[FrenchDavid]

Hey all,
 
My Atrio Supersonics just died on me yesterday, so I need to pick up new in-ear headphones very soon. Since there is no better place than head-fi to ask for advices, I'd like your advices to help me find the best in-ears for my needs :
 
- I connect my headphones to my iPhone 3G, iPad 3, iMac or HDTV
- I listen mostly to indie and classic rock (Muse, Placebo, Oasis, Queen, Franz Ferdinand) and classical music as well
- I also listen to TV, podcasts, and games, but I guess that doesn't help in this discussion
- I use them everywhere I go, so isolation is very important to me
- I wear glasses and I don't think I'd like to have the cables go around my ears
- my price range is €100 to €150, so that's around $150
 
Last but not least, I want great guild quality, earphones that will last a long time and that I can take with me everywhere without worrying about how fragile they are.
 
I hope you guys can lead me to the best earphones for my needs. I know there are many references out there, so I hope you guys can help. Thanks for your time

 

[FrenchDavid]

A French website highly recommends the Ultimate Ears 400. Everything I read soubds great, but looking at the pics I'm afraid of the build quality. Any feedback on those headsets ? Are they built to last ? Would Shure be a much better choice even though they have cables over your ears ?
 

 

[tdshain]

If you're interested in UE, you should be looking at the TripleFi 10s. They sell around $150-175

 

[FrenchDavid]

I'm not particularly interested in any specific brand actually, but I'd like to know what would be good choices for both rock and classical music. There are so many brands that I'm kinda lost with all those choices.

 

[AstroTurf]

I love my ER-4Ps from Etymotic.
 
Average price on ebay is about 150 bucks.
 
Enjoy, Jim

 

[FrenchDavid]

I really need your help, I've spent 2 days reading threads all over head-fi, and I am completely lost.
 
Ideally, I want :
- great build quality
- great isolation
- confortable earphones
- good bass
- that can be used for rock and classical music
- around $100
 
Can you please give me your opinion, the ljokerl thread with his 230+ references is making me cry :'(

 

[vocalist]

From what I've read, how long an iem lasts really depends on how well you take care of it. It's things like wrapping the cord using 2-3 fingers (not wrapping it around your device) and putting them in a case when not in use, keeping them clean/free of ear wax, etc. 
 
I have 2 pairs of iem's I'm really enjoying right now Phonak Audeo (232) and a pair of Sennheiser's.  The Sennheiser's are much more reasonable - I have the CX 400-ii and they have a lot of clarity, especially for classical music and some good punch on rock.  They fit very comfortably and come with quite a few different tips.  The connector is a nice sturdy right-angled piece with a really good strain relief and it's gold-plated.  The cable feels nice and supple and you can wear them straight down or over your ears.  The case they came with is okay - fine for me - but you can always replace it with a cheap $7-10 clamshell case if needed.  They were about $40-50 USD when I bought them in Germany a few weeks back.  If you wanted to look at the Phonak's I would suggest the 112's.  I haven't heard them myself but I've read really great reviews and at one time had been looking at them as a back-up for my 232's. They have different filters so you can change the sound and they are also very comfortable.
 
I listen to a lot of rock/acoustics and a lot of classical/opera. Hope that helps!

 

[supersleuth]

Every so often a sale price under $100 pops up on Amazon for the Ety HF-5. When the next one does, grab them.

 

[FrenchDavid]

Though various forums, here are the earphones I've been advised to take. My criteria are build quality, comfort, isolation and appropriate for rock music.
 
I think I'll take a pair in the $100-$200 price range, and a cheap pair (< 50$) as a backup. Which combo would you advise me to take from that list :
 
 
MAIN EARPHONES
Etymotic ER-4P (250€)
Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10
Yamaha EPH-100
JVC HA-FXT90 -
Brainwavz B2
Fischer Audio DBA-02
Etymotic HF5
Phonak PFE012
Vsonic GR07
ECCI PR401
NuForce NE-700x

BACKUP
Klipsch Image S4
Vsonic GR06
Brainwavz M4
Ultimate Ears SUper Fi 5 pro
PL30
DUNU Trident
ECCI PR200
Superlux HD381F
Philips SHE3580
 

 

[AstroTurf]

Etymotic Er-4P first & foremost, Good Choice. Don't forget Comply Foam tips.

Apple In Ear Monitors fitted w/ Comply Foam Whoomps.

You'll not be looking back with that combo.

Keep us posted, Jim

 

[FrenchDavid]

How about a combo of Philips SHE3580 low-end reference), Klipsch Image S4 (good value, but are they fragile ?), and Vsonic GR07 as the main earphones ?

Other combo : two earphones around $100, Etymotic HF5 for rock and great isolation in the public transportation,  Brainwavz B2 for classical music at home or at the office...
 
Both combo would cost around €200 and give me different options and backup. Would you have any recommendation like that ?
 
I'm kinda scared to get a ER-4P as the only solution, because it's costly and I don't know whether I'll like them since I've never tried such an earphones. I could also get a SM1 in that price range, would that be better ?

 

[ninjames]

Muse, Placebo, Oasis, and Franz Ferdinand aren't indie or classic rock, just saying.
 
Really though, I think the Brainwavz B2 or the Fischer Audio DBA-02 might be what you're looking for. They're actually the same thing, and the B2 are up for pre-order right now like $70 off at $109, but that price is going away in the next few days. It's great sound for pretty much any genre, though they're not bass heavy. More neutral and accurate but should perform to your expectations given the bands listed.

 

[FrenchDavid]

How would you classify Muse, Placebo, Oasis, Franz Ferdinand and Queen in the various rock categories ?
 
Also, why do you say the BA and DBA-02 are the same ? Do they use the same technology, what are the differences between the two ? I also thought the B2 would lack bass for my rock tasting ?
 

 

[ninjames]

Quote:

How would you classify Muse, Placebo, Oasis, Franz Ferdinand and Queen in the various rock categories ?
 
Also, why do you say the BA and DBA-02 are the same ? Do they use the same technology, what are the differences between the two ? I also thought the B2 would lack bass for my rock tasting ?
 

Because they're the exact same IEM. Brainwavz and Fisher Audio got them from the same OEM and put their branding on them. They just have different coloring. As far as lacking bass, I wouldn't say that's the case. True, it's a neutral sound signature, but it's a fairly punchy bass which I find works very well for rock. I'd say a deep/booming bass is more preferable to hip-hop, while a punchy, fast-paced bass is better for rock. Kind of like how Grado are considered very good for rock - it's an aggressive, fast sound yet they're known for being headphones that aren't great with bass. The B2 have a very full-bodied bass that's nice and fast. Out of your list, I'd think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better IEM for, say, Muse.
 
As far as the genres, I was mostly just poking fun. Queen is definitely classic rock, though. I just think it's a stretch to call Muse indie more than anything else!

 

[FrenchDavid]

Between the DBA-02 and the B2, is there one better than the other ? Also, do they have good build quality ? I saw the promo, $109 instead of $169, that could be a great time to buy them.
 
If I go into the higher category, would the earsonic SM2 v2 be the best choice for the music I listen to ?