[arlekin21]

I own a pair of Image One but they started to bore me. I have been looking for other headphones to get but I keep changing my mind. I would appreciate any jelp from you guys.
•I am going to be using them straight from my iPod.
• I am looking for something around $180 or less
• I want bass but don't want everything else to be too bad.
• Headphones I am thinking about right now are the Sony Xb500(I know these are nothin but bass but they're only $70-$80) and Vmoda m80
•Lastly I don't want the Ath-m50 or the UE6000 since a friend of mine already owns them and we can share.

 

[DrGroove]

I have have been loving my Atrio M5's for the past year or so, and was wondering if there is anything else between these and the MG6Pro? Mainly looking for the amazing sub-bass these have.

 

[topgunitsme]

PX100II for sure. Performance wise it pretty much pounds on the other Senns you mentioned (have not heard the JBLs)

how are the 200ii/hd218/228/238 im willing to strech my budget if these pairs are worth it

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

I own a pair of Image One but they started to bore me. I have been looking for other headphones to get but I keep changing my mind. I would appreciate any jelp from you guys.
•I am going to be using them straight from my iPod.
• I am looking for something around $180 or less
• I want bass but don't want everything else to be too bad.
• Headphones I am thinking about right now are the Sony Xb500(I know these are nothin but bass but they're only $70-$80) and Vmoda m80
•Lastly I don't want the Ath-m50 or the UE6000 since a friend of mine already owns them and we can share.

 
Genres? Comfort? Isolation?
 
Yes, the XB500 might do. For something with more balance, LP2 (M80s are not anywhere near XB500 bass-levels, not that it's a bad thing) or COPs (adjustable bass)
 
Quote:

I have have been loving my Atrio M5's for the past year or so, and was wondering if there is anything else between these and the MG6Pro? Mainly looking for the amazing sub-bass these have.

 
Reviews seem to indicate that they are not the subbass-oriented monsters as the MG5. Would not know from experience, sadly Might want to check the huge thread. http://www.head-fi.org/t/539898/review-future-sonics-mg6pro-ear-monitors-dynamic-driver-custom-fit-in-ear-monitors
 
Quote:

PX100II for sure. Performance wise it pretty much pounds on the other Senns you mentioned (have not heard the JBLs)

how are the 200ii/hd218/228/238 im willing to strech my budget if these pairs are worth it

 
More impact/kick, not as rich/lush. Basically leaner and more clean. Some like the PX100s better for the sig though. 

 

[pokpokgei]

Quote:

IF monetary budget is less important in consideration but has to be best value for money (because, let's be frank, it's not too tough even for any working class to save up 1000 dollars for an earphone), what would be the best representative pair of in-ear/earbud earphone that can be worn straight down, used without any external boost(amplifiers etc), can be powered by iphones/android phones perfectly well (no weird noises, loss in SQ), belonging to top quality range in terms of sound quality that will thrill anyone introduced to it and the unique pair that one will introduce to buddies after experiencing them and suitable for all types of music, namely, pop, edm, trance, classical, orchestra, instrumental, ambient, new age, rock, oldies.
 
will be perfect if it is low fatigue for long hours of music appreciation (6-8 hrs)

i know i am asking for everything here, but isnt this the ultimate question that everyone from low to unlimited budget has in mind?
 
 

for example, <Secret Garden> is a duo/group that i will recently swear by if anyone asks me about new age/instrumental music.

lol. nobody has advice for me.

 

[tquickbrownfox]

 
 
The GR06 are pretty mid-centric, so not the bass you're looking for. GR02 Bass would be the proper bassy alternative. Either or would destroy the Tours (not much Beats hate here, it's been overdone and tiresome a lot time ago, but the Tours are generally atrocious - no stage or detail extraction, transients smeared beyond belief - $5 performance at best).
 
You'd want something like the CKM99, Atrios, FXD80/T90, or the XB90EX (have not heard though, but generally reccomended around here for bass). All are heavy hitters, in terms of bass, and for the price.
 

If I may add from my very limited experience, the Monster Turbines seemed to have great detail for a bassy iem. The mids don't sound 'muddy'. I'd say you should consider them too. I have also tried the sony xb60ex (not xb90ex) and they seemed quite muddy. Tours, I can agree are atrocious. I have no experience with the other iems mentioned above.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

IF monetary budget is less important in consideration but has to be best value for money (because, let's be frank, it's not too tough even for any working class to save up 1000 dollars for an earphone), what would be the best representative pair of in-ear/earbud earphone that can be worn straight down, used without any external boost(amplifiers etc), can be powered by iphones/android phones perfectly well (no weird noises, loss in SQ), belonging to top quality range in terms of sound quality that will thrill anyone introduced to it and the unique pair that one will introduce to buddies after experiencing them and suitable for all types of music, namely, pop, edm, trance, classical, orchestra, instrumental, ambient, new age, rock, oldies.
 
will be perfect if it is low fatigue for long hours of music appreciation (6-8 hrs)

i know i am asking for everything here, but isnt this the ultimate question that everyone from low to unlimited budget has in mind?
 
 

for example, <Secret Garden> is a duo/group that i will recently swear by if anyone asks me about new age/instrumental music.

Completely missed, sorry.
 
This is unanswerable. You are looking for the perfect IEM in every sense of the word. If it was even remotely answerable, we would not even have these forums, as everyone would just save up and buy those in the end. People will come up with the usual FOTM to answer this, but, again, so completely subjective and varied that it remains impossible to cover every single base.
 
 
Breaking it down:

"can be worn straight down" 

Good luck finding that with most customs. This just restricts the criteria to an insurmountable degree.
 

"used without any external boost(amplifiers etc)" "can be powered by iphones/android phones perfectly well (no weird noises, loss in SQ)"

 IEMs, they often don't need the power anyways. So for the most part, already doable for the majority of IEMs. Not going to get into the amp debate.
 

" belonging to top quality range in terms of sound quality that will thrill anyone introduced to it and the unique pair that one will introduce to buddies after experiencing them and suitable for all types of music, namely, pop, edm, trance, classical, orchestra, instrumental, ambient, new age, rock, oldies"

So it has to be good at everything, and undercut every other higher-end IEM out there. No. Just no.
 
 
If this is a legitimate question for yourself though, it'd be better if you lowered your expectations and set more realistic criteria. 

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

If I may add from my very limited experience, the Monster Turbines seemed to have great detail for a bassy iem. The mids don't sound 'muddy'. I'd say you should consider them too. I have also tried the sony xb60ex (not xb90ex) and they seemed quite muddy. Tours, I can agree are atrocious. I have no experience with the other iems mentioned above.

 
The Turbines are a tad slower than the others, but, yep, still a good choice. Build and the fact that they are slightly overpriced at the usual MRSP (MTPG/C can be found at very nearby prices) can be a deterrent as always.

 

[pokpokgei]

but let's say if someone like you, clieOS or joker that has already almost practically auditioned all of the major earphones in the market.

and presumably written reviews for each of these earphones or ranked them according to some scale, wouldn't it be contradicting not to be able to pick out that particular earphone based on my criteria and your own (subjective) scale/ranking of earphones?

lol, i mean if i were to go into auditioning earphones like a pro i will need to have answer to that same ultimate question of mine. :l

well but isn't the phonak 112 or sunrise xcape ie something along the lines of providing SQ beyond their price range? something that a pro will audition and probably say it can be sold considerably more than it's current price? i am looking for another pair of earphone that does the same but of a higher price range.

throw me a bone please (even if it's a fotm it's better than nothing lol), maybe the earphone that comes to your mind offhand, considering my criteria?

and also i never understand why all expensive earphones (customs iems etc) are made to be worn over the ear (most designs will not work if i try to wear them straight down) other than the advantage of lesser microphonics.

 

[mfny]

I am looking for a new set of phones.
 
Here is the thing though, I demoed a pair of Beats Solo HD's in a local store. After hearing so many bad things about them I thought id find out for myself what they are like and one thing  I definitely did find out was that the form factor (size/shape/weight etc) of them is pretty much ideal for me. Especially the size/shape of the pads and the enclosure for the drivers itself.
 
Now I have searched around and I have found a fair few alternate recommendation's to the Solo HDs, mostly via posts on this forum flagged up via Google.
 
The problem is however most of these recommendations that I can find have larger enclosure/pads then the Solo HD's or oval or other shaped pads. And in the case of one of the prime alternatives that cropped up, the Vmoda M80's a fair few people complaining about comfort/usability with glasses.
 
Also I am unable to actually demo any of these often recommended alternatives in person as well, including the M80's.
 
So I am a little lost..

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

I am looking for a new set of phones.
 
Here is the thing though, I demoed a pair of Beats Solo HD's in a local store. After hearing so many bad things about them I thought id find out for myself what they are like and one thing  I definitely did find out was that the form factor (size/shape/weight etc) of them is pretty much ideal for me. Especially the size/shape of the pads and the enclosure for the drivers itself.
 
Now I have searched around and I have found a fair few alternate recommendation's to the Solo HDs, mostly via posts on this forum flagged up via Google.
 
The problem is however most of these recommendations that I can find have larger enclosure/pads then the Solo HD's or oval or other shaped pads. And in the case of one of the prime alternatives that cropped up, the Vmoda M80's a fair few people complaining about comfort/usability with glasses.
 
Also I am unable to actually demo any of these often recommended alternatives in person as well, including the M80's.
 
So I am a little lost..

 
Budget? Any thoughts in terms of sound?
 
The glasses criteria makes it a bit finicky to gauge comfort levels. For example, my friend wears a pair, and he owns several Grados and other on-ears, having no problem with the fit. It really has to do with the shape of the head/ears in the end. Usually on-ears are better in this regard, but as you said, there have even been complaints against the M80s. 
 
Something like the HD25-1 would have smaller, tighter pads - maybe that'd be something worth looking into.
 
Quote:

but let's say if someone like you, clieOS or joker that has already almost practically auditioned all of the major earphones in the market.

and presumably written reviews for each of these earphones or ranked them according to some scale, wouldn't it be contradicting not to be able to pick out that particular earphone based on my criteria and your own (subjective) scale/ranking of earphones?

lol, i mean if i were to go into auditioning earphones like a pro i will need to have answer to that same ultimate question of mine. :l

well but isn't the phonak 112 or sunrise xcape ie something along the lines of providing SQ beyond their price range? something that a pro will audition and probably say it can be sold considerably more than it's current price? i am looking for another pair of earphone that does the same but of a higher price range.

throw me a bone please (even if it's a fotm it's better than nothing lol), maybe the earphone that comes to your mind offhand, considering my criteria?

and also i never understand why all expensive earphones (customs iems etc) are made to be worn over the ear (most designs will not work if i try to wear them straight down) other than the advantage of lesser microphonics.

The problem with a numerical ranking system would be that they'd simply be an very wishy-washy metric for sound, in this case enjoyment of sound. Anything that attempts to place an arbitrary number on the human listening experience would not work as well as one would want due to the sheer, incalculable amount of subjectivity from the impression, failure to account for perception/personal preference on the other users' end, or to account for any particular strength one IEM may have (something like headphone Y could have the clearest, most detailed midrange ever, but still falls short OVERALL in comparison to headphone X) and then be ruled out completely because they take too much value into the ranking numbers. Even though they might have been wanting, or would have preferred, a mid-centric phone all this time. It's just a way for the reviewers to make it easy for the extremely lazy reader, but they understand that it's all really, really relative.
 
Personally, I would not be able to rank the stuff I have even if you forced me. They're pretty spread out across the price board, but all excel with their respective areas that the whole concept of having a pedestal for the "best" sounding one just seems moot.
 
In regards to the "value" thing being mentioned, it looks to me like you're attempting to "cheat the system" in a way. Which is understandable, most just want the last, greatest thing on the planet for as cheap as possible and get it all over with. Only thing is, the system just doesn't work like that, or at least for headphones. 
 
Also, the recommendation system doesn't really work unless you describe/explain your preferences and set reasonable criteria to follow. From then we can help suggest starting points to look at. I'd suggest coming back from scratch and re-evaluate what you're looking for exactly.
 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

Sigh, if I had to concede though, GR07s and the PFE122 do indeed have a "easy to get into" (as in forgiving and not very offensive while not crossing the line of extremely euphonic and coloured) sound. I'll leave it at that. If you just want an easy way out...

 

[ender323]

Quote:

...and also i never understand why all expensive earphones (customs iems etc) are made to be worn over the ear (most designs will not work if i try to wear them straight down) other than the advantage of lesser microphonics.

Microphonics. That's most of it. It also helps stop them from getting pulled out of your ears, either if the cable gets stuck on them, or if the cable is simply very heavy.

 

[Love Music]

Looking for a new pair of iem's and portable headphones for j-pop and j-rock.
 
 
 
MUSIC:  ayaka, YUI, Emi Fujita, Natsukawa Rimi, MISIA, Utada Hikaru, Namie Amuro, BoA, Thelma Aoyama, SCANDAL, Luna Sea, X Japan, ONE OK ROCK, UVERworld, High and Mighty Color, Miyavi, The Gazette, L'Arc~en~Ciel. So yeah, mainly female vocals and rock.
 
 
 
SOUND PREFERENCES:

1. Good clarity/resoultion/transparency
2. Airy
3. Articulate
4. Mids-vocals should sound realistic and natural. Also vocals should be upfront/forward. Vocalists should be centre forward while instruments should be placed behind the vocalist.
5. treble have adequate sparkle (but not too much), with good extension and must not sound harsh/sibilant. 
6. good soundstage- I am looking for a concert hall like soundstage!!! (but not make things sound muddy.)
7. not a too bassy as I’m not much of a basshead.
8. good imaging (able to pin point where instruments are and not congested on complex passages.)  

 
 
SOURCE: Sony Walkman Z.
 
 
BUDGET: $300-$500 each.
 
 
Phones I currently have are RE262, eq-7 and CK100.
 
 
Thanks.

 

[pwodarz]

Anybody have any opinions on the startup/new company California headphones?
[size=small]californiaheadphones[/size][size=small].com/[/size]
The build quality looks phenomenal, and that's something I really value because I beat up my headphones 
Anybody ever heard a pair?

 

[mfny]

Budget would be what id spend on the Solo HD's. So around £180 Max.
 
As to sound, not sure how to word what sound I like. Lows with punch,smooth and clear everything else and  an "open" soundstage/image would do it I think though..
 
Quote:

 
Budget? Any thoughts in terms of sound?
 
The glasses criteria makes it a bit finicky to gauge comfort levels. For example, my friend wears a pair, and he owns several Grados and other on-ears, having no problem with the fit. It really has to do with the shape of the head/ears in the end. Usually on-ears are better in this regard, but as you said, there have even been complaints against the M80s. 
 
Something like the HD25-1 would have smaller, tighter pads - maybe that'd be something worth looking into.