mindstormer
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2012
- Posts
- 36
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- 10
Hi,
I'm having trouble finding the best IEM I can get for under $100. I know this question is very broad and I need to be more specific, but to be honest, I don't have any knowledge/experience with good IEM. My previous IEM was a Sennheiser CX 500 and at the time of purchase ~4 years ago, it was kind of a no-brainer IEM (balanced, very solid, consistent good reviews) to get at the $50 mark. Today, there's so many varieties to suit so many types of music and users--I don't know where to start. Budget is under $100, but to be honest, if I have to pay a little bit more for a significantly better quality, I will (4 years ago, $50 was the mark where you're getting the best bang for your buck--anything higher and the quality is very hard to distinguish).
I listen to nearly all kinds of music for many hours a day except for anything that is very loud, hardcore, or extreme (like hardcore punk) but if I have to narrow it down, it would be: pop music (mainstream), classical music, piano pieces, alternative rock.
Any questions/suggestions are welcome--I want a place to start reading reviews of the IEMs that are recommended (I'm hoping one or two IEMs pop up several times). Thanks a lot.
Background for anyone interested (not entirely relevant, but I hope you read it):
Not long ago, my Sennheiser CX 500 broke (one side would work on and off, then eventually both sides would not work--I had to move the jack area and twist it a little to get it to work again for a few more minutes, and now it's completely not working). Coincidentally(?) I found a cheap earphone to temporarily use until I can get a better one. The same thing happened to it and it also broke within a week my CX 500 broke. I did some quick research and found that I had a very small piece of lint in the iPod touch's jack and removed it--I'm guessing that somehow caused both my earphones to break.
My headphone is an Audio Technica ATH-AD700.
P.S.
A random question: I'm planning to get a Nexus 4 or the Samsung Galaxy S4 when it comes out. Will playing music on those smartphones have the same quality as an iPhone 5?
I'm having trouble finding the best IEM I can get for under $100. I know this question is very broad and I need to be more specific, but to be honest, I don't have any knowledge/experience with good IEM. My previous IEM was a Sennheiser CX 500 and at the time of purchase ~4 years ago, it was kind of a no-brainer IEM (balanced, very solid, consistent good reviews) to get at the $50 mark. Today, there's so many varieties to suit so many types of music and users--I don't know where to start. Budget is under $100, but to be honest, if I have to pay a little bit more for a significantly better quality, I will (4 years ago, $50 was the mark where you're getting the best bang for your buck--anything higher and the quality is very hard to distinguish).
I listen to nearly all kinds of music for many hours a day except for anything that is very loud, hardcore, or extreme (like hardcore punk) but if I have to narrow it down, it would be: pop music (mainstream), classical music, piano pieces, alternative rock.
Any questions/suggestions are welcome--I want a place to start reading reviews of the IEMs that are recommended (I'm hoping one or two IEMs pop up several times). Thanks a lot.
Background for anyone interested (not entirely relevant, but I hope you read it):
Not long ago, my Sennheiser CX 500 broke (one side would work on and off, then eventually both sides would not work--I had to move the jack area and twist it a little to get it to work again for a few more minutes, and now it's completely not working). Coincidentally(?) I found a cheap earphone to temporarily use until I can get a better one. The same thing happened to it and it also broke within a week my CX 500 broke. I did some quick research and found that I had a very small piece of lint in the iPod touch's jack and removed it--I'm guessing that somehow caused both my earphones to break.
My headphone is an Audio Technica ATH-AD700.
P.S.
A random question: I'm planning to get a Nexus 4 or the Samsung Galaxy S4 when it comes out. Will playing music on those smartphones have the same quality as an iPhone 5?