[AaronDude]

So my cat chews up most of my headphones so I'm looking for a cheap pair because it's just costing to much. Sometimes I have a brain fart and leave my headphones out by accident and then come back and see my cat got to them.  I still own many headphones however such as the meelect M11+,M9,soundmagic PL50, creative aurvana and some cheap sonys.
 
I mostly listen to all types of classical music and recordings including music from composers such as Mahler, Chopin and Ives. 
 
I have other headphones that cost quite a bit in the 50-70 dollar price range and I'm not that much more impressed with those than I am with the ones I've got for 20.  I like the clarity of BA drivers such in the sound magic pl50 and creative aurvanas I own but I'm beginning to think I can get just as clear audio with a regular old dynamic driver, it sounds more realistic and it's way cheaper.  
 
So I was looking at the jlabs J5 on amazon.  There are many reviews on amazon but they just don't seem that knowledgeable about them.  I am getting interested in them because I buy most of my headphones on amazon and I've never tried jbuds before.  I would like to know what people here think about them.  I can't really find any info about them other than that on amazon in the reviews.  I would think a company that has been making pretty much only in ear headphones for the last several years would have a pretty good product by now.  So what do you guys think of them?
 
I just recently bought a full sized set of creative hq16000 headphones and they're becoming my favorite headphones in ear or not period.  I actually enjoy that the bass isn't boomy and the the mids and highs scream at me.  I love that high end shout.  I was hoping I could get a set of in ears that sound kind of like these.  I'm flexible though so I could still go with the J5s if they just have a good sound.  Would another set of creative in ears probably appeal to me?  I was looking at the Creative EP-630 and EP-650 but the reviews on amazon for them are not too good.  Some say there is way too much bass, others say there's not enough and some say the highs sound awful.  It's just hard to piece it together.
 
So what might I be looking at?
 
 

 

[tinyman392]

The J5s are a new model (I haven't heard of them yet, the last model I've heard that was released by JLab was QBora or whatever it's called).  So most likely very few people have heard them.  It's also worth noting that JLab is one of those companies that puts a huge MSRP on things (that is way higher than it ever should be) just so it lowers greatly in the future (so buyers see a 50+% drop in price and think they have a good deal).  Not too many people can comment on sound though.

 

[AaronDude]

hey thanks.  Yeah they've been doing that $90 headphones for thirty bucks thing a long time.  It doesn't really bother me if they do sound good though.  Like you said though not many can comment on the sound.  Maybe I'll take the plunge and complain about how bad they sound on here .   I could go with the creatives and might get lucky with that shouty sound I like so much.

 

[tinyman392]

If you like classical, why not try something like Etymotics, some other analytical IEM (Brainwavz B2, ACS T15, RE0 etc), or even a mid-based IEM (Some Shures, Brainwavz M3, etc)?  They tend to really suite classical nicely.

 

[DevilDog]

I picked up some JBuds Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing ones for 10 bucks a while back. They're not awful. They're worth more than 10 bucks. You can still get them them on Amazon for $9.95. I sleep in them just about every night. That's why I got them. They're relatively comfortable and sound okay for the money, but they are in no way "shouty." Very neutral with slightly rolled off highs. Not bassy, either. And they do Mahler's 1st okay.

 

[dziendobry]

I listen to primarily classical music as well,  I have the J5's and don't like the sound for classical, not enough details.  If you are looking for a good buy, try the RadioPaq classical on ebay from the UK quite a good price right now as they have been discontinued.  Joker has reviewed them as well.  Other dynamics that I enjoy with classical are Maximo IM-590, Dunu DN-12 Trident, and Sound Magic E30/PL30

 

[AaronDude]

Hey thanks for the suggestions.  However, I'm not too interested in buying an expensive pair of etymotics or shures.  I really don't want to go over 30 bucks and even then I'll try to get free shipping on amazon.  Like I said my cat chews up my headphones.  They usually survive the first couple of times he gets to them though,  I really gotta stop leavin' them out.  I think I'll pass up on the J5s since you don't like them dziendobry.  I think my soundmagic Pl50s(they work but man are do they have the stuff chewed out of em) or the discontinued meelect cxsomething(the plastic one in the clarity series) sound the best if I'm just looking for something that sounds good but won't blow me away.  I'm just tired of those kind of headphones.  I pulled out my old meelect M9s and they blow the m11+s,  the clarity ones and soundmagic pl50 away.  I think I paid a sixth of what the M9s costed compaired to the M11+.  The M11+s cost me about 60-70 dollars when I got them cause I thought for the price they would blow me away, they didn't.  Its funny how the cheap headphones sound better to me.  I'm still looking.  You might be wondering why I need all these headphones, well I'm a collector and I also break them a lot so it's good to have a few when I have a bad month or so.
 
The meelec m16 could be what I'm looking for?  I'm guessing they're an upgrade over the M9?  The M9s to me sound shouty with speaker system bass to them.  They don't sound much different from the creative fullsized hq16000 headphones I just bought but they actually have very prominent bass where the creatives seem to have very little.  I'm gonna read some more reviews on the meelect headphones and these brainwavz alpha to see what I should get to satisfy me for IEM for the next few months.  Thanks for the help!
 
 

 

[tinyman392]

Dunu Trident?  Etymotic EtyKids are 50 bucks (without remote and mic).  Dunu Trident has the slightest V-shape (40 bucks). 

 

[AaronDude]

I could go with something more expensive, I guess, I just have to be really careful and not have a brain fart or somethin'.   The soundmagic pl50 I have sounds pretty good and detailed but it just sounds a little muffled and when things get complicated it gets worse. That is my experience with the creative aurvana and the backbeat pro, both BA headphones.  The altec backbeat pro were actually some of the worst headphones I've bought and the altec backbeat titanium some of the best.
 
The etymotice research mc5 have got my eye recently but I'm afraid it might sound sound pretty bad after reading reviews.  Then there is the klipsch S3 ? I think that is 30 bucks.  The etymotic reashears sure sound fancy though, it might be worth the 50 bucks.