[yonyz]

Hi,
 
I had an AHT M50 that I liked for movies but sold cause they are heavy and hurt my head really bad. 
I also enjoyed listening to music with them, but movies were really nice, dialogues were finally audible compared to my Creative T20 speakers.
 
So I wonder if it's a bad idea to get IEMs for movies (in addition to music during bus commutes ; currently I use iPhone EarBuds for that) and in general. 
 
Specifically, I wonder if ~100 dollars IEMs are comparable to ~100 dollars full size headphones like the M50 or others.
I am not talking about the signature, that I don't care much about, though I do think I like neutral sound.
 
Thanks.

 

[NA Blur]

I really like the Brainwavz M2 with a set of Comply T-400 foam tips.  I use the medium sized tips and the comfort and isolation is excellent.  I am listening to them right now and after you become accustomed to their sound signature you will realize just how great they sound.  The build quality is extremely high for an IEM often found for under $80.  I have snagged mine several times at work and they keep on taking abuse.
 
My only gripe about them is that they do not adequately label the left and right earpiece, but I used some red fingernail polish to label the right one and no longer have the complaint.
 
Here are the charts for them:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BrainwavzM2.pdf
 
They are $60 at amazon right now which I think is a great deal.  The Comply T-400 foam tips will run you around $15 for 3-pairs + shipping.  In total the cost is under $100.

 

[yonyz]

Hi and thanks for the suggestion.
Eventually I decided to buy the Noontec Zoro (a fake Beats Solo that are made of cheaper materials but sound better. Also half the price).
They are not big, and look like I can put them in my messenger bag, which is great. Open headphones like the AD700 don't even fold so I had to compromise. I got them for 65 USD + 8 USD for shipping. I hope I won't be disappointed because I had the more expensive ATH M50.
 
Thanks again.

 

[NA Blur]

I feel that the Noontec Zoro is not as neutral nor as immune to distortion as the M50, but I hope you like them.  I did find the Philips Cityscape Downtown to be an excellent by with the exception of a smaller soundstage and not as much treble as the M50.  The Downtown is sounds great for a $60 and under headphone and I would even put it up against $150 headphones.  For an on-ear the Downtown remains quite comfortable and well built.

 

[yonyz]

The Downtown look gorgeous, but the InnerFidelity review says the Zoro has a better balanced sound than these three: CAL!, Beats Solo and Downtown.
The Zoro look not as sleek as the Downtown, but definitely smaller.

 

[Paneristi]

I've read that the Downtowns are indeed good. I couldn't find experts reviews on the Uptowns though. Any thoughts/opinions on the Uptowns albeit not an On-ear phones. Many thanks.