[warpdrive]

Have you heard the E5C? I think the audio performance is actually pretty disappointing for the price. The bass is prominent, but the highs are still way too weak for a $500 headphone especially one billed as having dual drivers and extended frequency response. I can forgive a lack of coherency in something like $150 ER-6i's, but the E5C's are still far from perfect.

I think the E4C's are better balanced headphone, for almost $200 less.

And I would still try to source my Shures from the USA since you can get them for $300 USD with careful shopping. You save enough that you have money left over to send it back to the USA for warranty repairs should you need it.

[wanted]

e2c's are $112 shipped e5'c are 500+

and your too cheap to know quality even if it punched you in the face anyways.
:lol:


We'll see...

[warpdrive]

First time I've heard of $500 ear buds... good to know though

Actually, it's still nothing....the ones the professionals use (http://www.ultimateears.com/custom/artists__static__file-artists.html) are custom made for the ear and cost $900 USD

http://www.ultimateears.com/custom/item__view_item__prod-955.html

[chicadam]

Actually, it's still nothing....the ones the professionals use (http://www.ultimateears.com/custom/artists__static__file-artists.html) are custom made for the ear and cost $900 USD

http://www.ultimateears.com/custom/item__view_item__prod-955.html

I use my ear buds to listen to MP3s on the subway on my way to work... thats probably why I've never heard of $500 ear buds.

[WLJ101]

http://www.pcworld.com/features/graphics/108724-2103p092-16b.jpg

If you guys are going to order from him, contact me first, let me deal with him so we can save a little bit.



I was thinking to get the ultimate fi.hi 5 pro, that's for $200 less, is that a good one, warpdrive?

[i-o_o-i]

they don't really look that nice, if it were white it would look alot better, for $549 they should atleast have a choice of colors...

[peroxide8888]

Have U tried to stick the headphones up ur "REAR-END" Because u getting screwed.... Mor-on.ouch... someone gonna get hit with the ban stick.

[inferno_gn]

Hi there,

A good pair of earphone is depending how well your ears are. I won't spend more then 30$ on one, as I use it alot and it get abuse no matter how careful I am with it.

Honestly, 600$ for something as simple as a earphone, I could use it for something much better, say a 5.1 surround sound system. :)

Ju Leon...

[Spyder187]

ouch... someone gonna get hit with the ban stick.

Trudat. I mean come on man some people have hobbies and the like and just really enjoy good sound. Same as the guys who buy really good speakers. You can't say this is RFD and we're looking for cheap stuff at cheap prices cause some people are also looking for good stuff at cheap prices. Plus enough with the bashing. The OP showed us a place to get good headphones at a good price and then people just start saying he got screwed? These are the people who probably don't know a thing about good sound. Ignorance is bliss I guess....

[bluetroll]

Hi there,

A good pair of earphone is depending how well your ears are. I won't spend more then 30$ on one, as I use it alot and it get abuse no matter how careful I am with it.

Honestly, 600$ for something as simple as a earphone, I could use it for something much better, say a 5.1 surround sound system. :)

Ju Leon...

if you are cheap and don't want to spend the money for higher end earbuds then don't bother posting...

this is for high end earbuds.... no one asked for an opinion of someone who uses $30 buds, because those just don't compare....

if i had the money i would've definitely bought e3c or e4c's.... but i went with the e2c....

i've dealt with this guy before.... i bought e2c ultra-soft sleeves from then... mind me, those sleeves cost $18....

[rookie]

Hi there,
Honestly, 600$ for something as simple as a earphone, I could use it for something much better, say a 5.1 surround sound system. :)

Ju Leon...

Well if you pay $600 for a 5.1 surround system you really don't care about sound quality!

[aznG]

buying off him thro ebay will get you the paypal discount as well =]

[synaptech]

they don't really look that nice, if it were white it would look alot better, for $549 they should atleast have a choice of colors...

For $550, they should change colour with your clothes and give a laser light show to the music... holy crap.

[WLJ101]

yeah $550 for a earbud is crazy.

take a look at this, this is on sale in Bestbuy for $500.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/products/large/10058580.jpg

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10058580&langid=EN#

umm....

warpdrive, you mean that this e5c is old and the new e4c is better? please help me to decide.

Edit: btw, i m a bass lover. I don't feel any good bass from the Er6i.

Thanks.

WLJ!01

[LNahid2000]

i wouldnt spend $500 on earbuds even if i was a millionaire

[AnimeEd]

It's funny, people would paid $600+ for a music player that most people will never use to its limit but will immediately laugh in the face of the people who buys $500 earphones. This is all while they're listening to $20 Sony behind the neck headphones which their music player does not at all deserve.

[WeaselBlade]

Holy monkeys...

While I don't have the money to blow on these(and I don't see that design working too well with glasses...), I can at least understand that there is such a thing as high-end sound. And it costs more, just like high-end monitors, high-end ram, etc.

If you don't like the deal, find a better price on the product. Or find a product that reviews say is better, for less.

[golffoxtrot]

I think the e2c's were at long and mcquade for $99 -- even with the paypal coupon,this makes this guy more expensive than a store...

[gadgets]

I thought it was 5.49 for a pair of earphones and then I read the post again, it's 549.00
Those earphones better be worth it!

[Bordello]

How much does it cost to manufacture a pair of headphones? It looks like they're trying to be another Bose or Monster Cable. Target people who like to pay a premium and think they're getting the best.

[JimG]

I've been looking for new headphones, my cousine brought a pair back with him from the states and says they sound great. A quick search gave $400CDN as the lowest price for an online retailer in the US. I've got a friend coming up here in March, just enough time for me to find the cash. :cheesygri

Jim

[pfritze]

Hi Everyone,

I found a website that has done some reviews on various ear buds. I think a good pair of earbuds are worth it, but remember MP3s are compressed and they already contain some added artifacts that you wouldn't get from the original wave file. So if your only listening to MP3s only you mights as well get the E4Cs. I also read somewhere that if your using a good pair (sennheiser, AKG etc..) of over the ear head phones, you should get a headphone amplifier. The difference can be enormous.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1830668,00.asp

SHURE E4C

Shure's top-of-the-line E5c earphones could truly be called studio monitors, but with a retail price of $500, they're priced out of all but the most ardent audiophile's budget. The E3cs are excellent and can be had for under $150, but true audio geeks probably want even better audio fidelity. The compromise is the E4c model, with a retail price of $299 and seriously good sound quality.
Shure E4c

As with the E3cs, technical specs on the E4cs are hard to come by. The impedence is 29 Ohms and the sensitivity a relatively low 109dB per mW, but in practice the sound is richer and more robust. Particuarly improved is bass reproduction—R&B, techno, rock, and other bass-heavy music has the requisite thump needed to really make it come alive. We picked up on high frequencies and overtones a little better than with the E3cs, too. The E4c model doesn't quite deliver that fantastic audiophile quality of the E5c, but it's so close that you won't notice if you don't have really great hearing and expertly trained ears.

Aesthetically, these are similar to the E3c model, only with slightly longer earphones that have a silver tip. They're still small and light enough to be fashionable, and the cord color is a much lighter shade of grey—the better to match with your Apple hardware, probably. It's a small thing, but the E4c model comes with a pair of triple-flange silicon sleeves in addition to the three sizes of rubber and Soft Flex sleeves and one pair of disposable foam sleeves. These are a bit softer and more comfortable than the rubber sleeves, and easier to use for extended listening. Shure also includes an optional in-line volume attenuator to reduce the volume from exceptionally loud sources. You won't need it for your portable music player, but those airplane arm rest outputs can be driven pretty hard.

If you shop around, these $300 earphones can be found at a discount of about $70, but that's still $100 more than the E3cs or Etymotic ER·6 Isolators. Average listeners probably won't discern enough difference in quality to justify the price, but if you're really into music, it's definitely worth the price. As good as the E3cs are, the E4cs deliver a noticeable improvement in sound richness and fidelity, with significantly better bass response. This is a high-ticket item, but more affordable than pro-grade earphones, without sacrificing a whole lot of sound quality. Continued...

Product: Shure E4c
Company: Shure
Price: $299 (MSRP) check prices
Pros: Great bass response; comfortable triple-flange silicone sleeves; volume attenuator; exceptionally clarity.
Cons: Expensive; and a little uncomfortable without the silicone sleeves.
Summary: For audiophiles and music geeks, this is an excellent affordable option to professional monitor earphones.
Rating:
Rating 9
ExtremeTech Approved

[chicadam]

Trudat. I mean come on man some people have hobbies and the like and just really enjoy good sound. Same as the guys who buy really good speakers. You can't say this is RFD and we're looking for cheap stuff at cheap prices cause some people are also looking for good stuff at cheap prices. Plus enough with the bashing. The OP showed us a place to get good headphones at a good price and then people just start saying he got screwed? These are the people who probably don't know a thing about good sound. Ignorance is bliss I guess....

It not really about being ignorant...

Like you mentioned, some people here at RFD decided that sound quality is not worth $500 ear buds, its not their thing.

and I just wanna add, I'm not diss'n it... It just caught me off guard a bit...

[espeed]

i use the sony M70 (or something like that) earbuds and they work really well. Only thing is, I don't like the fact that the cable has a connector piece and so it either has to be too long or too short. ~$50

But it works really well against sound. In the gym, you can't hear the machines going around you.

I'd go for this instead of the e2c's, since the price difference is so great.

[dtcanada]

so what do you guys use with these $600 earphone?? i am pretty sure those crappy mp3 players out there isn't good enough for these.. ipod be like trash to u guys huh...

[warpdrive]

I used to think that spending $80 was a lot on earphones, but lately, I've been going on a headphone spending spree. I get so much enjoyment out of the improvements in sound moving upwards that cost has slipped into the back (assuming my wallet can take it). I take my music listening very seriously and nothing but very good headphones cuts it.

I went from $80 Sony's and $70 Sennheisers to $300 Grados and $300 Etymotics earbuds. And my Etymotics are far from the best but but they are among the top three or four.

It's an amazing feeling to own one of the best. Buying headphones is the most cost effective way to get good sound....you can spend $10000 in speakers and not hear all the little details that a $300 set of headphones gives you. And unlike speakers, it's easy to upgrade to different sets of headphones for different purposes. Some headphones work better for rock, some for classical, jazz etc.

[warpdrive]

so what do you guys use with these $600 earphone?? i am pretty sure those crappy mp3 players out there isn't good enough for these.. ipod be like trash to u guys huh...

Surprisingly, MP3 players *are* good enough. Rip at 224kbps or more (320kbps even) or Apple lossless, use the line out on the iPod, and attach $600 headphones with an external headphone amplifier (http://members.shaw.ca/storage_2/headsave/), and you have sound quality that is amazing.

The iPod's sound quality is limited by the headphone output circuit, but if you bypass it and use the line out with very high quality rips (ideally lossless), it is capable of sound quality that rivals a $500 CD player (yes I have tried it)

Anybody who says iPod's sound quality is lacking isn't doing it right, or just repeating what is common misconception due to the fact that it's fashionable to hate the iPod. If you know what you are doing, it is indeed a high quality source.

[blizzah]

I have a freiend who uses these, not sure of the model number, but they are AMAZING.

Personally, I don't care whether I'm using 30$ headphones, or a 30$ earphones or 500$ earphones, it just doesn't effect me.

But they are definitly better than 50-150$ earphones but are they worth it?

Depends on how you value quality.

[live8toronto]

ok, i know this isn't $500 but i bought a pair of sennheiser earphones for my ipod and it changed the sound quality big time. The pair only cost me $20 USD from ebay and it beats the crappy ones that come with it, although they're not white . Depends how much u want the quality, cause sennheiser is a pretty good brand.

[Tolwyn]

I'll put my two cents here...

I purchased the E2C series for my iPod about two years ago in the states while on a business trip to Atlanta. I can't remember exactly how much it cost me, but it was roughly $250 US at the time I believe.

All I can say is that, whether or not you're an audiophile, you can absolutely tell the difference with these earcanal headphones. Absolutely amazing clear sounds. The noise isolation is good enough to run it at normal volumes even on an airplane without the usual noise reduction type headphones. I had a pair of $200 noise reduction Sony (over the head) types that I used for more than 5 years. Let's just say it's now officially retired to the desk drawer. The quality behind these Shure sets are amazing, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another set in the future based on my own experience.

For the people who can't understand spending $200-$500 on a pair of headphones, it's a matter of what you want to hear and what you're willing to spend. If you can't afford it, don't bash the guys that are willing to spend that kind of money. In this day and age, if someone buys something expensive, it doesn't mean that they're rich or asian or whatever kind of label you want to paste on them.

Just my 2 cents.

[warpdrive]

How much does it cost to manufacture a pair of headphones? It looks like they're trying to be another Bose or Monster Cable. Target people who like to pay a premium and think they're getting the best.

probably not much.

But Shure is a company that makes equipment for Professionals. Go into a recording studio and see what they are using. These are the real thing. Ultimately they are buying because of performance, and if the performance sucks, they will choose something else. They are among the best, that is undisputable. The pricing *is* premium level to befit the niche market, but there is substance behind the product unlike Bose and Monster Cable. The original E series was only marketed toward professionals, and when consumers starting buying them in droves, they made the line available easily to normal joes.

Having said that, I think these E5's are outperformed by a number of other canalphones, including Shure's own E4, and many other competing models. I think the performance is only in-line with other $300 earphones

[kingsley]

Actually, I use all the money I save on RFD to buy $500 ear buds. Thanks for the heads up.

[warpdrive]

Being able to afford expensive items doesn't mean we don't want the best deal on them.

You guys should remember that any rich idiot can pay full price on an item, but getting a deal on it sweetens it even more.

[yultanman]

I use the e2c and it took me a lot of consideration before sheeling out the $99 for them ( I think Longue and McQuade Music stores sell them and most of the time weel priced) I thought i was a mad man for spending this much on headphones.

After using them for 3 months i couldn't use any other headphone or standard ear bud. My motivation was for my motorcycle where after each ride it felt like my ears were bleeding from the wind, exhaust and ipod on full blast. The annoying thing was that even though the iPod was at max volume i could still barely make out the music on the highway. With the shure's i am able to use the volume at about 60% while hearing all parts of the music perfectly. Now even though i " am not rich " i am considering some of the more expensive headphone like the e5c and there is i believe a westone set as well that are similar. I am not rich but it is about a chhoice of where my spending money goes. - To good sound -

[Mr. Pannus]

I bought a pair of e2c's, and was fairly happy with the sound quality, but I HATE the included sleeves (both the foam and flex). Then I read somewhere that someone had managed to fit the tri-flange sleeveson the e2c. If you slice the end tip off at a 45 degree angle, and use the included ear wax remover to dilate the sleeve, you can barely fit it on. The difference in sound quality is incredible. From what I've read, and heard myself, the tri-flange sleeves make a huge difference to getting better sound out of your canalphones.

If you are looking at Shure, discountheadphones.com sell it for MUCH cheaper in the states, and will mark as a gift if you ask nicely, thus coming out to over $100 cheaper on e5c's. buy.com also has good deals on er-6i's for 80 US once in a while, and you can buy through Comerxia which would include customs.

[Angultra]

I accidentaly sucked my ipod earbuds up the vacuum, I would have a heart attack if these got stuck in the vac!

Bottom line - if you lose your earbuds, be Shure you find them before vacuuming your room :-0

[Jumbotron]

dude... Talk about 500 bucks just for ap air of headphones bro.

If oyu can slap on 500 bucks on just a pair of ear buds you must drive a fricking ferrari! or your rich and chinees who drive a Bmw 7 series.

Well those better be good. Anyone have any i can test out?

Can't someone who is Chinese and rich, also drive a Ferrari? :-)

A lotta cake for ear-buds - I'd recommend trying before buying. I recently bought a set of E2's and I rarely use them - the cords are too heavy, they don't fit my canals well and seem a bit on the bright side.

[DJ_Peanuts22]

cool, im gonna order my $500 pair right away!

can't afford to sleep when theres deals to be had like this one

[t10]

To those who think it is ridiculous to shell out half a grand on a pair of buds, ignorance is bliss ;p

Dont try to argue, because the more you learn the more you are sucked into, then before you know it, you find yourself buying amps, custom fit EIMs, K1000, R10, higher end Stax etc...

[sully]

If you are looking at Shure, discountheadphones.com sell [the E2's] for MUCH cheaper in the states, and will mark as a gift if you ask nicely, thus coming out to over $100 cheaper on e5c's. buy.com also has good deals on er-6i's for 80 US once in a while, and you can buy through Comerxia which would include customs.
This is what I did - asked them to mark it as a low-cost gift and ship by USPS (they would do this part anyways). Got them in a week.

I'm using the smallest foam sleeves for now, going to head to Long and McQuade at some point - I hear they have the small soft flex sleeves (http://www.shurestore.com/earphones/eseries_accessories.html#FLEX) on the shelf to purchase. Heard good things about those.

[WiZZLa]

There is nothing wrong with owning higher quality headphones or earbuds; similar to one that owns a "luxury" car.

I commonly hear "that's too expensive for headphones/earbuds," yet I rarely hear "You paid [4-9]$$$$$ for your car? You could've gotten a Ford Pinto or Dodge Aries for 1/10th the price!"

[jazziman]

heres some short reviews on some earbuds

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/3868/twolarge0cd.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/426/onelarge2xl.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

[sf1]

500 bucks and they are not even wireless or retractable :(

[weesur]

I just bought an earphone for $10.00 After reading this I am feeling that I should have bought an earphone of atleast $20 or $30. :lol:

[MizTEcK]

i seriously wish i'm type of person whos within this product's niche market... sadly im not :cry:

[simms]

These headphones are amazing. The etys and the shures are very top of the line and meant for serious audiophiles... it doesn't belong here in a forum full of frugal people. :)

[mixpdf]

I'm not in the market for new h/ps but for those who are interested:

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,120786,pg,3,00.asp

[ender78]

Price is in the eye of the beholder. I have an iPod and would not consider myself a very big music fan, if I were, I would have no problem spending $500 on a pair of headphones. For those that spend $400 on a pair or Raybans while I can get another pair for $20, remember that at least some portion of the price, be it only 50% goes to build quality.

[Brandon]

and included an MP3 player as well :mad:

Nope but they come with this girl!
http://marcopolo.ca/?marcopolo.ca.gif

[akito925]

i dunno about thouse.. my $20 sony headphones do a really pretty good job!

[akito925]

Can't someone who is Chinese and rich, also drive a Ferrari? :-)

A lotta cake for ear-buds - I'd recommend trying before buying. I recently bought a set of E2's and I rarely use them - the cords are too heavy, they don't fit my canals well and seem a bit on the bright side.

go for a walk around pacfic mall underground parking lot.. you'll see a few.

[ProfessorChaos]

i dunno about thouse.. my $20 sony headphones do a really pretty good job!

you think they do a good job until you've listened to Shure's or Etymotic's.

[iso3200]

Dont try to argue, because the more you learn the more you are sucked into, then before you know it, you find yourself buying amps, custom fit EIMs, K1000, R10, higher end Stax etc...

This is exactly my case though just to the entry level. I visited http://www.head-fi.org and next thing you know, I bought myself a set of AudioTechnica ATH-A500 (http://www.audiocubes.com/category/Headphones_Audiophile/product/Audio-Technica_ATH-A500_Art_Headphone.html) and a small amplifier from ElectricAvenues (http://www.electric-avenues.com/audio8.html). A pair of Shures would've been nice but just out of my budget.

[story]

Different people like to enjoy music in different ways. Some are willing to spend $400 on a concert ticket or piano performance to listen to live music. There's no way they can enjoy every detail of the concert with all the cheers and the performace might not even be as good and perfect as CD.

When you have nothing else to compare it to, even a 64kps MP3 sounds like CD after an hour of listening. You just get used to it.

I use the Sony InEar, it gives a good isolation while I can still hear what's going on around me. But thanks for letting me know that a $500 earphone exist for the regular consumer.

[Thimble]

might be worth it if you're a professional music producer. i mean, if its job related, and having it means you'll make even more money, then its obviously a smart expense.

i think this part of one of the reviews said it best:


Average listeners probably won't discern enough difference in quality to justify the price, but if you're really into music, it's definitely worth the price

[Brandon]

Most people listen while on the go or in an environment with loud enough background noise that they wouldn't be able to differentiate between average vs high end headphones/earbuds anyway.

[DVST8]

$549 :-0

http://www.themu.com/images/ShureE5c/TriflangeWorn.jpg


Looks like a Hearing Aid. :|

[jaigandhi5]

http://www.ed.gov/inits/backtoschool/images/scissors.jpg
one of these $1 babies could beat those headphones up in 1 second :lol:

[warpdrive]

Most people listen while on the go or in an environment with loud enough background noise that they wouldn't be able to differentiate between average vs high end headphones/earbuds anyway.

Not these ones. They block up to 30-40 dB of noise. Even in an airplane, all you hear is music.

[Wildfire]

Not these ones. They block up to 30-40 dB of noise. Even in an airplane, all you hear is music.
Would you go with the ETY Er-6i's over the shure E2C's?

oh and see here :
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174018&page=2

[warpdrive]

Would you go with the ETY Er-6i's over the shure E2C's?

oh and see here :
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174018&page=2

Yes, even over the E3C's

[aajjmb]

$549 :-0

http://www.themu.com/images/ShureE5c/TriflangeWorn.jpg

that looks more like a hearing aide

[mahjongmaniac]

that looks more like a hearing aide

i gotta admit that those seriously do look like hearing aids IMO... LOL

[gman]

For that price range, it must at least be wireless. Of course, I still cannot afford to buy that.

[Fantaz]

http://www.ed.gov/inits/backtoschool/images/scissors.jpg
one of these $1 babies could beat those headphones up in 1 second :lol:

Really, what happend if the wire got cut bymistake? Is there free warrenty that I can send the cans back to be repaired?

[consumerPI]

Agreed. These are the Rolls Royce of earphones. There's no reason why $100 pair would not do. $50 for most?


i wouldnt spend $500 on earbuds even if i was a millionaire

[fordtaurus]

I would say, this earphone should be much better than cheaper ones. BUT, buying this earphone for playing 128kbps MP3....emmmmm

[warpdrive]

I would say, this earphone should be much better than cheaper ones. BUT, buying this earphone for playing 128kbps MP3....emmmmm

Yeah, that would be stupid. Sort of like people who buy a nice $80000 car but stick cheap tires on them.

224kpbs would be ok IMO.

[gman]

Yeah, that would be stupid. Sort of like people who buy a nice $80000 car but stick cheap tires on them.

224kpbs would be ok IMO.

The other way around. It is somebody buying 4 $1000 super performance tires for a corolla.

[Tenshi]

well, in any case, any audiophile would not listen to mp3s in the first place....

[jazziman]

well, in any case, any audiophile would not listen to mp3s in the first place....

why? at high bitrate you cannot tell the difference.. and trust me.. you cant tell...

[gman]

why? at high bitrate you cannot tell the difference.. and trust me.. you cant tell...
I know people who can tell.
Anyway, if you can't tell, why do you need a very good earbud?

[warpdrive]

The other way around. It is somebody buying 4 $1000 super performance tires for a corolla.

Yah, you're right...that's the correct analogy.

[CSR]

I've purchased 2 sets of E3c's from this marcopolo.ca guy. Always dealt in person in the GTA. He's also got ebay sales of the earbuds. Never had issues to date, planning to buy another set for myself since i've given the previous ones away as gifts. They're AMAZING quality, you really have to hear them to realize that they are worth every penny. They will double the value of your ipod.


At the price, they better double the vaule of an ipod

[warpdrive]

well, in any case, any audiophile would not listen to mp3s in the first place....

There's a high enough bitrate that becomes that MP3 compression artificacts becomes unobjectionable even with very good headphones. They key is to find that point for yourself.

If no bitrate is good enough (you are truly critical audiophile, then Apple Lossless on an iPod is the other way to go), but most audiophiles don't have to go there for a portable source.

[derevaun]

looks like a hearing aid!
i have the bang & olufsen A8 headphones that were featured in that scanned article...
they're excellent. i don't listen to techno beats or stuff like that, so i don't care about the bass... but for classical, vocal, for anything basically... they're excellent... try them out at a B&O store. the guy who couldn't get it seated into his left ear is an idiot... the metal frame is pneumatically adjustable and so on... very comfortable, great sound

[aajjmb]

I know people who can tell.
Anyway, if you can't tell, why do you need a very good earbud?
i know people who can "tell" however i tested them comparing 160kbs to cd and they got it wrong lol and im plke so how about this 128 kbs fiel (eve thou its 96) and they're like "yea" lol lmao

[Spyder187]

Well first you do need good headphones before you can really tell the quality difference unless the difference is that great. If you don't have the good stuff to hear every detail in the sound, usually you won't be able to tell the difference, as always unless the difference is that great.

I'm no expert nor an audiophile but I can say we are missing out on a lot if we don't ever try the better stuff. Also does count on how much hearing you have left. ;)

[The_One]

Do any stores in Toronto sell Etymotic earbuds?

[yuprules]

My gosh $550, make ANYTHING AND PRICE IT INSANELY high and people will still buy it :) I'll stick with my $20 sony ones thank you and save the rest of the money for...more important things like FOOD.

[chicadam]

Well first you do need good headphones before you can really tell the quality difference unless the difference is that great. If you don't have the good stuff to hear every detail in the sound, usually you won't be able to tell the difference, as always unless the difference is that great.

I'm no expert nor an audiophile but I can say we are missing out on a lot if we don't ever try the better stuff. Also does count on how much hearing you have left. ;)

Its about opportunity cost, so unless money is no object, you are not missing out you just allocated your enjoyment on more meaningful things... depending on what you enjoy of course...

[akito925]

for that price... it would be really nice to have them in bluetooth wireless.. they have something like that for the ipod but its $219 for a set.

[Mr. Pannus]

I find it bizarre that so many people are spouting off that these (or any other high-end) headphones are a waste of money without ever listening to them once. If you want to wallow in your own ignorance, good for you, but don't be so proud of it.

As a matter of fact, the e2c's or any of these headphones WILL improve the sound quality of ANY source significantly, likely a whole lot more than any differences in players. People are willing to talk about differences in sound quality of Ipod vs. anything else, but these are miniscule compared to the difference speakers (or headphones) will make to the sound, especially because they all have puny portable amplifiers. There's a reason that so many reviews will talk about the initial "wow" factor when buying canalphones, especially good ones. Simply by blocking out external noise you raise the perceived sound quality immensely, especially if you're in a noisy area. And when you add really good headphone quality, and a good seal (which takes a while to find, depending on which phones you bought), you WILL hear the difference, and a cell phone would sound better than an ipod with their included headphones (I've tried).

So if this is out of your price range, fine, pass along. But why people want to brag about their lack of interest is simply beyond me.

[warpdrive]

Do any stores in Toronto sell Etymotic earbuds?

www.cpused.com

[yuprules]

So if this is out of your price range, fine, pass along. But why people want to brag about their lack of interest is simply beyond me.

Well ... spending anything over $500 on a pair of HEADPHONES about as insane as spending $500 on a headset for your phone :)

It's worth MORE than the thing you are plugging it into!!! (like an ipod). It just seems silly spending more on the headphones than the player. :)

[warpdrive]

It's worth MORE than the thing you are plugging it into!!! (like an ipod). It just seems silly spending more on the headphones than the player. :)

Not really. Think about it...

The headphones is the most important part of how it sounds.
$500 headphones plugged into a $100 player will sound WAY better than $10 headphones plugged into a $10000 player.

The headphones will likely outlast your player if properly taken care of. Players can/and should be replaced as they get smaller, have more features. I might buy a new player ever 2-3 years. I don't plan on changing headphones as often. Headphones don't go out of date. In fact, I'm still using the $300 headphones I bought 12 years ago.

[Wildfire]

www.cpused.com

Etymotic Research ER-6i Isolator $199
Woah, and back to Ebay I go....

[NaMeChAnGeCoW]

I spent $165cdn for my Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones off eBay last year. They're the best set of headphones I've ever used - there's no way I could ever go back to non sound-canceling headphones, even if they carry a $550 price tag.

[Senk]

This guy will do E2Cs for $75 shipped to Canada by USPS.

Send him a best offer and ask for USPS shipping.

He also has the E3C and E5C. He also takes offers on those.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=73841&item=5788671525&rd=1

[chicadam]

I find it bizarre that so many people are spouting off that these (or any other high-end) headphones are a waste of money without ever listening to them once. If you want to wallow in your own ignorance, good for you, but don't be so proud of it.

So if this is out of your price range, fine, pass along. But why people want to brag about their lack of interest is simply beyond me.

People who don't spend $550 on earphones are ignorant? Thats quite a statement.

e2c are under a hundred dollars... quite different than the $550 price tag for the e5c. I don't think there are many here on RFD who dropped $550 on these. So I guess we are all igorant...

[WLJ101]

who still want to buy from him?

I am going to send him money tonight i guess.

Warp, I think I will buy the $300 senn headphones later in summer.

All I want is the best.

WLJ1O1

[WiZZLa]

People who don't spend $550 on earphones are ignorant? Thats quite a statement.

Individuals that denounce them without ever listening to them are ignorant.

[ProfessorChaos]

Individuals that denounce them without ever listening to them are ignorant.

exactly, it's like saying a BMW is overpriced without even test driving one...sure you can buy a cavalier for 10k...and it's a car...same analogy with headphones...don't denounce if you haven't tried.

[xenyz]

This thread seems out of place for RFD. If anyone is actually serious about sound, head over to head-fi.org and be enlightened. Beware: their greeting is "welcome to head fi, sorry about your wallet"

I think I'll go for those $75 shures, thanks for the heads up..

[chicadam]

exactly, it's like saying a BMW is overpriced without even test driving one...sure you can buy a cavalier for 10k...and it's a car...same analogy with headphones...don't denounce if you haven't tried.

I don't see how ignorant someone can be. They are freaking ear buds... I'm sure great music comes from them but unless it starts making me coffee or cooking me dinner for most its not worth $550... I would find this more like a Bentley purchase not a BMW...

I would definitely consider the e2c, at $75.

[D.NGUYEN]

wow, $549 for earbuds. Must be good, if only I had the money, im good with my Sennheiser PX100 though, pretty damn good if you asked me hehe, or my Grado Labs SR-60.

[warpdrive]

I don't see how ignorant someone can be. They are freaking ear buds... I'm sure great music comes from them but unless it starts making me coffee or cooking me dinner for most its not worth $550...

Obviously, listening to $550 headphones is an extravagance, no doubt. There *is* a difference (maybe a big difference) between a $50 and $500 one. That is the part some people are ignorant about. People who spend that much on earbuds can appreciate that difference, so it's worth it to *them*.

The other issue is that people don't understand that the best of *anything* costs a lot of money. This is repeated time and time again on this forum.

The best wines, cars, stereos, watches, TV's, headphones costs 10, 20, 100 times what the average person would spend on the same thing.

[WiZZLa]

I don't see how ignorant someone can be. They are freaking ear buds... I'm sure great music comes from them but unless it starts making me coffee or cooking me dinner for most its not worth $550... I would find this more like a Bentley purchase not a BMW...

I would definitely consider the e2c, at $75.

Does a BMW make you coffee? Does a Bentley cook you dinner? Neither of them (at stock) do, but people won't denounce them for it either. I mean seriously "they are freaking cars... I'm sure they get me from point A to B." :rolleyes:

[sterdeus]

Who here still has perfect hearing? I think I've blow my eardrums from too much clubbin' and loud concerts. Spending that much money on earphones would not benefit me.

[chicadam]

Does a BMW make you coffee? Does a Bentley cook you dinner? Neither of them (at stock) do, but people won't denounce them for it either. I mean seriously "they are freaking cars... I'm sure they get me from point A to B." :rolleyes:

I'll explain... although warpdrive already said it best.
BMW is a good car
Bentley is a great car (same price as a nice house)
the difference in price is 10x

People are not ignorant if they decide not to buy a Bentley...

Basically, its whatever floats your boat.

Me, I'll get the e2cs...

[alt130]

This thread seems out of place for RFD. If anyone is actually serious about sound, head over to head-fi.org and be enlightened. Beware: their greeting is "welcome to head fi, sorry about your wallet"

I think I'll go for those $75 shures, thanks for the heads up..

Exactly why I haven't gone any further than my (I know, laughable) Sony EX51s. If I could justify it, I'd be out there buying all sorts of nastily priced earphone/amp gear, but I'm afraid to take even a step towards it because once that cloud of audiophile ignorance is lifted...

So for now, I'll just pretend I've got good sound. ;)

[WiZZLa]

I'll explain... although warpdrive already said it best.
BMW is a good car
Bentley is a great car (same price as a nice house)
the difference in price is 10x

People are not ignorant if they decide not to buy a Bentley...

Basically, its whatever floats your boat.

Me, I'll get the e2cs...

I'll explain this in car terms for you using your examples as you "missed" the first response.


Individuals that denounce them without ever listening to them are ignorant.

-is converted into-

Redefined & Posted by WiZZLa
Individuals that denounce a BMW or Bentley, or "whatever floats your boat" without ever test driving one, and/or say things like "it's a rip off, my Dodge Aries does the same thing" are ignorant.Pun not intended.

[jjboy]

I don't see how ignorant someone can be. They are freaking ear buds... I'm sure great music comes from them but unless it starts making me coffee or cooking me dinner for most its not worth $550... I would find this more like a Bentley purchase not a BMW...

I would definitely consider the e2c, at $75.

I think you are failing to see that some people value high quality sound. $500 isn't alot. People spend much more money on a car that is perceived to have high quality.

[DennyTang]

I read ALL the pages and there are a lot of discussions about cars, people being ignorant and ipods.

I use headphones in noisy enviroments and I recently purchased a set of noise-cancelling headphones to protect my ears. I used to be able to hear those ultrasonic pest repellents but now I don't hear them anymore and I'm assuming it was from the use of loud music on tiny earbuds. It's becomming more common for my friends to blow up their earbuds due to loud music.

Now that you know about my concern about hearing disabilities, how safe is it to use these shure in-ear earbuds? If it can isolate sound so well, wouldn't sound get trapped in your ears? I have a pair of sony in-ear headphones and occasionally I have to take them out to release the pressure it builds up inside my ear.

My Sennheiser px-250 noise-cancelling headphones sound great and sounds noticabally better when I turn on the noise-cancelling feature that also amplifies the sound. How much better are the shure e5c than my sennheiser? I've listened to those sennhesier headphones made for TV and the amount of bass is amazing. Can those tiny headphones deliver a similiar amount of bass?

[warpdrive]

I read ALL the pages and there are a lot of discussions about cars, people being ignorant and ipods.

I use headphones in noisy enviroments and I recently purchased a set of noise-cancelling headphones to protect my ears. I used to be able to hear those ultrasonic pest repellents but now I don't hear them anymore and I'm assuming it was from the use of loud music on tiny earbuds. It's becomming more common for my friends to blow up their earbuds due to loud music.

Now that you know about my concern about hearing disabilities, how safe is it to use these shure in-ear earbuds? If it can isolate sound so well, wouldn't sound get trapped in your ears? I have a pair of sony in-ear headphones and occasionally I have to take them out to release the pressure it builds up inside my ear.

My Sennheiser px-250 noise-cancelling headphones sound great and sounds noticabally better when I turn on the noise-cancelling feature that also amplifies the sound. How much better are the shure e5c than my sennheiser? I've listened to those sennhesier headphones made for TV and the amount of bass is amazing. Can those tiny headphones deliver a similiar amount of bass?

Yes, the expensive dual driver earbuds like these Shures have great bass...as good as any full sized earphone.

There is no danger to your ears as long as you don't play them too loud. Your eardrum doesn't care whether the sound is coming from afar or coming from the earbud a centimetre away. In fact, normal earphones will likely damage your hearing more since you have to play them loud to hear the music over surrounding noise.

When listening to earphones/headphones, it's too easy to play them loud, so if you have hearing loss, it's a sign of older age, AND/OR hearing loss due to excessive volume. Go to one concert and you probably suffered some hearing loss. I use special earplugs that block about 20dB of noise when I go to concerts. When you come out of a concert with ringing in your ears, then there is probably some permanent damage.

Your PXC250 is a good headphone, but it will be outperformed by any high end headphone such as these Shures or any other $300+ earbud.

[chicadam]

I'll explain this in car terms for you using your examples as you "missed" the first response.

Pun not intended.

Why are you not understanding, quality sound off ear buds are not worth $550 for me. These could be the best sounding ear buds on earth, which they are probably not, I still won't drop $550 on them. So I don't need to try them to realize their worth, its not something I spend that much on not matter how good the sound is... understand?

Watches, cars, cellphones, etc... also follow this idea.

[BobbyGeneric]

I spent $165cdn for my Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones off eBay last year. They're the best set of headphones I've ever used - there's no way I could ever go back to non sound-canceling headphones, even if they carry a $550 price tag.

that's quite a misconception you have - check out the specs. just because these aren't active noise cancelling doesn't mean they're not passive noise canceling. these offer ~23db of noice cancellation - better than active noise cancelling headpones like your bose. this means with them in and no music playing, you can't even hear a phone ringing on the desk in front of you.

[akira1971]

I think this is a great post by WLJ101.

I just spent a lot of $$ on my Energy speakers at home to listen to music. Up to now, I've avoided mp3 players (although I did buy an 1Gig iRiver for my wife to work out with) because the sound quality just wasn't there. If this Shure earbud can reproduce the music faithfully (or very close to) like my home setup, I just might get a portable mp3 player for myself.

Don't know if this is the right analogy, but I did spent a lot (almost 3x) more on the speakers than my receiver and cd player. How is this not different for iPods/mp3 players and earphones? I would think the sound quality is mainly driven by speakers/earphones and not the source player...

[subzero5150]

someone here mentioned that u can get the e2c's for $75 shipped. well i emailed marcopolo and he said that the best he can do is $110 shipped.

[WLJ101]

but how about warranty? that's the major thing i concern.

wlj1o1

[subzero5150]

but how about warranty? that's the major thing i concern.

wlj1o1

not sure if this was addressed to my post... but yeah he told me $110 shipped with 2 year "canadian replacement warranty"

[WiZZLa]

Why are you not understanding, quality sound off ear buds are not worth $550 for me. These could be the best sounding ear buds on earth, which they are probably not, I still won't drop $550 on them. So I don't need to try them to realize their worth, its not something I spend that much on not matter how good the sound is... understand?

Watches, cars, cellphones, etc... also follow this idea.

Why are you not understanding the points made? Saying that $550 for earbuds is out of your range is VERY different than saying $550 earbuds are a rip off BECAUSE they are $550. Your reasoning for not purchasing them is quite different than the people you are "trying" to defend.

From the very beginning you had trouble comprehending what the original poster (Pannus) said; it's very obvious in your replies.
Understand that? Or should I attempt to re-word it for you, again?

btw, I can use watches & cellphones in examples to help you understand better, seeing as the car examples were a complete wash.

[sterdeus]

Music stored in MP3 format is a lesser quality than on CD or vinyl. So I'm wondering, would it be pointless to buy these earbuds and listen to mp3's?

[ProfessorChaos]

btw, I can use watches & cellphones in examples to help you understand better, seeing as the car examples were a complete wash.

wizzle said it the best...

[chicadam]

Why are you not understanding the points made? Saying that $550 for earbuds is out of your range is VERY different than saying $550 earbuds are a rip off BECAUSE they are $550. Your reasoning for not purchasing them is quite different than the people you are "trying" to defend.

From the very beginning you had trouble comprehending what the original poster (Pannus) said; it's very obvious in your replies.
Understand that? Or should I attempt to re-word it for you, again?

btw, I can use watches & cellphones in examples to help you understand better, seeing as the car examples were a complete wash.


You assume that people don't know the difference between good sound and great sound. I, on the other hand, do not assume that.

Someone people feel that its a rip off because great music is that worth that premium in price.

Items like this: price vs quality is a root curve. How is it not a rip-off. For that small improvement you just paid double for the ear buds a level lower.

[Angultra]

They sell the shure e3c headphones for $249 at the "MP3" store in Vaughn Mills...not sure if this is also a good buy.

[WiZZLa]

You assume that people don't know the difference between good sound and great sound. I, on the other hand, do not assume that.

Someone people feel that its a rip off because great music is that worth that premium in price.

Items like this: price vs quality is a root curve. How is it not a rip-off. For that small improvement you just paid double for the ear buds a level lower.


It's hard deciphering your post.
From what I could gather, you're running around in circles, maybe you finally read the posts you were replying to.
Do I understand you? Just barely.

[Pseudo Nim]

$549 :-0

http://www.themu.com/images/ShureE5c/TriflangeWorn.jpg


At first I thought this was a hearing aid... I suppose if I see someone with one of these, though, I will still have to yell at them, considering they're noise-isolating.

-pN

[daffod]

wow..500 bucks..some one dont need RFD !! its cheap for them at 500 bucks.

[Pseudo Nim]

wow..500 bucks..some one dont need RFD !! its cheap for them at 500 bucks.

I don't think I agree with that. Just because people are rich, doesn't mean they aren't trying to save a few dollars too (hell, that's how some people get rich).

That said, I neither can afford these nor would pay that much money for headphones even if I *were* rich; but it still remains a matter of pure choice.

[galanz]

Not really. Think about it...

The headphones is the most important part of how it sounds.
$500 headphones plugged into a $100 player will sound WAY better than $10 headphones plugged into a $10000 player.

The headphones will likely outlast your player if properly taken care of. Players can/and should be replaced as they get smaller, have more features. I might buy a new player ever 2-3 years. I don't plan on changing headphones as often. Headphones don't go out of date. In fact, I'm still using the $300 headphones I bought 12 years ago.


Exactly, the general rule is the drivers should be the most expensive part as they make the difference. This is the same reason I have $1200 Dynaudio speakers in my car while the Alpine Headunit was around $500.

[vancouverforsale]

I don't think I agree with that. Just because people are rich, doesn't mean they aren't trying to save a few dollars too (hell, that's how some people get rich).

That said, I neither can afford these nor would pay that much money for headphones even if I *were* rich; but it still remains a matter of pure choice.

Rich people don't like "saving money" in the sense that, they want a deal, they are cheap dicks bent on ruining lives and civilization, by not wanting to pay for worker rights, benefits or decent pay. There is quite a difference between a rich person and the common man. Rich person = selfish dick, while the common man is trying to struggle and survive in a lot of circumstances do to the selfish dick rich man. Go read your history. It's all there. Governments are also privy to this, they give companies more corporate welfare to create more profits then they give social welfare to the common man who needs help because the rich company let him go because they need to use the money they were giving him to make more.

Over the years taxes for the common man have rose exponentially but taxes for the corporation have lowered extremely, where the common man is now paying the corporations taxes, even though the common man is trying to survive under the corporations tyranny and oppression, while the corporation is trying to create more money for its greed and selfishness disease. When the common man gives another common man hell for using social welfare when he is down on his luck because of our oppressive system, means, the common man in the end wants to pay the corporations taxes, and not the person who is down (it's the usual "let's kick the person who is down bully scenario), what that person doesn't know, the money that went to the common man who was down is now going to be paying the corporations taxes, just more of them.

[WLJ101]

ar ya!!!!!

stop those topicz. I was looking for the E5c and I found marcopolo.ca that he sells these w/ warranty and the price is reasonable.

I hope the Mod can lock this thread cus I already got one from him and $549 is a good price with warranty. Ebay sells these for around $360 plus shipping plus custom. That's almost $500 but for $49 more, I don't have to worry about lost shipment and time to wait for...


peace.