[wtruitt]

Great point..i'm not "opposed" to an amp, though would appreciate the flexibility of amp / no amp for portability. So.. im616's seem to have a good following.. Better SQ than the Westone UM1's (small & comfortable according to most). Quote:

Originally Posted by skoolage /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree, although if the OP doesnt want to have to use an amp, the im616s are probably better. I personally chose the im616 because I use them at the gym and for portable use alot and I dont want to have to deal with an amp. I did however order a Fiio a few days ago and they should sound pretty darn good with the 616s when I get it.

 

[LBC]

I have a pair of the iM-716's. Nice sound, got them for $75 a couple of years back, and wish I could use them again. The cable going into the housing started working intermittently on one side, then died. Poor design - too easy to bend cable at that location.

 

[radlux]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBC /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a pair of the iM-716's. Nice sound, got them for $75 a couple of years back, and wish I could use them again. The cable going into the housing started working intermittently on one side, then died. Poor design - too easy to bend cable at that location.

I dont know why earphone manufacturer's pay so little attention to the cables! Even a costly one such as the SE530s have this problem. My cables broke for the 2nd time. I dont treat them roughly at all

 

[elnero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by radlux /img/forum/go_quote.gif I dont know why earphone manufacturer's pay so little attention to the cables! Even a costly one such as the SE530s have this problem. My cables broke for the 2nd time. I dont treat them roughly at all

The cable issue was a big part of the reason I moved on from the E530's, my preference now is to get IEM's with detachable cables.

 

[abrizz]

I just wanted to hang on to this thread since I am in somewhat of a similar position. I am looking to get some earbuds with good noice reduction to use for commuting and for traveling by airplane. Since I have somewhat small ear canals aswell I have had reservations against this type of headphone before. But I have decided to give it another chance.

I have been browsing this forum and others trying to get a picture of what models to choose between. This thread has been a big help in particular but I do need some more help though.

Since I live in Sweden and prices here are somewhat different all posts about bang for bucks become somewhat difficult to analyze from my position. My budget is around the prices for the below mentioned earbuds which I have read could be good both in sound quality and comfort for small ear canals.
I also do not know about what kind of extras you get with the earbuds or if there are any big differences in supplied sizes of rubber tips. I guess this could affect comfort alot.

Etymotic Research ER-6i
This seems to be the bang for bucks choice of many people. They are somewhat cheaper then the alternatives but not significantly so. ca $120

Etymotic Research hf2
These seem to have been made for iphone use with a microphone but they should work on any normal 3.5mm jack right? Same price as the Jays ca $150

Jays q-Jays
Don't know alot about these, but read that they might be abit larger then the etymotics and might not be as good a choice for me sizewise. I think I would like the more stright design of the etymotics then to the jays variant. I haven't tried any like them though.

Now these three have almost the same price here in Sweden(about $120 - $150 with todays conversion rate), I do not know about sounds though so if you have any input on that I would be grateful. I listen mostly to singer songwriters, indie-rock, rock, audiobooks and some classical music etc. I do not listen to any hiphop or heavy metal though.

I have read that alot of people seem to like the Altec Lansing IM616's which seem to be a bargain. Except here in Sweden where they are not sold at all. I guess it is possible to order them from Amazon, but I have never ordered from there and find the page somewhat confusing in finding out if it is even possible to ship to here. Is Amazon even a store in itself or is it alot of different stores?
I don't know any online stores that I could order any of the above from that will ship to Sweden or what the cost would be. If you have any tips on that please do tell me.

Which of the ones stated above would you recommend or are there any other earbuds I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance for any tips or thoughts on my upcoming purchase.