[llcawthorne]

Hi all! Been a member for a while, but this is probably my first post. My wife gave me $500 to spend on whatever, and I was thinking a new pair of IEM's. I'm leaning towards Sennheiser ie80's, but thought it wouldn't hurt to explain my background, listening preferences, hopes here to get advice.

I used to love my Sennheiser HD 280 pro's, but they're hot in South Carolina. I was quite happy with klipsch s4's after that. Then I got a pair of the mid range single ba ety's with the iphone mic (hf3?) and loved them for a while. I have a hard time going back to them much now that I listen mostly on my M-100's, cause the bass feels lacking by comparison switching back and forth. But it's getting hot, so I want some new in ears for when I am out and about.

I like detail, but I never have been able to tell the difference between flac and the 320 Kbps mp3's I normally carry around from any source with any headphone/amp I've tried. My main sources are my iPhone 5, ipad, and my macbook retina. My ears aren't sensitive enough get much out of a V-Moda Vamp other than the noticeable bass bump, so I returned it a while back. I still have an E17, but seldom consider it worth carrying around. Same for my iPod Classic. Even my almost 40 year old ears with subpar sources manage to hear things with my ety's and m-100's that just weren't in those mp3's with anything I had before though, so I consider good IEM's a worthwhile investment.

So mainly I want solid sound in a portable package that I can drive well unamped from an iPhone 5 and MacBook Pro , and that want feel overly shy of bass compared to V-moda M-100's. I listen to a lot of Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, Korn, and Disturbed. Some Ellie Goulding, Lindsey Sterling, Metric, Regina Spektor. A decent bit of Tori Amos and The Cure. Soundtracks and instrumental - vitamin string and piano guys, plus some anime tunes when programming. And some musicals... Mostly Doctor Horrible, Les Mis, and Wicked. Ocassionaly a little Eminem and even ICP. Varying by mood, I don't tend to cross mix those groups... I watch movies and shows (Game of a Thrones) fairly regularly at night on the ipad

I value long term comfort, and will probably use comply tips unless I order customs like I had for my ety's since my molds are probably on file still... I like isolation enough to drown out conversations in the same computer lab, but have no bus/subway/train commute and generally find it a plus to hear if a car is honking at me while walking cross campus. I prefer to not leak so much as to bother my wife in bed and as an extra plus would love it if the things were comfortable enough and durable enough that it was no big for me to fall asleep in them without getting rudely woken up if I rolled over on to my side, but I am pretty used to taking out my ety's pre-snooze, do that isn't a deal breaker. I value clarity and clean vocals (often female) over bass, but I like some punch, but need something that responds well to rather fast music also. I don't mind a different feel from the M-100's, but I want something not too cold as while I enjoy noticing new details in music, I am generally listening off fun. Finally, I prefer something with a mic for the phone and controls, at least as an add-on option... It looks like the ie80 can use ie8 compatible mic'd cables. (?)

Do Ie80's sound like a good idea? Can I sleep with some side turning in ie80's? Would I get enough bass and lively sound with faster response from a 4ba like the W4? Or maybe ue 900's or something else? Did I write too much so no one read this far!?

I'ld rather provide too much info than too little, but sometime can be extreme. I've put together partial answers from a lot of separate reading other folks threads, but kind of hoped for some advice addressing my large set of concerns. My $500 budget from the wife is pretty generous and very firm. She'ld scrap the whole idea before offering me even more money. I basically had to trade her offer of "getting a next gen gaming system" (that lacks any good games, applies to both out now) for "getting some IEM's I'ld use every day that would cost roughly the same". She is rather unenthused by my new habit of purchasing audio gear though, so I'ld like something that fits my needs pretty well and won't be replaced anytime soon.

Advice appreciated!

 

[llcawthorne]

Short version.

Wanted: advice on IEM $500 or less.

Source: 320 Kbps mp3 from unamped iPhone 5, ipad, and MacBook Pro retina.

Musical taste:
Lots of Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, Korn, and Disturbed.
Some Ellie Goulding, Lindsey Sterling, Metric, Regina Spektor.
A decent bit of Tori Amos and The Cure.
Soundtracks and instrumental - vitamin string and piano guys, plus some anime tunes when programming.
And some musicals... Mostly Doctor Horrible, Les Mis, and Wicked.
Also movies and shows (Game of a Thrones) fairly regularly at night on the ipad (probably would sound fine on anything)

Optional Preferences (in order):
Reasonable bass compared to main headphones: V-moda M-100's
Comfort w/ comply foam for long listening
Low profile, maybe even sleep in them occasionally, possibly rolling on side.
Mic and controls.

Not a frequent buyer, prefer something that I won't feel the need to replace soon.

Mostly thinking W4 or IE8, but not sure how their bass ranks compared to M-100. Open to any sub-$500 idea, even sub $550ish or so from Amazon.

Advice appreciated!

 

[benthughes]

My 2 cents for what its worth. I own the IE80s, Shure 535LTDs ( red... not asian) , Triple Fi 10, Yamaha EPH 100, Shure 3xx ( Older version I think) and Monster Turbine Coppers. My go-to IEMs are the Shure 535LTDs as they're generally offer a pleasing sound and a great seal with the Shure Olive tip buds. Neutral bass that is well extended but maybe not necessarily impressive, beautiful mids and decent treble extension. Having only auditioned the regular 535s I believe that the benefit is in the added treble extension on the LTDs. Great for most genres of music and , most importantly to me, provide great noise isolation. 
 
The IE80s are a dynamic driver IEM which I find to be pretty special. Probably overpriced and not worth $500 IMO. They do offer a good deal of bass and have a soundstage that is remarkable out of your head compared to many IEMs Ive tried/owned. They're fairly laid back in the treble region and have the dynamic driver cohesiveness that makes music enjoyable to listen to. They don't wring out details like some others but when I just want to chill and enjoy what I'm listening to, they're very nice. Recommend comply tip ear buds for these.
 
The Triple Fi 10s are a bit more V shaped in their sound but reasonably well detailed and would be great for much of the music you listen to. I'm in the same boat... I enjoy much of the same stuff you do. The don't have the liquid midrange of the Shures which I somewhat miss but the bass is more present and the treble a bit more extended which lends to the impression on detail to a point. Totally dig them for rock and metal. For bands like Tool where a lot of the charm lives in the midrange and vocals, I prefer the Shures. The fit on these can be pretty bad unfortunately. When I do get a good seat with the buds I try not to move around a lot because... well... they're kind of awkward.
 
The Monster Coppers are also somewhat V shaped but have the dynamic driver charm... a very cohesive sound with good bass punch and nice treble. The mids are fairly neutral. I like these as a good all around IEM, the non-replaceable cables are kind of a bummer though.
 
The Yamaha EPH 100s are a pretty forward sounding dynamic IEM. Good bass and fast attack, somewhat recessed mids with what seems to be kind of a high mid bump. Aggressive and fun, not to mention, pretty cheap. I digs em'! 
 
These are the ones I have experience with, I'm sure there are IEMs out there I may dig a bit more than what I have but I'm quite satisfied. At your price point you're well in the area where you can get a killer set of IEMs. There are some in the Westone series I'd like to try, mostly the 3-whatevers. The 4R, while I get the impression that they're great, sound like they'd be a bit boring compared to the fairly colored IEMs I'm used to. Also, in terms of sound, the IE80s and W4R seem to be a pretty distant departure from each other. 
 
I'll be interested to see what you end up with and your impressions. I like IEMs for portable use but vastly prefer full sized headphones for at-home use. Take that into consideration. You can get a very good IEM for $500 but also an excellent headphone for the same price. The headphone may be a bit more demanding in terms of amping where IEMs tend to be fairly sensitive and good for portable sources. 

 

[benthughes]

Reading your requirements, the Shure 535LTD nails most of your criteria except for bass impact. The bass is there when the recording puts it out but it's definitely not emphasized. Again, that's what I like and we have similar tastes. It's very possible that you wouldn't love them although I seriously doubt you'd hate them.

 

[milk]

I've owned the Shure 535, and believe you would like it based off of your requirements, I did not own the Shure 535 LTD, and I hear they're better so maybe you'll love them. For rock, and vocals, I hear the rock-it sounds R50 has the perfect sound sig for what you listen to but at a reasonable price! As for the Westone W4R, you can't go too wrong. Almost everyone loves the W4R. It has great, detailed bass, a forward but neutral midrange, and a pretty impressive treble. It's just one of those IEMs/headphones that the whole spectrum blends really well together instead of having good bass and mids but sibilant, crappy highs. Things in that order.
 
I think you'd like:
 
Shure 215 - Pretty fun, great isolation, bassy, cheap
Rock-it sounds R50 - Hear it's fantastic for your genres and at a great price
Shure 535 - Neutral, great isolation, has a very full low end and extremely smooth midrange
Westone W4R - An overall very impressive sound, very smooth, very detailed, and has an audiophile type sound but can still be fun with it's quality of sound.
Yamaha EPH-100 - Pretty fun sound sig, works pretty well with most genres, has just an enjoyable dynamic sound, and it'd be hard to find things to not like about it. Just does it right for the price.
 
Hope this helps, bud! Good luck!

 

[llcawthorne]

Thanks for the advice! Is it safe enough to get 535-LTD's from Amazon as long as I get them from actual Amazon as seller, or should I hit one of the authorized Shure online retailers they list on their site?

Also, should I generally expect $500 IEM's (the 535-LTD's in particular) to be comparable (but a different signature from) my $300 M-100's, more detailed with the multiple BA's, or slightly more limited because of the small size?

Warning: Those are the only questions. It's random commentary past this line.

I had actually planned on the 215 's being my set of IEM's whenever I switched from the ety's, before my wife provided such a large budget for me to work with. They'ld actually probably still be fine, but there's nothing else I want to do with the cash as I still have m-100's around the house and they travel nice too for anywhere air conditioned I plan to hang out a while. The limited red color looks pretty nice, especially since I'm at University of South Carolina. Including the inline cord in package offsets makes it easy to justify it being a bit more too ("but honey, we'ld have to buy the $50 cable later anyway"). And having something nice enough that I can pack light and not feel like I'm missing out if I leave the M-100's next to my chair isn't that bad a plan.

I was a little worried about my ability to appreciate them... I know I'm not the only one that can't pick out a FLAC vs an MP3, but I kind of expected the VAMP Verza to have some noticeable effect paired with my M-100's. That said, I definitely heard new things in old music or could pick out separate parts noticeably with every major leap (from skull candy, to s4's, then ety's, and then to M-100's), so it's probably worth dropping for 535's while I have the budget. Amp/dac changes just seem too subtle to me, except for little bass boost features and such, or else the Apple dacs ain't half bad so it isn't as much of a step up...

I actually bought the Vamp Verza with this money and now have it burning a hole in my pocket since returning it. I really like my M-100's though. I'ld just wear them out and about if it wasn't so darned hot in SC so that my ears need air. I did have a tendency to wear them around when it was cold enough. But the ety's have a side dead and are out of warranty now, the s4's are long gone, and these skullcandy's I pulled out of a bottom drawer and blew some dust off of definitely not going in my ears any longer than they have to.

 

[milk]

Thanks for the advice! Is it safe enough to get 535-LTD's from Amazon as long as I get them from actual Amazon as seller, or should I hit one of the authorized Shure online retailers they list on their site?

Also, should I generally expect $500 IEM's (the 535-LTD's in particular) to be comparable (but a different signature from) my $300 M-100's, more detailed with the multiple BA's, or slightly more limited because of the small size?



1.) Amazon tends to have a pretty cool return policy on a lot of items, though a Shure authorized dealer will always be backed up by shure and there may be a location for a store you can even visit near you!

2.) And I gotta say it can really vary. A common look on them is that IEMs can really excel in isolation, detail and depending on the IEM , it can be more fun with the sound right in your head! Personally I wouldn't get my hopes EXTREMELY HIGH, just because sometimes I've let myself down when expecting too much from certain cans. Though compared to the M100 I personally would expect something like this: you will get a far smoother, forward, and rich, full mid range, not as strong of bass as the M100 (I've always found headphones to give far more bass as there is more room for the bass to reflect and you get a better feel) but the bass will be more detailed and fit in better in the mix. The treble on the 535 (red) will be more detailed and a bit neutral but you'll still get some sparkle with it too! The v-moda is a V (heh) shaped sig, the 535s sound sig is really well mixed together and has a bit more of an audiophile sound. I think you'll like the se535, but I'm kind of with you about not being able to pick out differences of flac and mp3 to some degree, and that makes me think that maybe an audiophile type earphone may not suit you, maybe you'll like a more fun sig that works well with average recordings but still achieve as good as details as an mp3 can give out! If your mind I set on the 535, go for it! They're great, they have incredible mids, strong bass, and a sweeeet treble, but it seems based off of telling the differences between music files, liking good bass, loving the m100, etc. That maybe you could enjoy something more fun and with using mp3 files you can get a cheaper IEM that can pump as much detail as those recordings possibly can and still get that vmoda sig that you love! Just tell me whatcha think, buddy!

 

[llcawthorne]

1.) Amazon tends to have a pretty cool return policy on a lot of items, though a Shure authorized dealer will always be backed up by shure and there may be a location for a store you can even visit near you!

2.) And I gotta say it can really vary. A common look on them is that IEMs can really excel in isolation, detail and depending on the IEM , it can be more fun with the sound right in your head! Personally I wouldn't get my hopes EXTREMELY HIGH, just because sometimes I've let myself down when expecting too much from certain cans. Though compared to the M100 I personally would expect something like this: you will get a far smoother, forward, and rich, full mid range, not as strong of bass as the M100 (I've always found headphones to give far more bass as there is more room for the bass to reflect and you get a better feel) but the bass will be more detailed and fit in better in the mix. The treble on the 535 (red) will be more detailed and a bit neutral but you'll still get some sparkle with it too! The v-moda is a V (heh) shaped sig, the 535s sound sig is really well mixed together and has a bit more of an audiophile sound. I think you'll like the se535, but I'm kind of with you about not being able to pick out differences of flac and mp3 to some degree, and that makes me think that maybe an audiophile type earphone may not suit you, maybe you'll like a more fun sig that works well with average recordings but still achieve as good as details as an mp3 can give out! If your mind I set on the 535, go for it! They're great, they have incredible mids, strong bass, and a sweeeet treble, but it seems based off of telling the differences between music files, liking good bass, loving the m100, etc. That maybe you could enjoy something more fun and with using mp3 files you can get a cheaper IEM that can pump as much detail as those recordings possibly can and still get that vmoda sig that you love! Just tell me whatcha think, buddy!

1. Yeah.. The awesome amazon return policy kinda makes me want to grab a 535 and a 215 to see how much difference I notice and return the loser. I don't like ordering something with the intention of doing a return, even a variable one though.

2. The bass difference is what original made me lean towards Sennheiser ie80's. I never really minded the kind of cool but detailed presentation of my hf5's, but the lack of punch to the bass was always noticeable when switching from headphones to earbuds, even with a set of custom tips for perfect seal. I really liked their clarity... I'm not sure if that was the BA instead of dynamic or the fact they were Etymotics. I can tell 192k or lower vs 320k, so I don't think my hearing is that bad, but I probably shoulda got it checked when I was out getting impressions made.

Anyway, I think the ie's are kind of out now, if it's correct they leak noticeably because they are vented. That's the reason I don't wear my M-100's to bed, since they leak enough to bother the wife when she's trying to get to sleep. The SE535 doesn't seem bad, but I haven't bought it yet.

I know forward mids have been recommended for my main genre of music, but I am sort of tempted to get something that isn't too wildly different in signature from my M-100's. I don't think I recall running across a pair of IEMs mentioning a V shape sig, but I'm open to doing some reading up and forum searching if you can suggest a pair or two that I might want to consider.

 

[milk]

I definitely have more suggestions, but to save you some research, check out the Vsonic gr07 bass edition, they have great neutral mids, obviously some extra bass which resonates the v moda and still has a very detailed and sparkly high end. One of the most recommended at it's price range, a great pair of IEMs and for a great price. Try reading up on those and see what you think. If anything else comes to mind that I've also tried I'll be sure to tell you!

 

[llcawthorne]

It's funny. I was seriously looking at one of those before I decided to arbitrarily expand my search to stick to closer to "blow my full budget IEM's". They looked fun, but they were indefinitely out of stock at Amazon. Lendmeurears site kinda confused me with the Singapore dollars. Looks like the currency conversion is in my favor though. The cheap make and weird candy cane looking cables kinda made me do a double take too. Considering the price difference and fact I always got a (relatively) solid set of cans at home, they might work pretty good.

I find it weird to admit, nut I always did like that my old skullcandy's could make it feel like my teeth were vibrating when fed the right music. Sure, everything else sounded like crap compared to everything else over $10 that I ever owned, but I never had a mother set of IEM's that could make me feel the bass. Always brings a smile to my face. But I would prefer something that could do that while also doing a solid job when I more commonly want to listen to my standard fare music. That's part of why I went with v-moda for my over ears, solid bass but nice all around.

 

[llcawthorne]

I went ahead and ordered the gr07 bass edition. I figure if I am not happy with them, they're cheap enough that I could put some gift cards with my leftover $400ish and get se535's or whatever. If nothing else, I can throw out these skullcandy's and keep the GR07BE as a better backup pair, if I decide to upgrade them. Thanks to both of you for the advice!

 

[pat1984]

I went ahead and ordered the gr07 bass edition. I figure if I am not happy with them, they're cheap enough that I could put some gift cards with my leftover $400ish and get se535's or whatever. If nothing else, I can throw out these skullcandy's and keep the GR07BE as a better backup pair, if I decide to upgrade them. Thanks to both of you for the advice!

So what did you think of the GR07BE?