[mugen3]

Hey everyone, I'm looking for a new IEM. I'm looking for these:

Sound quality (in order of importance):
- Good imaging/positioning/soundstage
- Good detail
- Fast, good decay
- Transparent
- Low sibilance
- Fun sound, balanced as possible (Prefer that bass >= mids >= highs. Tight, punchy, controlled bass)
- No hissing

Build quality:
- Good comfort
- At least a 4 ft. cord
- Good isolation (I'll be using these on the subway)
- Light microphonics
- Decent durability

My budget is ~$100 USD.

Which IEMs best fit my needs?

Thanks in advance.

 

[james444]

Panasonic HJE900

 

[mugen3]

Wow, the feedback on those are amazing. The soundstage was mentioned to be good, but how good is the imaging/positioning on these, exactly?

Anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[Spyro]

The Etymotic HF5 has a tad more bass than ER4P. But it might still be too light for you.

 

[ZARIM]

JVC FX500, S4 and Panasonic RP-HJE900.............

 

[mugen3]

Thanks for your recommendations. So far, I have the HJE900, HF5, and S4 in mind. The HF5 sounds really good for me; an ER-4P with better bass? The S4 too, though I'm not sure how good their imaging/detail is. And I heard that their bass is bloated. Can anyone clarify?

Keep the suggestions coming!

 

[mugen3]

I'm about to pull the trigger and buy the HJE900s. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive; it seems that they basically meet all of my needs, though I looked and couldn't quite anything specific about their imaging/separation. How does it compare to the HF5?

Any more recommendations?

 

[kunalraiker]

I would recommend RE0,it satisfies all your three requirements with rainbow colors

 

[mugen3]

Phew, I just went through like a million threads trying to get some insight about what I'm really looking for. I updated the OP; I needed to explain myself better.

Can't find the FX500 anywhere here in the U.S.

I don't think I'd want the RE0, it's bass has been called anemic. For the same reason, the HF5 are out of the question.

I heard that the isolation on the HJE900 isn't very good, so I'm not considering that anymore.

The S4's bass seems to be a bit too much, and their durability is iffy.

 

[rawrster]

I wouldn't exactly call the S4 a detailed/analytical phone

 

[james444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mugen3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I heard that the isolation on the HJE900 isn't very good, so I'm not considering that anymore.

Isolation with the HJE900 is a bit disappointing for a closed phone, but it is still slightly better than with open IEMs, e.g. the FX500. I'm commuting on the subway and the Panasonics are adequate for that. IMO you'd have to go for Shures or Etys to make a significant difference.

 

[mugen3]

The Audio-Technica CKS70 and Denon C710 caught my attention. How are these?