[TheDei0niz3r]

Kind of glad that the wire on the left shorted inside the jacket. I did enjoy them as they do have good Bass, fit well and could wear them all day.

Though now I'm going to have to replace them with something < $50 shipped. I really was looking at the $30 originally, but after looking I see one pair that seems to stand out the NuForce NE-6 (don't need the mic on the NE-7M).

These will be used unamped on my laptop when I am studying at school, so don't need total isolation, but some as it can get a bit noisy sometimes. Also tend to listen to some internet streams, so not always the best quality is used, also can be hard to find some mixes I really like in a better encoding. Kind of what sucks about electronica, some of the best mixes are small time DJ's doing a remix of a big time DJ. But if they show these weaknesses I think I will just have to deal with finding better quality files.

Also bass is very important as I listen to pretty much just electronica (euro pop, hard house, techno, hhc). Though mids/highs are certainly important to and was severely lacking on the Bose IEM.

So for my purposes is there another stand out besides the NuForce NE-6 in the $30 - $50 shipped range. I may in the future save up for something better, but I need something now that can hold me over as i use them pretty much daily while studying.

I should probably mention I'm a bit sensitive to treble. Even with the Bose in Windows media I player I turn down the 8Khz, but do boost the 16Khz some, along with the 4Khz, the 8Khz seems to be the frequency that hurts my ears. I was reading and it says the NE-7M/6 can be a bit harsh, can this be fixed with some equalizing?

 

[ljokerl]

The NE-6 seem like a good choice if you're treble sensitive. They aren't too harsh, especially for the price. I think one of the problems with stellar budget IEMs is that people start comparing them to much more expensive offerings.

The Meelectronics Ai-M6 have excellent bass as well, but they have better high-end extension, which might irritate your treble sensitivity. If you like the excessive warmth of the Bose IEs, you might also want to see how much a set of RadioPaq Jazz will cost shipped to wherever you are.

 

[TheDei0niz3r]

The warmth of the Bose was a bit to much actually, so somewhere in between neutral and the Bose sound would be good. I'll check on the RadioPaq Jazz also though, I'm in the USA btw.

Only reason I really got the Bose 2 years ago was I was impatient and I had tried several $30 pairs that were highly rated, but Bass was always severely lacking. Would certainly be better to have a punch rather then the boom of the Bose.

Oh looks like someone said that the Jazz really like being amped? How about the NE-7M/6? As I certainly will be unamped.

Hum looks like someone on here is selling theirs in the US for $60 shipped, tough decisions. So NE-7M/6 for $45 shipped or Jazz for $60 shipped?
6
The Jazz are said to have good separation between low/mid/high, which is good, how about the NE-7M/6?

Hum and then there is the Ai-M6, can they be equalized so treble is less harsh? Also would they be better unamped then the other two pairs?

One last thing is quality, do any of these have problems with cables and such?

Hum, might pull the trigger on the NE-6, and I can return them if I don't like them, to bad they only sell online, I'm like 20 minutes from their offices in milpitas, ca, lol.

Alright pulled the trigger, I'll let everyone know when I get them, my initial thoughts and then my thoughts once they are burned in. Best thing is I can return them and all I have lost is shipping cost.

 

[ljokerl]

None of these require an amp. Jazz does like being amped, but sounds just fine without. I really like the build quality of the Jazz, but because of the fat housing they are rather shallow-insertion IEMs (not as shallow as the Bose though). The Ai-M9 are extremely comfy IMO and the new clear cables look awesome. My set has the old cables, which are rather poor and pretty much ruin an otherwise stellar earphone.

As for durability problems I have never heard of any issues with the Ai-M6 or the RadioPaq Jazz (but the latter are quite rare). The Jazz are metal, so they do get potential durability points. The Nuforces are far common common around here and have been around for a while, so there are several reports of split housings (indeed mine suffered from this problem too and had to be replaced).

Lastly, I did not say the treble on the M6 is harsh. There's just more of it than with the two other earphones, which could be a problem for you. All-around the Ai-M6 are pretty smooth phones.

 

[TheDei0niz3r]

Wow, those Bose are pieces of junk comparatively to these. And for less then half their price damn!

Totally didn't expect them to come today as I only ordered them yesterday, but guess the mail was feeling fast as I do only live an hour from Milpitas.

The one problem is certainly getting used to the canal phones, though they are pretty comfortable, but not something like the Bose that I can put in and forget they are in there. I'm thinking some comply foams may make them a bit more comfortable? The silicone makes such a seal that it feels kind of odd, not uncomfortable, just odd.

Hopefully I'll get used to it in time. Also can't wait to hear them once they burn in.

So what would have good bass but is more like the Bose in fit? The PK3 seem to be a big favorite, but worried about there bass capabilities with them just sitting on the outside.

 

[ljokerl]

You'll get used to canalphones. Try wearing them over-the-ear to get rid of any torque they may be exerting and also make sure you're inserting them properly (see the sticky in the portable forum). Comply tips may be more comfortable but they need replacing fairly often with heavy use.

 

[ChroniCali]

I would highly suggest the PK3 for your price range if you aren't strict on getting IEMs.