[eshroom]

OK. Before you say there not comparable, this thread is about value as much as it is about sound.
 
I want these headphones for use on an iPhone and laptop. I will listen to music and watch movies. Also, I prefer to wear them looped over-ear which might rule some out as some are better at this than others.
 
My understanding so far:
 
RE-Zero - $90
- Not very bassy.
- Accurate sound reproduction.
- Perhaps a bit weak without an amp or powerful device (therefore maybe not ideal for iPhone).
- Might not be best to watch movies due to lack of bass.
 
Brainwavz M2 - $50
- Bassier, but not quite as accurate as RE-Zero.
- Very good for price.
- Perhaps better all round than RE-Zero when including move watching.
 
Panasonic RP-HJE900E-K - $150
- Seem to take the best of both the above.
- Maybe a bit heavy and perhaps not best for over-ear.
- But are they worth the extra money?
 
Klipsch Custom 3 - $160
- Not too different from Panas.
- In order to part with so much cash, I'd have to be truly convinced that these are really worth the extra money. All I know is they'd fit comfortably with my style of wearing.
 
 
From what I can gather, the Brainwavs M2s are the winner in so much as the RE-Zeros may not be best for what I want and probably aren't worth almost twice as much even if they were. Agree?
 
Following that track, are either of the others soooo good that they're worth an extra $100? Bear in mind these are just for an iPhone/laptop.
 
Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Inks]

The C3s have a very flimsy cable fwir so you really have to take care of them, the opposite is true of the Panasonics. I say M2s or HJE900s, the latter won't be that big of an upgrade compared to the former (based on the M1) and I'll personally only pay 100$ or less for it. 

 

[JosephKim]

Even though you gave absolutely no information about what sound signature you prefer..
 
RE-ZERO was accurate as you say with nice mids. Dont need an amp to drive these. They would actually be my first choice.
 
Ive never heard the m2, but I absolutely hated the m1. It sounded extremely veiled with no soundstage width, decent depth. 
 
Id rule out the pannys if you need to wear them over the ear. The cables extremely well built but heavy. Sound signature wise there is a mid bass hump and to me the mids were slightly recessed, but they sounded wonderful for certain songs.
 
Never heard the custom 3 sorry. But you can get them for $99 I believe. I forget what site.

 

[Cycle10s]

Custom 3's available from Amazon by Adorama Camera for $109.99 (used to be $99.99). They're an incredible value, but the cable is terrible.

 

[akacoke]

m2 is very light and comfortable they sound amazing for day to day uses, they are 2 tiny lil holes on the housing so you know these IEMs will never give you any driver flex when you insert them like most monster IEMs do.  IMO m2 is a midrange monster, mid is lil warm and crisp clear, you might find them bass heavy, for a bass head like meself i think they are a lil light on the bass department,  but overall they are so great for the value, they are often used as benchmarks,  right now they only 36 shipped at the new opend mp4 nation USA base, cant beat 36 for m2s. i dont know how long the deal will last , if i were you , i would def order them now.  the only down side is the silver plated cable have some kinda memery could be annoying for someone
 
 
 
i dont own pana hje900, i read here somewhere, they can be harsh ,  few month ago they were like 90bucks off amazon, right now they are hard to find , everyone wants an arm or a leg for them
 
 
FYI, usally for heavier IEMs like pana hje900 you can get them to seal easier if you wear them over the ear,   it would be lil more comfortable too as over the ear takes the weight of heavy housing on top of the ear, normally your ear canal take all the weight
 
good luck researching
 
 

 

[eshroom]

Quote:

...right now they only 36 shipped at the new opend mp4 nation USA base, cant beat 36 for m2s...
 
 

Do you mean these - http://mp4nation.net/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=51&products_id=390 - if so, they are coming up at $59 not $36...

 

[Redmetal1897]

Pana's are the only one I have heard from that list and I whole heartedly recommend them. After burn in and using triple flange tips, they have zero sibilance. Also they have among the most realistic timbre for distortion guitar that I have heard. Factor in the build quality and they are easily worth the $150, I got them at $90 so for me that is an absolute steal. 

 

[basementdweller]

Of the ones you mentioned, I only own the Custom 3.  The C3 are a great bargain for sound quality and comfort if you get them at $109.  However, when everyone says that microphonics and the cabling sucks, even I can't articulate just how horrible they are.  I got these for times when I want to listen to headphones when not moving around because using them while mobile is a no go.

 

[akacoke]

not those
 
here is the thread link, mp4 uas page shows 59now, 2 days ago was 36,  thread says 36 deal end friday
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/535808/mp4nation-usa-brainwavz-m2-just-39-50-grand-opening-special-for-head-fi-members#post_7231787
 
 
you might wanna ask them

 

[eshroom]

Hmmm. Just been offered the C3s for $119 delivered, new. Definetely no good for walking around? Can;t be weaker than Apple's standard... Surely?

 

[rawrster]

If you want a great value and a pleasing sound the M2 is hard to beat for $50. I absolutely enjoy mine and the only fault I could find is that the strain relief by the housing was too long so it was a bit harder for an over the ear fit. I snipped off a portion of the strain relief and that problem is solved. 
 
The RE-Zero is a good value. It offers close to top tier while not costing as much. The build quality is lacking a bit but HifiMan is a good company to do business with. Fang works very hard to make sure his customers are happy but there is a slight language barrier since English is not his first language. As for accurate it's not very accurate in the bass since it rolls off in the bass early so sub bass is not really present. It has a slightly forward upper midrange and a good treble.
 
The Brainwavz M2 is a good value but not as good as the RE-Zero. It is more bassy but offers good build quality, lots of accessories and now is being shipped from the US which is a great thing considering the wait time from China and the fact that MP4Nation is not known to ship things in a timely manner. They have a bit of a bass hump, slightly recessed midrange and a decent treble. I find it very enjoyable and for movies it should do well. I use them as my movies/videos iem and it works great.
 
The HJE900 hits harder than any of the other two with a bass hump as well. It has even more recessed mids and the treble is the best of the three although it may be a bit harsh. A foam mod balances the midrange and makes it a very good iem. It has replaceable cables and good build quality as the housings are solidly built.
 
I've never had the Custom3 so no idea about that one.

 

[eshroom]

So the C3s at $120 are a no-go if I want to walk around? Shame, they look comfy.
 
The Panas are great but perhaps not $60 more than the RE-Zeros, which are not worth $40 more than the M2s. The Zeros offer a more delicate sound and therefore perhaps not great for outdoor use and films... Correct?
 
So I really should go for the M2s... I think. But I'm fighting an urge to go for the RE-Zeros... I think it's everything on this forum that's confused me.
 
I'll chuck in the Ultimate Ears Super Fi.4 at $55 as a wild-card just because they're sexy! Anyone likey?

 

[Uncle00Jesse]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE save your time and money and DO NOT GET the UE SuperFi 4s. I said to myself, oh hey theres a gold box deal on these for $35, if they once cost $150, they must be good for $35 right? WRONG. these honestly could not sound worse in my opinion. Absolutely no bass, no detail, they sound extremely tinny, not to mention the build quality is horrendous.  My $15 purple sony in ears that I got at Target sound far superior and are much more comfortable. I'd strongly suggest staying away.
 
On a more positive note, I have the M2s on the way, as well as the Custom 3s. Will let you guys know how they compare 
Quote:

So the C3s at $120 are a no-go if I want to walk around? Shame, they look comfy.
 
The Panas are great but perhaps not $60 more than the RE-Zeros, which are not worth $40 more than the M2s. The Zeros offer a more delicate sound and therefore perhaps not great for outdoor use and films... Correct?
 
So I really should go for the M2s... I think. But I'm fighting an urge to go for the RE-Zeros... I think it's everything on this forum that's confused me.
 
I'll chuck in the Ultimate Ears Super Fi.4 at $55 as a wild-card just because they're sexy! Anyone likey?

 

[paulypaul]

I agree with rawster both the ZEROs and the M2s are good value.
I put the ZEROs as the best value, though I still have plenty of time to listen to my M2s.

 

[lucozade]

I only have the custom 3 and hje900 out of the four you are considering and out of those two i would go for the hje900 if you intend to watch a lot of movies through your iem's .
 
Hje900 has great bass ,and drum timbre and hits hard with good impact so will be good for movies , electric guitar also sounds very good for rock music ,very raw and raunchy sounding .I do not find the midrange to be reccesed at however i do like a v shaped sound which these are.
 
Custom 3 overall have a superior and more refined sound for music than the hje900 with more micro details and very good bass for a ba phone but for movies the bass on the hje900 will be more dramatic ,producing a better movie experience ,great for explosions ,thunder etc.