[leroyhacker]

I want to get some IEMs for my brother. He's not an audiophile at all, so sound isolation, comfort, and convenience are the most important factors. He mainly wants to be able to watch/listen to portable media on the subway without hurting his hearing. I want to get something <$100 available on Amazon. So if audio quality isn't the main concern, what are the most practical IEMs to get?

The CX300s, Ety 6i, and UE Superfi 3 seem to be the best in this price range that I see. I'm tempted to go with the CX300s just since they're the cheapest and my brother likes the brand unless the consensus is that you get better sound isolation with something else.

His media player is an iriver Clix2, if it matters.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Musicboy]

I have the cx-300's. The sound is very clear, but it is too dark. Great value though.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I had the Creative EP-630 (same as the CX-300) - I agree with Musicboy - decent sound for the price and I thought they sounded pretty good until I moved up. Waaay better than any of the typical buds non-headfier's use. They are a canalphone, not a IEM, and they won't have the isolation of either the Ety or the Super.fi, but a canalphone might also be a better first step instead of an IEM. Another option for a true IEM might be the IM716 on sale at Newegg:
Newegg.com - ALTEC LANSING High Definition Noise-Free Headphone Model IM716 - Retail

 

[syndrome]

Quote:

Originally Posted by billybob_jcv /img/forum/go_quote.gif (same as the CX-300)

Uh, no.
Very much no.

Leroyhacker: The CX300 is a safe bet. I love them for their punchy and crisp bass and sense of detail. I use it with my iriver e10 (similar sound to clix2 as far as I know), and they sound GREAT. I'm sure you'll like them

 

[aerowing]

I got the er6i. Although I never had any problem with it, it appears to be pretty flimsy, it seems the other two would be more durable

 

[redrich2000]

Definitely get the CX300s. Really comfortable to use. Deeper fitting IEMs like the Ety's can be painful and annoying to get in and our.

The Senns are better than the EP-630s: clearer and more balanced.

 

[colonelkernel8]

From personal experience, I like the CX300. If ordering online, look out for fakes (not a major concern if you order from a larger online retailer, ie Amazon).

 

[intoflatlines]

For comfort, stay away from SF3.

 

[LaBreaHead]

I would guess that the Clix 2 EQ's quite well, and the Etys would pair with them very well. The Etys will isolate much better than the canal phone Sennheisers (which don't act as stand-alone earplugs, the way that proper-fitting Etys do).

Having said that, I think the Senns will be simpler to use and less "fiddly" in terms of learning to wear them correctly and dealing with filters and replacing the foamies (which I highly recommend for the Etys, by the way).

So for sound and isolation on the subway, I'd go with the Etys (which aren't frail for those who take care of their gear); for simple convenience something like the Mylarones or Sennheisers would be better than standard earbuds.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by syndrome /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uh, no. Very much no. Leroyhacker: The CX300 is a safe bet. I love them for their punchy and crisp bass and sense of detail. I use it with my iriver e10 (similar sound to clix2 as far as I know), and they sound GREAT. I'm sure you'll like them

Yeah, OK - they aren't identical, but I've heard both - the differences are not major. Perhaps you compared against some ebay fakes - the vast majority of ebay & non-authorized online sites selling CX300 or EP-630 are fakes and there's no telling what those sound like. Sorry, but IMHO "Very much no" is way overstating the actual SQ differences. I heard more differences repositioning the tips in my ears than I did between the brands. YMMV.

The CX300, EP-630, Sharp MD33 and a few others are supposedly all made by these guys with some differences in the cord and driver design:
Foster Electric Company, Limited : Headphone series 382326

 

[kwitel]

With all the rave reviews as of late, im surprised no one has suggested the Denon AH-C700's.
To the OP-I would read up on these.

 

[monolith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by intoflatlines /img/forum/go_quote.gif For comfort, stay away from SF3.

Untrue, unless you don't try at all to get a good fit.

 

[burningskulls]

The Super.fi 3's in black are $65 right now on Amazon. I was just in the same situation and ordered these for my mom. She is never going to upgrade.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwitel /img/forum/go_quote.gif With all the rave reviews as of late, im surprised no one has suggested the Denon AH-C700's. To the OP-I would read up on these.

The C700s are now $141.xx on Amazon, not in the OP's price range.

 

[AudioNoob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by monolith /img/forum/go_quote.gif Untrue, unless you don't try at all to get a good fit.

not untrue, the super.fi fit is one of the more incompatible universal designs and will not fit you properly if you don't have a certain ear shape. Having said that, most people have that kind of shape but I've seen several who doesn't. I personally went through 2 super.fis, they didn't fit me well but I was impressed by the sq of the sf3 s.