best IEMs for <$300 (better than SE535)?

[johnnyarks]

I used to have SE535s, and I loved them, they broke after 5yrs. I can get the Shure SE535 for $270... can you recommend something better than 535s for under <$300?

I listen to top 40, some queen, Metronomy, MIA, Santogold, this is for commuting on a subway to & from work.

My primary DAP will be my phone (moto 5g) + Cowon J3

I just got some IE80s (like 2hrs ago)...and kinda hate them, they don't sound bad just not what I expected for their price range... they are really comparable to something like my bluetooth bluebird x.

Just as an example of what I use:
ath-m50x - portable head phone (I like these)
DT 770 80ohm + little dot I+ - desktop usage (slightly better than M50x but w/ more boom, maybe too much)
ATH-ad900x - open back gaming (love these for gaming, music not so much)
Sennheiser PC350 - closed back gaming (great for gaming in a noisy environment, but ad900x beats them overall)
Jay Bluebird x - gym (solid sound for bluetooth, but just okay for general music listening)
Panasonic RP-HJE120 - (cheap-o $10 earbuds, but they sound amazing for the price)

Thanks,

 

[pbui44]

I know these are a few bucks over your budget, but they are definitely worth it with removable cables, all-steel housings (at least the DN2000J had it), and more than enough accessories to roll-tip, filter-tip, and ear-clip-swap for days, if not months: Dunu DN2002.

https://www.amazon.com/DUNU-DN-2002...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=G13CB4XHVH2QYX1J2MK8

Another option is to reshell your broken SE535 (provided that the drivers and internal cabling still work) into a custom shell. Here is an article about it and a couple of places that reshell universals to customs:

https://cymbacavum.com/2014/06/14/universal-to-custom-reshell-things-to-know-beforehand/

http://theheadphonelist.com/ciem_review/triple-fi-10-reshelled-by-kozee/

One last option is to have Shure replace the SE535 housings for a service cost, as one guy learned after reshelling his Shure E500 into a custom:

http://audiophilereview.com/headphones/my-shure-re-shelling-experiment.html

 

[serman005]

If you can slightly stretch your budget, you could get into an excellent Campfire Orion. Really good. You might read about it and see what you think. It might work for you.

 

[sonyfan501]

Well for $300 and under, there are many great options in terms of IEMs. I always thought the Shure SE535 was a bit overrated and overpriced for what it really is. I have tried Shure's entire modern SE line, including both the SE846 and the KSE1500, and will conclude the best value for money in the line is the Shure SE425. They sound like the Shure SE535, just a little less bassy, and airy. It's overall more balanced sounding than the SE535, and they usually costs like $299 at the most. I'd suggest giving it a try.

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

My recommendations would be either the Oriveti New Primacy or the Dunu DN-2002 (this one has some minor comfort issues whereas the Oriveti is really comfortable)

 

[snip3r77]

Stage diver sd2

 

[johnnyarks]

Thanks for your recommends guys, I've got a lot of research to do

I just wanted to update, I was A/B in the IE80's and my cheap-o $9 Panasonic HJE120... to my extreme disappointment the Panasonics sounds about as good as the IE80s... its like 92% of IE80s... but its 10 bucks... maybe I'm losing my hearing

A/B'ing these off a Cowon J3 w/ the "normal" eq.

Needless to say the IE80's going back... crazy to me some ppl pick this iem over the se535... idk maybe I got a fake pair (bought new from amazon).

 

[Meetite]

Sorry I don't have much to add to this conversation, but would just like to put in my thoughts about the sound of the IE80s.
The IE80s have a significant burn in time (100 hours is usually sufficient) and sound pretty bad if you don't let them burn in and get used to them (many people find new IEMs to sound bad not because they are bad, but because they are used to what they had before. I personally don't understand Shure IEMs, but if other people enjoy them what right do I have to rain on their parade). Additionally, the IE80s are much brighter than most Shure IEMs, which some people (such as myself) love and others hate.
Also, on the topic of people choosing IE80s over SE535s, the SE535s usually cost twice that of the IE80s, as the IE80s often show up on sale for less than $225 retailed while SE535s run for nearly $500 retailed (Sennheiser sets their MSRP waaaay too high so stores can mark it down a lot to make it appear to be a better deal to customers). As such I don't feel that comparing the two and saying that people pick one over the other due to sound is a fair comparison. People pick the IE80 over the SE535 because their pockets aren't lined with cash.

On a separate note, try looking at some Westone IEMs, they sound good and have a similar sound to that of many Shure IEMs (though maybe a little on the brighter side). Also, if you are buying audio equipment for over $200 it is really a good idea to go into your local audio store and try whatever you're considering buying before actually dropping any cash on it (e.g. if you live in the NYC area, Audio46 is a great store to demo headphones and IEMs in).

On the other hand, I personally think pbui44's idea would be your best option. Considering how the SE535s are $500 IEMs you'd probably be better off just re-shelling them than you would be buying a replacement.

Hope this helped.

 

[johnnyarks]

I went with the Oriveti New Primacy (since it was like the only recommendation at $300), my out the box impression was "these are OK" wasn't floored... definitely makes a better first impression than the ie80s. I will try these for a few days but my gut tells me I will send these back... we'll see.

 

[neuromancer]

Periodic Audio Be ..........amazing!

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

I went with the Oriveti New Primacy (since it was like the only recommendation at $300), my out the box impression was "these are OK" wasn't floored... definitely makes a better first impression than the ie80s. I will try these for a few days but my gut tells me I will send these back... we'll see.

The New Primacy didn't floor me straight away either, they are an IEM that need some time to appreciate, use them for about 4 days without any other equipment and you might find yourself really enjoying them.

 

[Meetite]

I went with the Oriveti New Primacy (since it was like the only recommendation at $300), my out the box impression was "these are OK" wasn't floored... definitely makes a better first impression than the ie80s. I will try these for a few days but my gut tells me I will send these back... we'll see.

If you don't like them long term and decide to send them back I seriously suggest just re-shelling your old Shure SE535s (assuming it isn't the driver that's damaged). Considering the SE535s are $500 IEMs you would get a much better experience from re-shelled SE535s than buying a new pair of earbuds for 3/5 the price (due to the Law of Diminishing Returns it is incredibly unlikely a $300 pair of IEMs would beat the SE535s). Any comparison you'd be making between anything you buy and the SE535s wouldn't be fair since the SE535s cost so much more. It just doesn't make sense to downgrade when you can keep using your old pair but in a new shell.

 

[johnnyarks]

If you don't like them long term and decide to send them back I seriously suggest just re-shelling your old Shure SE535s (assuming it isn't the driver that's damaged). Considering the SE535s are $500 IEMs you would get a much better experience from re-shelled SE535s than buying a new pair of earbuds for 3/5 the price (due to the Law of Diminishing Returns it is incredibly unlikely a $300 pair of IEMs would beat the SE535s). Any comparison you'd be making between anything you buy and the SE535s wouldn't be fair since the SE535s cost so much more. It just doesn't make sense to downgrade when you can keep using your old pair but in a new shell.

As I wrote in the OP, I can get the SE535 for $270 shipped w/ tax, reshelling would probably mean Shure would not replace them if you sent them in different shells for repair or replacement. Long term that's probably not the best idea for me.

 

[WaffleBoy]

I would say buy the SE535, sell it, pay a bit more for SE535LTD.

 

[LonghornTech]

As I wrote in the OP, I can get the SE535 for $270 shipped w/ tax, reshelling would probably mean Shure would not replace them if you sent them in different shells for repair or replacement. Long term that's probably not the best idea for me.

@johnnyarks I've been scanning for the best sub-$300 headphones for a long time.
Here's what most people are saying:

iBasso IT03, Oriveti New Primacy, Periodic Audio Be, Etymotic ER4X (may be slightly above), LZ A4, Pinnacle P1, Dunu 2000J, Alclaire Curve - not in any order.

Alternatively, if you can pick up an FLC8s for $300 you should be pretty happy with it.

Let me know how the New Primacy works out.