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Need help - budget $1700

post #1 of 10
2/4/12 at 9:14am
Thread Starter 

Hello people!

I've been reading on this forum for the past few days and I have a hard time deciding what in-ear headphones + amplifier I should buy.
My budget is 1700$ - I have been looking at Shure SE535 combined with iBasso D2+ Boa amplifier.

 

I am looking to use the this with a MacBook Pro.

 

I was wondering if that is the best choice for me, with such a budget?
I listen to all sort of music (hiphop, classic, pop and so on)

At the moment I am using SkullCandy in-ear headphones, but I want better sound.

 

Thank you very much.


Edited by greycat - 2/4/12 at 9:16am
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post #2 of 10
2/4/12 at 9:37am

Going from skullcandy to $1700 worth of gear? Maybe you want to go step by step instead and enjoy the journey :)

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post #3 of 10
2/4/12 at 9:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GigaFi View Post

Going from skullcandy to $1700 worth of gear? Maybe you want to go step by step instead and enjoy the journey :)


Definitely. You most likely won't be able to tell the difference between a $100 setup and and $1000 one anyways.

 

$50 is a nice place to start, because IEMs at that price sound significantly different from the mainstream stuff, and you most likely won't need an amp for them to sound good. At $80-$120 you're getting the most bang for the buck. Beyond that price/performance ratios just drop off.

 


Edited by mbamg - 2/4/12 at 9:42am
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post #4 of 10
2/4/12 at 9:41am
Thread Starter 

I have owned several different headphones and in-ear's (Sennheisers, Skull Candy, and others) and I would like to buy something that I can use for years to come, instead of hunting for better and better. I have been looking at the Unique Melody Miracle in-ear as well. What amplifier would you recommend for that?

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post #5 of 10
2/4/12 at 10:18am
Thread Starter 

Would Westone 4 and FiiO E7 USB DAC and Portable Headphone Amplifier be a good match?

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post #6 of 10
2/4/12 at 10:45am

For that amount of money I would buy a decent source then worry about headphones and amps.

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post #7 of 10
2/4/12 at 10:47am
Thread Starter 

So MacBook Pro isn't a good enough source for Westone 4 with and FiiO DAC?

What can you recommend as source?

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post #8 of 10
2/4/12 at 10:51am

Hey buddy.

 

You seem to be all over the place. UM Miracle, SE535, Westone 4 (all within 1½ hour!)

 

Do yourself a favor and take some time to figure out what you want. What music will you mainly be listening to, what is your prefered sound signature and where will you be using the setup.

 

Read a ****load of reviews and try to demo some units if there's stores nearby you. They may not have the models you want, but you'll get to hear a few different non-skullcandy models, and experience the difference sound signatures and what not.

 

It would be such a shame for you to shell out 1K on miracles only to find out, you wanted a bassy sound instead.

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post #9 of 10
2/4/12 at 11:34am

When I first got into this particular hobby I did exactly what you are doing.  I wanted to spend money once, get the best and be done with it.  I went out and bought the most expensive set of IEMs I could afford at the time.  I certainly didn't have $1700 to spend but I did read a lot of reviews before I went through with my purchase.  After a while I got curious and branched out into other headphones and now, much later and many sets of headphones later, My initial expensive set is one of my least favorite to listen to.  Basically, there are a lot of really good iems on here for $50-$150 that won't need amps.  If I had it to do over again I would have bought a bright set of phones, a dark set of phones, an analytical set, a bass monster, etc and then, after deciding what qualities I was really after, I would sell them all and narrow in on an expensive set that met my criteria.

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post #10 of 10
2/4/12 at 11:44am

I feel like for 1700 you should instead get a pair of Great IEMs and some Great over ears in addition to a nice amp. 

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