[ravissimo]

Hello all,

I'm looking for the most fun IEMs (not necessarily most accurate) I can get for under $75 that sound great for rock music. i listen to modern rock and some punk/metal, i.e. foo fighters, fuel, stone temple pilots, tool, all-american rejects, etc. I've read a ton of threads on head-fi, and it seems like the consensus is ety er6i or the UE super.fi 3, but i've also read that the er6i's are "flat" and the super.fi 3 don't provide "great" isolation. So here's what i'm looking for...

-as good isolation as possible (will be using on the bus and on the T in Boston & in quiet study areas)
-great sounding for rock (not necessarily most equalized sound)
-sparkly highs & tight, clean bass if possible
-decent amount of bass (not a bass-head, but want the bass to be as 'present' as the highs)
-easily driven with a portable mp3 player

I'm considering the ety er6i, the ue super.fi 3, the v-moda vibes, shure e2c, mylarone x3, creative zen aurvana, beyer dtx 50, and creative ep-630.
I'm currently using the sennheiser cx300 and they sound decent to me, just looking for a notch higher.

thanks in advance to all who respond.

 

[kpeezy]

Are you going to be using an amp? If used with an amp, the er6i's will provide what you're looking for IMO. I listen to more indie style rock, but amping improved the ER6i's bass drastically while still maintaining the incredible detail and separation. If you're not using an amp, you'll probably find the ER6i's lacking in bass quantity.

 

[ravissimo]

oh, i forgot to add that part... i'm looking for IEM's that are going to be used with a portable mp3 player. I'm looking for good isolation because i will be using these for commuting and studying. just edited my original post as well... Thanks.

 

[Vergency]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravissimo /img/forum/go_quote.gif oh, i forgot to add that part... i'm looking for IEM's that are going to be used with a portable mp3 player. I'm looking for good isolation because i will be using these for commuting and studying. just edited my original post as well... Thanks.

Having noise isolation for commuting can be very dangerous.

And as you listen to rock, I would suggest the V-Moda Vibe. They are a bit bass-heavy, but it should all work out with your music taste. The only thing it's lacking would be great isolation; while they do isolate, they aren't the best at it.

I think for your tastes, the Etymotic ER-6i would be lacking in the bass department.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[ravissimo]

thanks vergency. that's mainly what i was wondering about the er6i's, whether the music i listen to would sound good. i'm also incredibly ocd-like when it comes to walking around with earbuds that silence street noise, and i never bike, blade, or run with headphones, just walk. i'm currently leaning towards either the v-moda vibe or the super.fi 3, just thought i'd do a post & a poll before i dropped some bills. thanks for your recommendation.

 

[physh]

I dont know if I got a bad pair, or what, but you can cross the v-moda vibes off your list.

I liked the metallic red construction, but...

The bass is terrible, flabby, and overpowering to the point where songs without bass sound bassy , and it muddies up the mids and treble. I do like bass however, and the super.fi 3's give a good amount.

They are some of the worst headphones I have used with a 100 dollar price tag. The super.fi's are a night and day difference.

I think the headphones that come with the iphone might be better than the vibes.

Then again i see people raving about the vibes. ymmv

 

[maclion]

I have same questions, want to know your decesion

 

[4ki]

It's said that MylarOnes and the UEs have a similar sound sig; to be honest, the only thing going between these is build-quality, isolation, and replaceable cabling. Unless you're riding on jets, the MylarOnes should have more than enough isolation, especially if you request Uncle Wilson to send a UE tip set.

I find the the Super.fi 3s have awesome high and mid control, but don't have mids that quite sparkle. While good for acoustics and hard-hitting riffs, it takes a fair bit of EQ adjustments to make them more musical. They do quite well with post-hardcore genres and others that utilize a more metal-core guitar work, and aren't too shabby with general rock/grunge that don't emphasize their sound from bass. With said, post-rock might disappoint you with these phones, but it should be quite enjoyable with most anything else.

For sake of better handling of mids, I'm willing to hamper some high clarity some more and get some d-jays sometime down the road. If you like presence in the mids, these phones are said to have the best, most lively lower-treble of any IEM. The downside is that you cannot find them for any lower than $99 USD unless a head-fier here has them up for sale.

 

[tjohnusa]

A friend has some JBL 220 and I gave them a quick listen. First impression is they sound better than the CX-300. Currently they can be had from Amazon for $26 plus shipping, here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...rocess=default

 

[ravissimo]

thanks for all the recs guys. i was doing some online "review" searching, and apparently the v-moda vibes vary in production even though they're called the same thing. They frequently update their headphones and don't tell anyone when they're releasing a product upgrade. I read this at ilounge.com if anyone's interested. So now more people are saying the er6i's won't provide the bass i'm looking for, which isn't much, just an adequate amount. that's sad that a pair that's rated so highly can't even have a reasonable amount of bass. anyway, i'm still reading some reviews and hoping there are a few more recs on this thread to go off of. i'll let everyone know what i end up deciding in a few days probably...

 

[pez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravissimo /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for all the recs guys. i was doing some online "review" searching, and apparently the v-moda vibes vary in production even though they're called the same thing. They frequently update their headphones and don't tell anyone when they're releasing a product upgrade. I read this at ilounge.com if anyone's interested. So now more people are saying the er6i's won't provide the bass i'm looking for, which isn't much, just an adequate amount. that's sad that a pair that's rated so highly can't even have a reasonable amount of bass. anyway, i'm still reading some reviews and hoping there are a few more recs on this thread to go off of. i'll let everyone know what i end up deciding in a few days probably...

I have to admit...most people will tell me I'm wrong, but after 2 months of experience with the Super.fi 3's and the ER-6i's, I have to say that as far as bass I can't tell a worthy difference in impact. The SF3's have forward mids (yes, I have a good seal) and drown out a little bit of the bass IMO. I take the Ety's over the SF3's all the time because the bass, especially for rock is very distinguishable and has a little thump. One song I can tell a big difference in bass quality is Chiodos' "Life Is a Perception of Your Own Reality". After the violins cut out (which piano and violins incorp. in rock sound much better on the Ety's) the bass drum is really distinguished and pretty thumpy IMO. I get a fantastic seal with the included foamies, and cold water washing them hasn't made them lose elasticity for the last 2 months. People will also tell you that the Shure Black Foamies or "olives" will give a nice firm seal and improve bass. So if you want bass impact and vocals go for Super.fi 3, if you want balanced sound and very distinguishable bass quality, then go for the Ety's.

Just my 2 cents.

Pez

 

[Vergency]

Out of your whole list, IMHO, I think the UE Super.fi 3 Live from Radioshack @$40 would be the best bang for the buck. At that price point, it is undoubtedly the best value. But if you feel the urge to spend some more dough, I think there wouldn't be a big enough difference in sound quality o justify the price nearly two times as much.

Just some more food for thought.

 

[ravissimo]

@ pez, thanks for the tip. i read your review on the super.fi 3 vs. the ety er6i, and thought it was very helpful, but i wasn't familiar with any of the musicians you were talking about, so i didn't have a full understanding of your comparison. from what you said about balanced sound with the ety's vs. bass impact and vocals with the super.fi's that makes me think i'd want the super.fi's, but then there's the other point about price...

@vergency, i had read about the super.fi 3 live from radioshack, that online are listed as $50. i actually went to two different radioshacks here around cambridge, ma, (one in central sq one in harvard sq) and both were out of the super.fi's. i'm goign to try one more location today, and then if i can't find them there, then i'm not sure which phones i'd get. the ety's provide much better isolation from what i've read, and i think i'd take the ety's balanced sound and isolation over the super.fi's. but i'd rather spend less, so super.fi's at radioshack or ety's online i think. thanks for the tip.

i'll post again when i decide on a set...

 

[pez]

Well give me examples of bands you listen to. Most likely I listen to at least 2 or 3 out of 10 and can give you a comparison.

 

[ravissimo]

so, i finally found the ue super.fi 3 live pro from radioshack on "manager's special" for $50. Bought it, brought it home, and wow, so much better than the cx300. I'm very impressed. Overall, the cx300 has more bass, but the super.fi 3's have tighter bass imo. the mids and the highs though are so much cleaner and separated on the super.fi's than the senns. for rock, this is perfect. I'm much happier with these and to think i spent the same amount on both.

I guess when you're buying low-end IEMs that obviously have only one driver, you're going to be more focused on the bass with the mids and highs washed or more focused on the mids and highs with less bass. I think the super.fi 3's are the best mix. I'm glad i went with these over the er6i's. I think if there was any less bass than what's on the super.fi 3's i wouldn't be happy. These make me want to jump straight up to super.fi 5's to add another driver to work the bass. I'd do it for the $100 at compusa if only they were in stock around me and i liked white (i despise white with a passion). I'll get them in a few months maybe...

thanks to everyone who gave some advice! it was much appreciated.