[Addonexus]

I'm currently shopping around for a new pair of IEMs.  Currently, I have a pair of Sennheiser CX500s, but want something better.  I'm not really all that experienced with buying higher end earphones.  Too many options, and I really don't know what's good.  Right now, my budget is between $50 and $70, and I will be using them to listen to black metal.
 
What's a good option for this price range?  I was looking at the Klipsch IMAGE S4.  How good are these?  Amazon has them new for $79 and used for $39. I was thinking of buying them used and pairing them with a set of Comply foam tips.

 

[RealSlimSeto]

You can do better for $79. The S4s are pretty bad with sibilance.
 
I'm sure other Head-fiers will have lots of suggestions.

 

[DrGroove]

Quote:

You can do better for $79. The S4s are pretty bad with sibilance.
 
I'm sure other Head-fiers will have lots of suggestions.

+1 for the S4s having bad sibilance, stay away for metal

 

[jaqueh]

A151, or even the new TDKBA100 as they are both balanced armatures, which are both far better than the klipsh S4.
 
also, i havent heard them, but i think the etymotic etykids may also fit the bill

 

[djvkool]

For your genre, RE0 would be the best one to get

 

[Addonexus]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions so far, I like both the RE-0 and A151.  How do they compare? 

 

[staxxx]

Black metal is so diverse, there are so many sub genre's of black metal, that picking an earphone for it can be difficult. I have not heard the RE0 or the A151 but I'll be guessing that the RE0 has better soundstage which is good for atmospheric black metal (symphonic as well). And the A151 has a BA driver which is better at faster black metal, ie the raw type with lots of speed.

 

[rangerid]

I really don't recommend a bass light IEM like RE0 for metal as the bass guitars/drums simply have no weight to them and sound extremely unrealistic. 

 

[Addonexus]

I've been listening to bands such as Emperor, Beherit, Blut Aus Nord, Dissection, Aurora Borealis, and Limbionic Art, if that makes a big difference.  Now, I was looking at Ebay last night, and saw Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 and Sennheiser IE8.  I know they are way beyond my original price range request, but the combination of Bill Me Later, a $50 Ebay gift card I won at work, and Christmas next week have made these a possibility.  How are these 2 for metal?  The Ultimate Ears are selling for about $50 less that the Sennheisers, but I really don't have a clue how they compare.

 

[lucozade]

Quote:

I've been listening to bands such as Emperor, Beherit, Blut Aus Nord, Dissection, Aurora Borealis, and Limbionic Art, if that makes a big difference.  Now, I was looking at Ebay last night, and saw Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 and Sennheiser IE8.  I know they are way beyond my original price range request, but the combination of Bill Me Later, a $50 Ebay gift card I won at work, and Christmas next week have made these a possibility.  How are these 2 for metal?  The Ultimate Ears are selling for about $50 less that the Sennheisers, but I really don't have a clue how they compar
 

The tf10 would be much better for metal as the ie8 is to dark sounding and not the fastest drivers out there , the monster coppers are very good for metal also , i have been using them on the go the last few days while listening to various types of metal .

 

[jaqueh]

get the trip.fi's then, don't get the IE8, they are not that suitable for extreme metal.
 
also RE0 have terrible soundstage

 

[Addonexus]

Those Coppers look great, but run nearly $400 on Ebay. A bit too expensive for me.  How comfortable are those Ultimate Ears?  They look pretty large in pictures.  I found the packed in medium size double flanges that came with my Sennheiser CX500s to be very comfortable.  Does Ultimate Ears offer something similar?

 

[rangerid]

Avoid Monster products at all cost on eBay, majority of them are fake even if the seller has excllent feedback. most people are not even aware of fakes out there.
 
TF10s are probably the best bet for metal, actually, they are the best IEM i have heard for that genre, a perfect blend/amount of bass and treble

 

[staxxx]

I don't like the IE8 or the TF10 for metal, but if I had a gun to my head and was forced to choose one, I'd pick the TF10. They have a v shaped response with a decent soundstage and good instrument separation. Like an above poster said, the Senns are too slow.

 

[Addonexus]

Are there any issues with counterfeit Ultimate Ears on Ebay?  I see them for a cheap as $142 Buy It Now.  Just checking because I got burnt once on fake Sennheisers off Ebay.