[milesandcoltrane]

Who:

Used to be quite an active Head-Fi'er - inactive due to busy schedule now, have had experience with Sennheiser HD25-1 II (all time fav cans), HD600 (love it too, but open and not portable), Shure E2c (meh, not fantastic) Sony MDR Ex 71 (was the thing that got me started)

Currently own Sony MDR-7506 and Westone UM1

What I'm looking for:

I kinda miss the bassy, fun sound signature of cheaper, consumerish IEMs, the UM1 is warm but still not as fun.

Looking for a pair of under $100 IEMs with that fun, bassy, lush and warm sound signature for use with my iPhone 3GS. Preferably it has an in-line remote like the stock buds and a microphone. Nice thing to have but not a must.

Been looking at the Apple Dual Drive IEMs (heard its very bass light and thin, but I'm an Apple fan boy so I'm still considering it a little), Etymotic HF2 (busts my budget, bass light so meh, maybe not). Also the Senn CX300 or the mic'd variant (heard its bassy, and I like the Senn house sound).

I've been researching quite a fair bit but I seemed to have lost touch. So many IEMs out now. I've read that the Denons might be good too.

Please help guys! I'm on a strict budget so $100 is tops unless something is really spectacular and absolutely bang for the buck then I'd be willing to go up to $150 but that's the exception but the rule.

Need to set aside some funds to re-purchase the Senn HD 25-1 II. Don't wanna use these cans for day to day use on my commute, at the gym etc. Gonna reserve for use at home or in the library when studying.

Many thanks in advance!!

 

[semisight]

You should look at the Cyclone PR1 Pros (cult following), Klipsch S4 (older FOTM), Thinksound Thunder/Rain (new FOTM).

What I've heard about them (no direct experience, only heard the S4 once):

PR1 Pros are laid back, fun IEMs.
Klipsch S4 are bassy, and have been positioned as the fun counterpart to the RE0 on head-fi.
Thinksound IEMs are mid focused, Rain is slightly more expensive, with a more balanced sound; Thunder is bassy.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

What I've read so far the Klipsch S4 or rather the i version with mic and remote sound really really interesting. I'm a little afraid of the build quality of the Cyclone PR1 Pros and I'm not sure I can try them at a retailer before purchasing them.

How do they compare to the Atrios? Since they're hailed as bass monsters I'm kinda keen too.

Oh yeah I forgot to add that of all the IEMs I've tried the UM2s were really amazing! Though the price is a pain in the butt for me.

 

[kretzschmar]

maybe consider the nuforce ne-7m? The have the mic, great bass, and excellent customer support. They are a bit under budget at 50 bucks, so you might not dig it for that reason.

 

[ZARIM]

CKS70, S4, FX500, C710, UE Metro-Fi 220 and Turbine........

 

[milesandcoltrane]

I might be able to snag a used Westone UM2 for about $160. Should I gun for it instead? I've been wanting these for the longest time since I first heard them but the price was always a limiting factor. But now I think I'm willing to eat instant noodles for a month or so to get them. Downside: No mic or report like the S4i. Should I still head for the S4i? The Shure SE115 seems to be a dynamic IEM with good bass. If its a bassy version of the E2c I used to have, it wouldn't be too bad. What dya guys think?

 

[intoflatlines]

SF5 Pro and TF10 Pro are both very bassy and can probably be found for $150.

 

[iponderous]

94 posts equals the return of the prodigal son? And you've named yourself milesandcoltrane? No shortage of self-esteem there.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

I'm sorry iponderous. I put Prodigal Son in the title because I felt that way about myself in relation to the whole world of head-fi and my relationship with it. It is an individual point of view, and was never really meant to be taken at face value. I felt it described my state of mind relative to my question in the post. 94 posts over the past few years. Had a previous account which I had trouble accessing hence I signed up for a new account. Even then I haven't chalked up that many posts in the old account. I hope you don't judge a person by the number of posts he/she has earned, unless of course they seem to be plugging a specific product post after post.

My naming myself milesandcoltrane is an extension of my personal passion for these two artistes and the world of jazz as a whole. Big fan of the music so I don't see why it might seem very egoistic to name oneself milesandcoltrane in a forum that is inextricably linked to music. If anything I hoped I could find fellow like-minded Jazz enthusiasts on these boards (which I have).

So please take your 975 post -arse-end-of-the-world-self to the arse end of the world.
Thank you very much.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

Anyhow, thank you everyone for all your posts so far. I really appreciate all the positive vibes save for mr arse end of the world.

intoflatlines, I've been looking at SF5 Pro and the TF10 especially. But the stick-out-of-the-ear design bothers me a fair bit. Have to audition them though. How do they compare to the UM2. One thing I realised, my budget has totally gone up the roof. Alas what was I expecting.

Ok so far on the shortlist: S4i, UM2 (2nd hand) or Shure SE115 and SF5Pro or TF10. Oh yeah also the Cyclone PR1 Pros, provided I can get my hands on them.

 

[iponderous]

^ I'm sorry but it all struck me as rather self-inflated and ripe for undercutting. The name's iponderous by the way, and I too am a "Jazz enthusiast". Somehow I don't think we'll be comparing notes about the "artistes" milesandcoltrane.

 

[semisight]

Don't bother with the Shure, honestly. I've heard some shure headphones (had the SCL3 for a while) and they weren't all that impressive until the SE530 (and maybe the 420 as well).

I'd say stretch it for the TF10; you can customize them later.