Sensaphonics or Ultimate Ears??

O

onemoreguitar

Inspired
Just wondering if anyone has actually compared these? I'm looking to buy a set very soon, but obviously you can't exactly just try them out. Any experiences? Price is no object, only sound quality and comfort.

I'm liking the idea of the ambient controls on the Sensaphonics, but was wondering if the fidelity of the Ultimate Ears would be worth the trade off?

Any thoughts appreciated.
 
Everyone will tell you to buy the ones that they have.

There are very few of us that have more than one set of custom molded IEMs. So, very few people will give you a true A/B comparison.

I actually own both Ultimate Ears UE7s and Sensaphonics 3D ambient. The UE7s don't really have more fidelity to my ears. The Sens do sound more natural using the ambient technology. The UE7s could probably sound natural too if you have a dedicated monitor engineer mixing for you while you play. (assuming there are ambient room mics added in and he really knows how to mix well)

The Sens are WAY more comfortable to wear and seal much better. Soft silicone vs hard plastic is why.

The UE7s have a more crisp top end.

The UE7s are simpler and thus more reliable.

In the end I use my Sens for every show. The UE7s are my backup and I use them with my IPOD on airplanes.
 
dpeterson said:
give these guys a shot, great service, and i've had my triple drivers over a year no problems at all.

http://www.fidelitycustomearphones.net/
Click to expand...

I have been using these guys as well since my sensaphonics crapped out on me twice. They have been flawless.

My MD has UE's and he loves them but has a cable going bad. Nice thing about fidelity is that the cable comes off so you can easily replace it.
 
I use Sensaphonics (ProPhonic 2X-S). I started using IEMs back when Shure was still making E1s. Been through the entire Shure range and still have a set of E5s as a backup. Early on I tried a set of UEs but things fell apart in no time at all. new models might be better made, but the early ones were not good. Stay away from Starky's (really not made for IEM use, ipod use maybe, but not IEM use). btw - the 2X-S have replaceable cables.

no matter what you decide to use, make sure use them with a quality IEM system. no sense putting lipstick on a pig!
 
Tedge said:
Everyone will tell you to buy the ones that they have.

There are very few of us that have more than one set of custom molded IEMs. So, very few people will give you a true A/B comparison.

I actually own both Ultimate Ears UE7s and Sensaphonics 3D ambient. The UE7s don't really have more fidelity to my ears. The Sens do sound more natural using the ambient technology. The UE7s could probably sound natural too if you have a dedicated monitor engineer mixing for you while you play. (assuming there are ambient room mics added in and he really knows how to mix well)

The Sens are WAY more comfortable to wear and seal much better. Soft silicone vs hard plastic is why.

The UE7s have a more crisp top end.

The UE7s are simpler and thus more reliable.

In the end I use my Sens for every show. The UE7s are my backup and I use them with my IPOD on airplanes.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your experience. It is very hard to find people who have tried both. I am at the fork in the road. I am placing an order on Monday. I had been leaning towards Senaphonics since a few acts that I hold in high regard are using them....but the price is very high and there seems to be a reliability issue. Pete Thorn who tours with Melissa Etheridge has had both and recently posted this over at HRI:

http://www.hugeracksinc.com/forum/viewt ... 81#p689981
 
I agree with Pete on almost every point that he makes.

For what I do (U2 tribute on various sized stages ... and NOT traveling with our own monitor guy) the 3D ambient makes more sense.

MKeditor said:
Tedge said:
Everyone will tell you to buy the ones that they have.

There are very few of us that have more than one set of custom molded IEMs. So, very few people will give you a true A/B comparison.

I actually own both Ultimate Ears UE7s and Sensaphonics 3D ambient. The UE7s don't really have more fidelity to my ears. The Sens do sound more natural using the ambient technology. The UE7s could probably sound natural too if you have a dedicated monitor engineer mixing for you while you play. (assuming there are ambient room mics added in and he really knows how to mix well)

The Sens are WAY more comfortable to wear and seal much better. Soft silicone vs hard plastic is why.

The UE7s have a more crisp top end.

The UE7s are simpler and thus more reliable.

In the end I use my Sens for every show. The UE7s are my backup and I use them with my IPOD on airplanes.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your experience. It is very hard to find people who have tried both. I am at the fork in the road. I am placing an order on Monday. I had been leaning towards Senaphonics since a few acts that I hold in high regard are using them....but the price is very high and there seems to be a reliability issue. Pete Thorn who tours with Melissa Etheridge has had both and recently posted this over at HRI:

http://www.hugeracksinc.com/forum/viewt ... 81#p689981
Click to expand...
 
Sensaphonics 3MAX arrived. Great fit and tight seal. I can barely hear people talking with them in. I haven't tried them with black box yet but they are very comfortable.
 
just an fyi... UE's now offer the plastic AND silicone custom molds.

I, for one, wanna get my paws on a set of UE Reference IEM's made of silicone. Really interested in them.

-rob
 
orangenoise said:
just an fyi... UE's now offer the plastic AND silicone custom molds.

I, for one, wanna get my paws on a set of UE Reference IEM's made of silicone. Really interested in them.

-rob
Click to expand...

I don't see anything on UE's site about soft silicone. Where did you get your info?
 
I found it under the In-Ear Reference model "Sound Quality" Tab. Towards the bottom...

"Our Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors provide up to -32 dB* of noise isolation and passive noise cancellation (* ask about our new soft silicone material option)."

-rob
 
Thanks for all the input. I'm leaning towards the UE 18 Pros or the Reference Monitors. I do band rehearsals on a JamHub quite a bit and also silent practicing at home, both with studio cans, so the reference monitors could be the ticket. One of the drummers I play with absolutely smashes the kit (in a good way) so the extra cut wouldn't hurt either. I'll definitely go with the silicone ear pieces.
 
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