[JMT391]

A friend of mine is looking to buy his girlfriend headphones for christmas. She just lost her ibuds, and he doesn't want to buy her skullcandies - he asked me to help him out since I'm into hifi.

His price cap is $50, and her musical tastes are "anything on the radio, and some vocally focused music (ex: josh grobin)" - I think in this case, it would probably be better to go with something bass heavy. I obviously suggested the NE-7Ms, but I was wondering if there were any other good IEMs (she frequently walks around in a city, so IEMs are a must).

Thanks for the help!

The list:
NuForce NE7M: Microphone(she has an ipod touch), have been popular here on head-fi as a budget headphone for awhile, might be a bit too bass heavy.
iMaximo IM590: Warm sound signature, good detail and ambience, good isolation.
Meelectronics M6: Over the ear design may be confusing to a non-headphone lover, tight and punchy bass is not what she is looking for, may not be the best choice.
Soundmagic PL50: Price tag of about $70 (unless I'm looking in the wrong place).
Hifiman RE2: Cleos's review mentions that these have an ety-like sound, which might be a little too analytical for this situation. The $40 deal for RE2 + Fiio E5 is very attractive, however. (don't know if the girlfriend will bother with it, but my friend could always use it - he has the apple dual driver IEMs)
Yuin PK3/OK3: PK3 is not an IEM, and the OK3 is $10 above the price cap.
Grado iGrado: Not an IEM.

 

[mythless]

M6/M9, IM590, PL50

 

[JMT391]

I just looked at the IM590, which have been reviewed to have good isolation, a warm sound signature, while maintaining good ambience and detail. Those are added. Researching the others you have suggested now. (Its been quite awhile since I've shopped the sub $50 range, so I apologize for not narrowing this down)

Alright, I researched those headphones - Check the first post for my findings.

 

[Sarah]

As a frequent city-walker myself I'm not convinced that giving IEMs to an earbud user is the best idea - blocking out noise in a city environment isn't always safe, plus the thumping footstep sounds you get with a good seal are not much fun...

How about higher-quality earbuds like the Yuin PK3?

 

[cujobob]

One thing to mention...I'd try to get something with as little noise made by the cable rubbing against clothing as possible....my gf might want to return the RE0 due to that.

 

[ChroniCali]

I would suggest the PK3 if they don't need isolation. Of course, they will probably think that they costed you $2, but they will probably be amazed by the sound.

 

[henryhan]

X2 pl50

the pl50 have gotten very good feedback from the head-fi community, though you can't go wrong with the ne-7m. Also, you may consider RE2...very nice sounding and head-direct has them on clearance sale for $39 for RE2 + E5 combo (VERY NICE DEAL)

 

[JMT391]

Hmm, I had mentioned to him the Yuin PK3 for earbuds, but I would figure noisy city traveling requires isolation

 

[Juaquin]

You could do the Yuin OK3 instead of the PK3 - then she has the option of doing IEM or earbud. All it takes to switch is uncrewing the IEM assembly and screwing on the earbud part.

 

[ChroniCali]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juaquin /img/forum/go_quote.gif You could do the Yuin OK3 instead of the PK3 - then she has the option of doing IEM or earbud. All it takes to switch is uncrewing the IEM assembly and screwing on the earbud part.

Good option, NE7M or RE2 would be good choices as well.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Put the iGrado on that list. It has the same drivers as the SR-60 and they sound wonderful.

 

[mark2410]

id say the iM-590, its a nice all rounder and the package looks great for a gift

 

[JMT391]

Thank you all for the suggestions, I have updated the list on the first post with my findings - feel free to dispute

right now the two IEMs that stand out are the iM-590 and the NE-7M, but I am also considering looking into the RE2 + Fiio E5 deal.

 

[Xan7hos]

You might also consider the Yuin G2(A). They're clip on, so they're somewhat portable and many have said they're a step up from the Koss KSC-35/75 line (which are amazing on their own right). They fit right at your budget

 

[ljokerl]

Some notes:

1. The Im-590 isn't exactly warm. It might be just a tad on the warm side of neutral, but i wouldn't call it outright warm. For vocally focused music, these would probably sound best to a non-audiophile.

2. There is a mic'd version of the Im-590, though I can't recall the model name.

3. The PL50 are $55 shipped from FocalPrice.com. Great for vocal-focused music, but the delicacy of their sound might not yield the 'wow' factor non-audiophiles expect.

4. The RE2 will sound VERY bass-deficient to someone coming from stock earbuds. Not sure an amp is something many people are open to. The Ai-M6 actually have a much more friendly signature.

5. The Meelec M11, thought not as good SQ-wise as the M6, is still pretty competitive and much more user-friendly. There's a mic'd version of this is as well. Both the M11 and M6 have some of the least microphonic cables out there.

6. The iGrado is VERY uncomfortable for some (including myself). The G2A are better IMO, but some people (especially girls) just don't like the look of clip-ons, in my experience.