Looking for a good pair of IEMs under $150

I use my Brainwavz M2 a ton and really like the sound and build quality.

Not knowing what type of music you listen to or what type of sound signature you like its just a shot in the dark but I'd say look at the Rockit R-50, TDK BA200 & IE800, Hifiman RE262 and maybe the Mee A161p.

Well the R-50 is a perfect example of that, they work well with any type of music I mean I used them a lot for electronic music.  The sound great with rock, r&b, rap, chill and they were really quite good with classical.  They're a great IEM and not just for the price (which is $120) because they can hang with IEM's costing 2 and even 3 time as much.

 

I too am looking for an all around sub $150 IEM. I have the R50's on the way and will A/B them with my new favs the Yamaha EPH-100. I see you put the EPH-100 as equal to the MH1C. What music did you A/B them with? I have A/B'd these Yamaha's with the MH1C to classical, rock, and techno and the MH1C's sound like a dark, muddy mess in comparison. I also tried the RE-262's based partly on your signature (and the many other glowing reviews) and I think they sound slightly better than the Yamaha's in terms of overall extension and a slight increase to soundstage but for me, they just don't fit well and they always need an external amp to sound good.

 

TL:DR: OP, Definitely try a few IEMs before making a decision. You will most likely be surprised at which one you prefer. Reviews are useful to narrow down the list, but it takes putting them into your ears and judging based on your own experience.

The R-50 is quite a bit better than the EPH-100 imo with better over all detail, imaging and separation but the EPH-100 has more bass impact and depth as you'd expect from a good dynamic driver next to a little dual BA.  

 

You should really enjoy the R-50, I think there one of the better analytical sounding IEM's at any price point because the highs while crisp with a lot of sparkle they never get to harsh or ever really get sibilant.

check out the t peos h 100. They clobber my rewired ue tf 10's. read tje appreciation thread on them. My impressions are there in the last few pages. Like them best with foam stuffed into vmoda bliss tips. Stock foam in silicone tips aren't bad.

I can't understand why some many people like the T-Peos H-100, the mids are really recessed and sound like they're coming from an AM radio not to mention very thin sounding as well and they're bright an sibilant.  I can deal with how bright they are but the mids imo are very poorly done and if they were more forward with a smoother thicker sound the H-100 would be a great IEM.

What tips were you using. They are a bit that way with stock tips. With vmoda bliss tips foamed they are very good in the mid range and bass extension is subwoofer like. On the highs they can be a bit revealing....the foam vmodas subtely soften that...but not as much as straight foam. I do wonder if the bass could be a bit more. tseamless with mids but its much better than tf10's even with rewiring. We will have to see what The H200's bring to the table. I got these slightly used so they were preburned. I have also demagnetized them using sheffield mdms cd. This just relaxes everything subtley and airs them out a hint. Part of it is that I have gotten used to them as well. Haven't tried any expensive Iems but I used to own grado Refrence one headphones. These are not as lush but they throw a comparable soundstage and layer almost as well. Detail is close. They are more extended and a touch brighter in the highs. At worst they are very good. Wood, pun intened really like to try JVC fx 700...but I need to finish my Peter Daniels. gainclone monoamps. I was seriously about to buy Rockit R-50's when I stumbled onto the t peos thread. What are your favourites?

I can tell you that the R-50 is so much better its worth spending $120.  The A161p is quite dark and doesn't have near the clarity and over all detail of the R-50, there's a reason you can get them for $70.  That's just my opinion but the R-50 really is a much better IEM and sounds as good as IEM's costing $250 wheres the A161 sounds like an IEM costing $80 or $90.

Actually you'd be better off getting the Klipsch X10 for $85 on Amazon over the A161, they both have a warm signature but the X10 sound a bit better and the bass is very nice for a single BA.  The X10 doesn't sound muddy like the A161 can so if your want that type of IEM the X10 is a better option imo and only $15 more than what you were going to spend on the A161.

TDK BA200 strongly seconded.

 

Cool, then I'm truly excited to get my hands on them to test them out! Until then, I think I'm in love with these Yamahas ;)

 

I'll try and do some comparisons of the R50, EPH-100, RE0 and MH1C for the sake of having more shared experiences out there to help others decide.