Portables or IEMs? $200 and not quite sure what to spend it on.

[scannon18]

Well, it's about that time.  I'm looking at my audio stuff and thinking "hmm, what should I drop $200 on next?"  I was thinking of buying new IEMs (to uprgrade from my S4s) but there are a lot of fine looking portable headphones out there.  I am only concerned that portables will not give me the isolation I desire.  I like to listen to music quietly.
 
I will soon have the Cowon J3 DAP, I believe that that is powerful enough to drive most portable headphones?  I already have a portable amp, but I'd rather not take it with me everywhere.
 
Do portable headphones provide that much of an improved listening experience over IEMs?  With portable audio, I think that isolation is very, very important.  So am I stuck with IEMs, or can any portables provide reasonable isolation?

 

[yello131]

Usually headphones do not isolate as well as IEMs, however there are Open vs Closed type cans and the first do much better then the later...
For me IEMs work better for portable use and with $200 budget you can get much better value and performance within IEM world. To name few: DBA02, Radius DDM, RE252,  UE10, FX500, HJE900, IE7..
some have better isolation then other, depending on individual's ability to compromise and adjust..

 

[Kubernetes]

ESW9.
 
 
I do agree that for the money you can get IEMs with better isolation and better pure SQ.  BUT, you cannot get the same sensation of music hitting your outer ears.  I don't know if that's important to you, but I've realized recently it makes all the difference in the world to me.  I'm loving my new ATs and wondering why I didn't get portable cans earlier.

 

[scannon18]

Quote:

BUT, you cannot get the same sensation of music hitting your outer ears.  I don't know if that's important to you, but I've realized recently it makes all the difference in the world to me. 

This is my suspicion.  I really love listening to my Denon AHD2000 and would love something similar to take around everywhere.  I am thinking about compromising with a dynamic driver IEM (or maybe even the Radius DDM mentioned above) to get some of that bass impact (and treble slap

) of live music.