[HiWire]

Hey guys,

Sorry to add to the noise ratio, but I've got a friend who is looking for an IEM for his iPod (5th Gen?). He says up to about $100 is fine. I've been here for a while, but I have no experience with IEMs.

So far, I've put a short list together:

Etymotic ER-6 - $139 (bit of a stretch)
Creative Aurvana - $135
Shure SE-110 - $120
Westone UM-1 - $109
Ultimate Ears metro.fi 2 - $80
Jays d-Jays - $99
Sony EX90LP - $96
JBL Reference 220 - $100
Audio-Technica CK7 - $87

Am I missing anything important from this list? He listens mostly to blues and classic rock... let me know if you have any listening impressions to add.

Thanks!

 

[NeObliviscaris]

If your friend is willing to stretch, Ultimate Ears Super Fi 5 Pro Red - $139.99, wonderful, wonderful earphone, I'd def tell them save up the extra $40 for these!

If they are tight on budget, the $9 extra to UM1s will be awesome as well!

 

[infamous16]

I have been reccomended the denon ah-c700 alot.

 

[HiWire]

Thanks, guys. I'll do a little more reading on these.

 

[soundfreq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FeedMeTrance /img/forum/go_quote.gif If your friend is willing to stretch, Ultimate Ears Super Fi 5 Pro Red - $139.99, wonderful, wonderful earphone, I'd def tell them save up the extra $40 for these!

x2 for the ue superfi.5 pro, though pick other colors

 

[NeObliviscaris]

The UE 5 Pro only comes in Red at that price though.

If your friend wanted customs, maybe the single driver FreQs?

 

[DKaz]

If he can only spend $100 then I would suggest the Denon's also. They are only $99 shipped on Amazon:

Denon AH-C700

 

[Starsky5000]

I HIGHLY recommend the Audio Technica CK7! It's truly an amazing canalphone, one of the best their is! I just ordered my 3rd pair!

Also you should look closely at the Denon AH-C700 since they seem about in the same league as the CK7's. They got alot of positive reviews also but i still recommend the CK7's highly since they are highly regarded for a reason! Believe me the CK7 won't dissapoint!

 

[Guarneri]

Denon -> good overall phone, may not be the most comfortable or have the best fit though.

Westone UM-1 -> The most comfortable of the bunch, good sound quality especially for the type of music he listens to.

Super.fi 5 pro -> more expensive but dual drivers and proven to have good sound quality for the price. May look a bit weird when wearing them though since they stick out more than most IEMs. Super.fi 3 can be considered too ($70).

There is actually an Etymotic er6i which is significantly cheaper than the er6 (~80). It was designed to be used with the iPod and have great mids, highs, and details, but smaller amounts of bass. The build quality is also a problem if they need to take a beating.

 

[HiWire]

Thanks, Guarneri. It looks like the Westone UM-1 is the front-runner so far.

 

[PopArtist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FeedMeTrance /img/forum/go_quote.gif If your friend is willing to stretch, Ultimate Ears Super Fi 5 Pro Red - $139.99, wonderful, wonderful earphone, I'd def tell them save up the extra $40 for these!

I was eyeing those today myself...only problem is that they say that they usually ship in 1-2 months!

 

[uppis]

About ER6i, I found the really durable. They lasted two years, and no, sometimes I wasn't too gentle.. But the best part was when Etymotic replaced my 2 year old out-of-warranty ER6i's for free. And IMO they don't lack bass, its just not so overwhelming, it was nice and detailed at least for me. In case you're willing to save up 40$ for SF5, why not save 20$ more and go for ER4P straight, really great deal..

 

[HiWire]

I think the ER-4P is too far out of reach... you get hit with pretty big customs and taxes bringing stuff across the border in Canada, and we don't get the $170 pricing, as far as I know. According to the Etymotic website, the ER-6i has boosted bass. I guess the bass freaks will never be satisfied

 

[uppis]

The boosted bass of er6i is not too boosted at all, still fits easily in ety's sound signature.

 

[Zephyron]

The problem is that being in Canada, its hard to get the good earphones online.

Sub-100, I would recommend the Audio Technica ATH-CK7, like one of the previous users did.

Within the sub-US$100 category, they're probably one of the best alternatives there is. Back in Singapore, you can get the CK7 for around US$80 or less, BNIB.

The CK7's sound sig is very similar to the ER6i IMO, but in some ways better (preference comes into play here). They're in the same playing field, but the CK7 sounds slightly airier and the treble extends higher. The CK7s don't seal as much however.

If you're willing though, have a look at Jaben Crossroad's Crossroads Mylar X3i.

Its about CAD$60 shipped, and its about a 2 week wait or so. Uncle Wilson (Jaben's owner) and his crew also provide very good customer service.

Link to Jaben: Shopping with Jaben