Looking for IEM ~100$ Neutral to Warm

[Mat Lcq]

Hi guys,
 
I'm looking for quality In-Ear earphones for a nomad life.
 
- My budget is around 100$ (or 100€).
- My sources would either be a computer or a cellphone.
- I like neutral to warm signature, with a good balance between frequencies. I'm not much of a bass lover though. I like when you can clearly hear instrument and voice, without saturation.
- Here is a sample of the kind of music I listen to:
    ~ London Grammar: Hey Now
    ~ James BLake: Retrograde
    ~ Dire Straits: Telegraph Road
    ~ Jeff Beck: Emotion & Commotion

More generally it's mostly 80's pshychedelic/symphonic rock (Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, Deep Purple) and today's cosy electronic or deep voices music.

I must admit that the only IEM's I ever had was Shure SE110 or SE210, back in 2008, and I paid something near 100€ for them. They got stolen from me 4 months later, and since it was a big financial commitment at the time, I kind of decided that I would never pay so much for IEM's ever again. Times change...

Thanks a lot for any help in that regard,
 
Mathias

 

[Moys]

http://theheadphonelist.com/earphone-buyers-guide/
 
I think the over 100$ ones in *Warm and smooth* would fit your criterias. Going for the rha ma750 myself since I'm looking for something close to what you are.

 

[proedros]

re-600

 

[Mat Lcq]

Thanks Moys for pointing me to that list, very instructive. I've read a lot of it, also in the comments.

So far, I came up with a list of possible options:
- RHA MA750
- JVC HA-FXT90
- Shure SE215
- Sennheiser Momentum
- 1MORE Triple Driver
- VSonic GR07

The RHA seems to be a good value but I wonder how they will sound with prominent female voices (London Grammar, Diana Krall, Melodie Gardot, ...). Not too much bass?



 

 

[Moys]

From what I've read it's not bassy iems, but rather detailed, with a great soundstage and vocals ( that's what I believe it's about, and what got me interested ). So it should be perfect for you. It's also really sturdy compared to the momentums for example.

 

[Moys]

There is also this one that can't go wrong: http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/yamaha-eph-100/
Good comfort, really good sound quality and versability.
 
I'd advise these to you firstly but unfortunately they are at 130€ in the us, while here in france they are below 100€.
 
I think they both are really good and it should be up to your tastes.

 

[buke9]

You might look at Havi B3 Pro's very neutral to me likes a bit of power but is fine out out iPhone 6s Plus.

 

[harry501501]

  There is also this one that can't go wrong: http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/yamaha-eph-100/
Good comfort, really good sound quality and versability.
 
I'd advise these to you firstly but unfortunately they are at 130€ in the us, while here in france they are below 100€.
 
I think they both are really good and it should be up to your tastes.

Have you heard both the M750s and Yamaha EPH-100?

 

[harry501501]

  Hi guys,
 
I'm looking for quality In-Ear earphones for a nomad life.
 
- My budget is around 100$ (or 100€).
- My sources would either be a computer or a cellphone.
- I like neutral to warm signature, with a good balance between frequencies. I'm not much of a bass lover though. I like when you can clearly hear instrument and voice, without saturation.
- Here is a sample of the kind of music I listen to:
    ~ London Grammar: Hey Now
    ~ James BLake: Retrograde
    ~ Dire Straits: Telegraph Road
    ~ Jeff Beck: Emotion & Commotion

More generally it's mostly 80's pshychedelic/symphonic rock (Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, Deep Purple) and today's cosy electronic or deep voices music.

I must admit that the only IEM's I ever had was Shure SE110 or SE210, back in 2008, and I paid something near 100€ for them. They got stolen from me 4 months later, and since it was a big financial commitment at the time, I kind of decided that I would never pay so much for IEM's ever again. Times change...

Thanks a lot for any help in that regard,
 
Mathias

Is it a brand name you are after? There are LOTS of good budget sets that may suit your tastes?
 
the M750 is a quality product, but it is very V shaped. bass can be huge, def not neutral and treble can be hot. The mids are detailed enough but can sound slightly recessed. It's got a huge soundstage, musical and build wise it's beautiful. Might not be suited to your tastes.
 
The Yamaha EPH-100 has a very narrow soundstage, but has good depth. It actually sounds a bit like the M750. It's detailed but it's far from beign warm or smooth, in fact it's very analytical with more emphasis on upper mids and treble. Bass is super tight though and sounds great. Again, might not be what you are after.
 
The Havi B3 Pro is probably very suited to your sound preference and I'd second that. BUT I doubt your cell phone or computer could do it justice without an AMP or DAC. It needs a lot of power to sound it's best and you MAY end up turning the volume up very high.
 
Possibly the Trinity Audio Deltas might suit you. They have seven filters that tailor the sound, so some tame the bass to make it sound more neutrasl, incerase it, same with treble, etc.
 
https://trinity-audio-engineering.myshopify.com/products/trinity-delta
 
Again, there are a lot of budget sets i could recommend, it may be though that their build and aesthetics would match a more premium costing product, but that's not to say they are bad. Something like the VJJB K4S to my ears matches the RHA M750 for example. Paying more doesn't always mean better.

 

[Mat Lcq]

Thanks for your answer guys
 
Quote:

  Is it a brand name you are after? There are LOTS of good budget sets that may suit your tastes?

No, I'm not really after a brand name, but definitely after long lasting quality. And for neophyte like me, it's easier to trust a renowned brand than a new one. Because there's usually more reviews about their products.
For instance, the 3 years warranty on the MA750 is quite appealing.
But if you think about a particular IEM that you think would suit my tastes and has a good build quality, please tell me.
For example, you're speaking about those IEMs right?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Original-VJJB-K4-Wooden-Bass-In-Ear-Headphone-Cherry-Ebony-Earbuds-DIY-Magic-Sound-Headset/32619986723.html

So would it be maybe a better approach to first buy a cheaper one like that to have a reference for further comparison?
Do you own them personally? How do they compare with, let's say, the RHA one's or GR07 (since everyone seems to have those last ones).
 

  Have you heard both the M750s and Yamaha EPH-100?

 

  There is also this one that can't go wrong: http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/yamaha-eph-100/
Good comfort, really good sound quality and versability.
 
I'd advise these to you firstly but unfortunately they are at 130€ in the us, while here in france they are below 100€.
 
I think they both are really good and it should be up to your tastes.

 
I guess you're referring to MA750 harry? For the EPH-100 yes I read about it, it's part of the list Moys linked me to (The headphone list).
But unfortunately I can't get a hand on a pair. I'm momentarily living in Canada and they have a very poor choice, or prices are retarder high.

So I think I'm going to select a few model based on your advices and go for the easier/cheaper to get. Because at the end, I'm the only one who can decide if it suits my tastes, unfortunately :/
I might just pay attention to the return policy of the selling platform, in case I really don't like them.

List:
1) RHA MA750 ~140CAD on https://www.amazon.ca/RHA-MA750-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B00ELAM8LE
2) Trinity Delta Hybrid ~105CAD on https://trinity-audio-engineering.myshopify.com/products/trinity-delta
3) VSonic GR07 Bass Edition ~140CAD on http://www.lendmeurears.com/gr07-bass/
4) 1MORE Triple Driver ~150CAD on https://www.amazon.ca/1MORE-Triple-Driver-Headphones-Microphone/dp/B01A7G35S0
5) Yamaha EPH-100 ~190CAD on http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA8X036X7410
6) Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear ~120CAD on https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-Momentum-Headphones-Galaxy-Chrome/dp/B013WQINNE


Thanks again for your help, much appreciate it.
Mathias
 

 

[harry501501]

 
No, I'm not really after a brand name, but definitely after long lasting quality. And for neophyte like me, it's easier to trust a renowned brand than a new one. Because there's usually more reviews about their products.
For instance, the 3 years warranty on the MA750 is quite appealing.
But if you think about a particular IEM that you think would suit my tastes and has a good build quality, please tell me.
For example, you're speaking about those IEMs right?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Original-VJJB-K4-Wooden-Bass-In-Ear-Headphone-Cherry-Ebony-Earbuds-DIY-Magic-Sound-Headset/32619986723.html

So would it be maybe a better approach to first buy a cheaper one like that to have a reference for further comparison?
Do you own them personally? How do they compare with, let's say, the RHA one's or GR07 (since everyone seems to have those last ones).
 
 
 
I guess you're referring to MA750 harry? For the EPH-100 yes I read about it, it's part of the list Moys linked me to (The headphone list).
But unfortunately I can't get a hand on a pair. I'm momentarily living in Canada and they have a very poor choice, or prices are retarder high.

So I think I'm going to select a few model based on your advices and go for the easier/cheaper to get. Because at the end, I'm the only one who can decide if it suits my tastes, unfortunately :/
I might just pay attention to the return policy of the selling platform, in case I really don't like them.

List:
1) RHA MA750 ~140CAD on https://www.amazon.ca/RHA-MA750-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B00ELAM8LE
2) Trinity Delta Hybrid ~105CAD on https://trinity-audio-engineering.myshopify.com/products/trinity-delta
3) VSonic GR07 Bass Edition ~140CAD on http://www.lendmeurears.com/gr07-bass/
4) 1MORE Triple Driver ~150CAD on https://www.amazon.ca/1MORE-Triple-Driver-Headphones-Microphone/dp/B01A7G35S0
5) Yamaha EPH-100 ~190CAD on http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA8X036X7410
6) Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear ~120CAD on https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-Momentum-Headphones-Galaxy-Chrome/dp/B013WQINNE


Thanks again for your help, much appreciate it.
Mathias
 

Just to be sure, you are after a smooth sound, not too bassy, with good clarity in mids and highs? How clear do you like treble, bright for instance? the Shures you had are notorious for a VERY smooth laid back sound, how similar a sound are you after in comparison?

 

[harry501501]

In regards to the cheaper models like the VJJB K4S, they have above average sound quality. For your sound pref they could be perfect. there's nothing wrong with buying a cheaper set, there are lots of little budget gems out there. I used to buy mainly bigger brand names too, but you can have a lot of fun buying the cheaper models and there are a few excellent threads that provide a lot of info on cheaper brands.
 
Vsonic Gr07 are known to be very hot in the treble, i haven't heard them though... but it is a common description on many reviews. Sibilance is meant to be quite fatiguing. there are a pair of IEMs called Vivo EX800 that use the exact same driver as the Gr07 and apparently sounds the same, it is around $20.
 
The M750s are quite bassy, very V shaped.
 
1more TD - I've read from a few posts that they are excellent but vocals are slightly pulled back in the mix, might not suit you.
 
Yamaha EPH100 - Fatiguing highs, very sharp at times. Extremely clear, very narrow soundstage, but deep.

 

[harry501501]

I'm from UK and recently bought these for example.
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222313990364?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
Build wise they are solid enough, they aren't the prettiest but they fit well. They have some of the best sound I've heard yet and I haven't been able to put them down. It's so well balanced and vocals are euphoric, lots of detail. It proves that unknown brands and cheaper Asian sets can rival the best for sound quality.

 

[Raketen]

Thanks Moys for pointing me to that list, very instructive. I've read a lot of it, also in the comments.


So far, I came up with a list of possible options:
- RHA MA750
- JVC HA-FXT90
- Shure SE215
- Sennheiser Momentum
- 1MORE Triple Driver
- VSonic GR07


The RHA seems to be a good value but I wonder how they will sound with prominent female voices (London Grammar, Diana Krall, Melodie Gardot, ...). Not too much bass?

FXT90 are neither neutral nor warm (are very good though).
I haven't heard a lot at this price, but my favorites for what I consider warm-neutral is Zero Audio Carbo Tenore, usually $35-$45 usd, with the caveat that they have a reputation for not the longest-lasting build quality.

 

[Mat Lcq]

  Just to be sure, you are after a smooth sound, not too bassy, with good clarity in mids and highs? How clear do you like treble, bright for instance? the Shures you had are notorious for a VERY smooth laid back sound, how similar a sound are you after in comparison?

That's exactly how I would have described what I think are my tastes! I don't really know how to answer your other questions, because it's been too much time since I had these Shures. I just remember that the feel after the upgrade from a cellphone pair was astonishing. If I had to try to describe my taste for the treble it would be clear, but still blend, part of the whole. Haha I know it might sound stupid but I lack references and vocabulary

Anyway, I think I made up my mind for the Trinity Delta Hybrid AND the VJJB.
The first one because I like the idea of the different filters: it's going to help me identify my tastes.
The second one because it's not that much more money and I will have a second reference, + I want to give a shot to those cheap Asian sets, I might get surprised.

Thank you very much for your answers. It was really helpful.