Buying portable or in-ear headphones? Seeking guidance? DON'T START A NEW THREAD. Ask for advice HERE!
Sep 12, 2012 at 12:37 PM Post #1,081 of 5,364
Quote:
Well.. my ears are huge as well... larger than average people lol
even Vsonic GR07 keeps falling off from my ear
 
All right so warranty is the main problem? I'm fine with used iems as long as they are in perfect condition and have no drivers degradation 

That's the problem...
 
You won't know. Trust me, I bought a used set of Etymotic ER-4 off of eBay and never knew whether they were right or not.
 
So, I bought a new set, and the old ones were fine. But I never would have known.
 
It's all a risk.
 
Jim
 
Sep 12, 2012 at 11:26 PM Post #1,082 of 5,364
Quote:
I am looking for advice on purchasing some IEMs, I'm looking for a pair of IEMs that have good sound and are comfortable to wear and the cable/cord is also not too cumbersome so I can use them on the go.  I don't want to pair with an amp, just plug them into my mp3 player or my iphone.  I listen to 90% classical (80% orchestral, 20% instrumental), 5% other acoustic (80% jazz, 20% other), and 5% pop/rock/electronic.  Great passive isolation is a must, I don't want to crank up the volume as I plan to use my ears into my golden years.  Price range: $100-500, but if I'm paying more they better be worth it.  Any advice?
 
My brief history:  i started listening to headphones in the early 2000s, with my first set of HD600s and one of the first Meier-audio DIY amp kits.  I then bought Etymotic E4P w/ S attachment (twice, I also lost them twice) and Shure E5c.  But to be honest I am not an audiophile - I rarely listen to the HD600s and now just use a cheap pair of philips earbuds I bought at costco.
 
I'd like to get back into it - from my past history, I can tell you I am lazy when it comes to listening - I don't sit there with the amp hooked up and the Senns plugged in - I just use an mp3 player with a comfortable pair of earbuds to workout or just to listen to stuff at night before I go to sleep.  I HATE the SHure E5c because they are so uncomfortable, the wire is so stiff that it retains the shape of a coil from being packed in it's carrying case and the wire is so long and bulky that it is just not practical to carry around.  I loved the sound of the ER-4P but the foam and silicone triple flanges were not comfortable in my ear especially when sleeping at night, I'm sure they were the cause of ear infections and impacted wax from having them stuck so deep in my ear canal.

Best jogging headphone i've used is the MEElectrnics M6-CL. Wrap around your ears. Fit snuggly into your ear, isolate sound. They're cheap. Like $20 on amazon
 
Sep 13, 2012 at 4:01 AM Post #1,083 of 5,364
I'm looking to buy a new pair of IEMs or earbuds because my Brainwavz Beta is dying out ( left ear is slowly not working :frowning2: ). I see that the Ety HF3 are on sale for $65 http://www.cowboom.com/product/1145350, but I don't know too much about their sound. I haven't had much experience with IEMs or earbuds, heck, I don't have much experience with the audiophile world! The only good thing I own are the ATH-m50s which I've had for a year or so now. As for genres of music I listen to, mainly pop, rock, and electronica/trance. My budget is preferably under $50 but I can go around $70
 
Sep 13, 2012 at 4:48 AM Post #1,084 of 5,364
I'm about to buy myself a pair of some hi-end IEMs, I've been reading up on that here on head-fi and many other places, but everytime I'm nearly convinced something new comes up... my problem is that I live in Poland where it's pretty hard to come by any of the IEMs I'm thinking about buying, co I can't really give them a listen. I have a budget of about $450 - it kind of eliminates most custom IEMs due to high shipping costs, although I might get some custom eartips made at a local company in the future. As for anything non-custom, I'll probably order from accessoryjack (if anyone has a spare discount coupon, well... you know the deal :D). But to the point: Right now I'm using Monster Turbines, have used original Sennheiser CX300 and earlier Apple in-ears and some Creatives, so nothing even remotely good. The source is iPod Classic (duh) 160GB. I may also invest in some portable amp in the future, most likely Fiio E11 but let's not consider this. I listen to many different kinds of music, from classic rock, psychedelic/progressive to hard rock, hardcore and some metal, a bit of electronic music sometimes and a bit of jazz/blues here and there. Mostly 320 MP3, occasionaly lossless. I also play drums, seldom live but even when practicing or just playing along I use the Turbines, so good isolation is essential. This, however, won't be the main purpose of my IEMs. The IEMs I'm interesed in are: Shure SE535 - I'm actually really hyped about those, though I do prefer wide soundstage, that's why I also consider... Shure SE535 RED - with free worldwide shipping from accessoryjack I could spend some more on those, though I've read some sceptical opinions about the cable. Is this edition worth the extra buck? Westone UM3X - slightly cheaper, also seems to be a viable option, especially since apparently the low end on these is better than with Shures. Then there are those custom which are pretty close to my budget, the 1964Ears V3 triple-driver IEMs, which even with shipping should (assuming they won't need to be refitted) cost about the same as the red Shures. However, I couldn't find any reviews of this exact model and like I said before, this solution has its downsides for me. There's also this CosmicEars company here in EU which has some nice driver configurations and CRAZY low prices (this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/626714/cosmic-ears-new-ciem-company-with-crazy-low-prices-including-hybrid-designs/75 ). Again, there are no opinions on these monitors so it still doesn't solve my problem... Any advice on that would be really helpful, I really don't know what to get. Thanks in advance!
 
Sep 13, 2012 at 7:03 AM Post #1,085 of 5,364
I just had a listen to some Beats Mixr, I was quite impressed, nice deep bass but also quick and a decent level of detail in the mid and treble. I tried the Solo at the same time and there was no comparison. I have Klipsch S4 iem's and i love their presentation.

However given Beats propensity to charge a wee bit over for the name, I did a bit of digging and came up with a few alternatives that have the required spec (in line remote, detachable cable, not too big and not too flashy). I was wondering if anyone has heard them side by side or comparison reviewed them, I did try searching without any luck, they are:

Beats Mixr approx £220
Aiaiai TMA-1 approx £170
Sennheiser Amperior approx £260
Klipsch Image One approx £80

I know the klipsch are the odd ones out but as I love the S4s so much I wondered if they might sound similar. Any other on-ear suggestions welcome too if they fit the required specs.
 
Sep 13, 2012 at 7:22 AM Post #1,086 of 5,364
Hey all. I have been frustrated for the last few months in regards to researching some IEMs, so I am finally getting over my pride and asking for some help. I am really wanting a quality reliable pair of sport style wireless. I do a lot of crossfit/running and the cord is not helpful at all. I prefer a bluetooth connection. It took me quite a while to pull the trigger on a set of Motorola SF600s and they literally lasted 2 weeks. I refuse to fall into the loop of buying another set and then another like a few other people have done. Just looking for some options, and again I am more concerned with quality and reliability of the product. Sound quality would be nice but it's not my main focus. I just want something that will hold up to some moderate abuse and sweat. Am I SOL or what? I trust all of your advice and that's why I turned here, so thanks in advance.
 
 
Sep 13, 2012 at 11:56 AM Post #1,087 of 5,364
Hmmmm, I think I can scratch the Amperiors off the list. According to a couple of reviews I just read bass is not their forte. At least not in the sense that I'm after. (ie coloured!)

On a separate note does anyone know if the AT M50s can be had with an inline mic/remote?
 
Sep 23, 2012 at 3:04 PM Post #1,090 of 5,364
 I am considering the following three BA IEM's Astrotec AM90, Meelec A151 and Soundmagic PL50.
 
Rather I have been recommended them.  I am reading multiple review now but is there anyone out there that has listened to any two or three of them that could directly compare them.
 
Thanks
 
R-
 
Sep 24, 2012 at 4:47 AM Post #1,091 of 5,364
Hey fellas, I'm thinking of buying a pair of iem-s for my brother for his birthday. He loves working out at home and mainly does weights, crunches, pushups, etc- no jogging and running though. So I thought that a set of good, solidly built iem-s could liven up his workout routine.
 
I'm considering buying the Sennheiser PX/OMX 680 as it is water and sweat resistant. Also, they are not true iem-s- they are earbuds which is what my brother prefers. He doesn't mind using iem-s though- he is currently using my old Creative EP630-s. He's not an audiophile and is a mainstream user. He listens to bollywood music- mostly the popular stuff (kind of like dance and pop music).
Do the PX/OMX 680-s have a bass heavy signature? If then, that might be what he's looking for. Are there any other alternatives worth looking at at this price range? (I think that the PX 680 costs about $40 here and the OMX 680 costs near $50). Hardcore exercise iem-s are not an absolute must but they must be solidly built and durable to handle the abuse and should have good bass response.
 
Sep 26, 2012 at 12:57 AM Post #1,094 of 5,364
So as the title says, moments ago the left earphone just stopped working, first it would randomly work when fiddling with the cable but now it has finally died. Which brings us here.

Now, i've always used or preferred in ear monitors as opposed to full headsets mainly because i would never know if they would go as loud as my in ears. I am currently listening to music on a crappy blackberry cellphone and my craptop but they get the job done, however since my current set died im on the market again.

This sunday a friend of mine showed me his Beats Studio, and although i knew their reputation i gave them a go. The sound was as i expected, lots of bass, i am no audiophile but i would say mids were inexistant and highs were decent at best, but thats not the point, I thought: "how could my 50 dollar earphones sound better to my ears than these 300 or so bucks headphones?" I don't have any other explanation other than the double flange tips sealing my ear canal exceptionally well and giving me a nice full sound, with the beats i just didint hear my head full with sound.

Which brings me to the question so you don't have to read any further. I currently do not have a budget, but i would say i would top at $200 or so, i am looking into going full size headphones (preferrably closed over the ear) mainly for durability and/or sound quality over in ear monitors, however, if you could recommend me or explain to me why in ears sound better to me than full size, i would gladly consider and look into more options, but for now im basically just wondering what are some decent 100-200$ full size headphones/in ears which dont need any sort of amplification or can basically go loud on mp3/pc/cellphone devices.

 
What i will be playing through them:
Rock, Metal, Random youtube and movies.

Thank you so much in advance.

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top