SHURE - E5c

[likedachuch]

HODers,

after much deliberation i'm going to buy in ear monitors. with much info (thanks andy vermiglio) on different makers of in ear monitors, i've decided on the heftily priced E5c's. the only reason is that they have dual drivers. my question is - will there not be enough bottom end (due to extreme attenuation) to where i'll have to buy a 'buttkicker'? turns out one of these costs about 250 each. yeeeesh!
[img]rolleyes.gif[/img]

any first-hand experience / advice would be cool.

[XNavyDrummer]

Hey Chuch,

The dual driver monitor (E5) is a little bulky. You may find that it tends to pop out of the ear as opposed to the single driver version (old E1s) that stays in the ear. I believe you can see a dual driver pop out the ear of Toto's lead vocalist on the 25th aniversary DVD. Also, the frequency response of the dual driver (to my ears) are a little heavy on the mid range, where the single driver has a smoother sounding frequency response. Weckl has used the E1 single driver version.

[Kurt R]

Their are some others out their you way want to take a look at also. You can get these custom molded to help take out the background more and maybe even add some kick to em.


www.futuresonics.com
http://www.ultimateears.com/

[Groovemeister]

I use the E2's and I think they're the best Shure do. I was given a set of the E5's for a tour I did, and as Andy rightly said, there was too much mid-range, not glistening highs or defined lows. I lost them [img]redface.gif[/img] and bought myself some E2's as a replacement.

I've got to say, I too was worried about a lack of low-end with inner ears and was all ready to get a ButtKicker, but I got the E2's fitted with a custom mould (of my ears) and that helped not only with isolation, but also with boosting lower frequencies...

MP

[funkycarnivore]

Hey Chuck,
I use the Westone UM2, also a dual driver IEM. I don't use them live though--strictly for music listening. I think they sound pretty danged good.
http://www.westone.com/music/universal.html

[likedachuch]

wow. as usual, this is truly invaluable information. i'm going to have take it easy and not be so anxious ( i tend to get that way whenever there's potential of a new toy). my sound guy @my church says he's going to bring an assortment of the E-series earplugs. i should check them out soon. you guys may have saved me some serious dough! thanks again you guys.

[drumgod1]

I've got some E1's and some E2's. I had to get the E2's when my E1's started to short out. The E1's were very comfortable with the foam inserts and I thought they sounded better with the foam than the silicone ends. The E2 foams (even the small or medium ones) seem to be a lot bigger in the ear canal than the E1's. I don't find them as comfortable. Plus, I only got one pair of each sized foam & silicone insert. That really sucks. Next, I'll be getting the custom ear molded model, just the single driver one.

[likedachuch]

yeah, drumgod

i noticed that the E5's are the only ones with the triple flanged earpieces and the E2's and 3's don't offer the triple flanged pieces for these models. (the foam earpieces tend to give me ear-ithcies after a few uses. yuck) i used to use the triple flanged silicone pieces for just earplugs and they were comfortable and very sanitary. (i'd put them overnight in a gerber jar doused in alcohol) do you think that the E2's come with such options? perhaps i can take my E.A.R. earplugs and just modify them? andy, what do you think? perhaps take the money that i'm saving from the E5's and use it to make custom molded earpieces? i remember you mentioning westone also.

[metricmodulator]

I use the E3's with the triple flange silicone ear pieces, (the same triple flange ear piece fits the E3 or E5). I also use a wedge to add some bottom for the larger venues. The E3's are less money than the E5's and I find them adequate.

[XNavyDrummer]

Chuch,

"Ear-itches" may be a sign of a dried out ear canal due to cleaning the ear with a Q-tip, which the manufacturer cautions against. Or, it may be that you're using the foam plugs past the point where you should be changing them.

Instead of modifying an E.A.R. plug or buying the custom modeled version, you could do something in-between. Westone has made (in the past) a custom molded ear "sleeve" that you can just slip over the E1 or E5. If the monitor dies, you just put the sleeve on another one instead of waiting for another molded version to arrive. In the long run it's probably cheaper. And you don't have to worry about having a supply of those foam tips.

Andy