[moonblaze]

Ok, I need help choosing my first pair of high-end earphones. I'll try to be as detailed as possible because it will be easier for you to help me decide and to give some strong arguments. First of all- these are the only 2 pairs I am considering! (due to lack of variety in the place I live). I'll describe my needs now- I am an "inexperienced audiophile"- I have my music in flac, I can recognize the nuances in tone and the quality well, and have a taste of my own. I play the bass, and have been in music for a while now- enhancing my playing equipment but not the equipment used for pure enjoyment, I just didn't inform my self so much about the equipment. I plan to listen to music on my pc and iphone because I don't know enough about other equipment. I want good, tight bass, but not just booming it. I like my tone balanced and not artificial. I don't travel by train/ plane a lot, but some isolation is a must because i do plan to listen to them on the street. I want comfort because I will wear them for long periods of time, I want enough isolation so i don't have to go really loud while outside, and of course the priority is sound. The price difference is minimal in my country with the Bose pair being a bit more expensive. I would like to hear what you would have to say, but not just simple answers like Sennheiser all the way or Qc20 is the best. If you say something, I would like to know why you said, and of course it would be great if you used one of them both. So its: Sound quality, Comfort, Isolation- but you now know my needs. Also don't argue about one being better value for money. I just want the pair that best suits my needs. Having seen a lot of beautiful reviews and getting a lot of helpful advice while reading this forum, I expect some useful feedback. Thank you in advance

P.S. Used shure SE225- sound was ok, but they weren't my cup of tea- uncomfortable too.
Listen to Metallica, Jamiroquai, Muse, AM, Richard Bona, Weather report, and some Pop/easy listen

 

[StyleElements]

Hello,
 
I really enjoy the IE80, which I've owned for about 2 years. Take what I say with a grain of salt because the IE80 is my main IEM, while I only heard the QC20 for about 20 minutes at an electronics store demo. I do own the QC15, but not the QC20.
 
Using your criteria:
 
Sound quality – I would say IE80. The IE80 is warm-sounding, with a tame treble and strong bass even on the lowest bass dial setting. I like the IE80s because they are a pleasant listen across all genres, and they do bass really well – not just quantity but quality (though I don't like it on any bass setting other than the lowest). The soundstage is also really wide, wider to my ears than my Sennheiser Momentum over-ears – full-size headphones, which makes it really exciting to listen to. The QC20 is not a bad-sounding headphone. I didn't take any issues with its sound (unlike the QC15, which has bloated bass). The QC20 just doesn't sound as engaging as the IE80 to me.
 
Comfort – the QC20 is probably more comfortable out of the box, but having found the right eartips, I find both equally comfortable. The QC20 is worn straight-down and the Bose silicon tips feel like they're not even there after a while. Conversely, the IE80's stock eartips are not great, and you'll likely be comfortable only after experimenting with different eartips or maybe using Comply tips. I use JVC tips, which make the IE80 extremely comfortable, but it did take me a while to find the right size and brand.
 
Isolation – Depends what you're looking for. The IE80, with the right tips, is just okay at passive isolation (Etymotic IEMs have much better passive isolation) but I wouldn't say it is great, mostly due to the shallow fit design. In passive isolation terms, the QC20 doesn't do too well either, as it doesn't go into your ear very far. What the QC20 excels at is noise-cancelling, ie cancelling out constant/droning background noises. If you want noise cancelling, the QC20 will do that well. The IE80 probably isolates better (ie blocks out noise just by being in your ear).
 
The IE80 has its supporters and detractors around here but it sounds great to me and I have no regrets. Good luck with your purchase!

 

[gotak]

Have you consider the good valued and just plain good hifiman re-400? As an alternative with less isolation but great sound for when you are not outside.

Maybe have to order online but being iem shipping typically isn't much of an issue.

Neither of your choices under consideration are really great iems for sound quality IMHO. They are decent but neither give the best in terms of sound quality.

Designs like shire iem are going to be the most isolating. And if you pay bit more for the 535 or similar ones from westone you will also get great sound quality.

For my se535 I find using the smallest olive tip plus a tiny adjustment to the angle it sits in my ear is all I need to make them very comfortable. And it isolates enough for me to use them while mowing my lawn. Granted with a quite electric mower. But without needing to raise the volume at all.

 

[moonblaze]

Thank you very much, it seems like you are 60-40 towards the ie80. When you are outside- do you hear a lot of noise when on the street? Based on what you say both are good, but ie80 is a bit better. Finding the right eartips might be a concern :S

 

[moonblaze]

Se535- nice call I'll check them out but i think their price is too much here. What do you make of these 2 pairs?

 

[StyleElements]

I think if you want an all-around earphone that is comfortable and sounds alright, the QC20 is a good bet. You don't have to go eartip hunting and, minus recharging the battery, it's not much trouble. However it is a Bose product and IMO does not really produce great sound for the money – they do great noise cancelling technology. If it is sound quality you prioritise, I think many will agree that the IE80 sounds better than the QC20.
 
When I'm outside street noise doesn't filter in with the IE80s, because the eartips fit me well. You can find all kinds of tips on eBay for fairly cheap A lot of complaints about poor isolation from the IE80 are the result of not having a good seal.
 
I do admit the IE80 will isolate less than, say, a W4r or SE535 because it is a vented IEM (the bass dial on the side, which is a nice feature for bass fans, is actually an adjustable air hole). However, the IE80 doesn't isolate so little as to let in sound when out and about and create problems when there's external noise. I listen at low to moderate volumes, and on public transport I still can't hear the rumbling of the bus/train.
 
I would agree with gotak that the RE-400 is a very solid IEM for the price. However, when I tried the SE535 at an audio shop in Singapore, I thought they had great clarity and were a quality IEM but I didn't find the overall sound signature to my taste, I like a little more bass and a wider soundstage. Different IEMs from different brands can sound totally different and it is often a matter of preference which sounds better.

 

[moonblaze]

Again, I really appreciate the detailed response. However I still have one concern. At home- it is clear that IE80 wins hands down. I don't travel by plane that often for that factor to matter. However, I will listen a lot while strolling downtown and generally on the street, and while studying. Considering all my music is FLAC, I am worried that the outside sounds will ruin the listening experience on the IE80. I would like to know whether they will sound better than the qc20i even on the street. Noise cancelling is a cool feature- but does it really make that much of a difference in the listening experience. One more thing- the bose is 50eur more expensive here... And i dunno if I will like the IEM shape- shure weren't so comfortable. I tried some shures se 215 and 425- didn't like the sound- it wasn't bad- but it was too neutral- if that is right to say. Sorry if I'm getting confusing- my audiophile vocabulary still isn't as developped as it should be, but I want to explain what my concerns are as precise as possible. Are the Senns too big for the average/a bit smaller ear ?

 

[gotak]

Neutral headphones can be EQed typically to what you like. Colored ones on the other hand is harder. 
 
I mentioned the Westone which some people prefer to the Shure sounds so you can try them out.
 
The active noise canceling on the Bose are good for constant noise. So like a droning airplane engine or the rumble on a train. But less effective for other things like speech, but they will still feel like your got your head in a vat of lard.
 
Please read: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/travelers-sanctuary-bose-quiet-comfort-20-noise-canceling-earphone
 
In short they are good. But at 300 bucks they are also only as good at phones in the 100-150 range in terms of audio quality. Hence the "good value" comment part.
 
I personally don't like to have headphones on on the streets. On a train or subway that's ok but street I rather hear and maybe jump out of the way of a car than enjoying my music wall the way to the hospital or worse.
 
I think you are over thinking things. Go try them out if you can. That gives you the best answer. For all you know one of them doesn't fit your ears making the decision very easy.

 

[moonblaze]

I overthink everything in my life man

. Westone isn't available here. You have no idea how limited my options are. Trying them out isn't an option. Higher end headphones- by that i mean anything more than 120-150$ can ONLY be ordered via the retailer. If I had the option to try them out- boy would it make things easier! This way it comes down to recommendations and it is a bid of a blind pick. What do you make of IE80? I personally do listen to music all the time on the streets and have no trouble with it. I am just afraid of the IE80's fit but i think it can be fixed with good eartips. Bose is 50eur more expensive here than the IE80. Also I want to be able to listen to them on the street without cranking the volume sky-high.

 

[StyleElements]

I would fully agree with gotak that the QC20 sounds like a $100-150 headphone for audio quality. You are paying much more than 150 for the Bose name and their excellent active-noise cancelling tech. I have also had the pleasure of listening briefly to the Westone 4R and I thought they sounded really great. +1 with gotak's recommendation if you're not a Shure fan like me
 
In my opinion the IE80 will still sound better than the QC20 outside. It is a better sounding headphone to my ears. Don't expect to pick up all the fine details but the IE80 isn't that kind of headphone anyway. It's not that you will flat out miss stuff just because you are using the IE80 – it just doesn't let you pick them out so clearly like, for example, the SE535 does.
 
Also I have both FLAC and 320 mp3 and outside it is difficult to tell the difference. You can listen to the IE80 on the street without having to turn it up, just make sure you get a good fit, which means getting good eartips. I use these ones and they have really good isolation, fit the IE80's nozzle perfectly and don't interfere with sound at all: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Compatible-With-10-x-JVC-Ear-Bud-Gel-Tips-In-Various-Colours-Size-Medium-/231343653840?rd=1&ssPageName=STRK:MEAFB:IT
 
I would agree with gotak, don't overthink it. And also cross the road carefully with IEMs in

 

[moonblaze]

Thanks for all the replies One new detail though. Found the shure se535 at the same price as the bose- it is 50 eur more expensive than the IE80- and I think the se535 is the one pair i may be able to try at the store. So I'm considering the Shure now too. I had se225 and they were ok, but nothing special- is the difference between them and 535 enormous?
P.S. will be using them on iphone mostly, maybe a DAC will come later though and some more serious gear.

 

[StyleElements]

My advice is to have a listen to the SE535. It is a very well-regarded headphone, not just among head-fi people either but across the board with reviewers and users
 
As I've said before, without knocking the quality of the SE535 in any way, I just personally don't enjoy the sound signature of the SE535. Having heard both, I would take the IE80 for general everyday listening (bear in mind I like bass though ). Your preferences may be totally different and that is perfectly fine – if you hear the Shures and you really like it, then get it.
 
The 535 should easily sound better than the Bose. The SE535 is similarly shaped to the other Shure IEMs, so you may find it uncomfortable (I had no comfort problems when I used them but you said in your first post that your old Shures were uncomfortable).
 
Just buy something and don't worry too much – this is head-fi, you will probably spend a lot more in future no matter what you end up getting good luck!

 

[moonblaze]

True My friend just came over, brought me a HD700 to try, now I'm considering a pair of over ears for home use.... Lots of money will be spent in the future you got that right. It's not the shape- it's the shure's tips. I feel like they are ripping my ear canal they are foam- i compress them and when they get in it just destroys my ear. Since I have a mild tinitus i shouldn't be going to loud, but i think wearing IEM's shouldnt aggravate it.

 

[gotak]

Did you try the silicon tips? There are lots of tips options.

The bass is fine. It is what it should be. Songs that has it has it song that has less has less. Its not the in vogue sound signiture but I feel its the right one.

People complain about the beats but they reflect popular tastes rather than being the ones who created it.

 

[moonblaze]

No, don't have any tips left- lost them... Because I bought them abroad, and lost the pouch. Silicone or smaller foam should be better right? With the ones I have, I have a feeling the tips are changing shape continuously while in my ear. I like bass moderately as a bass player, but prefer it to be tight and standing out properly not just being loud and overtaking everything else. I like a wide soundstage, to hear every instrument and the effects on all of them properly.