[themadman]

Greetings everyone. I am looking for IEM recommendations for $200 or under. I might be willing to go slightly over $200 if there is a major value or quality breakpoint there.

I will primarily use this with my iPhoneX with the lightning to 3.5mm adapter.

My favorite headphones to use at home are the Sennheiser HD650 and Hifiman HE4XX.

Let me know if I can provide any other information to help the recommendations Thanks!

 

[kukkurovaca]

iBasso IT01 is one of the go-to recommendations in this price range. I've got one and it's very good, particularly the bass, and it's a very good all-rounder, but some (including me) find the mids congested or recessed. (Others like the mids as they are.)

Some others which are getting a lot of positive feedback lately but I personally haven't heard: Campfire Comet, TFZ Queen and Secret Garden, Anew U1, BGVP DMG and DM6.

 

[themadman]

Thank you for those suggestions. I’ll poke around their reviews and see which one might fit me the best but I’ll definitely take a long look st the IT01.

I am not very familiar with IEMs, are the cables for these some kind of standard or proprietary?

 

[kukkurovaca]

Thank you for those suggestions. I’ll poke around their reviews and see which one might fit me the best but I’ll definitely take a long look st the IT01.

I am not very familiar with IEMs, are the cables for these some kind of standard or proprietary?

I'm pretty sure the ones I've mentioned will be either MMCX or .78mm 2-pin, both of which are relatively standard and should be easy to find replacements for. Those are the two most common types of connection for IEMs. Some companies have more proprietary connectors, or proprietary versions of standard connectors. (Audio Techinca, for example.)

Another one you'll find if you look more into the budget chi-fi space is .75mm 2-pin, which is mainly used on KZ and TRN brand IEMs. These cables are also easy to find, just makesure that if you get a .78mm IEM, you don't accidentally buy a .75mm cable for it.

 

[buke9]

+1 on the IT01 a very nice iem for the money a bit more of a V shape sound sig but not real bright and the mids aren’t too far back not the mids of the 650’s though.
The cables have a MMCX connector which is readily available as several others use it like Shure.

 

[themadman]

Aright, pulled the trigger on the IT01. I’ll report back when it arrives

Still open to other suggestions in the odd chance I end up not liking the IT01 or just want more lol

 

[buke9]

A couple more to look at. 1More Quad Driver and Final Audio E5000. The Quads are more balanced or smooth in presentation than the IT01 but not the bass. I listen to the IT01’s more when I want more of a fun sound signature. The E5000 I think is a better sounding iem not as much bass but better overall. The big problem for you would be it is not as efficient and the iPhone would probably not do it justice I had my QP1R on high gain with them and it runs my Ether-C’s just fine at the same gain. The E4000 is another one to check out as it is more efficient and from a comparison seems to do well between the Comets didn’t listen to either so can’t say for sure.

 

[themadman]

So a little update and I guess request for advice/suggestions.

I have had the iBasso IT01's for about 6 months now and I really like them, no complaints. More or less from day 1 I have used a different cable than the one they came with, the FIIO MMCX Cable with inline mic. I need the mic just for a lot of daily convenience stuff, I use my phone to make calls and stuff. So in the past week I noticed that when using the iBassos that my audio will frequently start a song over, like something inadvertently pressed the go backwards button. Today, the left channel on the cable stopped working period. I know the iBassos themselves still work because I can connect the right channel to either left or right IEM and sound comes out. When I went to try to use the default cable the iBassos, they connect fine to the right ear but are very looks and disconnect extremely easily from the left ear.

So I am left with this issue... do I...

1. Buy another FIIO MMCX cable (since that does attach and stay with the left IEM) knowing it could also just go bad in 6 months?
2. Buy a new set and abandon the iBassos completely since the left one seems to have some kind of firm connection issue with the left IEM?
3. Other suggestions?

I really like the iBassos and I wish they would have lasted me longer >.<