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Hard to break IEMs

post #1 of 26
5/4/11 at 5:50pm
Thread Starter 

Okay, so I have a budget of around $400, and I expect that most IEMs are within that price range.

okay, so I'm just looking for a DURABLE pair of IEMs that should last me the 4 years of college. Soundstage is kinda a must. Must have clear highs without too much sparkle, decent treble, and bass that doesn't cause the head to hurt (but not too recessed). I'm mostly listening to rock, and my two other IEMs (miu audio mr2 and sennheiser cx300s) are not good enough. Any general ideas to point to me towards a specific pair? I'm willing to look at all brands. I've personally looked at each of the multi-iem review, but it doesn't say anything about durability.

 

Any suggestions?

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser CX300-S Earbuds (Silver)
Audio-Technica ATH-CK10 Portable In-Ear Headphones
post #2 of 26
5/4/11 at 5:52pm

Audio Technica Ck100.


 

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post #3 of 26
5/4/11 at 6:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tronz View Post

Audio Technica Ck100.


 



+1, or the CK10.  It's known to have the best build quality of any IEM.

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post #4 of 26
5/4/11 at 6:16pm

Get a pair of koss anything 60ohm (ksc75) best rock/throw around headphone for college. bad isolation but they'll make good back up headphones. I suggest you buy one for back up in college in case you loan/forget/lost your main portable.

 

look at build quality section of the review for iem durability.

Something for 4 years is kinda difficult since you'll probably end up with an itch to upgrade/sidegrade in between.

 

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post #5 of 26
5/4/11 at 6:29pm

I had my UM1 for 4 years before I dropped them in water.  It killed one side.  I was pretty hard on them too.  One time I sucked the wire into the intake of a leaf blower with no ill effects.  The only cosmetic damage that showed their age was that the strain relief was pretty tattered because a finger would always touch the strain relief when I took them out.  I would imagine other Westones would be as durable.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nagasaki_Kid View Post

Get a pair of koss anything 60ohm (ksc75) best rock/throw around headphone for college. bad isolation but they'll make good back up headphones. I suggest you buy one for back up in college in case you loan/forget/lost your main portable.

 

look at build quality section of the review for iem durability.

Something for 4 years is kinda difficult since you'll probably end up with an itch to upgrade/sidegrade in between.

 


He's asking for IEMs in the $400 price range.  KSC 75 isn't an IEM and Koss tends to be lower end with their IEM lineup.  It would be a good choice if they made something that fit the criteria because of the warrantee.

 

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post #6 of 26
5/4/11 at 6:56pm

I would suggest the Sennheiser IE 8s. I've had mine for about a year now, travel with them just about everyday, and they still look like new. I've been pleasantly surprised with how well they've held up. Their sound stage is fantastic, although I will admit that they don't do such a great job of cancelling external noise.

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post #7 of 26
5/4/11 at 7:05pm

CK10s have a lot of treble sparkle and limited soundstage. Have you even heard them before?
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaBomb77766 View Post





+1, or the CK10.  It's known to have the best build quality of any IEM.



 

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post #8 of 26
5/4/11 at 7:27pm

Amazon has the Monster Turbine Pro Coppers for a pretty good price right now. I have the Pro Golds and they're pretty solid, but the reason i recommend them, is that if you're biggest concern is longevity, the Turbine Pros both are covered by Monster's Lifetime warrenty. If you buy them new from an authorized reseller, such as Amazon, then Monster will replace them free of charge, no matter what you may or may not have done to them. As long as you have the original purchase receipt from a certified reseller, then they'll replace them as many times as you need them to. I've only needed to have my pair replaced once, and it took about 2 and a half weeks and only cost me the 9 bucks to ship it to them. As for the sound quality, I wouldn't pay the $400 MSRP for them, but they're about $230 on Amazon, new, and they're from a certified reseller. Not to keep repeating myself, but Monster won't replace them more than once if you didnt purchase them new from a certified reseller. 

 

 

If anyone else couldn't comment on the sound quality of them. I've never owned them, but I'm pretty sure that they're what you;re looking for.


Edited by Fordy314 - 5/4/11 at 7:30pm
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post #9 of 26
5/4/11 at 7:34pm

ex-1000.  Try to break those.

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post #10 of 26
5/4/11 at 7:41pm

I should also mention my abuse of my Klipsch X5.  One time when I was in a hurry, I got in my car, took them off and just left them drapped over the seat belt.  When I got out of the car at the post office, they dropped onto the parking lot.  When I got back in the car and left, I ran over them.  I realized when I got home that I didn't have them so went back to the post office and there they were in the parking lot.  The barrel had a few minor scratches.  The strain relief at the ear piece is not the best and split within a couple of months.   IMO, they match the sound signature you want.

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post #11 of 26
5/4/11 at 7:54pm
X2 for the MTPC

They have very good clarity and midrange, not absolutely the best, but the highs and mids are damn good. And the lows are simply perfect. They are pronounced, but don't muddy the rest of the spectrum and have very good texturing. To compare the bass to another bass-heavy IEM, the IE8, the MTPC seems to have no mid-bass hump and extends deeper than the IE8, but the IE8s bass sounds larger due to the mid-bass hump and makes the overall sound signature warmer. The MTPCs are also extremely comfortable, which was a surprise to me because the housing is entirely metal. The insertion depth is shallow and there is some minor driver flex. Overall I find them to be very durable, but cannot comment on longevity as I've only had them a week.

Something I find extremely appealing about them is the fact they come with a life-time warranty, with a 1 time no questions asked replacement. And the $223 for them @Amazon is a very food price.
Edited by mastershake2393 - 5/4/11 at 7:56pm
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post #12 of 26
5/4/11 at 8:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordy314 View Post

Amazon has the Monster Turbine Pro Coppers for a pretty good price right now. I have the Pro Golds and they're pretty solid, but the reason i recommend them, is that if you're biggest concern is longevity, the Turbine Pros both are covered by Monster's Lifetime warrenty. If you buy them new from an authorized reseller, such as Amazon, then Monster will replace them free of charge, no matter what you may or may not have done to them. As long as you have the original purchase receipt from a certified reseller, then they'll replace them as many times as you need them to. I've only needed to have my pair replaced once, and it took about 2 and a half weeks and only cost me the 9 bucks to ship it to them. As for the sound quality, I wouldn't pay the $400 MSRP for them, but they're about $230 on Amazon, new, and they're from a certified reseller. Not to keep repeating myself, but Monster won't replace them more than once if you didnt purchase them new from a certified reseller. 

 

 

If anyone else couldn't comment on the sound quality of them. I've never owned them, but I'm pretty sure that they're what you;re looking for.



I thought Monster's Lifetime Warranty is in the scenario of unlimited replacements if it is "their fault". If it is your fault, they'll only replace it once?
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by High_Q View Post

ex-1000.  Try to break those.


I agree on these too... if you could actually find an EX1000 for around $400. Durable, very, very awesome bass, good soundstage, and very good clarity.

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post #13 of 26
5/4/11 at 8:21pm

Ortofon e-Q5 or e-Q7 are very well made.

Also if you order from Dimitri at MusicaAcoustics.com you get life time warranty.

 

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post #14 of 26
5/4/11 at 8:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tronz View Post

Audio Technica Ck100.


 



 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaBomb77766 View Post





+1, or the CK10.  It's known to have the best build quality of any IEM.


duly noted

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by scompton View Post

I had my UM1 for 4 years before I dropped them in water.  It killed one side.  I was pretty hard on them too.  One time I sucked the wire into the intake of a leaf blower with no ill effects.  The only cosmetic damage that showed their age was that the strain relief was pretty tattered because a finger would always touch the strain relief when I took them out.  I would imagine other Westones would be as durable.
 


He's asking for IEMs in the $400 price range.  KSC 75 isn't an IEM and Koss tends to be lower end with their IEM lineup.  It would be a good choice if they made something that fit the criteria because of the warrantee.

 


yep. IEMs ONLY. I have a throwaway pair of headphones (portapros)

 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by SundayDriver View Post

I would suggest the Sennheiser IE 8s. I've had mine for about a year now, travel with them just about everyday, and they still look like new. I've been pleasantly surprised with how well they've held up. Their sound stage is fantastic, although I will admit that they don't do such a great job of cancelling external noise.


395.95. I'll test them out later. However the quality might not be up to par, because I have broken "unbreakable" IEMs.. I play basketball while wearing IEMs..which is why I go through them so fast.

 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordy314 View Post

Amazon has the Monster Turbine Pro Coppers for a pretty good price right now. I have the Pro Golds and they're pretty solid, but the reason i recommend them, is that if you're biggest concern is longevity, the Turbine Pros both are covered by Monster's Lifetime warrenty. If you buy them new from an authorized reseller, such as Amazon, then Monster will replace them free of charge, no matter what you may or may not have done to them. As long as you have the original purchase receipt from a certified reseller, then they'll replace them as many times as you need them to. I've only needed to have my pair replaced once, and it took about 2 and a half weeks and only cost me the 9 bucks to ship it to them. As for the sound quality, I wouldn't pay the $400 MSRP for them, but they're about $230 on Amazon, new, and they're from a certified reseller. Not to keep repeating myself, but Monster won't replace them more than once if you didnt purchase them new from a certified reseller. 

 

 

If anyone else couldn't comment on the sound quality of them. I've never owned them, but I'm pretty sure that they're what you;re looking for.


hmm, i'll take a gander

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by High_Q View Post

ex-1000.  Try to break those.


499.99. Too high.

 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by scompton View Post

I should also mention my abuse of my Klipsch X5.  One time when I was in a hurry, I got in my car, took them off and just left them drapped over the seat belt.  When I got out of the car at the post office, they dropped onto the parking lot.  When I got back in the car and left, I ran over them.  I realized when I got home that I didn't have them so went back to the post office and there they were in the parking lot.  The barrel had a few minor scratches.  The strain relief at the ear piece is not the best and split within a couple of months.   IMO, they match the sound signature you want.


 

Thanks for telling me that.


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by mastershake2393 View Post

X2 for the MTPC

They have very good clarity and midrange, not absolutely the best, but the highs and mids are damn good. And the lows are simply perfect. They are pronounced, but don't muddy the rest of the spectrum and have very good texturing. To compare the bass to another bass-heavy IEM, the IE8, the MTPC seems to have no mid-bass hump and extends deeper than the IE8, but the IE8s bass sounds larger due to the mid-bass hump and makes the overall sound signature warmer. The MTPCs are also extremely comfortable, which was a surprise to me because the housing is entirely metal. The insertion depth is shallow and there is some minor driver flex. Overall I find them to be very durable, but cannot comment on longevity as I've only had them a week.

Something I find extremely appealing about them is the fact they come with a life-time warranty, with a 1 time no questions asked replacement. And the $223 for them @Amazon is a very food price.


^^

 

okay

so the current suggestions within my price range

 

Klisph x5

Monster Turbine Pro Copper

Audio Technica CK10

 

keep them coming. Thanks for the help

 

And trust me, if I sidegrade, i'll probably sell off my last IEM.

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post #15 of 26
5/5/11 at 4:07am
Thread Starter 

Anything on custom IEMs?

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser CX300-S Earbuds (Silver)
Audio-Technica ATH-CK10 Portable In-Ear Headphones