[snappyaxolotl]

Sorry, if this is a repost, I'm new to this forum!

I've been thinking about buying some earbuds/in-ear headphones/IEMs. I did my research and found these three headphones to be my best options. My only problem is I'm not sure which one to buy. Some of the factors I will be considering:

Build quality-
This is something very important about what I buy. To me, $300-$600 is a huge investment, and I want my earbuds to last as long as possible.

Sound quality-
This plays a large role in which headphones I wil get, as this category is what determines a good headphone from a bad one. I will be listening to classical, techno (videogames/movies), rap, and hip-hop/ pop. I will also be using it to watch videos, play movies, and within gaming,

Value-
Once again, $300-$600 is a huge investment for me, and I want every cent to be worth it.

Brand reputation-
Whenever I buy a product, I check the reputation of the brand, manufacturer, and/or distributor. This helps ne guarantee I'm getting something that is a good product, since the company has had experience in making them. I've never heard of Phonak Audeo, but I found Sennheiser to be respected EVERYWHERE and AudioTechnica to be praised, too.

Comfort-
Some headphones just hurt. I want a headphone that almost feels like it's not there, or feels like a cushion on my ear.

Microphonics-
Don't want weird noise when I try to untangle my headphones. This hasn't been a problem in the past, but hope it never will.

*Noise isolation isn't too important since I talk to others while listening to music sometimes.

I will be listening to music on a Sandisk Sansa Clip+. I will be purchasing the headphones via Amazon US online, and prices are as follows
-PFE 233 $599.00
-ATH-CK100 $483.00 + $4.99 S&H
-IE80 $399.99

Please help me choose a headphone! It would be very much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Sylaw]

sweet hart!!!!!!  if i was u .... ill go for the IE80. but if u want pretty much more sparkle and mids ur welcome to have the PFE-232..  
 
and just for the rec-rd IE80's will at least last for 6 years..! my IE8 did a lot..  Its sens magic ha ha..

 

[planx]

First of all, neither of them are called "earbuds", nor "headphones". I'm not here to correct absolutely everything, just a heads up 

 
Also, all three are very good IEMs. You should also consider the new UE900 in the list, as people are raving about how much of an improvement they are over the old TF10, but don't be fooled with every hype. The PFE232 is a seriously underrated IEM (In-Ear Monitor) and this is due to it's massive price tag. But truth be told, they are my favorite Universal IEMs of ALL time. Personally, I prefer it to the IE80 all due to personal preference. However, I have limited experience with the CK100 so I refuse to say much about them. Same goes with the UE900. Seeing how these are all high-tier Universal IEMs, you should do a lot of research and find what's right for you. The only flaws I find with the PFE232 are the cables. TOO SHORT FOR MY NEEDS... Also, they feel rather thin... But, they are replaceable so durability shouldn't be much of an issue.
 
Do your research, and you should be satisfied with any of the three you listed.

 

[potatoos]

Might want to look into custom iems.

 

[Rip N' Burn]

Quote:

First of all, neither of them are called "earbuds", nor "headphones". I'm not here to correct absolutely everything, just a heads up 

 
Also, all three are very good IEMs. You should also consider the new UE900 in the list, as people are raving about how much of an improvement they are over the old TF10, but don't be fooled with every hype. The PFE232 is a seriously underrated IEM (In-Ear Monitor) and this is due to it's massive price tag. But truth be told, they are my favorite Universal IEMs of ALL time. Personally, I prefer it to the IE80 all due to personal preference. However, I have limited experience with the CK100 so I refuse to say much about them. Same goes with the UE900. Seeing how these are all high-tier Universal IEMs, you should do a lot of research and find what's right for you. The only flaws I find with the PFE232 are the cables. TOO SHORT FOR MY NEEDS... Also, they feel rather thin... But, they are replaceable so durability shouldn't be much of an issue.
 
Do your research, and you should be satisfied with any of the three you listed.

 
I completely agree with the above statement in bold except I have the IE8. I've had or listened to most of the top tier universals and I prefer the PFE232 over all of them thus far. I haven't listened to the AKG K3003 or the Heir Audio 4.ai yet but they have been receiving a fair amount of praise.

 

[planx]

Quote:

 
I completely agree with the above statement in bold except I have the IE8. I've had or listened to most of the top tier universals and I prefer the PFE232 over all of them thus far. I haven't listened to the AKG K3003 or the Heir Audio 4.ai yet but they have been receiving a fair amount of praise.

 
Honestly, I don't think the IE80 is much of an upgrade over the IE8. I auditioned the K3003i and PFE232 side by side for quite a bit of time, and after I ended up sticking with the PFE232. I just don't think it's worth double the price tag of a PFE232 for TAD smoother mids IMO... Also, you don't get a replaceable cable on an IEM worth $1000+??? I heard many positive things about the Heir, but listening to a very experienced member/friend, I believe it's being over-hyped. I'm sure it's a really good IEM, but when people compare it to the AKG K3003i and PFE232 and say it's better, it's easy to see some hype.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

First of all, neither of them are called "earbuds", nor "headphones". I'm not here to correct absolutely everything, just a heads up 

 
Also, all three are very good IEMs. You should also consider the new UE900 in the list, as people are raving about how much of an improvement they are over the old TF10, but don't be fooled with every hype. The PFE232 is a seriously underrated IEM (In-Ear Monitor) and this is due to it's massive price tag. But truth be told, they are my favorite Universal IEMs of ALL time. Personally, I prefer it to the IE80 all due to personal preference. However, I have limited experience with the CK100 so I refuse to say much about them. Same goes with the UE900. Seeing how these are all high-tier Universal IEMs, you should do a lot of research and find what's right for you. The only flaws I find with the PFE232 are the cables. TOO SHORT FOR MY NEEDS... Also, they feel rather thin... But, they are replaceable so durability shouldn't be much of an issue.
 
Do your research, and you should be satisfied with any of the three you listed.

I think its underrated because it is way over-priced. They need to lower it down to $400.00 and have it on sale for around $300.00 then it could dominate the market for its price-point. Otherwise you can pay slightly more and get a noticeably better IEM for not much more. Even customs.

 

[planx]

Quote:

I think its underrated because it is way over-priced. They need to lower it down to $400.00 and have it on sale for around $300.00 then it could dominate the market for its price-point. Otherwise you can pay slightly more and get a noticeably better IEM for not much more. Even customs.

 
I'm sure it would benefit their sales massively if it was lowered to 400, but I'm in no position to complain. I got mine early where you bought it for $600 and they gave you a Perfect Bass 012 as well. So, I just asked my store to reduce the price by $100 and get rid of the 012. I find it hard to beat the PFE232 honestly. They only IEMs that comes to mind are Final Audio and the AKG K3003i. Customs and Universals are a completely different market and I don't even know if the OP wants a CIEM. As top tier Universals go, I would say Final Audio (really hard to say which ones because I only auditioned the Piano Forte IX)-> AKG K3003i-> PFE232. This is all my opinions and experiences and don't take it too critically because I only listened to ONE Final Audio product and thought it was absolutely fantastic...

 

[lee730]

I was lucky enough to demo the AKG3003s for about 3 weeks. Its really imperative to spend time with them opposed to a few minutes or even a few hours to really get accustomed to their sound. I did end up preferring the Tralucent 1Plus2s by a pretty big margin over the AKGs though and they are cheaper than the AKGs.
 

 

[planx]

Yes that's true, unfortunately I couldn't have that long of a session with the K3003i when contemplating between that and the PFE232. But as compare and contrast goes, I couldn't see myself paying more than double for the AKGs. Again, experiences varies between people. I'm the kind that is a non-believer in high tier, but the PFE232 was something I HAD to get to fully satisfy  my needs. I'm the kind that prefers the Westone UM2 over the W3, UM3X, and W4. Same with Shure, I prefer the SE425 and SE215 over the rest. My experiences are my own experiences and I don't expect others to follow my experience as some kind of expertise. I prefer people to see them as some useful info that might assist them, but still remembers that my experiences are all opinionated just like everyone else.

 

[lee730]

True it all comes down to preference. The bass on the Tralucents is superb. Like full size headphone bass and very well controlled for such power. Treble and mids are all there as well, a large sound stage, a very fun and engaging sound. Couldn't part with them after spending a few weeks with them. But the Tralucent is also a Hyrbid IEM so that is to be expected. Well maybe not to be expected to be on par with a full size headphone, but that is what makes them so special.
 

 

[planx]

Same with the PFE232. I've never heard bass as good as the PFE232 on a BA driver... Feels and sounds like a big driver, but it's only a BA. Incredible

 

[ra07212]

Im torn between PFE232 vs Westone 4R Vs IE80.
 
 
I can get the:-
PFE232 - £400
Westone 4R £270
IE80 for £150
 
 
I really don't know which ones to get.

 

[GuizoMD]

I'm on the same boat as you, buddy. However, i'm considering getting the PFE232 after reading about it and discussing several points with Tinyman. In the end, the 232s are the ones that will better fit my music style (mostly uplifiting and chill trance, from producers like Omnia, Ferry Corsten, Armin, Markus Schulz and some good and old Rock.)