[nmo]

I've been wanting to purchase IEM for a while now and a upcoming airplane trip is a very good reason for me to get a pair now.

After reading for a couple days online my choices have narrowed down to the usual suspects: (in order of preference)

1. Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3
2. Etymotic er6i
3. Shure e2

This is all my budget can afford for now and I cannot go over $75-80.

I currently own the Sennheiser eh150 which I really like, but find too bulky to carry. I'd also purchased the PX100 earlier but returned them as I found them lacking in bass... not providing a "full" sound to me. I also purchased the Koss Plugs while on a trip, but they are just too sloppy with their bass and overpower everything else and seem to have no high-end.

What confuses me is the conflicting opinions on the first two earphones. I read that the UE 3 are warmer, but very lacking in bass (or just right per other commenters) while the Ety er6i are more balanced but quite dry and also lacking in bass. People commenting on the Shure e2 seem to agree on decent sound with a shiny treble and some bass, more of like "this will be better than any of the manufacturer supplied stuff."

I'm so confused now and am hoping the experts here can clear the process for me a bit. My listening tastes are the modern classics like Pink Floyd/Queen/Peter Gabriel to Depeche Mode/Massive Attack etc.

As for purchasing one, should I even consider eBay at all? Or just stick with Amazon & Earphone Solutions?

It also seems that the Future Sonics M5 would be my kind of earphone providing the right balance, but unfortunately I simply cannot afford that one.

EDIT: I do want to stay with the well-estabilished brands as I'm not going to be modding and do want to find accessories when I need to replace them.

 

[misterDX]

also add im716 to your list, they are the upgraded er6i, and i found some for $75 new in ebay

 

[Chris_Himself]

ill sell my denon ah c700s to anybody for 100 dollars.

they sound a lot better than the shure e2c and the senn cx300. i got them two days ago.

but if you really want a good recommendation, you probably want the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3. my friend introduced me to higher level audio from his iPod thru those exact earphones.

then i bought my cx300s anyways =)

 

[nmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by misterDX /img/forum/go_quote.gif also add im716 to your list, they are the upgraded er6i, and i found some for $75 new in ebay

I did consider them but dropped them off the list as many here are saying they have been discontinued so getting accessories is going to be an issue in the near future.

Chris, thanks for the recommendation and the tempting offer for the Denons.

 

[JLai]

I wouldn't recommend any of those 3 in your list. I'd probably be willing to try the Vibes at that price range. The super.fi's would probably be the lesser of the evils in your poll. If you wouldn't mind a non-IEM, go get some SR60s. Well worth it for the price.

 

[uraflit]

dont get any of those if you like bass

look into JVC marshmallows ($20), v-moda vibes ($75), or ___________ (others please fill it for me)

 

[d0td0t]

Y don't U try Crossroad Mylars.. reasonably cheap, and not lacking much compared to the above.

If its just the above 3 choice, maybe I'll go for ue3

 

[Chris_Himself]

the denons i have probably are going to be hard to match in refinement and hardcore bass if you play around with EQ presets.

the "acoustic" EQ on my zune rattles my balls with its bass.

 

[nmo]

since someone mentioned the JVC Marshmallows, I see they also have a similar looking model that comes with active noise-canceling. Any experience with those?

I'll go check out the Marshmallows at my local big-box today.

From my reading of the v-moda vibes, they didn't seem come close to UE 3 or the er6i in terms of sound quality.

 

[Sonata Arctica]

Get a Crossroad Mylarone X3. They're rumored to be up par with $100+ IEMs. I'm getting them soon so I'll see about that

 

[umcloud]

Well, personally I would get the er6i, but if you didn't think the PX-100 had enough bass ... well yeah, you probably want to steer clear of Ety. And from what I understand, everybody should stay away from the e2c.

I'm gonna go ahead and recommend the Mylarone x3 as well. From what I understand they're very smooth and musical - dunno if they're bass monsters, though. Oh, but you could always get the xB if you're crazy about the bass.

 

[nmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by umcloud /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, personally I would get the er6i, but if you didn't think the PX-100 had enough bass ... well yeah, you probably want to steer clear of Ety. And from what I understand, everybody should stay away from the e2c. I'm gonna go ahead and recommend the Mylarone x3 as well. From what I understand they're very smooth and musical - dunno if they're bass monsters, though. Oh, but you could always get the xB if you're crazy about the bass.

Well while I found the sound on the PX-100 very good, the bass *was* lacking and didn't contribute to a "full" sound. And no, I don't consider myself a bass-head. I purchased the eh150 instead of the PX-100. I find it doesn't quite compare to the PX-100, but does add more to the bottom end that kinda compensates for other areas a bit.

What I am trying to say here, is that my search is for a balanced pair of headphones on a budget.

Thank you for your replies so far.

 

[nmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmo /img/forum/go_quote.gif since someone mentioned the JVC Marshmallows, I see they also have a similar looking model that comes with active noise-canceling. Any experience with those? I'll go check out the Marshmallows at my local big-box today.

Well I picked up the JVC HA-NCX77 noise-canceling IEMs today and compared these with the Sennheiser eh150 that I own. This is also my first experience with IEMs.

The JVC put out a lot of bass and provide a better seal than the eh150, but I suppose that is to be expected of an IEM. I played Clocks & Green Eyes by ColdPlay and Angel by Massive Attack for comparison.

The JVC 'x77 don't have much separation on the ColdPlay tracks. Quite some congestion here. (Is this true or IEMs?) The eh150 sound very nice letting Chris Martin's vocals & piano come thru very clearly and provide a good soundstage. While on the JVC 'x77 his vocals are recessed and seem to blend in with other instruments nor do I hear the "sparkle" those c|net folks were talking about. Sounds aren't quite muddy, but there isn't much of a separation either that I find on the eh150. Playing Angel by Massive Attack is where the JVC 'x77 sound great... the bass is outstanding. On the eh150 the bass is definitely there in proper quantity, but they cannot keep up with the JVC 'x77. I guess this is where "bassheads" that someone mentioned come in?

I'll test the JVC out a bit more, but at the moment I am leaning towards returning them. They do provide a stellar case for IEM though. I definitely want a good pair in the next few days!

Thought this tiny review might help out newbies like me.

 

[umcloud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well while I found the sound on the PX-100 very good, the bass *was* lacking and didn't contribute to a "full" sound. And no, I don't consider myself a bass-head. I purchased the eh150 instead of the PX-100. I find it doesn't quite compare to the PX-100, but does add more to the bottom end that kinda compensates for other areas a bit. What I am trying to say here, is that my search is for a balanced pair of headphones on a budget.

Gotcha. Well, the MylarOne x3 is probably the best bang-for-buck, and seems very well-liked in general. er6i is very detailed, but there's not a ton of bass presence. I'm currently also trying to decide on an IEM, and I'm considering these two, as well as the d-jays from JAYS, but these are a bit out of your price range. I'm leaning toward the er6i, but I think the x3 will be better for you. They are $57 shipped from jaben.net. Good luck!

 

[captainbrendo]

sony exp51 has alot of bass! Not too great on the high end, but big bass for sure. If you thought the px100 didn't have enough bass, than I'm pretty sure you will be disappointed with the selections you have made already.