[GinjaBear]

More recently I've been looking into getting some IEMs because taking my headphones places is inconvenient and they are open back so it doesn't work either way. My budget is up to 150 usd, and my current top 3 choices are the sennheiser momentum,  Etymotic Research HF5, and the Shure SE215-K. I am looking for suggestions on which of the three to purchase and if not one of those three, any other suggestions are very much appreciated.

 

[B9Scrambler]

If fantastic isolation isn't top priority, Dunu Titan 1. Very, very nice sounding iem for ~115 USD.

 

[GinjaBear]

Thanks for replying and the suggestion, after some more research I'm leaning more towards armature drivers now. Could you recommend any?

 

[B9Scrambler]

I've only owned/heard two ba iems...the Sony XBA-2 (which I like, but were almost universally panned, lol) and the UE600 (which are still nice, but probably outclassed nowadays).

Hopefully someone else can chime in and give you some good ba suggestions. If you can edit the thread title, maybe add something about balanced armatures to draw some more focused attention?

 

[Mooses9]

the etymotic HF5 are a fantastic sounding iem but different sounding from the others you have listed

 

[GinjaBear]

Thanks for replying, can you tell me how the sound is different?

 

[Mooses9]

well the hf5 is very crisp,clean the vocals are very clear the overall sound is very resolving, however its not a basshead iem thats the only bad thing about it.i personally think its a great iem, i am also a fan of the etymotic er4 series  which have a somewhat same kind of sound. so if your looking for a bass pounding iem, i dont know that this one would be the one IMO.

 

[GinjaBear]

I would like to be able to hear the bass but not have it as loud say the more intended ranges of whatever song I'm listening to. Basically I would like some bass, but not too much bass, kind of like the amount of bass the beyer dt990s have except maybe a tad bit more.

 

[shureThing]

Looking at measurements listed on the Golden Ears website, it looks like the DT990s have more bass than the HF5. However, the HF5 also has less treble than the DT990s, so it may still suit your requirements. Personally, the I find the HF5s very versatile, exhibiting great clarity and a lack of veil. With a proper fit, these IEMs will provide a healthy quantity of bass. Out of the IEMs I have tried or owned (which is admittedly not an extensive list), it is the one I would recommend the most, regardless of price!

 

[GinjaBear]

After further research I think I've narrowed it down to the HF5, the SE215, and the RHA MA750i. But I have been reading that armature drivers are "better" so I'm not sure if I should try to find one with an armature driver or not.

 

[shureThing]

  After further research I think I've narrowed it down to the HF5, the SE215, and the RHA MA750i. But I have been reading that armature drivers are "better" so I'm not sure if I should try to find one with an armature driver or not.

 
Perhaps you can try the excellent AX-35 hybrid IEM by Astrotec? It combines both a balanced armature and dynamic driver in a great sounding, reasonably priced and well built package.