[semisight]

Hey, I'm new around here. About a year ago I bought a pair of white SCL3s when they were being discontinued for $60. They've been great; the isolation is miles from my noise canceling panasonics, and they sound pretty good too. But since the end of hannukah (yes, I'm Jewish), I've found myself a couple bucks richer, and I've been wondering about upgrading to another pair of 'phones. My dad has been pushing me to get a pair of Grado SR60s, but I'm afraid I won't get as much out of them as a pair of IEMs because I would only wear them at home. At the same time, I don't want to spend more than about $80, and only then if I get a marked improvement in sound quality. My iPod is kinda beat up (long story) so I'm saving for a new one when it comes out.

I'm well aware of the RE0s for $79, and I know the er6i can be obtained for around $70. Are either of them worth it? Are there any other IEMs I should consider, or should I get an amp for my current headphones? There's nothing wrong with my SCL3s, but there seem to be some bargains around right now (I really wish I had gotten some of those TF10s for $99), and if I can get something better, then why not?

EDIT: question's been changed, down here.

 

[mark2410]

RE-0

worth about 4 times their price

 

[semisight]

How well do they isolate, and would they work well with a less expensive amp like the fiio E5?

 

[JaxM]

X2 on the RE-0 listening to mine right now

Just so you know, they are not heavy in the bass department if you are a bass-head I find the bass to be perfectly acceptable though. As for amping they can be driven with out an amp (I'm using one) so I assume the Fiio would work, though I don't have one.

 

[chengbin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by semisight /img/forum/go_quote.gif How well do they isolate, and would they work well with a less expensive amp like the fiio E5?

They don't isolate well (at least nowhere near as your SCL3). I went from a E2c (SCL2) to a RE0. It is a fantastic purchase. I find myself using the Shure tips for better comfort and isolation.

 

[semisight]

Alright, so the RE0 is definitely the way to go. I like bass, but if the RE0 has what my current SCL3s have that's fine.

How good is the RE0 overall? Will I have to upgrade my library? From what I've read they're very transparent, and although most of my music is at or above 192Kbps, it would be a shame if I couldn't enjoy some of my music until I buy CDs and burn it.

 

[chengbin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by semisight /img/forum/go_quote.gif Alright, so the RE0 is definitely the way to go. I like bass, but if the RE0 has what my current SCL3s have that's fine. How good is the RE0 overall? Will I have to upgrade my library? From what I've read they're very transparent, and although most of my music is at or above 192Kbps, it would be a shame if I couldn't enjoy some of my music until I buy CDs and burn it.

If you use your Shure tips, you'll get the same amount of bass.

The RE0 is very good. When you first hear them it doesn't sound like a "high end" pair of earphones because they sound so neutral, but after a while you'll enjoy them.

Assuming they're well encoded (with LAME or NeroAAC, preferably with VBR), you'll be fine. I can't hear a difference between a well encoded 128Kbps VBR MP3 and lossless under blind and non blind conditions with a RE0 with multiple songs from different genres. Apparently the flatter the frequency response (RE0 is very flat), the harder it is to tell the difference between MP3 and lossless, according to the developer of LAME.

 

[rawrster]

192 and above is fine

isolation on them is fine..there are better ones like ety or shure but its good enough for daily use

its been a while since i had the scl3 so i cant comment on the bass since i dont really remember that well

 

[semisight]

Just out of curiosity, what makes for better isolation on the shures and etymotics? It seems to me like the isolation should come mostly from the tips you use - I know some earphones have holes in the back to improve the bass response, but aside from that what makes them so good?

Also, I really like my black shure foam tips, do the RE0s come with anything comfortable like them?

 

[rawrster]

the tips and the way the iems are made

u can use the olives but u have to decore the tube which is fairly easy

the RE0 has single and double flange tips but its up to you if they are comfortable..i found them comfortable but i just like olives better

 

[semisight]

Thanks for all your help, just one last question. Just before summer I'll be going on some lengthy (4-5 hours + 7-9 hours + another 2 hours) flights, so this is really important. Would you wear your RE0s on a plane flight, and can you listen to them for longer periods of time?

 

[rawrster]

i havent taken them on plane flights...but i use them daily

i have around 2 hours of commute with my dap then on my laptop for around 5 hours? then 2 more hours of commute so i can wear them with no problems for extended periods of time

 

[semisight]

Because I like annoying you guys (not really

) I have another question.

My dad has been bugging me to get a pair of full size headphones. He says my IEMs are already good enough, so I'm really not sure what to do. Right now I'm looking at the RE0s, as well as Grados (SR-60) or SRH440s. I feel like I would get buyer's remorse if the phones aren't significantly better than my SCL3s, so I'm hesitant to get anything. Keep in mind my budget is around $80, maybe a little more.

What do I do?

 

[younglee200]

60s arent that much better than scl3s (imo anyways)

re0s sound better than scl3s.

never heard of srh440s

 

[dweaver]

Are you looking for an isolating full size headphone, what type of music do you listen to, is soundstage important to you, what is your budget, do you have a headphone amp?Depending on the answers to those questions we can then help you decide on the right full size headphone or at least point you in the right direction (the fullsize HP forum will give you better information).