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Grado-like IEM around $200?

post #1 of 9
11/13/08 at 8:37pm
Thread Starter 
does something like this actually exist? I love the grado sound but need something isolating and portable. IEMs would be the best for me because it would be something I could easily pakc up and take with me when I leave - I do a lot of LANning for various games, and unfortunately some people who go to these types of things are not the most honest of people.

I was looking at the E.D.G.E Acoustics GX400, which are made by Etymotic and look like they are little more than ER4p with a mic on the cord. This would be ideal, but I could buy the mic separately if I had to. Does this sound like it would be a good fit for what I am looking for? Or is there another set of IEM at that price point that I might want to look into?

Sources would be:

home: Zero DAC -> Darkvoice 336i

LAN: Auzentech X-fi Prelude
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post #2 of 9
11/13/08 at 8:46pm
You should seriously look at the Head-Direct RE0 (zero). its fairly new, but I just got a chance to hear it at a meet this past weekend. I have the RE2's. and the RE0 does everything they can do, but better. I find the RE2s very grado like. the high end sparkles like you wouldnt believe. the bass is a bit light, but its that way on grados as well. the RE0 will go for about $200 bills. but I would email them for an actual price. the RE2 is about $100 bills. I'll be selling mine to fund the RE0 within the week. if your interested, keep an eye out for my post. I'm only selling them on Head-fi.
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post #3 of 9
11/13/08 at 8:53pm
Head-direct RE series or anything made by etymotic. Don't go for something with an integrated mic, get a seperate one.
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post #4 of 9
11/13/08 at 9:54pm
There's no way the REs or Etys are Grado-like, if anything they are K701-like, analytical, flat and completely anti-Grado. There's more to the Grados than being bright, I sure will not want to listen to rock on the REs or Etys. The only IEM that I would consider Grado-like is the triplefi 10.
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post #5 of 9
11/13/08 at 10:01pm
I would sure like to hear more views on this, like the last two.
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post #6 of 9
11/13/08 at 10:31pm
I have RE-2s and Grados, the SR-80 and RS-1.

The RE-2s obviously don't have the level of resolution that the Grados do, but they are certainly not "anti-grados" in my opinion at least.

With the right tips, the RE-2s are quite "involving" and are quite fun, especially for the price. I don't find them analytical in the slightest (actually, I'd say they were somewhat veiled but in a musical way). I listen to rock, primarily, and say they do pretty well especially with less than perfect sources like MP3s, where their lack of detail doesn't get in the way.

Soundstage-- not so hot. Bass-- fair but not overpowering. I never really thought of either the RE-2s or Grados as particularly bright, just "lively" I suppose.
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post #7 of 9
11/14/08 at 5:00am
A $200 Grado-like IEM sounds like something I'd want, too. As I read the first post, I was listening to my Etymotic ER4P listening to Nickelback. The Etymotics lack the low end punch that Grados can give, but otherwise aren't too far off. To my ears, the Triple.Fi 10 are even farther from Grados than Etymotics due to their recessed midrange. This causes the vocals and instruments to sound a bit congested and off in the distance, which is the opposite of what the Grado midrange sounds like (my Grado references are the SR-325 and Alessandro MS-1).
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post #8 of 9
11/18/08 at 11:05am
RE1 with my mp3 sound is boring lacks energy, dynamic, bass, highs slightly analitical and portable ampfilier dont help much, probably bad synergy of my mp3 player. Becose RE1 with a decent DAC out of my iBasso = sound is amazingly great but different from Grado.
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post #9 of 9
11/18/08 at 1:02pm
Etymotic ER4P is my suggestion, and not just because I have a new one for sale in the forum either, but by the OP's requirement. They are amazing for the price,isolation, and resolution they provide.
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