[dino9832]

Had some money for an Iaudio X5, but might get an Ipod Nano for my birthday.

Are there any earbuds that sound as good or better than my 7506 headphones? Anything for less than $200? Can they produce much bass?

Thanks!

 

[jagorev]

Unpossible.

The best earbud out there is supposed to be the Sony e888 or ATH-CM7, but I doubt they outperform the V-7506

 

[angler31337]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dino9832 Had some money for an Iaudio X5, but might get an Ipod Nano for my birthday. Are there any earbuds that sound as good or better than my 7506 headphones? Anything for less than $200? Can they produce much bass? Thanks!

I've listened to a lot of earbuds in my day. They all sucked. Now, you can get some great IEMs for less than $200... but IEMs are not the same as earbuds. Is IEM what you meant?

-Angler

 

[dino9832]

Yes! IEM's. I just looked at some pictures of IEM's and they look like they could produce some good sound. Thanks for putting me on the right track.

What IEM's would be comparable to the sound from my 7506s?

 

[Istasi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dino9832 Yes! IEM's. I just looked at some pictures of IEM's and they look like they could produce some good sound. Thanks for putting me on the right track. What IEM's would be comparable to the sound from my 7506s?

You can tell how good something sounds by how it looks?

 

[chickennuggets]

Quote:

Unpossible. The best earbud out there is supposed to be the Sony e888 or ATH-CM7, but I doubt they outperform the V-7506

elaborate on these if you will. they both look pretty nice.

 

[scratchyvinyl]

I've had the 7506's for about six years now (I work at a radio station; they're excellent for use in that environment), so I can honestly say the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5pro sound better to me. They're my favorite IEM. MSRP is $249, but you can get them for less online. I also have the Shure E4c, Etymotic ER4P, but those are ususally over $200. Two more options are the cheaper Shure E3c or Etymotic ER6i, but they're a step down in sound quality.

 

[jlo mein]

From personal experience, if you want something that has a similar sound to the 7506 in an earbud form, try Sony EX70's, or the next equivalent generation. MAKE SURE YOU DO THE TAPE MOD. After this mod they sound very similar (tape mod removes the bloated bass and allows the mids and highs to shine through more), although the EX70 still has a slightly bloated bass.

The sound is pretty similar, although the sound stage gets a little smaller, and bass extension does not go as low.

TO DO A TAPE MOD: very simple. Cover the vents on the outside of the bud with tape. This can also be done by glue but it is permanent.

 

[dino9832]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Istasi You can tell how good something sounds by how it looks?

Oh, if only I truly could. Then I wouldn't be here askiing about it.

I guess I find it hard to believe that a small earbud can produce much bass. The IEMs look big enough to produce some good sound.
I think I'll look into the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5pro. Headphones.com said "Huge bottom-end for funky bass-heads."

 

[angler31337]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dino9832 Yes! IEM's. I just looked at some pictures of IEM's and they look like they could produce some good sound. Thanks for putting me on the right track. What IEM's would be comparable to the sound from my 7506s?

The 7506's are closed and very low impedance cans... so they have a lot in common with most IEMs. IEMs have excellent noise reduction properties (much better than closed cans in my experience) and do not suffer from the distortion problems that haunt a lot of cheaper closed designs.

The super.fi 5pro are nice. If that fits your budget, you might also look into the UM2 and ER-4P/S. If your wallet isn't quite that deep, I like the ER-6i... but comparably priced Shure and Ultimate Ear offerings are also great.

You should understand that bass is not exactly the forte of IEMs... with that said, some are better at it than others (cough... E5C... cough). I like my ER-4s for their exceptional detail and reproduction accuracy, but I'll be the first to admit the bass is not going to knock anyone's socks off. If bass is a deal-breaker, think about the super.fi 5EB or 5pro.

Hope something in there was useful.

-Angler

 

[Max Minimum]

There really aren't any earbuds that'll match your 7506's, but there are IEM's that are better. Still, since the 7506's accentuate both the bottom (or midbottom...) and top ends be careful choosing. I don't know of any with the same sound signature that match them in extension and detail. The ER-4P's are really nice, imo, but won't have as much bass while offerings like the E5c, UM2 and Superfi 5 have lots of bass but not as much up top. Custom-molded iem's will kill the 7506's but cost a LOT more.

 

[creyc]

Be very careful ordering the UE Super.fi 5's, dino9832! You mentioned the reference to the HeadRoom article on the Super.fi 5EBs, for Extended Bass. As a fellow 7506 listener and fan, these EB's are revolting!! Tons and tons of bass, over-acentuated in every regard, and yet the bass DOES sounds good. It's everything else thats missing that will leave you shaking your head and ultimately pulling these out and diving back the the comfort of the 7506's.

I have a pair and they are back in their box, ready to be returned. I wish I'd have read a more informative review of these IEMs before making my purchase. I'm exchanging for a set of Super.fi 5 pros, as I have heard these don't suffer the same problems.

It sounds like you're at the front row of your favorite rock concert, covering you ears with your hands. You can feel the bass but the highs and mids are muffled and overridden by the powerful bass. EQ-ing can help some but you'll find yourself driving the mids and highs up to the limit and still something just doesn't sound right. If a bass track could substitute for background music, if IEMs were meant to "fill in the background with some music", if elevator music required an 18" driver to reproduce, then I could call these headphones suitable and fitting for that world. Fortunately there's more to the world of acoustics than frequencies below 250 Hz, but to the world of the Super.fi EBs, there is not.

These were the 3rd pair of IEM's I've tried in a very similar search, dino. I'm beginning to become discouraged and just settle with some Shure E4C's, which as long as you're not really paying attention sound nice. It's a small form factor, I'll definitely give it that credit. Highs and mids are very detailed and articulate but as a whole the musical experience isn't well, musical. Though it is all in personal preference and taste I suppose, given the fact you like the 7506's, for I'm sure the same reasons I do, I can predict you'll be bored with the E4Cs. I suppose bored is better than disgusted, as with the Super.fi 5EB. I'm going to give the Super.fi 5pros a chance this week.

 

[jlo mein]

Please let us know how you like the UE 5 Pros in relation to the Sony 7506.

The 7506's are my favourite sound right now, and I am trying as well to get an IEM with a similar sound. The Sony EX70 tape modded is almost there, and even closer today after I did the paper mod (removing the paper cover inside the canal). The highs now come through a LOT more, too much in fact.

I tried the Westone UM1. Although they sound very nice, they have a very different sound from the 7506.