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IEM's for around $80 help!

post #1 of 25
2/17/10 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 
Hey there head-fiers.

I've been trying to find a good pair of IEM's for around 80 bucks or under that would suit my needs.

I do own a pair of Shure SRH840's which I also bought with your advice about half a year ago and I am digging them.

However, being a college student, I find that it is a bit hard to take around everywhere and that the clamping issue for over 7-8 hours seems to give me a bit of a headache though I have burned them in quite well so far.

So basically what I am asking for is a good pair of IEM's that will help me get around campus easier since they are just more convenient.

Lurking around the forums for a bit, I have read up a bit about the S4's and the RE0's which I find to be very promising along with the Sony MDR-EX500SL. They all have their ups and downs and I was wondering what you guys thought.

My general taste in music is rock/alternative, with a bit of a rap. I am a huge fan of The Beatles and The Beach Boys as well. I basically listen to a lot of diferent genres so if you guys could help me out that would be wonderful.

Thank you and have a great day.
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post #2 of 25
2/17/10 at 2:03pm
S4
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post #3 of 25
2/17/10 at 2:19pm
Consider the Soundmagic PL-50 IEMs. $49 shipped from HouseofDap.com right now. Very similar sound to the Shures.
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post #4 of 25
2/17/10 at 2:32pm
Cresyn C750, Philips 9850, RE0 and S4
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post #5 of 25
2/17/10 at 4:31pm
The Klipsch Image S4, HiFiMan RE0 and Soundmagic PL50 seem to be the best choices in your price range from what I've read.

Personally, I own the RE0s and I love them for a wide range of genres including hip-hop/rap (my favorite genre to listen to in general), alternative and rock. So I definitely recommend them.
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post #6 of 25
2/17/10 at 5:01pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks guy for the insight so far.

I just have a few questions about the RE0's and the S4's.

I've heard that the isolation and comfort of the S4's are top notch but I was wondering how hard does the bass hit?

The one's on Amazon even say enhanced bass but if I liked the bass on the SRH840's would this be too much for my liking?

Also how are the Etymotic ER6i's?

The PL-50's seem pretty cool so far so I will definitely look into that since they have similar sound stages to Shure's.
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post #7 of 25
2/17/10 at 5:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SashimiWu View Post
Thanks guy for the insight so far.

I just have a few questions about the RE0's and the S4's.

I've heard that the isolation and comfort of the S4's are top notch but I was wondering how hard does the bass hit?

The one's on Amazon even say enhanced bass but if I liked the bass on the SRH840's would this be too much for my liking?

Also how are the Etymotic ER6i's?

The PL-50's seem pretty cool so far so I will definitely look into that since they have similar sound stages to Shure's.
The isolation on the RE0 and S4 are pretty similar. They won't make you not be able to hear anything but silence with no music playing but they are very adequate for most purposes. I assume by bass hit you actually mean impact. There is greater bass impact on the S4 than the RE0.

Etymotic ER6i would be good if you asked a couple years ago but the RE0 is superior in almost every way except for isolation. They offer similar sound signatures but really not a contest which is better.
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post #8 of 25
2/17/10 at 5:51pm
Thread Starter 
So how do the Soundmagic's add up to these two powerhouses?

Is RE0 clearly the better choice?

Is there any reason why someone would get the S4 besides wanting more bass?
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post #9 of 25
2/17/10 at 6:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SashimiWu View Post
s there any reason why someone would get the S4 besides wanting more bass?
That's why. People want greater bass impact and a warmer sound. The RE0 has better clarity but you have to acclimate to them a bit.
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post #10 of 25
2/17/10 at 6:47pm
Thread Starter 
So say I enjoyed the Shure's soundstage very much.

The RE0's would be better for my tastes?

S4 I heard makes music sound more fun which could be interesting so I could have a different type of headphone whenever I do get bored of the Shures.
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post #11 of 25
2/17/10 at 6:55pm
I don't think either will have the soundstage of your full-size shures. The shures IIRC are said have a more balanced, studio monitor style sound. I think the RE0s would be closer to that than the S4.
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post #12 of 25
2/17/10 at 6:56pm
soundstage is something the RE0 does not do very well and most iem's. For the most part headphones do better in soundstage so I would assume you would not get close to the soundstage but I have never heard them.
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post #13 of 25
2/17/10 at 7:03pm
Thread Starter 
So basically its a toss up between the S4 and the RE0's?

Will there be a big difference between the items?

I was planning on getting the RE0's but the S4's seem very appealing to me right now since I can get my 9 pounds of sour worms shipped for free on Amazon!
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post #14 of 25
2/17/10 at 7:11pm
Well this is just a matter preference. I like more of a analytical sound for most phones so it really isn't close to me. I would pick the RE0 over S4 any day. I find the RE0 pretty much a bargain for me and the S4 being a good choice but not really fitting for my tastes.

Its up to you to decide whats more important. I don't listen to your genres so can't really say much about what type is sound goes well with them but I can describe both of these iems. The S4 is more of a warm signature with more bass impact. The mids and highs were not really comparable to the RE0 from what I remember. I pretty much only owned the S4 for around 150-200 hours before I sold it. The main complaint about the RE0 is the bass impact but that does not mean it is not there. It is there but it's not the bass that you can feel if you understand that.
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post #15 of 25
2/17/10 at 7:12pm
Do the worms have an effect on the sound quality? Do you use them as disposable tips? Maybe they just cause your face to pucker up and squeeze the earphone tips tighter?
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