[PharaohsVizier]

Hiya everyone, sorry to start up a whole new thread, not sure if that's worse than reviving a really old one

Especially since I'm still a noob

Anyways, I was thinking about getting a new pair of EP630s since they were easily the most comfortable earbuds I've ever used, but then I saw the EP830s and the claims that it does vocals better and lowers the bass a little made me want it. Therefore the first question I have is, is the EP830s worth getting? Is it as comfortable as the EP630, as good, etc?

My second question is on one of the threads, some people claimed to have gotten EP830s for $13-$25, the lowest I've seen is like $45 (albeit I'm in Canada). Obviously if it is priced lower than the EP630s it would be worth getting, but is it if it is $45? The real problem is that I HAVE seen low priced ones, but I'm wary of eBay and their counterfeits. Anyone have a low priced seller that sells real ones or know of a good place to buy an EP830 for Canadians?

If not, then should I go for the EP630s instead?

Thanks for reading this, and having the patience to deal with a newbie.

 

[robjrock]

I haven't actually heard to 830s but from what I've read they are similar to 630s less bass but better refined bass, better overall clarity.

Only buy from reputable dealers. Amazon and the like (not other companies on amazon) - paying a few bucks more is worth knowing you got the genuine goods.

 

[Empire]

I have had and listened to them (they came with my X-Fi) for around 10 months, then the right channel became picky about how the wire was moved around, and lost audio in the right channel (I did treat it like crap though)

I can tell you that the EP-830s are in fact (or rather in subjectivity) less bass heavy than the 630s , BUT not by an incredible margin. IMO I would sacrifice a teeny bit of bass for added clarity, but if you're hesitating on paying 30$ more for em, get the 630s.

Or better yet, get a pair of CX-300s, they're fairly cheap on amazon I think, and people say its an improvement over both pairs.

 

[PharaohsVizier]

Hmmmm thnx for the help guys, I guess I'll stick with the EP630's then, unless someone on this board wants to sell me their pair of EP830s for cheap. The thing was I just wanted a comfy pair of headphones to sleep with, if I wanted really superb audio, I have my full sized headsets and Soundmagic's to fall back on.

Thanks again!

EDIT: It's actually kind of sad, I can't even find the EP830's in Amazon canada

 

[Zalithian]

Amazon canada doesn't seem to have much of anything.

 

[PharaohsVizier]

Yea, you're telling me.

And no where else seems to be a reliable source for these earbuds

O well, gonna go to dell and pick up a pair of EP630's, unless again someone has a pair to sell here

 

[derek8555]

EP630 is overhyped IMHO, even for $15.

They do have pretty decent isolation but that is about it.
When I had them for a brief time I really disliked the fact that when I listen to them I could always clearly tell that the sound come from two isolated points on each side of my head - they simply don't produce a sufficient sound field. Marshmallow does a better job in this regard.

And the sound is fairly boring, I even get fatigue from the overpowered yet single-toned bass and harsh treble after a couple of hours.

And yes tough luck buying stuff in Canada... sucks to be us Canucks... I think you better off searching the buy/sell forum here for your goodies.

 

[PharaohsVizier]

What would you recommend for small ears, comfort, and low budget then?

 

[derek8555]

Hmm it is quite difficult in the sub 20 or 25 market. At this price range my experience is quite limited. I've only tried the EP630 and Marshmallow, but I liked the latter better for two reasons:

1. It has a better soundstage and presence. With the EP630s even when volume was cranked all the way up you never get the same emergence feeling.
2. Since neither boast great sound quality, I would choose the one that's most fun and enjoyable. The EP630 unfortunately wasn't enjoyable to me.

Hope this can help you a bit.

 

[div]

I would recommend you got get the ep630 but with other tips - I think thats kind of a cheaper improvement above the ep 830 - which I think isn't worth paying 50bucks for. For arround that price you can get a pair of lower end denons - which sound better imo

 

[PharaohsVizier]

While I enjoyed the Marshmallow's sound (mooched off of friends), the problem was that the headphones never fit me, they kept falling out

Errrrr, forgive me for being ignorant, but what do tips have to do with sound? I assumed that as long as I could get full isolation or that sort of suction, it should sound ok? How can you tell what tips are better or worse? Sorry

As for the lower end denon, there are dealers nearby

Which do you recommend, AH-C351WT or AH-C252WT on their site, actually C351 might be a bit above my range (I'll call around), but is C252 ok? Anyone else think this is a much better choice than EP630 or whatnot?

Thanks again for the tips guys.

PS. I forgot to mention, I guess I did already a little, but I like clarity rather than the boom boom bass. Not necessary for bass to be eliminated, but my personal preference are earbuds for vocals, instrumentals, etc.

 

[derek8555]

There was a discussion yesterday on tips:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/d...-sound-426777/

In summary:
Tips do affect sound, just like you using different tires on a car and they affect handling and performance, but only to a certain degree (meaning you can't change tires and expect the car to run like a ferrari, same with these earphones). But swapping tips can shape the sound differently and suit your taste better.

P.S. try wear marshmallows around your ears? that eliminates most microphonic effects too.