[kosov]

She heard my triplefi 10vis and was blown away with the trance, so i want to buy her a pair comparable to those. Problem is that she has tiny ear canals, and most headphones fall right out, and the seal can never be met. The triplefis are quite large though so i can't get her those.

I was looking at the etymotics hf2 but heard the build quality is ****ty, so pass on that. Also considering the RE0, with small buds ofc, or comply foam (those sealed well with the triplefi 10s).

what do you guys think? I need something with nice bass (for trance), the mids have to be nice also.

Question: do you think the etymotic rubber buds will be good for small ear canals?

thanks in advance.

 

[semisight]

Maybe the thinksound Thunder? According to joker they're similar to the well regarded Klipsch S4 but a better value, and he's a pretty solid reviewer.

Also, the Rain (the higher end model) might be something to consider. Neither will sound anything like the TF10 though. Avoid the RE0, the bass probably won't be big enough compared to the TF10.

 

[kosov]

Thanks for the prompt reply.
I was looking around for the last hour and I've been comparing the superfi 5 pro to my tf10.. I do know that they won't compare too well, but she's been listening to music through the stocked ipod phones, so I think she may appreciate the sf 5 pros quite a bit. The size, i thought, may be an issue, but with the compyfoams, it may be almost perfect. I also love that the cable is detachable. that's a major plus.

I would get her the tf5 pros but i think it's too early in the game for her. she probablty won't notice a difference at all (sf5pro vs tf10)

 

[intoflatlines]

SF5 Pro is still very large. I bought my GF (who has very small ear canals) a pair of SF3 Studio and they won't fit. Now she's happy using my old Shure SE210 and SE310, which fit very well in her ears.

 

[Zalithian]

Nuforce NE-6 may be a good choice. I've owned the 7 and it was good for the price, although T-400's were required for the best sound.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kosov /img/forum/go_quote.gif She heard my triplefi 10vis and was blown away with the trance, so i want to buy her a pair comparable to those. Problem is that she has tiny ear canals, and most headphones fall right out, and the seal can never be met. The triplefis are quite large though so i can't get her those. I was looking at the etymotics hf2 but heard the build quality is ****ty, so pass on that. Also considering the RE0, with small buds ofc, or comply foam (those sealed well with the triplefi 10s). what do you guys think? I need something with nice bass (for trance), the mids have to be nice also. Question: do you think the etymotic rubber buds will be good for small ear canals? thanks in advance.

I'd recommend the Klipsch Image X10, if you can spring for it. It is supremely comfortable, and sounds great. It has excellent bass response and mids--good treble, too, but not the most extended up there.

The Image X10 is physically tiny, too, so should work with your girlfriend's small ears. I use the standard single-flange clear tip that you'll see on it in most of the photos of the Image X10, and it provides good isolation (but not as much isolation for me as, say, an ER-4S). And, because of its unique oval cross-section (and probably also the material used on that single-flange eartip), it's the most comfortable universal-fit IEM (in terms of how it feels in the canal) that I've yet worn.

 

[kosov]

Thanks for the input.
I have been looking at the Nuforce NE-7M, and the feedback is very amazing. Thing is, I am wondering how durable they are and how easy it would be to replace the wire if it ever broke... easy? Difficult?

The x10 have been on my mind for a while also but i think they are going to fall out of her ears because of the stress relief. Looks like a pull or two will cause them to fall right out. Am I wrong?


As of this moment, I'm debating on either the Nuforce NE-7M, the triplefi10s, or the superfi5pro. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

 

[dfrost]

NuForce is known to have a very good warranty and excellent customer service. There are several reports around this forum attesting to quick replacements when there have been problems.

I've been using my NE-7Ms several times/day for the last four months, in and out of the small supplied case and my pants pocket each time, and they're holding up just fine. (The case needed a minor duct tape fix, however.)

I get the best, most involving sound with Comply T400 tips, which are slower to insert but extremely comfortable. Headphone Addict likes the Shure E2C silicon tips just as well on NE-7Ms, but I find those give a mildly too-bright and sort of "hollow" sound. Reversing the Comply tips (putting them on backwards with the core outwards) opens up the mids and highs for me, and might also expand the soundstage a bit.

Downside to Comply tips is that they get dirty in a few weeks (clean in hydrogen peroxide), and eventually wear out. The reversed tip method seems to wear them out faster (foam separates from core). Oh well...

 

[big_sound]

What about westone 1's? They are a great beginner's monitor and are light and comfortable.

 

[tstarn06]

Check out the Klipsch S2s, which a couple of HFers love, for the price $49. Excellent entry level, and sturdier than X10. My wife had the S4s for a time (now using ADDIEM with her iPod Touch), and she liked them a lot. But S2s are comfy (same tips as X10) from reviews and also sound very good, according to those who have reviewed/reported on them here.

 

[ZARIM]

Try Head-Direct RE252, it has large soundstage and deep bass with great details like RE0. Sony EX500 or EX700 are good little IEMs they shows details in mids with large soundstage and BTW CK10 are amazing too..........

 

[tstarn06]

RE252 can't compete with CK10s for overall sound, and the 252 design is not good (I owned them). Plus, where did you get the idea 252s have deep bass (they don't)? I think $199 is over his budget (cost of CK10s).

 

[kosov]

Thanks a lot, guys, you've been too helpful.
After two days of thorough research, I contemplated on getting the tf10, sf5, RE0, x10, and hf2. In the end, I decided to get the NuForce NE7M. The microphone incorporation is a plus, but the lack of detachable wires is a little disappointing.

I didn't go for the others because the UE were a little too large for her ears; RE0 had some mixed feelings, though with the price they are now I may just get them next; Image x10 were almost ordered but weren't due to their stress relief, which made them look easy for a fallout. And, finally, the hf2, as I've read, lacked built quality.

I do wish the NE7M came in a different colour, as she even said bronze is not too appealing but the sound is what really matters, as well as the incorporation of detachable cables. They do, however, come with 2 pairs of black t400, which is probably what she will be using. I am still wondering how close the NE7m sound quality will come to the ft10... I guess time shall tell. Btw, price was great, but i wouldn't mind getting something in the 200 range.

Thanks to everyone who helped out. I will remember it.

 

[dfrost]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kosov /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... They do, however, come with 2 pairs of black t400, which is probably what she will be using.

The black foam tips that came with my NE-7M in October were NOT Compy T400s. They were rather stiff, no core. I didn't care for the sound with them, but probably wasn't getting a good seal since I use large tips, while you've said that she has very small canals.

I'll be interested in your (and her) comparison with TF10s.

Make sure that they get a good burn-in. Headphone Addict says 85-90 hours. My less-than-golden ears say they were good in about half that time.