Philips SHE3570 vs SoundMagic ES18
When I listened to SHE3570 for the first time, I was very impressed and seriously considered buying them. Aside from ES18, this is probably the only other set under Rs. 500 that was less flawed and somewhat enjoyable to my ears. On that day, I was thinking on the lines of writing something like "Now that ES18 is above Rs. 500, here is my suggestion for below Rs. 500". That thought lasted until I briefly listened to ES18 again the next day. Now, I can't say I have the same sentiment towards SHE3570.
Instead of seeing it stand-alone, I thought I'd just compare it to ES18. The problem with comparing somewhat equal IEMs is that whether they cost Rs. 500 or $500, it takes a lot of back and forth to come to a conclusion. When listening to one, it would feel like it would easily beat the other. But, things are never that easy. Even though my comparison is short, trust me, it took a long time to form an opinion.
With Philips, I did not get the stock tips, so I don't know what they look like. After a bit of an experiment, I found a slightly thicker tip to be better suited than a flexible Klipsch 'compatible' tip from LostEarBuds. The thicker tip provided much better seal allowing me to hear more mid-bass quantity and brought the sound a notch forward. But, the nozzle length of the SHE3570 is much shorter than the tip's inner core length, so not sure how it would have fared with stock tips which may have the same length as the nozzle. Moving from Klipsch tips (-31 dB) to the other unknown tip allowed me to listen at a lower volume level (-34 dB), so it may be doing something right. ES18 was much more efficient and required only -37 dB.
Build quality wise, the Philips edges a little ahead by not looking as cheap as ES18. But, I don't think cable quality of either one is great. While the SoundMagic 'quality' is well known, Philips' cable is not great post the Y-split (to the housing). SHE has a much smaller housing, but comfort wise I do not find much difference. ES18 isolated a tad better than SHE.
Sound wise, the common thing between them is that neither have peaks or valleys that annoy me. They do both extend well into sub-bass, but neither does treble greatly. SHE3570 is a bit more V-shaped with recessed mids compared to the much more forward and intimate sounding ES18.
Bass of SHE has about decent quantity - much less than the boom-boom IEMs in this price range, but more than bass light ones. It carries good impact, extension and rumbles a slightly more than ES18 (though it may be down to the contact of tips with my ear canals). Though SHE is tighter with bass, ES18 in comparison has better resolution in bass with more mid-bass quantity, texture, details and better punch.
SHE's recessed mid range cannot be said as thin or lacking in texture, but it is less fleshed out next to the forward, clearer mid range of ES18. In terms of coloration, I'd say SHE leans a bit towards darkness, while ES18 is slightly warmer. There's nothing much to differentiate in the detail levels though. Both are far from sibilant, SHE is a very tiny bit more forthcoming with vocal sibilance in the recording compared to ES18.
While both lack in treble sparkle or extension, SHE is a bit more crisper while ES18 is on the thicker side. SHE has a slight edge in the presentation of cymbals.
Overall, ES18 sounds clearer compared to SHE. I could not find much difference in overall sound stage size. If anything, SHE has a slight bit more width and in conjunction with the recessed mid range might feel a bit more 'spacious' (width wise), but ES18 is better with depth and portrayal of distance.
The difference between the two to my ears comes down to the presentation (apart from clarity). SHE sounds blended, whereas ES18 offers better separation. Let's say - when coming across something like NIN's track from 'Ghosts', everything is presented in a homogeneous way with SHE. With ES18, each sound is distinct, existing in their own spot and easy to discern. Most times, I'd listen to a particular bit in SHE and hear an instrument or two highlighted. I move on to ES18 and feel there's so much more going on. This to me is the only difference that mattered. Otherwise, SHE3570 was competent and even felt a bit better when listening stand-alone.
SHE is a good choice under the Rs. 500 price range. But, I am not sure it fits everybody's taste. Typically, most would go for a bass heavy sound, which is not the case here. I'd reckon it would take a bit of listening for most to appreciate it's sound. Once you get used to them, they become one of those cheap IEMs that you can live with. Unless you start comparing to others, it's hard to picture what's missing. It is a bit veiled in the mid range and blended in presentation, but at Rs. 400, I don't think it's a glaring fault.
If US prices are taken into account, MonoPrice 8320 still remains the most technically equipped IEM under $10, though it has a horrible fit. ES18 is a bit flawed, but it suits my needs just fine. SHE and PL11 follow ES18 in that list.
sbuch,
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