[var89]

Hello All,
 
I'm looking for an IEM for my IPOD Touch 3rd Generation 32GB.
The standard shipped headphones is pretty crappy with no details at all.
 
I'm looking for Jazz/Acoustic/New Age Music to listen and sometimes Rock too.
Some albums in my library
 
Jazz - Candy Dulfer, Jimmy Sommers, Paul Hardcastle, Kim Waters
New Age - Yanni
Classic Rock - Kenny Loggins, Sting, Chicago.
Acoustic - Brian Eno
 
My budget is max 100$. Also do you guys think I require any AMP (I'm not in favor of lugging along it with my music source every time )
 
Regards
V

 

[yello131]

Look into RE0 or HJE900 by Panasonic.
If you live in the USA, you can get the later for under 90 USD in a JB shop in NYC.
 
Also Hippo VB is a great choice for around $85 or so.
 
 

 

[mudo]

I would also consider Phonak PFE V1. I like them with all the genres you listed. I guess you should find them just over 100USD. FWIR RE0 have similar characteristics and they are bit more affordable. Anyway I never tried RE0.
 

 

[SkiesOfAzel]

 The PFE v1 are over your budget but you could import the PFE012 from europe (same driver with more bassy filters), they cost 79 euros around here. Etymotic mc5 is also something to consider as it has a similar sound sifnature to the re0 with a better build quality.

 

[ZARIM]

RE-ZERO, Radius DDM, SHE9850 and Cresyn C750.......

 

[SkiesOfAzel]

  Yes, i forgot to mention the DDM as it's a little (the OEM version costs ~120$) over your budget. They are great for acoustic, jazz and classic rock since they offer an amazing string instrument reproduction. They can be a bitch to fit though, and they don't isolate much.

 

[Vash-GR]

RE0, MC5 and HJE900 are your best bet imo. HJE have the added benefit of indestructible housing and removable cables. RE0, from what people say, are prone to problems (connector breakage usually).

 

[SkiesOfAzel]

  HJE900 have recessed mids though, both jazz and classic rock do need their mids. Pianos, guitars, vocals, all reside there.

 

[Toccata-]

While I agree the hje900 does have recessed mids I disagree that they make for a poor match with jazz and classical. I've found their deep and well textured bass to add significant resonance to flesh out double bass, piano and drums. The highs are well extended and clear with the right tips adding realism to strings and horns.

On the flip side, while piano does seem to have good attack and resonance, notes do seem a bit light in the middle register. I notice the light mid presentation mostly with vocals, particularly with male singers. It's rarely an issue with jazz or orchestral pieces.

 

[SkiesOfAzel]

Quote:

While I agree the hje900 does have recessed mids I disagree that they make for a poor match with jazz and classical. I've found their deep and well textured bass to add significant resonance to flesh out double bass, piano and drums. The highs are well extended and clear with the right tips adding realism to strings and horns.

On the flip side, while piano does seem to have good attack and resonance, notes do seem a bit light in the middle register. I notice the light mid presentation mostly with vocals, particularly with male singers. It's rarely an issue with jazz or orchestral pieces.

  I was mainly talking about piano for jazz, and vocals/guitars for classic rock (the op didn't mention classical). IMO those should be on the forefront with these genres. I do agree that they are great value for money iems.

 

[Napilopez]

For me the HJE900 work perfectly for rock, but that's also precisely because they emphasize areas I find to be underemphasized in much rock, Bass and treble. I guess I'm more of a V-shaped kinda guy. I can always hear mids clearly, and am usually complaining about it being tough to make out the bass guitar in alot of modern rock  (not so much with alot of older bands though). Also, the HJE900s do amazingly well with percussion imo; they were the first headphone I "felt" the higher percussions as well.

Vocals are somewhat recessed, especially right of the bat with no burn in, tip changing, or foam modding. However perhaps the best thing these things do is provide accurate timbre thanks to the low resonance Zirconia. Pianos, though recessed, sound very accurate imo.

These can work excellently for all genres mentioned, but it depends on your own acoustic preferences I guess. I would say a safer bet is to go with something more mids-oriented, but these are a great value at their current 78 price. All the other headphones mentioned so far are great options as well, from what I've read. I would also suggest the Thinksound Rain, which sounds wonderful for all those genres. I'd like to suggest the new TS02 from Thinksound, since they are supposed to be better in pretty much every respect, according to the founder, but I can't do that without having heard them or read any impressions.

 

[mephiska]

The HJE900's are indeed nearly indestructible.
 
Last week my dog, a corgi with an insatiable appetite, got ahold of them when I left them unattended for less than three minutes.  He tried to chew off the foam tips, my previous Shure E3c's met the same fate and I found only pieces on the carpet.
 
I walked back into the room and saw the cables hanging out of his mouth.  I yelled at him to stop, he quickly swallowed one of the earbuds after it detatched from the cable when I yanked it out of his mouth.
 
I was worried about a vet bill so I didn't want him passing the harder than stone casing through his digestive tract, so I took him outside and fed him two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide.  Three minutes later he threw it all up.
 
Much to my surprise the earbud was completely unscathed.  I cleaned it up with some rubbing alcohol, put a new foam tip on it, plugged it back and it WORKED.  No change in sound quality at all. 
 
I do love these things.

 

[Inks]

rofl quite a little story there, wouldn't the drivers be damaged thought? specially since the filters don't provide much protection to them.  

 

[Napilopez]

Quote:

The HJE900's are indeed nearly indestructible.
 
Last week my dog, a corgi with an insatiable appetite, got ahold of them when I left them unattended for less than three minutes.  He tried to chew off the foam tips, my previous Shure E3c's met the same fate and I found only pieces on the carpet.
 
I walked back into the room and saw the cables hanging out of his mouth.  I yelled at him to stop, he quickly swallowed one of the earbuds after it detatched from the cable when I yanked it out of his mouth.
 
I was worried about a vet bill so I didn't want him passing the harder than stone casing through his digestive tract, so I took him outside and fed him two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide.  Three minutes later he threw it all up.
 
Much to my surprise the earbud was completely unscathed.  I cleaned it up with some rubbing alcohol, put a new foam tip on it, plugged it back and it WORKED.  No change in sound quality at all. 
 
I do love these things.

LOL. That's amazing. And I thought my story about a jogger running over them on concrete was a testament to their durability.

 

[var89]

 
Quote:

Look into RE0 or HJE900 by Panasonic.
If you live in the USA, you can get the later for under 90 USD in a JB shop in NYC.
 

Ok RE0 or HJE900 by Panasonic. Do you think that driving a RE-0 would require an AMP especially so that i have an IPod Touch.


 
Quote:

I would also consider Phonak PFE V1. I like them with all the genres you listed. I guess you should find them just over 100USD. FWIR RE0 have similar characteristics and they are bit more affordable. Anyway I never tried RE0.
 

Yes i think Phonak PFE V1 are over my budget


 
Quote:

 The PFE v1 are over your budget but you could import the PFE012 from europe (same driver with more bassy filters), they cost 79 euros around here. Etymotic mc5 is also something to consider as it has a similar sound sifnature to the re0 with a better build quality.

Etymotic mc5. Ok so you think that they have a good soundstage.


 
Quote:

For me the HJE900 work perfectly for rock, but that's also precisely because they emphasize areas I find to be underemphasized in much rock, Bass and treble. I guess I'm more of a V-shaped kinda guy. I can always hear mids clearly, and am usually complaining about it being tough to make out the bass guitar in alot of modern rock  (not so much with alot of older bands though).

HJE900 by Panasonic - Again.

So guys now I'm left with 4 choices
Panasonic HJE900
Thinksound Rain
Etymotic mc5
Radius DDM

What do you say guys, which one to hit (please consider my Ipod Touch Capabilities too, don't want an AMP)