Best $100 IEM's for jazz, hip hop, classical guitar?

[onemike]

First time poster, long time lurker. This place is an amazing resource. I've learned a lot already.

My Portapros are great for what they are (especially for the price). But I'm tired of them--a little too much bass, not enough detail, too much sound leakage. And they keep falling apart. I tried some Sennheiser PX-100's, but found them a little too laid back and neutral (not as fun, I guess), and they leaked as well.

So I'm shopping for some IEM's around $100. I can probably justify going a little higher. Plan on using them unamped with a video iPod, though I'm shopping for a better-sounding DAP (really miss the FLAC support on my dearly-departed Rio Karma--held that thing together with a rubber band before it finally died on me).

I listen to a lot of jazz, classical/flamenco guitar (which I'm studying now), hip hop, classic funk and R&B. My problem is that, in my opinion, these styles of music have distinct (and sometimes competing) sonic demands. I love hearing details, like the attack of the fingers on a nylon string guitar and the breath going through a trumpet. And I love being able to place the instruments of a jazz quintet in a defined soundstage. But I also greatly appreciate the old school analogue warmth of 70's funk and R&B. Plus, I like hearing the honk and mellow tones of a tenor sax, as well as the bass in hip hop (though I wouldn't call myself a bass head).

What do you all think? Can all of this be had for $100? Am I overanalyzing this? Or missing something?

 

[DKaz]

I have the Crossroads MylarOne X3, X3i, Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2, Super.fi EB. Of those four I would suggest the X3i or the Metro.fi 2. They have good bass for Jazz/R&B. The X3i is slightly more detailed, but the Metro.fi 2 is more "fun" and has a better top end IMHO.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I find my new Altec Lansing IM716 fit the bill, with more bass than my ER6i - current prices are $50-100.

I got some Super.fi 5 pro for $109 for my daughter at buy.com that would do.

 

[SonicDawg]

Ditto to what HeadphoneAddict said. The im716 easily beat the PX100 in terms of details and resolution, speed and accuracy. They also image beautifully and the only problem I see is the unforgiving nature of their neutrality on certain recordings that make them sound frilly and thin, especially if you are stuck with the options between HD mode and Bass mode.

 

[onemike]

Thanks for your replies. I've had my eyes on the x3i's; never would have heard of them if not for this site. And I'll definitely check out the 716's. Anyone else wanna chime in?

 

[SactoMan101]

If you don't mind the headphones sticking out just a tad, the Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio would be a another good choice. The UE super.fi 5 Pro has excellent sound but the street price is almost double that of the super.fi 3 Studio.