[JimBob85]

Hi guys , I am mostly a headphone and IEM user but would like to try out ear buds for work in the office as I need something that will not block out all sound, the office is fairly quiet anyway, and the fact they are easy to quickly pop in or out is ideal for when I need to communicate with colleagues.

I am not great at describing sound, however what I am looking for is something that provides a full lush sound , particularly good bass and mids. I have heard Shure SE535 and loved the sound of the mids.

I have not been in touch with the earphone market for a few years and hoping you guys could recommend the best value earbuds at the moment at or around this price range. Also if there are any much cheaper than the target price range which punch above their weight, would be great to hear about them also.

I am currently enjoying the Final IEM e2000 and I am really enjoying it.

Thank you in advance

 

[tomb]

In the past, the Sennheiser MX400 and MX500 were the finest quality, inexpensive earbuds you could buy. Dr. Fixup (Dr. Xin) at fixup.net highly recommended them at the time. (You'll have to use the Internet Wayback Machine to find fixup.net, because the site has disappeared.) I had several, but I'm down to only two right now. If you search, there are many alternatives out there that appear to be the same earbuds. This makes sense, because it was highly likely that Sennheiser was just subbing them to a Chinese mfr. You can still find the same Sennheiser earbuds on ebay in re-cabled, custom form for about $30. The closest, cheapest mfr today is probably the VE MONK earbuds, available on Amazon for about $10. I ordered a pair, but haven't tried them yet, so can't confirm that they're the same thing. MassDrop also sold a version for $5, but it appears that drop has disappeared the last time I looked. MassDrop went through a change recently to just "Drop," and I suspect more changed than just the name.

The other choices are one of the versions of the Yuin PK earbuds, but you will pay for those.

Back in the day, the SONY MDR-E747 was generally regarded as the finest earbuds made. I have a pair, and can confirm that, IMHO. There's a brand new, unopened pair available on ebay right now for $1,699.99. I'm not sure you or anyone else would want to pay that, though: https://www.ebay.com/itm/SONY-MDR-E...:sn8AAOSwzOxctzka:sc:USPSPriority!30052!US!-1

Here is the MONK version on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J0S4AAS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[JimBob85]

@tomb thank you for this. I had a Yuin PK1 many years ago but cannot remember much about the sound now. I will buy a pair of monk and see how they sound, for the money $10 it sounds like a bargain.

Reading on other threads there are mention of other earbuds which are in higher price ranges. How do these compare?

Do you know if there is anything worth getting in the $100 range?

I have read elsewhere that k600 Ks sound like large cans. Do you have any experience with these types of higher end earbuds?



Cheers

 

[starfly]

Try Sennheiser IE 40 Pro. Kind of a U shaped signature, so enhance sub-bass and treble, mids are ever so slightly below neutral, but very clear otherwise. Good earbuds for $100.

 

[KimChee]

KZ ZS7, KZ ZS10Pro, CCA C16

 

[tomb]

Try Sennheiser IE 40 Pro. Kind of a U shaped signature, so enhance sub-bass and treble, mids are ever so slightly below neutral, but very clear otherwise. Good earbuds for $100.

KZ ZS7, KZ ZS10Pro, CCA C16

Anything that seals the ear canal is NOT an earbud.

@tomb thank you for this. I had a Yuin PK1 many years ago but cannot remember much about the sound now. I will buy a pair of monk and see how they sound, for the money $10 it sounds like a bargain.

Reading on other threads there are mention of other earbuds which are in higher price ranges. How do these compare?

Do you know if there is anything worth getting in the $100 range?

I have read elsewhere that k600 Ks sound like large cans. Do you have any experience with these types of higher end earbuds?

Cheers

Well, I can tell you that I got around to the MONKs today and can confirm that they are in the Sennheiser MX400/MX500 class. You would probably have to purchase a Yuin or better to improve on the MONKs. The thing is, the MONKs are the same exact shell as the old Sennheiser MX400/MX500 earbuds. The Ks K600 earbuds also appear to be the same, just with a highly upgraded cable and case. They are similar to what I mentioned on ebay - basically re-cabled Sennheiser MX400s. The Sennheiser MX400 was black; the Sennheiser MX500 was exactly the same, except that it was blue and had an inline volume control in the cable. I have trouble believing that any of these earbuds are actually different, except for the color of plastic and the cabling. Based on that, I would experiment with upgrades very carefully. The Ks K600 might be worth it at $129, but only if the cable has that much improvement. It could be that the 600 ohm impedance is the result of replacing the drivers in the earbuds, but it could also be a couple of tiny SMD resistors inside the plug. I would experiment elsewhere, first, before spending that much money on these.

Here's one of the ones on ebay I mentioned:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sennheiser-MX500-T-DIY-upgrade-bass-HiFi-In-Ear-Headphones-Earbuds-Braid-cable/302090057713?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=601218663001&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

You might try experimenting with those after the MONKs and see if you think the cabling made an improvement.

Beyond that or the Yuins, maybe keep an eye out for a used pair of the SONY MDR-E747. Just don't pay the $1699.99 price for that unopened pair on ebay. I wish the market was better for plain old earbuds, but they seem to be disappearing quickly.

 

[tomb]

The Monk earbuds are now on Massdrop for $5 each - 2 days left.

EDIT: I really splurged and ordered 4 pairs.

 

[JimBob85]

@tomb thanks for this I am definitely getting a monk set you linked to, I wasn't aware the major upgrades are the cables. This information is invaluable, thanks for the information

 

[GREQ]

If you want good bass from buds, looks into the Vido, and Kube V1.

Vido can be found on amazon, aliexpress, taobao etc. usually between $2-4, and the price/performance is legendary. A bit more v-shaped signature, kinda bass heavy.
But from China, can take a couple weeks to arrive.

Kube V1 is more rare, the cables aren't particularly great, but the sound is very good. A bit smoother and even sounding, but again very deep, well extended bass.
I got a few pairs from this Indonesian seller. Usually arrives much faster than packages from China.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/jultoptau/...1&frcectupt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

 

[starfly]

Anything that seals the ear canal is NOT an earbud.




Well, I can tell you that I got around to the MONKs today and can confirm that they are in the Sennheiser MX400/MX500 class. You would probably have to purchase a Yuin or better to improve on the MONKs. The thing is, the MONKs are the same exact shell as the old Sennheiser MX400/MX500 earbuds. The Ks K600 earbuds also appear to be the same, just with a highly upgraded cable and case. They are similar to what I mentioned on ebay - basically re-cabled Sennheiser MX400s. The Sennheiser MX400 was black; the Sennheiser MX500 was exactly the same, except that it was blue and had an inline volume control in the cable. I have trouble believing that any of these earbuds are actually different, except for the color of plastic and the cabling. Based on that, I would experiment with upgrades very carefully. The Ks K600 might be worth it at $129, but only if the cable has that much improvement. It could be that the 600 ohm impedance is the result of replacing the drivers in the earbuds, but it could also be a couple of tiny SMD resistors inside the plug. I would experiment elsewhere, first, before spending that much money on these.

Here's one of the ones on ebay I mentioned:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sennheiser-MX500-T-DIY-upgrade-bass-HiFi-In-Ear-Headphones-Earbuds-Braid-cable/302090057713?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=601218663001&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

You might try experimenting with those after the MONKs and see if you think the cabling made an improvement.

Beyond that or the Yuins, maybe keep an eye out for a used pair of the SONY MDR-E747. Just don't pay the $1699.99 price for that unopened pair on ebay. I wish the market was better for plain old earbuds, but they seem to be disappearing quickly.

The IE 40 Pro does not seal the ear canal, and otherwise it's just semantics calling something an earbud or IEM.

 

[GREQ]

The IE 40 Pro does not seal the ear canal, and otherwise it's just semantics calling something an earbud or IEM.

Incorrect.
Tomb is right to bring this up.

Unlike IEMs, an earbud does not possess a silicone or foam tip that is designed to create a seal by penetrating the ear-canal for isolation and correct bass reproduction.
Without this seal, bass is in almost all cases for IEMs, totally non-existent.

An earbud is designed to sit outside the ear canal, supported by the tragus and anti-tragus parts of the ear lobe.
It does not penetrate the ear canal, or form an isolating seal.

Ignoring this distinction is like ignoring the difference between on-ear headphones and over-ear headphones.
No doubt that would cause a riot here on some threads.

 

[tomb]

Ignoring this distinction is like ignoring the difference between on-ear headphones and over-ear headphones.
No doubt that would cause a riot here on some threads.

Well said!

 

[starfly]

Incorrect.
Tomb is right to bring this up.

Unlike IEMs, an earbud does not possess a silicone or foam tip that is designed to create a seal by penetrating the ear-canal for isolation and correct bass reproduction.
Without this seal, bass is in almost all cases for IEMs, totally non-existent.

An earbud is designed to sit outside the ear canal, supported by the tragus and anti-tragus parts of the ear lobe.
It does not penetrate the ear canal, or form an isolating seal.

Ignoring this distinction is like ignoring the difference between on-ear headphones and over-ear headphones.
No doubt that would cause a riot here on some threads.

In the real world most people don't care what it's called and will either call it an earbud or earphone, but rarely the proper term of IEM.

 

[GREQ]

In the real world most people don't care what it's called and will either call it an earbud or earphone, but rarely the proper term of IEM.

Indifference is the friend of ignorance.

Education should be celebrated. Please shed the shroud of ignorance.

 

[starfly]

Indifference is the friend of ignorance.

Education should be celebrated. Please shed the shroud of ignorance.

Yes, please assume I'm the ignorant one. How ironic.