[tan1415]

Hi all,
 
Hope you guys can help me out here with my decision. I am a noob. But reading the forums and esspecially the excellent reviews here...has started my interests in headphones.(Jokers thread is truly unpararelled)
 
So far i have used Sennheiser MM 50i, Sony MDR XB 20, AKG K 28NC and of course the normal ones that comes with the ipods and phones.
 
Music taste is eclectic. R&B, Pop to county.James Blunt to David Guetta.
 
I am looking for a headphone that i can use with my Ipod and my smartphones.(Samsung Galaxy S/HTC desire).
 
At first I was looking at the Meelec 9M, Nuforce Ne6 or Soundmagic PL30. Basically a budget that i am used to and i am comfortable with. Till i read the forums..tbh I never heard about them. Reading the reviews ...it seems to be great quality and value compared with my sennheisers or teh OEM headpohnes.
 
But reading these forums it got me interested in the upperlevel headphones.
I can buy the Qjays for $130/140.-- Seems like a good price.Normal price is around $230.
Or the Head-Direct RE0 for 80$.
 
Should I go for the more expensive models? IF so so whoich one. Would it be a huge upgrade with ipod and smartphones that i use to listen to music with over the more budget friendly models.
Also with my Smartphone i will use handsfree adapter to connect the headphones to my phone.
 
With what i read here it has peaked my interested in buying some higher level Headphones and with the way i tend to (mis)use them...spendings o much kinda scares me.
 
Anyway looking forward to your input and help.
 
 
 

 

[mark2410]

well you dont really give any criteria and i suspect you havent heard much so dont really know where it is you want to go.
 
so id say for you the M3 is a good option as its a great all rounder in ways the RE-0 or Q-Jays arent however pairing either of those two with a little FiiO E5 would give them more of a low end and balance them up.
 

 

[Jonasklam]

 
I'd say go with q-jays, you might as well get some good gear. Just be prepared that they don't have much bass quantity.
 

 

[tan1415]

Hi Guys,
 
Thanks for ypur replies.
 
Mark: You are spoton I dont have a lot of experience. Its just what I read in the Head Fi forums have perked up my interest and curiosity in the world headphones.
 
I use it purely for my IPOD nano 5G and with my smartphones when i listen to music or when using handsfree.
 
I know that replacing OEM headphones will be a big improvement. It was an eye opener for me that the most headphones I use are basically budget level! And they weren't even highly rated ones at that. So I want to buy a headphone that is highly recommended here and see how big the difference will be.
 
What I want is basically 2 things:
 
1) An improvement that is noticeble for me compared with what i am used to.
2) Of course Biggest bang 'for the buck.
 
Finding that sweetspot for me is hard...esspecially due to my inexperience and lack of knowledge.
So yep...a good allrounder would be best. And TBH the RE0 and Qjays scares me a bit with the loose filters and stuff.And looking at my list of owned headphones...all are kinda bassheavy. And I definitely want a headphone that doesnt need an external amp.
 
So with Qjays/RE0 on the backburner...this is my new shortlist:
 
Soundmagic PL 30 $ 22,50
Meelec M9 $27
 
Nuforce Ne6 $43
Brainwavz M1 $40 (free Fiio E5)
 
Brainwavz M2 $ 59.50 (Free Fiio e5 amp)
Soundmagic PL50 $53
 
Jays a Jays 3 $ 65(Gets free 16gn usb stick)
Jays S jays $ 65
Fischer Audio Eterna $69
 
Brainwavz M3 $90 (Free Fiio E5)
 
You still recommend the M3 here?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

 

[Pianist]

How much can you spend? I recommend trying a used Hifiman RE262 that you can buy from the forum for $150-$170. Those will wipe the floor with anything else in that price range guaranteed, but then I am not sure how much bass and treble you desire to hear - if you are after pounding bass and sizzling highs, the RE262 won't give you that, but if you want a technically brilliant and delicately musical IEM, then RE262 is the one to get. Note, I haven't heard RE262, but having heard the RE252 and RE0 I have no doubt at all that what I am saying is true. Hifiman always makes great stuff for the money.

 

[mark2410]

from your new short list id still say M3, its a good all rounder and is pretty great sounding

 

[tan1415]

hmm. Max budget is 140$. I am not that crazy about buying second hand.
But that's really pushing it. (Is like double or triple what i normally would spend)
 
Problem is I dont really know what I like yet. The headphones i have in the past seems to be rather bass heavy cans.(AKG28/26, MM50/CX300)
 
Btw what i truly find interesting here is how the chinese headphones manufacturers are starting to market their own headsets...giving better bang for the buck.(as expected) But also proving they are equal to the western companies with customer service.
 
Is hopefully a sign of things to come...when they do the same with other products. Start selling great items for a lower price....and bring customerservice to match it too.
 
 
 

 

[tan1415]

Does the M3 require ex ternal amp?

 

[mark2410]

no
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/521551/brainwavz-m3-review

 

[tan1415]

Hi Mark Thanks for your help/info. Did a readup on all your reviews. Nice info.
 
Now thinking about if i want to spend below or above $50.
 
Think M3s will be it if i go over $50.
But when u look at the $50 earphones. Which would u advice me?
 
Soundmagic PL 30 $ 22,50
Meelec M9 $27
 
Nuforce Ne6 $43
Brainwavz M1 $40 (free Fiio E5)
Meelex M11+ $46 (Can catch a nice deal on these)
 
Brainwavz M2 $ 59.50 (Free Fiio e5 amp)
Soundmagic PL50 $53
 
 
PS if you are looking for a little quid pro quo. My hobby is HT. Could help you out in that area.

 

[mark2410]

for under US$50 the PL-50 M1 and M2 are all good options but different flavours, M1 more trebly, M2 bassy and rich, 50 middy and smooth.  all good but only you know what flavour you prefer

 

[tan1415]

I listen only to Mp3s(320,192 quality) from Ipod and samrtphones.
 
Is the quality i listen to be good enough for the M3?
Right now its between the M2 or M3.M2 because of price and I am not sure about the M3 fit.
 
Pretty crappy that at m4nation they dont give the full package anymore without discounting the price. Still getting the e% sounds nice.

 

[mark2410]

320 is fine and 192 will be on the whole okay, it depends on the track, treble gets more rough and scratchy the lower the bit rate but you should be able to live with it.

 

[tan1415]

In meantime i got into some meelec action.
Wonder which meelec i am getting. At 15€. Sharp price.
 
Will now be able to compare with the Brainwavzs.

 

[tan1415]

 
Hi mark,
 
Got the M9. First IEM that i bought based on the reviews here. I must say...at first HUGELY dissappointed.. Couldnt believe this was so highly rated.
 
The headphone seems to change the sound of the songs i listen to. Every high note ends in a CZH sound. It seems it cant handle any highnote cleanly. If u know the song don't dream its over sang by Susan Boyle. It got butchered. The harder I play the worse it gets. I have to lower the volume to max 60% otherwise the highs is too harsh.
This should be a bassheavy IEM. Tbh it is loud. But to me it hangs just below midbasslevel, but doesnt extend very deep. So you miss the fast midbass and you also miss the real deep bass. What you get is alot of loud woolly almost bass.Whats irritating is when it comes...it's so dominating/overbearing.
 
Luckily I tried the normal plugs. Replacing the biflangs. With the new plugs.Isolation is not as good.But the sound improved...alot. The highs are still very harsh. But it doesnt butcher/change every high you hear. The bass is improved to. Not as woolly or as dominant. It still doesnt extend very low though and not what you call thumping fast bass. Still the highs and lows overcrowds the mids and simply pushed the mids to the back.How can the plugs be such a huge influence?
 
I have just listened a few hours.When i get more hours in...would it further improve?
 
But still i learned a lot.The influence of the earplugs. Surprised me how huge it was.
The most important lesson....I dont want a similar IEM. Is the brainwavz M2 similar? With pronounced highs and lows that overcrowds the mids. I like it more balanced.Still wnat the crystal clear highs. But they must be smooth and not harsh. The bass..if possible. Some real extension would be nice...but with a nice  thump to it. Or is this combo impossible at my price range? Anyway most of all..better balanced sound.
Also the music i listen to is based on singers.From country to RnB. I dont listen instrumentals. Does this mean that mids(voices) are important to me?
 
Hope you can help me out.