[GarageBoy]

I need to get a friend some nice cheap, canal phones. I've only heard the Marshmallows. How does the CX300 compare?

 

[koven]

get him the addiem's instead for ~$30.. he'll be much happier

 

[randomrandomguy]

Neither, Sound Magic PL11.

 

[Audio_N00b]

i haven't heard the marshmallows, but i own 300's and they are definitely worth it for $20, i paid $50 for mine and have been pleased

 

[ljokerl]

CX300 are far superior to the marshmallows, but for $20 you should be able to pick up Aircushions (on step up JVC's IEM line).

Depending on your friend's music taste, you may also consider Soundmagic PL30s, Lenntek Sonix, and Meelectronics Ai-M9's, all of which perform far above the $20 price tag.

 

[GarageBoy]

He is limited to $30 MAX

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarageBoy /img/forum/go_quote.gif He is limited to $30 MAX

Well, these still work.

MeElec AI-M9 ($19 - overstock.com) - Incredible detail for the price, very balanced, good treble extension and clean bass, great customer support
Lenntek Sonix ($20 - costco) - Deep bass, focus on mids and lows, cheap, very well-built
Soundmagic PL30 ($23 - mp4nation.net) - Fun, forward mids, lots of accessories, comfy

Sadly the ADDIEMs seem to have gone up in price slightly and are now a bit above $30 at the lowest.

 

[Bilavideo]

I'm not very good at comparing Happy Meal toys. $20 for a pair of earphones is nothing. I haven't heard the others but last night, I picked up a pair of Marshmallows and was blown away by what $20 could buy. Maybe I bought the only good pair in North America - and for reference, I've owned the Triple Fi, The SE530, The Westone 3, the UM3X, the ER4P and the PFE. My earphones of choice are the UM3X but for a cheap knockaround pair, I love the $20 Marshmallows. If somebody has a better pair for $30, I frankly don't care. I'm not waste any time figuring out which McMonitor is the best of the breed. What works for me on these Marshmallows is the throbbing bass which, with the right EQ on my iPod, can still be joyously clear.

 

[GarageBoy]

$30 is a lot more than what a lot of normal people would spend unless it had Bose on it

 

[appophylite]

As someone else previously mentioned, $20 will get you the JVC Air Cushion (HA-FX66) which is more comfortable, and IMO better sounding than the Marshmallows.

 

[duanepo]

i think the CX300 would be better...

 

[PolloLoco]

I'm going to put in my vote for the Meelec AIM-9 headphones. I'm really happy with this purchase, their sound quality is way above the $20 price tag. I think I may actually like them more than my Sennheiser CX500 . . . The only drawback is that I find the bass a little muddy.

I had the Soundmagic PL30's but gave them away because they hissed too much depending on the source. I also have the Lenntek Sonix - and I can't complain, they're less detailed but much more bass heavy than the AIM-9. If you're a basshead, the Lenntek might be your best bet.

 

[FALC0NR14]

Hey I owned the CX300 and they are a great IEM to strart with and for $20 I'd say go for them.

 

[chinesekiwi]

In this price range, I prefer the Koss lower-end models like...

KSC-75 (Given!)
KE29S
KEB-24

All hover around $20.
Koss, JVC and Soundmagic carves up in the budget realms.
(Despite IMO the PL-30 being overhyped beyond belief)

 

[A_Dying_Wren]

I'd be careful giving anyone a CX300. I have one and finding a suitable upgrade is a huge pain when you're accustomed to the HUGE bass. That said, it is a very capable earphone and if you don't think your friend is likely to splurge on hi fi ever then its fine.

Also check that your friend's player can EQ. It's almost necessary with the cx300s.

The Soundmagics are supposed to be quite good bang for your buck. I'd also consider buying second-hand and getting a higher end earphone