Earphones to replace stock MP3 player's

A budget would definitely help and your mp3 player will not be a limiting factor. There's a lot of great choices out there at every price range but if you want to focus of clarity rather than bass you may have to look away from the mainstream manufacturers such as Senn, Klipsch, and Sony. Under $100 you will want to check out the Head-Direct RE0 and RE-ZERO. If you want to spend even less there's the JVC HA-FXC80, Hippo Shrooms, Brainwavz M1, Maximo iM-590, and quite a few other earphones that put clarity first. One of review threads in my signature may be a good place to start your search.

About your last statement, earphones do matter, even with cheapo mp3 players. At the moment, i'm using a clip+, which is cheap compared to the audiophile offerings like the 801. Still, my TF10s sound great out of it.

I strongly recommend the TF10s to you if you can afford it. It has a great treble, but not too harsh. A strong, yet not overpowering bass. Although the mids are described as recessed, its clarity and details are also amazing. Soundstage is also excellent.

You can easily get the RE0 in the UK - the manufacturer ships worldwide for a flat rate. Head-Direct.com is the ticket. The FXC80 is only $40-50 here in the US but probably more for you. If it costs nearly as much as the RE0 it's not exactly worth it. The TF10 is the Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10. It's quite pricy and you still haven't stated a budget. Also I personally hate the fit but that's just me.

You can get RE-ZERO and RE252, although not the RE0 for some reason, at Advanced MP3 Players in UK - got my Cowon J3 from them earlier in year and they're reliable and prompt.

They also havea wide selection of other iems, including some you can't get elsewhere in UK.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl 

You can easily get the RE0 in the UK - the manufacturer ships worldwide for a flat rate. Head-Direct.com is the ticket. The FXC80 is only $40-50 here in the US but probably more for you. If it costs nearly as much as the RE0 it's not exactly worth it. The TF10 is the Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10. It's quite pricy and you still haven't stated a budget. Also I personally hate the fit but that's just me.

Eh, it's your money so you know best. I do think the RE0 sounds better than the FXC80 but not 2x better. Plus if you plan to be rough on them the JVCs will probably survive longer.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pioneer31 

Is it worth overshooting the budget?

Would the Soundmagic PL50 circa £40 from AdvancedMP3Players be worth considering? 

If you get done for duties (and possible "handling fees") on the imported RE0's could bring price up towards the £70+ charged by AmpCity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjackson 

Would the Soundmagic PL50 circa £40 from AdvancedMP3Players be worth considering? 

If you get done for duties (and possible "handling fees") on the imported RE0's could bring price up towards the £70+ charged by AmpCity.

Wow, just because you live in the UK your order becomes nearly 38% more expensive? From an American perspective, VAT seriously screws you guys over. Here, ordering the RE0 (and including the free shipping) would only amount to ~£50.5 (converted from dollars, I mean).

Sure. On luxury goods typically you can translate US price of X dollars directly to X pounds in UK. I guess a year or two back when pound was very strong against dollar maybe more folks tried direct buying from US. The uncertainty about what you'll have to pay for an imported item and potential hassle if a return is needed is certainly going to be a big minus point for some folks.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by JxK 

 

Wow, just because you live in the UK your order becomes nearly 38% more expensive? From an American perspective, VAT seriously screws you guys over. Here, ordering the RE0 (and including the free shipping) would only amount to ~£50.5 (converted from dollars, I mean).

If you think the UK is bad you should try Sweden...  25% VAT on everything - and stuff is already way more expensive thanks to it being a tiny market here with its own currency.  My home state (Michigan) has more people...

I'm still not used to the postal system, either.  This whole "have to go to the grocery store to pick up your packages" thing and the lack of post offices is just f'ing weird.

True enough, but on the upside, we don't have to live in the USA. ;-)
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by JxK 

Wow, just because you live in the UK your order becomes nearly 38% more expensive? From an American perspective, VAT seriously screws you guys over. Here, ordering the RE0 (and including the free shipping) would only amount to ~£50.5 (converted from dollars, I mean).

If you are the one who does prefer clarity rather than bass, I think you should try Sunrise Xcape. The reason is it was just released but received good responses. It is available now in amazon UK at an affordable price, around 60 pounds, I guess. You might not get a RE0 at that price due to high international delivery cost. I am thinking to replace my PL-50 by Xcape, I hope it will bring new impression for an in-ear headphones to me. I hope you find your best choice soon.