[kimvictor]

Quote:

Thanks, but those are beyond my $100 budget.

It'd be pretty hard to find a portable that isolates well(over 15db) and have good sq for under $100, unless you are going to look at IEMs. But who knows.

 

[Hippopotamus]

Hey guys,
 
I'm looking for a pair of IEMs for under $100, the cheaper the better. I like a clear sound with a good soundstage and instrument seperation, but I'm willing to trade off since these are IEMs. I listen to mostly any genre of music, with emphasis on jazz, classical, and electronic. These will be powered by an iPod or phone, no amp at the moment. I don't care about isolation because I want to be aware if a car is about to hit me or something! 

  Also, an included case would be nice and I hope that they look at least half-decent. 

 haha
 
Anyways, some earphones I've been considering include the Phiaton PS 210 (non-noise cancelling) and HiFiMAN RE-400. The only thing holding me back on the RE-400s is the fact that they don't come with a case. I love the look and open soundstage of the PS210's too... 
 
Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Hey guys,
 
I'm looking for a pair of IEMs for under $100, the cheaper the better. I like a clear sound with a good soundstage and instrument seperation, but I'm willing to trade off since these are IEMs. I listen to mostly any genre of music, with emphasis on jazz, classical, and electronic. These will be powered by an iPod or phone, no amp at the moment. I don't care about isolation because I want to be aware if a car is about to hit me or something! 

  Also, an included case would be nice and I hope that they look at least half-decent. 

 haha
 
Anyways, some earphones I've been considering include the Phiaton PS 210 (non-noise cancelling) and HiFiMAN RE-400. The only thing holding me back on the RE-400s is the fact that they don't come with a case. I love the look and open soundstage of the PS210's too... 
 
Any help is appreciated, thanks!

Good staging, separation, all-rounder, case - you can buy a separate case for these as the RE-400s are pretty much a no-brainer and definitely worth the extra bit. Smooth, clear, decent staging size and natural proficiency. 
 
You could also look at the A161p which have a case included, but the staging is more of a smaller, focused blob. 

 

[MrViolin]

Hey TwinQY, what's your favorite IEM and the best IEM IYO. 

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Hey TwinQY, what's your favorite IEM and the best IEM IYO. 

 

Spoiler: Just%20realized%20this%20sounded%20a%20bit%20self-indulgent%20and%20snobby

 
Favourite sig-wise? RE-252/272/PFE012/ER4P/UE900. But mostly the RE-272/ER4P side of things.
Favourite technicality/proficiency-wise? CK100PRO (clarity) /TG334 (detailing) / UE900s (tightness) / eQ-5 (tactility) / ER4P (linearity) / EX1000 (timbre). Something along the likes of that. I think I'm missing a couple of others.
 
Last wish in this world would be something with the RE-272/ER4P mixture of sigs, TG334 aesthetics and shell build, and the CK100PRO's absolute clarity and transparency without the tendency of being overbearing and fatiguing. Not to mention a schiit load of detailing/resolution.
So in short SR-009s in IEM form (though I'm more inclined to other sigs like the HE-6 on actual full-sized headphones)
 

 

[MrViolin]

Quote:

Favourite sig-wise? RE-252/272/PFE012/ER4P/UE900. But mostly the RE-272/ER4P side of things.
Favourite technicality/proficiency-wise? CK100PRO (clarity) /TG334 (detailing) / UE900s (tightness) / eQ-5 (tactility) / ER4P (linearity) / EX1000 (timbre). Something along the likes of that. I think I'm missing a couple of others.
 
Last wish in this world would be something with the RE-272/ER4P mixture of sigs, TG334 aesthetics and shell build, and the CK100PRO's absolute clarity and transparency without the tendency of being overbearing and fatiguing. Not to mention a schiit load of detailing/resolution.
So in short SR-009s in IEM form (though I'm more inclined to other sigs like the HE-6 on actual full-sized headphones)

Thanks-you o' great TwinQY!

 

[Hippopotamus]

Good staging, separation, all-rounder, case - you can buy a separate case for these as the RE-400s are pretty much a no-brainer and definitely worth the extra bit. Smooth, clear, decent staging size and natural proficiency. 

You could also look at the A161p which have a case included, but the staging is more of a smaller, focused blob. 

Thanks for the advice! Do know of any good, small cases for the RE-400s? Will also look into the A161p...

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Thanks for the advice! Do know of any good, small cases for the RE-400s? Will also look into the A161p...

Hard case or soft? Otterboxes (overboard) or the UE crush boxes (a bit pricey) are nice, any soft box like the Westones should work fine as well.

 

[Hippopotamus]

Quote:

Hard case or soft? Otterboxes (overboard) or the UE crush boxes (a bit pricey) are nice, any soft box like the Westones should work fine as well.

How about the Pelican cases like this one?: http://www.amazon.com/Pelican-1010-025-100-Micro-Case-Clear-Carabineer/dp/B001CCZF6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366688365&sr=8-1&keywords=pelican+case+1010
 
Or maybe I should get this... http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-Select-Color-Leather-Case-For-Scosche-In-Ear-Wired-Headphones-Headset-L88c-/111043961644?pt=US_Cell_Phone_PDA_Cases&var=&hash=item19dabc632c
 
EDIT: Whoa apparently now Head Direct is sending them with a case according to this review: http://www.head-fi.org/products/hifiman-re-400/reviews/8827
I guess I have found the IEM I'm gonna buy then, YAY! Thanks again

 

[Jerrey S]

Quote:

the prices seem to have stabilized recently on amazon, not sure about other sources or anything through slickdeals  http://camelcamelcamel.com/Ultimate-Ears-TripleFi-Isolating-Earphones/product/B0019RBJOE
 
 
Well seeing as how I was on the fence about an amp and don't really like my Beyer DT990s that much anyway (not to mention carrying it around) I'll hold off.  I read the e11 kind of crowds the sound stage which might undo some of what the Ortofons are kind of known for.  I understand the $ is probably better spent on the phones themselves.
 
Wayne, thanks for the recommendation but that sound signature does not look like something I will like.  I'm not taking sides in that argument and I'm not in a hurry,

 
For TF10, on ebay you can find many auctions end with price ~$150. Just sold mine at $165 today. 

 

[danielghofrani]

I own Shure SE535, but I want to upgrade to a pair of earphones with better detail and presentation. I listen to classical music and opera a lot. 
I am thinking westone 4r what are you thinking?
budget is around $500
 
longetivity is key, I really like the build quality of the Shure with the removable cables and solid ergonomic shell.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

I own Shure SE535, but I want to upgrade to a pair of earphones with better detail and presentation. I listen to classical music and opera a lot. 
I am thinking westone 4r what are you thinking?
budget is around $500
 
longetivity is key, I really like the build quality of the Shure with the removable cables and solid ergonomic shell.

Sounds like the W4Rs. Connectors are more robust and likely less prone to failure against the Shures, although the cable themselves could go either way. The W4 presentation excels at classical for some, depends on your sig preferences for that genre. Detailing...well the Shures push out more with their more forward mids but I do feel the Westones to be more proficient at times.
 
You could also look at the 7550/EX1000 series, which have even better timbre for instruments and a vastly expansive stage. Also removable cabling that feels robust as well. Lack of isolation though, but the shells are infinitely more polished, having a more "industrialized" and professional sense of build, although that is completely subjective of course.

 

[petridish]

Hello Head Fi,
 
I don't usually like signing up just to post 'help me' threads so forgive me for this but reading through this thread has been very useful and I wanted to ask for a few opinions.
 
I'm after a decent set of over-ear closed headphones and so far have been looking at the following:
 
Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro
Audio Technica ATH M50
AKG 550/551
 
The problem is that there doesn't seem to be anywhere near me where I can try these out myself so just after a few opinions from anyone who might have tried 2 or all 3 of them.
 
I'm from the UK so I'm not sure how the prices compare elsewhere but the 551's are the most expensive here and would probably a little over my budget (approx equivalent to $290 according to google so I'll say my budget is $240). The M50's seem like a great all rounder for a low price and the COP's seem to divide opinions from what I've read, however I like how sturdy they look to be compared to the M50's.
 
As for usage, I will mainly be using them for travelling (I don't mind big headphones since a lot of my travelling is on buses/trains/plains i.e. sat still so not too bothered about them being large) or when I cant have music playing out loud (late at night, public places, etc). I'm looking for something that will work well without a portable amplifier as opposed to simply 'work without but could do with one' as I only intend to use them with an ipod/smartphone.
 
Without being too broad I listen to a lot of different types of music but will be predominantly things like reggae, jazz, dub, ska, punk, house, drum and bass and other electronic. For that reason I would quite like something that would be capable of strong bass but whilst remaining clear (sorry if this isn't a very good description, I'm no audiophile). My main concern would be that I would find the bass a bit underwhelming as I quite like to really feel the music when I'm listening to dub for example, I guess I'm a bit of a basshead in that regard.
 
I feel like I'm leaning towards the COP's as I think for me the variable bass ports would actually be useful rather than a gimmick but if there are any other headphones that I should also consider (heard recommendations of the Beyer DT 770's maybe? what's good about them compared to the others?) I'd like to hear about them. Before I buy I'll try and have a look further afield to try some out but it seems like everywhere only wants to stock Sennheiser's near me so I can't test the ones I've been looking at easily. Sorry for the length of this post I've tried to think of everything I can to help describe what I'm after which is feedback and opinions on the above headphones as well as any others that I should consider.
 
Thanks for your time

 

[hiki08]

 

 
 
I have been to Mingo (the main store) where they said they don't have either of the AKG NCs unfortunately. They said AKG didn't give them any for auditioning. I doubt their branch stores would have them for testing instead? Though I might go back to see if they have the Sony and UEs..
 
Quote:

Usually circuitry will mess things up and they delibrately tun them to sound awful without the ANC activated (this trend is slowly starting to disappear with stuff like the UEs and the MDR-1RNCs). At this point would look at either of those especially if comfort is being factored in (otherwise I would tout the elitist card and say to go for passive isolating monsters like the on-ear HD25s). The K490s are decent, in fact very decent for NC headphones, but in the grand scheme of things loses out in terms of cleanliness against the usual offerings. 
 
Not sure of the budget, and this is rather unconventional, but have you considered the QC15s? The sound isn't all that bad and the NC destroys most other implementations. 
 
 
 
Sound is...well, different. I'd check out the measurements on some other sites (CS, Goldenears) to get a general idea of their "sound signature "but the open-back and closed-back thing does significantly impact the whole scenario. In a nutshell upper mids are a bit more prominent as well as warmth, on the K550s. And staging lacks the lateral size, accurate positioning, depth.

 
I've looked a bit more into the Sony.. I haven't had the chance to visit a Sony Centre to listen to them yet but just from reviews/size/looks they seem like a good contender. I'm not a particular fan of the UE styling.. The Sony's a lot more expensive than the K550s or K490NCs though.. they're around the price of K495NCs which I've decided not to get as they're probably not worth it. 
 
Just from comparing the specs of K550 and MDR-1RNC, I find that:

1. both have 50mm drivers
2. the frequency response range is wider on the AKG,
3. power handling capacity is double on the AKG, and
4. as to impedance.. Sony is 52 ohms when on and 16 ohms when off; AKG is 32 ohms

 
Looking at the above, from my rudimentary understanding, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the slight differences in frequency response range but wider should also be better, I don't have much idea about what power handling capacity affects, and it seems like 52ohms for when the Sony is 'on' seems a little on the high end if I don't use an amp?
 
So being a lot more expensive I wonder if anyone would know how the Sony sound compares with the K550?  Perhaps in terms of the detail and soundstage and not really about the style since the style would be more subjective (although any comments would be appreciated!). I could almost get K550 + K490NC (both) for the same price as an MDR-1RNC... so if the Sony's sound is much 'inferior' to the K550s then I don't see much reason for it. (theoretically, 2 headphones would surely last longer than 1!)
 
By the way, there's a sale on Sony website from $499 to $399USD until 27th April if anyone's interested.. As for me I don't think I would be able to test and decide in time.. 
 
Thanks!!
 
edit: sorry unrelated to the rest of my post but just noticed many sellers on Amazon (with fulfillment by Amazon) are selling K702s for around USD$280 with a 46% discount.. while where I am in Hong Kong they're selling it for the equivalent of US$500. Am I missing something? On Amazon, the K702 is the same price as the K550. (I looked up an old 2009 head-fi thread where the OP was alarmed by the low K702 price as well but another forumer suggested $250 was the standard price for K702s in the States?)

 

[NineWest]

Quote:

 
You've not given a lot to go by. Stating sound preferences, genre preferences, preferences in terms of comfort (assuming you'll want small-ish nozzles), build, and isolation would also be helpful. Just so it makes it easier for us, otherwise we'd be shooting in the dark with, again, nothing to go by.
 
I'll get around to making a template for recs later. For now, anyone else reading just keep this in mind.
 

I don't have an extensive knowledge of headphone/earbud terminology so I'm guessing genre preferences means what they would be used for? If it is that then music for the most part and occasionally watching streams of things like TV shows, movies and etc. I'm not expecting amazing sound quality but I do know that I don't want them to make music sound tinny. Heavy bass also isn't a thing that matters to me. They'll be used at home for the most part. I listen to rock, classic rock and some pop music and as mentioned before I'd rather be able to hear the vocals then having to deal with a lot of bass.
 
I'd like them to be sound isolating like the Sennheiser CX 485's. I'd also like them to have tips that can be easily replaced, wiped off and that have smaller sizing options if that helps any or matters at all. I know some earbuds can be modded but I don't really want to do that but could learn if I had to. I could buy smaller tips if needed as long as I knew where to get some good ones.
 
I only have a budget of $25 so I know there's not a lot of options. I've thought about trying MEEIectronics and would be open to another pair of Sennheisers. There are just so many models that seem to have varying reviews that it gets confusing fast.

Is that enough information?