NON-isolating earbuds question

[TickTockMan]

Hi all, this is my first post here. Forgive me if I'm wordy. I tend to go off....

I found this forum while looking for honest reviews of IEM's, and I'm glad I did. I was on the verge of buying a set of Bose's for $99 at BestBuy, but after reading many less than glowing reviews on sound quality versus value for my dollar, I've pretty much scratched that idea.

I'm guessing this question has already been posted somewhere, but honestly, since I'm still on a reeeeeeaaaaaallllllll slow dial-up here in small-town southern Utah, I've lost patience with searching at 32K.

If this question has already been discussed, I'd be equally happy with an answer here, or a link to the discussion.

My question is, what is a good all-around NON-isolating earbud?

I understand that sound quality is better with an isolating type earbud, but (at the risk of sounding like a paranoid lunatic) I don't like them because as a martial arts instructor I teach "Environmental Awareness" in the curriculum as a non-physical factor in self defense and it seems obvious that blocking out ALL external sound opens you up to certain risks. Also, fully plugging my ears makes me feel just a tad claustrophobic....

--Musical Interests and Equipment--

I'm 45 years old (in case that's relevant to hearing issues), and listen to a wide variety of music, from AC/DC to Explosions in the Sky and Red Sparowes,Tull to Zappa, and a lot of earlier Tangerine Dream. If I'm in the right mood (or wrong mood, depending on how you look at it) I even like some MariIyn Manson. I don't care for 95% of all Rap, and own only one Country Western album (Waylon Jennings Greatest Hits).

I'm using an 80G iPod Classic (no problems yet with 1.1, BTW) with a set of Philips Virtual Surround Sound (5910's I think) earbuds. I know this will seriously brand me a newborn in the sound world, but I found the Philips to be a HUGE step up from the stock iPod 'phones. Other than some comfort issues and some mild distortion in bass heavy songs (particularly in Pelican's "Dead Between the Walls"), I really like 'em. But now I want to step up again. And will probably want to step up again. And again. But for now, my budget limit is around $139 US, but ideally I'd like to keep it around $80-$100.

Any thoughts or helpful advice?

Thanks!

 

[ClieOS]

The best earbud, without any questioning, is definitely Yuin PK1. Unfortunately PK1 needs an amp to shine so it probably won't sound its best out of your ipod (plus it is beyond your budget anyway).

Next step down will be Yuin PK2. It retains most of the sound signature and quality of PK1, but in a lesser form. It is warm, detail, full body and balance. It is designed to work without amping. Quite a few people also like Yuin PK3, the cheapest of the Yuin series. Not as warm as the above two, nor as detail. It does has more bass and very fun to listen to. The problem with PK3 is, it has (a short) J cord (unless you get a Y cord version from head-direct).

You can find more review of all the Yuin in the forum. They are available from Head-direct and headroom, both sponsor of out forum. BTW, don't get fool by the cheap look of Yuin's earbud - they do sound a lot better than their look.

 

[Headphony]

I will 2nd the Yuin recommendation, as I'm sure many others would. Pick the PK 2 or 3 if you don't intend to amp. See the Yuin appreciation threads for more info.

 

[Zephyron]

Don't forget about the Sony MDR-E888 and Audio Technica ATH-CM700.

 

[Djnx]

Might as well try out the JBL Reference 220, open design and excellent sound quality. You should check out what is said about them around the forums.

 

[guzziguy]

I also recommend the PK2. I actually preferred it to the PK1 when being driven by the amp that Fang had at Headfest in San Jose last year. Sorry, I can't remember what the amp was. Because the PK1 really needs an amp to sound good, the PK2 is much more flexible. It sounds great straight from an iPod and still gets better when being amped.

 

[htbyron]

Another vote for the Yuin line. I have the Pk1s, and I love them with an amp; they are still good without an amp, but if you don't plan on using an amp at least some of the time, save the money and go Pk2. These really are head and shoulders above anything I could have imagined out of an earbud. They are nearly as good as a good quality full-size headphone (close in quality -- although not the same sound signature -- to the Grado SR-80s I had as my first decent cans).

 

[SuperNothing]

First off I would like to say I feel bad for you having to be on that 32K modem. However, I will also have to recommend the Yuin PK2. I have a set that I use as my portable headphones and they sound great. I know this has been said before but I would get those as opposed to the PK1 if you don't plan on getting an amp or want to carry one around all the time.

 

[TickTockMan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperNothing /img/forum/go_quote.gif First off I would like to say I feel bad for you having to be on that 32K modem. However, I will also have to recommend the Yuin PK2. I have a set that I use as my portable headphones and they sound great. I know this has been said before but I would get those as opposed to the PK1 if you don't plan on getting an amp or want to carry one around all the time.

Thanks, but believe it or not 32K is actually an improvement... Qwest recently "upgraded" some of the lines in my neighborhood. A few months ago I was connecting at about 22-26K. Lines are still not DSL capable. I could get wireless or cable at home, but for some reason I'm just not all that concerned about it. Plenty fast connection at work if I need to upload/download/transfer any large files.

Anyway, big THANK YOU to everyone so far for the suggestions! I'd never heard of the Yuin brand before. I'll read up on them tonight after work.

Tock

 

[mchang]

Got a pair of PK1 from TTVJ.com and haven't looked back. If only my Pico would get here!

 

[TickTockMan]

Okay, after a weekend of prowling various headphone review sites, and a quick trip to BestBuy where the salesguy tried to sell me a set of Bose IEM's using a sales pitch that sounded like he was reading it from a script, I've decided to go with the Yuin PK2's, since (for now) I don't have any plans to AMP.

I'm also toying with the idea of ordering either a set of Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio's or a set of Sennheiser CX300's. I know, I know, I said I didn't want to be isolated, but after spending a Saturday trying to listen to music and read in a somewhat noisy indoor environment I'm having second thoughts....

I'm leaning a bit more toward the super.fi's right now, mostly because of the glowing reports here at Head-Fi.

Thanks a lot Head-Fi... ya'll are rapidly turning me into a sound junkie.

 

[zumaro]

Where is the thread that did the review of earbuds and decided that the PK1 and ATH-CM700 were streets ahead of the competition, including the PK2. The advantage then of the ATH-CM700s is that they are considerably cheaper than the PK1s, don't need amping, and the sound quality difference is more due to individual preference than absolute superiority. I would get these over the PK2s.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zumaro /img/forum/go_quote.gif Where is the thread that did the review of earbuds and decided that the PK1 and ATH-CM700 were streets ahead of the competition, including the PK2. The advantage then of the ATH-CM700s is that they are considerably cheaper than the PK1s, don't need amping, and the sound quality difference is more due to individual preference than absolute superiority. I would get these over the PK2s.

I think you might have confused ATH-CM700 with the lower priced Denon AH-C700 (IEM).

CM700Ti is listed on Audiocubes for $150 and Bluetin for $175; PK1 is available from Head-direct for $160 - none is really 'considerably cheaper' than the other.

Also worth mentioning, AT earbud sounds very different from PK1, plus both have their own cons. CM700 is very lean/airy sounding, so the cold sound might not be what the OP is looking for. Also, sometime it is difficult for some to fit comfortably due to larger size and weight. On the other hand, PK1 needs amp and are less detail/soundstage compare to CM700.

BTW, the thread you are referring is here.

 

[zumaro]

No there is the ATH-CM700 and the ATH-CM700Ti (Titanium bling bling version). Here in Japan at least the Ti goes for about $130 and the non-Ti versions (there are 2 colors available in aluminum) go for about $85. I can't tell any difference in sound between the versions, and the aluminum ones are lighter, so seem to be the better choice.

I haven't heard the Yuins so can't compare them myself - I was just going by memory of what that thread said. In fact it was why I decided to get the ATH-CM700s, as they are readily available here in any electronics shop. Great sound I will add - better than all cheaper headphones I have had (including the Grado SR80s). I agree about the size of them, as I have a smaller ear and these only just fit, and the bass is very dependent upon just how they are sitting in your ear.

Thanks for finding that thread - I searched and couldn't find it anywhere. My searching ability must be dwindling!

 

[ClieOS]

AT is cheap in Japan, but unfortunately they are quite expensive else where, and not very easy to find in a store (which explains why not many here have there). I'll probably want one if I can find an $85 deal