[blufox4900]

So I'm getting a paycheck with absolutely zero bills to worry about and I want to get a solid pair of IEMs considering my last ones, the pistons 2.0, took a swim in the washing machine. I'm settling on a budget of anywhere from $100 to $400 max though I am curious as what I get with spending that extra money vs saving it. So far I've been looking at the GR07 classic on the low end and the UE900s on the high end though the quality control issues I've been seeing around has me worried. Open to any suggestions of course
 
Ultimately I want something that won't make me miss coming home to my grados. While yes the pistons sounded pretty great I always felt they lacked in clarity and detail when compared to my grado sr80e and the imaging was still very much inside my head so it was difficult to immerse myself in the music. Largely listen to a variety of music from rock, power metal, trance (female vocal trance mostly), electronic, and musical scores. 

 

[blufox4900]

Bump

 

[EagleWings]

The ones that you mentioned are definitely good. Look into the following too:
 
Dunu DN1000, DN2000, DN2000J
Fidue A83
JVC FX850
Westome UM Pro 30
Sony XBA-A3

 

[blufox4900]

The JVC FX850 and the Westone UM pro 30 catch my eye, how would you say the soundstage is on those in comparison to the UE900s? 

 

[EagleWings]

I haven't tried these IEMs myself. I currently own a set of Sennheiser IE80 and I was searching for an upgrade and that's when I came across these.

Take my word with a grain of salt and make sure you read more reviews about these item. Based on what I read, FX850 is supposed to have a great soundstage. I would have already bought it , if it weren't for its iem housing design. I have small ears. So chances are it might not fit me well.
As for UM Pro 30. I read that it has a small soundstage but offers an intimate experience. But I love the wide sound stage on IE80 and wanted a similar or a better soundstage. So I did not get the UM Pro 30 either.

 

[blufox4900]

Alright then, for me it's kinda hard to translate all of it as my only experience thus far is with my grados and my pistons. Just not sure of which direction I should take and what kind of sound I should expect going from $20 iems to $300 ones

 

[ForceMajeure]

You should check the FLC8S best IEM you might ever need, There was a great discount on black friday on them, now they are out of stock...

 

[EagleWings]

Yes, I have heard some great things about FLC 8 too. Best part about this is, the sound of the IEM is highly customizable using the provided filters, that you could customize it to your liking or your mood. But it may not work if you need good isolation as you say that you need this for portable use. You could get grab one on ebay or email these guys to see when it'll be in stock again: http://www.lendmeurears.com/flc8s/
 
Regarding choosing the right IEM, I would say be patient and do enough research and then buy the product. Piston 2.0 has a V shaped sound. Which means it has enhanced bass and treble. And if you are looking for the same sound signature but with better details, better overall quality and better resolution, JVC 850 and the FLC8 should work for you.
 
Regarding how much $$ is wise to spend on an IEM. It depends on your needs and how much you are willing to spend to get the sound that you are satisfied with. There is the law of diminishing returns, which means that, as you move up the price tag, the actual $$ spent may not equate to the amount of improvement you experience.  But people tend to generally go for these Top Of The Line IEMs because they just want the best without any compromise. For some people, that extra $800 may be justifiable and for some it wont make sense. It varies with each person. 
 
All that said, I feel, $200 to $400 will be a good investment for an IEM. There are plenty of IEMs in this price range that will a real upgrade over the $30 earbuds without making a huge dent in your bank account. If you are able to find something for $200 that satisfies you, consider yourself lucky and save the remaining $200. If the IEM you like costs $400, then just go for it and be happy that you made a good investment. 
 
Also look into RHA T20

 

[EagleWings]

  You should check the FLC8S best IEM you might ever need, There was a great discount on black friday on them, now they are out of stock...

 
Was it lendmeurears.com that had this discount for black friday?

 

[JK1]

  Alright then, for me it's kinda hard to translate all of it as my only experience thus far is with my grados and my pistons. Just not sure of which direction I should take and what kind of sound I should expect going from $20 iems to $300 ones

$300 ones won't sound 15x as good as decent $20 ones. Perhaps they might sound around 50% better? Many year ago I bought a $500 headphone that many on head-fi were raving about. I didn't pay $500 for it, as there was a special sale. It was still expensive though. It disappointed me. It sounded quite good, but perhaps only 20% better than the best $100 headphones I had. Since then, I have been trying to stay below $100 for headphones or earphones, however I might go to $150 for something extraordinary(especially if it is normally $250 and on sale for $150).
 
Since you like Grados which are very open, perhaps you might like the $70 Fiio EX1. The EX1 is rebranded Dunu Titan 1. I haven't heard it, however it has gotten great reviews. I noticed it is quite open with several ports, so isolation won't be as good as an IEM without ports. Another relatively new IEM that seems very popular here is the $52 Soundmagic E80. I haven't heard it either, however it also has gotten great reviews. I might buy these at some point, especially if they go on sale.

 

[blufox4900]

To be honest I kinda want to experiment with something neutral for the time being (though not ER4 neutral). Did looked at the ATH-IM02 for a bit though I wasn't sure if there was anything better at the $300ish mark or if it'd be worth it since my primary source is my nexus 5x and spotify premium.

 

[JK1]

  To be honest I kinda want to experiment with something neutral for the time being (though not ER4 neutral). Did looked at the ATH-IM02 for a bit though I wasn't sure if there was anything better at the $300ish mark or if it'd be worth it since my primary source is my nexus 5x and spotify premium.

You are using it with a phone and streaming? For streaming, even spending $70 for IEMs seems like too much. I thought you might be using a high end audio player and lossless.

 

[blufox4900]

Would it be wiser for me to get an external DAC? I currently don't have a lot in the way of lossless flac files yet

 

[blufox4900]

Or would I be better off with something like the gr07 until I build up a sizeable FLAC library to justify the higher end equipment?

 

[EagleWings]

Do you live in a place where you could go attend a Head-Fi meet or audition audio gear?
 
If yes, you could try these hi-end audio stuff and evaluate how much you are willing to spend for a better sound. You'll know if you are like JK1 who prefers the best bang for the buck or, if you are on the other end of the spectrum where people don't mind spending $$ in 4-digit for better sound or, somewhere in between.
 
For portable gear, 320kbps should do just fine. You can continue adding lossless files to your collection as you move forward.
 
If you are not happy with the sound from your PC, an external DAC makes sense.  Especially with your new IEM, you will feel the sense of upgrade. You have tons of DAC options around $100.
 
And if you feel like you want a player to replace your Nexus, you could get the Fiio X3 2nd gen which also functions as an external DAC. But trust me, the difference in sound quality between your Nexus and the X3 wont be night and day.
 
GR07 is a classic favorite. Good sound for affordable price. And it has a neutral sound that you are willing to try.
 
But your best bet is to go someplace where you can try headphones and understand what your sound taste is and how much you are willing to spend on it...