[HeadBanger]

Hey all, I'm on a tight budget and can only spend a max of $100 dollars.The lower the price the better

. I don't have an amp and run off of my ZVM:M and Iriver H10. I listen to 99% rock and have seriously been searching the net and head-fi for some suggestions.

Obviously the phones that fall into this category are the Shure E2c's, Super fi.3's, the d-jays, CX-300's, and from what I've heard the Crossroad X3's. I'm a student so i really want these to last me longer than a year, and i handle my headphones with fair care, hopefully I'll care for these more. Regardless build quality is something i seek.

The CrossRoad X3's seem to be flimsy and if anything went wrong i have no guarantee of support so i stray away from them. The Shure e2c's have mixed reviews, and what puzzles me are the few comments about the Super fi 3's. I've been looking at them and the replaceable cord is a big plus. Some people claim they're comfortable others say their not, idk what to believe and i don't even hear anyone mention anything about their sound. Are they that bad? Then there are also the er6i's, but they also have what looks like a flimsy wire. I seriously have lost my mind. I don't need uber high SQ just something thats decent and allows me to listen comfortably and enjoy my music. Any ideas or comments on the phones mentioned above or other suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Side note: Isolation is not a must. I actually don't want high isolation as im going to be walking in these and crossing streets, etc. But i will be riding a bus in them, so some isolation is necessary.

Thanks

 

[tstarn06]

Well, your comment about support and the X3s is off base. The folks who run jaben.net are on top of their customer service. That's not to say there haven't been a few build issues with the X3s, but mine have held up fine (two pair), and they are a great value for the SQ/$$ equation. Also, very comfortable.

On a higher level, if you can afford $100, get the Atrio M5s for $30 more. Save your money and get them on ebay. But the X3s are fine. Can't tell you about Shures or UE, but I have owned Etys, Vibes, UM1s, and the X3s are as good to my ears.

 

[grndslm]

Since you don't want isolation... get the KSC75 for $16 or so. If you don't like the ear clips, do the headband mod for $5 more (it's worth it!).

You're doing yourself a real disservice by not at least trying them out. I could give a crap less what the person besides me thinks of the music I'm listening to. The bus isn't a library, ya know? Or the living room where my family sometimes needs to concentrate.

I've heard of some Panasonic IEMs, but they had lopsided wires to each side (BADD), and the Sonys are cheap quality that degrades in no time at all.

I think E4c is one of the hotspots for IEMs.... I'd at least save up for something in that price range if I were looking for an IEM.

 

[gremlin]

I've got the er-6 and the super-fi 3s. The er-6 has been more durable than I expected. They get abused on the motorcycle all the time and I haven't had a failure yet.

But my everyday headphone is the super-fi 3s. The sound is more than good enough. They are very comfortable. Easy to insert and remove when someone decides to talk to you. Isolation that is good enough that I don't have to turn them up, but no so good that I don't notice someone talking to me.

My job environment is industrial and very active. At least twice per day my headphones get dropped or yanked out of my ears. Often they just get stuffed in a pocket because I don't take the time to put them back in their case. It's been two years and they are still going strong.