[TerminallyOdd1]

So I couldn't quite get the S4a's I purchased to fit well and comfortably (have to wear them over the ear or backwards), so I'm considering returning them and adding a bit more to my headphone budget for something, well, better...the S4a sounds nice, but I guess I'm just not really wow'd by them. I'm not noticing a drastic improvement over the Sennheiser CX-95's that the S4a's replaced.  
 
I'm not much of an audiophile, but I would like something with similarly strong, but clearer bass, and with more separation between instruments. I guess I don't care much for a muddy sound. The vocals seem distant and I'm also noticing a touch of sibilance that kind of hurts my ears after a while. A nice, large soundstage would be cool, but I understand that that's not typical of in-ear headphones. 
 
I'm using these primarily to play music through my HTC Thunderbolt phone, with mp3's ranging from 128 kbps (unfortunately, I have plenty of these) to 320 kbps. Would having so many low-bitrate mp3's make spending $200 on an IEM kind of pointless? If not, I'd love to hear some good IEM's in that range that work best worn straight down and would work well for walking/general commuting. They don't have to have a in-line remote/mic, like the S4a's, but that might be a nice plus.
 
Right now, I'm leaning towards the Monster Turbine Pro Coppers, but having trouble pulling the trigger as it is a bit over my budget. I also have my doubts that the heavy buds will stay in my ear well while I'm walking to the train. Also, I'm tempted to just say screw it to spending a couple hundred bucks and just picking up refurbished Turbines from the Monster outlet, but I'm worried about the horror stories I'm hearing with refurbs from them...Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. 

 

[J.M]

I would think the low bitrate mp3's you have would negate the benefit of upgrading, I'm not an expert just an observation of some of my own files.

 

[ZARIM]

I will recommend to try Sony EX310 and they are great sounding IEMs for the price with clean,deep punchy bass. The JVC FXT90 willbe great upgrade too and it has deep textured bass and detailed mids, highs.

 

[gimster]

I've got both models ZARIM recommended and I agree they're both good options, with the Sony being better value for money and really comfortable. I just picked up the HiSoundAudio Crystal this morning and they're really good too. Check out the review at http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-205-iems-compared-j-phonic-k2-sp-added-11-13-11 I got mine from lendmeurears.com. 

 
Quote:

I will recommend to try Sony EX310 and they are great sounding IEMs for the price with clean,deep punchy bass. The JVC FXT90 willbe great upgrade too and it has deep textured bass and detailed mids, highs.

 

 

[TerminallyOdd1]

Thanks for the recommendation guys. I do think (from what I'm reading) that I can do a bit better than the EX310's, with a $150-$200 budget. I've read great things about the FXT90 and the Atrio MG7 and was leaning towards one of them, but I read that the soundstage is average, not having much depth or width. I think the soundstage on the Klipsch S4 is pretty good. I like the 3D sensation of hearing instruments all around me...and would also like the IEM I choose to have forward mids, if that's what it takes to sound like the vocals are coming from front and center, not distant.
 
So basically, I'm looking for the following;
 
1) Prominent, thumping, but not overpowering bass - the Klipsch S4 bass quantiy is great, but it bleeds into the mids and makes for a muddy sound.
2) Wide/deep soundstage, for that 3D effect
3) Forward mids? - I don't like the vocals sounding like they're far away
4) Worn straight down
5) $200 budget - maybe a tad more if something like the Turbine Coppers fit the bill (though I kinda dislike the way they look)
6) Works well unamped - played through PowerAmp on an HTC Thunderbolt with EQ.
7) Isolation - will be used daily on NYC subway, so will need to block out a good amount of noise.
 
Thanks!

 

[eke2k6]

A great option would be the Shure SE215. It has pretty much all the qualities you want, and costs less than $100

 

[TerminallyOdd1]

I know I'm being picky, but like I said, I'm looking for IEM's that are worn straight down.

 
Quote:

A great option would be the Shure SE215. It has pretty much all the qualities you want, and costs less than $100

 

 

[SolidVictory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerminallyOdd1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Would having so many low-bitrate mp3's make spending $200 on an IEM kind of pointless?

 
 
128 is just too low for getting any significant difference out of an upgrade. I would suggest 192 minimum for a bitrate. It would be better to get a real source rather than a phone, as well. All of the smartphones that I've owned sounded much worse than my Cowon S9. It is a worthy investment to get a good source before an even more expensive headphone. Your system is only as good as the weakest link, and right now it appears that your weakest link is your files (very lossy), followed by your source (phone), and then finally your headphones.
 
Try to get better quality files, and then move up to a better source or a better headphone. I would strongly suggest holding off on an expensive headphone purchase before getting better quality files. Additionally, you might want to get a forgiving IEM that makes lower quality files sound a bit better than they actually do. I would suggest the Sennheiser IE7/IE8, EarSonics SM2/SM3, or Sony EX700. Try to look on the Trader section on this forum, there are some great deals to be found.

 

 

[TerminallyOdd1]

Aren't those all over the ear IEMs? I've heard you can flip the IE8 but those are out of my budget. Plus, as I will be using this for my commute to and from work on the subway, I will need a good degree of isolation.
 
Right now, I'm leaning heavily towards the Atrio MG7. The reviews for it seem to be generally positive, and it seems to fit what I'm looking for even with mixed remarks about the soundstage. They're cheap looking (hoping that it looks better in person), but how they sound is all that matters...

 

[N0sferatu]

I actually just started looking at these headphones since my Android phone doesn't like many of the buttons on my Denon AH-C560R.  I'd take a look at those I really enjoyed the sonic sound of them as they remind me of my AH-D7000s.

 

[TerminallyOdd1]

They're not bad, I guess I'm just looking for something better at this point. As for the remote buttons, I wasn't really thrilled with how it worked. There's a second or two delay before your button presses register, which is better than nothing, I suppose, but still pretty annoying. Plus. the volume control function is useless, as there's only one button. You hold it down to decrease or increase the volume by a set amount. 3 buttons with a volume up and down would have been much nicer.
 
Quote:

I actually just started looking at these headphones since my Android phone doesn't like many of the buttons on my Denon AH-C560R.  I'd take a look at those I really enjoyed the sonic sound of them as they remind me of my AH-D7000s.

 

 

[N0sferatu]

interesting.  I opted to pass as I just found out they don't work with the Galaxy S2 phone.  Oh well I'll stick with what I got now.  Quick impulse is now brushed away...

 

[TerminallyOdd1]

I've got a pair of Atrio MG7's arriving tomorrow. Should I expect a noticeable improvement over the S4's right off the bat?

 

[TerminallyOdd1]

Just received the Atrio MG7's. Let me start by saying that I don't care much for anything about these phones physically. They look cheap and plasticky, the shape is odd, and I had trouble getting a good fit though with the large double-flange, I'm getting better at getting a good seal quickly (which is important to me). The cable is also this memory rubber or whatever, so it seems to keep its shape. Compared to the Klipsch S4a, the cable is a lot stiffer, and less string/rope-like. Though then again, I think this might be why the phones have so little microphonics going on, which is cool being that I do a lot of walking. Every other IEM I've owned has had much louder microphonics.
 
...that said, even without burn-in, these sound insane. The bass is booming, which is no surprise...but the bass is also clear and tight, which is a bit of a surprise. I'm hearing songs which I thought just had a long bass drone in the background throughout the song when in actually it's a bassline comprised of separate notes. I'm also pleasantly surprised to hear that the vocals are forward and upfront (at least to me, compared to the Klipsch S4). That combination is awesome for hip hop. I'm hardly hearing any sibilance, which is a relief coming from the S4. The highs are smooth, which I like as they aren't fatiguing to listen to at all. And for a set of IEM's touted as a bass monster, it's refreshing to hear something like Harry Nilsson smack his lips and take a breath before he starts singing on a track. Everything just sounds so warm and pleasant and easy on the ears. I'm at work and I'm in la-la land listening to these things.