[FinnishFlash]

I've done a fair bit of searching around IEMs, and etymotic's er-4 and er-6i seem to be very popular with the classical crowd. The thing is, however, that the er-4s and er4-p cost much more than I would care to spend for a pair of phones that I would not be listening to on a daily basis. The er-6i seem to fit the bill and are attractively priced, but I am somewhat concerned about their alleged difficulty of use (I would need something that would not require 30 seconds of awkward removal efforts should the boss show up at the doorstep of my office

).

Etymotics aside, what would be your recommendations for IEM's costing up to roughly 100 euros (or the rough equivalent of 100 USD in the states). The models I have looked at so far include:

Shure SE210
Denon AH-C551
UE Super.fi 3 Studio
Jays D-Jays (or S-Jays when available)

Would any of the above come close to the characteristics of Etymotics? I know that the more expensive models by Shure and Ultimate Ears are often mentioned in connection with classical, but they would stretch my budget too much. I may already be asking too much, but a tad more bass (yep, classical is not all violins and flutes...) than what the Etys are supposed to deliver would not hurt either. In case it helps, I am using a pair of Beyerdynamic DT-880s as my full-size phones and I am very fond of these.

I would use the IEMs unamped directly out of my iPod nano, listening to 256 kbps AAC (VBR) files.

Any suggestions would be welcome!

 

[toughnut]

Try NuForce Ne-7M. Pretty good feedback on that IEM.

 

[nocturnalsheet]

the d-jays will come closest to the er4p/s. if you have a bigger budget the q-jays will be the best choice.

the details and clarity of the jays are not as good as the etymotics but they are not far behind.

 

[Taikero]

If you wanted an Etymotic that you'd probably use for more than just Classical, the Etymotic HF5 is something you should take a look at. It has a wider range of genre capability than the ER6i/ER4P, and with tips that aren't stock, they are comfortable and easy to insert/remove. You can also sleep with them on.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/e...1/#post5145969

With a small EQ adjustment, I've been using these more than any of my other IEMs lately. The only genre they're still slightly lacking in is hip hop, but I can live with that and drag out the M5/X10/5 EB if I need a solid hip hop session.

 

[shigzeo]

really, just about any iem does any music at least tolerably. however some are just more in line with the mainstream of genre's supporters. i prefer a more laid back classical presentation so ety are not my favs but they are one of my favs for trance. since the two genre's are only a stone's throw apart, i can understand why they are popular phones at least for classical.

 

[ZoNtO]

Order the used pair of er4p on the forums right now dude, you don't have to spend what Etymotics or even Amazon charges for them.

I think I got mine for about 120 and that's what the ones right now are going for as well!

 

[TacticalPenguin]

6i's with the new mushroom tips (look for the Etymotic ER 4 tips thread for pics and details) dont stick in too far and can be removed easily. I would go for those ER 4's on the FS forums.

 

[jonathanjong]

Scrap the C551s for classical. Soundstage is small, and it's a bit too dark (but perhaps that's a matter of taste). The new Apple IEMs might please. They're fast enough to do classical well and sound very smooth (more so than my ER-6i). However, while I think that they lack the detail and soundstage of the ER-6i, some others disagree. I'd say they're a little worse than ER-6i for classical, but not by too much.

 

[Xena]

I can't recommend UE SF3 for classical. I listen to a lot of classical, and the UE is quite weak in the high end AND the low end. The mids are pretty good.

I love my SE530s with classical, though they are the slightest bit rolled off in the highs. Still acceptable with most classical CDs I have. If my budget were constrained I'd look at lower cost Shures and cross my fingers.

 

[FinnishFlash]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I really appreciate your help!

 

[Mellow Mushroom]

Shure SE530

 

[synaesthetic]

nthing HF5s with Shure olives

 

[EFN]

ER6 (not the ER6-i) if you are on tight budget. The speed and resolving prowess of Ety will do well with Classical.

IEMs are not difficult to wear once you get used to them (within 2 months)

Personally I would recommend to wait until you have the budget to get an ER-4P.

 

[analogbox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mellow Mushroom /img/forum/go_quote.gif Shure SE530

I don't think that's within OP's price criteria although it wouldn't be a bad choice. My two cents would be to go with a headphone instead. IEMs just don't provide enough soundstage for classical music compared to fullsized cans and even some portable cans. If it has to be, I'd go with Yuin's OK or PK series which are ear buds. They're open by design so it provides wider soundstage.

 

[FinnishFlash]

There seems to be no way around Etys for classical, is there?

Based on the feedback received and based on further research, I have decided to increase my budget and get a pair of ER-4Ps (the HF5s are not yet available here in Europe).

Thanks to everyone for your replies!