[happy spastic]

Hi guys,
 
this is my first post on the forum.  Fantastic info, well done!
 
I am just looking into getting some IEM's, it will be my first pair.  I decided to step it up from the stock standard iphone buds.  They will mainly be for working out, I lift weights and do plyometric's and what not so I thought these would be better than another pair of buds or headphones.  But I'd like them to be a good all rounder, with the benefit of staying in and out of the way during a work out .. if that makes sense? 
 
I saw joker's fantastic round-up and had a good look through that.  Problem is I live in Brisbane Australia, and I'm not 100% sure where I can buy alot of those IEM's .. we mainly stock the standard brands like sony, klipsch, sennheiser etc. As such I have been looking at either a set of klipsch s5i ruggeds or a set of sony XBA - 2's.  I have read a few reviews saying the XBA - 2's are a great unit but probably a bit over priced.  My question is what other mainstream units are available for around the $150 mark, or do any of you know where in the city sells anything worth the money?
 
I would prefer to spend around $150, but willing to go to $200 if it makes enough of a difference.
 
cheers
mark

 

[ostewart]

Shure SE215 for about $100

 

[ZARIM]

The XBA2 are great pair of IEMs but in similar price range you can buy better sounding IEMs like GR07, GR01, Klipsch Image X10, UE TF10Pro and others IIEMs like JVC FXD80, Yamaha EPH100, Sony XB90EX, TDK BA200 are recommended.

 

[djvkool]

Logitech UE700

 

[happy spastic]

Hey there.
 
I just went and picked up a pair of XBA - 2VP .. I was given a great deal (about %30) on the xba - 2 direct from sony and then kept having a look around and harvey norman dropped the price of theirs to match on the xba - 2vp.  I was thinking they were the same unit with just the phone control as the difference. 
 
However upon closer inspection now I'm home I realise that the 2vp's are an 8ohm impedance unit vs the 2's 12ohm.  Also the xba-2 just go straight into an L plug, the xba-2vp's are a straight plug with a conversion cord (although i don't think this makes much difference). 
 
Do you think there is much in the way of sound degredation given the lower impdedance on the 2vp's, and is it enough to worry about swapping over?  The mic and volume control are not important at all, I honestly just cbf walking back down to sony so I picked the units up at Harvey's.
 
EDIT - but after all of that these are my first decent set of head phones ever, not to mention my first IEM's .. and to my ears they do sound great.  I just hate the thought of not getting a unit as good as I should have.
 
cheers
Mark