Etymotic MC5 or Klipsch Image S4? I'm back with a 70$ Question :)

[KonfuSed]

Hi All,
What's up? Been long time since I've posted a query, has been dormant for few months.
Anyway, planning to get a set of earphones, in-ear types again. Somehow inclined towards the Etymotics as I loved the previous Ety's that I had i.e. ER6i. But this time I want to try out something different and hence found that Etymotic MC5 seems to fit the bill well. From the reviews what it seems that they are pretty accurate to the frequencies and only issue might be the less warmth, i.e. the nature of Etymotic phones. But I'm pretty ok with that. And it seems these have better bass response than ER6i's, so I'm good with that.
But at the same time some reviews are mentioning Klipsch Image S4 to be a better all-rounder than the MC5. The warmth is there it seems. I heard this phones once and I too liked them that time. But it was some time ago so can't exactly remember the sound signature.
Another option what I saw is Ety HF5 but then it'll become 100$ question and I don't wanna go there.
Is there any other option that I've? Please feel free to point me out that.
BTW, currently I'm listening to Brainwavz m2 and I'm not that satisfied with these. They are bit too bassy for my liking.
Regards,

 

[esanthosh]

I am not a big fan of Klipsch S4, while some others are. It's a good IEM as long as you don't compare it to anything else. This is what I posted in a recent review of ECCI PR401.

If I complain about PR401's politeness again, shove S4 in my ears...please! The sound stage of S4 is a little wider than PR401. The bass of S4, while greater in quantity, also is thick, hard-hitting and a bit muddy which makes it lose on the quality front. But, there's no doubt that if someone prefers impact and quantity, S4 with it's good sub-bass extension would be preferred. The midrange of S4 sounds thinner without texture even when compared to the not so thick PR401. Not to mention, whenever the recording has sibilance, S4 will magnify it. S4's treble is thick, but lacks the detail and clarity that PR401 brings out. S4 also sounds a bit congested in complex passages, a fate that PR401 does not suffer. While PR401 does not want to cross the lines, S4 crosses a few lines that should not be crossed. Stand alone, S4 may not be as bad though!

If you feel M2 is too bassy, I don't think S4 is the way to go.

Do you prefer Ety's isolation? If yes, then you don't have much choice.

MC5 does not have a great rep among Ety fans because it's different from the usual Ety signature. But if you are looking for something different, MC5 may be a good choice. Are you looking for not so much bass, warm mids (like M2? More? Less?)? How about treble? Any preference in sound stage and other things?

 

[reignofchaos]

I have an MC5. Its quite clinical sounding and hard to drive. Most people will find it lacking in bass. However what bass you do get is incredibly tight and hard hitting.

If you are getting it, make sure you have something that drives it well.

 

[KonfuSed]

Thanks for responding guys. Basically I'm looking for something like the ER6i. But a little bit of more bass response can be better. Warm mids, yes. Too bright highs - No. Are the S4's similar sounding to M2? I guess I need to ask my friend if he still got these to check it out.
Why I'm having a love and hate relationship with M2 is probably the overwhelming bass. At time I really like them and at times I feel oh it's just too much bass. Might be I'm using them to listen to wrong kind of music (I mostly listen to different genres of songs played through my playlist).
ROC, hard to drive? Will I need an amp to drive the MC5? Only amp I've now is the FiiO E5. BTW, any suggestions for a better headphone amp? Not too costly ones though.


Another option I saw is Shure SE215, some people are going gaga over it. Seems to be a dynamic driver. What say about these?

 

[esanthosh]

I consider M2 to be better than S4. Again, if you look at the previous page in the link I provide, there are others (haraakiri) who prefer S4 to M2.

These were my impressions when I compared them - Klipsch S4 Mni Review. Not much change in my impressions since that time, except that I find S4's midrange to be a bit thinned down.

If you want something closer to ER6i, I think HF5 could be a better choice. I've not read much on Etys, but this post might be of interest to you - The Etymotic HF5 - It's New, It's Etymotic, But Is It Good? [Work-In-Progress Review] - Head-Fi.org Community

On SE215, I'd wait a while. It's still in it's 'head-fi honeymoon period'

 

[KonfuSed]

I consider M2 to be better than S4. Again, if you look at the previous page in the link I provide, there are others (haraakiri) who prefer S4 to M2.

These were my impressions when I compared them - Klipsch S4 Mni Review. Not much change in my impressions since that time, except that I find S4's midrange to be a bit thinned down.

Seems like Klipsch are out of contention now

If you want something closer to ER6i, I think HF5 could be a better choice. I've not read much on Etys, but this post might be of interest to you - The Etymotic HF5 - It's New, It's Etymotic, But Is It Good? [Work-In-Progress Review] - Head-Fi.org Community

I'm kind of more inclined towards ER6i kind of sound. After tasting the M2's now I know that I liked the Ety sound more. May be I'm the only person who is not exactly satisfied with the M2 but that's how everyone's ears are different I guess.
Another thing, I know it's not correct to compare earbuds to headphones but somehow I like the AD700 or M50 much much more than these earbuds and I end up comparing the buds to them. I wish there is something which sounds like them. I really don't like to carry these big headphones to office or travelling.

On SE215, I'd wait a while. It's still in it's 'head-fi honeymoon period'

Very much agree to that ;-) Me too worried about this initial hypes over anything and everything at head-fi.

Throwing in another option, Ultimate Ears 600. What about them at 84$ ?

 

[esanthosh]

My reaction generally to LogitechEars is Meh! UE600 is one of their newest IEMs. Not sure how it sounds, but I found this -

The UE 600 is the same product as the SuperFi 5 with a new name, more silicone ear cushions (in smaller sizes), improved packaging, a new carry case and LOWER price at $99.99! We expanded the Frequency Response to 20k because although the human ear cannot hear at that level, the UE 600 does respond/make noise at that level. But the Frequency Response did not change - it has always been up to 20k on the SuperFi 5 but in our original specs we only specified what the human ear can hear.

Also this post indicates that they must be pretty easy to drive. Also, could be the reason why people were generally underwhelmed by UE500.

BTW, MC5 vs UE600 comparison here - http://www.headphiles.org/index.php?topic=2276.0

 

[esanthosh]

I have not tried the Etys myself, so have to go with what I've read - they are generally highly detailed, analytical, a little dry sounding with not much emphasis on bass. I looked at my full list of IEMs to see what sound closer. But, I don't think you'll get Ety's famed isolation with any of them.

Have you tried the RE0? It is still considered one of the best under $100 and has been compared favorably to ER4P over at head-fi. But, the build quality and the generic shells could be a bit underwhelming. They can be decently driven out of portable players, but shine better with an amp due to their 64 ohm impedance.

Phonak PFE is something I consider better than RE0, but buying it is generally difficult. It too shines better with an amp despite it's 32 ohm impedance. It's well balanced all around (using gray filter) and has a clean bass, which benefits from amping. I still find it's treble to be slightly less detailed than RE0, but it's much more pleasant sounding overall. It is a bit costlier at $130 odd.

Everything else is costlier.

DBA-02 ($160) is good, but it's lean sounding, bright, aggressive and not suited for everybody. It uses the same driver as CK10, but the tuning is very different. Bass has enough quantity, but it does not have much texture. Mids are warm and good and carry good amount of detail. But, it's the highs which are a make or break. They are lean, forward and in your face. So, unless you are a treble head (like me), I won't recommend them.

CK10 ($250 going price) though is among the best I've heard. It has a terrific spike at 10-12Khz, but it's very flat otherwise. Unlike DBA-02, bass has texture, has better extension, but similar to DBA-02 does not have much quantity. Mids are well bodied compared to DBA-02, but smoother. Treble again pretty good. A bit of + in bass and - in treble using EQ would make it very flat. It has this large sound field with precise placement. CK10 with bass would be my ideal custom for one mood and FX700 would be good for the rest.

It's all IMHO and remember, YMMV

So...... considering HF5?

 

[KonfuSed]

No way, can't stretch my budget for HF5 this time for sure. 70$ and 120$ have a difference of 50$ and I need that money ;-)
Somehow this time not feeling like buying any more chinese stuff however good that may be and also want buy something which is not at all available in India. So Ety's kind of fits the bill. I thought about MC5 cause people are kind of putting it in a better position than the ER6i and if that's true then it's good news for me. Yeah still I'm whole lot confused now..

 

[esanthosh]

You can buy MC5 now - http://www.hifivision.com/sale-owner/16943-etymotic-research-mc5-earphones.html. After that, you can send whatever Ety you currently have as my fees for giving the link .

PS: Though this is the total opposite of your Ety love, do read it

 

[KonfuSed]

You can buy MC5 now - http://www.hifivision.com/sale-owner/16943-etymotic-research-mc5-earphones.html. After that, you can send whatever Ety you currently have as my fees for giving the link .

The Current Ety I've (ER6) has been lying dead, actually not dead but paralyzed with one side not working. You want it?
That thread is closed so that means they are already sold.

PS: Though this is the total opposite of your Ety love, do read it

He he that guy just wanted to make some hate comments ,that's how it looked like.

Now I'm kind of thinking of ditching the whole idea of getting a cheap earphone and go for the whole hog and buy a Triple-Fi

 

[hd650gm]

I had S4 , which I didn't like , need to pass on. In $100-$130 range - you can try westone 1, um 1. My friend has Westone 1. It is better than S4 , which i had .( though a $50 difference :sad .

I didn't get a chance to listen to RE0, but it gets good reviews as already mentioned in this thread.

If you can save up to get to $200 - go for UM2 , which is better dual armature phones. Good sound and comfortable.

Now, triple fi 10 itself running for around $200 in amazon. I am using it , I like the soundstage, good treble. TF issues are with comfortability. For me, it is not very comfortable for a long time session.

 

[esanthosh]

The Current Ety I've (ER6) has been lying dead, actually not dead but paralyzed with one side not working. You want it?

I have not heard an Ety before, but didn't want to spend for another IEM either. Sigh! :sad:

TF10 is not a bad idea. But, if you found M2's bass to be too much at times, I wonder how you'll take to TF10. TF10 is an excellent IEM. The only thing that is pretty bad is it's large housing. Most have trouble getting a good fit with them and among the rest, a few more take exception to a large object sticking out of the ears . I don't have an issue with either of them. But, comfort and build quality (a mishandling when removing cables led to the housing breaking up on head-fi - though it could be largely due to user error) issues are reported a lot.

What TF10 is all fun. It's a BA (just like Ety), but rather thick sounding. May be I'll go to the extent of calling it the polar opposite of Ety. It's well detailed with a V-shape curve, good sound stage, great imaging. It's one of the few IEMs that I just plugin and enjoy, not bothering at all about 'how' it sounds. But, others on head-fi have panned it for having 'recessed mids' and I don't quite hear it that way.

 

[KonfuSed]

Thanks Guys for the advice on TF10, but I was kidding about the TF10. Don't really have the budget to go for them, not by a mile. My budget is in that 70$+- range only. Would've loved to get a good earphone this time but have let go off that thought as it's financially impossible as of now.
So I'm still in confusion about the Ety MC5, Shure 215(who knows they might actually be good and I always wanted to try the Shure's) and UE 600. Removing S4 from the list.

 

[rohit3192]

How about Maximo i590?
with due respect to E-santosh here is quote from joker(head-fi)

Sound (6.8/10) The iM-590 first impressed me many months ago when I used a set as my primary day-to-day IEMs. I am glad to say that despite my now having a much larger IEM stable and far more experience under my belt, the iM-590 still sounds just as good today. The sound is smooth, natural, and very detailed. The neutrality of the iM-590 is uncanny when compared to the majority of the competition, yet they still manage to remain fun and involving. The bass is tight, precise, and just right in quantity. It is also quite deep and will go below 40Hz rolling off only slightly. Actually, extension on both ends is quite impressive nearly as good as the RE0 on the bottom and pretty respectable at the top. The mids are realistic and well-positioned. The entire sound is quite wide and airy, with impressive clarity and good separation. The highs are fairly crisp and as clear as the rest of the range. If theres one bone to pick with these is that they can be a tiny bit sibilant at high volumes due to some spikes in the upper mids/lower treble, but other than that they are an excellent choice for anyone looking for a more analytical sound from an IEM.

 

[Amarbir[Lynx-India]]

Hi All,
What's up? Been long time since I've posted a query, has been dormant for few months.
Anyway, planning to get a set of earphones, in-ear types again. Somehow inclined towards the Etymotics as I loved the previous Ety's that I had i.e. ER6i. But this time I want to try out something different and hence found that Etymotic MC5 seems to fit the bill well. From the reviews what it seems that they are pretty accurate to the frequencies and only issue might be the less warmth, i.e. the nature of Etymotic phones. But I'm pretty ok with that. And it seems these have better bass response than ER6i's, so I'm good with that.
But at the same time some reviews are mentioning Klipsch Image S4 to be a better all-rounder than the MC5. The warmth is there it seems. I heard this phones once and I too liked them that time. But it was some time ago so can't exactly remember the sound signature.
Another option what I saw is Ety HF5 but then it'll become 100$ question and I don't wanna go there.
Is there any other option that I've? Please feel free to point me out that.
BTW, currently I'm listening to Brainwavz m2 and I'm not that satisfied with these. They are bit too bassy for my liking.
Regards,

Sir ,
Read All The Other Posts Also .Well Your Budget Is Around 3150/- Right .So The Following Are ruled Out

1 : The Headdirects RE0 ,RE-ZERO

The M2 Is Just Overhyped In The Forums Now ,Its Nothing But a Basshead IEM with OK Type Mids And Highs .The S4 IMHO Would Be More Cleaner And Cleared And Less Bass Then The M2 .I Have Never Auditioned The Etymotic ,Can You Describe The Sound signature ? .

 

[esanthosh]

@rohit,

Don't think iM590 is going to be good for him.

@Konfused,

Joker says the following (Advice - his, formatting and bulleting - mine) -

1) MC5 does not have the treble energy of ER6i. So, if you are happy with ER6i's treble, chances are you will be disappointed.

2) UE-600 is a bad choice. It is mid-forward and rolls off at both ends.

3) SE-215: No Clue. (Going by his experience with Shures from bottom to top (SE530), I don't think he's enthusiastic about Shures in general)

3) ER6i has trouble with bass extension. It is not warm, but very clear and detailed. So, clarity wise, if you are not careful, you'd be actually DOWNGRADING from ER6i. The best choice, provided you want to stay within $80 is RE0 as it covers the entire spectrum (My addition: Except for sub-bass region).

 

[KonfuSed]

Thanks Sathosh, I guess MC5's are out of contention now. I might wait for few days and look for more reviews on the Shure 215, somehow I think that I can try out a new brand this time. I don't want to buy ER6i as the phones are not durable, i.e. the connection breaks pretty easily and one need to baby them around. Another thing I need to mention that I like to sleep with the earphones on and ER6i's were bit uncomfortable and that's one thing I liked about M2's, they are very comfortable to wear. I don't know how the Shure will deliver in terms of comfort but shure's are priced at 100$ and I'm not sure if I can stretch my budget this time.
RE0 seems to be a good choice but as I'm buying the earphones in US I'm not sure how comfortable I'll be about getting it shipped to US. Read about some horror stories in Amazon about ppl getting duplicates/fake RE0 earphones there

@Amarbir, the sound signature of Etymotic ER6i are pretty neutral. People say bass is lacking but for the kind of music I listen I found them pretty ok. Yeah little bit bass would've helped and hence I was thinking about MC5 as some reviews mentioned them as ER6i with bass extension kind of sound signature. The audio for mid and high are pretty clear and nice.
@ Rohit, thanks will check the maximo also.

 

[esanthosh]

Since you want something different, you can try SE215. If you don't like it, you can send it to me

 

[rohit3192]

RE0 seems to be a good choice but as I'm buying the earphones in US I'm not sure how comfortable I'll be about getting it shipped to US. Read about some horror stories in Amazon about ppl getting duplicates/fake RE0 earphones there

Now I am confused considering that you mentioned that you are not willing to buy Chinese earphones howsoever go it may be.
Head-direct is importer of Chinese quality stuff.
I do not know where you are located(India or USA) there is difference between buying in USA and buying from USA.
Head-direct products are available from their US website so no need to buy through Amazon.
I think we all(esantosh,Amarbir and myself) presumed you are in India and buying earphones from USA.