got both ES18 and E10m last week. Es18 costed me 424 from Indiatimes (are now oos) and E10m set me back by 1674 (applying 200 off on buytheprice).
Now im no sound guru, im just a layman at this but I had the same query like u and I trouble #esanthosh over the PM a lot
Now that I have both, The E10m are much better hands down, es18 feel cheap and donot have the Mic and Inline controls, for 424 they sound amazing yes but e10m are a different Class, the metal finesse and the bass is just perfect for me, E10m will be a good choice while es18 will be a compromise
Thanks for your response. So it's clear then that there's quite a difference in SQ between the e10 & es18. Could you please mention the source [phone/dedicated player] as well?
Just out of curiosity, why'd you buy 'em both? Were you dissatisfied with the es18?
ES18 may use E10 drivers. But, the fact is it is still
at least a tier down in terms of SQ from E10, E30, Brainwavz M1, M2 etc., The context in which I love ES18 is important. It ticks a few boxes right - Price, Bass, Not as congested sound stage, which not many Rs. 500 IEMs do (they get bass quantity right, but not extension and they typically start to sound too congested with busier / complex passages). It is indeed a very good compromise if you want to spend less than 1000, but still need something worthy. I did make a comparison to E10, but ES18 did not even begin to sound like a competition until I used the iPod -> UHA-6S combo. This is what I wrote
"
Initially, I thought it was a little inferior to E10. But, with more listening with the iPod -> UHA-6S, I think they will fall more closer to each other (I initially put PL11 at 4.x, ES18 closer to 6.x and E10 closer to 7.x when comparing via Clip+ with ES18 falling slightly behind in clarity and details, but I now think ES18 is a little better than that, at the very least)"
If I had to give SQ scores, I was thinking ES18 was somewhere around 5.X, may be 5.6+, but E10 was 6.7+. With the iPod combo, I thought ES18 was much closer to 6.0 which would make it close the gap a lot more. But then, there's also the fact that it needed iPod -> UHA-6S combo, which costs $400 to achieve this. A more realistic comparison is
here. Without any other IEMs to compare (like a M6 / Xears Bullet), I am still struggling to position ES18 exactly. But I do know that it's a cheap IEM that does not bother me at all during long sessions.
I'm getting a tad confused as to
how the source affects the final output. All this while I was under the impression that it is the better iem that
requires a better source to be able to perform to its full potential. I deduced therefore that the difference between a good & a better-than-good iem wouldn't be as apparent if the source is a poor one. In the present context, my assumption was that the difference between the es18 & e10 wouldn't be as apparent on a phone [the 5130c-2] as on a dedicated mp3 player.
But have I got this wrong? Is it actually the poorer iem that
requires the better source to perform better? Does the better iem perform better,
despite the poor source? Would the difference in iems be more apparent since the source is poorer?
Does it make sense spending more on a better iem, given that the source is a phone viz. the 5130c?
Coming to your other queries...
ES18's details do not sound as well-etched as E10/E30 if it makes sense to you. I have read those claims on head-fi about ES18 sounding "exactly like" E10, which is ridiculous. It sounds at least a tier less (if you discount my experience with iPod -> UHA6S), if not more less. I keep saying at least, because in the absence of comparison IEMs, I can only approximate. Coming to the next part of 4X worth, the law of diminishing returns is at fault. For 4X more, you get plenty more ear tips in the same packing with the same pouch. The housing build quality and the cable is a little better. But, for SQ, I can only say it is worth it. You do not get 2X SQ by paying 2X price. For instance, you can get plenty good SQ at $100-150. Going to the $250-400 price range will give you 'better' sound quality, but not necessarily in the proportion of the price difference. It could range from 1.2-1.6X SQ based on which two IEMs you choose to compare. I'd say it's almost the same here. E10 / E30 sound better, no doubt about it, but is that 4X better? Not sure about that. But, if you were to put it differently - is paying more for E10 / E30 worth? I would definitely say yes!
Forward mids means yes - the vocals and guitars would be more prominent in the mix compared to M9. But, Joker mentioned them as "If the M6 is recessed in the mids, the M21 is recessed (or, to put it in more positive terms, laid-back) across the range.", so I am not sure if the mids are forward with the M21.
Over the ear fit is extremely comfortable, especially with the smaller, light-weight housing of E30. I think I may have answered the rest above. If not, feel free to shoot more questions. As for 'I never thought that existed on the track', it all comes down to what an IEM is capable of highlighting and the manner of presentation. Considering the difference in presentation (based on the vague little recollection of M6's sound), it is possible.
Thanks for clarifying the point about there actually being a difference between the es18 & e10/e30. & I totally get your point about the law of diminishing returns & can appreciate it in the current context. But I think I'm still stuck on the impact of the source, & therefore unable to gauge the effect.
Also thanks for clarifying about the mids & the comfort for the over-the-ear design. I was just wondering whether the wire brushing against the ear is/could be an issue.
I am not sure if ES18 is in a different class compared to M9 - may be in the same tier at best. It may end up being a side-grade. If you want an upgrade, I would say that spending 1800 for E30 or 2K for E10M would be worth it. At that price range, Brainwavz M1 is another contender, but it's signature is different.
Frankly, I wasn't really looking for an upgrade to begin with. I just didn't want a downgrade. & so long as any iem is a side-grade, I'd be pretty happy. If the es18 is that iem, I'd be vey happy with it, given the price! Having said that I
am playing around with the idea of going for a upgrade once & for all. Will probably need permission from the Mrs, though!
Imo,the type of Iem you want and the amount you want to spend on it is a mismatch.
Best option would be wait for a good deal to come through,else be ready to spend atleast double your budget.[try your luck at getting from US]
M2 - 3.5k, M6 - 1.5k(out of stock currently everywhere)
p>S: you got a cracker deal for M9,ain't it gonna repeat itself
Yes, am mulling over that actually. I'm thinking 'Just get the es18 now that it's available at Rs. 420, check how it sounds, & if unsatisfied, save up for better iems.'
What's also happend is that I've been listening to the M9 despite it having changed, & consequently have started feeling that it's fixed itself. The only reason I know that's really not the case is because my ears tire quickly, something that never happened earlier. So given that my brain's fooled me into believing there's no problem, I think
any decent iems will sound better now, though they'll seem to lack bass initially.
@
Esantosh: 2 other things-
Firstly, thanks for the heads up on the used M2, & adding to the confusion
. (I mean this in the most positive way, of course). So are the M2s in the same tier as the e30/e10 in your opinion, or a tier above?
Secondly, when you say an iem is more detailed (like the e30 is compared to the es18), are you meaning to say that it'll resolve the details on the
busier tracks a whole lot better? For instance, an es18/M9 will be able to handle Dream Theater's
6:00 without much trouble, while Creed's
Bullets will be a struggle, whereas a e30 would better resolve both. Is that a good way of looking at it? (I'm sure there's a whole lot of tracks busier than Bullets, but that's what immediately came to mind,
)
Thank you all for your replies. Has helped me a great deal. Much obliged.
