Shure E3 or E5
 

Im kinda torn as to which Shure model to get. I have a third hearing loss and need somthing like the shure to help me hear better when recording live events. Any advice is appreciated.



John

I have some hearing damage in my left ear, which makes bright sounds intolerable.

I got the Shure E2's at Guitar Center for $80 and I am pretty happy with them. They seem to be slightly rolled off on the high end, giving them a warm sound overall, yet they are not bass heavy. This works well for me but for someone with normal hearing I would expect that the E3's would have a slightly more balanced response than the E2's and would probably be worth the extra money.

The E2's are way better than any earbud or Sony in-the-ear phone that I have use before...but I have not tried the E3, E5 or any of the Etymotics.

I think that the E5's would be more of an audiophile thing for critical listening, but overkill for monitoring audio. Maybe not though : )

HeadWize.com has some forums for headphone discussion.

http://headwize.com/ubb/forumdisplay.php?fnum=1&fdays=20

You will find a link regarding the E3 at the top of the page that this link points to.

Great link, I agree the e5 is an overkill, I saved 20 bucks going to B&H for the e3. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again.


John

There are a number of good in-ear monitors other than the Shures. Take a look at http://IFBSource.com

However, if you are dealing with hearing loss, there are a few additional things to consider. You may already be aware of these, but it's worth mentioning for the rest of the group.

1. Have your hearing checked once a year so you know what frequencies your hearing losses are and how much they are.

2. You have to learn how to compensate for your hearing curve so your recordings do not have an inverse response.

3. For recording music, you could set up your own personal monitor EQ which would have the inverse curve of your hearing response - provided, of course, that it does not cause any discomfort.

It may be possible to have custom in-ears made that could compensate acoustically for your losses.

I do a lot of custom in-ears for musicians and TV talent, and I work with audiologists who specialize in entertainment people.