I have been shopping for my first set of phones, and I am in the under $50 range. I can share some values that I have found.

If you can call around to your local Radio Shack stores, you might find the KSC75's for less than $6.00. I just picked up three pairs yesterday. The shelf price was over $25, but when the cashier rang them up, the price was less than $6.

Also, the J2s have a BOGO offer going on.

As far as SQ goes, I will leave it to the more trained ears at the board.

Have fun on your trip.

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They seem more open and detailed. I've been playing pink noise, white noise and sine waves through them this weekend, and I play music I listen to, and I'm impressed with what I'm hearing.

I forgot to add that this is with my Sansa. I won't get my D2 until sometime next week.

Don't get the CX300. I had one. Good isolation but its too bassy and muddy. I recommend the KSC75. Much better SQ than the CX300.

It looks like I'm going to be getting a pair of KSC75 anyway for use as a knock-around phone. On the bus today, I found my V7 to not have enough isolation, so KSC35 wouldn't really work too well for that use anyway.
I'm still looking for an IEM though, and from what I'm gathering, the Jbuds J2 and SM PL-30 are the two best in my price range. Can anyone explain well how they sound? Of they two, which provide better isolation and are more comfortable? Do either hiss/ have excessive background noise out of an ipod?

Detail is most important to me, a close second being as balanced sound as possible (all things considered, I know neither are designed as studio phones). I just want all ranges to be clear with no highs/mids/lows overpowering everything else.

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I can only comment on the PL-30.
Isolation-wise, the PL-30 might present you with some problems regarding fit, but once you have a good fit, the isolation is really good. In fact, it isolates to such an extent that I cannot use them at home, since I can't even hear a doorknock when music is playing.
Comfort might be the weakness of these IEMs, since the casing is made of rather cheap plastic and a good fit is not easily achieved.
Hissing is only noticeable on my iPod in a quiet environment without music playing.

Sound-wise, the detail is really good for its price. I would consider the PL-30 as balanced in general, maybe some upper midrange bump and bass lacking a bit. Something that is really noticeable on the PL-30s is the soundstage. Soundstage is really huge, but flawed. An ideal soundstage would reproduce sound in a kind of circle around your head, whereas the PL-30 creates a sort of ellipsis with too much left/right separation.

But overall a very good deal and very worth ist price. YMMV

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Thanks. Thats exactly the kind of info I was looking for

You can't find the KSC35 for $25. If you can, let me know. The KSC75 use different drivers so its not the same sound. PL30 sound ok but the fit is a problem for me personally.

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I know. I keep getting the KSC35 and KSC75 mixed up for some reason. I mean the KSC75

edit: after reading this thread I think I will go with the Jbuds. Jant71's review of the PL-30 was what made me consider them, and if he/she says they are better and flatter, I think I will take his/her word