[rymd]

IEMs are the cheaper avenue to great sound. They're also much more comfortable in my opinion than full size headphones.

 

[LostMySelf]

Agree with you, IEM's are way more comfortable and easier to "store" somewhere. Also sound quality wise, it's not a huge difference to be honest. I currently use Klipsch S4 on my computer and they sound supergreat (but not on my iPhone).

 

[Poak]

I prefer IEMs to regular headphones too. Comfort and isolation is better with these  than with full-sized headphones. Also, I think the SQ of IEMs is just as good as regular headphones.
 
And finally.. they are extremely portable (but I still use them when at home, even if I own a pair of full size headphones)

 

[-y0-]

I prefer earphones as well, headphones just aren't as comfortable to me.

 

[gduck]

From experience, i think full sized cans sound better than iems ( the highest tier iems i have tried would be tf10 and shure e535 ). But having to listen 80 % of my music on the go, as well as wearing glasses which only add to the discomfort of full sized cans, i find myself going pure iem all the way. I love their form factor, portability, isolation, and the fact that people will not guess how much they are. Try asking ppl what they think costs more, sennheiser hd598 or westone 4.    

 

[Danneq]

Quote:

What is your favorite earbud from your collection?

I'll try to not turn this into an earbud thread. 
 
Anyway, my favorite is ATH CM700TI, which is discontinued and replaced by ATH CM707. I haven't heard that one. The ATH CM700TI has got a wide soundstage and if you use EQ you can get good bass response. It is fairly laid back and very detailed.
 
Another favorite is Yuin PK2. The soundstage is not as wide as the ATH CM700TI and it is slightly less detailed. Also the sound is more up front. It has also got pretty good bass response for an earbud. You can find the PK2 for around $55 on Ebay (it's a Chinese brand, so I doubt that Chinese imitators will make fakes).
 
If you want very pronounced bass that still is not muddy, I recommend TFTA 1101-V1. It is an English brand from a new (?) company that sells 3 or 4 different IEMs and 2 different earbuds. The TFTA 1101-V1 is the most expensive earbud, and it cost me $79 with shipping included. At first it sounded terrible, very bassy and boxed in with no soundstage at all. So I have been burning it in for a while (leaving it plugged into my computer playing music at a slightly higher volume than my normal listening volume). At around 20 hours it has really opened up and become more balanced. I have never heard such a strong bass response from an earbud.  Soundstage is not very wide, but I am impressed by its depth.
 
Here are two good earbud related threads:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/441400/earbuds-round-up
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/531063/earbud-guide-12-earbuds-compared

 

[colgatetotal]

While I like my IEMs, none of them can match the openness and airiness of my full-size cans.

 

[roark37]

I would like to be in this group that prefers iems and would rather that is all I used but I haven't been able to find any comfort with them.  I suspect I am doing something wrong because I find them so uncomfortable immediately.  I have only tried cheap(less that $40) so far as I want to make sure I can wear comfortably before spending too much.  Are there any iem's you would consider super, super comfortable?  Preferably with a somewhat loose easy to slide in feel?  Does that even exist or will that eliminate great sound from iem's?  I was considering trying Klipsch S4 next as I had read they are very comfortable, true?  Would the S4 at least give me the information I would need about comfort as I can buy those locally at Best Buy and if they were not comfortable enough could I conclude nothing iem likely to be for me?  Also in my searches I came across many mentions of Westone UM series(I think) being very comfortable.  Any others?  Thanks.

 

[BassInMyFace]

Quote:

While I like my IEMs, none of them can match the openness and airiness of my full-size cans.

It only makes sense that they are more open/airy due to the physics behind the two designs. I honestly don't know where else full-size have a true advantage over IEMs...
 
 

 

[BassInMyFace]

Quote:

I would like to be in this group that prefers iems and would rather that is all I used but I haven't been able to find any comfort with them.  I suspect I am doing something wrong because I find them so uncomfortable immediately.  I have only tried cheap(less that $40) so far as I want to make sure I can wear comfortably before spending too much.  Are there any iem's you would consider super, super comfortable?  Preferably with a somewhat loose easy to slide in feel?  Does that even exist or will that eliminate great sound from iem's?  I was considering trying Klipsch S4 next as I had read they are very comfortable, true?  Would the S4 at least give me the information I would need about comfort as I can buy those locally at Best Buy and if they were not comfortable enough could I conclude nothing iem likely to be for me?  Also in my searches I came across many mentions of Westone UM series(I think) being very comfortable.  Any others?  Thanks.

You haven't been exposed to truly exceptionally designed IEMs if you've only used less than $40 pairs (in my opinion at least).  If they fit loose, it would defeat the purpose of IEM isolation.  Here is your ultimate summary of IEMs that includes the comfort factor on over 200 pairs:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-205-iems-compared-j-phonic-k2-sp-added-11-13-11

 

[i2ehan]

For the many obvious reasons that have already been discussed, I'm exclusively an IEM guy. In fact, I sold my Ultrasone 900 PRO's within 2 months time, and went right back to my EX1000's. I prefer the ease of in-ears 10 out of 10 times. 

 

[cn11]

I have Pro 900's too, and the only thing that has made me want to sell them (IEM-wise) is my most recent purchase-- Future Sonics MG6pro customs. They manage to have a more coherent soundstage, about equal on detail, and much better, more naturally forward, mids. They're making me contemplate selling off most of everything else I own, they're that good.... 

 

[shureThing]

I have sold all my headphones
IEMs are so much more pocketable, offer greater isolation, easier to sell (for me at least), generally don't need amplification. But there are some aspects of headphones that I do miss, like an immersive soundstage and the feel of the pads against my face.

 

[kckc]

I much prefer IEMs due to the form factor. They have also proved to be more comfortable than headphones for my ears. 

 

[edmelvins]

I agree. I have a Grado RS-2, DT-770, and M-80 that are usually driven by HP-P1 but I personally prefer to take my Senn CX-400II when I go out walking. I'm starting to regret having spent a lot of money on those headphones now. Might sell them in the near future even.