ULTIMATE EARS SUPER.FI 5 PRO EARPHONES NEW METALLIC BLACK
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Looking for Super.fi 5PRO? We strongly suggest Shure SE210, Westone 1 and Shure SCL3-K. All these other models reviewed by us offer better fit, better warranty (2 years vs. 1 year with UE), comfort and sound performance.
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro Earphones NEW Metallic Black
Ultimate Ears Headphones
Last year Ultimate Ears was acquired by Logitech (the mouse and keyboard company) which implemented some changes in the distribution. Prior to that, the warranty was changed from 2 years to 1 year.
We are no longer selling Ultimate Ears earphones with replaceable cables.
Have you purchased a UE earphone from us in the past?
If you have purchased an Ultimate Ears earphone with replaceable cables from us in the past, we will be glad to offer you a very aggressive discount on a set of new earphones that do not have replaceable cables. All you have to do is send us an email telling us which model you are interested in buying, with your name and billing Postal Code so we can verify your order history and authorize the special discount on Westone, Shure, Sennheiser, Audeo, Monster, Denon or any other brand we promote.
and we will reply back with a very attractive discount for an upgraded set of earphones from any of the other manufacturers we work with. Please include the model you are interested in getting.
Specifications:
Speaker Type: Dual driver: low and high range precision balanced armatures
Input Sensitivity: 119dB/mW
Impedance: 21 Ohms
Cable Length: 46 inches
Weight With Cable Assembly: 0.6 oz.
Input connector: 1/8" (3.5mm) Gold plated
Frequency Response: 20 to 16,000 Hz
Noise isolation: 26 dB
Solid Preformer
By James from daphne, alabama on May 11, 2009
I would recommend this item to a friend.
Comments:
I have owned these for about a year now and have been nothing less than completely satisfied. I have had no trouble from them in any environment and the sound has been excellent! I would recommend this pair to anyone. Does exactly as UE says.
Pros:
Removable Wires,
Crisp Sound,
Good noise cancellation
Cons:
Stick out of ears a little more than usual earbuds, Small response from low end range sounds
good
By chris on May 5, 2009
Comments:
Works well. Good noise isolation. can use on plane without a problem
Great Earphones. Great Service. Great Price.
By Benton on April 14, 2009
Comments:
I love the UE Super.Fi 5 Pro earphones. They may actually outperform my iPod Classic 160GB. I rip all of my music direct from CD into iTunes in Lossless format. That helps tremendously n o matter if I am listening through speakers or earphones. I had replaced my Apple supplied earbuds with a pair of UE Metro.Fi 200 in ear buds about two years ago when I bought my first iPOd, a Nano 8GB. When I purchased the 160GB last September when it was announced that the model was disontinued, I decided tht I ould only load that unit with Lossless files. The sound through the Metro.Fi's was good, but I knew it would be even better with an upgrade in earphones. Enter Earphone Solutions. I found out about this site through Headfi forums. Who knew that there were so many choices and that people were spending thousands on headphones alone, as if they were buying high end speakers for stereo systems?
I selected the Super.Fi 5 Pros after much research and the choice came down to price. The value could simply not be beat. In addition to an already competitive price Earphone Solutions offered me an additional ten percent discount on UE products which made it a no brainer. Delivery was swift, and I have enjoyed a entirely new experience in sound. I find the fit to be very comfortable with medium silicone tips installed. I am able to enjoy listening to my iPod on the New York subways sith minimal outside sound. I don't find that I ave any complaints as typically reported regarding seal or the appearance of the earphoes sticking too far out. The bass was a bit subdues in the first few hours of listeneing, but that has settled and mellowed without becoming 'muddy'. The highs and midrange tones are bright, but not to sharp. I hear EVERYTHING. The subtle brushwork on drums and cymbals on Miles Davis' Kind of Blue or the Bill Evans sets at the Vanguard. The vocalizations on Bonnie Raitt and Annie Lennox are as distinctive from each other as Sting and Carl Anderson are. Carter Beaufort's drums are as crisp as rifle fire and I can pick out a single cello from Me'Shell Ndegeocello's Bitter. Everything I have ever listened to sounds like I am hearing it for the first time. One day, perhaps, I will upgrade again. But not soon. If I have one complaint it is a nitpicking one. I had expected that the spare parts (additional tips, cleaning tool, airplane plug) would have the small leather carrying case, but they were packed in a smal ziplock bag inside of the very nice metal container. That is all I found lacking. Performance is the true measure of my satisfaction. IF you can afford to spend more money on 'higher rated' earphones, then by all means go for it. However, as far as bang for the buck goes. I am completely confident that I have the best set o the subway in the UE Super.Fi Pros.
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro
By Simon on April 11, 2009
Comments:
My comparison is b/w Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro and my previous Shure 210s. I mainly listen to metal/post-rock/progressive music.
Positive comparisons: The 2 drivers in the Super.fi 5 Pros compared to 1 in the Shure 210s make a big difference in terms of clarity/crispness and sound-stage/stereo image. IMO the extra cost (street price for n Shure 210s in Australia $175 cf $275 for the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5s is worth it.
Negative comparisons: The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5s come with 6 silicone tips but only 2 disposable foam tips. None of the silicone tips "worked" for me but (happily) one pair of foam tips did. Maybe include a wide range of these and fewer silicone tips?
On balance, I am very happy with the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pros :-).
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 pro's
By Ron on March 29, 2009
Comments:
Wow ! Great sound, great product ! earphone solutions is the way to go. Thanks earphone solutions
Great Sound
By Michael on March 27, 2009
Comments:
I ordered these headphones after looking online for about a week for a good pair of in-ear headphones.
I read the reviews and figured they would be a safe bet. The reviewers that say they compare these headsets to a pair of standard earbuds (like stock ipod headphones) and say that the UE's are no different, and in some cases worse, either don't know how to create a seal or don't have high enough quality audio equipment. Also, creating a seal isn't difficult, although you still need to find the tips that fit best without being uncomfortable. Most find the foam headphone the best overall, because you get increased isolation and comfort, but they don't last and are expensive.
I'm not a true audiophile, so I'm not going to get into the specific qualities of the highs mids and lows, just know that they sound good.
Understand that if you have something that is basic in audio output, (like an IPOD) you aren't going to take full advantage of these headphones.
Now they are good for headphones for an ipod, but so are any quality sounding in-ear canal headphones, because they block out the external noise that interferes with the sound and gives you music that sounds crisp and clear.
There are some negative's.
The case is pretty weak. Everything just kinda gets thrown in, there's really no place for anything.
A personal negative, is that I didn't receive a set of dual flange tips in my set. I received 2S, 4M, 2L, and 4foam.
All in all the earphones are a good buy, if you have quality audio equipment. If all you want is a good pair of Ipod headphones, try the Super.fi.3's. They have the same overall design, and in an Ipod they will sound pretty much the same.
Good for music player
By Hiraki on March 23, 2009
Comments:
Usually, I'm using Super. fi 3 for iPod and purcahsed fi 5 pro for monitor the guitar sound via Digitech RP-250 multi effector.
Feels fi 5 pro has high tone range expression
as higher resolution.
The mid range as vocal part is not so clear,
especially harmony part resolution is avarage.
I think this product is good for rock sound and
person who plays guitar as me that makes distorted sound check is good.
Great earphones....HORRIBLE customer support
By Eric on March 23, 2009
Comments:
I go through earphones every 6-12 months because somehow the wires alway break on me. Each time, I would get them replaced under the one yr warranty. But still, over the years, I've tried almost every pair of earphones between the $100-300 range and I do really like these the UE 5 Pro.
So when the wire broke 7 months in, I called up their customer support. Knowing that it was just the wire, I asked for a new wire, as their policy stated. The customer support rep asked me to mail the whole thing in because they "needed to check for things". 2 weeks later, I finally got my replacement, but now it's black (I paid more to get the clear model) with a completely different type of wire.
I didn't bother to return it back to them just because of the color- I was just happy to get my earphones back. I was, though, not happy with the new wire, because it felt a lot more flimsy. Well, sure enough, this wire broke only 2 months later.
This time, the customer support rep told me the other guy messed up because the Logitech transition isn't going smoothly. They were suppose to send me the new wire and that's it, which he will now do for me. HOWEVER, I learned that I originally had the "sport" wire which IS better constructed than the typical wire. And unfortunately, the sport wire is back ordered and they will only have a brown color wire. I told him I didnt care that it was brown, i just wanted the more solid wire back.
Well...that was 3 weeks ago and I still don't have the wire. It's still back ordered and I'm forced to use and old pair of V-moda's (which is horrible).
I'm so frustrated with UE, I'm about to buy a new pair of Westones instead of buying my own replacement wire! I've never had any problems with ANY of the other companies I've gone through - Shure, Westone, V-moda, Sennheiser, Etymotic...
It looks like UE may be going downhill quick after Logitech bought them....it's a real shame.
These Rock
By Brent S. on March 21, 2009
Comments:
For high fidelity earphones, these are a great value. Love em.
best in price
By Bil on March 12, 2009
Comments:
Ordered this last week. Arrived in Singapore today. Great job earphone solutions. However, would like to comment that the newer shipments of the super.fi 5 pro (with orange and silver packaging) does not contain any dual flanges anymore. With that said, they had given 2 pairs of complies foam eartips and 2 pairs of medium single flange. Don't see the need for the 2 pairs of same size single flanges. But overall a great value for money.
Best Yet
By Carl Hellmann on March 5, 2009
Comments:
Used for stage work with Aviom monitor system. Much less volume needed as these earphones are more sensitive and very clear which is needed to separate the bass from other instruments.
Incredible sound and fit
By D Brackett on February 11, 2009
Comments:
Have been looking awhile to find THE pair of earbud style headphones. Most I've tried have either sounded terrible or hurt or both. The UE Super Fi's are the best solution I could hope for. I honestly didn't think it was possible to have sound that rich and well balanced in a headphone of this size. In addition, the Comply foam earpieces are very comfortable and very good passive sound attenuators. I am extremely pleased with this product and feel they are well worth the money for folks who really care about how music clarity and accuate reproduction.
best in its price class
By Doug on February 9, 2009
Comments:
These earphones are the best value, since they're nearly as good as the Westone 3's and half the price. earphonesolutions.com evaluations are accurate. The company has a generous exchange program, giving you full credit if you buy earphones of greater value. I must admit I upgraded to the Westone 3's, which are better, but I'm still ambivalent. After all, the UE's are only $189 and the Westones are $399. I could give you a long winded review extolling the merits of each one, but just read the website's descriptions carefully and decide if the extra $200 is really worth it. They are both 5 stars in terms of quality for price. Obviously, for double the price you get an extra driver in the Westone and better presence in each frequency range. However, unless gotta have the top one, you'll be very happy with these.
Great Ears
By Gareth on January 28, 2009
Comments:
I brought these to replace my old Sony in-ear canal earphones. As soon as I played music through them I was blown away with how much detail is heard.
Absolutely brilliant.
UE has HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!
By Gene Bricker on January 26, 2009
Comments:
I'VE BEEN SEVERAL WEEKS TRYING TO GET A REPLACEMENT SET FROM UE - 1ST ONE THEY SENT WAS THE WRONG MODEL. 10 DAYS AGO I GOT AN E-MAIL SAYING THEY (UE) WOULD SEND ANOTHER- I CALLED TODAY AND IT STILL HASN'T BEEN SENT (BEING ""PROCESSED"") THIS IS A LOGITECH COMPANY AND HAS NO CONCEPT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. AVOID UE LIKE THE PLAGUE.
Nearly Perfect
By Wayne on January 18, 2009
Comments:
Once!, I get teh fit in my ear canals teh sound is fabulous. Very detailed and great sound stagingmake for very enjoyable experience. First ear canal phones so some getting used to fit. Very impressed and happy with earphones fast, professional delivery. Thanks!
Updated review
By Gene Bricker on January 14, 2009
Comments:
I returned my Super.fi 5 PRO for replacement, but Logitech send me the cheaper Super.fi 5 (non-Pro) instead. Now I have to go the the process all over again to get a replacement due to their screw up. Definitely NOT impressed with their service. This my last set of Ultimate Ears.
Great Earphones
By Larry on January 12, 2009
Comments:
I bought these for my son to replace the Bose Earphones he had used previously. He says these are fabulous. When he compares them to his old Bose he says they are amazingly clearer. The sound is brighte, dialogue easier to understand and overall just great.
Great ears for the money
By shawn on January 9, 2009
Comments:
These ears are great for the money. They almost completely block out outside noise and really give you a flat response so you really hear things how they were recorded. I mainly use mine for on stage monitors b/c Im a musician. I would suggest getting professional molds made for these monitors to maximize their use. All in all for under $200 they are a steal compared to any other brand.
Fragile Earphone
By Gene Bricker on January 6, 2009
Comments:
Great sound quality after the learning curve on fit has been mastered. After 3 months the left ear piece fell off and the set has been returned for exchange. Again, great sound. I listen mostly to classical, and I've heard notes I've never heard before through these 'phones. Just wish they were more durable. I'm really careful with my equipment, and they are not used but a few hours a week.
Great Earphones!
By Dan D on January 4, 2009
Comments:
After trying several lesser priced (but close) earphones, these are my favorite thus far. Heed the advice from Earphone Solutions that these are a bit more bulky than others. My ears are not small (so I thought). The stub that goes into your canal is a bit larger (in diameter) than other earphones I have tried. I am using the Compy foam tips, and the fit is tight but comfortable. If my canal was any smaller, they wouldn't fit and/or be unfortable. I sat with them in for 6 hours the other day with minimal soreness.
As for sound quality, I primaritly listen to my iPod. I have discovered what music (rock, acoustic, live) I have in my library that was sampled at a less than optimal bitrate. I have heard things in the live tracks that actually made me turn around to see what it was only to realize, it was the track. Really encouraging. Base is ample and from my experience, the sound is full enough across the genre I prefer.
Sound isolation is a bit less than the Shure line, but I like that since I can still hear some of what is going on around me. The Shures were dead silent.
Highly recommend them. If the overall size doesn't matter to you, the dual drivers make a big difference.
Great
By Karsten Bagge on December 23, 2008
Comments:
Based on my experiences after using these for about 10 days, I must say that I'm impressed. Previously I have had a pair of active Sennheiser Noice Cancel headphones. They would wear my ears out after a while and the battery needed to be changed. The Super.fi 5 Pros are way better when it comes to cancelling noise (once you find the right eartips for you) meaning I don't have to turn up as loud. I also started discovering details in the music, I hadn't previously, and they don't wear me out at all! Definitely recommendable for being on the road, though I still opt for my open Grados when at home in a quiet environment.
Very pleased
By Ed on December 16, 2008
Comments:
Very pleased. Had some concerns about comfort/size (based on some comments here) but I think they're great - even under my stocking hat. Tried multiple earpieces, ended up back to the mediums that they came with. As for sound, I don't have a lot to compare to, but I can't imagine anything better. Much better than the Vmoda Vibes I had before. And big thanks to earphonesolutions for great price, great service, and great product.
Superb earphones
By relishmalice on December 7, 2008
Comments:
Best earphones ever. Better sounding then shure and klipsch earphones at a much cheaper price. The bass is exceptional and the other ranges of sounds are crisp and clear.
Highly Highly recommended for ppl who wan to take their music seriously.
UE Super Fi 5 Pro
By Xinyao on November 22, 2008
Comments:
These are fantastic, i used Shure e2c's before this and it was a huge step up in quality. the bass is significantly better, mid tones are more clear and overall the earphones are more louder and clarity is fantastic. for $185usd this is a fantastic buy!
Best Value
By Richard Crace on September 9, 2008
Comments:
I recently received these as a gift to myself. Previously owned the super fi.3 studio for a year. What a nice step up in quality. More bass that is tight and has impact. And so much more detail and air in the music. The mids and treble are so sweet, I have very sensitive hearing and the upper range is smooth and no harshness at all. I listen to all kinds of music, jazz, rock, pop, and trance. They handle all the music great. Good sound stage. I could not be happier with these headphones. For the price I don't believe you can better. Put simply these are worth every penny. Earphone Solutions I believe should rate the UE super fi. 5 pro at 4 stars, they are just a great IEM. One more thing I have bought a lot of stuff on the internet and no one is better with customer service than Earphone Solutions. My delivery was going to be late because a item was late coming in and they made sure my purchase was on time. You just don't get that kind of service. You have me for all my needs when it comes to IEM's. Thanks again.
Great Pair
By Virinder on April 19, 2008
Comments:
I've had these headphones for a few weeks now. I don't have a lot of experience with headphones or audio equipment. I've owned a pair of Bose Triport Over-Ear headphones for a few years before I got these.
The main points I'd like to mention are:
1. They sound great. Music is clear and crisp, and very intimate. You can definitely tell they are a quality pair of headphones. They fit fairly comfortably in your ear, after getting used to the in-ear fit. The two year warranty is also an excellent feature. The headphones also comes with a nice metallic carrying case.
2. The bass from these are not very good when listening to certain kinds of music, despite the fact that each ear piece has two armatures. I haven't gotten very good response from them when I listen to rock music from an mp3 player (I imagine you would need to adjust the equalizer settings to get decent bass from them). However, the bass does sound great if you are listening to techno music. I was a little disappointed by this difference in response. My Bose Triport headphones seem to get a lot better bass response when listening to any kind of music (not as nice as the UE heaphones when they are on their game, though).
3. I think the headphones would be fine for working out, but I would not use them for cardiovascular activities, as you can hear your own heart beat after a while. This is very annyoing.
4. The seal you get from in-ear headphones is great because the environment is muted and the music sounds great, but if you like singing along to your music, I would not recommend using them. If you want to get an idea of what it sounds like when you use these headphones, plug your ears and start singing. It's pretty annoying.
5. You have to use the level attenuator that comes packaged with the headphones, which clips on to the end of the headphones. Otherwise, you get a terrible amount of static that gets generated in the headphones. I had originally bought the SUPER.FI 3 headphones and I thought they were damaged when I got them in the mail, so I sent them back and got these SUPER.FI 5 headphones instead. I was still having the same problem until I used the level attenuator. The problem wasn't with the audio source either (I tried it on my laptop, stereo system, and mp3 player; all three experienced static from the headphones). I don't understand enough about electronics to know what was causing it, but my problem didn't go away until I used the level attenuator. My instinct tells me that my SUPER.FI 3 was experiencing the same problem.
Overall, the headphones are great. The music sounds great and you can tell how much an in-ear headphone make a difference over an over-ear headphone, as well as OEM bud headphones that are packaged with CD players and mp3 players. However, the lack of bass and the fact that they are really meant to be used sitting down and listening quietly to music detracts from their versatility. For a cost-effective solution, I would suggest the SUPER.FI 3 headphones instead.
So Close...
By Paul on December 8, 2007
Comments:
I wear these headphones to work everyday in a factory and they get no special treatment from me. As long as I clean them on a regular basis, they can take quite a beating and deliver great sound quality. Furthermore, nearly every part is replaceable by the end user.
I'd comment on the acoustics; but, frankly, the difference among headphones $150-300 is pretty minimal. These definitely hold their own in that price range.
My only complaint is that they aren't quite as comfortable as Shure headphones. But no pair of Shure headphones (e2c, e3c, e4c, 210k) has ever lasted me more than 3 months. These are in their ninth month of loyal service.
Wow...
By Mark on October 24, 2007
Comments:
That's all I can say...wow! Like most people, I don't have much experience with $400 headphones, so I can't really compare them with the various models from Shure, Ety, or Westone, etc. But being a musician and huge music fan, I can tell you that the Super.fi 5 Pro earphones are truly amazing. Having used the usual stock iPod earphones (having to buy new ones every few months) and even supposedly high-end Sony earbuds for a long time, these are really a revelation. I'm hearing sonic details in the music that I didn't even know where there. I'm a serious collector of rare Hendrix recordings and these really help improve the experience of listening to sometimes less-than-high fidelity live recordings. And as far as listening to well-produced professional recordings? Forget it - outstanding! This is the best musical investment I've made in a long time.
They arrived promptly from Earphone Solutions and, having read all the reviews and tips about how to wear them before I purchased them, I was able to fit them properly in my ears immediately. The sound was immediately full and rich -- and I haven't even gone through the recommended break-in period yet!
I would recommend these earphones in a heartbeat to anyone who wants to break the cycle of buying pair after pair of cheap earphones. It really is worth it, especially considering how much I've spent over the past few years.
Only the best.
By JT on August 10, 2007
Comments:
I purchased these earbuds basing my choice on reviews only. Wow, was I happy I did. They sound terrific! I would like to add that they are very comfortable. Comfort was a big concern for me. They fit great right out of the box. I tried the dual flange tips just for kicks and found that I could not hear anyone talking to me. I could see the lips moving but no sound. I think that they might be a little dangerous for jogging.
I own a set of head phones that cost me over $400.00. They are amazing. However, I do not want to use them for jogging and working out at the gym. I tried a few differnt earbuds from Shure. They cost twice what I paid for these and did not sound as good in my opionion. These are the closest I have heard to accurate sound reproduction in an earbud design. This is a high quality product at an increadible price concidering that earbuds that cost twice this much will only provide slight differences. Notice, I said differences not better quality. I personally think there is more then enough bass for an ear bud. I like my hearing and would like to keep it. I find I only need a couple of clicks up on my ipod to achieve a wonderful listening enviroment even in loud conditions. You can pay more, the question is why would you?
Bass-shy
By Tim on March 8, 2007
Comments:
The detail, comfort, clarity, portability, and lack of microphonics is great, but the bass leaves me wanting more. I really wanted to like these, but they just don't do it for me. There's plenty of high bass, some mid bass, but the low bass is almost absent, despite trying every tip, and moistening the rubber tips. If you like plenty of bass at all I wouldn't recommend these, but perhaps give the EB version a try.
My reference is a large range of headphones including Sennheiser 280 Pros, Audio-Technica A900, Sony CD3000, Beyerdynamic 770 (way too much bass), AKG 271, Sony EX71, Creative EP630, and probably others.
Awesome but delicate
By Tom on March 7, 2007
Comments:
I bought a pair of these a year ago and the sound quality is truly awesome. The seal is so good that when I wore them at work people had to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention when my phone rang! They were indispensable on a trip around Europe, especially on the plane.
I would point out that these are VERY delicate earphones though. You need to put them away carefully every time you finish using them. Even though I took constant care of mine, the casing cracked on both after only a few months. This may have been faulty workmanship, though, and the warranty service gave me a replacement pair very quickly. So I am entirely satisfied with my purchase and would recommend them to you, but only if you plan to treat them nicely.
Simply Amazing
By Jon on January 9, 2007
Comments:
I am a computer programmer who sits at a computer for many hours at a time. I listen to my mp3 player generally 6 or so hours a day, so I needed something comfortable. I had tried a pair of Sony EX-71 in ears, and while they were good, they were muddy in the middle and just didn't sound right. I began researching a better alternitive.
After reading reviews of the Super Fi 5's, I had to try them. I ordered them and hoped they'd be as good as I'd hoped. They didn't let me down. The sound is amazing, and has only gotten better in the month that I have had them. After finding the right seal, it is not second nature and I don't have to fiddle with the monitors at all.
As far as comfort goes, I have them in for multiple hours at a time, and I forget they are there. The included attenuator helps to not damage my ears since these monitors are so efficient.
Overall, I'm extremely happy with these and would highly recommend them to anyone who wants the most from their player.
Super fi. 5 pro vs. Ety ER4-P
By Matt on January 4, 2007
Comments:
I just recieved the super fi's yesterday in the mail and have been letting them play to break them in as fast as possible. I also have the ER4-P with the 4p to 4s adapter which ive had for slightly over a year now for slightly over a year now and must say that Etymotic makes an excellent earphone. I did a comparison between both earphones seeing that they are more or less in the same price range. I am comparing these earphones using a Ray Samuel's Emmeline SR-71 headphone amp using line out.
Starting from the bottom...
The super fi's have much more bass presence then the Ety's. The bass is much more impactful. The Ety's on the other hand...especially with the 4p to 4s adapter, the bass is deeper, tighter, and more accurate but not strong as the UE's.
The Mid's
I hav'nt reli broken-in the UE's all the way yet but the midrange is alot smoother as compared to when i took them out the box. Both earphones have a very enjoyable and smooth sounding midrange. The only thing i can say about the UE's is that for my personal taste, the strong, rich bass of the UE's seems to slightly overpower the mids, but i think theyll sound just fine once there broken-in.
the High's...
Both are very clean earphones. The UE's are ever so slighty more crisp while the Ety's remain much smoother, much more detailed and very well extended into the upper highs compared to the UE's. The UE's are still well extended none the less.
Overall...
the UE's are an excellent earphone that sound very, very good. The UE's have better low end dynamics than the Ety's which have much more dynamics in highs and the midrange. Choosing between the two depends on personal taste. The UE's have more bass presence with a nice warm sound to them. The Etymotics have less bass presence and have that nice airy, super clean sound to them. If you are buying headphones for on the go, get the UE Super fi.5 pro, The Ety's isolate better but the bass seems to become a little shy because of the outside noise. If you are getting earphones for home listening or in a quiet place i recommend the Etymotic ER4P or the ER4-S with a headphone amp. Both the UE's and the Ety's take a little getting use to but sound very good if you give them the chance.
By chris on November 19, 2006
Comments:
Great frequency soundstage. Awesome customer service at UE. Just make sure they are properly fitted and if you hav further problems look up the reverse mod (google it)
By Drew on November 1, 2006
Comments:
I have read the reviews comparing the E3C against these, and IMO these are hands down a better earbud. I bought the E2C, I liked them so much that I took them back to try the E3C. I could hear an improvement; I thought I liked the E3Cs but I was wrong. Well I read the reviews of people saying that the 5pro is a better, and I would absolutely agree. The clarity is amazing! They are in my head all day now. Oh and the case is slick as well. Im a big fan!
By Antoine Palade, Canberra, Australia on October 23, 2006
Comments:
Good service from Earphonesolutions, the UE Superfi 5 Pro arrived as scheduled, thank you.
Sound quality? In a word: Great. Although I must admit that at first I was not so sure as I was struggling to get a proper seal. It took me about one day to "feel" it, and once I got a good seal, the sound became full and glorious. Plenty of bass out of my 5G iPod (I like bass-heavy music) but I also listen to jaszz and classical. The mids/highs were balanced and smooth.
Absolutely no regrets, and money well-spent. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
By Bingo_namo on September 25, 2006
Comments:
Great base, accurate and plesing. Overall better then the Super.fi5 pro...
By pj on September 20, 2006
Comments:
superb, waiting anxiously for the triple.fi 10 pro to arrive!
By bobo on September 15, 2006
Comments:
Quite frankly disappointed expecting a dramatic improvement over the E3c... I'm starting to wonder how many reviewers have over ear phones - my Senn HD-230s make the 5s sound like am radio - I put on my Senn's & cymbals sound like cymbals again - bass is far deeper & tighter & the mids aren't muddy anymore...
If you get the E3c I suggest you invest another $10 in the E5 tri-flange ear seals... They really worked for me...
Haven't tried the Etymolics/Westones & only briefly the E5s, which seemed decent...
My 'real' system is carver amp based with decca ribbon tweeter bookshelves or kliphorn replicas...
By G. Hawkins on September 15, 2006
Comments:
Looking for an Earphone in the $100 to $200 range?.....look no further as this is it
I had a pair of Shure E3g's. After reading many reviews of the UE Super.fi 5 Pros I decided to give them a try as I wasn't swept away by the sound of the Shure's. My conclusion is simple.....I wish I never wasted my money on the Shure's. They simply are not in the same league as these headphones. The Shure's have a really nice midrange and that's it. Doesn't matter how or what ear tips you use with them they simply can't touch the highs, bass or soundstage capability of the UE's (let alone the volume levels these will achieve as well). How review sites like Cnet rates these an 8 and the Shure's an 8 is beyond me......I'd give the Shure's a 5 at best.
Onto my thoughts: Right out of the box with zero burn in the highs are very clean and reach the upper levels of the HZ scale very easily. The mids are perfect and the bass is strong enough that you can feel it while still being well defined. And as mentioned...that's right out of the box. Most users should notice the sound will get even better once they're broken in.
In short they were well worth the price of admission and to find something better you'll have to spend a lot more. That's about all I can say really....I just don't see somebody being disappointed with these. Every person I've let listen to mine all have one thing in common: They all balk at the idea of spending $170 on a set of earphones. That balking has changed to serious consideration for each of them after they have listend to their fav MP3's through my UE's. "Wow" and "Stunning" are the two common words out of their mouths.
Are there better? Of course....there always is. But considering the price they really do overachieve because they do compare with those $350+ models and because of that I think a value/performance ratio comes into play here and I unquestionably give them a 10/10.
Pros:
Warm full sound. Sweet highs, proper midrange and accurate bass. Easy to place in your ears for proper seal (much better than Shure). Comfortable for extended listening sessions (WAY better than Shure). Replaceable cord.
Cons:
A little bulky but you'll never notice once they are in your ears because they are extremely light. A sliightly larger case with cord organizer would have been nice.
By Yoshi on August 30, 2006
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A great pair worth every penny. Mines failed after 4 months in the left bass driver, no problem in contacting Jeanette (great contact at UE) to arrange for a warranty claim and after a week I got the new version with clear cable. Wow, I have the bass back and I could only say that my Shures E4C's are going off to ebay. The soundstage of these are vastly superior than the shures and oh yeah, the bass. These are not as detailed as the shures and are more warm and musical, which I love because I can wear them for longer periods to enjoy my music. Love 'em, love 'em and love 'em. You will not regret it.
By prjct86z on August 18, 2006
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I Love them. Nice tight Bass and clear mids and highs. I hear flaws in my cds I didn't even know existed.
By 8lias on July 23, 2006
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I received the newer version, metallic black with thick clear cable, very nice looking. Bass is there but won't blow your ear drums, mid and high is lively and fresh, fit just right, for me at least. Morever, I did a little modification to how I wear it, it's hard to explain but there are a couple of pictures at headfi.org. This way, the phone won't stick out at all, completely flat on your ear, where you can actually sleep with it. I love this modification, it gives me better seal, therefore, better sound reproduction. If you like bass and lively mid and high, try this, love will be at first sigh. Thank you to all of the musicians for creating beautiful musics, UE for delivering it, and earphonesolution.com for distributing it, at a great price and great service. It's a win-win combination. Enjoy.
By hgmec on July 14, 2006
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I did my research including a telephone call to UE sales before I made my decision to buy the Super.fi 5 Pros. I previously owned a set of Shure E3cs, and was very dissappointed in their performance. I read several reviews and researched the 5 Pros. First of all I could not believe that the frequency response of these buds were listed on several websites as 20-16k. It had me wondering because I personally can hear above 18k. I new that if this were true then they must be very dull sounding. Jeanette with ULTIMATE EARS assured me that I was making a wise decision to buy these phones. Boy was she right! For the record the frequency response is really 20hz to 20k! It says so right on the package! So the websites have incorrectly stated the frequency response for the EB version instead of the 5 Pro! So anyone out there that has any doubt, do yourself a favor and buy these buds. The bass is great, the mids and highs are crystal clear and transparent. Absolutely the best I have ever heard including the fullsize over the ear type headphones ie Sony, Seinheiser, Bose, etc. Also FTR the cords are not fragile at all unless you are one that pulls AC cords out of the wall by the cord instead of the plug anyway. Then there is no hope for you anyway. And if you do tear the cord up they will send you a new one anyway! It is very easy to change out the cord yourself. All I can say is WOW!
By 8lias on July 5, 2006
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Amazing customer service, smooth transaction, great price, great product, lots of choices to choose from. Highly recommended, will do business again. Great job earphonesolutions.com.
By Anthony on June 26, 2006
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Seals great and sounds VERY good
By LAURIE on June 20, 2006
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great earphones--best out there--more importantly they deliver greats sound and can still block out external noise.
By M.J on June 2, 2006
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Anyone that dares to give this product anything less than a 4 star is just being plan crazy or doesn't have this product at all and just trying to write a bad review because they are stuck with a different kind of earphone that isn't as good. The bass..the bass is so tight and true it will amaze you, in fact it probably is the most perfect balance of Bass and Treble in a earphone. The clearness of the highs are a pure joy and I'm telling you people(this from a previous wearer of Shure)you hear things that you never heard before in your songs thanks to the clearness of these earphones. Trust me I've been from Sony x71's to down through 3 different shure designs. There is no better product under $500.... has down, case closed, bottom line, game over!
By mike on May 19, 2006
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Amazing earphones! Unfortunately I lost my first pair but these are so good I bought a second pair.
By Jeff on May 16, 2006
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I have had these for several months. For the money they cannot be beaten.
By PAW on May 13, 2006
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I still rate them 5 stars after about 3 months of use. Granted, I probably have a much simpler view of good quality sound, but the performance is amazing. I have taken them on several flights now. They definitely cut down on the noise in the plane. If I have music playing from my mp3 player, I can't hear a word anyone is saying to me. With the mp3 player off, you hear talking usually wihtin 3 to 5 feet of your head. However, it is muted and easy to tune out. I just replaced the wires on the headset (ripped the wires out of the plastic where the wires split apart) and UE has upgraded the wires! They are now coating them with a plastic sheathing. I envision that they will be more durable. Again, recommend the headsets to anyone.
By Rob on April 22, 2006
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One of the best I have ever owned. Worth every penny
By Rick on March 13, 2006
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These earphones are phenomenal. Once you get the fit correct, you'll enjoy incredibly realistic sound. Much better than any I've ever used.
By Robert D. on March 12, 2006
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THESE PLUGS ROCK !!!
I paid $120 less here,(discount+rebate) than buying them from a retail chain in town.
WHAT A SCORE !!!
Thanks Guys !!!
By Mark on March 3, 2006
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If anyone is interested, the attenuator reduces the signal by 24 dB. Since my wireless receiver pack has way too hot of an output and generates a lot of hiss with the volume at zero, the attenuator does wonders to increase the apparent signal to noise ratio. Instead of having to set the volume very low with lots of hiss, I can now run it high with very little noise.
By Mark on March 2, 2006
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When I first listened to the super.fi's through my stereo receiver I was very disappointed with the sound. Very little bass, and no high frequency content. I tried adjusting them in my ears for a couple of hours trying to get that 'magic' fit. I was, and still am, very skeptical about the claim that you need a week to ten days to find the correct fit. How could it possibly take ten days to learn how to put these things in your ears? After about two hours, I found the best fit I am ever going to get, which is very good. They seal very well (that "pressured in" feeling) and will not fall out even if I try to dislodge them with my jaw and head movements. They still sounded very poor. I just assumed that these earbuds don't reproduce high frequencies above 3 or 4 kHz. I considered returning them.
Then, out of curiosity, I connected them through the included inline attenuator to see how many dB it reduces the signal by. To my surprise, the bandwidth of the earbuds opened up significantly. Lots of detailed highs and clean bass. I surmised that the impedance of these earbuds is to low for the output of my stereo receiver's headphone amp, and that the attenuator presents this output with a higher impedance load, especially at high frequencies. Just a guess, but it would explain things.
I then connected the earbuds without the attenuator to the output of a mixer's headphone amp. Much better results than through my stereo reciever. I then plugged in the attenuator. They sounded even better still. Strong clean bass, detailed highs, great stereo image. At this point they sounded almost as good as my Sennheiser HD 280 and AKG 240 headphones. Not quite as good, but in the ballpark.
My final test was to connect them to the output of my wireless monitor system's receiver pack. They sounded great. Using the attenuator again changed the frequency response of the earbuds, actually reducing the highs very slightly this time. But the attenuator is invaluable in this instance since the reciever pack's output is way too hot for these earphones.
My advice to anyone who buys the super.fi 5 Pro's and thinks they lack bass or highs is to first make sure you have a good seal. Then, if you are convinced that the seal is good and they still lack highs, try connecting them to a different source or through a buffer amplifier. They can sound radically different depending on what I plug them into. The difference in frequency response that the attenuator introduces also changes depending on what source I plug them into. If you get poor high frequency response, the problem may be an inadequate headphone amp. You'd think these days that even a cheap headphone amp would drive any set of headphones or earphones, but this apparently is not the case. With the right source, these ear monitors sound beautiful.
There are many brands of great sounding in ear monitors to choose from. I went with these because they have detachable cables. The cable has always been the first component to break on every pair of earbuds I have ever owned (actually the only component, since you now have to throw the whole thing away). Other manufacturers should take a lesson here.
By PAW on January 26, 2006
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Great headsets. The bass, mids and highs are excellent. It took me about 4 days to get the fit right. I found like discobiscuits that once you feel your ear get pressured in, you had the best fit. Going on a 5 hour flight next week. I will see how good they are on the plane. When the music is playing the headsets block out all external sounds. When you do not have the music playing the headsets do reduce noise, but you can still hear some background noise and you will be able to hear people talking that are within 3 to 5 feet of you.
By Tom on January 10, 2006
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I got these last week, these are 100% more detailed than my Bose Tri-Port, worth every penny, even better with a AMP.
By Devon on January 2, 2006
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I've had the Shure E4, the UM2, and these, and these are the clearest sound of all of them. I'm getting a second pair!
By scott2414 on December 25, 2005
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discobiscuits nailed it. These are great IEM's and the bass is great. Mids and highs are also pretty good, but you need a proper seal to truly enjoy what these are capable of.
By discobiscuits on December 24, 2005
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after a couple of days, i found that the buds that come on the earphones (the medium sized rubber ones) fit my ears the best. The bass is amazing with foobar and my chaintech a710. I also use them with my iPod, and they go great with it. I like to listen to a lot of bass heavy music, and it sounds great. Not as much bass as my DSP-500 headset, but the bass actually sounds "cleaner" than the headset. Also, the mids and highs are produced greatly... this is a great set overall. If you are wondering, I believe for $200, you can't get any better than this. Whatever these two guys are talking about, they either
A. didn't purchase the earbuds, and are just ripping on them.
B. purchased them, but can't get the right fit.
When I put them on, I feel my ears get kinda pressured in, and that is when I know I got a good fit. Then the bass is produced greatly, along with great clear mids and highs.
Definitely recommended.
By ASSET on December 8, 2005
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SUCKS TOO TINNY BAD BASE FALLS OUT
By Marko on December 7, 2005
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Completely not worth the money. Highs are rolled off, the sound is muffled, and what's worse is that the bass isn't even that good. Do not waste your money on this headphone.
By Tara on November 18, 2005
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love em! :D
By jay roy on November 8, 2005
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bass guitar seems to be tearing the bass driver apart when playing live with the volume a little higher
The 5PRO has Dual drivers and GOOD full sound. The 1 year warranty is the Achilles heel of this model. They are also bulky when compared to Shure, Westone, Denon and Sennheiser.
Good for sound and controversial for fit/comfort. Most will not like the fact that they stick out of your ear. Not the first choice for isolation. Shure and Westone will cut more decibels out and will sound better. 1 year warranty opposed to 2 years with most other manufacturers.
