[Baba booey]

I took recommendations from some head-fi'er's and made the jump from my Senn IE6's to Head-Direct RE-0's(sold to me buy a fellow-head-fi'er) .
I'm pretty happy, but not perfectly happy.
I bought a dedicated portable amp(Icon Mobile), as my Fuze needs to be cranked to around 70% to get adequate volume.  I use the small bi-flanges included with my IE6's to get the best fit possible.
So, as for my gripes:
1)The shoddy build quality...I've had both shells break open me(had to super-glue them back together), and the stems of them worry me.
2)Lack of bass punch...I listen to a lot of metal(lotta bass pedal going), and I've had Mylar X3i's, ie6's, meelec m6's...you get the idea, I fed into my basshead interests.
3)Harsh highs...maybe it's a result of my tips and some of the music I listen to(lot of screaming)...
4)Isolation...could be a bit better, but I guess that's just how they are(I wear them over-the-ear)
 
Ok, so what I'm going for:
Price range...idk, maybe I'll say 100-150, but I can sell stuff and wait to fund a bit more.  Ebay is my best bet, but I can also buy from here, or amazon.  I can't really buy from random online retailers(funding issues as I can only get $ into paypal easily, and because of trusting ebay/amazon more).
More bass punch, obviously
Better build quality...I'd love removable cables, as I've yet to have IEMs that have them.  Or, just something that is very well built.
Equal or more isolation, preferably something that has a good seal(such as the ie6's or meelec m6's)
A bit easier to drive, I guess...I'd like something that can be driven reasonably well by my Fuze or rockbox'd iPod
 
I've been doing a bit of looking and I say stuff like the jvc FX500, denon c710, Fischer DBA-02,panasonic Rp-hje900, radius hp-tw11r, etc.
Any other recommendations?
Thanks in advance

 

[mark2410]

you realise if you have the IE6 your not really going to be upgrading from it?
 
that aside id say the C710 or HJE900 for you

 

[torptube]

I've seen the Custom 3's being suggested around here a lot more now, since they're like $109 on amazon. At that price, the sound quality is hard to beat.
 
DBA-02s are nice, but I think there is a long waiting time to get them. Not to mention lack of bass.
 
The Monster Turbine Pro series are pretty nice also, but I don't know if you'll be able to get them below $150. Maybe though.

 

[Baba booey]

My IE6's are in shambles(exposed drivers and all...), but I still have them.

 

[lucozade]

CUSTOM 3 ,love um ,and for the money hard to beat in my opinion
Quote:

I've seen the Custom 3's being suggested around here a lot more now, since they're like $109 on amazon. At that price, the sound quality is hard to beat.
 
 

 how did that happen ?
 
Quote:

My IE6's are in shambles(exposed drivers and all...), but I still have them.

 

[Rip N' Burn]

If you can save up a bit more, I'd say the IE8. I had the IE6 and thought they had plenty of bass. So if you want more bass, set the bass dial of the IE8 to max. Too much for my tastes but they did feel like subwoofers in my ears. It also has removable cables. Isolation is on par, if not a bit better with the IE8.

 

[rawrster]

I'd take the DBA-02 off your list real quick. The sound signature is more in line with the RE0 but more refined with a bit more bass presence and treble taken down a notch in forwardness.
 
I'd look into the Eterna but they are below your budget and probably not as good as some others mentioned here and the fact that the Eterna available for purchase now is a different version than the one I have. If your budget is low I'd go for that however.

 

[Napilopez]

Given what you described, I think the HJE900 would be a great suggestion, but using foam tips, or performing James444s foam mod on them(remove the nozzle filters if they haven't already fallen off, add some thin foam from cheap earbuds or headphones in there to tame the treble). Given that the RE0s are known for having virtually perfect, non sibilant or harsh highs, and you found them to be so, it's likely you will find the HJE900 harsh as well, quite possibly more so. However, using them with Comply foam tips or heavily foam modding them removes pretty much any semblance of harshness for me. Way too much for me personally, as I like my highs nice and sparkly, but there are many who like them as such. They have pretty huge bass, and their build quality, with the exception of a minor issue with falling nozzle filters, is second to almost none. And again, with foam the HJE900 highs are not high at all. Lots of metal tracks are recorded quite sibilantly in my experience, so that might be part of the issue.
 
Other seemingly good matches are the C710 and the Radius. I don't think the DBA would really fit your needs from what I've read. The radius seems like a perfect fit acoustically, but the fit/build quality might be the least of that list, from what I've read.
 
The HJE900s, with foam tips/mod, fit all of your criteria except the isolation area, where they are really only average. Foam tips do improve their isolation quite substantially, though.

 

[MKang25]

I would suggest either the HJE900 or the DDM based on your preferred sound signature. They are roughly around the same price. The DDM has a larger sound stage and MAY offer better isolation if they fit your ears or terrible isolation if your ear curvatures just don't match.

 

[2rooi123]

hje900
tough as nails
hard to beat for $129

 

[lucozade]

I also can recommed the hje 900 , build quality seems really good and they sound very good at there price point ,i have them in my ears right now and am enjoying them quite a bit 

 

[rawrster]

Did you go and buy yourself another earphone lucozade?

 

[2rooi123]

@ luco: glad you like them. very energetic like jalapeno sili in your mouth

 

[MetroBBOY]

I will second another comment for the Monster Turbine Pro Gold. I know your budget is probably less than what you can get them for, but the FS section or second hand might do wonders?
 
Anyhow, after listening to them for only a day since I had them, they are the "bricks" of IEM's. Super solid, its heavy to the feel, but when its in your ear, and you found the right tip, that heaviness diminishes, and they are really comfy, a lot more than my old IEM - IE8. And its not plastic. so durability is a no-brainer. The cable is thick, nice grippy feel and the relief strains looks rock-solid.
 
Ran some pink noise for the sake of burning in overnight, and IMO, the MTPG has a really similar sound signature to the IE8's. I won't give you details, but I can't really tell the difference. Great overall sound, perhaps slightly recessed mids right now, but more burn in might help with this. The bass is just crazy, good crazy, its clean, tight and has a nice extension.
 
I've understimated Monster. Very happy here.. I hate to give advice to people when they specify a budget lower than what I'm recommending, but just giving my take on it..

 

[torptube]

I wouldn't underestimate Monster for sound quality. I think we just all don't like them because they so aggressively market marginally better products for a much higher price.
 
After all, Noel Lee is a self declared audiophile. The Turbine headphones were a pet project of his that just happen to be profitable.
 
They're still selling them for too much though. If the price of the the coppers dropped to $199 then I think that would reflect its true market value. 
But Monster is Monster after all.