[Nihility]

So, im looking for the best Gym IEM's.

My budget is anything under $50 including shipping (so about $40)

a few reasons:

1. i dont need super hi-fidelity earbuds in a gym
2. while many are durable (and many not!) a 45 lb piece of steel can crush many many things the size of an IEM. (it has happened!)
3. easily replaced (see #2)

things i'm looking for:
1. Durability (nice thick cord, connected well, no history of problems w/ the company quality control wise.. etc.)
2. Decent sound isolation. They play music at the gym. bad music. i don't want to hear it. nor do i want to hear flexy-mgoo over there looking at himself in the mirror (heh)
3. Durability. mostly cord durability. most of my gym iem's have been mutilated by catching the cord or something and ripping it out of my ear (and thus ripping the cord loose) i have a shuffle now, which is clipped on the back of my shirt - so this never really happens anymore. but its a just in case. it will get worn so good cable = good.
4. Sound has to be decent. too much bass = headache, too little is bad also. I liked my metro.fi's when i had them, but those broke.



here's what i've found. looking for people who have experience with these:


Metro.fi 170's: these are a never verson of metro.fi's
i liked these when i had them (balck/silver versions) sound and quality wise. I ripped the cord out (it stayed in my ear o.O) with 350 lbs of weight (i was deadlifting). so i cant blame the quality so much.. wondering if these are any better now?

Sennheiser CX300-B Earbuds
$20 on amazon,
how are these?

J-buds: these are cheap (15-30$$) but ive never heard of them.

JVC Marshmallows: I've been through 5 of these. they soudn decent. i got em for $5 a pop so i bought a bunch. broke em all.

Denon AH-C360: In-Ear Headphones:
look good, $50 cord looks thin

Grado IGI:
if these are really durable, i may splurge on these. i love grado sound. not sure how close these are though?

I've been looking at V-MODA's also.. they have a "Kevlar" reinforced cable.. how durable is this? if its really durable, i'll probably go with these.
any other suggestions are welcome. im leaning towards the metro's again.

thanks!

 

[ljokerl]

If I were you I'd be looking at the Meelectronics Ai-M6 and M11 - very nice cables on those and quite gym-friendly - and also the Maximo Im-590.

The CX300 and Jlabs J2 don't sound very good. The build of the J3 and MetroFi's does not inspire confidence for gym use. I doubt the IGI are very durable but I really have no idea and the only VModas I own are the Vibe II, which are out of your price range and very very heavy.

 

[kmhaynes]

NuForce NE-6. $40 @ Amazon.

 

[fallingreason]

Denon C551's $52 Shipped @ Amazon.

 

[Get_Zwole]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmhaynes /img/forum/go_quote.gif NuForce NE-6. $40 @ Amazon.

+1 thats the reason i bought mine is for the gym only. Im loving them i sweat like a moose and they havent missed a beat yet from getting wet, or getting the cord caught and tugging a little too hard etc. They seem to be pretty darn durable ive been using them for about 1.5 months so far and the sound and isolation is great as well specially for 40 bucks. Gonna be hard to beat these little guys.

 

[drp]

I'd recommend either a used J-corded Yuin PK2 or a PK3. I've used the PK2 with 2nd gen shuffle in the gym for near three years without a problem. The J style keeps the cord to the side, and you can also wrap up the excess. I have had them snag and actually pull out of my ears; the strain relief seems great. I actually shortened the cord so that it's just long enough to reach the shuffle clipped to my shirt collar. Best gym rig I've found to date, and I've tried a few here and there.

As far as sq, I think the Yuins are really nice, fairly balanced across the frequency range; certainly better than I'd expect from an earbud.

 

[Hentai11]

Altec 326 backbeat: $25 on Amazon.

And ironically, I wouldn't worry about durability so much; if you drop a plate on the phones, they're dead, so reinforced cables and connectors and such won't save anything. I would just keep them cheap, and replace.

 

[Nihility]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I were you I'd be looking at the Meelectronics Ai-M6 and M11 - very nice cables on those and quite gym-friendly - and also the Maximo Im-590. The CX300 and Jlabs J2 don't sound very good. The build of the J3 and MetroFi's does not inspire confidence for gym use. I doubt the IGI are very durable but I really have no idea and the only VModas I own are the Vibe II, which are out of your price range and very very heavy.

the meelectronics are exactly what im looking for!

good price, nice thick cables. (assumingly) decent sound.

i might grab these:
MEElectronics M6 Stylish Sound-Isolating Sports Earphones (Black)

i love the cord idea too, prevents them from getting in the way!

i listen to purely metal when at the gym, and i know how good meshuggah sounds on my grado's...

i know its not even close.. but should i try out the R1's? its the same price range.


I ended up deciding to go for whichever of the m11, R1, or M6 (new cable one) was cheapest. i found the R1 for $28 shipped from overstock, which is a steal

So, i'll let you guys know how they work for me.