[imackler]

ljokerl, thanks again as always for the thread. 
 
I'm looking for an iem that will just nail classical, especially string quartets and cello solos. For practicality, it should be a universal. What's your current recommendation in the under $500 class? 

 

[Buddhahacker]

ljokerl, ok thanks, insanely awesome thread by the way - i had to pipe up after seeing the work you put in to this.

Any idea on the durability of the Shure's (535's or 846's are the two I'm interted in) ? I plan on using them in the gym with a FIIO X5 when it's released in the States.

The actual ear pieces should do fine but I'm experiencing issues keeping the 846's cables attached just using them at my desk.  The Shure's are isolating but depending on your gym I suspect a lot of noise will filter into your listening experience.  I found with the noise and blaring music my nano and ER4's do fine at the gym and they block out much of the noise. Personally, I wouldn't take nearly $2k of headgear to the gym. 

 

[goldendarko]

True, but I'm not concerned about losing them or anything, just their durability for gym workouts, I don't sweap copiously either so I wouldn't think that should be too big of a concern.

 

[sailorcire]

3C3) Skullcandy Ink’d

Pros: Easy to find, fairly inoffensive sound, reasonably comfortable and isolating
Cons: Poor build quality, harsh treble, no L/R indicators

 
If you look at the back of them where there is some protection prior to going into the speaker, you will see a very tiny L and R on each one.
 
If you get to the different plastic type then you have gone too far.

 

[ljokerl]

  ljokerl, thanks again as always for the thread. 
 
I'm looking for an iem that will just nail classical, especially string quartets and cello solos. For practicality, it should be a universal. What's your current recommendation in the under $500 class? 

 
Unfortunately "nail" tends to mean different things to different people. For me a neutral IEM is best for classical so I would go for an Ety ER4S. If you like a warmer sound there are other options, like the StageDiver SD-2, but I think the ER4S is great.
 

   
If you look at the back of them where there is some protection prior to going into the speaker, you will see a very tiny L and R on each one.
 
If you get to the different plastic type then you have gone too far.

 
The Ink'd I reviewed was manufactured in 2008. They added L/R markings later. I should note that in the review one of these days. 

 

[DSF767]

I have had my Monster Turbine Pro Coppers, I have had them for about 3 years and they have been great to me, I picked them up during one of the monster refurbished deals and got them for I think $99 which was a great deal on an IEM that have been great. 
 
Now I wear these headphone commuting into Boston everyday on the train and then about a half mile walk from the train to work, over time they have slightly stared to show their age, the metal backing has started to come a little loose, the rubber on the strain relief has come apart (though the wire itself is still fine). 
 
I always take good care of them and wrap them up and put them in their case after every use and as I have said I have gotten about 3 solid years of use so I cannot complain. 
 
However I just have a feeling after dealing with many IEM's once the strain relief starts to go no matter how well you treat them they might not last, so I want to start thinking of some replacements.
 
Now I love the natural sound that the pro coppers provide they have a great mid-range and have a very smooth sound, however the part where  find them lacking is on the low end bass, I am not looking for anything with super boomy bass but something with a slightly better low end sound then the coppers provide.
 
from a build standpoint, I want something that has a good build quality that will be ok going through the wear and tear of a daily commute and be able to stand up to being used heavily, something I can count on and get a similar life span of my pro coppers. Also another thing I don't love about the Pro Coppers are they are heavy, I find myself frequently adjusting them in my ear as walking sometimes shakes them loose. 
 
I also want something with a detachable cable (so I can replace cable making them more durable) that can be worn straight down as over the ears are a pain with glasses. Also if at all possible I would like if it had controls to play pause and skip controls but its not a requirement. 
 
I would like to keep my budget in the $100 - $200 range.

 

[ljokerl]

  Now I love the natural sound that the pro coppers provide they have a great mid-range and have a very smooth sound, however the part where  find them lacking is on the low end bass, I am not looking for anything with super boomy bass but something with a slightly better low end sound then the coppers provide.
 
from a build standpoint, I want something that has a good build quality that will be ok going through the wear and tear of a daily commute and be able to stand up to being used heavily, something I can count on and get a similar life span of my pro coppers. Also another thing I don't love about the Pro Coppers are they are heavy, I find myself frequently adjusting them in my ear as walking sometimes shakes them loose. 
 
I also want something with a detachable cable (so I can replace cable making them more durable) that can be worn straight down as over the ears are a pain with glasses. Also if at all possible I would like if it had controls to play pause and skip controls but its not a requirement. 
 
I would like to keep my budget in the $100 - $200 range.

 
As far as I know what you're looking for doesn't exist. More bass than the Coppers is not very common among higher-end earphones to start with, but cable-down earphones with detachable cables are even rarer (there's like 5 I can think of, and none fit your other requirements). As far as I know your options are:
 
Yamaha EPH-100 - excellent bass and lightweight form factor but no detachable cable, and no mic/remote
RHA MA750i - similar bass quantity to the Coppers and not too different in sound overall. Well-built and has a mic/remote but again no detachable cable and it's worn over-the-ear
Dunu DN-1000 - has good bass but also is significantly brighter than the Coppers and the sets above so it may sound off coming from the Coppers, especially at higher volumes. Also no detachable cable, no remote, and it isn't any lighter in the ear than the Copper
Onkyo IE-HF300 + whatever Onkyo's mic cable is called - the only set here with a detachable cable. Very lightweight but feels plasticky for a $100+ earphone. Punchy but has less deep bass than the Coppers and the sets above, and not as good overall sound quality. 
HiSoundAudio Wooduo 2 - has a ton of bass (the only one with significantly more of it than the Turbines) but doesn't sound as natural overall. Also is the least well-built and again no detachable cables or mic/remote.

 

[imackler]

   
Unfortunately "nail" tends to mean different things to different people. For me a neutral IEM is best for classical so I would go for an Ety ER4S. If you like a warmer sound there are other options, like the StageDiver SD-2, but I think the ER4S is great.

 
That's where I was headed...again. Thanks for the confirmation. 

 

[esanthosh]

ljokerl,
 
Thanks to your review of Noble 4S, I finally got my first Custom IEM, Noble 4C.
 
It took me a while to insert and remove them at first, but I am getting used to it. My first few minutes with it reminded me so much about Hifiman IEMs. Though they did not wow me at first, they gradually grew on me over the course of a three hour long listening session. It fits my sound preferences really, really well. I think 4C is one of the most balanced IEMs I have heard so far, may be the best. Excellent clarity, healthy (non-anemic, non-excessive) bass quantity, clear mid range with good note weight, smooth treble, spacious presentation, good separation and layering - all this along with such a smooth sound, it has everything I wanted in my first CIEM. More than the positives, I am relieved that it does not have any negatives that bother me. It has a delicate combination of several factors that make me like them. Thanks for leading me to this happy experience 

 

[ljokerl]

  ljokerl,
 
Thanks to your review of Noble 4S, I finally got my first Custom IEM, Noble 4C.
 
It took me a while to insert and remove them at first, but I am getting used to it. My first few minutes with it reminded me so much about Hifiman IEMs. Though they did not wow me at first, they gradually grew on me over the course of a three hour long listening session. It fits my sound preferences really, really well. I think 4C is one of the most balanced IEMs I have heard so far, may be the best. Excellent clarity, healthy (non-anemic, non-excessive) bass quantity, clear mid range with good note weight, smooth treble, spacious presentation, good separation and layering - all this along with such a smooth sound, it has everything I wanted in my first CIEM. More than the positives, I am relieved that it does not have any negatives that bother me. It has a delicate combination of several factors that make me like them. Thanks for leading me to this happy experience 

 
Great to hear 

. Sounds like the acrylic version is as capable as the silicone one, which is good to hear. It's still pricy, but hopefully money well spent!
 
P.S. would really be curious if the universal version is equally capable .

 

[kova4a]

   
Great to hear 

. Sounds like the acrylic version is as capable as the silicone one, which is good to hear. It's still pricy, but hopefully money well spent!
 
P.S. would really be curious if the universal version is equally capable .

Well, it's hard to say whether the universal version is as capable as the 4S without hearing the 4S but it's really good. I'm really enjoying it and have no problem picking it over the er4s or any of the twfk based iems I've heard (b2, ck10, gr01).

 

[ljokerl]

  Well, it's hard to say whether the universal version is as capable as the 4S without hearing the 4S but it's really good. I'm really enjoying it and have no problem picking it over the er4s or any of the twfk based iems I've heard (b2, ck10, gr01).

 
That sounds good, IIRC you do quite like the ER4.
 
It looks like Noble kept the housings fairly small, too, which is a big plus with these types of universalized customs. 

 

[kova4a]

   
That sounds good, IIRC you do quite like the ER4.
 
It looks like Noble kept the housings fairly small, too, which is a big plus with these types of universalized customs. 

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the N4, especially given how I jumped the gun and bought it before it was released purely based on your 4S review and hoping it's at least similar to it in performance. As far as the new design, I have no issues with the comfort but it is a bit on the thick side in comparison to 4ai, for instance, but it is more like a proper universal now with the screwed on faceplate and without the consistency issues of the handmade nozzles.

 

[starfly]

Hi ljokerl,
 
I currently own the SE530 IEM and the cable is starting to crack. I've had it for almost 5 years now, so fine, time to replace it. I'm however looking for a more affordable IEM now, since I recently bought a good pair of headphones which I use for my more critical listening sessions. These IEMs will be mostly for commuting and exercising and otherwise casual use. So I'm looking in the price range of $100 - $200.
 
For one, I'm looking for IEMs that isolate really well, as I like to be able to isolate myself fully from my surroundings when listening on a train / airplane. In terms of sound signature, when comparing to the SE530 I'm looking for a bit more treble extension, as the SE530 is quite rolled off. I like the presentation of the mids, but I could also live with mids that were slightly less forward and thick. And in terms of bass, I'm not a basshead, but I do like it when an IEM produces a decent amount of bass and can reach low into the sub-bass region, while still being pretty detailed. Definitely not looking for anything bloated. And in terms of soundstage, I'd definitely like a much wider soundstage than the SE530, with good layering and depth as well.
 
I realize I probably can't have everything given the price range I'm looking at, but do you have any recommendations? I looked at your IEM list on your site but I'm really not sure what to pick.

 

[Chude Mleko]

   
In that price range, purely for sound quality and with a mic, I like the Philips Fidelio S1 better than the A161P.  
Compared to the RE-400, the S1 has better bass depth and more bass overall. Its upper midrange and treble are more energetic whereas the RE-400 is smoother and more laid-back up top with a warmer overall tone. The S1 also has a wider soundstage than the RE-400.

Hi ljokerl,
 
I ordered S1 and listened to it for couple of days but I'm returning it. Unfortunately they didn't sound better than A161p to my ear. They have too much bass. It's OK for guitar, rock and metal music but jazz trios sound rather disappointing. I mean double bass and drums are all over piano notes for instance. Plus I felt smooth lower end made highs sound harsh at higher volume, trumpet especially sounds unpleasant.
While sound stage does appear to be wider I felt instrument separation wasn't as good as in A161p. Plus A161p gives you so much more detail.
Maybe I'm on BA side in BA vs DD battle? I don't know.
 
Anyway, I'm back listening on A161p and I hope they will survive few more months but I still wander, where do I go when they die? The have the best sound I came across but poor build quality in comparison to other sets at that price point.
Should I try etys HF2 next, or some dual driver BA? What would you consider an upgrade from A161p, with similar characteristic, preferably with mic, but I guess I might have to give up on mic at the end.
 
i appreciate your response!