[fraseyboy]

I'm not too well versed in portable audio, hence the creation of a thread. I'm going to Japan in March and I'd really like something to listen with on the plane.

My favourite bands are listed in my sig. I don't really have a particular sound preference. One thing I can't stand are recessed mids, so I'd prefer it to do well in that area. Bloated overpowering bass is a big no as well. Other than that, I'm easy as long as it sounds fairly good. To be perfectly honest, comfort is a higher priority than sound for me.

I have the iM716 at the moment which sounds nice, but I can barely wear them for an hour on the count of intense pain and I suspect the flight to Japan will be longer than an hour. Thus, IEMs are fine as long as they're known to be pretty comfortable. Not sure what other options are available at my budget which, by the way, is up to $150USD.

Thanks!

 

[GreatDane]

Which tips do you use with the iM716? Is it the depth of insertion that bothers your ears?

If this is the problem then something like the PFE or RE0 might work better. I have these two along with ER4P which takes more time to fit due to the deeper fit. I can listen to ER4P for many hours with any tip. The RE0 with grey silicone tips don't go very deep...these I listen to in bed and sleep with for 7 hours, very comfortable.

 

[fraseyboy]

I use the Shure olives, small size. Other tips seem to hurt after a while too. It's like an aching pain which sorta feels like it's caused by the pressure on the inside of my ears.

Keep in mind it also has to isolate the plane noise, so it can't be too shallow.

 

[mark2410]

custom 3, since etys may not be comfy for you. shures also would probably suit you well and i also think the cheap but great little PL-50 should be of interest to you. it beats the se210 no trouble.

 

[episiarch]

Consider the d-Jays. They are highly isolating (near Ety levels) and have very comfortable silicone bulb eartips that make them the easiest-fitting and most comfortable high-isolation earphones I've tried other than custom-fitted ones. They have a neutral-ish sound signature, somewhat like your iM716's if you don't have the disco bass switch engaged, but with less high-frequency extension. The driver units are very small and as comfortable as anything I've ever tried for sleeping or resting with an ear against a pillow.

Driven directly from an iPod they are quite acceptable though muffled sounding for someone used to an Ety/iM716 sound. The addition of a minimal amp such as the Fiio E1 cleans them up remarkably, so I suspect that with your iRiver as source they'll sound pretty good.

 

[semisight]

Whatever you choose, try and get some Shure olives or comply tips. I think they would satisfy your desire for comfort.

 

[urabus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by semisight /img/forum/go_quote.gif Whatever you choose, try and get some Shure olives or comply tips. I think they would satisfy your desire for comfort.

Excellent advice, i use olives w/e500 for music, comply w/cx500 for movies and both are comfortable to wear for 6-12 hour flights. i flew over 100k miles this year and 95% of the flights were trans-continental.

 

[Blueiz]

Deleted, due to double post..

 

[Blueiz]

Might want to look at the Denon AH-C751 (used to be numbered C700.. same, but with different accys)... I keep coming back to these... just love the presentation and the cable is AMAZING... it just NEVER tangles... simply magic!! There is a huge thread discussing them here:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/o...ssions-254224/

Bought a second pair just for back up if I ever lost them or they died.... so far after 18 months they are good as new.... seem to be indestructible. I find isolation is good enough on an airplane and remember you're only on a airplane a very small percentage of your listening hours... probably minuscule, actually!!

I think they are about $110 USD on Amazon.

Enjoy Japan!

 

[Blueiz]

Found a quote that sums up my thoughts perfectly regarding the Denons....

"Personally - I feel the Denons have more to offer than the PK1s. I'll gladly sacrifice a bit of soundstage and that "headphone sound" for the musical presentation that the C700s offer up. To me it has just about everything - wonderful bass with impressive extension, sensual mids, detailed enough highs with no sibilance or harshness, decent soundstage especially in regards to IEMs/canalphones, quick and easy insertion, terrific build quality as CN mentioned and no cable microphonics."

 

[royhendo]

For comfort, the Klipsch X10s are incredibly good. Presumably the X5s are the same.

 

[fraseyboy]

Some good suggestions in here. I'll research them further. Probably won't end up buying until some time later this year depending on when my SRD-7 sells. Someone buy that shiz, pronto.

Oh also, my source will HOPEFULLY be a Pandora (openpandora.org). At the moment I use my YP-Z5 portably which has a decent headphone out, but the controls are beginning to pack up and I'd like to just carry one device, so I might just use the Pandora for everything. Apparently it has a pretty decent headphone output. I'd rather not carry around an amp as well.

What about the Westone 1? They look pretty comfortable and come with lots of tips so finding a good fit shouldn't be too hard. Hows the sound on them?

 

[scompton]

Either go with an IEM that doesn't insert far into your ear or try comply tips. I never could get the small Shure tips on my im715 and with the medium tips I have the same problem. I have a UM1 that I use the large Shure tips with and they isolate fairly well and I have worn them for over 8 hours straight. I also own the Klipsch X5 and the only tips I can use for more than an hour are the small Comply tips. I worn them for 6 hours without a problem.

If you go with an IEM that doesn't go as far in your ear, make sure it either comes with foam tips, or that you can use Comply or Shure tips with it. Every shallow insertion IEM I've tried without foam tips haven't isolated well enough for planes or mass transit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by royhendo /img/forum/go_quote.gif For comfort, the Klipsch X10s are incredibly good. Presumably the X5s are the same.

The X5 and X10 aren't really the same. The tips are but the body of the X5 is so much bigger that it can be a problem. I have the same problem as the OP with the Klispch stock tips. I don't find them comfortable at all, even with the X10.

 

[mvw2]

Phonak PFE would be a great choice. It's one of the most comfortable earphones you'll use, they have great isolation, and they offer a ton of bang for the buck in terms of sound, including excellent mids that you're seeking.

While the Denon is a great earphone too, it is a bit V shaped in sound, and you don't seem to want that. I really do like the natural, realistic presentation of the Denon though. One big gripe is that it isolates like crap. It blocks out almost nothing, so it's a pretty bad choice for a plane trip.

 

[ansextra]

If you can find them on sale the Ultimate Ears UE700's sound like they'll do what you want (unless I've missed something along the way)...