[Rockem]

Hi all,
 
I'm looking for some small isolating headphones to have on flights and in the gym, and after a lot of reading I came up with this decision
I'm listening mostly to rock/pop/electronic(like bjork/ting ting)
 
I can get the SE215 locally and enjoy of the 2 year warranty and the cheaper price. my main concern with these that they will too much bass
To buy the hf5 I will need to order it from overseas so I wont have any warranty and my main concern here is that I'll too little bass
 
What do you think I should go for?
Thanks,
Eli

 

[tienbasse]

Bass on SE215 is nice (dynamic micro-driver) but still reasonable, not basshead level at all.
Just remember to disable any bass-boost feature you would have, and keep the EQ bass-side flat or even remove 2dB.

 

[planx]

you can always try the Audeo PFE 1x2. I find the Audeos to be the best for value around that price range and they have very satisfying bass without being overdone.

 

[Techno Kid]

If you want something analytical with great detail then the HF5 or for a more dynamic sound with better bass the SE215's the way to go.  Now you can get some decent bass out of the Ety's if you go up a few notches on your EQ and a little amp like the FiiO E6 also works really well to pull extra bass out of the HF5.  Me personally I'd go with the HF5 because of the sound quality and isolation but I'm sure the SE215 aren't bad either.
 
Now I'm telling anyone looking for a great IEM for around $100 to checkout the Rockit Sounds R-50.  Its $119.99 but the extra $20 is so very worth it because they sound fantastic.  Think of them as a cheaper (in price not quality) GR01 because they have almost the same sound signature, very detailed with a warmer presentation and a very nice soundstage.  Checkout the Rockit Sounds thread, I have a full review plus another from JupiterKnight.

 

[jeckyll]

I really like my SE215's and used to wear them to the gym.  The problem is if you sweat a lot the connection on the Shure's can get some corrosion.  I ended up having the left side cut out (easy fix to clean with a piece of paper).
 
So I stopped wearing the 215's for working out, simply because my headphones get beaten up at the gym.  I know use Philips SHE3580's at the gym ($15 from online).  If they get too beat up, I simply replace them.
 
Depending on your workouts, this may not be an issue, but it's something to be aware of.
 
Best of luck!

 

[iamthem]

The hf5's are quite bass light. The SE215's have a moderate amout of bass, certainly not too much. The SE215's suffer from minimal microphonics (almost none) and are great for excercising. The hf5's are less comfortable but they do isolate quite well. The hf5's outdo the shure's in technical ability though (speed and detail) and the treble in the shures are quite dull. The difference in isolation is significant, but with shure olives it's more than good enough to use in flights.

 

[Swiftay]

The 215's, imo, had some nice bass. Not too punchy, but there's definitely presence. I can't speak for the HF5's, however, as I've never heard them. And as above, the connections can get a bit dodgy, but easy to rectify.

 

[reddragon]

i would disagree with hf 5 being bass light, i had the same concern when i first listened to it. but if you insert it deep enough, the bass should be tight and punchy though may still lack quantity for some people but it at least has more bass than sennheiser pxc 450 but thats a full sized headphone...

 

[Techno Kid]

You can get some really nice bass from the HF5 if you adjust it with the EQ, they actually sound quite good when you do that, the bass has a good bit of impact and punch though still not very long decay times though.

 

[Rockem]

Thanks guys for all your insights
 
I think I will go for the SE210 as it's cheaper and it sound like it will be more fun to listen to while in the gym

 

[Rockem]

Another question.
 
I noticed that the plug of the SE215 is flat, so you can't use it on an iPhone with case
My iPhone is always with a case
Is there a solution for that?
 
Thx

 

[planx]

I would say that the SE215s are significantly better than the SE210... And I use my SE215 with a case but I had to make a few modifications to the case to allow the plug to fit in. In a nutshell, no most iPhone cases won't allow the SE215 to be plugged in correctly

 

[Techno Kid]

I'm sorry but for around the same price as the Shure's you can get some much better sounding IEM's. Like for instance the EPH-100 for $115 shipped from Audio Affair or the Creative Aurvana In Ear 3 for $105 on Amazon and don't forget about the Rockit Sounds R-50 which imo is the best bang for buck pair out right now and its $119.99 shipped from Amazon.  Oh and I can't leave out my new favorite dynamic driver IEM in the Atrio MG7 $109 shipped from atrio.me using discount code CostProg50%.  All are better choices then the SE215 or 210 imo but to each their own.

 

[Mooses9]

i agree, i wasnt a fan of the 2xx series se shures, there are others better out there for the same price

 

[Rockem]

The problem is that if I'm buying 100$ worth of headphones from Amazon it will cost me around 160$ after I will pay shipment + tax
 
So it will be about 50$ difference between the SE210 and other 100$ headphones