[sydsick]

so i am looking to buy some entry level IEM's and it seems the more i read the more lost i get.
 
this is my first foray into, what i would consider "expensive," headphones as so far in my 26 years i have only purchased Sony brand headphones in the sub $40 range.
 
i think I've narrowed my selection down to either A) the Klipsch image S4 II, or B) the Sennheiser CX300 II. i have been reading around the interwebz for a couple months now and these seem to stand out, except i haven't been able to find a comparative review between these two specific models (only S4 VS. CX300 II or S4 II vs. CX300), and i have been reading conflicting reviews about both headphones. some say the S4 II's are "bass light" compared to the CX300's, some say the complete opposite, some will say that the build quality is better on one than the other and then visa versa, etc.
 
i have also heard some people mentioning the Sony MDR-EX310, but this has been more rarely talked about and also has conflicting reviews. plus i believe its discontinued?
 
so i guess my question(s) is this
 
is it even worth spending a only a little bit more for either of these or should i just pick up some Sony's from best buy for $20-40?
 
which of the two is better, or can somebody else at least compare them?
 
and, can suggest anything better? my Sony headphones have always lasted quite a long time (my current pair is past two years), so i would say build quality is important, i wouldn't say I'm a bass head, but i do like it and i don't want something that is lacking either.
 
so thank you in advance, i hope you guys can help me... because I've been going crazy over this

 

[H20Fidelity]

Hi there nOOb dude.

I believe we can find you something better than your choices.

CX300 do not get the best wrap here, they're overpriced for what they are. You could better those with SoundMAGIC E10 for example for $35. I have owned MDR-X310 and they're ok, the problem is those two IEM are just mainstream earphones like you find at best buy etc etc. You need to leave the circle and venture further. The only one that gets a mention here considerably out of your choices is S4, so probably keep that on your list.

Take a look in here and find out what kind of sound signature you want, because without that we can't really help you.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-278-iems-compared-astrotec-am-800-dx-60-added-03-31-13-p-659

It's a big thread so take your time.

 

[AyeCee]

Firstly, Welcome to Head-fi! (Sorry about your wallet)

I may not be an expert, but I do own the CX300ii and I can give my opinion.
It was my first real iem, and I used them for over a year before upgrading. As a whole, I was satisfied with the $89 I spent on them. Their sound is largely improved with the addition of some comply foam tips (As the others would too), as it makes the bass response more prominent, and the added isolation brings out some of those minor details (You can but them for ~$20ish, just google comply foam tips).

Their bass has a fairly forward signature, probably much more than the other two iem's you mentioned. If you listen to more bassy music, then it will suit it, otherwise, it may be a bit forward for your liking as it was for me. The mid-range and treble were nothing special, they weren't harsh or fatiguing (maybe slightly with really high pitch female vocals, but nothing that made me want to rip them out of my ears)
Other than that, build is good, accessories suffice (I loved the little pouch, even used it for my other headphones until I accidentally left it on the bus the other day :/ )

If you can get them for $40 then you won't be wasting your money. Sennheiser is a great brand, and they rarely fail to deliver. Just keep researching, and eventually you'll just end up pulling the trigger on the one that seems the best to you at the time. That's the way it always happens for me. I was looking at about 5 different IEM's for weeks before pulling the trigger on the UM3X, simply because I found one for sale $40 cheaper than the usual street price, which was enough to push me off the edge.

 

[AyeCee]

CX300 do not get the best wrap here, they're overpriced for what they are.

There is a huge difference between the (i) and the (ii) models, and for the rrp, yes $89 is a stretch, but for $40 for the ii model, I hardly think it's overpriced.

 

[H20Fidelity]

There is a huge difference between the (i) and the (ii) models, and for the rrp, yes $89 is a stretch, but for $40 for the ii model, I hardly think it's overpriced.

I am talking about the CX300II, which I have owned. I just believe the OP can do much better.

 

[sydsick]

thanks for your input guys, i will try to go into that thread a little more, but the few times ive tried to read through it in the past i just get lost because there is so much information, what a nice thing to complain about! too much information lol!
 
i think at this point i'm just gonna have to pick something and commit to it and find out after the good/bad of it afterwards...
 
that is unless i can faind someone that will tell me "this is the best, get this you'll be fine", but i doubt that clear of an answer can be given unfortunatly

 

[ianmedium]

I would recommend looking outside of this forum as well so that you get a balanced view.

When i first came here I went the popular route a few times and found that what is popular here is not necessarily good!
To help you more can you tell us what sort of music you listen to most? Are you a lover of over blown distorted bass or do you like natural sounding bass. I have found a great many here's opinion of bass is of the door rattling kind, fine if you like that sort of thing but not so if not.

 

[sydsick]

I would recommend looking outside of this forum as well so that you get a balanced view.

When i first came here I went the popular route a few times and found that what is popular here is not necessarily good!
To help you more can you tell us what sort of music you listen to most? Are you a lover of over blown distorted bass or do you like natural sounding bass. I have found a great many here's opinion of bass is of the door rattling kind, fine if you like that sort of thing but not so if not.

Before I ever posted here I have read a lot of reviews other places and pretty much everyone's opinion is conflicting.

I listen to a lot of different types of music, I wouldn't say I want anything with too much bass because it makes , but not lacking either. But some extra bass isn't bad.

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