Earbuds for running.

[Cpsmith89]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here and i am alittle overwhelmed with all of the knowledge available at my expense. Im excited to learn as i do with everything before i make a purchase.

I have read a good amount of posts and have searched around on here but everyone has different specific needs so i thought it would be best to just make my own post.

Currently i am looking for a good earbud headphone for running, i want to avoid the IEM because of the cord noises and the isolation from traffic sounds.

My budget is 50 dollars, cheaper would be better or a good sale (somethin that is 69.99 on sale for 49.99). The type of music i listen to ranges from the following

Reggae/Dub- Heavy basslines, horns (trumpets, etc..) keyboard, and percussion.
Techno- Some Drum and Bass. Electronic. And House (Deadmau5, Tiesto)
Rap- Stuff with good beats mainly. Probably the generic stuff you have all heard regardless of preference.

Bass is good but not too much, maybe a mid range. Although i have never really listened to a good pair of headphones minus the bose demos they have in their stores which i thought were amazing. I know bose here isnt highly thought of that is why im really excited to purchase my first over ear set in 2 months. I plan on spending around 100 on those but for now im just looking for something alittle better for running. If they sound anything comparable or better then bose then i will more then satisfied.

Currently i am using these Amazon.com: Sony MDR-ED21LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones: Electronics

I know I know the wallet one. I had a gift card and thats all they had so they didnt cost anything. They sound basically like my ipod buds but alittle more bass heavy, i dont really like them at all. Hopefully the ones that are reccomended within my price range will sound alot better then these.

Also i can get some skullcandys for 60-70 percent off, are they even worth it with that price deduction still? I know they are regarded as a joke here and i am in no way attracted to their middle school based marketing themes but such a discount is tempting.


Thanks everyone especially if you read that huge wall of text. I look forward to hearing from you all.

[rlanger]

Stick with the cheapies. I've had numerous pairs die on me because of moisture (sweat) damage.

[Cpsmith89]

Thanks for the input. Ive never had a pair go bad because of sweat and i have been using ipod buds and the sonys for a while. Still just looking for a pair around 50.


Some skullcandy full metal jackets are on sale right now for 29.99.

Absolute crap or worth 30 bucks?

[ljokerl]

Originally Posted by Cpsmith89

Currently i am looking for a good earbud headphone for running, i want to avoid the IEM because of the cord noises and the isolation from traffic sounds.

The sennheiser sport series are designed specifically for active wearers and are supposed to be sweat resistant. They come in all diff't shapes and sizes, none of which I have any experience with. However I do have a pair of those fontopias that you're using and they are quite awful, so a cheapie sennheiser like the MX75 should be an upgrade.

If you aren't worried about sweat you may want to consider the yuin PK3, which is undoubtedly the best-sounding earbud for under $50.

If you're open to non-earbud type headphones, you may want to consider some clip-ons. The Koss KSC-75 is unbeatable in terms of sound for the price and comes with a lifetime no-questions-asked warranty. The KSC-35 is a higher-end model, though I havent been able to get my hands on it yet.

Originally Posted by Cpsmith89

Also i can get some skullcandys for 60-70 percent off, are they even worth it with that price deduction still? I know they are regarded as a joke here and i am in no way attracted to their m

I don't think the skullcandys are worth your money, but I am not familiar with the earbud-style headphones ("chops" ??).

Originally Posted by Cpsmith89

Thanks everyone especially if you read that huge wall of text. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Welcome

Originally Posted by Cpsmith89

Some skullcandy full metal jackets are on sale right now for 29.99.

Absolute crap or worth 30 bucks?

FMJs are IEMs, which you said you didnt want. And you can get much better IEMs for $30.

[ClieOS]

I think Yuin PK3 is $50 from Head-Direct, why don't you try that instead.

[edit] double checked, it is actually only $39.

[Cpsmith89]

Yea i was checking out the Pk3 today, It looks like im gonna go with those.

Any other recomendation would still be greatly appreciated and accepted. Im gonna go look up some review and more lit. on the pk3.

Thanks Joker and Clie.

[ljokerl]

Originally Posted by Cpsmith89

Yea i was checking out the Pk3 today, It looks like im gonna go with those.

Any other recomendation would still be greatly appreciated and accepted. Im gonna go look up some review and more lit. on the pk3.

Thanks Joker and Clie.

Theres a huge PK3 appreciation thread on the forum. You may want to start there.

I've also read that PK3's can benefit from the thick foam pads off Sennheiser MX75s (can be purchased from sennheiser's accessory store) but personally haven't bothered - the included donut pads sound fine to me.

[Cpsmith89]

Originally Posted by ljokerl

Theres a huge PK3 appreciation thread on the forum. You may want to start there.

I've also read that PK3's can benefit from the thick foam pads off Sennheiser MX75s (can be purchased from sennheiser's accessory store) but personally haven't bothered - the included donut pads sound fine to me.

hmm ill look into that thread and those pads.

Would you mind listing the better IEM's for 30 dollars that you stated above? (when i mentioned the sc's)

[necropimp]

for running i'd think the sennheiser twist to fit models would probably be best... i have enough trouble keeping earbuds in my ears while walking

[ljokerl]

Originally Posted by Cpsmith89

hmm ill look into that thread and those pads.

Would you mind listing the better IEM's for 30 dollars that you stated above? (when i mentioned the sc's)

Sure:

Soundmagic PL30 ($23)
Beta Branwavz ($27 preorder)
Apple ADDIEM ($35)
UE Metro.fi 200v ($25)
Altec Lansing UHP336 ($35)
MEElectronics AI-M9 ($20)
MEElectronics AI-M2 ($18)
Alpha Brainwavz ($14)
JVC HA-FX34 ($10)
JVC HA-FX66 ($20)
JVC HA-FXC50 ($25)

[Cpsmith89]

wow what a selection, should i just go by better price better sq?

[ljokerl]

Originally Posted by Cpsmith89

wow what a selection, should i just go by better price better sq?

No, thats often untrue. I personally dislike the UHP336 quite a bit as they aren't very forgiving of a poor source and have annoying microphonics. They are also on the large side. The ADDIEMs are nice all-around, but come with a microphone, a lack of bass, and the apple stigma. There's an appreciation thread for these too if you're interested.

Of the pairs i've owned I think the PL30s would stay in my ears best while running, but of course your ears may vary .

There are other IEMs a bit above this range - notably head-direct RE2s for $39 and Nuforce NE-7Ms ($50) - that are often recommended, but I personally haven't tried them.

[Cpsmith89]

Hmm yea these would be for home use. Im gonna pickup the pk3's for running.

Could you pick one that would be ideal with a mid range amount of isolation (least amount of cord noise possible) that would work with the music stated above?

50 dollar price range i guess, but if you know something really good for 40 that would be ideal. Or something Really Really good for 60 then well you know.... you catch my drift.

Thanks for all the help, i hate being new at stuff.

[ljokerl]

Originally Posted by Cpsmith89

Hmm yea these would be for home use. Im gonna pickup the pk3's for running.

Could you pick one that would be ideal with a mid range amount of isolation (least amount of cord noise possible) that would work with the music stated above?

50 dollar price range i guess, but if you know something really good for 40 that would be ideal. Or something Really Really good for 60 then well you know.... you catch my drift.

Thanks for all the help, i hate being new at stuff.

Why get IEMs for home use? Is isolation really a necessity? I just have trouble wearing IEMs for more than 2 hours at a time.

Anyway, if I had to pick IEMs in their particular price ranges it would be: Ne-7m for $50, ADDIEM for $35, PL30 for <$25. RE2's have been reported to have pretty bad cable noise, though I havent tried them. In the brief listen I had of the ADDIEMs they sounded pretty nice but noticeably less punchy then my PL30s. I havent tried the NE-7M but I would imagine they are like my Ne-8, only more bassy (which is good).

[Cpsmith89]

I meant more personal use. IE home or on campus at school. I might just go with a full ear headphone though, havent really made my decision.

Thanks for all of your help, i will certainly look into those.