[hiccamer]

Hey all, i could use a little bit of help.
I am looking for a reasonably priced entry level set of IEM's for my girl. I do not listen to IEM's, personal pref., but she does not want to carry around a set of full sized cans with her ipod, and for other uses there is always my collection. I do not want to spend too much as I am sure she will mostly feign appreciation, but i cannot stand those ipod earbuds; even the sight of them. Her listening is mostly limited to rock and some country with an occasional pop tune; don't ask I don't know how we ended up together.

Please advise,
hIc

 

[Kasp3r]

Best bang for the buck I would say the Super.fi 3 which you can get for about 59$ at amazon.
Amazon.com: Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio Earphones (White): Electronics

If you have a costco membership, they are selling the super.fi for 49.99.

 

[hiccamer]

thanx much, i've noticed people talking about those in some other threads; i guess if i want to stay cheap thats the way to go...
thanx

 

[intoflatlines]

I helped my girlfriend pick out the super.fi 3. She really likes how they sound and I have to say that they sound decent. Of course, I prefer my SF5 Pro more..

The only drawback to the SF3 is that they are larger and really not all that great looking. Also, she may have problems with fit if her ear canals are small.

She is happy with her SF3 and its sound, but if you think she's very fashion conscious, you may want to look elsewhere.

Edit: looks like I got beaten to it.. So, x2 on the SF3.

 

[hiccamer]

what else might you recommend I consider?
I really never listen to IEM's so any pointed responses would be great.
thanx

 

[DKaz]

The ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 are on sale at Costco for $50. If there isn't one near you, Amazon has them for $60 (Super.fi 3). These are a little on the large side for traveling and take some getting used to.

The Denon AH-C700 are also on sale at Amazon for $100(AH-C700). I have heard great things about these and plan to get a pair myself.

I love the Crossroads MylarOne X3i. You can get them at Jaben Network for $57.

 

[ph0rk]

shure e2c's are dead cheap, easy to insert, and relatively rugged - all good qualities for the mid-fi enthusiast.

Bass can vary (especially with older ipods) - but still beats the heck out of ibud bass.

 

[hiccamer]

well thank you all for the advice, again.
I probably wont order anything for another week or two so if there are any other thoughts please post them as I am subscribed to this thread; PM always works as well.
regards,
hIc

 

[jclinton46]

If it doesn't have to be an iem there is always the well regarded Koss KSC-75. The ear clips are not too much larger to carry than iem's. I like their sound but for some reason the clips are uncomfortable for me.

A number of people seem to complain about the comfort of iem's (or a few are very vocal). Once I found the right tips I almost forget I have them in. You might try the JVC Marshmallows or the newer HA FX-66. Not likely as good as the super-fi 3 or others recommended but still tons better than iBuds and only about $20 for the Marshmallows or $35 for the FX-66.

At least with the more popular (with Head-Fi folks) ones you can sell them here and get back most of your investment. Good luck.

 

[Capital R]

Jays IEM's are great in terms of size, style, and sound quality. You can grab them over at audiocubes.com.

 

[LaBreaHead]

A simple, single step up from iBuds would be the Creative EP630 canal phones. Not audiophile, but fun -- and they fit so much better than iBuds. Around $30 online, so the price is good if appreciation is only feigned. Or you could pay more for the physically similar Sennheiser canal phones (still under $90, I think). That's if you want to get highly portable, easy-to-use, stay-in-the-ear canal phones, without getting into the pickier, trickier area of true in-ear monitors ...


__________________________
Phones (in order of purchase):
Sony MDR71, Sony MDR51, Etymotic ER6, Panasonic RP-HJ50, Shure E3C, Koss PortaPro 2, Creative EP630, Etymotic ER6i, Sennheiser PX-100, Sennheiser HD555, Future Sonics Atrio M5

 

[sHaRkKaE]

or how about the Audio Technica CK 7?