[dC0m]

It's been a good while since I last posted on this forum. I'm not a complete n00b to IEMs but it's been some time since I was knowledgeable in this field. Here's my situation:
 
I bought my 2nd IEM (Monster Turbines)  through recommendations here at HF. The first couple months went swell as I grew fond of the bass-heavy and energetic headphones. After a few more months, I saw the problems show through. Through my 1.5 years of ownership, I have RMA'ed the product 5 / 6 times. Today, I discovered that the speaker itself is splitting in half where the two pieces are assembled together. I emailed Monster (again..) asking for a replacement.
 
I am officially tired of RMA`ing this headphone every few months. I want to try something new, something reliable but very comparable to the Turbines (in terms of sound). Here's my criteria:
 
-Should be bass-heavy (must) and energetic (or better than) as the Monster Turbines. I'm a student who loves bass but doesn't want to sacrifice clarity or quality.
 
-RELIABLE / Sturdy construction. I am a student so any headphone will see its fair amount of use. The cable and speaker itself should be built to last, unlike the Turbines (the cable is super thin).
 
-Good Sound Isolation (like the Turbines)
 
-Good Warranty / Customer Service, in case I end up RMA`ing it as many times as the Turbines -_-'
 
-Budget: $100 - $150USD (Starving Student craving for sound)
 
I'm reading some good news about the Klipsch Images (particularly, the S4) but they seem like they're 'good' not 'great' compared to IEMs like the Turbine. The S5i Rugged seems like it fits the construction criteria but idk about sound quality. The ProMedia In Ear is questionable too.
 
What ya'll say? Help a fellow Head-Fi student out!

 

[dC0m]

Help me move on?

 

[haywood]

They're hard to find now but the Panasonic HJE900 are supposed to be very good if you don't mind a brighter sound (or are willing to mod them) and have replaceable cables. There are a ton of threads about them and newer ones about them being hard to find now.
 

 

[buffalowings]

I think you're looking for the monster pro turbine golds...from reviewers, the sound sig is upgraded from the original turbines, and the build quality is substantially better (genuine strain reliefs though the first runs of the coppers did have issues with the shell splitting..not sure if it applies to the golds) anywho they also come with the lifetime warranty from monster, you can find them for $170 from onecall.com, but you have to call them asking for the best price

 

[macbug]

I'm actually in the same boat, my turbines are on the way out (before that I had the EP630) - the plug has become loose, plus these things are super heavy and not very comfortable for long sessions (though maybe my ears are just a bit freaky) (anyone want a monster turbine used ).  Looking to replace it with something, but totally torn between spending 20 dollars and go with the good enough or spending 150 on something like DBA-02 that everyone's raving about.  HJE900 seems like  reasonable match but I think I've had enough of the super heavy shell stuff (though the cable is replaceable!), plus seems like nobody has it for sale anymore...
 
the sunrise xcape looks like it might be a good contender, though the cabling doesnt' really inspire much confidence in terms of durability.  PFEs look good especially with 2 year warranty, but there's also talk about needing an amp and everything and probably doesn't satisfy the bassy requirement... DBA-02 seems to be the latest craze atm...other than that.. seems like qjays, TF10 or sf5 type of thing might be good?
 
http://www.headfonia.com/dual-drivers-q-jays-dba-02-ue700-westone-2-sf5pro-and-jh5pro/6/
 
this dude's selling his qjays for 130 shipped
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/527905/fs-jays-q-jays-black-130-us-shipped-worldwide
 
 
The new Brainwavz M3 looks like a good contender for the general mold, though it seems like the market has changed drastically within the past year and the budget IEM market is getting ridiculously crowded...Hippo VB looks like it might be alright... 
 
No I don't own any of these, this is just what I'm looking at for replacement, though admittedly I'm not entirely sure I need the uber bass, I just know that I want a little more than say what the RE0 offers

 

[QuantumXL]

Maybe look into the TF10s. They are pretty bass heavy, but not overwhelming. I understand that its not comparable to the bass of the MT but its a nice balance. Customer service is reliable and they will replace it as fast as they can. Wire construction isn't the strongest. Sound sig is just what I like.

 

[buffalowings]

Quote:

Maybe look into the TF10s. They are pretty bass heavy, but not overwhelming. I understand that its not comparable to the bass of the MT but its a nice balance. Customer service is reliable and they will replace it as fast as they can. Wire construction isn't the strongest. Sound sig is just what I like.

....they're quite different animals...If the OP is looking for bass, i doubt he will enjoy the TF10s...
 

 

[buffalowings]

Quote:

I'm actually in the same boat, my turbines are on the way out (before that I had the EP630) - the plug has become loose, plus these things are super heavy and not very comfortable for long sessions (though maybe my ears are just a bit freaky) (anyone want a monster turbine used ).  Looking to replace it with something, but totally torn between spending 20 dollars and go with the good enough or spending 150 on something like DBA-02 that everyone's raving about.  HJE900 seems like  reasonable match but I think I've had enough of the super heavy shell stuff (though the cable is replaceable!), plus seems like nobody has it for sale anymore...
 
the sunrise xcape looks like it might be a good contender, though the cabling doesnt' really inspire much confidence in terms of durability.  PFEs look good especially with 2 year warranty, but there's also talk about needing an amp and everything and probably doesn't satisfy the bassy requirement... DBA-02 seems to be the latest craze atm...other than that.. seems like qjays, TF10 or sf5 type of thing might be good?
 
http://www.headfonia.com/dual-drivers-q-jays-dba-02-ue700-westone-2-sf5pro-and-jh5pro/6/
 
this dude's selling his qjays for 130 shipped
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/527905/fs-jays-q-jays-black-130-us-shipped-worldwide
 
 
The new Brainwavz M3 looks like a good contender for the general mold, though it seems like the market has changed drastically within the past year and the budget IEM market is getting ridiculously crowded...Hippo VB looks like it might be alright... 
 
No I don't own any of these, this is just what I'm looking at for replacement, though admittedly I'm not entirely sure I need the uber bass, I just know that I want a little more than say what the RE0 offers

 from your description, it deosn't seem like you're a basshead, the RE0's are known to be very light in bass, anything with a slight bass emphasis should be enough (brainwavz m2/m3) IMO

 

[dC0m]

I'm definitely a basshead, as the Turbines is my daily portable and the Sony XB500 being my daily computer phones.

 

[buffalowings]

Quote:

I'm definitely a basshead, as the Turbines is my daily portable and the Sony XB500 being my daily computer phones.

my bad, meant for macbug. once again, if you love the sound sig of the turbines, go for the turbine golds, $20 above your budget