[lazuline]

150 word Entry:
 
I would have to nominate the Etymotic HF2/3/5 as the best IEM under $150 because of it's unrivaled passive noise isolation. In my own usage patterns, I tend to only use IEMs in very crowded locations. In these environments, it’s just so convenient to be able to pull out the Etys in a noisy café or aboard public transit and completely escape into a personal bubble of great music. The Ety house sound is also remarkably versatile, so it’s very easy to recommend these to people looking for their first foray into the $100+ category of IEMs. Finally, The optional phone controls are attractive to smartphone users who are driving the demand for IEMs. The DAC portion of many phones are not going to give the best possible results, however, I found the HF5 to be forgiving enough of a weak source like my HTC phone. And they scale beautifully.

 
 
Aside:
 
I would love a pair of these just so I could post a review on amazon that isn't an amateurish "vine program" review. If you want to chortle, or have a spit take, read the Aurvana 3 reviews that have been posted so far. One reviewer used a youtube music video as his reference point for judging the quality of the IEM.
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Aurvana-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphones/dp/B004SNCZ3K

 

[sulkoudai]

the only decent headphones under 150 bucks I've had is the Hippo VBs, I have the 170 bucks Vsonic GR07, which a lot people here says are the best iems for under 200 bucks. Id love to compare these Creatives with my GR07.
 
And I'm also planning on getting the Hifiman 262's which are 150 bucks....

 

[syl000]

That would be the JVC-HA FXT90 Limited Edition
 
I fell in love with the sick sleek cable which was transparent and a red coating to the copper cables itself. I have never seen IEMs with such good quality cables that were very tangle-free with a good texture to it.
 
And the drivers itself have such an unique design that had the JVC logo with a red background. Most importantly the dual-dynamic drivers were screaming "buy me" with a slightly transparent housing that was unique to this iem.
 
Most importantly, the sound is fantastic. I love mid/bass focus iems and this is what i was looking for. Great extension,punch for the bass, liquid mids that were engaging, treble that extended well. Together with the great timbre and insane depth for its soundstage, near perfect sonic signature for me.
 
What more could i ask for at such a price? Thank you JVC!

 

[keanex]

This is tough as there are so many good headphones under $150, but I think what impressed me most for the price are the Brainwavz Beta. They don't sound the best, nor do they have the best comfort, but they have something no other IEM I've heard has. The imaging is simply unrivaled at that price. I have never heard so much depth in a headphone under $150, let alone under $50.

 

[Baycode]

An iem is something you put inside the body -you fit it inside the ear canal-. Unlike any other sound devices, it is the only one which mates with your body and soul at the same time. So looks, feels and texture of the body-wires do play a major role for the first instance.
 
Then you play the music through them. If it appeals to your ear and brain as well, that means you have a good match for your listening experience.
 
For me, around the 150 USD best iem is Vsonic GR07. I have reached them after a very long journey with iems and headphones. So now, I know what I want.
 
"I want comfort, durabilty, appealing color and texture of the body and wires. Microphonics is very important. Because I mainly use them while I am active. Any iem that produces unwanted-high levels of windy sounds under the mild windy conditions will not be for me. Isolation is important. I like more than average isolating iems. Also I care about the extension of the body out of the ear. I prefer flat iems that stays in or does not extend much from the pinna (because sometimes I listen to music while in bed). Then comes the major part. The sound: I like big sound-stage, good instrument separation, clarity, transparency, balanced sound, quality highs that's not harsh, quality mids that's very very detailed and quality bass that is not booming or overpowering. I like to hear deep and textured bass, but I don't like bass heavy iems  (total 145 words for descriptions)."
 
But before making marriage with an iem, I have to date with it. I have to give it time for burn-in, fitting and ear-tip rolling. I have to spend sometime playing with them. So, in my dictionary, before saying something final about an iem, I have to spend some time with them...
 
I came in to a point for selling my GR07 in the first 150 hours. May be burn-in process will not apply for the most of the BA iems but it plays role with diaphragm iems. So GR07 benefited from this process. Also there is a brain burn-in process. I have to get used to the sound. After all, an iem can be my match or not. But this will never mean that the iem is bad at all. There is always a chance that it can appeal another...
 
I have never tried BA iems before. So that's why I am highly curious about the Creative Aurvana 3 iems.
 
I am hoping to hear another good review from someone who wins it. Good luck to all

 

 

[Ra97oR]

The very best sounding IEMs around this price range are:

Shure SE215: Great little dynamic IEM, surprisingly balanced sounding where it still retain good detail and a soundstage at a very low price point.

Etymotic ER4S: Soundstage, detail and balanced sound in one small package, just needed the extra thump to be even better.

Sony EX800ST: Want a ER4S with more thump and fun? This is the one. Excellent balance, the detail is close to other BA top tier IEM while being a dynamic.

UE 700: Small, tiny IEM with big punchy sound. Its simply a mini TF10, slightly inferior to the bigger brother in the sound department in all aspect, but without having the massive body that the TF10 have.

Under $150USD is a very contested area, its far too hard to simply single one pair to be considered best, but if I really have to, my pick will be the Sony EX800S, to me its one of the best universal I have ever heard.

If you are lucky with the amazon deal,

UE TF10: A top tier IEM dropped to 99USD if you are lucky. Great treble, bass and soundstage, it improved vastly with some Sony hyrbid eartips as the stock one does not provide a good seal. Midrange is not the best I have heard, but the great bass impact and massive soundstage (for a IEM) is more than enough to make it one of my favourite universal IEM out there, being the fun machine.

 

[IMAWolf]

For me it's the Dunu Tridents, despite being the lowest of their line of products, i prefer it over the slightly more expensive, though still budget, Dunu Crius and Ares.
I love it for its insanely addictive sound signature. It's by no means a reference product and definitely has its flaws but i'll take the Tridents over other similarly priced IEMs. It just has an insanely fun, full, signature that screams of PRAT and i love the unique design. Build quality is rock solid too.

 

[Galesden]

I think my second set of IEMs were my favorite set for under $150. They were the Phonak Audeo PFE 112. I had purchased them at a promo price of $139 dollars. I purchased them when they were first introduced and I was incredibly excited about them. There were my birthday present and I couldn't wait to start listening to them. When I first heard them, I was blown away by the detail and the accuracy I heard. I had never experienced such a stunning representation of the music. I re-listened to much of my music collection and in every piece, I could hear new details that I never knew were there. It was a fantastic experience to discover my music collection all over again. These IEMs definitely helped me appreciate my favorite artists even more. Some of my favorite tracks contained subtleties I never expected.

 

[Armaegis]

VSonic GR-07
 
It has been virtually impossible for me to find an iem that achieves both a comfortable fit and good seal. In the world of iems, sound is nothing if the ergonomics don't work. With the GR-07's adjustable nozzles, it has confirmed what I have long suspected... that I have a slightly different shape and angle to my left and right ear canals. For the first time now, I have been able to enjoy iems without having to constantly readjust their placement.

 

[DigitalFreak]

I've found the UE700 brings a lot to the table for the money spent. These little IEM's when matched with tips from my Sony MDR EX600's are a perfect fit for me. I've noticed when using Sony tips on the UE700 music dynamics seem to really come out and the mid range especially feels silky smooth. Ultimately what makes or breaks an IEM for me is enjoyment. When you're wearing an IEM and that IEM takes the music up another notch to the point you have to stop walking and bust a move in the middle of the sidewalk then it's done it's job admirably. Considering I'm 41 and my back goes out more then I do nowadays an IEM that is able to move me enough to suddenly bust a move is saying something.

 

[Syliano]

For me it's the UE700, I remember the first time I put them in like it was yesterday. The first thing I thought was, holly harsh highs en where is the bass? I came from using Sennheiser cx300's so balanced armatures where a whole new experience for me.
 
Anyway after a while I started to like the clarity and the balance these in ears offered, thats where they really shine. The UE700 have literally changed my life, I will never be able to go back to a bass heavy iem.
 
I actually stumbled upon this thread looking for an alternative for the UE700's, because the UE700 can get a bit uncomfortable at times, you really have to insert them deep into your ears before they sound good. I saw the Creative Aurvana 3 has a dual driver BA and so it might fit the bill.

 

 

[deeweb]

I've never owned in-ear headphones 'cos I can't afford it yet(still using my Creative earphones bundled with the Zen Stone Plus 2GB mp3 player I bought), but the only one I've heard yet that blew my mind was my friend's Bose IE2 or something. That was the only time in life I felt like evil and wanted to rob him of that pair, ! I can't wax eloquent like an audiophile about how technically superior his Bose in-ear pair are/were to my Creative mp3 player ones, but they definitely made me grin like a baboon in Africa who'd found musical nirvana !

 

[jrkong]

I liked the Triple Fi 10 as well as the Sennheiser IE 8's (both for less then 150 due to discounts), but the TF10 is gone cuz it broke so IE8's are all that remain

 

[jrkong]

Quote:

I've never owned in-ear headphones 'cos I can't afford it yet(still using my Creative earphones bundled with the Zen Stone Plus 2GB mp3 player I bought), but the only one I've heard yet that blew my mind was my friend's Bose IE2 or something. That was the only time in life I felt like evil and wanted to rob him of that pair, ! I can't wax eloquent like an audiophile about how technically superior his Bose in-ear pair are/were to my Creative mp3 player ones, but they definitely made me grin like a baboon in Africa who'd found musical nirvana !

Ohh just saying what you said may have stir up a hornets nest of Bose bashers...
 
It looks like that time of the month again for the monthly "Bose is WAY overpriced" speech.

 

[EpicPie]

The Hifiman Re-zero IEM's are probably some of the best ive heard within the $100~ price range. Absolutely well balanced IEM's for the price.