[M3ht4L]

Hi all,
 
I'm relatively new to the community.
 
I've gotten the whole audiophile "bug". My setup at home is MacBook Pro > Modi > Vali > HD 600 and I'm in absolute love with this setup.
 
The issue is that this setup is not portable, so when I'm at work (Office job) or school (Computer Engineering Major) I don't have a source of wonderful audio.
 
I was wondering if there's anything portable (preferably IEMs) in a budget price range ($150 or less) that would cure that itch. I've been reading around this forum a bit and have shown interest in sets such as the Zero Audio Tenore, Xiaomi Pistons, Havi B3, Hifiman RE-400, and Shure SE-535.
 
Which of these options or others would be the best choice as far as price to performance goes? I'd be willing to step up in money if it means being satisfied or not.
 
Sound Quality being the most important aspect, followed by comfort and build quality. 
 
Thanks for your input!

 

[squallkiercosa]

The best choice as far as price to performance goes to the Xiaomi Pistons. The best value is often in the lower end to middle range models and then upgrade more frequently.
 
http://www.xiaomiworld.com/original-xiaomi-piston-earphone-updated-version-brown.html

 

[shureThing]

I haven't tried the exact rig that you're talking about, but I have tried the HD600 out of an O2 and I'm assuming the sound would be quite similar. I would say that sound is quite smooth natural sounding with a mild mid-bass boost that creates some thickness and slightly veils the mids and treble. As with many headphones, there is also a bit of bass roll-off. Most IEMs won't have this bass roll-off and it is also quite difficult to find a IEM with same accuracy in the treble. You might be interested in the Tenore which seems to be a relatively good match with what you're looking for. Another option is to go for an Etymotic IEM (MC series or above). These are generally considered to have great accuracy (like the HD600). The caveat with these are the deep insertion required for. If you find these too bass lacking, a change in the filter can modify the sound (attenuate the treble) as to make it have the impression of more bass and thickness. If you do not think these are for you, the other seemingly default alternatives are RE-400, NVX EX10S (or GR07), KC06, etc. IMO, it isn't really worth it going for higher ends sets (e.g. SE535) since they don't seem to sound better to my (young inexperienced) ears.

 

[deltronzero]

I think you need to narrow down the list of IEM's you are looking for, the IEM's you've listed ranges from $15 to $400, kinda hard to compare.
 
I personally own the Piston 2.0 and think they are great for the price, but that's it.

 

[Thracian]

Grab a pair of GR07. They come quite close to how your HD600 will sound.
Sold my Pistons after 3 minutes of listening. Wayyyy too boomy in the bass department for my liking.
Can't comment on the rest, never heard them.