[charlie875578]

Any ideas on the best IEMs or Earbuds (do we use these terms interchangeably here?) for musical enjoyment more so than musical transparency or critical listening. I'm looking for something with good but not overpowering lows and a good soundstage. My price range is up to $300, but value is important, so if something for $100 (Shure SE215?) is just as good, I'm all for it. Than again, if there is something more expensive than $300 but worth it, let me know, I'll look into it (Shure SE535?). 
 
Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Nightspore68]

Last spring I got some Klipsch Image S4A (for Android) and I really like them. I also have some 3x-the-price Etymotic 4Ses from a few years ago. I haven't critically compared them, but I reach for the Klipsches 9 times out of ten these days. Especially if I'm listening on my smartphone, but also on my iPod. The benefits for using the Klipsch on the smartphone are a volume/track skip control on the cord and a microphone for making calls or even talk-to-text typing. Bonus: people on the other end of the line invariably say I they can hear me better through the Klipches than through the phone's own mike.  Caveat: I'm assuming the controls on the S4A won't work my iPod, although they have an iPod version too.
 
The Klipsch is an excellent value.

 

[StyleElements]

Hey charlie,
 
May I ask what source you are using, and which genres you like?
 
For musical enjoyment, two great IEMs are the Sennheiser IE80 ($270 from amazon.de) and the Klipsch X10. Around Black Friday the X10 was selling for 84.95 which is great value. Now they're about 116, but the price probably fluctuates, so don't rush.
 
I also have the Klipsch S4, and I find the X10 to be a significant step up from them in terms of soundstaging, detail reproduction and bass control (the S4 is a little loose in the bass, and can get sibilant, but it does sound better than many other IEMs you find on store shelves).
 
The IE80 is one of my favourite IEMs - its sound is relaxing and easy to enjoy. At $270 (much cheaper than its too-high MSRP of $450), it is again another step up from the X10s, with an unusually wide soundstage, superior resolution and great mids. The bass provides both quality and quantity to my ears. In any case, bass is adjustable via a dial on the side of each earpiece, and at the minimum level it's not overpowering at all IMO (perhaps a tad more rumble than the SE215 on minimum). It's very fun to listen to, and is also a pretty capable IEM (no slouch at reproducing tiny details in the track), so if you want to get an enjoyable IEM in your price range, I'd suggest the IE80. Ergonomically, they tend not to fit some people well (also because the stock tips are really not very good at all), so do be warned that you'll need to experiment with tips. Good luck!
 
http://www.amazon.de/Sennheiser-504771-IE-80-In-Ear-Kopfh%C3%B6rer/dp/B005N8W27I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359584752&sr=8-1
 
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/175-3404450-8938458?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=X10