[nyjets28]

I'm looking for a pair of comfortable IEM's as I'll be letting my PFE's go. I really like the sound from the PFE, but the over ear placement for these in particular just wasn't very comfortable. However, when I used the westone UM1's it didn't bother me that it was over the ear. maybe something with the wire of the pfe. i don't like the ear guides at all.

Well anyways, I would prefer something with a bit of kick in the low end. My source would be either fuze paired with caffeine amp or emu 0404 usb from my pc. I've seen a lot of recommendations for the fx500 and denon c710. But i wonder how comfortable they are. I've had the denon c551 before but they didn't even last a week with me because I thought they weren't comfortable at all.

i've seen some reviews about the westone 1, and am very curious about them. One thing I noticed about the um1 was the lack of bass, especially when compared to my pfe's. However, at that time, I didn't have my caffeine amp (which I think adds plenty of bass). So i'm wondering if the westone 1 might be a good one to check out.

O and in case you didn't read the thread title, my budget would be $200.

Thanks in advance!

 

[tstarn06]

Not sure you will like the 710s if you thought the 551s were uncomfortable.

I'd say at that price, the Westone 1s are a very attractive option, since they are less than $200. With an amp, they should sounds excellent, based on the early reviews (I had the W3 and now have the UM3X). The UM3X are very comfy, like the UM1s, so I expect the W1s are as well.

 

[mp3]

Phiaton PS200 can be found for $200

 

[nyjets28]

tstarn: thanks, i thought the c710 would be pretty similar to the 551 in terms of comfort, but just wanted to be sure.

mp3: just from the look of things the phiaton doesn't look too comfortable

 

[mp3]

The PS200's may not look comfortable, but they are, at least to me.

 

[ZARIM]

JVC FX500 are comfy they has great bass extention and shows lots of details in music.

 

[Bilavideo]

Honestly, if I were you - and knowing what I know now - I'd buy a pair of TWFK drivers ($104/pair through Mouser), solder them onto replacement cable ($20-$40) and pop them into the tip of your choice. The TWFK is a dual woofer/tweeter with an amazingly flat response. If you want more bass, you could always add an additional driver, but you may be surprised at how responsive the TWFK will be to your needs.

 

[nyjets28]

would the um2's be a significant upgrade over the pfe?

obviously this would be going over the $200 budget that i was initially thinking about. but i was thinking maybe if i wait and scour the fs/ft forums, i might be able to find a someone unloading their um2 for much less than the retail $300 price tag.

would their be many more options if i stretched the budget to $250??

 

[nyjets28]

i just found out that thru live.com (now bing) i can get 8% cashback from earphonesolutions. so that plus a labor day coupon (10% off) gets me the um2 for just $248 shipped. please if anyone can advise me ASAP - is this worth it?

 

[tstarn06]

Can't say, never owned the UM2. But most like them, search for them here and see what you find.

 

[Sixteh]

I've been using the UM2 for over a month and have been very satisfied with this. The bass presence is certainly there--I care more for the mid-bass (electric bass guitars and such) but I definitely like the lower bass. About as powerful as my Razer m100's (which I think are rebranded EP630's) in terms of impact, but more detailed. With much better detail, soundstage, and comfort.

Got my UM2's used ($150)...I even saw someone selling one a week or 2 ago here for $120-130 or so.

 

[nyjets28]

thanks sixteh...yeah i've found out since i posted yesterday that you can often get a pair of used um2 here on fs/ft for <$200. hopefully i can find one.