F.A.Q. & KNOWLEDGE BASE

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F.A.Q. and KNOWLEDGE BASE:

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Q. What is the International Mail Transit Time?

A. International Mail can take anywhere between 7 to 25 days depending on customs delays and security delays.



Q. When am I going to receive my tracking number?

A. If you placed your order before 5:00PM New York Time your tracking number will be sent via email by 7:30PM New York Time on that same day.



Q. I did not receive an email confirmation for my order. Did you receive my order?

A. Please make sure you check your Spam Filter or Junk Email folder. If you use a spam control service, we will not be able to validate the email. You can always check the status and tracking information by going to our website and going to the “Order Status” page.



Q. There is no record of my order. Where is it?

A. If you placed your order about 30 minutes ago, your order may not be in the order status system yet. That doesn’t mean we don’t have it. Please check it again in a little while. If you placed your order after 5:30PM New York Time on a Friday, there will not be any updates until Monday when we start processing orders from the weekend and end of Friday.



Q. Which is better? E3G, E4G or UM1?

A. E4G has a lot of high end (perhaps a bit too much). E3G has a very nice sound with a bit of enhancement on the mids. UM1 is by far the most comfortable. I would decide between the UM1 and the E3G. E3G has a bit more detail on the mids and highs and it comes with a 2 year warranty. UM1 is more comfortable and the cables are better designed providing a better fit. 1 year warranty. Sound is more balanced.

Q. I cannot find my tracking number and my shipping method is International MAIL

A. There is no tracking number with the shipping option you chose.

The only international shipping option that has a tracking number is FedEx International at a cost of $38.00 and you will be responsible for all taxes, custom duties and brokerage fees due when you receive the package. With the MAIL option there is a better chance that you will not have to pay taxes.

To date, we have not lost any packages sent via International Mail to the countries we currently ship to, although the delivery times may increase considerably during holiday season. We have a few packages that are taking up to one month to be delivered. Shipments to Europe however, usually take no more than three weeks. Rest assured that your package should be arriving soon.



Q. What is the best earphone for jogging and exercising?

A. The best earphones for jogging and exercising, in my opinion, are these: best earphones for jogging, exercising and working out.



Q. What are the sizes of the ComplyTips Standard and Small?

A. The ComplyTips sizes are roughly 25mm for the standard and 12mm for the short Comply.



Q. What are the best earphones for use in bed (as in sleeping with them on)?

A. These earphones are the best choice for comfort and use in bed: best earphones for use in bed (sleep with). A word of caution however and this applies to all earphones: you need to be careful that you don't wrap the cord around your neck nor twist it in a way that will rip the wire from the monitor itself.



Q. What are the best earphones for riding a motorcycle?

A. I'm assuming you use a full-face helmet. Believe it or not 90% of the staff here rides and the only earphones we use are these: best earphones for riding a motorcycle as these are the only earphones that are flush with your outer-ear (aside from the Shure SE Series which also provide a flush fit). All other earphones stick out of the ear and will probably jam in all the way into your brain when you put the helmet on. :-) Seriously though, the only earphones to use on a bike are the Westone hands down followed by the Shure. ** Please check with local authorities as the use of earphones while riding a motorcycle maybe against the law in your state or country and they may impair the rider's ability to avoid hazardous situations.



Q. What are the best earphones for small ears?

A. The best recommendation for not only small ears, but for sound quality for the money, is the Westone UM1. Check it out here: best earphones for small ears and children. My 12 year old daughter loves them and she is a tiny thing. :-)



Q. Which is better: the v-moda VIBE or the UM1?

A. The UM1 is way better than the Vibe. Hands down. The UM1 has a nice tight bass but better definition and clarity. The Vibe may sound a bit more "bassy", but the UM1 sounds better overall and is a better built product.



Q. Which earphone is better for my 9 year old son: the Ultimate Ears 3 Studio or the Westone UM1?

A. I have to say that the UM1 will be your best option. The 3Studio is cheaper, but they are much bigger than the UM1. And the cables on the 3Studio are detachable (we know kids have a "tendency" of not being extra careful with certain things...). So he/she might have some problems with the cable's connectors after a while. They can become loose. My 10 year old boy have been using a UM1 for a year now. We go thru a lot of sleeves ("Mom, have you seen my sleeves?"), but so far the unit is "standing strong".



Q. What is the difference between the Shure SCL5 (a.k.a. E5C or E5) and the Shure SE530?

A. The main difference between the SCL5 and SE530 is the amount of microdrivers in each. The SCL5 has two while the SE530 has three. Sound separation and clarity is obviously greater on the SE530. Both can be used by musicians. The difference being the amount of drivers and sound separation. SCL5 will also deliver more bass while the SE530 will deliver more detail on mids and highs. The SE530 was designed mainly for playback while the SCL5 was designed for musicians for stage monitoring but we have many customers that are musicians buying the SE530 and many customers that are iPod owners buying the SCL5 and they are all very happy :)).



Q. What does "drop shipment" mean?

A. That means your order is being shipped directly from the manufacturer. We do not work with distributors and drop shippers so ALL drop shipments are sent directly by our manufacturers: Shure, Ultimate Ears or Westone.



Q. What is the transit time to Australia via MAIL?

A. Certain areas of AU take longer than others. We imagine it has to do with airport delays and customs. Some of our Australian customers get their package within a week while others have to wait a month. We wish we could tell why this happens. I'm sure you will be receiving your package soon.



Q. My UM2 sounds muddy. What can I do?

A. As explained on the literature that was sent with your UM2, out of the box, the UM2 are flat and muddy. They will not "open up" until after some relative use. Using them 2 or 3 times is not really enough to appreciate the level of detail of the UM2. I suggest you give the UM2 some time to open up. I spoke to a customer a few days ago that told me that he hated his UM2 out of the box but after listening to them for a few hours he realized that the sound clarity and detail was increasing and that he now loved them. I'm sure the same will happen to you.



Q. Is there anything I can do to avoid pulling my earphones all the time to listen to my colleague's questions?

You may want to consider getting the Push To Hear accessory from Shure so you don't have to keep taking off your earphones at work. :-) Push-To-Hear Accessory.



Q. When I track the USPS package, there are no status update?

Unfortunately, the "tracking" number provided by USPS is used primarily for delivery confirmation and very little, if any, tracking occurs. Your package shipped the day you got the email and it is in transit. USPS has a better transit time than UPS Ground but their tracking system lacks.



Q. I would like to know, specifically as a Rap music/ Hip Hop music listener, which would you guys at earphone solutions recommend: the Shure Se420's or the Westone UM2's? Thanks a lot. Other information that may help is that I am looking for a good crisp deep sounding bass with little distortion. I don't want bass that sounds "muffled" or "rattley." It does however have to hit hard. My music with my current e4c's just sounds like all treble and no bass.

A. The bass on the SE420 is more controlled and more refined. The bass on the UM2 is stronger, but not so refined. It is very hard to put that kind of stuff into words. But if you have been listening that kind of music with your E4cs, any of these two models (SE420 and UM2) will have tons more of bass. Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.



Q. Best Earphones for runners. Hi I am running a marathon and I want really good quality earphones ...that won't fall out of my ears - what is your suggestion - I am interested in best quality that meets my fit/comfort consideration.

A. We strongly recommend either the UM1 or the UM2. Their comfort/fit is the best there is and they will stay in place. Their cables are thin and braided, making it very easy to manage the cables (especially when you are running). The UM1 is a single driver and the UM2 is a dual driver. The more drivers you have, the better the sound will be because you'll have more detail and more separation. Sweat is not a problem. Usually you just have to let them dry overnight. Or you can purchase the Monitor Saver to extract the moisture out of the earphones. I would stay away from the UE models in this case because they are big and are designed to stick out of you ears. So the "stay in place" issue might be a problem. The new Shure SE series models are excellent as well, but our jogger customers prefer the thinner cables of the Westone models (UM1 and UM2).



Q. Which phones work with the iPhone?

A. No high-end in-ear earphones will work with the iPhone at the moment unless you buy an accessory called MPA which is made by Shure and for the time being can only be purchased at an Apple Store. Once you get the MPA accessory, you can use ANY earphones we sell (you can purchase the earphones from us for a MUCH lower price than an Apple Store :)



Q. I have been considering ordering from EarphoneSolutions for some time now, and I am about ready to make a purchase. Before I do, I'd like to know what EarphoneSolutions might suggest, if it wouldn't be a bother.

I was fairly satisfied with my 5th gen (late 2006) Ipod earbuds until they started to distort whenever there was a sudden increase in levels. I think they were just worn out since I never noticed it before. At any rate, I listen mainly to classical and new age music with the occasional meander into rock/alternative. I'll also occasionally watch movies as well. Fairly eclectic.

Is there an earphone that is fairly general purposed like the stock buds but still offers improvements for every range in comparison? I am open to the idea of purchasing two different sets for different purposes if that'd be more suitable for my needs. Comfort isn't a concern since just about any earphone is more comfortable than earbuds. I'd also like to keep the price below $200.00 for now unless there is an adamant opinion pointing otherwise.

The two earphones that I am on the fence about are Westone's UM1 and Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 pro. Please let me know your opinions and suggestions.

A. UM1 will have stronger isolation and they will be more comfortable. The sound of the 5PRO will be fuller, richer and your classical collection will mostly like play better with the 5PROs. The issue remaining is the fit. If you believe you have “regular to large” sized ear canals (I know this is a tough one), the 5PRO is your ticket. Otherwise the UM1 is one of the best sound/comfort for the buck. If you don’t want to risk one way or the other, the Shure SE530 (more detailed on mids and highs, more refined controlled bass -- $449) and the Westone UM2 (stronger bass, warmer, more balanced --$299) are both a very safe choices.



Q. Your company has been regularly mentioned in high regard on the web site Head-Fi.org. With this notion, I am turning to you for an honest opinion on the best IEM for me.

To give you an idea of my preference on musical presentation, the two full sized headphones which I own are the Beyerdynamic DT880 and AKG K701. I have chosen these due to their balanced presentation.

I am looking for an IEM that yields the same sound qualities...

Two IEM's I have been reading and considering are the Shure se310 and Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5. Regardless of price, which of these will yield a closer sound to the Beyer DT880 and K701's?

While both of these IEM's have received a lot of positive reviews, the only negatives I have read on them are:

Shure se310: rolled-off highs, over-emphasized mid range Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5: over-emphasized bass

Do you have any thoughts on these impressions?

A. One of the main things to consider with in-ear earphones (which are not an issue with headphones) is the fit. Sound wise my opinion is that the 5PRO is a better product. It's definitely bolder than the SE310 but overall sound is better. Fit wise, they are very different. The 5PRO is bulkier and designed to stick out of the ear. The SE310 is designed to fit flush in the ear. Some customers love the way the 5PRO fits and some customers really do not get used to it either for personal taste or because their ear canals are too narrow for the UE's nozzle. The SE310 provides almost twice the isolation of the 5PRO.