Best High-End Earbuds (non in-ear/ non ear-canal)
Jun 28, 2016 at 4:17 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 4

leafsfan67

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Hello everyone, 
 
I would first like to start by saying that I am a new member and being that this is my first post, I would like to thank all of you seasoned audio enthusiasts for any possible help you may be able to provide me with.
 
I have been on the hunt lately for the perfect pair of headphones to listen to the music on my iPhone 6 with. As such, I narrowed my search down to earbuds/earphones. After trying out different pairs of earphones, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that I simply cannot wear anything that goes directly into my ear canal without getting a headache in a very short amount of time. This leaves me with one option - earbuds, similar to the original earbuds that shipped with apple products some years ago.
 
My budget is anything under $400. To provide some context as to what I am looking for, the earphones I was took a liking to before I tried them on an found them uncomfortable were the Sennheiser IE80s, the RHA T20i, and the SHURE SE315. I am looking for a pair of earbuds of a similar high-end quality and it has been challenging finding any. So far my list consists of the following three:
 
Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay Earset 3i
Creative Aurvana Air
Census Gramo One
 
I am looking more earbuds in the price range $400 and under that have a similarly high-end to the three listed above. As far as I know those could be the only three high-end pairs out there, but this is why I am asking for all of your help. I know that earbuds that do not go into the ear-canal are some people's least favourite design and as such, are not as popular as other designs, but if any of you are even aware of other earbuds in the price range above (and preferably above $60/$70 to ensure the high quality), it would be very greatly appreciated if you could let me know.
 
Thank you all for your time, I look forward to any insights you guys may give, and have a wonderful day!
 
 
 
Steven C.
 
Jun 29, 2016 at 8:26 AM Post #3 of 4
Here's a thread with lots of info about current earbuds :
http://www.head-fi.org/t/441400/earbuds-round-up-update-april-17th-2016
Further to serman005's suggestion, it might be worth ordering a Venture Electronics Monk+ to see how that fits before ordering the more expensive Zen :
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Venture-Electronic-VE-MONK-earbud-earphone/1924356_32417311324.html
There is an option there to buy with a set of accessories which can change/improve fit and modify the sound accordingly. However if the shell is too big for your ears you'll need to look at alternatives.
 
Jun 29, 2016 at 8:33 AM Post #4 of 4
Audio-Technica EW9 (apparently still available on Amazon).
 

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