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""First rate" solution; pricey, but if you care, worth it" on by mrspeakers
Pros: Great sound, flatter profile
Cons: Overly large, cheap feeling Push-To-Hear device
Summary: I'm an audio engineer, and have about six sets of headphone and earphones, including Shure e4c, Sony MDR V6, little Panasonics, Bose Quiet Comfort 2.
The fit and finish of the Shure are top of the pack; light, but clearly extremely high quality construction.
The Push To Hear device is way larger than I would have expected, and feels cheap. That's a dissapointment.
Sound: The first impression was that the bass was boomy and a bit over-blown (I'm a bass fan). However, within two days, the sound completely transformed; the bass became taught and well balanced, and blends incredibly smoothly throughout the who range. THere is no discernable gap or hole where driver overlap/interference detracts from the sound.
In listening to old-favorites, on CD, AAC (192K), or 128MP3, EVERYTHING was audible. I have listened to some of my source material for years, on the highest-of high-end gear, and this little beauties were so revealing I was hearing not just a little, but a LOT, or ambience, detail, production overlays (and yes, CODEC artifacts, especially with MP3).
I was simply floored by the level of detail. Not the least of reasons being that, in a sense, these phones are not in-your-face tipped up with sizzly treble (like the Panasonics or Sony's), and the midrange is so clear and free of grain that at first, I thought detail was *missing* from some of my recordings.
This was a surprise, as vocals which used to have a bit of grain, or cymbals and snare drums, sounded almost soft. But, the incredible detail and transparency makes it clear that many of these "details" were sizzle and hash created by the drivers in the other phones.
Needless to say, in comparison to the Bose products, the Shure's provided a more compact travel solution, better noise reduction, and vastly superior, more transparent and extended audio.
The PTH was usefull for knocking about in the office, I could talk to people without "unplugging" myself. I just wish it were more compact and solid. But, this is an extra, it's not the reason for existence for a product such as this.
This is without a doubt the best headphone/earphone I've ever heard. Improve the PTH, and it'd be a 10 for sure. Thanks Shure! -
"Worth Every Penny! You WILL NOT be disappointed." on by 1tl1
Pros: Amazing sound from these! HIghs and lows were brilliant
Cons: Almose need a bigger carry case.
Summary: I have had the E3c's and upgraded to the E5c's. I didn't think I could find another earphone that could make my extensive traveling listening experience any better. Well, the E500's were amazing from day 1! I just returned from a trip and had the e500's block out every conversation around me on the plane and the PTH was great for having to answer the flight attendants questions. I heard some notes and nuances with these that I simply did not get even with the E5c's. As I said, there are alot of accessories supplied with these and carrying everything makes the case a bit snug but once I get all the cables and sleeves sorted, I have no doubt it will be much more manageable. You will be completely satisfied as I am!
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"Couldn't Sound Better!" on by drmarcr
Pros: Fabulous sound, very comfortable!
Cons: PTH device is a bit big and cheap feeling. Battery keeps falling out.
Summary: I started with Shure E3c's. I discovered sounds coming from my iPod and other devices I never had heard before. I moved up to E5c's and again even more came through.
The E500PTH has actually imporoved on the audio. Also, they are more ergonomic. I have worn them for 18 hours non-stop and they are very, very, comfortable. They are actually more comfortable than the custom ear pieces I formerly used.
The PTH device is a bit cheap-feeling. Also, the battery cover is of a poor design and I have now lost 3 AAA batteries!
Moreover, although the PTH is great for listening to conversations, the music does not pause automatically. Thus, if listening to a book for example, one loses one's place. However, the PTH, while clever, is not really integral to the headphones. Thus, I use it rarely and could care less.
All in all, these are the greatest. Even better than my Sennheiser 580's...and a lot more comfortable (especially) in hot weather. -
"Wow these are the best sounding IEMs ever" on by phatfos
Pros: Sound, comfort,
Cons: Price! These suckers will hurt your wallet and force you to buy something nice for the wife!
Summary: Well people, you're looking at $500.00 in ear monitors ("IEM"). Either you are rich, or you really, REALLY appreciate high quality audio.
First things first, DO NOT BUY THESE IF YOU LISTEN TO 128 ENCODED MUSIC!!!! I cannot stress enough how "not worth it" these will be if you're going to listen to audio that has been compressed to 1/8 its original size. If you want to listen to 128k stuff (the bitrate music sold on itunes is encoded at) then save yourself $400 and get a pair of $99 IEMs, like the Etymotic ER6, or the Sure E3g. With the entry level IEMs you will notice a HUGE difference over the ear buds that came with your ipod AND, more importantly, you can spend the extra cash on something you will appreciate.
I would not call myself an audiophile, but I spend a disgusting amount of money on audio equipment. I feel I am able to discriminate between what is good and what is crap. These IEMs are top of the line. I've owned the Etymotic ER-4p; I've owned the Sure E5c; I've owned the Sennheiser HD 650. I feel that these IEMs are best described as a “blend� of best features of each of the above-listed headphones. The E500s can compete with (or beat) all of the phones I’ve owned in the past in almost every category (sound, ergonomics, portability, comfort). They have accuracy and detail that is right on par the Ety's. This is saying a lot given the fact that the Ety’s are “Reference� phones. The Ety’s are used by sound engineers and professional musicians BECAUSE THEY ARE SO ACCURATE. So, in my opinion the E500s are VERY ACCURATE. The E500s are more balanced and natural sounding than the E5c, which, in my opinion, are a little muddy in the low end. The E500s are as comfortable and, for what it’s worth, look better than the E5c. Finally, the E500s can also compete with the 650's in sound reproduction, and given the 500's considerable size advantage, I'll grab the Shures over the Senn's if I'm going anywhere outside my home.
Ok, so right now I'm listening to Norah Jone's new album “Not Too Late.� I imported the album in “Apple Lossless,� which brought most of the songs in at 690-750kps, and each track weighed in at about 25mb. Given the high resolution audio, I also send the bits through a SoundBlaster ZS Notebook card, which really makes a difference through the E500s. All I can say about this setup is “WOW.� I’m truly amazed at the detail, ambience, and presence of the recording. I’ve listed to the album about 10 times in the week and a half that I’ve had the E500s (I’m a law student, so I have a ton of time to sit and listen to music while I read) each time I’ve noticed something new, some little detail that I didn’t hear before. This is because the E500s bring out EVERYTHING in the recording. I’ve also listened to some of the stuff my girlfriend bought off of itunes at 128k, and I must say the difference in sound is like going from tape to CD I think (I’ve never compared the two b/c I don’t own tapes, but I know the resolution difference is similar). The details at 128 aren’t there, and, frankly, neither is the depth or ambiance. Which brings me to the point of this review, these IEM’s should come with a disclaimer discouraging purchase by anyone who plans to use them to listen to music encoded at less than 256k. You WILL notice a difference, whether you’re a casual listener (with a lot of money) or a discriminating audiophile. Of course, if you’re in the latter group, you already know this and you wouldn’t buy $500 IEMs in order to listen to crap-quality audio. So, if you REALLY love music, and you want to hear ALL THE MUSIC that your favorite artist put onto your favorite CD, buy these and listen to the music at a high (preferably lossless) bitrate. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. -
"If you want the best - this is it." on by pctower
Pros: Sonically the E500s are audiophile quality and extremely comforable to wear.
Cons: None - they are expensive but you get what you pay for.
Summary: I have been an audiophile for over 40 years (and I mean super hi-end Stereophile Class A type stuff) and I absolutely love the E500s. I love them so much that I recently purchased a second pair having left my first pair on a US Air flight (reported to US Air that I had left them on the plane w/i 1.5 hours after landing and never heard back - US Air gets a zero rating from me - and it's my Phoneix "home town" airline).
Noise isolation is wonderful and with all the different earplugs supplied I can't imagine anyone would find he or she could not wear these comfortably.
How do they sound? In a word - "spectacular". Clear, well balanced from top to bottom. They are what I believe any audiophile-quality reproducer must be - extremely detailed without sounding "clinical"). In short, the E500 earphones are for music lovers.
I have owned Vandersteen speakers for over 20 years. I currently have a pair of 5A's. For those of you who know about those speakers, I consider the E500s to be the 5A's of portable earphones.
Haven't tried the push-to-hear feature, so I can't comment on that.
I love sitting on planes watching many around me proudly and carefully (they break easily) take out their Bose headphones from their beautiful carrying cases and plop these cans on their heads for all to see and "wonder in awe at". All the while I'm quietly and unobtrusively enjoying my music in a way that the Bose-ites could only dream of.
PS: My E500s are coupled with a Creative Zen Vision:M 60GB - which I also had to replace having left my Vision M 30GB on the plane along with the first set of E500s.
Shure E500PTH Sound-Isolating Earphones user reviews
