looking for a good IEM under 200$ that fits my needs
Jul 17, 2013 at 3:57 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 10
zombie medic

zombie medic

Head-Fier
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Posts
62
Likes
10
hey hey hey people!
i am in desperate need of a portable IEM under 200$. iv been using my bulky mdr v6 for portable endeavors for far to long! ill give you guys my music preferences so you'll have an idea what might work for me. to name a few i listen to rock,heavy metal, just about any electronic based music from ambient to dub step to everything els electronic, trip hop, screamo, alt metal. so basically alot of rock and electronic based stuff here with a little rap and hiphop on the side. i need them to be comfortable and very portable. i want something that does NOT need a exsternal amp what so ever. ill be using these basically on the move/outside the house. ill be using these with my iphone. so far iv been thinking of the senn IE 8 but im not really sure because iv never really paid much attention to IEM's until now.
 
thank you guys very much in advance!
 
Jul 19, 2013 at 2:56 PM Post #3 of 10
You'd probably want something that ranges from a balanced signature to a deeper, v-shaped one.  Balanced has a slight v-shape to it.  Essentially, it has more prominent lows and highs (bass and treble) with the midrange dropping anywhere from slightly (or even unnoticeable) to a bit.  Please note that your personal sound preferences will also play a huge roll in how you like a pair of headphones.  If you have a sound preference, please do let us know :wink:
 
Most IEMs do not need an external amp to work well, although some do improve with them, so you don't have to worry about that.  Here are a few suggestions:
  1. Phonak PFE1xx** - adjustable sound, neutral or balanced.  You can also get a bassier sound with the green filters (sold separately).
  2. V-Moda Vibrato* - balanced sound.  Has some weight to the zinc housings, secure fit if worn over the ear with deep insertion.  If you insert them properly, they should stay relatively secure when wearing them down as well.
  3. ThinkSound TS02** - v-shaped sound.  Good comfort and overall value.
  4. ThinkSound MS01 - balanced sound (slightly bassy).  Good comfort and overall value
  5. Brainwavz M3 - warmer sound.  Good comfort overall, great value for the money. 
  6. NuForce NE700** - Warm, bassy sound.  Good comfort and value.
 
If you are looking for a different type of sound (not balanced or v-shaped), please do let us know.  I've compiled a small list above.  If you want to know more about any of the above models, don't hesitate to ask.  Do keep researching though.  Also, I'm not sure what you are using to run the headphones.  The double star (**) means there are mic'd (with remote) and un-mic'd (audio only) models available, the single star (*) means there is only a mic'd (with remote) model available, and no star means it only comes with an audio only cable. 
 
Jul 19, 2013 at 3:41 PM Post #5 of 10
Quote:
tinyman392 said:
You'd probably want something that ranges from a balanced signature to a deeper, v-shaped one.  Balanced has a slight v-shape to it.  Essentially, it has more prominent lows and highs (bass and treble) with the midrange dropping anywhere from slightly (or even unnoticeable) to a bit.  Please note that your personal sound preferences will also play a huge roll in how you like a pair of headphones.  If you have a sound preference, please do let us know :wink:
 
Most IEMs do not need an external amp to work well, although some do improve with them, so you don't have to worry about that.  Here are a few suggestions:
  1. Phonak PFE1xx** - adjustable sound, neutral or balanced.  You can also get a bassier sound with the green filters (sold separately).
  2. V-Moda Vibrato* - balanced sound.  Has some weight to the zinc housings, secure fit if worn over the ear with deep insertion.  If you insert them properly, they should stay relatively secure when wearing them down as well.
  3. ThinkSound TS02** - v-shaped sound.  Good comfort and overall value.
  4. ThinkSound MS01 - balanced sound (slightly bassy).  Good comfort and overall value
  5. Brainwavz M3 - warmer sound.  Good comfort overall, great value for the money. 
  6. NuForce NE700** - Warm, bassy sound.  Good comfort and value.
 
If you are looking for a different type of sound (not balanced or v-shaped), please do let us know.  I've compiled a small list above.  If you want to know more about any of the above models, don't hesitate to ask.  Do keep researching though.  Also, I'm not sure what you are using to run the headphones.  The double star (**) means there are mic'd (with remote) and un-mic'd (audio only) models available, the single star (*) means there is only a mic'd (with remote) model available, and no star means it only comes with an audio only cable. 
Click to expand...

thank you for your help. I was in fact looking for a v shaped sound signature with IEM's but since i have little to no experience with IEM's i didnt realy know where to start. 
 
Jul 19, 2013 at 6:16 PM Post #7 of 10
iv been doing some research on the tf10 and iv heard people say that build quality isn't really that good and the cables are pretty bad. they also said that if you have small ear canals that its just not worth it because it just wont fit. This sort of turned me off of the tf10 because I'm not really sure if my ear canal is small or not. I don't really feel i wanna take that chance. I'm still thinking about the senn IE8 and yes i know the it is out of my price range however i found it for 200 dollars so this might be a good alternative. what is the sound signiture of the ie8 like? iv heard it leans more to bass. iv also been thinking about the cheaper thinksound TS02 but im not sure.
 
Jul 19, 2013 at 6:24 PM Post #8 of 10
Quote:
zombie medic said:
iv been doing some research on the tf10 and iv heard people say that build quality isn't really that good and the cables are pretty bad. they also said that if you have small ear canals that its just not worth it because it just wont fit. This sort of turned me off of the tf10 because I'm not really sure if my ear canal is small or not. I don't really feel i wanna take that chance. I'm still thinking about the senn IE8 and yes i know the it is out of my price range however i found it for 200 dollars so this might be a good alternative. what is the sound signiture of the ie8 like? iv heard it leans more to bass. iv also been thinking about the cheaper thinksound TS02 but im not sure.
Click to expand...

Well that is the thing with the tf10 IF they fit in your ears thety are pretty much unbeatable for the price. however alot do have fit issues, personally i never had any issues with fit. cable imo isnt ''bad'' its not a upgrade cable. but its not bad imo
 
Jul 20, 2013 at 7:06 PM Post #9 of 10
Definitely check out joker's thread on IEMs first.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-289-iems-compared-t-peos-h-100-added-07-14-13-p-730
 
Personally, I dig my TF10s. Its hard to top that sound for under $200, although some other's that come to mind that you may like are the Vsonic GR07, TDK BA200, and JVC FXT90. Out of those, the 90s are most like the TF10s IMO. They're also about $100 cheaper.
 
Jul 21, 2013 at 12:20 AM Post #10 of 10
Quote:
zombie medic said:
iv been doing some research on the tf10 and iv heard people say that build quality isn't really that good and the cables are pretty bad. they also said that if you have small ear canals that its just not worth it because it just wont fit. This sort of turned me off of the tf10 because I'm not really sure if my ear canal is small or not. I don't really feel i wanna take that chance. I'm still thinking about the senn IE8 and yes i know the it is out of my price range however i found it for 200 dollars so this might be a good alternative. what is the sound signiture of the ie8 like? iv heard it leans more to bass. iv also been thinking about the cheaper thinksound TS02 but im not sure.
Click to expand...

 
I've had the TF10 for over 2 years and the build quality is very good IMO. The cables on the other hand, will break on you after some period of time. This is fixed with a Westone style custom cable (pins need to be filed down to fit TF10) for ~40$. 
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top