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Hey! I made a post about this, If I get a decent response from this thread, I will quite happily delete my post! I was just unsure of this forums etiquette.
I've been browsing reviews on this wonderful site for a few days now, hours on end, screen through reviews of In ear headphones. Here is what I'm looking for, and my problems!
Desired: 150$ (flexable) in ear headphone.
- No behind the ear, no giant rubber piece touching the outer ear.
- Small size, and very comfortable for extended daily use (I listen to audiobooks at work for long hours)
- Damage resistant/durable metal housing. I do not shear cords, nor do I pull them out, but the headphone itself must be nigh uncrushable.
- Tangle resistant. I love the fabric cords, and have yet to delve into flat cords, but my headphones home is in pockets, and not a case.
Music I listen to often:
- Electronic such as Pretty lights, Nero, STS9 and bassy goodness
- New school Folk, 6-10 piece orchestrations of indie folk goodness
- Experimental minimal, Electronic, quiet, sensitive lows and quiet highs (The Notwist, m83, Architecture in Helsinki)
- Rap and spoken word (Deltron 3030, Why)
- High vocal intensive female/operatic (St. Vincent, Feist, Cat Power)
Now heres the catch.
I am currently living in Korea, and due to the restriction of high import tax, high shipping cost, and difficulty/restrictions of Korean cards, I will be ordering from G-Market. A site somewhere between ebay and amazon (all new, not really 'bidding' but multipule sellers and frequent listing/removals)
http://english.gmarket.co.kr/
The site has an english translation, but the listings themselves are most commonly korean. So, if you want to be a dear, you can search the site yourself before making a suggestion, as the prices will be radically different than what you'll find in the west.
Please help. I'm the type to over-research, and I'm indecisive as funk. I will be making purchase next Friday, the 13th.
Current interests, as advised through perusing; eph-100, shure 215, nocs ns400, shure scl2, klipsch x10
I believe that you should also add Vsonic GR01s to your list. They weren't top of my list at first, but a little reading convinced me. They are slightly over your price range. You can find them from around $180-$200 USD. I believe the ebay seller lendmeurears ships worldwide, so you wouldn't have a problem. He is an official Vsonic dealer, so you can be assured on that too.
As far as what youre looking for - They do not tangle much with my experience so far, although its a relatively thin cable. They are quite small and discreet while wearing them. With the right eartip it almost feels like you have nothing on. The housing is made of metal, and the build quality seems to be top notch. Alot of people with experience using vsonics praise the build quality. You do not have to wear them over ear either, though it helps with the microphonics. If you do decide to wear them over ear, they are very comfortable - with NO plastic behind-the-ear piece to be mentioned
. They are comfortable enough to wear through an 8 hour work day as well, I usually do. Audio books are fantastically clear, especially with audible.com high-quality files.
In terms of the music you'll be listening to, it depends what sound signature you like. The GR01s are not really bass heavy IEMs. For female vocals they are beautiful. I've been listening to alot of Claire Martin since I got them, the vocals come across warm and airy. If by indie-folk, you mean things like Iron and Wine or Fleet Foxes, then they will also sound great. The trebles and mids are fantastic on these. Im not sure about some of the elecrtonica though. This might come down to personal taste. I've been listening to a bit of massive attack on them, I find the bass to be present and accurate enough to do what its supposed to, but its by no means a bassheads IEM. I haven't listened to M83 on these yet, i'll have give it a listen, but I think it would serve the purpose quite well with these. I can see where some people used to heavy bass will not find these to be their thing. But, like I said, I think the bass is just right for my personal tastes, even with some electronica. I cant comment on the rap, as I dont listen to much other than the Beastie Boys. You should expect warm mids, sparkling and airy treble, and a punchy and detailed bass(just not as present as some people would like).
I really think these are a great all around pair of IEMs, apart from excessively deep bass, they have it all. I really must urge you to check out some reviews on them, I've been nothing but pleased so far.
I also must recommend a headphone amp with an EQ for these, it helps with some songs. The amp will also help you get the best sound possible out of your portable device. If you plan on using these with pc/laptop and a phone the Fiio E17 is nice since its also a DAC.
**edit**
Bah! Just noticed you have to get it from gmarket. I wasn't able to find them on the site. Who knows, maybe you can still find them on a Korean site, or somewhere willing to accept your payment. Definitely keep an eye out for the Vsonics though.