[Rewkie]

I seem to have lost my atrio MG7s somehow, so I'll be needing some new IEMs.  I listen mostly to old standards, but I enjoy a wide range of genres. (pop, rap, doom metal, folk rock, and sometimes electronic)  Good isolation is a must have for me, most of my listening with these will be done in loud environments.  A low form factor would be nice as well (IE80s) so i could sleep in them, but sound and isolation are the #1 priorities, followed by value at #2, then durability at 3, comfort at 4, and then maybe a low form factor at 5.
 
So far I've looked into IE80s, Fidelio S1s, and ER4-XRs.  My budget would definitely max out at $350 (where the ER4-XRs are), but I'm really looking for the best value here.  If I can get a $100 pair of IEMs that would far out-value the IE80s or ER4s, I'd get that instead.  But if it would be better for me to just go for the long-term investment with the IE80s/ER4s (or similarly priced IEMS) I'll go that rout. (hopefully I won't lose them this time around)
 
I've looked into the other ER4s as well, but I don't think I'd like them very much.  I've heard too many bad things about the lack of any oomf in the low end.
 
Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[PinkyPowers]

My first recommendation in this price range, and with the signature you seek, is always the Audio Technica ATH-IM03. Yes, they are now discontinued, but screw that noise. They are amazing, and one of my absolute favorites. Compares very well against my TOTL IEMs/CIEMs.

If you buy used, you can get a very decent bargain sometimes. I know one Head-Fi member who's selling his now. I bet you could talk him down some on the price, too.

Other great options:
FLC8s
Earsonics SM64

If you are interested, here's my review of the IM03:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-ath-im03-sonicpro-balanced-in-ear-monitor-headphones/reviews/15539

 

[tz0531]

The Philips Fidelio S1 and S2 have poor isolation, so I would not recommend them. My favorite bang for the buck IEM is the VSonic GR07 Bass Edition, definitely check them out.

 

[Rewkie]

I can get IE80s used-very good for 160 on amazon from amazon's warehouse, and I have prime so the shipping will be free and fast.  Thinking that's the best option for me.  Will look more into the GR07s, IM03s, and the RHA T20s before I make my decision though, which will likely be sometime tomorrow. 
 
Also, I'll probably just be using my Note 7 and spotify premium for a source.  Not really looking to buy a seperate player or anything, so something being picky on what source it's provided may end up being a problem for me.
 
In the meantime, any other suggestions would be great.
 
Edit - Just gonna get the IE80s for now, I've heard bad things about the isolation, but I can always return them if they aren't good enough.

 

[Rewkie]

Got the ie80s in today, been A-B testing with my VModa M100s for a bit now, the IE80s sound muddy and inaccurate by comparison.  I knew they would sound somewhat inaccurate, but I was expecting a bit better, especially from the vocals.  The bass is definitely "better" than the M100s (there's more of it, and it's a lot more punchy, but not as detailed it would seem), but the vocals (to be honest everything is on busier tracks) are just getting somewhat drowned out by everything else and end up sounding inaccurate in most of the songs i'm testing it with.  
 
Any other suggestions for IEMs, just in case I decide to return these (looking pretty likely, I probably just didn't do enough research, but I was confident they would sound more precise than this)?  I've been looking pretty hard at the RHA T20s as I've heard they are pretty similar to the M100s, which I have and like quite a bit.  
 
Also looking into just biting the bullet and getting ER4-PTs (would love to look into getting the XRs, but the PTs cost $120 less, doesn't look worth it to me, but maybe i'm wrong there) as the only bad thing i've heard about them is the lack of bass, and after my poor experience with IE80s i'm starting to think that for IEMs in this price range that may not be a bad thing. I've also heard very good things about the vocals in the ER4s, which is pretty important to me.  
 
Also still trying to look into the IM03s, but from what I can tell they were the least popular of the already somewhat unpopular (and discontinued) series, so it's a bit hard to find reviews on them and such.  Not that I don't trust the review posted above, but the people on Head-Fi tend to fantasize a bit about things, such as cables making massive differences, etc. so i've become a bit skeptical.  Although I did hear the IM03s and IM02s were similar, and that the IM02s had very good vocals.  
 
Again, I've tested them for like 2 hours so far, so my opinion will definitely change some, but so far I'm not impressed by anything but the punchiness and amount of the bass.

 

[PinkyPowers]

That sounds in line with what many Head-fi'er say about the IE80. They've lost a lot of popularity in recent years.

The FLC8s is quite popular right now, and with the right tuning, you should be able to find the right sound for you.