Shure SE310 vs. Ety ER-4P
By Trager on May 12, 2007
Okay, as promised... the complete song-by-song review of my Shure SE310 phones.
All of this is out of my 5.5 iPod, unamped. Most of my audio test tracks are 256 AAC, high quality. I did add a couple that are not, just to see how forgiving a set of phones are. I'm using the triple flange tips for ease of insertion and removal, since I"m doing this at work. I didn't notice much difference between the triple flange tips and the foamies in sound quality, anyway.
Down to the River to Pray [Alison Krauss] - Sounds good, but not fantastic. I feel like the lead's voice is just a little lifeless.
Beautiful People [Rusted Root] - One of my favorite songs... also one that I am VERY critical on (especially since it's very very well recorded). That said, the lead vocals sound very good, and the overall balance is just fine. The soundstaging is pretty good -- not as good as the TF10Ps, but maybe a little better than my ER-4P. I found that I kept turning the volume up... when I kept the volume at a level that seems a little on the loud side to me, they sounded great on this song.
Jumpin' at the Woodside [Basie/Ellington Orchestras] - Wow, the sax parts sound amazing, and the bass is pounding. Makes me want to dance. Again, the soundstage is actually quite good for IEMs. I'm impressed. Admittedly, this is another song that's VERY well recorded for that. The only downside was that by the end of the song, my ears were almost ringing... I keep feeling like I have to play these loud for them to sound good.
Everybody Knows [Leonard Cohen] - Turned 'em down after the wall of sound at the end of JatW, and they aren't nearly as engaging. Increasing the volume a little bit makes it better, but it's a really fine line for me, I think. The mandolin isn't quite as pretty as with my Etys, and the song sounds generally maybe a little less alive than I'm used to. I think. Hard to be sure without switching back and forth. As the song goes on, though, I am appreciating the detail in the presentation.
When the Saint Go Marching In [Monty Alexander] - The Shures handle solo piano quite well.
Moten Swing [Oscar Peterson Trio] - Sounds really good. Ray Brown's bass line sounds great and very natural. The three instruments are clearly placed.
Fette's Vette [MC Chris] - The bass is almost overpowering. Had to turn the volume down after the quiet jazz song that preceded this one. Bass has some real impact, though, which is great. Vocals don't seem to be suffering at all, if anything, I might able to hear the lyrics a little bit more clearly than I'm used to.
Sacred Stones [The Samples] - Another difficult challenge. One of my favorite songs, and one of the prettiest rock songs I've ever heard. One thing I have to note immediately is the fullness of the sound, and the bass drum has some impact that I've rarely noticed listening to this song before. Maybe it's been too long since I've heard my Etys, but it is entirely possible that the SE310 are actually more detailed when it comes to midrange sound. The one knock that I have is that I kind of felt like Sean Kelly's voice is a little swallowed up in the other sound at the climax of the song, which is a damn shame.
Pretty Angry (for J. Sheehan) [Blues Traveler] - Again with the great midrange detail and excellent soundstage. I'm hearing instruments that are usually blended into the background or into other instruments. John Popper's voice sounds very good; even though the bass is a little heavy, he's not drowned out at all. I suspect this song is better recorded than Sacred Stones -- it sounds much cleaner overall, and hence, better. It occurs to me that these phones might not be as forgiving at my ER-4P. I love the details that I'm getting out of the second guitar on the right side. I have to say that these phones shine on this song.... or at least, they did until I turned the volume up and the other instruments kind of drowned Popper's voice out.
Everloving (Moby) - I hate that this song starts so strongly biased towards the left side. Always makes me feel weird. Anyway, this song sounds really good -- the bass is much more present than I'm used to, but not overpowering. It's a song that's made for layers of sound anyway, so the SE310 tendency towards feeling like I'm in a sea of music is actually appropriate and enhances the song.
When the Saints Go Marching In [Oscar Peterson Trio with Lionel Hampton] - Another very well recorded track, although the soundstage isn't fantastic. Bass is very present, but not too strong, and fairly distinct. The bass doesn't seem as detailed as I'm used to with the Etys on this one, though. The sotto voce sounds of the musicians disappeared at times, but were also more distinct than I'm used to at times. Very strange. Man, this song sounds good though. The vibes and piano sound great, and the drums are distinct but not too sharp.
Give Up the Funk [Parliament] - Oh yeah, hit me with some of that P-Funk. How can the bass have some good slam and impact and still feel just a little less distinct than with my Etys? That said, I like the way it sounds, except that I keep feeling like I have to turn the volume up. Strangely, taking hte phones out and reinserting them seems to have fixed that. Weird.
First We Take Manhattan [Leonard Cohen] -- Oh yeah, this one sounds good. It's a bit of a lush song to begin with, and Cohen's got a good voice for midbass strong phones. In fact, the SE310 sound very clear and detailed with this song. Excelsior!
Desert Rose [Sting] - Good intro, can feel the bass in my brain. In fact, I think this song might even be a little clearer than I'm used to. I just 'got' some lyrics that i don't think I'd ever quite understood before.
Variations on a Theme from Canon in D (live) [David Lanz] - One of my low-fi recordings. Still sounds pretty good, though. The piano doesn't quite sound live, but it never does with this 128MP3.
Frankie and Johnny [Sam Cooke] - Sounds fine except for the backgound brass, which is just a little bit muted. The texture on the bass isn't as good as it was on the ER-4P, I think, but it is more present, especially when the song gets close to crescendo.
Wade in the Water [Eva Cassiday] - Wow, her voice sounds glorious. The trumpet part is great, too, although I think it does sound a touch muted compared to ER-4P.
Bus to Beelzebub [Soul Coughing] - The extra bass presence and slam really gives this song a new dimension. Very nice. That said, the strong bass line does seem to get a little indistinct. The extra slam to the bass drum pretty much makes up for that, though.
Mount Normal [Blues Traveler] - Vocals are critical on this song. This is the one that made me take the TF10P phones back, they robbed too much energy from John Popper's voice. The start is VERY promising. Bass drum sounds great, and the bass is strong but not too much. Even when the instrumentation gets heavier, his voice is staying strong. Has the same problem that Sacred Stones did, though -- when it really crescendoes, the vocals get a little muted. Otherwise, very very good.
They Don't Want Music [Black Eyed Peas] - This song tends towards the strong bass and bright highs, so it kind of naturally makes up for the lack of energy in the phones. Sounds really good.
Screenwriter's Blues [Soul Coughing] - This is almost an ideal song for these. Strong, well defined bass. Male vocals that show off the midrange capabilities well, and not that much sparkle or refinement in the sound.
Moten Blues [Bennie Moten Orchestra] - For a recording from 1933, this sounds really good. In fact, I think it sounds better than my ER-4P, the fuller sound does a LOT for the overall presentation. Even on my Etys, the high end detail just isn't there, but the fuller mids and better midrange detail does a lot.
Hero of the Day [Metallica (S&M version)] - Man, there's a ton going on in this song. Definitely have the feeling of swimming in the music again. That's not a bad thing on this song. My only knock is that as it gets louder and I turn it up, the energy of the vocals mutes just a touch again.
The New Messiah [Philosopher Kings] - That heartbeat bass effect sounds awesome. And the better soundstage makes it really feel like this song is enveloping me. I really like this. His voice sounds great, too.
Leaving New York [R.E.M.] - Vocals sound good.
Broken Bridge [Daughter Darling] - Piano intro sounds very pretty. Bass line intro and low piano chords don't have the impact that they did on the TF10P, but better than ER-4P, unsurprisingly. The only real knock on this song is that her voice doesn't sound quite as breathy and ethereal as I'm used to with the Etys and TF10Ps.
Check On It [Beyonce] - Sounds good, not fantastic. Then again, I think much of that is the recording, which seems to be very hot and almost distorted on pretty much everything I've listened to it with.
Beautiful People [UPenn Off the Beat] - Acapella version, one of the low quality MP3s, but still well recorded. Separation between voices is very good. Vocal qualities are pretty good, and the soprano line really sings. The voices are very distinct, and the tone is good on just about all of them, except for the bass singer who sounds just a little artificial.
Dancing with Kadafi [Infected Mushroom] - THE test. It's a long song, incredibly cleanly recorded (since it's mostly digital anyway), and it has a crazy variety of sound effects and styles, from solo guitar to noise-effects to pulsing textured bass. I have to say, the SE310 phones are doing well with this... the song is involving, but I don't feel like any part of the music is being subsumed in the others. Definitely doesn't exhibit the classical Shure rolloff. The only knock I can make is that some of the high parts sound just a little muted or less energetic.
Concrete Schoolyard [Jurassic 5] - Another one that I have to turn the iPod up for it to sound good. I think the Ety detail wins out on this song -- the multi-part harmonies sound better on my Etys by a bit. The extra bass is nice, but the voices just don't seem as distinct as I'm used to. Both TF10P and Ety ER-4P sound better on this song.
Memphis Soul Stew [King Curtis] - This song has GREAT staging, at least on my Audio Technica ATH-700 phones. The Shures don't disappoint (much). They're handling the separated instruments very well, I can hear where each one is (although not quite as distinctly as with my open cans). Feels like I'm right in the middle of the band. I have no complaints about how these phones render this song at all.
Pass the Peas [The J.B.'s] - I think I'm starting to conclude that these phones rock for jazz and funk, maybe a little less so for vocal rock/pop stuff. The trombone sounds great on this song, and the balance is great. The bass might be just a touch loose.
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free [Nina Simone] - Another older recording that isn't all that technically well done. That said, I'm hearing some instrument separation that I don't recall having noticed before. Her voice sounds fine, and the pretty little piano part is not muted at all. Much like the last song, if I have to be critical, I'd say that the bass, while strongly present, is just a little flabby and loose. I'm missing some of the bass detail that I got with the TF10P and with the Etys (although I have to listen harder to get it with my ER-4P).
I still have to try them with my Go-Vibe 6, and see how that effects my opinions. Right now, I'm really right on the edge about whether I want to keep these or go back to my Ety ER-4P phones until my Westone 3s come in.
