Shure E3’s vs. Sony Fontopia
A few members of Crestwood’s praise band are slowly transitioning to in-ear monitors. We placed an order for Shure E3 earbuds for now, and they arrived yesterday. I tried them out at last night’s Josh Martin Band rehearsal. I had been using my Sony earbuds that I purchased a week ago (see post below).
Overall, there’s positives and negatives about both. The Sony’s provide a better listening experience, with a better frequency response. This is a good thing since they’re designed for listening to music, and not monitoring live sound. However, the cable is a little awkward, and isn’t very discreet. The E3’s are supposed to have a good bass response, but I’m not hearing it. They come with more rubber sleeves than the Sony’s, which enables for more of a custom fit to any size ear. The cable is designed to run to the back of your neck and down your back to be discreet. It also comes with an adjustable sleeve to tighten the cable around the back of your head or neck (prevents a loose cable from getting caught on something, and helps hide the cable better).
I’ve decided to keep the Shure E3’s and sell or return the Sony’s. If you’re needing in-ear monitors for live sound, I’m not sure I’d recommend the E3’s or not. I’m sure there’s better earbuds out there, but you’re also going to pay for it. We were lucky and found these $50 under retail (brand new). If you’re just searching for a good set of earbuds for an MP3 or CD player, I highly recommend the Sony’s (a steal at $50).
A picture of the Shure E3’s
