Need IEM with a balance between E4c & RE0 - open to suggestions

Jun 2, 2012 at 9:15 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 1

timy

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I've gone through 2 pairs of IEMs this year - my beloved Shure E4Cs and the Hifiman RE0s I replaced the former with.
 
I would really appreciate some suggestions. I'm looking for a balance between the E4C's isolation and warm/clear highs and the RE0's value for money (an online price tag of around 100-200 USD or 75-125 GBP). I also really want detachable cables so that they could last me at least 2 years.
 
I have been leaning towards the Shure SE215s after scanning this forum - could anyone suggest anything better knowing my tastes? This is what I liked and disliked about the two sets:
 
E4Cs:
  1. I loved the warm highs - but in retrospect, I think they may have been "too warm" for the price I had paid.
  2. Since I don't care much for bass in general, and these fit my ears perfectly, I think I had no complaints about the lows.
  3. Isolation and comfort was amazing with the triple flanged tips. I could sit in the London Underground and feel like I was on some tropical island listening to my favorite songs (an albeit shaky and smelly island).
  4. The cables went bad after 3-4 years of use. I ended up re-soldering them at least 10 times until it finally got to the point where there was no more cable to solder to and the problem had reached the drivers - soldering which I botched. This was the point where I had to throw them out.
  5. I wanted to cry when they finally broke - I still get emotional when I think about them.
 
RE0s:
  1. Very neutral sound - which I don't think I needed since these are for wondering around town. They did have, however, clearer mids than the E4Cs, in my opinion.
  2. Amazing value for money - I was not too fussed when they broke after exactly six months of use (literally to the day).
  3. All the tips were too wide/cheap to fit comfortably in my ears. I bought some special tips online that were a better fit for my ears, but because the channels were slightly narrower than the double-flanged tips, the sound quality dropped substantially, and I had to go back to the original double-flanged tips.
  4. The build quality was simply awful. I am also very skeptical about their customer service's ability to help. I emailed them, but from the looks of it - if by some odd chance they do offer me replacements (under their alleged 1-year warranty) - I will have to ship the originals to Hong Kong, which will cost me more than new headphones.
 
Any help/suggestions would be much appreciated!
 

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