[AJ11]

hello,
 
my klipsch Image X1s have died after eight months of my previous pair, and although they are still under warranty, i want to try something different. i've read that the re-zeros out-perform more expensive earphones, and they are not too cheap, but not too expensive, either. i will be using them with my sandisk sansa clip+ which has rockbox on it. i don't bother with the equalizer on rockbox - as i don't know where to begin, and in all honestly, cannot be bothered fiddling with it - should i? i'm not really an audiophile, but even i know some detail is missing with cheaper earphones - plus they're often very uncomfortable to use over long periods of time. i listen to a combination of rock, punk, post-punk, and a bit of electronic music - i'm not terribly sure if i should choose the re-zeros over the re0s... oh, and, should i bother buying a portable amp? like the e11? bearing in mind the sansa clip is very small, and i'll sometimes be using it on public transport, i'm not sure if i should bother. 
 
so, in summary:
 

1. currently have klipsch x1s/s1s - want to upgrade to either re-zeros or re0s. listen to punk, post-punk, rock and a bit of electronic, either in .ogg or .m4a at 192 or 256 kbps vbr. not sure which set to choose.
2. is it worth it using rockbox's equalizer? i have no idea what settings to use if so.
3. should i buy a portable amp - is it really worth it, bearing in mind it might be an inconvenient given how small the clip+ is. 

 
thanks very much for any help anyone can give - i'd really appreciate any advice.

 

[ZARIM]

The RE_ZERO are better balanced IEMs and sound clear n loud without using AMPs. But RE0 need some power to sound it's best n loud and overall RE0 shows more details in highs.

 

[LizardKing1]

I never got around to review them, but will do so soon.
 
Do not get the RE-0! I don't own them, but since every single review says they are bright Zeros I think it's a no-brainer. The Zeros are a mid-centric headphone, if you listen to Jazz you'll understand it. They have an amazing detail, which you might appreciate in rock, but the rest of your choices don't usually shine in that department. They don't need to be amped, the Clip should work just fine. They are a bit sensitive given their impedance, but since the Clip is very quiet you'll be fine. Their bass extension, and mostly quantity, isn't much. The bass is tight, but there isn't much of it and you'll find yourself equalizing the hell of it to get that boom sensation most people who like electronica want.
 
I think a Fiio E7 is a great purchase anyway, since you get a very decent DAC and a good portable amp, but for this case it's not necessary. All in all, I don't think the RE-Zero is the IEM for you. I do love it, but when I listen to the genres you mentioned it feels out of place. Maybe with a bit of equalizing you'll enjoy it. And if by rock you mean old stuff, made in the 70's or 80's you'll probably enjoy it a lot, since that music wasn't very compressed, thus has a lot of detail, and it's mid-centric so it works well with the Zeros.
 
Hope I could help.

 

[AJ11]

Quote:

The RE_ZERO are better balanced IEMs and sound clear n loud without using AMPs. But RE0 need some power to sound it's best n loud and overall RE0 shows more details in highs.

thanks for that - i'll take what you said into consideration.

 
Quote:

I never got around to review them, but will do so soon.
 
Do not get the RE-0! I don't own them, but since every single review says they are bright Zeros I think it's a no-brainer. The Zeros are a mid-centric headphone, if you listen to Jazz you'll understand it. They have an amazing detail, which you might appreciate in rock, but the rest of your choices don't usually shine in that department. They don't need to be amped, the Clip should work just fine. They are a bit sensitive given their impedance, but since the Clip is very quiet you'll be fine. Their bass extension, and mostly quantity, isn't much. The bass is tight, but there isn't much of it and you'll find yourself equalizing the hell of it to get that boom sensation most people who like electronica want.
 
I think a Fiio E7 is a great purchase anyway, since you get a very decent DAC and a good portable amp, but for this case it's not necessary. All in all, I don't think the RE-Zero is the IEM for you. I do love it, but when I listen to the genres you mentioned it feels out of place. Maybe with a bit of equalizing you'll enjoy it. And if by rock you mean old stuff, made in the 70's or 80's you'll probably enjoy it a lot, since that music wasn't very compressed, thus has a lot of detail, and it's mid-centric so it works well with the Zeros.
 
Hope I could help.

thanks very much for your informative reply. so, if you personally don't recommend either the re0 or re-zero, what would be a good all-rounder. bearing in mind i don't want to spend any more than £70/$110 us/80€? speaking of jazz - i might start looking into that genre soon, funnily enough. indeed - my music collection ranges from the late 60s to the early 90s. some of my collection is taken from mint vinyls, but most are taken from cds i own. 
 

 

[hung8489]

For the price, I believe the RE-ZERO's are incredible and are tough to beat.

 

[AJ11]

Quote:

For the price, I believe the RE-ZERO's are incredible and are tough to beat.

thank you for your input. i can't seem to edit my original post, so i'll have to add others i'm considering in this post. i've been doing a bit of research and have come across five other possible contenders to the re0s and re-zeros.
 

1. klipsch image s4
2. phiaton ps20
3. shure se215
4. beyerdynamic xt 101ie
5. phonak audeo 012

 
does anyone have a recommendation, baring in mind my original post?

 

[eke2k6]

The only ones I can comment on are the S4 and SE215. 
 
RUN from the S4. I used to have the Meelectronics M6 (my $25 gateway drug into audiophilia) and a friend of mine made me try out his S4. To me, they were garbage compared to my M6s. It sounded muffled in comparison, and the bass wasn't even all that great.
 
As for the SE215, I loved those IEMs, but I found myself searching for a bit more. That's why I bought the Vsonic GR07 ($165). For someone on a <$100 budget, they SE215 is a great buy IMO