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Suggestions for earphones under $30?

post #1 of 21
1/30/12 at 9:23am
Thread Starter 

First of all, this forum is great! So far, I've learned a thing or two about earphones here and even came across new brands I never would've thought of searching on Amazon. However, I feel that I need a more personalized approach to choosing a new pair of earphones, so here I am.

 

I'm looking for a new pair of in-ear phones to replace my trusty old Philips SHE9500. There's nothing wrong with them and I love 'em to bits, but I think it's time for me to get an upgrade.

 

Here are some things you guys should know about me:

1. I'm no audiophile. I'm a musician, though, which means although I'm not looking for that perfect, hi-fi sound, I want to be able to hear most aspects of the song, from sparkling chimes to the lowest of bass, that you wouldn't normally hear on ordinary earphones.

2. I'm a law student, so I do a lot of studying. I want my earphones to be able to isolate noise as much as possible.

3. I commute a lot. (See No. 2).

4. I listen to a wide range of music on my iPod (with the equalizer set to 'Dance'), including pop, rock, dance, R&B, classical (strings, piano, etc.), ambient, house.

5. I'm willing to spend up to $30 for decent earphones.

 

So far, here are the ones from Amazon that interest me:

1. JVC HA-FX1X

2. Philips SHE6000

3. Sennheiser CX300

4. Klipsch S4 (yeah, way beyond my budget, but if I'm convinced they're worth the price, I'll probably get them!)

 

Any comments, suggestions, or opinions are welcome! 

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post #2 of 21
1/30/12 at 9:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aubreytil View Post

First of all, this forum is great! So far, I've learned a thing or two about earphones here and even came across new brands I never would've thought of searching on Amazon. However, I feel that I need a more personalized approach to choosing a new pair of earphones, so here I am.

 

I'm looking for a new pair of in-ear phones to replace my trusty old Philips SHE9500. There's nothing wrong with them and I love 'em to bits, but I think it's time for me to get an upgrade.

 

Here are some things you guys should know about me:

1. I'm no audiophile. I'm a musician, though, which means although I'm not looking for that perfect, hi-fi sound, I want to be able to hear most aspects of the song, from sparkling chimes to the lowest of bass, that you wouldn't normally hear on ordinary earphones.

2. I'm a law student, so I do a lot of studying. I want my earphones to be able to isolate noise as much as possible.

3. I commute a lot. (See No. 2).

4. I listen to a wide range of music on my iPod (with the equalizer set to 'Dance'), including pop, rock, dance, R&B, classical (strings, piano, etc.), ambient, house.

5. I'm willing to spend up to $30 for decent earphones.

 

So far, here are the ones from Amazon that interest me:

1. JVC HA-FX1X

2. Philips SHE6000

3. Sennheiser CX300

4. Klipsch S4 (yeah, way beyond my budget, but if I'm convinced they're worth the price, I'll probably get them!)

 

Any comments, suggestions, or opinions are welcome! 



Try the PL30s, or PL50s if you could stretch your budget. 

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post #3 of 21
1/30/12 at 9:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aubreytil View Post

First of all, this forum is great! So far, I've learned a thing or two about earphones here and even came across new brands I never would've thought of searching on Amazon. However, I feel that I need a more personalized approach to choosing a new pair of earphones, so here I am.

 

I'm looking for a new pair of in-ear phones to replace my trusty old Philips SHE9500. There's nothing wrong with them and I love 'em to bits, but I think it's time for me to get an upgrade.

 

Here are some things you guys should know about me:

1. I'm no audiophile. I'm a musician, though, which means although I'm not looking for that perfect, hi-fi sound, I want to be able to hear most aspects of the song, from sparkling chimes to the lowest of bass, that you wouldn't normally hear on ordinary earphones.

2. I'm a law student, so I do a lot of studying. I want my earphones to be able to isolate noise as much as possible.

3. I commute a lot. (See No. 2).

4. I listen to a wide range of music on my iPod (with the equalizer set to 'Dance'), including pop, rock, dance, R&B, classical (strings, piano, etc.), ambient, house.

5. I'm willing to spend up to $30 for decent earphones.

 

So far, here are the ones from Amazon that interest me:

1. JVC HA-FX1X

2. Philips SHE6000

3. Sennheiser CX300

4. Klipsch S4 (yeah, way beyond my budget, but if I'm convinced they're worth the price, I'll probably get them!)

 

Any comments, suggestions, or opinions are welcome! 


First of all, the S4 is not worth it. I'd suggest going for the Meelectronics M6 or the Audio-Technica CKM50. Both are great for the genres you mentioned, while remaining within your budget.

 

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post #4 of 21
1/30/12 at 9:35am

Check out the XePort 7010. I currently have them in the review process and they're great for their 20$ price tag.

You can buy from XePort's website: http://xeport.com/

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post #5 of 21
1/30/12 at 10:05am
The JVC FXC51 are very good sounding IEMs(warm, rich, detailed in mids, highs with good punchy bass)and can compete well with under $100 IEMs. Sony EX310 are also very crisp, clear, detailed(uses dome type dynamic drivers and they are amazing to shows good details in music and yet dynamic, fun and has punchy bass) and offers fairly wide soundstage.
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post #6 of 21
1/30/12 at 12:52pm

I don't think the ATH CKM50 is what you're looking for is isolation is a must. But, if you're talking about studying in a library or the like, it'll definitely work for you. I'd veto the HA-FXX since you seem to listen to a wide variety of genres. I think the CX-300 would be a good fit for you. I also think the soundmagics would work for you as well. 

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post #7 of 21
1/30/12 at 1:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dacrazydude View Post

I don't think the ATH CKM50 is what you're looking for is isolation is a must. But, if you're talking about studying in a library or the like, it'll definitely work for you. I'd veto the HA-FXX since you seem to listen to a wide variety of genres. I think the CX-300 would be a good fit for you. I also think the soundmagics would work for you as well. 



The CKM50 offers slightly better isolation than the GR07, which is already quite decent.

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post #8 of 21
1/30/12 at 1:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eke2k6 View Post



The CKM50 offers slightly better isolation than the GR07, which is already quite decent.



Hm....I'll try some different tips and see how those work out. I thought the isolation was slightly below average for an IEM though. Never tried the Vsonics, however. 

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post #9 of 21
1/30/12 at 4:33pm
U can consider Meelectronics CW31, amazon selling at discounted price - usd29.14, one of the models of its clarity series.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004OBZ2X6/ref=mp_s_a_10?qid=1327969498&sr=8-10

If u can stretch ur budget, I would suggest brainwavz m1. Otherwise CKM50 seems a real good deal to me after reading its appreciation thread.
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post #10 of 21
1/30/12 at 5:05pm

definitely do not get any of the earphones you are currently picking from, i have tried most of them and can safely say that they are all awful. instead treat yourself to something nice from MP4nation, etymotic, soundmagic, or meelectronics especially. All of these headphones that i mentioned can be found on amazon. 

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post #11 of 21
1/30/12 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jyoof View Post

U can consider Meelectronics CW31, amazon selling at discounted price - usd29.14, one of the models of its clarity series.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004OBZ2X6/ref=mp_s_a_10?qid=1327969498&sr=8-10
If u can stretch ur budget, I would suggest brainwavz m1. Otherwise CKM50 seems a real good deal to me after reading its appreciation thread.


or even the M6 could be a decent choice

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post #12 of 21
1/30/12 at 5:50pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the quick replies everyone! I never would've heard of any of these brands if it weren't for you guys.

 

I did hours of research (more fun than studying!) on each and every suggestion here and I'm pretty impressed. These are all really good choices. In the process, I've been able to figure out exactly the kind of sound I want: clear, bright, airy, with good bass but not so overwhelming that I can't concentrate on what I'm reading. Based on this, I've been able to narrow down my choices to:

 

1. PL30

2. Xeport 5010

3. CKM50

4. CW31 (on sale!)

 

I would love to love the M6 but I read that it can get bass-y, and I'm not really much of a basshead. Also, build quality is important to me since I'm from the Philippines and it's kind of a pain to have purchases shipped from abroad, so I'd like my new IEM's to last long. Fit is also important since these earphones will be my bestfriend in the months to come. (I'll be reviewing for the bar exams soon.) I'm hoping you guys can have input on those areas too, aside from sound quality. Thank you!

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post #13 of 21
1/30/12 at 7:20pm

I know you said under $30 but for a little more the DUNU Trident maybe.. They're $34.50 @ mp4nation and get decent reviews here..

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post #14 of 21
1/30/12 at 7:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aubreytil View Post

Thanks for the quick replies everyone! I never would've heard of any of these brands if it weren't for you guys.

 

I did hours of research (more fun than studying!) on each and every suggestion here and I'm pretty impressed. These are all really good choices. In the process, I've been able to figure out exactly the kind of sound I want: clear, bright, airy, with good bass but not so overwhelming that I can't concentrate on what I'm reading. Based on this, I've been able to narrow down my choices to:

 

1. PL30

2. Xeport 5010

3. CKM50

4. CW31 (on sale!)

 

I would love to love the M6 but I read that it can get bass-y, and I'm not really much of a basshead. Also, build quality is important to me since I'm from the Philippines and it's kind of a pain to have purchases shipped from abroad, so I'd like my new IEM's to last long. Fit is also important since these earphones will be my bestfriend in the months to come. (I'll be reviewing for the bar exams soon.) I'm hoping you guys can have input on those areas too, aside from sound quality. Thank you!

i personally loovvvved the pl30, i think soundmagic is chinese also so you may even be able to find it in a local retailer
 

 

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post #15 of 21
1/31/12 at 12:28am

The Meelectronics CW31 or CX21 would be your best choices under $30. If you could stretch your budget to $40, then consider the Soundmagic E30. The extra bass IEMs others mentioned wouldn't be good for classical music.

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