[Disturbd1]

This is my first thread - I've poked around on here off and on for a few years now, mostly just reading, clicking on damn-near every link that seemed to be associated with what I was curious about.
 
I'd like to get recommendations suited to my specific listening and preferences, which I have yet to see here. Of course, there are countless IEM recommendation request threads, but I'd like mine to be inclusive not only of the phones themselves, but any and all other recommendations that would enhance the overall listening experience that I may not be privy to.
 
Here's the skinny...
 
Music is one of the only things I'm a snob about (I probably fit right in, in that regard), as I listen to rock exclusively. When I say "rock", it should be noted that many sub-genres fall under that umbrella, and I embrace or at least respect a great deal of them. Rather than list said sub-genres, I'll list some of my favorite artists, that way there is no guesswork as to what they'd be categorized under:
 
Disturbed, Stone Temple Pilots, Clutch, Volbeat, Cold, Fuel, Metallica, Temple of the Dog, Alice in Chains, Incubus, System of a Down, Mudvayne, Sevendust, Godsmack, Kill Devil Hill, 10 years, Beastie Boys, Puddle of Mudd, Rob/White Zombie, Faith No More, Ben Folds, Chevelle, Static-X, Queen, Stone Sour, Silverchair, Lenny Kravitz, Cake, Bush, Everclear, Black Label Society, SOiL, Seether, 3 Doors Down, Lifehouse, Jet, Breaking Benjamin, Living Colour, Hellyeah, Shinedown, Tool, Days of the New, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Queens of the Stone Age, Hoobastank, Flaw, Candlebox, Bigelf, CKY, Marilyn Manson, Demon Hunter, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Default, Taproot, Pantera, Mushroomhead, Lo-Pro, Billy Joel, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, The Smashing Pumpkins..
 
Everything from Ben Folds' beautiful piano playing to the screams of Mudvayne. Yes, I know I'm living in the 90's/early 2000's. It's all gravy, I like it there.
 
My current setup consists of my Galaxy S4, running PowerAmp Pro, EQ is set with lows cranked and highs raised a bit as well. Didn't meddle with the mids much, as I tend to favor them to default to the center of their range for the most part. My headphones were an impulse-buy on Newegg a couple years back, they are the Sennheiser CX-150, and I absolutely love them compared to some POS Skullcandy IEMs I bought for ~$15 or so at Best Buy before I got the Senns. They're also noticeably superior to the IEMs that came with the S4, which are actually not too terrible, just not amazing. I agree with everything I've read about the 150's, when it comes to their performance on the lows. This is enhanced even more so with the built-in EQ that comes with PowerAmp.
 
No complaints about that setup, but I'm very much interested in hearing other sets that have a similar strength in the lows. I'm not savvy enough to really differentiate the common terms like "rolloff" when I read about specific IEMs' strengths and weaknesses. It's a little daunting. I'm hoping that by stretching out my hands here, someone with similar taste and preference might be willing to impart upon me any knowledge and experience they have with other pairs. 
 
Price point: I'd prefer no more than $100 to start off with.
 
Many thanks!

 

[gradofan1]

I think I've been going down the "I NEED AN IEM FOR $100-150 THREADS" promoting the Shure SE115m (with microphone) for a while. By far the best under $120, AND it has a mic. Sounds better than the SE215, ironically, imo.
 
It's about $20 over your budget, but the Shure 2 year warranty is worth it. They upgraded my broken (in warranty) SCL4 to a SE425 in 1 week for free.

 

[Byrnie]

Get the RE-400 from Hifiman and don't look back.

 

[Disturbd1]

I've been digging more into other request threads, the Audio Technica IM50s caught my interest. Any idea of the comparison? I know the price point is vastly different, but I'm curious about how much bass the Shures would be by comparison.

Sent with the Schv4tz

 

[Me x3]

Hi,
 
I think Yamaha's EPH-100s are probably your best bet. (Based on your likes)
 
They provide punchy bass and sub-bass, also clean but soft highs. They are metal made, include 5 different sized earpads and a carrying case.
 
You can read a lot about them in this forum.
 
Best Luck!

 

[TegraStorm]

Yamaha EPH-100 could be an option, they are at $99 on ebay (free shipping)

 

[Jeff Y]

Martin Logan Mikros 70 are great too for only 86 bucks. I am not really a IEM guy but I love the 70s over most IEMs. nice soundstage and smooth sound is what you get with the martins

 

[Disturbd1]

From the limited reading I did on Amazon reviews, the Yamaha's seem to get good reviews, the MartinLogan's didn't seem very bass-heavy.

I definitely want the bass/subbass to be accurate, but I also want it to be at least strong, if not stronger than my CX-150s.

Sent with the Schv4tz

 

[TegraStorm]

From the limited reading I did on Amazon reviews, the Yamaha's seem to get good reviews, the MartinLogan's didn't seem very bass-heavy.

I definitely want the bass/subbass to be accurate, but I also want it to be at least strong, if not stronger than my CX-150s.

Sent with the Schv4tz

Hmm... maybe klipsch x10, idk how strong the bass is in yours but these seem to have bass emphasis

 

[newton2105]

I'll throw the Jvc HA-FXT90s into the mix.

A lot of the artists you mentioned are on my Spotify rock/workout playlist, and that music sounded great on the fxt90s when I had them.

They have a fun, V shaped sound that's good for rock. They also have a suprising amount of detail for such a thick sound signature.

I lost mine a couple months back and now have a pair of Re-400s, which have also been recommended in this thread. Though if you like bass you may find the 400s a bit light.

The JVCs are 90 dollars on Amazon. Really a steal for what you get.

 

[Disturbd1]

That's why I'm hoping to get recommendations based on actual usage of them in similar application to what I use, since general opinions of how much bass is actually present is still a matter of opinion. I know not everyone that listens to similar music will have owned both the cx-150s as well as something else that is more bass-driven, but I figured I could get close. I think I'm going to try the IM50s, and keep my eyes open to other suggestions in this thread.

Sent with the Schv4tz

 

[Byrnie]

Hmm... maybe klipsch x10, idk how strong the bass is in yours but these seem to have bass emphasis

I'm not sure why I didn't mention these earlier but YESSSS.  I actually own a pair of these and use them at work all the time.  They are great with EDM, Rap, Rock, R&B, etc.

 

[Disturbd1]

I'll throw the Jvc HA-FXT90s into the mix.

A lot of the artists you mentioned are on my Spotify rock/workout playlist, and that music sounded great on the fxt90s when I had them.

They have a fun, V shaped sound that's good for rock. They also have a suprising amount of detail for such a thick sound signature.

I lost mine a couple months back and now have a pair of Re-400s, which have also been recommended in this thread. Though if you like bass you may find the 400s a bit light.

The JVCs are 90 dollars on Amazon. Really a steal for what you get.

So you've used the JVC's you mentioned when listening to the type of music I outlined in the OP? If so, when you listened to it, did you happen to crank the lows with any sort of EQ? I'm only getting granular, because I want to be able to simply plug in a new pair, and for that sound to be noticeably improved without having to change anything as it is now. I do intend to buy a fiiO soonish, but for now my PowerAmp Pro has a beast of an EQ, and I'm really happy with it. If I don't take baby steps, I won't appreciate my upgrades

 

[newton2105]

  So you've used the JVC's you mentioned when listening to the type of music I outlined in the OP? If so, when you listened to it, did you happen to crank the lows with any sort of EQ? I'm only getting granular, because I want to be able to simply plug in a new pair, and for that sound to be noticeably improved without having to change anything as it is now. I do intend to buy a fiiO soonish, but for now my PowerAmp Pro has a beast of an EQ, and I'm really happy with it. If I don't take baby steps, I won't appreciate my upgrades

 
Nope, did not EQ them.  And I did indeed listen to many of those bands on them.  I found the bass to be more than adequate, especially after burn-in.  I can't compare it directly to the set you own now because I have not heard those, but the FXT90 had more than enough bass to satisfy.  Everybody's different, though.
 
Guitars sound wonderful on the JVCs.  They are a good headphone for on-the-go and workouts because of their forward and agressive presentation.  They are relatively shallow in their insertion, so they have a bit of airiness to them, though the isolation suffers a little.
 
Build quality of the earpieces is solid as well.  The Yamahas have nice machined housings, but I read quite a few build quality issues/returns on Amazon, which is why I bought the JVCs over them a few months back.
 
I think you would really enjoy them with some of the music/bands you listed, but that's just my opinion.  You could always try them out and return.  They are Japanese imports but many of the sellers are fulfilled by Amazon so you can return them if you don't like them.

 

[Disturbd1]

Sounds great. I've just purchased a discounted pair of MEELECTRONICS M9PG2-GM's, and I intend to try both the ATH-IM50's I mentioned, as well as the JVC's you've suggested. 
 
For anyone vested in this thread, I appreciate the suggestions, and I will report back my findings after I've had a chance to test the above-mentioned IEMs.