[SpikeFlail]

I'm new to the IEM game and I've never considered purchasing any IEM costing more than $20 until now. I 'm not an audiophile by any stretch but I do appreciate good sound quality. I use a Sennheiser HD650 as my main desktop headphone along with a Nuforce ICON-HDP. I love this headphone but since I cannot take them with me outside I've decided it's about time to upgrade my cheapo earbuds with some decent ones that I can use with my ipod/phone without needing any portable amps. 
So after spending some hours researching I came up with a few iems that caught my attention.
 
Phonak Audeo PFE 232
Westone W40
Westone UM PRO 30
Sennheiser ie80

Given my budget of around $500 or less, the PFE 232 were out of my reach with their $600 retail price. However I noticed earphone solutions dropped them down to $399 which is really appealing at this point. My only concern with these is the fact that they are a discontinued model and I might not be able to find any replacement parts if I ever need. 

I've heard mostly positive things about all 4 of these iems but I do not have the luxury of testing them out, I am not from the US or Europe, so I will have to rely on the good people of head fi to make a good decision. I appreciate any input and thanks for reading. 
 

 

[SpikeFlail]

Any help? 

 

[milk]

  I'm new to the IEM game and I've never considered purchasing any IEM costing more than $20 until now. I 'm not an audiophile by any stretch but I do appreciate good sound quality. I use a Sennheiser HD650 as my main desktop headphone along with a Nuforce ICON-HDP. I love this headphone but since I cannot take them with me outside I've decided it's about time to upgrade my cheapo earbuds with some decent ones that I can use with my ipod/phone without needing any portable amps. 
So after spending some hours researching I came up with a few iems that caught my attention.
 
Phonak Audeo PFE 232
Westone W40
Westone UM PRO 30
Sennheiser ie80

Given my budget of around $500 or less, the PFE 232 were out of my reach with their $600 retail price. However I noticed earphone solutions dropped them down to $399 which is really appealing at this point. My only concern with these is the fact that they are a discontinued model and I might not be able to find any replacement parts if I ever need. 

I've heard mostly positive things about all 4 of these iems but I do not have the luxury of testing them out, I am not from the US or Europe, so I will have to rely on the good people of head fi to make a good decision. I appreciate any input and thanks for reading. 
 

Heya SpikeFlail,
 
I only have experience with the PFE 232 and the IE80. I have tried the W4R (Same sound as W40) but not for a very extensive amount of time to give valid thoughts unfortunately but I will leave you with my still somewhat fresh impressions on them and a hint of just what I've read on em. (Regurgiating what others said is not helpful I know, so I mainly stuck to my experiences but threw in a tad of found info in case it helps you in researching!)
 
You have some good choices! The 232s are great. They have a pretty v-shaped sound that you can kind of tune to your liking with the included filters! (Grey is generally the best bet) They have stellar sound and clarity and are pretty fun too. I would label these as a non-fatiguing pair of iems that can go well with MOST genres and really show they're worth their price.
 
The IE80s are very fun. They REALLY focus on the bass. Even on the lowest setting these things are very bassy but very detailed and punchy and as you go up the dial in bass they get a bit more uncontrolled but still very fun to listen to. They have smooth highs and also have a V-shaped sound as the mid range is a bit behind the massive bass and extended treble. This is an IEM that I and many others find hard to hate unless you really don't like much bass. These would be the pair you'd get if you're looking for the most fun in an iem. Their isolation isn't anything to brag about but I am satisfied with it (Walks in the city, bus, school, etc.)
 
I used to own the HD650 and so based off of  my limited listening session, I think these may be the most appreciated by an HD650 lover of your choices. It has a very lush sound that is very musical and really does nothing wrong (like the HD650 imo). They have very detailed treble, a very lush, rich midrange, and a strong, present bass. I know those words sometimes aren't the best of help but I can't help but say they're accurate. This is your all rounder for sure. This will bring anything your song wants to offer to the table. It will have those full mids and intimate vocals, it will have the bass without adding much more than intended so it really doesn't affect the overall listening experience when not wanted, and the highs are very well detailed and very smooth. Some find them a tad rolled off and as an HD650 liker that should be in your ball park, though the highs are a bit sparklier and are a bit more present.
 
I hope this helps out a bit. I know what it is like to be lost on finding equipment you're interested in. (I'm in a tube amp rut right now, haha)
 
Good luck, buddy!

 

[SpikeFlail]

Thank you milk for the elaborate reply. 

I would pick up the PFE 232 immediately if it wasn't for these filters and cable replacement. Since Phonak no longer produces the PFE I don't know where to get their proprietary filters and cables in the event I lose or damage the ones I have (which is bound to happen). I've also read about filter clogging issues, although I'm not sure how frequently that happens. 
 

I used to own the HD650 and so based off of  my limited listening session, I think these may be the most appreciated by an HD650 lover of your choices. It has a very lush sound that is very musical and really does nothing wrong (like the HD650 imo). They have very detailed treble, a very lush, rich midrange, and a strong, present bass. I know those words sometimes aren't the best of help but I can't help but say they're accurate. This is your all rounder for sure.

Not sure which IEM are you referring to here. 

 

[milk]

I would pick up the PFE 232 immediately if it wasn't for these filters and cable replacement. Since Phonak no longer produces the PFE I don't know where to get their proprietary filters and cables in the event I lose or damage the ones I have (which is bound to happen). I've also read about filter clogging issues, although I'm not sure how frequently that happens. 

 
Not sure which IEM are you referring to here. 

I never found any of that to be an issue on the PFE232 though I ddefinitely understand where you're coming from with your precautions.

Haha, how embarrassing. Sorry, the IEM I was recommending at the end is the W40s. They're hard to hate, have a sound signature that you would appreciate, great build and cable, countless replacements for any parts. Hard to go wrong with them!

 

[deathdemon]

I  suggest DUNU DN-2000 for a choice

 

[SpikeFlail]

  I  suggest DUNU DN-2000 for a choice

I've read some glowing reviews about the DN-2000 but for me, comfort is as important as sound quality and the DN-2000 is on the heavy side. Also it doesn't have detachable cables which is something I'd expect on a $300 IEM. I am not that delicate with cables so having the option to replace them is important for me. 
 

I never found any of that to be an issue on the PFE232 though I ddefinitely understand where you're coming from with your precautions.

Haha, how embarrassing. Sorry, the IEM I was recommending at the end is the W40s. They're hard to hate, have a sound signature that you would appreciate, great build and cable, countless replacements for any parts. Hard to go wrong with them!

Yeah I think I'm going to go with the W40s .Hopefully they will not disappoint!

Thanks for the suggestions 

 

 

[milk]

Great call, bud! Really hope you enjoy them! If you want (easy to forget, I know) shoot me a pm on how you like them. It's cool when people find what they're looking for in sucha vast hobby, y'know?