[Shaya Kutnowski]

Hey, new to posting, not as new to the forum. So I've looked into a lot of Chinese earphones, as those are usually the cheapest, and you get the best sound, but as I can see, one of the biggest reviewers of Chinese earphones was flipping his reviews for free ****. That's not cool. Anyways, I'm wondering if you guys could give me some options, for best under $40, best under $30 and best under $20. I buy from AliExpress, and reinforced cabling would be nice as I have Bose SoundTrues, and after only 2 months these things are completely falling apart on my ass. Lol, new to the Headphone world, but I like good sound, and I shouldn't have to pay any more than $100 for good sound. I look forward to your responses.
 
 
P.S. Can anyone refer me to an all-in-one thread on the "high's" "low's" "mid's and what they mean, open/closed headphones, etc. I wanna learn all I can about earphones, and how they work, including drivers, etc.

 

[Dulalala]

Well while I don't have personal recommendation for you I can direct you this page which has detailed reviews of iem. http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-352-iems-compared-pump-audio-earphones-added-04-03-16-p-1106. And as for the high, low, mid http://www.head-fi.org/t/220770/describing-sound-a-glossary this should be helpful.

 

[Shaya Kutnowski]

Thank you man. Missing some of the ones I was looking at, but at least I get options. Much appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[stingray0104]

Not sure there is a single thread/resource where you can learn all that you say you want to learn. Regarding the specific stuff you mentioned, here's a bit to get you started:
 
-A nice page to get to understand the frequency ranges, from 20hz-20000hz, ie, the lows, mids, highs:
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
 
-open/closed headphones just mean headphones that allow sound to leak out (open) or headphones that keeps sound within the cups (closed). Open headphones tend to be more "airier," "spacious", sounding while closed headphones tend to be more "closed in" "intimate" sounding. Of course I am speaking in broad strokes here. There is a big practical difference between the two though, in that open headphones allow sound both in and out, so you don't get sound isolation (for yourself or those around you) while closed headphones put a barrier between your music and the outside.
 
-Headphones work by moving air, and utilize different types drivers to do so. Different drivers have different characteristics. If you're just into IEMs, dynamic drivers and balanced armature are the most common types. Full size headphones use drivers such as dynamic, planar magnetic, and electrostatic. Googling these terms will pull up many-an-article for you. 

 

[Shaya Kutnowski]

  Not sure there is a single thread/resource where you can learn all that you say you want to learn. Regarding the specific stuff you mentioned, here's a bit to get you started:
 
-A nice page to get to understand the frequency ranges, from 20hz-20000hz, ie, the lows, mids, highs:
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
 
-open/closed headphones just mean headphones that allow sound to leak out (open) or headphones that keeps sound within the cups (closed). Open headphones tend to be more "airier," "spacious", sounding while closed headphones tend to be more "closed in" "intimate" sounding. Of course I am speaking in broad strokes here. There is a big practical difference between the two though, in that open headphones allow sound both in and out, so you don't get sound isolation (for yourself or those around you) while closed headphones put a barrier between your music and the outside.
 
-Headphones work by moving air, and utilize different types drivers to do so. Different drivers have different characteristics. If you're just into IEMs, dynamic drivers and balanced armature are the most common types. Full size headphones use drivers such as dynamic, planar magnetic, and electrostatic. Googling these terms will pull up many-an-article for you. 

Well, you seem to know your stuff. What can I buy off either AliExpress or Ebay that will cost under $50 and sound better than my Bose SoundTrues? Multiple budget options would be appreciated, if possible.

 

[BadReligionPunk]

Shozy Zero is a current favorite of mine. Light, comfortable, sounds like a $200 IEM. I'm in love with sound. Great with every genre of music I have thrown at it. $50 shipped from shozy or Ali or eBay.

Havi b3 pro 1 is another great IEM that I would recommend even though it is a bit power hungry. You would need to be feeding it from a good source.

 

[stingray0104]

Well, you seem to know your stuff. What can I buy off either AliExpress or Ebay that will cost under $50 and sound better than my Bose SoundTrues? Multiple budget options would be appreciated, if possible.

 
Haha not so much as you think. There is always more to learn. The most important thing to keep in mind is that everyone has their own preferences and what someone else loves you yourself may not like at all. Try to find out what your preferences are, and look for only objective statements when reading reviews.

Unfortunately I am very unfamiliar with headphones in the price ranges you have stated. There are many threads on head-fi dedicated to stuff like this, though, like this one:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/805930/best-sub-100-chinese-brands-earphones-thread-hidden-gems-personal-favorite-best-deals-and-impressions-sharing-for-audiophile-on-budget-include-best-chinese-headphones-dap-section

Search around and post in those kind of threads to get the best answers.