Dont like IEMs. Any 'earbuds' out there in the $25-30 range ?

[redquilang]

how about clip ons like the koss ksc?

 

[goodsound]

Long time Ksc-75 user. Love them. Just want to try some earbuds.
Ordered the tempo and mx 581 from wws and will be getting the Jvc 150 gumy from amazon as well. Will let you know how this all turns out in the end.
Thanks all!

 

[rickdohc]

Quote:

how about clip ons like the koss ksc?

its an improvement over the MX580 and earbud, IMHO.
Space,  soundstage, openess, bass,  bigger sound, everything is an upgrade over them,  But, thats my opinion and i would choose them over any earbud, any day. 

One of the best bangs for the buck out there.

 

[Trinity]

Quote:

Yuin makes some nice earbuds, you might want to look into them. I own the EarPods, great balanced sound but severely lacks detail, sparkle and refinement up the top, and the soundstage is non-existent. Seriously the soundstage is SO BAD it feels like my head is getting crushed - although that might be because I've been pampered by AKG K701's mammoth soundstage. Still I'd recommend them for your price, they aren't bad so long as your ears aren't accustomed to top tier IEM sound.
 
Edit: The earpods are very, very comfortable and don't fall out either. A great design by Apple. The sound is really the only part which needs improvement.

Another vote for the Yuin earbuds. I have the a set of the Apple EarPods and while they are comfortable, the sound quality (to me), is *not* up to the marketing hype. On the other hand, the "plain Jane" Yuin PK3 buds, for about the same money, offer much better SQ from an unamped source. (I also have some Yuin PK1 earbuds which sound excellent; however, they are above your quoted price point and really require some amplification to "shine.")

 

[goodsound]

Been listening to the JBL Tempo and MX 581 for a couple of days now. After several hours of break in and listening I think I have reached a conclusion that MX 581 is a clear winner.
 
There is something lacking about the high registers of the JBL Tempo - they are very subdued - and I did not like the Grado SR-60s at all a few years ago because of the excessive highs. What I am trying to say is that I do not like headphones with a lot of highs and I found the Tempo lacking highs. And its probably because of this that they dont sound as open and airy and a darkish signature. They weren't comfortable either - they are big and they hurt my ears - maybe I have smaller ear canals but that was a deal breaker too.
 
Now the MX 581 - love them. Its like a KSC-75 with disciplined high frequecy behaviour, and slightly better bass performance(quantity as well as quality). You wont hear with the MX 581 that hint of sibilance and brittle treble that you might in KSC-75. I think the bass is better and well controlled too. I have generally steered away from earbuds due to comfort issues but this headphone makes me hope I get used to this earbud deal, and if I do, I dont think I will be reaching out for my KSC-75 as much. Couple of other things I like about this headphone are that they are quite forgiving about the position in the ear. You wiggle them for a good fit and you wont feel the sound change in a big way - unlike some other earbuds I have tried. And this fits well in my ear too - I wish it would have been just a tad bit smaller but I can live with it.
 
I couldn't help but compare it with my slightly modified AKG K81DJ. The mods I have made are very simple and basic. I have removed the extra foam cover from the earpads and I have applied some blu-tac/ropecaulk on the inside of the plastic case in hopes of reducing that mid bass resonance boom. What stood out as the biggest difference is the mids and vocals - the MX 581 was clean, clear, open and just wanted to sing. Whereas the K81DJ was holding back those vocals far back and spoiling the entire signature of the headphone.
 
So yeah...the MX 581 is my new favorite and I have to thank you guys for suggesting it!
I will be ordering the JVC HAF-150 just for kicks and if I find anything worth sharing I will post back here.
 
Thanks!

 

[grubyhalo]

"So yeah...the MX 581 is my new favorite and I have to thank you guys for suggesting it! I will be ordering the JVC HAF-150 just for kicks and if I find anything worth sharing I will post back here."
 
So, did you get the 150s? If so please could you share your impressions? Also, would be great to know how they would stack against the 581s. Thank you for your time.

 

[goodsound]

They were ok but the mx581 are significantly better. I didn't like the emphasized mid bass of the Jvc, that's about the only thing I remember about them. Nothing about it too bad in the midrange or highs for $6.

 

[goodsound]

And search for my recent posts I had created a thread with frequency response and distortion measurements of these headphones.

 

[grubyhalo]

Cool, thank you! Appreciate your feedback, will also look up your other posts.