[pinkston32]

I am looking for IEMs for less than $40. Preferrably around $30. I listen to mainly rock and a bit of R&B, so I would prefer a decent amount of bass. I have owned 2 IEMs before, Skullcandy and Sony EX32 (currently). The skullcandy had less bass, but it was less muddy. The Sony's overall have better quality.

Sound isolation is very important to me since i will use these every day on a crowded bus. I think double flanged tips will suffice.

So, after reading many of the reviews here, I think I want Altec Lansing Backbeat Pros UHP606 which are supposed to be basically the same as the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4. Any differences?

Another i have looked at are Head Direct RE2. The bass isn't supposed to be as strong.

I will not use the headphones with an amp.

I don't want over ear designs like the Sound Magic PL30.

Thanks

 

[bba1973]

RE2's probably won't isolate as much as you want, from what I've read. I had some Sony MDR-EX55's that isolated pretty well, but didn't sound all that great. Honestly, for under $40 or so, you're not going to get much better sound quality than what you have now. I haven't heard all the IEMs you've mentioned, but I'm pretty sure you're not going to get a huge leap ahead of what you have now. Maybe you should look into foam tips like the Shure olives or Comply T400s?

On another note, my JVC Marshmallows just came in today. They sound decent almost right out of the box, and a really good value for $15. Isolation seems to be okay, so you might want to consider them too. I don't think my old Sony MDR-EX55's and Altec Lansing UHP336's sound a whole lot better, but my RE0's sound much, much clearer. Just a thought, and they're worth a shot for $15.

 

[pinkston32]

thanks for the response. i'll see what i can do.

 

[borako]

Best cheap IEM would be probably Apple in-ears you find $30-40 off eBay. They provide good bass but not particularly bassy phones, though. But they do sound great for the price.

 

[gameboy115]

One more vote to Apple In Ear

 

[pinkston32]

Those seem decent too, but it looks like they have the same wire collars (the little rubber things that join the connector and plug) as stock apple headphones, and they were the first things to break (at around wk 2) when my friend borrowed them. Anyone vouch for the durability? I just wind the phones around my hand so it makes a little loop and stuff them in my pocket.

 

[pinkston32]

ah the irony. my old headphones just got vacuumed and i need new ones pronto. i think i'll still be going with the altec lansings since i dont trust the durability of the apples. any other suggestions?

 

[stacey]

The apple headphones i just stuff in my backpack where I keep my pens and stuff. For the price (<$30 on Ebay) ADD is hard to beat.

 

[o0adam0o]

Id go with NuForce NE-6
Amazon.com: NuForce NE-6 earphones (same as NE-7M without mic): Electronics

 

[pinkston32]

Thanks. Are the apples on ebay ones real? It seems everyone selling them for less than $40 are saying theyre "new in open boxes". Sounds sorta suspicious....

 

[Katsukare]

apple ones are fake.
just get the real deal at the apple store

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkston32 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks. Are the apples on ebay ones real? It seems everyone selling them for less than $40 are saying theyre "new in open boxes". Sounds sorta suspicious....

There are several sellers known to sell the genuine article (refurbs or returned sets or whatever the case may be). 7dime and lovesuck are two (from memory) but there are others. I paid ~$30 for my set and they are definitely legit.

 

[moogoob]

JVC Air Cushions are another one to consider.

They're like the newer, better cousin to the mashmallows. I also like the tips.

 

[pinkston32]

alright so tomorrow im going to best buy to try some of these out. I will try the Ultimate ears metro.fi 200, backbeat pros (if i can find them), and apples. The jvc's look good, i'll look into those.

 

[bjaardker]

I tried the Backbeat Plus when the Altec Lansing rep was at Best Buy the other night and I was there picking up some Sony Hybrid Tips.

They were pretty comfortable. Decent sound, but the isolation wasn't as good as I would have wanted using the stock tips. Pretty good bass response, but on bass heavy songs they were a little muddy which isn't surprising since they're marketed as "BASS" headphones. From what I heard of the Plus I wouldn't be surprised if the "Pros" were a a little more clear.

Another option might be the Meelectronics Ai-M9. They use the same driver as what could be called a forum favorite in that price range the M6, but they don't have the over ear design you said you didn't like. From what I've read isolation on them is average and could probably be improved with different tips.