Best IEM's around $50?

[cardboardhome]

I am looking to buy a pair of IEM's around $50, give or take some. But I do not want to spend more than $100. Also, I am looking for sound quality, build quality, and these are going to be my first pair of good headphones so I'm no audiophile. However, I'm still looking for them to be good of course. Also, I don't want them to be abstractly looking . Thanks.
 
Looking at:
Nuforce NE-7m
Sennheiser CX-300
 
Just a question, will the Nuforce NE-7m work with the creative zen? 

 

[s0lar]

I bought the Brainwavz M1 as my first IEM's. About $40 buys you a warm, musical, sweet, laid-back sounding IEM with forward mids. Paying $80 and you can get a RE0 or a Sunrise SW-Xcape. Having the RE0, I can recommend you that one as well. But now I also own a small amp and that does wonders for the RE0, because treble is so good it overshadows everything else. Bass is tight, controlled, very good in quality but lacking in quantity. Mids are a bit recessed, surely if coming from the M1's.
Some other good options are Xears XB120Pro (I do not own this one) and you should definetly read ljokerl's thread.
I also have an AKG K81DJ headphone but I came from the M1's and then the AKG is just to bass oriented.
I would not recommend the Senn's.

 

[coldmack]

ER6i have been talked about well here, and if you are lucky you can get Klipsch S4 for $50 and that another favorite here, along with CX400II.
 
I have played with the ER6i and they were smooth imho, with a clean sound, but it was a bit too bright for my ears and something about the bass was a bit off. Could have been the demo model, but I am not sure. 

 

[cardboardhome]

I have read Joker's thread many times, but I would like to hear from others. So no recommendations on the Nuforce NE-7m? And by "work with the creative zen" I mean will the buttons and stuff on the Nuforce NE-7m. I looked at the klipsch image s4's for a long time, but they are rather expensive and on joker's thread they didn't get as high ratings as the re0 or the re-zero.  
 
I have looked at the ER6i's also, but the design on them is just ugly imo. You can see the inside of the IEM and triple tiered tips? I know its for extreme isolation, but its still very abstract. 
 
So currently I'm looking at:
Nuforce NE-7m
CX400II* I dropped the CX-300II because I read the CX400's are better and I found them for cheaper. Also, what is the difference between CX400-b and CX400II? 

 

[kretzschmar]

I had the Nuforce NE-7m and then bought the RE0's.  I cried with joy the first time I heard the RE0's.  It is worth the extra cash for the RE0.  I ran them unamped out of my sansa clip and they were perfect.  They hold their value too.  I sold them for about 75% of there MSRP about 4 months later.

 

[coldmack]

I think you can get the ER6i in a non-clear color, like black, but that may push it close to the $75 range for the different color. CX400 II is the updated version and B means the color black. There is also the CX500 which cost the same as the CX400 II at least what I saw on Amazon.com. It could be better it may not be. 
 
There is also the Sennnheiser IE4 for $55. I personally myself find that an interesting model as I have heard so so many great things about the pricier IE6, 7, & 8. 

 

[cardboardhome]

kretzschmar I would buy the RE0's, but the only reason is there are NO discounts. It's ridiculous. And I don't want to spend 80 dollars. Though I am definitely considering them. Could you possibly look to find a cheaper source to buy them from. Right now its the re0's cx-400II and the nuforce ne-7m

 

[proedros]

whatever you buy , you're gonna upgrade.
 
this is the head-fi virus.
 
i started with re-zero , went to re-252, then to re-262
 
for now the virus has subsided. but it's gonna come back.it always does.
 
 
these are money well spent.
 
if you like the re0 , pay 30$ extra and get them.
 
we spend so much money on bulls%%t that really these money are more than just money well spent.
 
they are money spent for your soul's well being.
 
 
just my 2 cents
 
and yeah better buy sth with 80$ that you will be really happy with (at least for the first months) rather than pay 50$ and still have the 'what if' bug crawling inside your brain canals.
 
drink 2 drinks less and give these money to a pair of good IEM's
 
Your self will thank you.

 

[kretzschmar]

You can wait around and see if someone sells a used pair for 60 bucks.  They are worth way more than their 80 dollar price point.  The M11+ has been going on sale at meelec.com.  I just bought a pair for 25 bucks shipped, and they sound better than the NE-7m I had,  For 25 bucks, it would be a great way to get things rolling for you.

 

[coldmack]

I would seriously take a look at the IE4 if you are looking at the CX400 II. They are priced the same but they are from their higher end of Sennheisers line. 

 

[proedros]

there are also some brand new re-zero (do not comfuse them with re-0) for sale here now and then due to the zero/601 combo sale that go for around 85$
 
you buy a pair of re-zero , you will be fine for a long time (or until the virus hits you too)

 

[cardboardhome]

What do you mean by zero/601 sale? And can you give me a link? Also, people say that you need an amp for these headphones for them to reach their maximum potential. Can someone link me to a amp that their talking about? Thanks. 

 

[coldmack]

The RE0 need the amp from what I read. The RE Zero is like the same model but doesn't require the use of an amp to get its full potential out of it. 

 

[cardboardhome]

Okay I saw the deal, but 260 dollars is WAY above my budget. The headphones are free, but the total cost is beyond ridiculous.

 

[s0lar]

They mean that many getting the combodeal sell their re-zero's.
The re0 more or less needs an amp but even without one, it will be an amazing upgrade and fantastic sounding.