[Loquah]

Hi everyone!
I'm new to this forum and I was planning to start a new thread about "Advice on an IEM below 100$ for Progressive Trance" but though I'd get flame by all you coz there's supposedly too many of these threads popping up. Problem is I've done a fair amount of research on head-fi itself and also the web in general but couldnt seem to find much useful info. The threads in head-fi about trance IEMs are either too old (2 years old) or out of my budget (200-500$). Sorry Im getting a bit long-winded :S
My Rig: BlackBerry Bold 9780, Zune 80GB, Studio XPS1645
Type of usage: Music mostly. Some times for movies too but not placed as priority
File format: mp3
Music genre: Progressive Trance + Mainstream music
Budget: 50$-100$
Headphone/ earphone type: IEM
Other requirements (if any): Preferably something more durable as I use it in the bus, LRT, walking, running under the rain :lol:
Previously owned:
- Lear 01 - its pretty good for its price but didnt feel anything special with the sound. My ears feel tired after listening to it for a prolonged period.
- Soundmagic PL11 - awesome earphones for its price but broke after rough usage. Very punchy but not as "rich" sounding as I would like. But its cheap so why complain?
- Soundmagic PL30 - Its not bad but I find it a bit lacking of rich sound again. I found it more like the lear01 tbh maybe coz I'm not that well versed in audiophile :hmm:
Here are some of the models I've been looking into based on reviews online:
- Feels pro 900 + Fiio E6 - 70$ (bundle pack) - Some forumers say this is a good buy if it were priced cheaper? and its a Single BA so its less bassy(I dont know what the heck that is)
- S4 + Comfy tx-100 tips(necessary?) - 100$ - I was told this provides good bass but not overly bassy but its more for pop music.
- Hi-Fi Man RE-0 - 75$ - I read somewhere in this forum it was given 10/10 for its value for producing REALLY good clarity and details BUT its bass shy.
I'm looking at something that will provide me with that rich bass experience with IEMs that can produce the low rumble but then not overpowering the mids and highs as I'm not a basshead. I loooooove progressive trance it gives me goosebumps.
My uncle will be heading to the states next month so are there any websites that I can grab a good deal on any IEMs?
Sorry if I sound pretty noob-ish to this whole new audiophile thing but I'm looking to get a decent pair of earphones and theres like 1000 types to choose from!

I can only vouch for the Re0s, but they do sound awesome. Dollar for dollar they are very hard to beat. They are a touch bass shy, but beautifully detailed while still smooth. I used mine with a Fiio E11 with the EQ switch (bass boost) set to 1. Made them really enjoyable.

Mine did eventually break after about 3 years so they may not be most durable option. The Re262 suggestion could be a good idea with that in mind. I've heard they have great sound (better than Re0) and I haven't heard durability concerns.

 

[rpearce1475]

 

Just to add to your list, look into the JVC FXT90s, which have a more fun sound than the B2s, etc. Also, if you haven't already, go check out ljokerl's excellent review thread.
 

Thanks, I hadn't heard of these before and added them to my considerations.  Yea, I used Joker's thread as one of my starting points for research.  The RE0s keep popping up for being great headphones, and it was mentioned a couple posts above that EQing would get rid of the bass drop off.  Those look rather enticing to me as they cost half as much as many of my other choices, so I guess new question: would it be worth it spending the extra $70-$80 to go from the RE0s to the B2s/JVcs etc.? I've never heard anything from Hifiman or any others, and don't believe I have the option to sadly.  I'd like durability to be present as I will be carrying these things around with me, and have heard of some issues durability-wise with the RE0s.  Should I be concerned about this? Sorry for all the quick questions, but I really appreciate all the help.
 
 

 

[jblossom12312]

Hey everybody, just a quick question on a recommendation. I'm a Head Fi noobie, ESPECIALLY when it comes to IEMs. I've had my Monster Turbines for about two years now and am ready for an upgrade. Before those, I used Shure e2c's. I was pleased with both, but I'm looking to upgrade to the next tier or two up from my Turbines. What is the next logical step up from Turbines? I'm looking for something a bit more dynamic as these are headphones for my 45 minute train commute and I want to be able to have all of my music sound great. I was hoping to pay about $200-250. The catch here, though, is that the headphones have to be available on Amazon.com (I have a giftcard that's paying for the majority of these). A good deal of the suggestions that I've seen around the forums unfortunately aren't available there.
 
 
 
(EDIT: I should add that my IEMs will almost always be used with just an iPhone 4 with Spotify on Extreme quality. Is there a point that diminishing returns will kick in and the extra money won't be worth spending? I'm not opposed to buying a portable headphone amp either. I've heard great things about Shure's SE215 and think that it might be the one I go for.)

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

Thanks, I hadn't heard of these before and added them to my considerations.  Yea, I used Joker's thread as one of my starting points for research.  The RE0s keep popping up for being great headphones, and it was mentioned a couple posts above that EQing would get rid of the bass drop off.  Those look rather enticing to me as they cost half as much as many of my other choices, so I guess new question: would it be worth it spending the extra $70-$80 to go from the RE0s to the B2s/JVcs etc.? I've never heard anything from Hifiman or any others, and don't believe I have the option to sadly.  I'd like durability to be present as I will be carrying these things around with me, and have heard of some issues durability-wise with the RE0s.  Should I be concerned about this? Sorry for all the quick questions, but I really appreciate all the help.
 
 

With all these headphones, you'll run into diminishing returns, where the more you pay, the smaller the incremental improvement is going to be. Are the B2s and JVCs better than the RE0s? I'd say probably (though others might disagree), but they're certainly not twice as good. However, the durability might actually be an issue, as I've seen a few reports of losing sound after a couple months and shells splitting. If you're a little rough on your IEMs, that might become a problem.
 


Quote:

Hey everybody, just a quick question on a recommendation. I've had my Monster Turbines for about two years now and am ready for an upgrade. Before those, I used Shure e2c's. I was pleased with both, but I'm looking to upgrade to the next tier or two up from my Turbines. What is the next logical step up from Turbines? I'm looking for something a bit more dynamic as these are headphones for my 45 minute train commute and I want to be able to have all of my music sound great. I was hoping to pay about $200-250. The catch here, though, is that the headphones have to be available on Amazon.com (I have a giftcard that's paying for the majority of these). A good deal of the suggestions that I've seen around the forums unfortunately aren't available there.

 

 

[orenzai]

Quote:

...
Sorry, I'm not too familiar with progressive trance, but if you provide an example maybe I can help more. Now this is just one option and my opinion, but the Brainwavz M4 might fit some of your requirements. It's got bit of bass boost, and can give you that subbass rumble. Mids are a little recessed, however, and the treble is not overly boosted. Just for reference, is this what you're looking for?
 
Regarding the ones you've listed, I owned the S4s briefly, and don't remember them having all that much subbass, being midbass oriented, though they were very comfortable. The RE0s are renowned for their detail retrieval, but many find them bass-light, and might not have enough subbass. 
 
...
 

 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7BBlzIMR0Y&ob=av3e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5FZtbgCxBg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLP03p3DGdY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94diW3B-LWM
 
Here are some of my favorite tracks.There's not very thumping and its progressive so the details of the music are pretty hard to catch.
 
I might not be able to describe sounds very well (very new to this) but I'd like it to have the low rumble but also forward mids because I know of some earphones that have great bass but the mids get "hidden" behind or i think its called muffled? Haha I'm trying hard to paint the picture to you.

 
Quote:

I can only vouch for the Re0s, but they do sound awesome. Dollar for dollar they are very hard to beat. They are a touch bass shy, but beautifully detailed while still smooth. I used mine with a Fiio E11 with the EQ switch (bass boost) set to 1. Made them really enjoyable.
Mine did eventually break after about 3 years so they may not be most durable option. The Re262 suggestion could be a good idea with that in mind. I've heard they have great sound (better than Re0) and I haven't heard durability concerns.

3 years is good enough for me! I'm such a rough user that my earphones haven never lasted me more than 1.5years. Or maybe their just cheap so they fall apart. :S RE262 is too expensive for me. Looking more towards 50$-100$. Any other suggestions?
 
Thanks a lot for your replies!
 

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7BBlzIMR0Y&ob=av3e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5FZtbgCxBg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLP03p3DGdY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94diW3B-LWM
 
Here are some of my favorite tracks.There's not very thumping and its progressive so the details of the music are pretty hard to catch.
 
I might not be able to describe sounds very well (very new to this) but I'd like it to have the low rumble but also forward mids because I know of some earphones that have great bass but the mids get "hidden" behind or i think its called muffled? Haha I'm trying hard to paint the picture to you.

 

3 years is good enough for me! I'm such a rough user that my earphones haven never lasted me more than 1.5years. Or maybe their just cheap so they fall apart. :S RE262 is too expensive for me. Looking more towards 50$-100$. Any other suggestions?
 
Thanks a lot for your replies!
 

Can't comment on the RE0s, but I just did a quick A-B on those tracks between the M4s and UE500s (which have a more conventional v-curve), and the M4s were a lot better at conveying the sort of resonant notes that I think drive that sort of music. Not sure about your personal preferences, but it sounded good to me 

. Message me for more details. 
 

 

[thenumber23]

Quote:

 

 
What about the RE262-s? Have you considered them? They do benefit from amping, but from what I've read in these forums, they seem to be good with details. 
 
 

 
 
thanks for the suggestion, i think i may have skipped over them because of the comments that say they are coloured, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but i think with this purchase i may go for something a bit more analytical, and was even thinking i could head back to those if i didn't like how the gr07 or b2's were treating my music. for that reason (and because it's all so subjective to each persons own ears) i'll probably look to buy whatever i get from someone with a good returns policy so theres a solution if i'm not 100% happy
 

 


Quote:

Personally, I think my GR07s sound pretty natural, as they have more bass than the B2s, which some consider bass-light, and less bass and treble emphasis than the TF10s, which have a reputation for being more "fun." They'll be no more revealing than the B2s for low-quality files, so it's a bit of a wash there. Regardless, it sounds like your music files seem to be better quality than mine, and I haven't had too many issues with the GR07s being too revealing
 
Regarding the RE262s, the general consensus seems to be that they're fairly colored and mid-centric, though they are also very good IEMs. Also the soundstage isn't completely 2D, just wider than it is deep. IME, they don't really need amping, and I don't know how effective the E6 will be for amping anything. If anything, you could save for the E11 or a cMoy. I don't know too much about amps, though.
 

 
Thanks, that's relieving that i won't have to go through the effort of trying to double up on everything i already had haha!
 
For now i may leave the amp to a later day, unless i do decide on the 262's...
 
 

 

[rpearce1475]

Quote:

With all these headphones, you'll run into diminishing returns, where the more you pay, the smaller the incremental improvement is going to be. Are the B2s and JVCs better than the RE0s? I'd say probably (though others might disagree), but they're certainly not twice as good. However, the durability might actually be an issue, as I've seen a few reports of losing sound after a couple months and shells splitting. If you're a little rough on your IEMs, that might become a problem.
 


 

I don't plan on throwing them against a tree or anything, but yea that does worry me about a channel cutting out after just a few months.  So which of the other headphones might be good and more durable? Also I saw that the UE triplefi10s are going for $160 on amazon right now, would those be worth looking at?
 
 

 

[kiteki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpearce1475 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Thanks, I hadn't heard of these before and added them to my considerations.  Yea, I used Joker's thread as one of my starting points for research.  The RE0s keep popping up for being great headphones, and it was mentioned a couple posts above that EQing would get rid of the bass drop off.  Those look rather enticing to me as they cost half as much as many of my other choices, so I guess new question: would it be worth it spending the extra $70-$80 to go from the RE0s to the B2s/JVcs etc.? I've never heard anything from Hifiman or any others, and don't believe I have the option to sadly.  I'd like durability to be present as I will be carrying these things around with me, and have heard of some issues durability-wise with the RE0s.  Should I be concerned about this? Sorry for all the quick questions, but I really appreciate all the help.

To be honest I think the JVC FXC51 is better than the RE0, especially if you like bass, and I'd go for the UE700 instead of the B2, I haven't heard the B2 but I've heard the q-Jays and the CK10, they all use the same driver inside, and they all sound pretty similiar.
 

 

[kiteki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpearce1475 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I don't plan on throwing them against a tree or anything, but yea that does worry me about a channel cutting out after just a few months.  So which of the other headphones might be good and more durable? Also I saw that the UE triplefi10s are going for $160 on amazon right now, would those be worth looking at?

 
The TF10 are pretty good apart from the crazy housing i.e. insertion issues, same with Etymotic HF5 and ER-4.
 
If you can spend $100 I'd say UE700 or HF5, if you can spend $130 I'd say Sony EX600, these really are the best value for money IEM's I know of in Hi-Fi.
 

 

[erratik]

Hey Guys, I come to you seeking your mighty advice and wisdom!
I have recently had my Super.Fi 5 Pro's lost (actually, stolen more probably, since I know precisely where they last were). They were great IEM's and I loved them very much, never had any issues with inserting them, especially once I swapped over to comply foamies.  Anyway, since they have been permanently removed from my life and I'm stuck using my workout earbuds until then, I'd like to make this process as quick and painless as possible.  I have an absolute maximum budget of $220, but would prefer under $180.  I was looking at the TF10's for a long time (hoping that amazon woulda had another $90 sale this year) but I figured before I jumped the gun, I'd ask you guys and maybe see if I could get something more suited to my personal taste in music.
 
As far as I know, I like a more neutral sound, and I don't have a very big threshold of pain for highs so nothing really screachy :|  Something that provided a similar style to my 600ohm DT880's would be absolutely amazing, though I know there are obvious limitations there...

Here's my last.fm to give an example of what kind of music I listen to http://www.last.fm/user/xmilkmanx, as you can see i'm pretty well across the spectrum.  There's also some classical music I listen to that isn't shown on there.  My favorite artists are Tech N9ne, Britney Spears, Alanis Morisette, Dido, Aphex Twin, Blink 182, Cattle Decapitation, and Lights.
 
Oh, one thing, I HAVE to use either Amazon or Newegg to purchase, otherwise I won't be able to afford it lol...
 
My sources are an iPod touch and a Sansa Clip+
 
Thanks a ton!

 

[kiteki]

Quote:

My favorite artists are Britney Spears, Alanis Morisette, Dido

 
I think you should aim for somehitng mid-centric which makes vocals shine above the rest.
 
I don't have experience with IEM's which can do that but the popular choice is Hifiman RE-262.
 

 

[rpearce1475]

Quote:

 
The TF10 are pretty good apart from the crazy housing i.e. insertion issues, same with Etymotic HF5 and ER-4.
 
If you can spend $100 I'd say UE700 or HF5, if you can spend $130 I'd say Sony EX600, these really are the best value for money IEM's I know of in Hi-Fi.
 

 
EDIT: Now choosing between JVC FXT90 and Vsonic GR07.  They're close enough in price to not matter.  As I said before, I want decent isolation as I'll be on trains/planes a lot, and also comfort as I'll have them in for long periods at a time.  Durability is important as I want them to last(a good case would be nice), and I want them to look and feel nice.  Any thoughts?
 

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

I don't plan on throwing them against a tree or anything, but yea that does worry me about a channel cutting out after just a few months.  So which of the other headphones might be good and more durable? Also I saw that the UE triplefi10s are going for $160 on amazon right now, would those be worth looking at?
 
 

Yeah, if absolute durability is an issue, the RE0s might not be the best option, as it's sometimes hard to get a hold of customer service for it as well. I haven't heard a lot of durability comments either way on the others, but maybe you can ask ljokerl, seeing as he's handled all of them. The TF10s also have that v-shaped sound and are fairly popular, but every year they go down to $99, and aren't the best deal at $160.
 

 
Quote:

Hey Guys, I come to you seeking your mighty advice and wisdom!
I have recently had my Super.Fi 5 Pro's lost (actually, stolen more probably, since I know precisely where they last were). They were great IEM's and I loved them very much, never had any issues with inserting them, especially once I swapped over to comply foamies.  Anyway, since they have been permanently removed from my life and I'm stuck using my workout earbuds until then, I'd like to make this process as quick and painless as possible.  I have an absolute maximum budget of $220, but would prefer under $180.  I was looking at the TF10's for a long time (hoping that amazon woulda had another $90 sale this year) but I figured before I jumped the gun, I'd ask you guys and maybe see if I could get something more suited to my personal taste in music.
 
As far as I know, I like a more neutral sound, and I don't have a very big threshold of pain for highs so nothing really screachy :|  Something that provided a similar style to my 600ohm DT880's would be absolutely amazing, though I know there are obvious limitations there...

Here's my last.fm to give an example of what kind of music I listen to http://www.last.fm/user/xmilkmanx, as you can see i'm pretty well across the spectrum.  There's also some classical music I listen to that isn't shown on there.  My favorite artists are Tech N9ne, Britney Spears, Alanis Morisette, Dido, Aphex Twin, Blink 182, Cattle Decapitation, and Lights.
 
Oh, one thing, I HAVE to use either Amazon or Newegg to purchase, otherwise I won't be able to afford it lol...
 
My sources are an iPod touch and a Sansa Clip+
 
Thanks a ton!

I don't know enough about your Beyers to recommend a similar IEM, but as far as neutral IEMs go, the B2s, HF5s, etc have a reputation for being analytical, but some people think they lack bass. Something like the GR07 offers a bit more bass, without being too colored or overemphasized. All except the B2s are on amazon, but they should go back on amazon in a couple of months. All will play fairly well portable sources. Are you sure you're looking for neutral, though?
 

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

 
EDIT: Now choosing between JVC FXT90 and Vsonic GR07.  They're close enough in price to not matter.  As I said before, I want decent isolation as I'll be on trains/planes a lot, and also comfort as I'll have them in for long periods at a time.  Durability is important as I want them to last(a good case would be nice), and I want them to look and feel nice.  Any thoughts?
 

Between the FXT90s and GR07s, the GR07s will probably offer a bit more isolation, but not by a whole lot. Both are supposed to be fairly comfortable, so that's not really an issue either. Regarding durability, the GR07s come with a rather nice clamshell case, while I don't think the FXT90s have one that comes with them. However, the GR07s have had a few minor issues with strain reliefs coming unglued, though it's easily fixed and the GR07s are otherwise sturdy. However, it's not too difficult to find a case that will work for the FXT90s, either. I think it'll come down more to sound preferences, and perhaps form factor differences.