[Teeter]

Am I crazy to spend more than a couple hundred bucks on IEMs, if I'm never going to amp them and am going to listen solely to MP3's from my smartphone or Clip+? I've got a good ear and am easily seduced into spending up for nice things but, given my purposes, wonder if I should simply look for the best <$200 IEM that fits my tastes. Thoughts?

 

[mastershake2393]

Nope.
 
You might get everything out of the expensive IEM that you buy, but it will still sound great.
 
IMO, IEMs shouldn't need amping because portability is what they are suppose to be about. Carrying around a small brick restricts portability immensely...

 

[Rangotherabbit]

Ive spent  $90 for my cx 300 II, $140 on my sennheiser ie8's, and $200 on my xba-4's, .... and my point is invalid beacuse they all cost less than $200.....
 
Basically no, id spend more than $200 on earphones that I only use with my sony walkman any day of the week, provided they are worth it of course. But it'd be a good idea to try and stay under the $200 price though, unless you reallly scope out a nice pair of iems that are on special and sound amazing. In that case anything up too $350 is perfectly acceptable.
 
And as the saying goes, "Money doesn't sound as good as a nice pair of headphones"

 

[superrab]

I don't think there's anything wrong with spending a few hundred on IEMs and using them solely with a Clip+, a lot of people use that particular setup here.

 

[Chaiale]

Clip+ is a good little device. And who knows, after hearing your smartphone through good IEMs, you may want to improve your setup. But some good FLACs on a Rockbox'd Clip+ heard through good IEMs is a beautiful build because its portability is flat-out beautiful while using good quality components the whole way through. Like Rango said, that's what IEMs (rather than full cans or speakers) are FOR!