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Relatively cheap IEMs for the holidays...

post #1 of 20
11/25/07 at 9:40pm
Thread Starter 
Hey everybody, the holidays are coming quick, and my old Sony Fontopia buds are starting to look a little long in the tooth. Last time I posted here you convinced me to pick up some Senn PX100s- which I LOVE- but now I need some IEMs, as my open PX100s don't isolate much at all when I travel.

I'm looking for some IEMs that are $80 or under. I listen to mostly rock and derivatives of rock, in addition to some electronica. My source is a Zune 30. I've been looking at some Super.Fi 3s, Etymotic ER-6is, or some V-Moda Vibes.

Anything I'm leaving out? What are the differences between these models? Personal suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
B-DIZZLE
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post #2 of 20
11/25/07 at 10:14pm
One head-fi'er called b-dizzle, another called bizzel, both own PX100s...are we related? :P
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post #3 of 20
11/26/07 at 3:32am
B-DIZZLE,
I haven't heard the V-Moda Vibes, but I do own the other 2 you mentioned, and I prefer the UE super.fi 3s. I happen to really like the UE sound signature - to me they sound very clean. Although the SF3s are a bit rolled of on the highs and lows, I've found that they respond very nicely to a little "smiley face" EQ. At $40-50, I think this is one of the best bang-for-the-buck IEMs available.
Good luck with your decision!
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post #4 of 20
11/26/07 at 3:36am
another fan of ue's.
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post #5 of 20
11/26/07 at 5:09pm
How about yuin PK2?

They get great reviews here, so much so i'm ordering a pair for my iphone
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post #6 of 20
11/26/07 at 6:26pm
j-jays
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post #7 of 20
11/26/07 at 7:11pm
I actually love the MylarOne X3 as many others here do. The X3i is said to have a better bass, which would make the phones even better. I don’t have them yet, but in the <$80 category I’d say these are the best. I’m also a fan of rock music and I think they’re fine.
(Warning: After I got my X3, I didn’t want to use my PX100 for quite a long time. )
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post #8 of 20
11/26/07 at 7:33pm
Well, I was in the same boat as you a while back. Until you've actually heard the Ety's vs. another pair of IEM's you can't really appreciate the difference. I like to think of my Ety's to mini Grados Great highs and mids with the bass being good for my tastes. However, my detail and separation could be cold and boring to another listener. After my experiences, I would recommend the ER6i's all day at this price range but it's up to your ears.
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post #9 of 20
11/26/07 at 7:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisnalee View Post
How about yuin PK2?

They get great reviews here, so much so i'm ordering a pair for my iphone
he specifically asked for iem's. earbuds don't offer any isolation.
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post #10 of 20
11/26/07 at 7:59pm
Thread Starter 
Those Yuins aren't in-ear... so that kinda puts them out of the picture. But the Mylars look good, and the J-Jays look OK...

I guess what I need most is comparisons... i.e how do the ER6is sound different than the UE s.f3s? How do they fit differently? Any other things that set them apart? (of course, I need comparisons with the vibes and the Mylars now too.)
Thanks for your opinons so far, guys, keep em pouring in.
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post #11 of 20
11/26/07 at 8:02pm
I prefer the UE Supers to the ER6i mainly because they're more comfortable and come with many options for even more comfort based on your ear. Sound-wise between the two I couldnt tell a difference once they were seated in my ear properly according to the instructions and everything was isolated.
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post #12 of 20
11/26/07 at 8:35pm
I haven't heard the super.fi's but they fit differently than the ER6i's. The ER6i's go in your ear and the cord hangs straight down while the super.fi's require you to wrap the cable over the top of your ear. Wrapping the cable over your ear reduces microphonics (hearing the cable rustle against your shirt, etc.) but it was a bit of a hassle for me. The ER6i's have a shirt clip to help this but you'll definitely hear the movements of the cord more with the Ety's.. I still greatly prefer the ER6i's.
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post #13 of 20
11/26/07 at 11:20pm
ER6is and Super.fi 3s couldn't be more different. I think I didn't get a good seal on the ER6is, so they sounded like crap, but I did like the normal ER6s. To quote kpeezy, "Great highs and mids with the bass being good for my tastes." I settled on the ATH-CK7s since they sounded similar (and were far cheaper), but with a little less refinement and a somewhat harsher treble.

The super.fi 3s had really great treble, mids and sound stage, but the bass was like non-existent. Not my choice, but I can see why some people would love them.
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post #14 of 20
11/27/07 at 12:14am
Thread Starter 
Hmm, that's strange, because everything I've read says that the ER6is have less bass than the supers.
Anyway, while the reviews of the v-modas I've read have been good, they all cite the fact that their isolation is far worse than a normal IEM because they have a little vent hole to improve the sound quality. Isolation is pretty key for me- I wanna be able to use these on buses, airplanes, even at band practice. And on the front of the MylarOnes, I'm a little concerned with the build quality.
So I think I'm back to the ER6is and the Super.fi 3s. Keep posting your opinions/observations/things I should know...
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post #15 of 20
11/27/07 at 12:28am
dont forget about shure e2c amazon has them really cheap right now

link
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