[jl1994]

Hi guys,
 
Been a follower of head-fi and I thought why not join the community.
 
Also I have a decision on a new pair of earphones that I need help with.
 
I recently purchased a pair of Shure SE535 as I had wanted a pair since they were 
released years back and I needed a replacement for my broken SE215's.
 
Previously I had a pair of Bose ie2's and some Monster Turbine Pro's Gold editions.
They were ok but the turbines would not stay in my ear and quickly disintegrated. The ie2's
were surprisingly comfortable but just didn't give the the wow factor and I got bored of their sound
after a while.
 
When the opportunity came about to get a pair of discounted SE535's I jumped at the chance.
They arrived and shortly after I was disappointed. I could not get a comfortable fit and could not wear them
for longer than 10-15 minutes due to ear pain and headaches. Equally the sound was not knocking me
off my seat, this maybe partially due to the fact that I was distracted more by the pain in my ears and
not having a decent player to power them from. 
 
In terms of equipment I have a macbook pro which I occasionally plug my phones into and an
old iPhone 3gs that I take to the gym. But neither of these devices were producing a nice sound so
I tried them on my LG nexus 4 which improved the clarity but provided little bass response and the 
overall volume level was poor.
 
Bottom Line I need to get a different pair of in-ears and potentially a near player. 
 
For the phones I need something that has a real attacking sound whilst remaining controlled and
clear. I listen to a lot of house/electro/hip-hop and generally punchy music.
I also go to the gym and do a lot of cycling so need something which is going to be hard-wearing
and provide a secure comfortable fit, this is what I like about the Shure's once there in - they are in!
Furthermore, I have problems with the fit of the SE535's so anything bigger than those could be 
a problem too.
 
Some models I have been looking at:
- Shure SE215/315
- Westone 3/w30
- Phonak 232
- Sony XBA 2ip/3ip
 
Any others feel free to recommend, as I am looking for a pair within the £300 range
but obviously less would be better.
 
If I could get something for around £100 it would allow me to spend the remaining money on a decent
player such as a Cowon D2/J3 or Fiio X3. However these are quite large players so any others 
that are very portable and provide a great sound please share.
 
Recently I have been thinking about resorting back to a pair of Shure SE215's and just getting
a Sanza clip which would be ultraportable and is reported to produce a surprisingly good sound.
 
Anyone else have a setup like this? Or similar?
 
Any help is much appreciated guys, thanks.

 

[SteveHiFi]

I've had a similar issue with Shure in-ears; my ear canals are like U-bends so I have the choice of having the capsules stick out of my conchas or being in pain!
 
Of your choices I'd say the Phonak Audeo 232 are likely to be found cheap just now, due to Phonak stopping all production of in-ears last year. Warranty claims and spares are likely to be problematic in the future though.
 
I would recommend Westone or Earsonics products as a good equivalent for the Shures.

 

[jl1994]

Thanks Steve!
 
Yeah I have looked into that and thats the only thing I'm concerned about.
If I need a new cable or they stop working I could be stuck!
 
Leaning towards the westone w30's