After doing a lot of research I came upon the Shure SE215 which seemed to be not only extremely well sounding earphones - but also well built and comfortable.
However every time I looked up threads on the Shure SE215s the top comment was mostly about how some other headphone is better.
I've managed to narrow it down to the three most mentioned and raved about headphones
 
1. RHA MA750i - $130
2. Shure SE215-$100
3. VSONIC GR07 Bass Edition - $130

A lot of people claim that the RHAs sound quality are vastly superior to the SE215. However I am used to using $30 earphones and having to replace them every year because they break. So the durability and comfortability of SE215 is very enticing for me. 
 
1. Are the MA750i (of even the GR07BE) that much better sounding then the SE215 that they are worth the extra $30 and loss in comfort?
 
2. One of the SE215's biggest selling points are their build quality. Are the other IEMs similar in which they can survive for over 3 years and be pretty much abused the whole time? I really don't want to buy $130 earphones only to have to buy new ones after a few years.
 
If it makes a difference I pretty much listen exclusively to rap/ hip-hop 
 
Thank You

I've been researching for a couple of hours and it seems to be really between the SE215s and the MA750s
 
I listen to a lot of hip hop where bass is important. I've read that the SE215s sound more "fun" while the 750s sound more "as intended" in the bass department.
 
Is that true?

I think more of your boxes will be ticked off by the Shure.

Really? Because I have so far decided on the MHAs. Didn't buy them but not far away. What makes you say so?

V-shape (rap, hip-hop-friendly signature), build quality, and I guess I was thinking of the detachable cables, which I believe can prolong headphone life, for obvious reasons (I think you mentioned wanting them to last for around three years). Replacement cables for the SE215 aren't cheap, though--fyi. The RHA are also quite well-made and sound terrific--you can't go wrong with either one, really. I just thought the Shure might fit your particulars just a tad better.  Good luck, whatever you decide.

Best sounding between the SE215 and GR07be are the GR07 by a landslide! but if you are going for durability I would go for the SE215. I have had my SE215 for over 4 years with no issues and I use these at the gym and mowing the lawn and I sweat like a pig with them and no issues. Also you can replace the cable on the SE215 and not the GR07. They are both really comfortable.

Do you have any experience with the RA MHA750s

serman005 said:

  V-shape (rap, hip-hop-friendly signature), build quality, and I guess I was thinking of the detachable cables, which I believe can prolong headphone life, for obvious reasons (I think you mentioned wanting them to last for around three years). Replacement cables for the SE215 aren't cheap, though--fyi. The RHA are also quite well-made and sound terrific--you can't go wrong with either one, really. I just thought the Shure might fit your particulars just a tad better.

 Good luck, whatever you decide.

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What kind of sound signature do the MHA 750s have?

I've tried se215 and they quite muddy as a whole as compared to my iems (dqsm, Klipsch x11i, Sony xba a1). Imo their sound quality is quite poor compared to what you can get for that price range. Reviews praising their sound tend to be outdated as recently there have been many earphones with better sound quality crowding the price range. There are iems like filo ex1 (64usd), Tk12 (99usd) which destroy the shures and to a lesser extent, the 750s in sq. The difference is very noticeable.
That being said, it depends on how much you value durability. Imo cheap 30 dollar earphones do tend to break easily compared to 100 dollar ones. As long as a earphone has decent build quality it should last for 2-3 years, just don't treat them roughly/abuse them.

I can't speak to the GR07, but the 750's are much better than the 215. As mentioned elsewhere, the 215 tends to be muddy, with instruments jumbled together and a lack of detail, although the actual frequency response is good with a nice balance of highs, mids and lows. The 750's are cleaner, more transparent, and slightly bass heavy.

As a GR07 Bass user myself who find the build bothering, I highly recommend you to just get the RHA MA750i, which is actually one of the best in-ears out there anyone can have for the price, in my opinion. Bass is pretty much good enough for most genres, in my experiences with the MA750i. Signature wise, iirc, it is more balanced on the mids and overall a slightly v-shaped sound, compared to the GR07 Bass.

Can't help you with the Shures as I didn't really have any experiences with them at all.

justjoseph said:

I've tried se215 and they quite muddy as a whole as compared to my iems (dqsm, Klipsch x11i, Sony xba a1). Imo their sound quality is quite poor compared to what you can get for that price range. Reviews praising their sound tend to be outdated as recently there have been many earphones with better sound quality crowding the price range. There are iems like filo ex1 (64usd), Tk12 (99usd) which destroy the shures and to a lesser extent, the 750s in sq. The difference is very noticeable.
That being said, it depends on how much you value durability. Imo cheap 30 dollar earphones do tend to break easily compared to 100 dollar ones. As long as a earphone has decent build quality it should last for 2-3 years, just don't treat them roughly/abuse them.

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Do you have experience with all these headphones? 

Bump. Still not 100% sure but 95% leaning towards the MA750s

natantantan said:

  Bump. Still not 100% sure but 95% leaning towards the MA750s

Click to expand...

I'd grab the 750 from what it sounds like you want. I preferred the ATH IM70 to them, because the mids are better and not as V-shaped, but they're neck and neck. The GR07 has the most audiophile sound out of the 3, but the build isn't the best, and the 750 would probably be best for hip hop. The SE215 is really outclassed by a lot of similarly priced IEMs and have been for good while now. The 750s are built like tanks and have a good warranty so you won't lose any durability points either. I think your intuition and research is steering you in the right direction.

Yes I have listened to them. Filo ex1 (64usd) sounds considerably better than the 750s btw. Not sure about build quality tho. I really don't think build quality matters at that price range unless you treat your earphones roughly/use them for sports.