Hi,

Tho I haven't posted much I have read quite a fair bit from the forums, and bought the PFE due to the overwhelming number of recommendations from folks here! They still don't show the cracking problem, so its good. I really like the sound produced.

So now I'm looking for a pair of IEMS for gym/jogging to replace my Sennheiser CX500, which I find that the bass is too bloated.

Music I listen to for gym include Pop, pop/Rock, some hiphop.
My source is iPod Nano 4G.
Budget is about $50.
Need it to be quite hardy, little microphonics and preferably have ear hooks.
I also do not intend to use an amp for gym/jogging purposes.

I'm thinking of the upcoming Soundmagic PL-50 which seems like a good deal. I am also considering other alternatives, such as RE2, Nuforce NE7M or even the ADDIEMS (which costs quite a bit to ship to Singapore, unfortunately, even tho ebay price is good)

Any recommendations or comments? Thanks.

I agree with you. PL-50 does seem to fit you requirements the best.

because of microphonics and lack of earhooks, RE2s are discouraged in the gyms.

That being said, i have a pair of RE2s right here in singapore should you be interested in the sound.

NE-7m can be auditioned at Stereo Singapore in plaza singapura or causeway point. and i'm sure you can find some addiems to listen to from your friends with ipod or iphones...

I actually don't have any issues using my RE2s in the gym.

As a side note, it is possible to wear them over the ear though they were not designed for it.

but they are no where near as good as the cable of the nuforce-loud and bouncy. very good sounding, but the re2 has a terrible cable.

i guess i will drop by to listen to the NE-7M. offhand i think the ADDIEMS are out of my budget if I cant get them from ebay, and reviews from apple store seem to suggest that they arent very good for gym/jogging?
I'm more interested in NE-7M vs PL-50 as gym/running earphones. Does anyone have both and have a preference?

You have to ask if the PL50 or RE2 have enough bass for you outside jogging. Bass at home and bass outside with the external noises and wind or over music/machines at the gym is not the same.

The NE-7 may be the choice esp. If you find the CX500 bass amount what you want(though without the bloat).

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if it helps i find that the PFEs are a little soft (I need to turn the Nano to 80-85% volume). Bass-wise no big problems for me, even the PFEs (at 85% vol).

how about the monster turbines? do they fit my needs?
might be able to get a decent used pair.
why i actually thought about them was because it is quite easy to drive and I'm using the nano 4G which isn't very powerful at all. And bass sounds fun for gym.

Any comments re: how turbines and the others listed above match up for gym purposes would be appreciated. Thanks.

I don't think the Turbines are a good idea for the gym. I'm not sure how well their cable will be able to stand up to the rigors of gym use, especially if they get snagged on anything. The cable can also be very microphonic depending on how you use it.

Take a look here for more detail:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/b...-cks70-434841/

Out of curiosity, how much would you be paying for them? I would have thought that they'd be out of your $50 range, even second hand.

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This is a very good point and it hits home for me......I recently bought RE2's to replace my tired and worn Zune Premiums. I work in a large non temperature controlled greenhouse alone so a good mp3 player and IEMs are a must. The RE2's just don't have enough bass to overcome outside noise. The mids and highs are beautifully clear but thanks to little or no bass rock/post grunge/industrial sound hollow. At home with limited outside noise the RE2's sound great. But I'll still be using my Zune Premiums (very underrated) at work........

For jogging/gym, I would guess that you should go with KSC-75 which are clip ons and are pretty well liked here. I just got a pair of ADDIEMs, and I wouldn't choose it to go running with, even though they are great IEMs. I'd easily go with my bulkier PortaPros, because of the nonexistent microphonics, and the lack of isolation [I've read that too much isolation is dangerous while jogging, because you become oblivious to many sounds].

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I mentioned turbines cos they are bass heavy and easy to drive. And they have little microphonics. When turbines were the FOTM, a couple of head-fiers identified it as their gym earphones.

And yes, will definitely be out of US$50 budget, but if it is a worthwhile upgrade I might consider.

How about the Audio Technica CKS 70 you mentioned? other than microphonics (is it still very bad when hooked over the ears?), sounds like what i might want. do u know if these are avail for testing @ Stereo Electronics in Singapore?

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I still prefer IEMs; when I jog outside the gym, I may only insert the earbuds in 1 ear instead of both.

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I don't think the CKS70 are available here just yet. I did speak to one of the staff at SE who mentioned that the Audio Technica distributor here was thinking of bringing them over, so it might just be a matter for time. You could try calling them up to ask.

I tried wearing them over the ear. It's possible, but because of their shape it might not be possible for everyone to do so. I did find that microphonics was quite reduced but still present. If you want to get rid of microphonics entirely, ear hooks might be a necessity. I did try using my Sennheiser IE8 hooks on them, but I found because of the long stem on the CKS70, the ear hooks didn't wrap around my ear in a usable manner. It might be possible though if your ears are a lot bigger than mine.