[AdamT2]

A very sad day has come that I knew was on the horizon - My last pair of Bose IE2's finally broke.
I have been through about 14 pairs in the last 12 years and they were the only earbuds I found that I could comfortably use (they felt like a part of me, so I am crushed by this).
I would REALLY appreciate some recommendations since they don't make those anymore. I have been searching for hours - but I just don't understand enough about audio, and most reviews/similar topics for IE2 are old/potentially outdated.
Does anyone have a good recommendation to replace the IE2's - specifically for the qualities below?

• They didn't go very far into my ear canal/didn't hurt my ears. It seemed like a hybrid between ones that go in your ear, and ones that just sit flat in the ear.
• The tips that hooked in the ear and were comfortable enough to sleep in
• wired - not Bluetooth
• sound quality (I know they probably aren't the best - but id like something similar quality or better)

Thank you in advance for any help.

 

[Headcasey MD]

A very sad day has come that I knew was on the horizon - My last pair of Bose IE2's finally broke.
I have been through about 14 pairs in the last 12 years and they were the only earbuds I found that I could comfortably use (they felt like a part of me, so I am crushed by this).
I would REALLY appreciate some recommendations since they don't make those anymore. I have been searching for hours - but I just don't understand enough about audio, and most reviews/similar topics for IE2 are old/potentially outdated.
Does anyone have a good recommendation to replace the IE2's - specifically for the qualities below?

• They didn't go very far into my ear canal/didn't hurt my ears. It seemed like a hybrid between ones that go in your ear, and ones that just sit flat in the ear.
• The tips that hooked in the ear and were comfortable enough to sleep in
• wired - not Bluetooth
• sound quality (I know they probably aren't the best - but id like something similar quality or better)

Thank you in advance for any help.

https://www.amazon.com/Bose-627476-0020-IE2-audio-headphones/dp/B003XU6H8I

Still around.

 

[yaps66]

Smabat M3Pro have landed. Mine were made in New China. Haha!

As reviewed by @KutuzovGambit these are bright-neutral and borders on being shouty when you turn up the volume especially in the mid to upper-mids. My pair came with gold and silver dampers and I can also confirm that the silver dampers are more neutral than the gold. It seems others have the black dampers also but mine did not come with these. The M3Pro are highly resolving and detailed and rolled off in the sub-bass. Treble is very well done without any sibilance.

I am burning them in and will reserve judgment.

 

[baskingshark]

Smabat M3Pro have landed. Mine were made in New China. Haha!

As reviewed by @KutuzovGambit these are bright-neutral and borders on being shouty when you turn up the volume especially in the mid to upper-mids. My pair came with gold and silver dampers and I can also confirm that the silver dampers are more neutral than the gold. It seems others have the black dampers also but mine did not come with these. The M3Pro are highly resolving and detailed and rolled off in the sub-bass. Treble is very well done without any sibilance.

I am burning them in and will reserve judgment.

Nice! Look forward to your reviews!

Unfortunately even a month is considered an eternity in CHIFI-land. Looks like a new SMABAT is releasing soon!

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Unfortunately even a month is considered an eternity in CHIFI-land. Looks like a new SMABAT is releasing soon!

Wow!

Plus on the official Smabat website they are now only showing five (5) earbuds available: M Pro; ST10s (Black & Gold); ST20; ST20 Pro; and Super One

 

[RikudouGoku]

A very sad day has come that I knew was on the horizon - My last pair of Bose IE2's finally broke.
I have been through about 14 pairs in the last 12 years and they were the only earbuds I found that I could comfortably use (they felt like a part of me, so I am crushed by this).
I would REALLY appreciate some recommendations since they don't make those anymore. I have been searching for hours - but I just don't understand enough about audio, and most reviews/similar topics for IE2 are old/potentially outdated.
Does anyone have a good recommendation to replace the IE2's - specifically for the qualities below?

• They didn't go very far into my ear canal/didn't hurt my ears. It seemed like a hybrid between ones that go in your ear, and ones that just sit flat in the ear.
• The tips that hooked in the ear and were comfortable enough to sleep in
• wired - not Bluetooth
• sound quality (I know they probably aren't the best - but id like something similar quality or better)

Thank you in advance for any help.

those look closer to the apple earpod/airpod style.

Maybe check out the Yincrow RW-100.

 

[citral23]

Holy crap, whoever tuned the Smabat M3 Pro should be fired immediately. They don't just sound bad, but literally broken. Like I'm in the Bioshock game listening to a mono 50's speaker from far away. Very dry, no soundstage.

Hurts quite a bit at that price point, damn

Edit: the silver dampers make things much less bad, as does hooking them on a balanced cable, they need some juice. Still nowhere near as full sounding as say a TO200, mids are strange, and with a weird some sort of far away/reverb effect, maybe the maze? Didn't experience that on the Smabat Gold tho. What they have for them is the fit, due to how they are constructed they sit and stay firm close to the ear canal, so good bass for earbuds even if it's overall disapointing. 4/10 for now.

 

[jao29]

Can anyone compare the Fiio Em5 to the Ksearphone Onmyoji? Is it risky getting the EM5 because of the shoddy built quality?

edit: just realized that both of these earbuds have poor build quality. Can anyone vouch for the durability of the EM5’s? So far my Onmyoji is still going strong after 1 and a half years.

 

[citral23]

You may be right. They are just Ok and nothing exciting. But I was expecting much better at that price.

Dude, it's like 12€

 

[digititus]

Can anyone compare the Fiio Em5 to the Ksearphone Onmyoji? Is it risky getting the EM5 because of the shoddy built quality?

edit: just realized that both of these earbuds have poor build quality. Can anyone vouch for the durability of the EM5’s? So far my Onmyoji is still going strong after 1 and a half years.

No problems for me with EM5 so far

 

[AdamT2]

https://www.amazon.com/Bose-627476-0020-IE2-audio-headphones/dp/B003XU6H8I

Still around.

They have been discontinued, and the ones for sale are being scalped. They used to sell for $100, then down to $50 for a while. Now the remaining ones are all around $300

 

[AdamT2]

those look closer to the apple earpod/airpod style.

Maybe check out the Yincrow RW-100.

The original Apple have been the closest things I have found so far.
Would the sound quality be even close to the same though? The Apples are ~$20, but the Bose used to be $50-$100.
Sorry if that is a stupid question.

Those Yincrows look promising as well. Are earbuds from Aliexpress a common/reputable thing? Same question about sound quality for price.

Thank you very much for the assistance!

 

[RikudouGoku]

Would the sound quality be even close to the same though? The Apples are ~$20, but the Bose used to be $50-$100.

Just because something is more expensive than something else doesnt mean it must sound better. That goes for pretty much everything in this hobby.

Are earbuds from Aliexpress a common/reputable thing?

The kind of buds you want, which is more of an earbud/iem hybrid is pretty rare, aliexpress or not.

Same question about sound quality for price.

In my experience, chifi stomps western-fi.

 

[yaps66]

No problems for me with EM5 so far

+1. No problems with me for my EM5 too.

 

[AdamT2]

Just because something is more expensive than something else doesnt mean it must sound better. That goes for pretty much everything in this hobby.



The kind of buds you want, which is more of an earbud/iem hybrid is pretty rare, aliexpress or not.


In my experience, chifi stomps western-fi.

Thank you for all the insight!