I'm looking for earbuds or IEMs to use with my phone to listen to music while I'm walking around outside.   Low isolation so I don't bump into people or fail to hear a car.  Sturdy so they won't get destroyed in my pocket when I'm not listening.  Comfortable for obvious reasons.  They...

The MC5 may be the best choice.  Everyone seems to like the isolation and build quality, although views on comfort and sound quality vary widely.  I'd imagine the comfort would be about the same as similar sized IEMs with similar tips, but perhaps I'm missing something.   I had a rather bad...

I was thinking more of IEMs.  Sorry for not making that clear

What would you recommend for relatively cheap earphones for the occasional airplane trip?  Isolation and comfort are the most important factors, so long as sound is within reason.  I don't fly that much, so would prefer not paying more than about $50. 

Quote:   Why do you prefer the monsters?  Comfort, isolation, sound?  I suppose I could order both, but that seems a bit wasteful.   thanks for publicizing these phones.

Very nice, especially at this price.   Which sampler set of tips should I try Monster http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Foam-SuperTip-Sampler-Starter/dp/B003TFEHMA Sony http://www.amazon.com/Sony-EPEX10A-BLK-Replacement-Earbuds/dp/B001RB24UA/ something else?

I'm looking for IEMs for airplane travel and the like.  I'd like a very high degree of isolation and reasonable sound quality.  I'd like something very comfortable, because I'd use them for many hours at a time, although I realize comfort is largely a function of the tips.  Something that works...

The first sentence of the first google hit I got for "etymotic warranty" is an etymotic page which starts with "Etymotic Research, Inc. automatically warrants the following products against defects in material or workmanship from the date of original purchase from an authorized Etymotic...

^ Would the ER4P work better than HF5 with an adapter? Although so many say the 4p doesn't have enough bass. I just found another seller for the im716. I'll probably grab it later tonight unless someone comes up with a better choice.

I'm looking for an IEM with good isolation (for airplane use), good SQ, greater than 16 ohm impedance (one of my sources gets hissy with every 16 ohm phone I've tried) and under $100. This would replace my im716, which worked fine until the sound became intermittent. I had ordered another...

^ That seems the universal view. RE0 is usually rated slightly above average on isolation, while er6i is near top of the line.

Quote: Originally Posted by semisight Isolation is sub-par for a closed IEM. I like mine but my tastes have shifted to want a more lively sound. If I were you I'd pony up the extra cash to try a pair of CZs (the panasonic HJE900). They have more bass and the build quality FWIR is great...

Quote: Originally Posted by Pianist Regarding efficiency, both im716 and RE0 need an amp to sound their best, but RE0 sounds better unamped than im716 amped IMO. You shouldn't have problems getting the RE0 loud enough even out of weak sources, but for best sound quality with the most...

Quote: Originally Posted by Pianist RE0 won't isolate as well, but in sound quality, it is head and shoulders above the im716. A bit worse or night and day? Also, approximately how loud is the RE0 compared to the im716, assuming same input?

I'm thinking of getting the RE0 to replace my dying im716. From other posts, it seems many prefer the SQ of the REO, although it may be a matter of taste. How is the REO compared to the im716 in terms of isolation and volume? Likely source is an ipod (or the like) unamped. I mostly listen to...