Looking For A Pair of IEM's, Under $200, Fluid Bass, Noise Isolation Fit For An Airplane! Help me choose!
Mar 20, 2011 at 1:00 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 11

musiccraze

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New to posting on Head Fi, but have read many posts on this excellent website.
 
Here's my situation:
 
I am looking for a pair of IEM's that fits my criteria (as posted in title):
- <$200 
- Fluid Bass, Not loud bass like the Sennheiser IE8's
- Noise Isolation to Block Airplane Turbine Noise, Want to buy these headphones to try to block as much airplane turbine noise as possible
 
I have owned Sennheiser IE8's (loud bass, not fluid, otherwise excellent!), UE Triple Fi 10's (Don't fit my ears even with Comply foam), Etymotics ER-4PT's and hf5 (Both headphones give me the question,"Where's the bass?" Don't like Etymotics anymore, sorry).
 
Currently, I am using a pair of Klipsch S2's. Cheap, but they do the job right. Now looking for a replacement.
 
I have my eyes on couple pairs:
 
-Shure SE315's
-Klipsch X5's
-Munitio SITi S: Nine Millimeter Earphones
 
Any others recommendations or giving an opinion of one of the above would great! Thank you very much!
 
Mar 20, 2011 at 1:11 AM Post #2 of 11
 
Ignore this if isolation is your first priority.
RE-262 would fit your needs, except isolation. There is less mid bass hump and bass can go deep, yet remains soft. Isolation is extremely poor on these.
 
Apr 11, 2011 at 12:26 AM Post #3 of 11
Kinda bumping this since I was looking around for pretty much the exact same thing. Looking to get my first IEM and since I travel on business a lot the ability to block out jet turbine engines is number 1 on my priority list. Looking around it seems like there isn't much that isolates as well as the Etys, but are there other options that come pretty close and would be able to reach Ety-like isolation given the correct tips? I was considering the MC5, RE0, and Xcape. All sub 100 but I'd consider the 100-200 range as well.
 
Apr 12, 2011 at 10:59 AM Post #4 of 11
How about the Panasonic RP-HC55?  I used to have one, and apart from its catastrophic design, its pretty decent.  Its a noise cancelling earphone, and they are reasonably cheap ... I got mine for GBP 50.00.
 
Apr 12, 2011 at 12:21 PM Post #5 of 11
ortofon e-Q5 are fabulous IEMs.
They are priced a bit higher then 200 but I believe Dimtri from mUsica Acoustics still offering discounts to Headfi enthusiast
Also DBA02 or HJE900
 
Apr 22, 2011 at 4:21 AM Post #6 of 11
I fly back and forth to Europe on a fairly regular basis.  In the past 20 years, I've clocked in about 75 - 100 flights, and that's not counting the literally endless noisy train rides, airports and train stations I've had to either work or (ugh) spend the night in.  
 
You might think from this intro, that I have a lot of dough to throw around for audio gear.  Well, at one point that was certainly true.  A divorce and a couple of debilitating illnesses later, I'm on disability.  But when I had money, I chose what I wanted.
 
The IEMs I chose?  The Etymotic ER-4.
 
7 years and countless flights, airports, trains and train stations later, the IEMs I now use?
 
The Etymotic ER-4.
 
The IEMs I use when I'm bussing around town or hanging out in a noisy Wi-Fi environment and have to get some work done?  Or simply have to get some sleep and the Cubans are storming California and firing machine guns outside my tiny flat on the beach?
 
Well, you get the idea.
 
The ER-4 having no bass is really a misnomer - it's not totally true.  When I'm spending 15 straight hours in a tiny chair on a flying bus, I bring along my BSG CMoy amp, and using my S cable, suddenly the ER-4 is delivering pretty slamming bass.  
 
Is it an M50?  Well, no.  Not even close.
 
But the ER-4 delivers precise, utterly accurate, totally balanced sound that is forever nonfatiguing.  Hour after hour, dad after day, year after year.  I actually have the same pair I bought 7 years ago, and they're still kicking and sounding perfect literally thousands of hours later.  And when I had an issue with them, (I accidently cut my cable - don't ask...), Etymotic rewired the whole thing, put in new filters, added a totally upgraded cable, AND replaced BOTH transducers... for $50.  Even out of warranty.  And I had them back in my ears inside of a single week, to boot.
 
Oh, about your question...
 
You know how whatever you do, no matter how hard you try, even if you go in the bathroom and scream your head off, you just can't drown out that jet engine whine?  With the ER-4s in my ears, I'm listening to a soft symphony lilt and sweep, and I forget I'm even on a plane at all.  And with my BSG and some hot-out-of-Ibiza Vocal Trance, I'm booming away in an island club, instead of packed into a seat the size of a bicycle saddle, next to a snoring old man and a screaming baby.
 
Now, aren't they worth a second try?
 
 
 
Apr 22, 2011 at 6:06 AM Post #8 of 11
SE315's isolate extremely well - and are very comfortable.  They have good clean (not huge) bass and very good mids.  A bit lacking in upper treble though (they don't "sparkle").  They are more smooth than anything - that does tend to be Shure's signature from my experience though.
 
To qualify a bit further - I travel a lot of long distance (12hr flights) - and have been using the SE315's (they isolate well, and are comfortable enough to sleep with).
 
I'm now using SE425's - more expensive but better SQ IMO - but same excellent comfort and isolation.
 
I know a lot of people dismiss the Shure 315/425 (recommend alternatives) - and there are better iem's out there for SQ at better pricing.  But factoring isolation and comfort as well - these are 'up there' and worth considering.
 
Apr 22, 2011 at 6:11 AM Post #9 of 11
Is the 315 or 425 better, in your opinion, than the ER-4?  If so, can you describe?  I'm always up for improving... though so far, I've not found anything yet better.  They are an old design however, and I keep hoping Etymotic will do something new.
 
Apr 22, 2011 at 6:25 AM Post #10 of 11


Quote:
Is the 315 or 425 better, in your opinion, than the ER-4?  If so, can you describe?  I'm always up for improving... though so far, I've not found anything yet better.  They are an old design however, and I keep hoping Etymotic will do something new.

 
Hi Kouzelna
I honestly couldn't tell you as I've never tried any Etys - and i wouldn't like to guess - or requote on what anyone else has written (there seems to be far too much of that on head-fi at times).  I've always been a fan of the Shure sound - started with SE102's, then SE420's, SSE315's when my 420's were sent back for broken cable - and now the 425's (the great people at Now Sound in NZ replaced my 420's with 425's - another step up IMHO).
 
The 425's are definitely better than the 315's (to my ears) - just more laid back and neutral.  The 315's I found were a bit more forward (particularly in the mids).  The 425's are just all around smoother.  Both do have a treble roll-off though.  So they are good for clarity - but just don't have that high end sparkle that a lot of people like.
 
I'm thinking of doing a comparison head-to-head 315 vs 425 thread (as there doesn't seem to be one on head-fi).
 
Going back to your original query - maybe the best way to get an answer would be to start a new thread - specify that you're looking for IEM's - and rank the importance of what you are looking for - eg:
Isolation // Comfort // Durability // SQ // Signature (bass vs mids vs highs)
Hopefully someone may have heard both the Etys and Shures and give you the advice that I could only guess at.
 
Good luck.
 
Apr 22, 2011 at 1:49 PM Post #11 of 11
Right on.  I remember, I think it was, right after I bought the Etys and there was an awesome article somewhere comparing them to the W3 and the 315, and all in all I was very glad for my purchase as they said the Etys were by far the most linear and neutral, (though the writer picked the Westones, saying all were great though).  I'd be very interested in hearing the 425.
 
There are some awesome ones out there, but they are $1000+ and for me that's just crazy for IEMs.  Mine really take a beating, and if something ever happened, they are now only <$200 to replace.  :D  Plus, Etymotic has just been a great company to me.
 
 
 

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