[kris33]

Hi everyone, I have decided that I need something with much better audio quality than my current AKG K414P and IEMs looks like the right choice for me for several reasons. I want something really portable that I can wear on the tram to and from school, in class and in other noisy environments. And with great audio quality ofc.

IEMs look like the right choice for me, they are really portable, they block out a lot of noise and can have amazing audio quality.

I have never tried IEMs before, so I don't know much about them. I've read a little though, and I'm mainly worried about two things:
1. That I may need an amplifier
2. That I have to clean filters really often

Are these two things true or are they just exaggerated?

Anyway, I've been looking at different IEMs and can't figure out which one is the right for me. Some have a warm sound, other have a detailed but artificial sound.

My main problem is that I like a lot of music. Ambient to Rock to Electronic to Soul to Hip-Hop to Pop to Indie to Psychedelic to Country to Industrial to Chip to Alternative.

Some of my music would sound great "warm", but some would also sound really bad.

Because of that, I haven't been able to choose. I want a great "all-rounder".

I will spend up to 200$ on it. However, I will rather pay 100$ for something great rather than 200$ for something marginally better.

I'm going to use my iPhone 2,5G with MP3 320cbr and ALAC.

 

[toxic888]

I've heard the Shure SE line is great for all-around music. I've read reviews that favor the SE310 specifically if that helps; there are many more options out there however.
Try reading around the forums to put together a starting list of "all-arounders".

An amplifier is not required at all with almost all earphones, however a portable amp would help. definitely not necessary -> If you don't want to spend $100 more on something marginally better, don't worry about an amp.

I don't know if you'll need an adapter for your iPhone though; possibly not but if I were you I would look into that.

 

[Calexico]

For your two impressions:
1. You don't NEED an amplifier for any IEM. Some are made to be used with an amp, like the Head-Direct RE1 or the Yuin PK1, but they still sound fine without one. Amps will improve SQ at the cost of portability though.
2. Keep your ears clean and don't let anything get down there. I'm not sure if you need to change filters with all headphones, but it helps if it gets sort of messy.

The Sleek Audio SA6 for $200 is a very solid choice. The Klipsch Image X10, X5, and Custom 3 are 50% off, I think the sale is ending today, so check that out as well.

 

[toxic888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calexico /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Klipsch Image X10, X5, and Custom 3 are 50% off, I think the sale is ending today, so check that out as well.

Wow I just checked, and it looks like the sale is still available. Under these conditions, instead of the SE310, I would definitely suggest the X5 or Custom3. Or go for the pricier X10's for very defined bass response.

 

[jonathanjong]

I'll second the Sleeks, because they're pretty versatile. You can "EQ" them, you see.

 

[kris33]

I don't live in the US, so unfortunately I can't take advantage of the offer :/