Recommend me an IEM
Aug 5, 2010 at 2:12 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 7

Jzbass25

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Hey guys, I've been lurking the forums for the past week because my sony earbuds decided to get 2 shorts in the wire right where the l/r split and I've been trying to figure out which IEM I should get to replace them.
 
I am unsure what sony model they are but I've had them for a few years and I believe I payed around 100 bucks for them (before I really knew about better iems for the same price) but Im sure whatever you suggest will be a great upgrade.
 
My budget is about $100, I may be able to go up to $150. I listen to many types of music such as rock, metal, jazz, blues, funk, classical and sometimes I like to score music so soundstage matters slightly but it isnt my main concern. I mainly listen to things like Steve Vai or Marcus Miller so I would like an an IEM that keeps everything natural and neutral, I dont need the phone to have an extra bass or treble or anything. Also I have a Cmoy pocket amp if I feel the need to amp my phones (yeah Im an audiophile on a budget hah).
 
The main IEM's Ive had my eye on are the Re-Zero, Panasonic Rp-hje900 and the DBA-02. I realize that the Re-Zero is the only one that is $100 so please suggest more phones in the $100 range for me. Also I noticed the DBA-02 is out of stock in the american store so I'd have to wait longer to replace these shorted out phones. But it seems like the DBA is a real winner here so I might have to deal with a period of no phones if I can scrounge $150.
 
Thanks
 
Aug 5, 2010 at 10:23 AM Post #2 of 7
I also have my eye on the Klipsch Custom 3's even though people complain about the wires on both. It seems like the wire would be strong on the 3's just they have microphonics which I do like to walk to class and listen but I might be able to deal with it if they have superior sound quality. I am a huge klipsch speaker fan so I bet I would be happy with their sound quality.
 
I also noticed the store on amazon that sells them also sells them for 9 bucks cheaper on ebay so I think I can trust that the ebay page from the exact same store will not sell me counterfeit buds. (seems like a few bad reviews are from counterfeits)
 
Aug 5, 2010 at 10:27 AM Post #3 of 7
Another great IEM (barely within your budget) is the Radius DDM.
 
 
Aug 5, 2010 at 1:13 PM Post #5 of 7
With my research the custom 3 wires seem very scary since I dont want my IEMs shorting out on me again but does removing the mesh fix the problem or does it just leave a normal cable that also has problems.
 
Right now it seems like the Re-Zero is my best bet (if I cant get 150ish) even though the Klipsch probably sound better, but please offer your 2 cents.
 
Aug 5, 2010 at 3:30 PM Post #6 of 7
I love the sound of my custom 3 when i use them ,they compete very well with my other more expensive iem's , i do not recommend trying to remove the woven cloth cover from the cord though , i have had mine nearly a year now and have no problem with the cable.
 
Aug 5, 2010 at 7:34 PM Post #7 of 7
I think I'm sold on the Custom 3's and if I do ever have problems with the cable then I may just get custom molds with nice wires for the drivers.
 
For the price nowadays on the klipsch it seems like a steal.
 

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