[violinvirtuoso]

If you are OK with IEMs, check out the these reviews:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-98-iems-compared-xears-td100-ecci-pr300-visang-r01-added-08-11
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/450407/multiple-iem-shootout-v-3

 

[stevenswall]

Etymotic Mc5 $80
 
Huge Noise Isolation
Natural frequency response (85% true to the human ears hearing)
Durable mylar cable and aluminum housing
 
By The Way, what is your portable source? If it is an iPod, these earphones will sound horribly bass light and sterile... I tried it, they are not a good match.

 

[anirudh0802]

Do you need a mic with them?

 

[supersleuth]

Quote:

Etymotic Mc5 $80
 
Huge Noise Isolation
Natural frequency response (85% true to the human ears hearing)
Durable mylar cable and aluminum housing
 
By The Way, what is your portable source? If it is an iPod, these earphones will sound horribly bass light and sterile... I tried it, they are not a good match.

I totally disagree, my MC5s sound fantastic from my 3rd gen nano. Bass exactly what it should be for neutrality, overall sound quite similar to my Grado SR80 (which also sound very good from this iPod) without the upper-mids emphasis.
 

 

[clee290]

Quote:

If you are OK with IEMs, check out the these reviews:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-98-iems-compared-xears-td100-ecci-pr300-visang-r01-added-08-11
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/450407/multiple-iem-shootout-v-3

Thanks, I'll check out those threads.

 
Quote:

Etymotic Mc5 $80
 
Huge Noise Isolation
Natural frequency response (85% true to the human ears hearing)
Durable mylar cable and aluminum housing
 
By The Way, what is your portable source? If it is an iPod, these earphones will sound horribly bass light and sterile... I tried it, they are not a good match.

Yes, I will be using them with my iPod Touch and most likely not with an amp.
 
Quote:

Do you need a mic with them?

Nope, no mic is needed.

 

[stevenswall]

Quote:

I totally disagree, my MC5s sound fantastic from my 3rd gen nano. Bass exactly what it should be for neutrality, overall sound quite similar to my Grado SR80 (which also sound very good from this iPod) without the upper-mids emphasis.
 

 
Your Nano seems to be old enough to have a Wolfson DAC, instead of the Cirrus Logic weakness in them now... If this is true, I need to clarify: Etymotic earphones sound terrible out of iPods with the Cirrus Logic DAC... I had a 5.5g Video, and it sounded fine... Exceptionally fine with Rockbox!
 
Now I have a Cowon S9, which has one of the most powerful and sophisticated EQs and effects I have yet heard, which makes my stuff sound even better.
 

 

[supersleuth]

They sound just fine out of my daughter's new Classic too. Do you really think the FR curves are radically different? Come on.

 

[stevenswall]

I think they are quite different, especially considering bass boost... Maybe it is the EQ?
 
Rockboxed, I could get huge amounts of deep bass out of the 5.5g Video, Using bass boost on a friends Nano (new one with the camera), an iPhone 3g, and then listening to a Sony Walkman, the newer iPods readily crackle with bass... The Sony, and the 5.5 don't. Same thing happens using a stereo. Turn the device up to the max, turn on bass boost, or a rockbox EQ, and the newer one seems to crackle... my cousin gets this same effect using a different Walkman and his sisters Nano... I don't think it's the stereo, nano, or walkman. It's either Cirrus Logic is a terrible DAC, or that the Apple firmware botches it up to make it sound terrible... Old iPod+Rockbox is the way to go if you absolutely must have a fruit picture on you DAP, but other than that, Sony, Creative, and Cowon all make better sounding devices, all of which have perfectly functional EQs.

 

[supersleuth]

 
Quote:

I think they are quite different, especially considering bass boost... Maybe it is the EQ?

 
The only acceptable setting for iPod EQ is "none", IMHO. (Apple really should provide a decent graphic equalizer for more subtle adjustments.)  But that's me. In any case, with EQ off, differences in perceived SQ between different models / generations are 99% imaginary. And any such difference as exist are not in frequency response, which for many years now has been as close to dead flat as makes no practical difference for any piece of modern solid-state electronics that isn't $10 Wal-Mart garbage.

 

[stevenswall]

I'd like to do an A/B test, but the closest I can come to one is what I did; Taking my previously owned 5.5 and comparing it to an 80gb Classic at B-Buy. The Classic sounded electronic, even with a flat EQ, and the 5.5 sounded warm, not so clinical. Both had 128kbps mp3 files on them, and I used my KDE/250, which really emphasizes the treble and bass, but only if the player can dish it out.
 
Someone should conduct a blind test. I'm OK with it being a myth, but It doesn't seem like one to me. If anyone has results of a blind test between Wolfson and Cirrus Logic DACs I'd like to have a look.

 

[Tayyab Pirzada]

Shozy Cygnus for $80