[motorsport226]

Ok, so I'm very new to the audiophile scene, I bought my first 'real' pair of earphones a few weeks ago. (Senn MX 880 and I LOVE them)

I went for an earbud instead of an IEM because I need to be able to hear background noise to an extent in a lot of situations. Now, I am looking for an IEM to use for the rest of the time.

Ideally, I'm looking for something with an overall warm and smooth sound. Punchy, but not booming bass and as big of a soundstage as I can get. I wan't to be as fully immersed in my music as possible. I know that a set of cans would be much better but they're not practical for my lifestyle.

I have done numerous searches and read reviews but theres so many phones out there! I had no idea!

So any help would be greatly appreciated. My budget is around $100, ideally I'd like to stay closer to $50 but we'll see. Also, if you're selling something that fits this description I'm down for that option too.

Thanks all!

 

[theaudiolover]

Hm... if you're trying to get a good IEM, and dont mind spending abit more than your budget, the Monster turbine pro gold/copper are real good.
 
They sound very smooth, and have pretty good noise isolation. Bass is tight too.

 

[DaBomb77766]

Hm, around the $50 range, the soundmagic PL-50s might fit your criteria.  Its bass is pretty punchy, and its soundstage is pretty good.  I'd definitely recommend you look into it.  Also, if you want to stay in the $50 range, try not to be tempted into spending the big bucks for something way more expensive, head-fi can do that to you.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

 

[theaudiolover]

iBeats are not bad too. They are as good as the Turbines

 

[IpodHappy]

I picked up the Shure SE215s earlier in the week and have been quite impresses with them.  The are a warm IEM, with great isolation, great sound separation, a good sense of airiness or ambience, seem pretty rugged, are light for work-outs.  Here's my comparison to the Monster Turbine Pro Coppers, copied from another thread:
 
I've had a chance to do a side by side comparison between the SE215s and the Moster Turbine Pro Coppers.  The following are my impressions (music selection: Bekki Williams's Innersense):
 
Bass:  There is a lot of similarity in the bass characteristics of the SE215s and the MTPCs to my ear.  The MTPC's bass is a bit more pronounced, but at the same time a bit boomier, with a bit more emphasis in the mid bass than the SE215.  The SE215 goes deeper, seemingly more linearly.  Overall, I like the SE215 better.  Winner: SE215
 
Mids: Wow, compared to the MTPCs, the SE215s really shine here.  The SE215s mid are more forward, more organic, and just more pleasant to my ear.  Winner: SE215
 
Treble:  Quantity wise, the MTPCs has more treble and better treble extension.  Both can be a bit strident at times.  The MTPC has more sparkle.  The SE215 is a bit warmer.  It comes down to a matter of preference.  Winner: MTPC.
 
Ergonomics:  Both have more microphonics than the UE700s or W3s.  When moving around, the cable noise of both seemed about equal.  However, when comparing which tip is held better on the sound tube, the SE215s win.  I suspect it's due to the relatively loose fit of the Comply tips on the MTPCs sound tubes.  In fact, I've switched to using the Comply's made for the UE Super.Fi / Triple.Fi series since these are 0.2mm smaller in diameter and just fit the MTPCs better.  I'm tired of having the Complies come off of the MTPCs in my ears.  Winner: SE215s for the better grip on the tips.
 
Sound Isolation:  No question here but that the SE215s provide more isolation than the MTPCs (Comply tips used on the MTPCs, Shure foams on the SE215s.)  I've always been a bit disappointed with the isolation of the MTPCs.  The sound is probably due to the loose fit of the tips noted above.  Winner: SE215s.
 
Spaciousness:  This is a tough contest.  The strong treble performance of the MTPCs gives the music some air and ambience that the SE215s lack.  The sound stage is about equal.  But, even with the air, the MTPCs sound a bit muffled and locked in, especially at lower volume levels, perhaps due to the different mid and upper mid treatment.  It's a hard choice, but I think the MTPCs have the edge.  Winner: MTPCs.
 
Winner:  SE215s by a bit, but it's not a huge margin.  If you factor in the cost of the MTPCs, there is quite a difference in favor of the SE215s.

 

[dweaver]

I have owned the coppers by Monster as well as now own the SE215 and agree pretty much with Ipodhappy. The only area the Copper is better by quite a bit is treble energy (again going from memory) the bass of the SE215 is not as powerful but is punch and extends quite deep and I prefer the midrange more than the Copper (part of the reason I no longer have the Coppers). I think the SE215 also has slightly better sound stage. The SE215 definitely has better isolation and less microphonics and while tricky to get to inserting does not have the same depth seal issues. Overall I am very happy with what I got for the price of the SE215.

 

[DaBomb77766]

Hm - that's quite interesting.  Never thought the SE215 would be that good.  Still, at around $120, they're fairly expensive given motorsport226's budget...

 

[Kagelou]

How about a pair of N-Force NE-700X? They retail for $65 and are getting very good reviews. They may be uncomfortable if you have small ear canals though, as this was my case.

 

[bigbeast]

Quote:

I picked up the Shure SE215s earlier in the week and have been quite impresses with them.  The are a warm IEM, with great isolation, great sound separation, a good sense of airiness or ambience, seem pretty rugged, are light for work-outs.  Here's my comparison to the Monster Turbine Pro Coppers, copied from another thread:
 
I've had a chance to do a side by side comparison between the SE215s and the Moster Turbine Pro Coppers.  The following are my impressions (music selection: Bekki Williams's Innersense):
 
Bass:  There is a lot of similarity in the bass characteristics of the SE215s and the MTPCs to my ear.  The MTPC's bass is a bit more pronounced, but at the same time a bit boomier, with a bit more emphasis in the mid bass than the SE215.  The SE215 goes deeper, seemingly more linearly.  Overall, I like the SE215 better.  Winner: SE215
 
Mids: Wow, compared to the MTPCs, the SE215s really shine here.  The SE215s mid are more forward, more organic, and just more pleasant to my ear.  Winner: SE215
 
Treble:  Quantity wise, the MTPCs has more treble and better treble extension.  Both can be a bit strident at times.  The MTPC has more sparkle.  The SE215 is a bit warmer.  It comes down to a matter of preference.  Winner: MTPC.
 
Ergonomics:  Both have more microphonics than the UE700s or W3s.  When moving around, the cable noise of both seemed about equal.  However, when comparing which tip is held better on the sound tube, the SE215s win.  I suspect it's due to the relatively loose fit of the Comply tips on the MTPCs sound tubes.  In fact, I've switched to using the Comply's made for the UE Super.Fi / Triple.Fi series since these are 0.2mm smaller in diameter and just fit the MTPCs better.  I'm tired of having the Complies come off of the MTPCs in my ears.  Winner: SE215s for the better grip on the tips.
 
Sound Isolation:  No question here but that the SE215s provide more isolation than the MTPCs (Comply tips used on the MTPCs, Shure foams on the SE215s.)  I've always been a bit disappointed with the isolation of the MTPCs.  The sound is probably due to the loose fit of the tips noted above.  Winner: SE215s.
 
Spaciousness:  This is a tough contest.  The strong treble performance of the MTPCs gives the music some air and ambience that the SE215s lack.  The sound stage is about equal.  But, even with the air, the MTPCs sound a bit muffled and locked in, especially at lower volume levels, perhaps due to the different mid and upper mid treatment.  It's a hard choice, but I think the MTPCs have the edge.  Winner: MTPCs.
 
Winner:  SE215s by a bit, but it's not a huge margin.  If you factor in the cost of the MTPCs, there is quite a difference in favor of the SE215s.

 
That's indeed very interesting. After reading your review, I kinda regret buying a refub MTPC as the same price of a brand new SE215.
 
 

 

[andrew06]

Klipsch image S4 for V-shaped eq... RE-0 for flat response with slight bass cut.. both below 100 Klipsch for 80 usd and RE-0 for 99 usd.. Klipsch provides comfort.. re-0 for better sq.. 
i ended up having klipsch because im a fan of a V shaped eq.. but the downside is mids aren't detailed and doest reached my expectations. also, using klipsch is so comfortable that you almost feel like your having a background music in your head while walking.. i nearly forgot i had these on my ears and put my HD 428 above them in my ears lolol
 

 

[motorsport226]

Thanks for all of the help!

I think I've narrowed it down to the se215. Even though they're a tad more than I want to spend I feel like they may be worth it in the long run. I've also been thinking about the Brainwavz M3 as I have heard nothing but good things about them.

Currently the se215's are on ebay for $100 or best offer shipped., which I can afford to do.

Can anyone offer any insight on how the se215's compare to the m3?

Thanks again! Sorry it took me so long to respond, been pretty busy. Also if anyone has either the se215 in black or the m3 that they want to get rid of I'm open to discuss that as well.

Thanks a lot to ipodhappy for the lengthy and in-depth review.

 

[roggae]

No one has mentioned the head room IEMs. Are these bad?

 

[motorsport226]

I've also been throwing in the Thinksound Rain into the mix. It sounds like an incredible phone to listen to. Thoughts?

 

[dbdynsty25]

Quote:

 

I think I've narrowed it down to the se215. Even though they're a tad more than I want to spend I feel like they may be worth it in the long run. I've also been thinking about the Brainwavz M3 as I have heard nothing but good things about them.

Currently the se215's are on ebay for $100 or best offer shipped., which I can afford to do.

Can anyone offer any insight on how the se215's compare to the m3?

I absolutely can...tho I'm still new to the IEM game so my comparisons might be shoddy.  
 
I personally had problems with how the Shures fit in my ears, but I really liked the way they sounded.  The M3s fit me perfectly and they are one of the best headphones I have used for the types of listening I do (mostly at the gym w/ 90% hip hop and 10% southern rock).  So easy to get in and out of the ears with a good seal and they don't move at all even when running at the gym.  If only they had the chin slider, they'd be the absolute perfect headphone for me.
 
To me...the M3s are just a bit more clean if you know what I mean.  The clarity is superb on the bottom end and in the mids and the highs are the only things that are not completely perfect to me, but still extremely good for the price ($85).  I believe the soundstage is slightly bigger on the Shures, but I can't complain about the M3s at all in this regard.  I absolutely love the bass on the M3s...I have a set of turbines as well and while they might have more bass overall, the clarity and lack of boominess on the M3s set them apart in my eyes.
 
Overall, both headphones seem similar to me, but the M3s win for comfort.  I like the cable on the Shures better because they don't tangle quite as much...so that's definitely a negative of the M3s.