Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
I may not be an "audiophile," but I'm a discerning guy who's been listening to music for a long time. I received my 6i's today and headed off to a meeting. Five seconds into my first song I was stunned: no bass at all, tinny highs - I felt like I was listening to an old transistor radio. When I got home I spent a half hour comparing them to my stock Apple buds. The result: the stock Apples are muddy and lack definition, but the 6i's are worse: all sharp highs with nothing underneath. So, back they go. What do I try next, the Shures?
I realize, of course, that everyone has different tastes. I also own a iPod Photo, so perhaps I'm suffering from this model's perceived lesser-quality sound. Who knows. I just wanted to say I hated what I heard with the 6i's.
# 1 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
One main question, DID YOU PUT IT IN CORRECTLY?
# 2 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
Sounds like you may not have gotten a proper seal. Also, it took maybe ten days for my E3's to start sounding good for whatever reason.
Reiki at 2007-11-15 15:23:56 >
# 3 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
Originally posted by Reiki
Sounds like you may not have gotten a proper seal. Also, it took maybe ten days for my E3's to start sounding good for whatever reason.
This I find mysterious. What's the explanation for a "wearing in" period for an electronic device?
# 4 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
Originally posted by larsthorwald
This I find mysterious. What's the explanation for a "wearing in" period for an electronic device?
About 2 weeks, and did you properly insert them? Tinny and no bass means you didn't get a good seal.
# 5 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
^wearing in or "burn-in" period for head/earphones especially is to get the drivers going if you catch my drift. when you take any type of ear/headphones for the first time from it's packaging, the drivers are still stale or cold -- however you take it. leave it connected to a home stereo on medium volume inter-station hiss for a good 24hrs to get the full potential of any 'phone..
trust me, it makes a world of difference.
also to what reiki said, it may take time to get used to IEM phones; when i had my EX71SLs a while back i had to get used to putting an earphone directly in my ear rather than resting it...
# 6 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
well the 'burn in' thing is not really factual with canal earphones. Some say it exists while other say it doesn't. In my opinion, it's more like your ears getting used to the canal earphones rather than the audio drivers being 'burn in.'
# 7 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
Especially with the ER-6i/E3c/etc, yes that's correct. Any changes you experience will be more a mental conditioning to the sound. And if you let your ears recondition themselves to the ER-6i sound, you'll probably end up saying "hey, these ain't so bad" in a couple of weeks time. But in absolutes... yup, the ER-6i's are tinny and bassless :D I'd suggest going for the dual driver phones, or if that's too rich then try the E2c.
For what it's worth, I still have the ER-6i but it's very, very rarely used and usually just for comparisons and lending out to others. I usually use the E3c (which are an improvement, but have a midrange that's for me a little overprominent on the iPod since I can't EQ it out as easily as other players) with my flash player, and the E5c as well as the Sennheiser HD25-1 headphones (the best full size phone overall for portable use IMO) with everything else that's portable.
# 8 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
i also believe that burning in is a mental thing. At first, my Shure e3c's sounded bad, and after a few weeks they soudned better. At this time i was convinced that headphones do, infact burn in. However, i exchanged them for a new pair because they became defective, and the new pair sounded just as good as my pair that was 'burned in'
a5ianz at 2007-11-15 15:30:01 >
# 9 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
For additional information on "burn in" I suggest giving this ( http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=73383) a read.
-Dan
# 10 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
As per a thread on another forum, I believe that mating the ultra soft flex sleeves with the foamies has given me the perfect seal for my E'3's and from what I understand it can be done with Ety's as well. The burn in theory is controversial and, as has been mentioned, it may just be a personal period of adjustment along with finding the best seal possible for your particular cans.
Reiki at 2007-11-15 15:32:00 >
# 11 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
Doug, the "burn in" thread was quite interesting. The conclusion still seems to be maybe, maybe not. I'll admit that I expect a product to be up to speed right out of the box. Perhaps in this instance that is naive.
In perusing other earphones last night I saw that Shure indicates the best seal will be with the foam, not flanged tips. So this morning I switched to the foam on my 6i's, and I've got to say the sound is much better. There's actually some bass there. I guess I'll continue my study throughout the weekend.
Was my initial condemnation too hasty?
# 12 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
lars: There is a difference between accurate bass and muddy powerful bass.
I cringe at muddy powerful bass now, and can listen to a pair of Er-6i's perfectly fine. You just need to get used to
Powerful bass doesn't equal Good Bass. Also depending on what you are listening to and how its been encoded, plus whether you are listening to your Ety's with an EQ or w/o or Headphone out or Line Out... You wouldn't think that makes a big difference but it does, especially with the higher end earphones.
Also: I would try to get used to the Triflanges as foamies wear out quickly.
I highly suggest doing one of the 3 guides that people have mentioned for ripping your Mp3s also.
# 13 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
Actually, (quite) powerful bass can equal good bass. People who have never heard this say otherwise.
There is quite simply also a difference between the rather curtailed and non-agile bass of the ER-6i and something that's actually worth calling "bass". Getting used to the ER-6i sound is one thing (and as I pointed out before, it's perfectly possible to do this and say "not that bad"). That in terms of absolutes it's extremely poor in the lows (with the nice foamies or the triflanges) is something else.
# 14 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
I'm continuing what is probably a charade by "burning in" my 6i's while I'm out today. We'll see.
I'm also willing to buy into the fact that my iTunes purchases, which are at 128 (I can't change this, right?) will only sound "so" good, not as good as those albums I've ripped at a higher rate.
But I would like some bass!
# 15 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
I've seen people blasted for suggesting that the apple stock earphones sound 'better' than the ER-6i. I've had my etys for 6 months now and I'm still waiting for that thin, lifeless sound to disappear. I've tried all the tips, even chopped up the tri-flanges as some people suggested, but still nothing. Whether this 'burn in' period is true or not, I guess after 6 months it doesn't really matter. As sad as it sounds my etys are now sitting in a dark corner of the house and I'm back using the crappy stock buds until I can figure out what to try next.
When I first got them my instincts told me to return them right away, but unfortunately I decided to wait and see based on what I was reading. Now it's too late to return them - I just wish I went with my gut on this one.
# 16 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
Well, I gave mine a weekend test period, but they're packed up and ready to get mailed back tomorrow. The worst aspect of my test is that the clear midrange of the 6i's - their only positive attribute as far as I'm concerned - convinced my that the Apple stocks aren't any good either. So I've just ordered a pair of Sony MDR-EX81's. Supposedly more bass. SOME bass, at least, would be nice!
# 17 Re: Just got the ER6is... and theyre going back!
Originally posted by Johnny Bravo
I've seen people blasted for suggesting that the apple stock earphones sound 'better' than the ER-6i. I've had my etys for 6 months now and I'm still waiting for that thin, lifeless sound to disappear. I've tried all the tips, even chopped up the tri-flanges as some people suggested, but still nothing. Whether this 'burn in' period is true or not, I guess after 6 months it doesn't really matter. As sad as it sounds my etys are now sitting in a dark corner of the house and I'm back using the crappy stock buds until I can figure out what to try next.
When I first got them my instincts told me to return them right away, but unfortunately I decided to wait and see based on what I was reading. Now it's too late to return them - I just wish I went with my gut on this one.
I'm guessing for both of you, that all you really needed to do was just rip into a higher bitrate, but whatever.
