[MikoLayer]

Last thursday, as I was done with my usual routine at the school gym, I picked up the back pack to leave. Knowing myself becoming extremely unattentive after a streneous workout, I put my stuff together with my keychain (that way I wouldnt leave anything out). That day, though, I had everything stored in the backpack that I dont usually bring, except one thing - the MP3 player that I used on the treadmill. With my friend finished ahead of me and waiting, I wasted no time to look around. Had I decided to go back to work that day, I would have immediately noticed what I was missing...

Whatever, damage is done. Also gone with the DAP was my relatively new pair of Atrio M5s. As hard as it is to come to terms with the reality, I will have to go back to a $5 sandisk dap from buy.com and my spare pair of e2cs.

While I was generally happy with my shures unlike many E2C haters at head-fi, I had a taste of something better in Atrios. Besides, I am just itching to try out something new. Someone ascribed M5/M8's sonic signature to being close to that of "sennheiser house sound", which I wasnt so sure of. I did like my atrios though, and would definitely want something equally as non-fatiguing and relaxing. Budget this time, however, is somewhat lower since the missing atrios already burnt a big enough hole in my wallet. About <$70 used or new is what I could swing for now, for something noticeably "better" (note: not bright or shrill) than the E2Cs. Could this be done?

 

[tstarn06]

Ouch. As a certified M5 fan, I feel your pain. Not sure there are any phones at $70 or lower with the same sound sig as the M5s. If you don't mind ear buds, the PKs (PK3 at $38 or the PK2 at $69) are very good replacements for the time being. Not IEMs or canal phones, I know. But both deliver top quality sound for the money. Check out their threads on Head-Fi. I have PK3s, and for the money, they sound fantastic. And no sibilance whatsoever. Again, they are ear buds, but with enough volume, no big deal unless you demand near complete iso.

 

[theGuy]

I've heard some good things about the UE super.fi 3s, which you can get pretty cheap. However, I have never used them myself, so I'm not too much help.

 

[LaBreaHead]

That's too bad ... I hope you're not as mad at yourself as I would be at myself.

In the interest of economy for the time being, consider the new JVCs. Or get a pair of Creative EP630s online (both $30 or under, I believe). Then there's the Crossroads Mylarone XBs for about twice that amount (shipping included). Or save up for another pair of Future Sonics (or something else) ... at least you have E2C's as your back-up option ... but that's a shame about your Atrios.

 

[greydragon]

Sorry dude.

But it sounds more like it was stolen than lost. Just hate it knowing that there are such people lurking around. That's why I'm so wary about leaving my stuff alone while going to restroom and such.

 

[MikoLayer]

Thank you for your kind replies.
I always knew head-fi is a place with a class

Forgot to mention that I think I will need some isolation, since I plan on using them on noisy subway lines and such.

As for those JVCs and EP630, how do they compare to E2Cs?
I keep hearing super.fi lineup has a huge hole in midhigh, does that only pertain the 5 series? I will definitely read up on pk3s though, they sound real cheap. What about the jays?


Yeah, this will teach me a lesson to be more aware of my belongings. Hope the lesson lasts for a while

 

[tstarn06]

PK3s offer excellent SQ, but iso may be a problem. I just turn them up a little and they block out most noise, but a subway could be a challenge. At $38, they offer high-quality sound (much better than the EP630s).