Re: Earbuds VS Headphones For Field Monitoring

I own and have used my Shure E3 (now rebadged as the SCL3) earphones as on-location monitors. They worked nicely for isolating me from the environment, but didn't sound as natural as over-the-ear headphones.

The frequency response on them is perfectly fine for monitoring - that is their intended purpose, after all. It's been a while, but I've swept them from 20Hz-20kHz and the response picked up somewhere from 40Hz and extended all the way to 20kHz. I won't say their response is flat, but neither is that of the Sony MDR-7506.

I bought my original pair for $180 a couple of years ago; I bought another pair a little over half-a-year ago, and they were around $60 ONLY because they were white and not gray in color. They are exactly the same, just a different color.

As with all in-ear monitoring solutions, the better the seal, the more bass response you will get. I tend to use the silicone, flanged "earmolds" for regular use since they are easier to take in/out, but I use the yellow foamies when I need a really good seal.

You can get custom molds made for them - which would both improve the seal AND the comfort of wearing them for hours on end - but if you're going that route, it would be best to break the bank and get a $900 pair of Futuresonics.

I say get a pair of the SCL3's in white (which equals cheaper cost) and try them out for at LEAST 1 week straight. Your ears will need to adjust a little bit. If you find they aren't adequate for monitoring audio for video, at least you'll have a nice pair of earphones for your personal music player.

Keep on exploring@

Wolf
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