[Abu Som3a]

Budget: $30 US
Shopping for: IEM
Location: Egypt


The only place I could find selling half-decent earbuds here is Radioshack, and they seem to have a similar product list to that in the US. It's just more limited and only the lower end products are available. (I bought Koss KSC75 for $20, which is a good price I believe).

Here are some options I remember:
Koss Plug
Some Sony vertical earbuds (can't remember model name exactly, but remember it ended with a "-1")
iLuv They looked similar to iPod earbuds but in IEM form. The salesman kept on telling me they were good, and they had quite a lot of stock of them.
Jwin (can't remember model name).
Griffin (can't remember model name either).
Couple others I can't remember their name now.

Well, without model names, I don't think I'll receive much help. But in your own local Radioshack, what IEMs would you consider, and which would you avoid?

And please don't tell me to increase my budget because a)$30 is already a lot for me, and b)Radioshack isn't offering IEMs for more than $30.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Scarlet Infidel]

Can you order items from the internet?

For example the PL-30s are within budget and good for the money.

 

[Abu Som3a]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarlet Infidel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can you order items from the internet? For example the PL-30s are within budget and good for the money.

No. Shipping charges and customs will make it too expensive.

 

[walkingman]

It's free shipping to worldwide addresses.

Do they have Sennheiser CX 300? They retail for more than $30, but most retailers normally sell them around the $30 range.

I know the Sony EX71 isn't popular here, but I personally think it is ok if you can find it around the $25 mark.

 

[Abu Som3a]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkingman /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's free shipping to worldwide addresses. Do they have Sennheiser CX 300? They retail for more than $30, but most retailers normally sell them around the $30 range. I know the Sony EX71 isn't popular here, but I personally think it is ok if you can find it around the $25 mark.

We don't have Paypal in Egypt.
Nor do we have Sennheisers.

Sad, but I'm pretty sure I can find a pearl in that muddy sea of oysters I'm looking through in Radioshack. The same way I found the Koss KSC75. I wish I could use them publicly but:
1) In quiet places, as libraries, the whole place hears what I'm listening to. In noisy places, I don't hear anything.
2) The volume knob is very annoying.

 

[walkingman]

Well in the case, from the list you have there, I have to recommend the Koss Plug. But not at $30. They only cost like $10 here...

You can then mod them:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/kos...s-whoa-182927/

 

[Abu Som3a]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkingman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well in the case, from the list you have there, I have to recommend the Koss Plug. But not at $30. They only cost like $10 here... You can then mod them: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/kos...s-whoa-182927/

They cost $20.

Sorry. I didn't read the thread before replying. Well, thanks.

 

[coolperl]

How about Creative EP-630? Very decent pair of headphones, for their price.

 

[Abu Som3a]

Senn CX300B and Creative EP-630 were the two most obvious choices. I kept on looking for them, or even anything branded Senn or Creative. Couldn't find any.

 

[Abu Som3a]

Here are some products being on sale here:
Untitled Document

How good is the JWIN JHE20WHT? It's bering sold for $8.

 

[coolperl]

JWIN for 8$ ? It must be a disaster ...

You need to look after in-ear headphone, not "ear-bud", if you plan to use them in library ...or any other quiet places.

I recall, that Sony has some cheap in-ear model MDR-EX32, you can also look for Phillips she9500. If they're unavialable in your country, just buy anything that is branded by a company which actually "makes" headphones and is "in-ear" design (philips, sony, koss, panasonic, jvc ....just don't buy thomson, they're total crap).

In worst case, you can buy those Koss Plugs - nothing special, but I bet, they're better than some non-branded, designed-for-ipod, fashionable earphones.

 

[millionmonkeys]

Mate

Send me a pm and I'll see what I can do. We can't have you buying vaginas!

 

[Abu Som3a]

Thanks mate. I've been searching the forums and found that Jwin is craptacular. I can't believe the salesman kept on talking me into them and the iLuvs.

I also found this post:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/545679-post2.html
Quote:

Not only that, but a lot of their popular mid-priced, crappy headphones like the MDR-V600 will also be eliminated. As a result, Sony will end up making nothing but cheap, crap-tacular headphones like Street Styles and w.ears and MDR-x01's under their own name, and may actually outsource their higher-priced headphones to another manufacturer.

The funny part about it is that when I asked the salesman what would he personally buy if budget were not a concern, he very confidently replied, "Sony, of course.". Then he showed me some Sony Street Styles and and a vertical Sony MDR-x01 (or something similarly named). OMG, LOL.

OK. It seems like I'm going to buy the Spark plug, but the only mod I'm going to do would be the tape mod, since I don't feel comfortable opening the interior.

One final question: I already have these earbuds/phones:
Stock Apple earbud (Was bundled with my iPod shuffle. The iPod was stolen but I still have the earbuds).
Koss KSC75
Sony Ericsson HPM-62
Sony Ericsson HPM-82 (rebranded Sony MDR-EX70), but it was ruined and that's why I'm looking for a replacement.

How does the Sparkplug fare against the MDR-EX70, and if it's better then how does it fare against the KSC75?
And is it worth buying or should I just stick with the stock Apple earbud?

 

[Abu Som3a]

Quote:

Originally Posted by millionmonkeys /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mate Send me a pm and I'll see what I can do. We can't have you buying vaginas!

I don't understand what you mean. Send you a PM regarding what?

 

[Abu Som3a]

Here's an update. I bought the Sparkplugs for $15, and here's my experience with them:
I'm very satisfied with their comfort (despite being in-ear) and isolation (can hardly hear my keyboard strokes now even without any music running). However I find the mute button useless and annoying.

Regarding sound quality, I Initially found it too bassy and unacceptable, but after applying the tape mod, the sound became very balanced. The treble is not as good as the KSC75, nor is the soundstage. The sound is also a little muffled and not as separated as the KSC75.
Despite all that, I can safely say that sound quality is still much superior to the stock iPod phones and even my rebranded MDR-EX70. And they will only get better once they burn-in.

Thanks head-fi for your help and support.