[abluesman]

Have a friend who's incarcerated. He spends free time reading and mostly listening to music on his cd player. So far he's used the cheap earbuds. This Xmas I'd like to surprise him with a good pair of IEMs (or ECMs?). I have no real experience in this area, I use headphones. So:
budget - $100 - 125
good noise isolation - in and out (yep)
comfortable for extended listening (assortment of tips?)
heavy duty cord (he's in the desert - lots of sweat)
ideally not having to use a specific tool to remove filters (might be confiscated) - maybe no filters?
listens to rock mostly but would probably be very happy for any improvement.

I've picked etymotic er-6i based on 'Headphones' price/performance. I would appreciate any help and comments. thanks

 

[ph0rk]

Inmates get music players?

I'd look into the lower end Shure SE series, probably the 110, or the midrange super.fi 4 - won't have fabulous bass but will likely beat a stock earbud.

 

[TacticalPenguin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by abluesman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have a friend who's incarcerated. He spends free time reading and mostly listening to music on his cd player. So far he's used the cheap earbuds. This Xmas I'd like to surprise him with a good pair of IEMs (or ECMs?). I have no real experience in this area, I use headphones. So: budget - $100 - 125 good noise isolation - in and out (yep) comfortable for extended listening (assortment of tips?) heavy duty cord (he's in the desert - lots of sweat) ideally not having to use a specific tool to remove filters (might be confiscated) - maybe no filters? listens to rock mostly but would probably be very happy for any improvement. I've picked etymotic er-6i based on 'Headphones' price/performance. I would appreciate any help and comments. thanks I've done some research

ER 6i is awesome isolation and comfort. However, the cord is thin - durable and holds up, but is thin. Also, it has filters and a tool to remove them. Dust will likely clog those filters up. They can be replaced with a tool or if youre good you can get them out with your finger nails. If its not a dusty place except for when theyre in his ears, they ought to be alright.

 

[abluesman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TacticalPenguin /img/forum/go_quote.gif ER 6i is awesome isolation ... they ought to be alright.

The 'nail' thing sounds like it seals the deal.
I can only rely on on-line research regarding the sound quality and the reviews look good.
I'm guessing 6 hrs/day and a clean individual, how long before replacing filters, excluding the dust?
do programmers equal 42 hrs/week?

thanks again

 

[TacticalPenguin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by abluesman /img/forum/go_quote.gif The 'nail' thing sounds like it seals the deal. I can only rely on on-line research regarding the sound quality and the reviews look good. I'm guessing 6 hrs/day and a clean individual, how long before replacing filters, excluding the dust? do programmers equal 42 hrs/week? thanks again

The fingernail thing isn't guaranteed.... personally, I can't but others have and managed to reuse filters by cleaning them and snapping them back in. However, if he takes good care of them and keeps his ears clean, the filters should last months or more before they need to be replaced. Some people haven't replaced a filter in several years of ownership. I replaced one filter just to try to get it out with my fingernail and after failing I changed it with the little tool (essentially just a tiny little screw that screws into the filter, but it is pointy and probly wouldn't fly in a no-weapons policy)

However, the dust would probably get to them eventually.

 

[Scott549]

Klipsch Image X5 at half price ($125) is a no-brainer. It is far superior to RE2, which is said to be better than ER6i. See the thread on the Klipsch sale.

 

[Taikero]

Since the half off sale only applies to the U.S., you'll have to contact a friend in the states and have them ship the (assumed) Image X-5 to you in Canada. Since the shipping is free within the states, it'd just be like buying IEMs and paying regular shipping anyway, I'd think.

 

[toxic888]

definitely get him the X5's!

These fit your criteria with one exception:
The cable is thin, keeping the headphones extremely light. Klipsch claims its made of a very durable plastic and that damage to the cable should not be a problem.
I also like the Image series because they use an Aluminum outer shell; sounds and looks very durable. Check out the site.