Thanks Steve and Tony for the additional info - Now I can't wait!

Do you think that for my primary use - the ipod - that the super.fi 5 pro would be the best choice? And do you think that some of the quality of the Triple.fi 10 pro might be lost with the ipod?

Hiya Ken-
I don't know, but I'd think the higher end in-ears would sound best on a full fidelity file, be it wave or "analog", but they'd make a higher quality mp3 sound great too.....but to be honest, for my money, the 5's are simply outstanding, and they're on the recommended list for the iPod.
UE website home
I'd say go there, and check the specs for each one.
Best test would be your own ears on your own music, I'd say- it's possible you can find a store that'd let you do a side by side comparison, or .....

you could be REALLY insane and order them both, test them, and send back the pair you don't want. (Or give them to your wife as a gift She'll love them too, if she's into portable music.)

I'm fortunate to be in the position of having these bought for me, as replacements for on-stage monitors/bass amp. Works great, actually, but I do miss the amp moving some air behind me....We're using the Aviom system, you need to check that out too, you'd LOVE it.
I actually have been leaving one earbud slightly loose in one ear, so that I can hear the ambient sounds, of the audience and of the PA system and subs; that reconnects me to everything, as these earbuds can make you feel really isolated, they do such a good job of noise reduction.

Anyway, I sit in envy of Steve, I know he's got the best possible in-ears available, and I'm sure he's diggin it. Lucky dooooggggg, SH......

Hey, why not try the ol' corporate sponsor thing, they get to say you use them, and you get a set for free? Worth a shot, dude....

Ken, I have not heard the Super-Fi's. The Triple Fi's are my first Ultimate Ears Products. But obviously Tony is a big fan of the Super-Fi.

Oddly, even though they are both Ultimate Ears products, most of the reviews on the Triple Fi's describe them as sounding MUCH different than that Super-Fi's (and supposedly in a whole nother class).

I will try to post you some direct comparions later but if you go to www.head-fi.org and go to the "Headphones" section, there is a search function. You can type in just about any headphone/IEM you want and it will pull up all related posts. Most of the guys on this website are real diehard audiophiles so the information is very good. But obviously, everyone's tastes are different so you need to read as many posts as possible and gauge your own opinion.

Here is a detailed review from the forum.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=232883

You will see a lot of guys are homeboys of certain brands (Etymotic, for sure)so there can be much banter back and forth. It really depends on what you like. Big full sound? Big bass? Laid back? Balanced and flat? Lighter bass but fast and accurate?

But I'll say this. 95% of IEM's in general have a very low impedance which mean they don't require any outside/extra amplification to gain most benefit (even though some guys will say they benefit better from amps). The Super-Fi's and the Triple Fi's are (I believe) the same impedance so you will get same output of sound from both. But if you can swing it ($$) Trip Fi's should sound better. While Super-Fi's may sound great, once you get used to them you will always be wondering what that next step will sound like. Just take the plunge now and save the hassle later . While it may be hard to believe, playing my Triple Fi's out of either a Nano or a 200watt larger mini-system I honestly cannot tell a sound difference so yes, you should get full benefit even if used mainly with an Ipod. I really think you will be blown away.

Also, for about $180, I highly recommend the Shure E4's. VERY detailed, tight and accurate. Pretty good soundstage and bass. Not one area stands out, they just seem to do everything very well. Great for jazz and acoustic.

I love the in-ears. I'm using them at church, but I'm hoping that some of the sound companies here in Jax start using them more often, and I use them for my computer and CD player from time to time.

SH-
Interesting forum there....and some definite opinions! I've not thought about it, but I had a somewhat similar experience on the super-fi 5's (Pros, by the way) in that they seem to sound better after being used for a while. I don't know how many hours, but I can understand them having a burn-in period of sorts. One guy said 30 hours, I don't know.....all I know is, they sound great, better than when new.
If money was no object, I could be an audiophile kinda gear head. For now, not gonna be able to change these out unless they fail, and I sure as heck hope they don't.

I still miss the ambient sounds when playing live though... We're trying to figure out how to hang a mike in the back of the room that would have a feed on our Aviom monitors, so we could mix in the room a bit more. And the thunk from the bass and kick sounds great in the in-ears, but I'm not feeling it on stage. (It's in the subs, but I'm not close enough to them to feel it well.)
I miss my amp, to be honest, but miking up a bass amp is a tough thing to do well. Our lead player uses a Bogner amp, wonderful sounding guitar amp, with an isolation box and a mike inside so that stage volume is very controlled; sounds fantastic. But if I do that with a bass amp, it muffles it too much; bass moves a ton of air, so it needs to breathe. I may push harder for it, the drummer we had this Sunday was really wanting my amp, so he could feel it as much as hear it.

Anyway- sorry for the ramble there....

My use of the SP5Pro in-ears is primarily for the stage monitoring and the iPod/mp3 listening is just a bonus I get out of it.

One other thing, the fit is so crucial to the sound- you have to try out several different ear forms. I finally settled on the clear rubber ones, they seem to hold the unit in place better and move around less than anything other than the foams. I like the foams, but they're ready for the trash can in about two weeks, with my ears.
Only down side to the rubber ones is they get uncomfortable after an hour or so.
Good thing we do 30 minute sets

Ken, I'd say go for the big guns, dude- as much as you travel, it'd be worth it to have the best available. I still think you may be in a position to get a better deal on them as a musician, and if that's the case, then go all out.

Time to get out of here....

Thanks again for all the great info - I think I will go for the best - the Pro 10's. I'll let you all know once I've got 'em and post my review. Can't wait!

As a matter of fact, I'm taking my in-ears with me to use for the Springin' the Blues Fest this evening. They really come in good for me with large stages. Ken, you'll love 'em!

Ken-
GO for it.....even if your wife says you're insane

Seriously, since this is your job and passion, why not, dude.... you can write them off as a business expense, as equipment required to do your job. You'll find they'll become that vital to you, I bet!

Let us know how it goes...

Keep in mind that the universal fit Ultimate Ears IEM's are somewhat larger than other brands and tend to stick out of your ears a bit. Some people are turned off by that because they think it looks goofy. (Personally, I think a blue tooth phone ear piece look far goofier) But The Triple Fi's are just a pinch larger than the Super-Fi's. Having said that I still find them very comfortable. But if you require a much lower profile in the ear the E500 may be a better bet.

I mentioned I was coming off Etymotic ER-4's and Shure E4's which are tight and detailed with razer sharp highs so it took me several days to get use to these TFP's. I don't think the TFP's are quite as crisp and detailed but they offer so much more in terms of soundstage/imaging and bass. I was just listening to PMG's Half Life of Absolution from The Road To You live cd and in the long pulsating middle between Pat and Lyles's solos, Paul Wertico is plenty busy. There are some nice high hats in the far right channel but the TFP's soundstaging is so wide that I also hear a reverberation of the high hat back into the left channel. I have heard this song on IEM's probably a hundred times and never noticed that with any other IEM. Really neat stuff. Sorry to get so carried away here with my rambling.

Yes, Ken, please report back and let us know what you think. Good luck.