Ear canal phones

[Whitebread]

Hey guys im in need me some good in ear phones for use with my Iriver player. Here are the requirements
1. the cans cant be any more than 120 US dollars.
2. comfort is very important
3. Low frequency reproduction is important. I dont need an in ear subwoofer but it must be up to the task of playing pop music
4. isolation is welcome but i dont want too much because i will be walking and biking in traffic with them.
5. Portables must be able to drive them.
Thanks guys!

 

[camille]

senn CX300?
sony EX90?

 

[AndyKatz]

Sounds as though you might be in the market for some good, used Shure e3 or even e4s. The latter in particular is well thought of, and can usually be found at the price-point you specified.

Andy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whitebread Hey guys im in need me some good in ear phones for use with my Iriver player. Here are the requirements 1. the camp cant be any more than 120 US dollars. 2. comfort is very important 3. Low frequency reproduction is important. I dont need an in ear subwoofer but it must be up to the task of playing pop music 4. isolation is welcome but i dont want too much because i will be walking and biking in traffic with them. 5. Portables must be able to drive them. Thanks guys!

 

[AndyKatz]

Oh, and to add a point, I also walk and bike in traffic with my IEMs (Shure E500 or ER4s). They provide maximum isolation, which hasn't been a problem for me because I *know* I can't hear, so I rely on visuals entirely. I think, if anything, they've made me more alert, less likely to be sloppy, or assume there's nothing coming (here in NYC so many people just step off into the street utterly without regard to what might be headed their way).

I think in fact that partial auditory occlusion might be more dangerous because one is led to believe s/he can hear and while this is sometimes the case, a particularly loud section of music might be just as obscuring as a full IEM, but without the discipline of relying entirely on visual input you might stumle into danger.

Andy

 

[edstrelow]

The Senn CX300 is in my opinion pretty good for the $40.00 or so it costs. It seems to have a number of supporters in these forums.

I got a set in anticipation of air travel and it has pretty good isolation. I find the tonal balance good for mid-fi use, such as portable equipment which can be somewhat harsh sounding. It seems to have a pretty well-balanced frequency response, good midrange, no obvious sibilance and somewhat of a bass boost, which may be adjustable by using different foam inserts (three are provided) . It seemed very efficient so it did not need a separate amplifier although often these can improve fidelity although at a cost in money and inconvenience.

I find it a little awkward to insert in the ear, but once in is quite comfortable. It's very light and likely to stay in place unless you yank the cords.

In absolute terms it is not super hi-fi and I can't say that I would want to listen to these instead of any of several non-portable Stax electrostatics I have, but which cost 20-40 times as much. Also if you wanted a cleaner sounding portable, the Stax SRM001MkII would be better, but that is about $250.00 for phones and amp combined, shipped from Japan. However the CX300 would seem to have the bass boost you want and in terms of your original criteria, with less than stellar portable equipment, I think it would be a good choice.

 

[Whitebread]

THe Senns look like they will work very well. I'll also look into the shures but their increaed price might not make them worth it.

Andykatz, your points about moving traffic are different from anything I've thought of before and I think your right. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[honda]

Sennheisser CX300 will give you a bit of isolation and plenty of low end. Sony MDR-EX90 will give you slightly less isolation than those, and way more bass with still a decent high end. Personally I would go with Etymotic ER-6i, as I find the isolation to be perfect for walking around town, plus I get just the right amount of bass with them that is very clear and not bloated, and plenty of amazing high end detail that barely a handful of far more expensive IEMs can match.

 

[Whitebread]

Thats exactly what I picked up, some Ety 6i's. The Campus bookstore has some sitting the shelf for 150 and I decided to get them now instead of waiting for newegg to ship the senns.

First impression......these things are intresting! I've never had such a sensation in my ear canals before. They aren't uncomfortable at all, just an unusual feeling. As for sonic performance, its too early to really comment, but the first listen left me happy. If these things get any better, I might retire the DJ1's.

 

[nsjong]

This would've been easy if you could spend $150.

But for $120, I would have to say a used E3c with a PA2v2.

 

[Whitebread]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsjong This would've been easy if you could spend $150. But for $120, I would have to say a used E3c with a PA2v2.

I'm not looking for a portable amp. I'm going to be using these phones when I'm walking, running, lifting, biking or in class when I don't care to pay attention

.

An external amp is not an option because it would be way too much to carry around except when I'm walking and in class.

 

[honda]

Congrats Whitebread,

I think you made a wise decision. The white ER-6i was my first balanced armature IEM, and I love them so much that I bought another pair when the black ones came out. If you don't find the bass to be strong enough, give it a bit more time. Your ears will get used to the eartips, the eartips themselves will soften with use (good thing for the non-foams and bad thing for the foams), and you will realize more bass and comfort. Just make sure you baby that cable, especially where it connects to the hardware. They are quite fragile there. I find them a bit tricky to pull out of my ears without resorting to yanking the cables, but please, don't do that, on any electronics, but especially ER-6i.