[goober-george]

I've never owned a quality IEM, only headphones, I made a thread earlier bout wanting to buy $50 iems, but now I kind of want to go semi-all out and am considering the RE-0s. I'm a little bit afraid of the build quality, I want them to last a long time.

Also as a point of reference for sound signatures, for dynamics I prefer MS-1s, and overall I prefer my orthodynamic headphone YH-1s and YH-3s. My main interests in music are rock/acoustic. You can also see my profile to get a better idea of my experience with headphones in general.

My max budget is around $130 so there isn't much more to spend for me, but I will consider others in the price range. Thanks.

 

[Punnisher]

I'm wondering the same thing. I sure hope you're right because I've already bought them.

 

[dnullify]

well they're pretty well liked based on their review/appreciation thread.

and i'd say they're a decent value, as the original price was $200, and it is at the $99 "summer sale" price now... though for how long... I'm itching to buy a pair, but i cant.... busted the budget on livewires....

 

[peli_kan]

Kostalex places them at the same sound quality level as the AKG K701, which possesses a similar sound signature, and slightly above the Denon D2000 and W1000. Keep in mind that these are full sized cans, and priced far higher. Some other very experienced ears have preferred them over many other top-notch universals, such as the Senn IE8, Westone 3 and UM3X.

They are NOT the end all headphone in my opinion, they are bass lean though sufficiently punchy for my tastes. Build quality is good, but several casings have split (including mine) within the first month of usage. Head-fi will take care of this though.

This is the thing: Head-direct is clearing out their RE0s to make room for their newest top notch IEM, the RE3. This deal won't last long for all.

 

[Laokid18]

MS1=PFE.

 

[mark2410]

the RE-0 is pretty astonishing for the money, if the sound sig works for you then get a set. they are light on bass, not hugely so but the clarity and resolution on them is outstanding

 

[Carefree]

I was wondering the same thing. I have been looking for a pair of phones lately, and the love the RE-0 has received obviously piqued my interest. My main concerns were:

Build quality - too many stories of split casings.
Impedance - Seems too high (/low?) and I'm not sure how loud they'll be on the go without an amp. Of course, I'm new to the game, so if this is not how impedance works, please correct me.

I ultimately decided against them because I got a good deal on a pair of Q0Jays. Still considering buying a pair anyway though (Damn you Head-fi!). So I was very interested in the responses to this post.

 

[koven]

i can't recommend the re0 enough.. seriously

it's a steal @ $99

 

[Carefree]

Duplicate post. Sorry, don't know why it did that.

 

[koven]

^ mine sounds great straight out of my fuze... and i have had no durability issues

 

[mark2410]

impedance on them just mean u turn the volume up a bit. my ipod hp out can still make them go louder than i want

 

[Carefree]

Maybe I'll give them a whirl. Though, I really want to try the AT CKS70 which are about the same price.

 

[zeromacro]

I personally fell in love with my RE-0. My ears definitely needed adjusting coming off of cheap boomy bass IEM's I used before. If you want warm/exciting sound sig these aren't for you. I find the RE-0 excellent for jazz/classical/acoustic/rock music. Instrument separation is superb and the clarity is astonishing.

 

[mvw2]

Head Direct has a 30 day return policy, so you're not exactly trapped to them if you end up not liking the set.

The RE0 is a well done IEM that is a great deal at the $99 price point.

I have not heard the MS1, so I can't comment how they compare to what you prefer. Laokid18 suggests the MS1 leans you more towards the Phonak Audio PFE IEM. The price range is still excellent on this product too and is another outstanding bang for the buck option.

I think the choice would come down to personal preference. I've used both the RE0 and PFE as well as a number of other IEMs. The RE0 didn't match my preference in sound, so I lean more heavily towards the PFE which in my opinion is a little better (very different sounding) product. I would also add one more product up on your list, Denon's C751. This is a really good IEM with a very realistic sound. It has a couple short comings, but they can be overlooked. The Denon C751 simply has great realism that I haven't really heard from any other IEM.

As I said, the end choice will much more be a matter of personal preference. For example all 3 above sound very different from each other, but each offer their own great qualities that excel some way in the market. As well, none of them do anything terribly wrong. Each is a well functioning product that is also decently special in their own little ways. I've done mini reviews of everything I've run if you want to get a more specific interpretation of my thoughts:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/m...4s-ok1-369643/

A good number of headphone reviews exist for these:
RE0
techPowerUp :: Head-Direct RE0 Earphones Review :: Page 1 / 4
Head-Direct RE0 Review
Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: HEAD-DIRECT RE0 In-ear Headphones
PFE
Phonak Audéo PFE (Perfect Fit Earphone) Review
Audeo PFE 122 Perfect Fit Earphones (black) Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews
Amazon.com: Audeo Perfect Fit Earphones - Black: Electronics
C700/C751
Denon AH-C700 In-Ear Headphones (black) Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews
Denon AH-C700 review from TechRadar UK's expert reviews of Headphones
Amazon.com: Denon AHC751K In-ear Headphones (Black): Electronics

...you get the idea, and I'm not even including the 50 threads covering these things here on Head-Fi to boot.

 

[chicaman]

it blown my frens mind off when they hear my RE0. I compared them with many IEMs and RE0 is the best I've heard so far