[DocBox]

Hey everyone, new to these forums.

I'm looking to buy myself a nice pair of in-ear headphones. I'm not an audiophile, however I want a really high quality sounding pair of headphones. Previous pairs of headphones I've owned, include Beyerdynamic MMX 101iE's and Klipsch Image S4i's - Just so you can get an idea for my standard of sound quality and budget, I'd like a step up from these two pairs.

I've shortlisted some headphones but I need some opinions and advice, possibly even recommendations, so I can finally make a decision and get this weight of my chest. I will be using these on my Samsung Laptop and my iPhone 4S. The types of music I listen to are on both ends of the spectrum. I like acoustic artists, such as Adele, Ed Sheeran, The Fray and The Script. However, I also enjoy bassy music such as Dubstep artists, including Skrillex, Knife Party, Kill the Noise, and Feed Me. The pairs I'm considering are:

SoundMAGIC E10/E10M
SoundMAGIC E30
Etymotic HF2/HF5
Thinksound TS02
Sennheiser MM30i
Moshi Moonrock
Moshi Vortex/Vortex Pro
Moshi Clarus (very expensive for my budget, bit of a long shot)
Sennheiser iE8 (same as the Moshi Clarus, bit too expensive, I'd only be willing to purchase if it was seriously worth it)

It does matter to me what the earphones actually look like, I see a lot of products like Shure earphones that look incredibly ugly in my opinion.

If anyone owns any of these and can give feedback, I'd greatly appreciate it. Perhaps by the end of it I might buy a budget pair (E10 or Moonrock) AND a more premium pair (one of the others) and have it that way. Any suggestions/advice/recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks,
DocBox

 

[Bcool06]

I don't think any of the Soundmagics are going to be a step up from the Klipsch S4. I would say a step down. The Sennheiser IE8 would be a really nice step up, though. The Etymotic H5 would be a nice up, too. Haven't heard of the Moshi, but I'm intrigued. I'm sure others will chime in with a more detailed response. 

 

[DocBox]

Thanks for the feedback. The reason I'm purchasing new ones is because my Klipsch Image S4i's have suffered from some sound quality degradation and tearing of the plastic which sucks I've ordered some SoundMAGIC E10M's from a website called iHeadphones.co.uk, and I'm gonna see what they're like. I've bought them for £39.99 - they were on sale. What're the Etymotic HF5's actually like? I've read a little on Head-Fi, for people saying they're accurate in the way they recreate sound however aren't that "pleasurable" to listen to. Would you agree? I'm trying to find a place where I can buy them for a decent cheap price in the UK.

 

[DocBox]

Bump.

Does ANYONE have any idea about Moshi's products? Like the Moonrock, Vortex/Vortex Pro, or the Clarus? No website anywhere has a clue :')

 

[ethanc]

Quote:

Thanks for the feedback. The reason I'm purchasing new ones is because my Klipsch Image S4i's have suffered from some sound quality degradation and tearing of the plastic which sucks I've ordered some SoundMAGIC E10M's from a website called iHeadphones.co.uk, and I'm gonna see what they're like. I've bought them for £39.99 - they were on sale. What're the Etymotic HF5's actually like? I've read a little on Head-Fi, for people saying they're accurate in the way they recreate sound however aren't that "pleasurable" to listen to. Would you agree? I'm trying to find a place where I can buy them for a decent cheap price in the UK.

u saying not pleasurable in listening to accurate sound? lol but imo hf5 and the ie8 are your best bet for a significant upgrade from the s4

 

[Bcool06]

For the price, the Etymotic HF5 is a great deal. You can get them from $100-150 on Amazon. I think they have the Cobalt Blue on sale right now for $100 if you don't mind the color. The black is on sale for $137, which is what I got. Good prices considering the retail of $150 is a fair price to begin with.
 
Blue:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Portable-Earphones-Cobalt/dp/B000XP8DJC/ref=sr_1_2?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1344541403&sr=1-2&keywords=etymotic+h5
 
Black:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Portable-In-Ear-Earphones/dp/B000XPG2QI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1344538364&sr=8-4&keywords=etymotic+hf5

 

[Jennifer Moshi]

Hey DocBox - Jennifer here from Moshi. If you want some third-party info on our headphones, here are some links to reviews on Head-Fi, as well as on other sites. Vortex http://isource.com/2012/01/16/review-moshi-vortex-earbuds/ http://www.ifans.com/forums/threads/moshi-vortex-earphones-recommendable.345256/ http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/moshi-audio-vortex-in-ear-head-163463 http://www.mactrast.com/2012/01/review-moshi-vortex-earbuds/ Vortex Pro http://www.ifans.com/blog/49435/ http://www.ecoustics.com/pcmag/reviews/2406465 http://www.trulygadgets.com/review/1367-moshi-amazing-audio-and-accessories Clarus http://www.ifans.com/blog/40841/ http://www.technologytell.com/apple/93553/moshi-clarus-in-ear-headphones-review/ http://www.head-fi.org/t/618255/check-out-the-head-fi-summer-2012-buying-guide (it's on page 33) Just for quick breakdown, Vortex is best for bass-heavy music, Vortex Pro is tuned to emphasize mids & highs (so, best with vocals, classical, jazz, folk, etc), and Clarus is pretty balanced. Let me know if we can answer any other questions for you. Jennifer

 

[Fastyz400]

I have both the sound magic e10s and the S4. The sound magic sounds much better than the s4. The bass on the s4 would start popping at higher volume levels. The sound magic offers a warmer sound, strong and tight bass. The sad part is, I prefer my sound magic over my s4.

 

[Sylmar]

  Thanks for the feedback. The reason I'm purchasing new ones is because my Klipsch Image S4i's have suffered from some sound quality degradation and tearing of the plastic which sucks I've ordered some SoundMAGIC E10M's from a website called iHeadphones.co.uk, and I'm gonna see what they're like. I've bought them for £39.99 - they were on sale. What're the Etymotic HF5's actually like? I've read a little on Head-Fi, for people saying they're accurate in the way they recreate sound however aren't that "pleasurable" to listen to. Would you agree? I'm trying to find a place where I can buy them for a decent cheap price in the UK.

I've had the Etymotic HF5's. They really are very analytical in sound, some may think they are too 'dry'. They don't aim to make listening pleasurable by tuning, they just make you enjoy all the tiniest details in sound. They are very good but it really depends what you want from your listening experience. If you're after warm 'fun' sound they are not the way to go. They are very enjoyable if you like clarity and detail. 
 
One thing that you might get used to is that you really need to use the tri-flanges to get the best bass response and that they need to be inserted deep in your ear canal (don't worry they'll never touch the eardrums). It's something you might get accustomed to but once I got used to it I really liked the great seal it offered. Now I mostly use bi- and tri-flangles on my other IEM's as I've grown accustomed to them and really enjoy the great seal these tips give.