[Luhaine]

Hi all,

I've come to you, the good and knowledgeable people of this forum, with a small dilemma of mine. Recently I picked up a Cowon S9 and have been appreciating the sound that this little pmp creates.

I started out with the Sehn MX500 but after reading up a bit on what I could be getting out of the S9, I bought myself a little upgrade in the form of the Sehn CX500. This set served it's purpose fine after it's burn in period was over. Then I went on a little trip to Japan and found myself in Tokyo, namely Akihabara. At one of the stores I saw that the "new" Shure SE 115 was on sale for about 70-75 euro's (95-99 US) which I thought was a good deal, so I picked them up after listening to them for a time in the store.

The main difference in the build of the IEM's was the fact that the SE 115 are some kind off flip and reverse IEMs. I can't just plug them in, the wire goes up and over my ears and the the monitor is basically upside down when compared to the CX500.

The thing is, I thought I could get used to doing that but it began to annoy me (I've got long hair, so it's a bit of a hassle) so I decided to sell them, which I did, thinking to grab a new set (and upgrade while I am at it) for about 150 euro's (about 220 US).

But I've been looking at Shure's line up, Westone's Line up and Ultimate Ears's line up and either I'm not looking good enough or they all seem to have the whole flip and reverse thing going on.

Am I stuck with this shape of IEM's and also what would you recommend to me in the above mentioned price range? I mostly listen to rock / hip hop and combination's thereof.

Thanks for bothering to read my post and for any advice.

-Luhaine

 

[ljokerl]

It is true that a lot of high-end IEMs are meant to be worn over-the-ear instead of straight down, but there are still plenty that can suit your needs. JVC HA-FX500, Monster Turbines, Head-Direct RE0, Klipsch X10, and Sleek SA6 are just a few that I can think of that can be worn straight down. You'd need to read some reviews to see if they work well with your genres though.

 

[Luhaine]

Thanks for the advice

I've been reading up on what you suggested. The JVC HA-FX500 sound too bassy for my liking, a friend has the bose IEMs and I can't stand those. I basicly don't buy monster, it's a thing I have.

The Head-Direct RE0 is for sale for 100 bucks, which makes me think there might be a better deal to be had if my budget is twice that (correct me if Im wrong). The Klipsch X10 and the Sleek SA6 seem te be favouring the bass as well.

I prefer my sound crystal clear with a decent bass

The advice is much apreciated though.

 

[ljokerl]

You really shouldn't toss the RE0 aside. Despite the current low price they are a contender for the top universal IEM spot in my book. They're a personal fave of mine for the clarity and detail that can only be matched by my Etymotic Er-4S. The reason I usually prefer the RE0 to the Er-4S is that they don't need an amp as badly and are more comfortable. However, if you do want to spend more and intend to run unamped, the Er-4P might be a good choice.

Something to read:

RE0 rivals ER-4S, beats E500 and ER-4P
Review: Head-Direct RE0
[REVIEW] Head-Direct RE0 - a new contender for the best IEM
REVIEW: Head-Direct RE0
Head-Direct RE0 Appreciation Thread

Edit: also, despite having a similar price, Bose IEMs are incomparable to anything I previously mentioned. I own several sub-$50 IEMs that sound better than the Bose.

 

[Luhaine]

I was just looking more deeply into them, since I just found a review that praised their clarity. To be honest, this does look like a contender. I'll go read those links you posted and I'll probably order a fiio E5 along with it to supply some amp to the deal.

I assume that the E5 will do the job?

Thanks again.

 

[mark2410]

erm for $200 you wont get any better thats new

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luhaine /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was just looking more deeply into them, since I just found a review that praised their clarity. To be honest, this does look like a contender. I'll go read those links you posted and I'll probably order a fiio E5 along with it to supply some amp to the deal. I assume that the E5 will do the job? Thanks again.

TBH they don't need an amp that badly. All the E5 will do is act as a hardware EQ to boost the bass a bit. I'm sure a lot of head-fiers will disagree with me, but I think portable amps and somewhat overrated for most IEMs. Sure, there are some that benefit hugely from an amp (the RE2's come to mind), but to think of a portable amp as a necessity for high-end IEMs is slightly out of tune with reality.

Then again, the E5 is only $20, so its really up to you if you want to experiment with it or not. There's a source dependence element as well. Some players benefit more from an amp. I don't have an S9, but my D2 does benefit from a warm(er) amp (which the E5 is).

 

[Luhaine]

I think my source is pretty decent, Cowon S9 with loseless audio but like you said it's only 20 bucks or so, so I grabbed one. Might come in handy at a later date and a new toy to play around with is always nice.

So I just ordered the RE0 from Head-Direct's site. The process went nice and smooth through paypal. Almost too smooth since I never had to input a delivery adress, but I take it they use they paypal adress for that (I hope).

Thanks for the advice

 

[ljokerl]

Quick decision, eh? I often see people hang around for weeks after asking for advice, wavering between this and that, changing their mind often. Seeing someone jump the gun is almost refreshing

.

 

[mark2410]

RE-0 is most impressive, let us know what you make of it

 

[Luhaine]

Heh well I can beat around the bush for a while but there's no way I'll know if their right for me or not until I have them in my ears for a while so I might just as well get it over with and they're well within my budget range as well so price isn't really a decision making factor any more.

 

[Gbjerke]

Just cut your hair?

 

[Luhaine]

I'm not that big an audiophile, not yet anyway