Clueless noob needs some advice... sorry!

[LostPhil]

Hey all,

Another guy in need of some advice, sorry! I'm only 21 so I hope you dont give me the bug you all seem to have, I need to move out at some point and I'd rather not blow all my cash on headphones!

Right, well I'm in need of some either closed heaphones or some IEMs for use with my new Cowon D2 (sounds great by the way) unamped. I currently use some Sennheiser PX100s and I love the sound but I need some isolation for when I'm studying/occasionally travelling on public transport.

I'm looking for some headphones which are a bit more detailed than my PX100s but have a similar sound, nothing too bright. I listen to a lot of indie, metal and bluesy rock. Am I right in thinking that IEMs dont give much of a soundstage?

I don't have a large budget so something around £80, although I'm willing to pay a little more if there would be a big leap in performance. Oh and I have no idea where the best places to buy them online are so any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[nibiyabi]

I don't know much about IEMs but I can recommend the Sennheiser HD25-1 -- you can usually find it for $150 in the states, so I'm sure it wouldn't be much more there (maybe less, though the taxes suck over there

).

 

[drew8mc]

I've never listened to the PX100s, but it seems to me if portability, and isolation is an issue, then an IEM would be a good fit (Zing!). This is coming from someone that doesn't put soundstaging high on my list of priorities. If soundstaging is more important to you than the other two criteria then by all means go with a closed can.

Since Shure has come out with the new ES line you might be able to pick up a pair of their E-3's or 4's for your price. I'm not sure what the UK prices are.

 

[lukealexander]

IEMs are really the way to go if you want isolation. There is a decent amount of range at that price point.

 

[quattro98]

I just bought a pair of Etymotic ER-6i IEMs from Amazon and am very happy with them. They are comfortable & provide a lot of isolation with nicely balanced sound. I didn't want to spend too much on portable headphones and I chose these over the ER-4P because of the price difference as well as the much smaller size.

 

[rb67]

er-6i's seem to be the perfect choice for you. I use ER-4P's for studying and traveling on the bus as I also am a college student. The ER-6i's are in the perfect price range and I think you will be happy with them.

 

[Inkmo]

I think the ES7 might come out to less than £80...

I would love to be able to find an HD25 for less than 200 bucks, but haven't seen one yet.

 

[TreAdidas]

Just a plug for closed back headphones.... I used those when I was out in colder climates here in the states. Having headphones like that were great becaus4e they also served as ear warmers. IEM's won't do that for you and may even be downright painful if you're making a long trek outside.

Given that I've never heard much closed back headphones I can't really give a good recommendation. I used some Sony's which sucked. Don't buy those.

 

[steviebee]

For a UK site, try these guys -they're really superb (got my KSC75s from them). Good prices, fast, with great comms too:

http://www.iheadphones.co.uk

Happy hunting

 

[ronmtorres]

get an iem - probably an ety er-6i. after buying, run away from this forum - quick!

 

[LaBreaHead]

I love the isolation of my ER6i's for travel ... but they would probably be a huge adjustment, sonically, for someone who listens to a Cowon through PX100's (that must be a nice combination, by the way). I have the ER6i's and the PX100's, and I'd advise you to consider something less bright than the Ety's.

If they're within your budget in the U.K., at least think about the Westone UM1's (IEMs). Or save a bit of money and go with closed canal phones such as the Sennheisers or, for less money, the more or less comparable Creative EP630's The canal phones wouldn't isolate as much as the UM1's or the ER6i's, but they are very portable and they do "override" outside noise much more effectively than the PX100's do.

These are just a few in-ear suggestions ... I'll leave it to owners of closed headphones to comment on those for you.