[vapor]

Hey everyone,

Here's my version of the "Which IEM should I buy?" thread.

I'm looking for a pair of IEMs for listening to rock/punk/metal; the bands I listen to most often include Radiohead, Muse, Rise Against, Queens of the Stone Age, Weezer, The Offspring, Rage Against the Machine, Alexisonfire, Tool and Thrice to name a few. I'll be listening on my unamped Zune 120GB, which doesn't haven an equalizer. I'm currently using a pair of Creative EP-630, so it won't be difficult to find an upgrade. To be honest, I didn't really have a huge problem with the sound quality on these... my ears aren't quite up to audiophile standards, yet.

Primarily, these IEMs will be used for playing along to this music with my Roland electronic drums, so isolation, a secure fit and a lack of microphonics are very important (although I tend to not thrash around while drumming

). I'm currently using Sennheiser HD202s or my EP-630s (the microphonics are a bit too much for me though) for drumming, and neither isolates well enough as I can still hear stick/pad noise, which especially makes the toms sound different than what they actually sound like on recordings. Now, if I wear the HD202s on top of the EP-630s, the isolation is a bit closer to what I want but still not quite there yet.

Taking a look on eBay, some candidates and their prices with shipping (in Canadian dollars) are as follows:

Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4$130
Westone UM1$147
Shure SE310$203
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro$224
Shure SE420$256
Westone UM2$305 (seems to have disappeared for now; $366 from another seller)
Shure SE530$343
Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro$387

I'm open to other suggestions, but these three brands are the easiest to get in Canada.

I've got quite a price range here, so I'm willing to pay up if need be. I don't have any experience with high-end headphones/earphones as evidenced by my HD202s and EP-630s, so I'm guessing that something in the lower end of the price range will suffice. I have Edifier S330D speakers (the new S2.1Ds I believe) on my PC and I really like how they sound. If I could get something that sounds like the S330Ds in an IEM, it'd be perfect for me. I don't use an equalizer when listening to music on my PC.

Being in Canada, my selection is a bit limited, and I can't find a place to audition any of these IEMs in the Vancouver area. So, I'm a bit worried about spending a few hundred dollars only to not have them fit and not being able to return them since I got them off eBay. As a reference, I use the largest tips that are provided with the EP-630s.

Warranty is another issue; since I'm buying off eBay it's very likely that I won't get the manufacturer warranty, so I'd like them to be as durable as possible.

Thanks for the help!

 

[ZoNtO]

A lot of people recommend the SE530 for work but I haven't personally heard them. I like my Ety ER4p but they do need a little oomph via EQ for bass.

 

[jaykay]

I listen to quite a few of the bands that you have listed (Rise Against, Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, The Offspring, Weezer, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, and Thrice). I currently have Westone 3's, and they handle the music very nicely. They go for $399 which is on par with the price you listed for the triple.fi's. I find the sound of my W3's to be great and isolation to be pretty good too. The isolation is much better than my former super.fi 5 pro. There's a few other iems that you should probably take into consideration too, such as the klipsch image x10 and sennheisser ie8. I hope you end up a happy camper with whichever earphones you choose.

 

[Dominat0r]

you should check out Sleek SA6s....im in love with mine...honestly.

If you want more bass, add the Bass+ tube, more treble? Add the treble+ tube...its customizable to your sound.

 

[vapor]

Thanks for the suggestions, all.

I found a Canadian authorized dealer of Westone products, so I'm leaning towards the UM1s or UM2s; the W3s are a bit much for me at CAD$450 as a first IEM. For my usage, it doesn't seem like Westone's combination of isolation, fit and lack of microphonics can be beat.

Further on the Westones, how long do the included tips last? Also, does anyone have recommendations on replacement tips that last a long time and don't require too much maintenance?

 

[ZoNtO]

Well the foamies usually last a couple weeks it seems like, any other tip will last for many evers cuz they are silicone.

 

[thatwunguy]

check out the klipsch image x10. The x10 sound great with rock, isolate well, and fit very comfortably. Also, if you get a shirt clip they will have very little microphonics.

These are the best sounding headphones I've ever heard for rock music. The build quality seems great and if you buy from Amazon, you'll get a good warranty.

Hope this helps.

 

[AmanGeorge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZoNtO /img/forum/go_quote.gif I like my Ety ER4p but they do need a little oomph via EQ for bass.

As much as I love the Etys, if lack of microphonics is important than he should stay away from the ER4 like the plague.