[singe]

Hello, I'm a college student and I enjoy listening to music. The reason I'm hear, I mean here, is to see what I can get to really get a lot out of my music, but not be so disturbing to others. I don't want to become a complete addict here, but I'm foreseeably going to be listening to phones anyway and I have some money saved/coming from an intense summer job. I read a Slate article about top-end music enjoyment in the non-speaker sense, and that got me interested. I don't have a goal of being an audiophile and do have a budget, but this seems like a great time to get phones.

So I bought some HD-555s here tonight since they were very affordable against the market, but there's the issue of one's roommate(s) foreseeably into next year. Things have gotten a little better both with my listening and his room noise from the TV, but who knows. I was interested by the IEM's on the market, and if I invest quite a bit in one phone, I'd like to block as much noise as possible, hopefully hearing nothing outside! And no batteries helps.

I would like to listen through my computer, even though it doesn't have any particularly great sound card, or a portable CD-player, so that's where head-fi comes in for something good. The e5c's are probably too expensive and powerful, so maybe the e3c's or e4c's? Another brand?

 

[jl123]

I'm in no position to recommend anything for you but there are plenty of people here that can. To get you started you can just go here and start reading up on thier comments. They have a nice description for each product that sounds pretty genuine. Also it'll get you familiar with what else is out there.

 

[jagorev]

Shure e4c, Etymotic ER-4P, Super.fi 5pro, are all good choices. A search here and browsing headphone.com and headphonereviews.org will turn up lots of info.

 

[Skrying]

jagorev listed some really good choices, you might want to check those out if possible.

Also, what type of music are you into? Do you enjoy lots of bass? How long do you plan on wearing these a day, and where at?

 

[Jasper994]

I think for a good all around performer that appeals to the general/average listener the Super.Fi 5 Pro would be a good choice. The E4 is also a wonderful piece, but is a little picky when it comes to your source and amplification. If you get the wrong match up you may be a bit disappointed by the bass quantity (that's the trend I've noticed anyway). If you follow the link in my sig you'll notice that I prefer the E4. This still holds very true for me, but YMMV. The E4 does seem to be a bit more polarizing due to its lack of bass and poor synergy when paired with certain sources and amps. The Super.Fi doesn't quite have the potential of the E4 in my opinion, but is a jack-of-all-trades type of happy medium.

Anyway, welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet.

 

[angler31337]

You're on a budget and you don't want to slide down the path to audiophile insanity, eh? (By the way, our kind of insanity is better than other kinds... at least we get to listen to nice music while sitting around in straight jackets.)

I think IEMs are the right way to go. When it comes to environmental isolation, nothing beats etymotic research offerings. In particular, I'd take a look at the ER-6i, which are nice sounding, easy to drive, and offer a lot of noise isolation. My only concern with them is that they might be a little "hissy" depending on the actual quality of your sound card -- if so, the ER-6 might synergize better, due to its higher impedance. Both of those suggestions are made with a budget in mind. If you decide to head down the path to madness... well then...

-Angler

 

[acito616]

Senn HD280, there closed there quiet and you should be able to find them everywere for about $100.00.

 

[milkpowder]

I love my ER4S. I would recommend using foamies+ER4S. Very comfortable. Shirt clip is a must though, otherwise they are microphonic.

 

[souladdikt]

I would second the ER-6i. It's a nice "starter" IEM and I've been really happy with its sound and isolation. Of course, I'm now waiting to get E4's to use with a 5G ipod. It seems that most of the IEMs talked about on this forum have particular strengths and it's a matter of finding the ones that fit your tastes. With that said, I thought I wouldn't like the ER-6i very much because I was reading it was bass deficient and too bright, but I really don't feel it lacks bass and I've come to appreciate its sound. Buying from a place with a good return policy is always a good idea too.

 

[Steve2237]

I live in a dorm, and my room mate is always on the phone, so I try to isolate myself from his conversations. I own super.fi 3's, and HD 280's. I think the super-fi's isolate a tiny bit better, but i prefer to use the HD280's because they are more comfortable for long periods of time.