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In-Ear Headphones for Around $150

post #1 of 24
2/12/12 at 9:34pm
Thread Starter 

Hey guys, first post here!  Looks like a great site!

 

This may seem like your generic "best for $150" thread, but I did want to add some personal experience to it.  I've been through three sets of Klipsch Image S4i's in about three years, one or the other speaker always ends up going out on me.  I listen to them, on average, about an hour or so a day (as in 3-4 hours some days, none others).  I did try some Monster Turbines once but took them back because I couldn't get them to stay in my ear for the life of me, same with the Bose IE2's.  I listen to mostly dubstep and rap, with some heavy/hard rock mixed in, as well as some talk shows etc. so pretty much everything but country.

 

Well, the Klipsch's are going on the fritz on me again.  The left speaker goes in for a few minutes, then out for a few minutes.  In the $150 range, what do you guys suggest I go with?  I do have an iPhone 4, but don't necessarily need the speaker for it like my S4i's had.  I'm looking at the Sennheiser CX880i from a recommendation from a friend- any more viable options or is that a good set to try out?  Thanks!


Edited by carpenj1988 - 2/12/12 at 9:38pm
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post #2 of 24
2/12/12 at 9:53pm

From what I hear, the CX880's are a downgrade from the Turbines, like they're not as good overall. One idea, though idk about how it sounds, is of course, Westones, like the ones in your profile pic (the UM1's are around $110-120). But seeing your choices (Klipsch, Monster) I'm going to assume you want something with a bit more bass - perhaps Shure SE 215's? Your description of what you want is kinda vague...

This is Head-Fi. So of course I'll throw out HiFiMan's (RE-0's, RE-262's) and Etymotic HF5's but I don't know if you'll like the neutral tone. I guess right now I'd recommend the Shure SE 215's for $100 or perhaps for less NuForce-NE700's ($65), Brainwavz M2 ($60), maybe perhaps these for $160?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Atrio-Future-Sonic-010-045-FutureSonics/dp/B000UKMZ94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329112409&sr=8-1

 

Check out Joker's Thread here:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-220-iems-compared-sony-mdr-ex300lp-mdr-ex600-added-02-07-12

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post #3 of 24
2/12/12 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 

Yeah, I guess the info is probably vague because, while I love music and good audio equipment, it's not a 'hobby' of mine like it is for you guys (yet).  I'd say the media I listen to, from least to most, is:  dubstep, rap, rock, talk shows.  I thought the Monster Turbines sounded great if I held them in place with my hands, but couldn't get them to fit in my ears with any of the earpieces unfortunately.  Then again, I gave up on them after a few hours and took them back so maybe I should give them more of a chance.

 

Yes, I do love bass though- but I don't know if I'd rate that over clarity or not.  They are pretty 50/50 for me, so I guess my info is still pretty vague haha.

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post #4 of 24
2/12/12 at 10:05pm

Dubstep, rap, rock... Yeah something with a lot of bass. The Atrio's are $160 on Amazon but I think there's some sort of 50% off promotion. Check one of the other threads.

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post #5 of 24
2/12/12 at 10:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ravefire View Post

Dubstep, rap, rock... Yeah something with a lot of bass. The Atrio's are $160 on Amazon but I think there's some sort of 50% off promotion. Check one of the other threads.


It's 50% off from atrio.me so it'll be roughly $110 after. Coupon code:  CostProg50%

 

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post #6 of 24
2/13/12 at 12:23am

I'd add the JVC FXT90s to your list for a fun, but hifi sound sig.

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post #7 of 24
2/13/12 at 2:04am

+1 on the FXT90. 

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post #8 of 24
2/13/12 at 7:05am
Thread Starter 

Those JVC FXT90's look really good, I guess I didn't think of them as a quality brand anymore after bad experiences with a couple of their lower-end products.  I'm guessing their higher tier products are of high quality from what you guys are saying though.  Reliability is a big concern for me given the issues I've had with my current pair(s).

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post #9 of 24
2/13/12 at 11:09am
Thread Starter 

Why are the JVC FXT90 IEM's so hard to find?  It looks like extremely few websites carry them.

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post #10 of 24
2/13/12 at 11:18am

Think you have to import them from Japan. Haven't seen them on any American retailers.

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post #11 of 24
2/13/12 at 11:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ravefire View Post

Think you have to import them from Japan. Haven't seen them on any American retailers.



So I have to go to a Japanese retail site, and translate it or something essentially?

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post #12 of 24
2/13/12 at 11:59am

+1 on the Atrios

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post #13 of 24
2/13/12 at 12:02pm

Yeah, pretty much. A site like http://www.musicaacoustics.com/Store.html might have similar models, but you pretty much have to import.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by carpenj1988 View Post



So I have to go to a Japanese retail site, and translate it or something essentially?



 

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post #14 of 24
2/13/12 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carpenj1988 View Post


So I have to go to a Japanese retail site, and translate it or something essentially?


You can also get them at accessoryjack. Not sure about the warranty in this case though, but accessoryjack is a quite popular. 

 

 

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post #15 of 24
2/13/12 at 4:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carpenj1988 View Post



So I have to go to a Japanese retail site, and translate it or something essentially?


Well, there's also a fairly reputable Ebay seller that a lot of people have gotten theirs from. I think it's called Buyfromjapan.

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