[stepic]

Hi all
 
First post here.
 
I'm looking at getting a pair of headphones to use primarily on my commute to work, and potentially during work hours, but also within the house secondly. So my main priority, besides sound quality, is that they don't leak noise and that they isolate outside noise. I usually listen to indie rock, but also some electronic stuff and a little bit of hip hop. Think Radiohead/Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem/Kanye West. I don't mind a bit of bass. I'm looking at paying around the £150 mark ($240 USD).
 
I THINK I've narrowed it down to the following 3:
 
* Sennheiser HD 25-1 II
* Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO
* Shure SRH 840
 
I do like the look of the DT770's but concerned they may be too big for commuting. The HD25-1 ii's are probably better sized for commuting, but I've heard they may not be as comfortable for long term usage because of the smaller size (pushing against ears etc). If I had to prioritise I'd say the commute is more important in this respect, but I would like to be able to have them on for hours on end if necessary.
 
Any help would be great - also any other suggestions matching my criteria which I may have missed!

 

[TheExile]

Thanks for the answer. I generally take good care of them. I'm just tired of them dying after 4 months, I might need to be more careful next time.
Since you have tried both of those IEMs, which one do you prefer? I'll mainly be listening to metal, heavy rock music.

Thanks Magic! If I go with the 07's I'll definitely get them from him.

the gr07's is on my next to buy list. but from all the reading on them they are pretty rock solid. it doesnt have detatchable cables like the se215 so it wont have problems like the 215s.

at least from all of the reviews from those who do have it on here... the sound greatly surpasses the se215

 

[miceblue]

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Yeah at the moment she's been using the cheapy-ol earsphones that you see in grocery stores (Skullcandy Ink'd, JVC Marshmallow, things of the sort), so the SRH440 should definitely be an upgrade for her.
 
As for earphones, she's kind of torn between the Groupon one (4 days left for the deal) and the Monoprice 8320 since both have received pretty positive reviews. MEElectronics also has some decent earphones.

Wow, I'd skip the Groupon deal, Those are screaming don't buy me...You know the Monoprice sounded decent/I think the Hype/Price Ratio kinda took over.  They are Huge and the housing hurt your ears, then you have to find the right tips etc..  A big pain in the butt really.  For $8 they were decent, if you like bass light/ Good mids/ and wonky treble.
 
If you wanna keep it cost low, You're right MeE has some good offerings.  I still think the M6 is one of the better cheap in ears,
My next Fave would be the CW31, It has a very pleasing sound...  Some people pick the M9 as well, but it is very fit dependent. I could never get the perfect fit with them.
Check Amazon, For Mee products, they are a lot cheaper then buying right from Mee.  You really can't go wrong with any of their line up really.  The customer service is 2nd to none, and the products are great...

Ah OK thanks for the advice. I read about the Monoprice's large form factor/fit so that was the only thing detracting from recommending it since she has rather small ears.
 
I'll check in to the M9 some more. I have a pair and they...sound OK. Personally I don't like them too much and actually prefer the Sennheiser CX 300 because of its warmth and better timbre but at the cost of less instrument separation and clarity.
 
On second thought, I don't have the stock tips since it was handed to me from a friend, but I'll try the CX 300's tips on them. They sound a bit better with the CX 300's tips but the midrange is really recessed in comparison. Inserting in the earphones in to my ears makes a lot of "scrunching" noise too. I haven't encountered an earphone that makes that much noise. o.0

Ooh, how is the Audeo PFE012 versus the MEElectronics ones?
I have a 20% off coupon at EarphoneSolutions (again) and I can probably pay the difference between that and the SRH440.

 

[NotLordAtkin]

Anyone knows of good IEMs that I can use as an alternative to full-sized headphones for the times when I can't drag them around? Anything with clear and fun sound for $20-$50 will do.
 
The ones I've stumbled onto so far are Nuforce NE770X. Are they any good? or would you recommend different ones for the price?

 

[Johnny Jumper]

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Hi guys,
 
I'm looking for new headphones to replace (or potentially upgrade from) my trusty old koss porta pros, preferably supraaural, though no real preference. The most important considerations I have are (in ranking of priority):

• comfort
• sound quality
• budget ($100/£65)

 
A little background on my music library: I used to listen to a lot of rock/heavy metal/ rap but I have since moved on to more mellow tunes like instrumental tunes/orchestras /ballads. So its a pretty weird mix there so any headphones that are fairly balanced would be good.
Also, I need to stay in budget because I'm eyeing up a new pair of iems as well. (Both my iems and my koss porta pros mysteriously decided to stop working at the same time so i'm looking to replace both but one at a time. ) 
 
Thanks guys!

Check out Joker's review of some 250 IEMs.  One of the replies to his reviews is a table that you can sort by price, comfort, and sound quality.  I downloaded it and put it into Excel.  It was very helpful...
 
JJ

 

[Nocteum]

Hey, first post here
 
I'm looking for some in-ear headphones and I'm willing to spend about $30~$40. I usually listen to K-pop (sometimes J-pop), I want headphones that can bring out the beauty of songs like this (skip to 3:49) or this, basically, songs that are strong on vocals. At the same time, I want songs like this to sound great too. Also comfort and isolation are important to me too. Don't know if that's too much to ask for.
 
I've done some researching of my own and I've been thinking about purchasing the Soundmagic E10's. I've noticed these headphones are constantly praised for it's bass. Bass is something that is emphasized in Hip Hop and not K-pop. These reviews make me think that the main selling point of the E10's is the bass but if bass is not something that is emphasized in K-pop then will it really benefit me? 
 
Oh, and I'm using the iPhone 5.

 

[doublea71]

Source: J3
 
I want a warm-ish sounding set of IEMs, in the 200-300 dollar range with very good comfort and build quality. The J3 is a cold-sounding dap, so I want something that'll pair better than my GR07s. I think they sort of mirror each other and it's a bit fatiguing to be honest. Any recommendations would be appreciated. I love the sound of the ipod video 5.5 with Rockbox if that helps...
 

 

[ianerhard13]

Hi, I'm looking to buy a good pair of portable on ear headphones and am wondering out of these choices, which has the best overall sound quality. There are other factors, but I'm mostly seeking insight on sound.
 
Noontec Zoro
Koss ProDJ100
Sennheiser px 200-ii
AKG K450
 
I would really appreciate some insight as I'm having a hard time narrowing this down.
 
I mostly listen to metal, punk, and indie, with the occasional classical and jazz album.
 
Right now leaning towards the Zoros.

 

[inline79]

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I work at an animal shelter. When im around the dogs the barking is at a dangerous level. I have ear buds for my ipod but i have to blast it at an even more dangerous level to hear the music. Im looking for something thats under 100 that will block the noise and let me enjoy my music without going deaf.

 
Someone mentioned the SE215 - great over-ear value for an IEM.  But if it's your first in-ear, you may not know if you like having them in your ear, or fitting them over-ear as the SE215 requires.  A good "trainer" IEM for the Shures is the Meelectronics M6.  Right now you can get one for $20 shipped with the coupon codes on www.meelec.com.  Another great place to start is a Philips SHE3580.  You might find one at a local Ross or Marshalls for $7.  Decent isolation and lots of bass.  You'll find a big thread on both of them on head-fi somewhere.
 
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I'm looking for something that really keeps the sound in, rather than keeps other sounds out. Perhaps it seems silly, but the idea of bothering people with my music gives me a bit of anxiety.
 
Obviously I'd want something that sounds good too, but stopping sound leak is a really high priority for me.
 
I've already read through http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-268-iems-compared-visang-vs-k1-added-01-03-13, and based on that the Etymotic Research ER-4S seemed like it would probably be a good fit.
 
Basically I guess I wanted to ask if they keep sound in as well as they keep sound out? If not, or if you have no idea, does anyone else have any other suggestions?

 
I think all in-ears have such low output that nobody else will hear them until they're in their ear canal.  If you're asking these questions, why not start simple with something like the above Philips SHE3580 for $7.  That's a pretty low risk IEM!  Or if you want to start even lower, you can track down a RP-HJE120 for $5 on amazon!  THEN work your way up to the $250 ER-4S.  Part of the fun is finding the one that fits you best!  Few of us get it right the first time.
 
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Anyone knows of good IEMs that I can use as an alternative to full-sized headphones for the times when I can't drag them around? Anything with clear and fun sound for $20-$50 will do.

You know, I was searching the web for the IE500s I have on the way to me now and saw them for GBP12.00 on amazon.co.uk.  That's a great price for ceramics... you might want to give them a shot! 

 

[JakeLight]

Looking to find a replacement for my Sony mdr-ex90lp buds. The left ear cable has a short in it that only passes audio if is carefully positioned. The Sony buds (not fakes...heh) were bought new about 7 or 8 years ago and lasted a very long time and provided the kind of tonal balance I really like as well as providing the best fit and comfort of any buds I have owned.

I also had a set of Shure e2c before those, but the casing on those started to deteriorate after a year or so, and the fit was not quite right along with a being a bit shy on the low end despite excellent mid/high end.
 
I purchased a set of mdr-ex310lp buds about 6 months ago that seemed to be an equivalent model but have to say that they have been a major disappointment. The updated shape does not fit as well, the mid/high frequencies are definitely not as defined, and to top it off the rubber covers on the edges of the buds that appear to be held on by rubber cement have both fallen off exposing the wiring behind the driver on both sides.
 
I am definitely not willing to go above $200, and am really wanting to be around $140 but will stretch for something that is in another league.
 
I would really prefer to repair the cable on the buds I have, but not sure if that is a realistic option.
 
Thanks!

 

[Iamabear]

Hello~

I'm looking for a low-budget IEM (<$35) but the following is my criteria for selection:

noise isolation (important): I will wear these in areas ranging from places with minimal talking and background noise to buses, and occasionally airplanes.

minimal microphonics (important): I had Skullcandy Titans (I'm done with Skullcandy; definitely hyped) but the thumping whenever I brushed against the cord annoyed me.

comfort (important)

mic (preferred, but optional)

"balanced" audio (optional): I don't listen to music at loud levels, and the types of music I listen to varies from classical, movie soundtracks, classic rock, and alt rock - but I don't think an exaggerated bass or treble will improve my listening experience. The other criteria definitely trumps this one since I'm fairly easily satisfied audio-wise.

I don't expect a perfect solution with my tight budget, but it's been a little difficult researching on my own since it seems like this forum appreciates superior audio quality a lot more than I do in terms of monetary value. (I guess I'm just an audio noob =P )

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[ender323]

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Hello~

I'm looking for a low-budget IEM (<$35) but the following is my criteria for selection:

noise isolation (important): I will wear these in areas ranging from places with minimal talking and background noise to buses, and occasionally airplanes.

minimal microphonics (important): I had Skullcandy Titans (I'm done with Skullcandy; definitely hyped) but the thumping whenever I brushed against the cord annoyed me.

comfort (important)

mic (preferred, but optional)

"balanced" audio (optional): I don't listen to music at loud levels, and the types of music I listen to varies from classical, movie soundtracks, classic rock, and alt rock - but I don't think an exaggerated bass or treble will improve my listening experience. The other criteria definitely trumps this one since I'm fairly easily satisfied audio-wise.

I don't expect a perfect solution with my tight budget, but it's been a little difficult researching on my own since it seems like this forum appreciates superior audio quality a lot more than I do in terms of monetary value. (I guess I'm just an audio noob =P )

Thank you in advance for your help!

As far as comfort and isolation go, get some foam tips. Comply is widely considered one of the best available. These are available for most IEMs. For microphonics, loop the cable over your ear. You will have to wear the IEM in your ear upside down. Almost no microphonics at all, though. At an extreme budget, check out Monoprice 8320s. Cost <$10, and outdo IEMs that cost several times the price. Pop some Comply -400s, and loop the cable over your ear. It is true that we tend to be SQ junkies. You will be, too eventually. Welcome to Head-Fi. Sorry about your wallet.

 

[EMDash]

That's awesome, thank you Deadlovestory! What do you know about Velodyne? Seems to have the bass I'm looking for. Are they fragile?
 

 

[Deadlovestory]

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That's awesome, thank you Deadlovestory! What do you know about Velodyne? Seems to have the bass I'm looking for. Are they fragile?
 

No probs. Unfortunately, I have never owned any Velodyne IEM, so I can't tell you anything.

 

[chevy454]

i been trying to make my mind up on some quality iem's to go with my galaxy nate 2. So far i narrowed my choices to the  two bass cannons. the xb90's and the jvc fx3x with a small amp.i listen to rap and r&b