[singla]

i have a CX 300 II.They work fine on PC and some phones but for some they behave like cheap $10 earphones.The bass is nice and i am happy with the bass but on high volume there is too much sibilance in these for some phones.
I have also listened to SoundMagic E10,they also sound great but the problem of sibilance is there also.
Can you please suggest me some nice earphones(IEMs)(any vendor like audio technica, panasonic, sony or else) around $50 range available in India????
Among CX 300 II and E10 which one is better??

 

[julian67]

Genuine CX300-II aren't prone to sibilance and have extremely low distortion so I doubt the problem is with the earphones (unless they are fakes). Chances are you're noticing one or both of poor quality audio output by the hardware or quite low quality lossy files.

It's normal for phones to sound quite bad compared even with PC integrated audio. You would probably do better to buy a cheap dedicated audio player like a Sansa Clip+ or Clip Zip. In many places this would cost less than a new set of IEMs and certainly sound a lot better than 99% of phones.

 

[singla]

Could anyone recommend me some good IEM in this budget or should i go with the E10's????

 

[tquickbrownfox]

You're gonna have to lay out what kind of music/sound you like.
CX300-ii has more bass than E10. E10 has much lesser bass (though generally, I'd say both are on the bassier side). The E10's bass is much less bloated. It's much tighter.
Then there's the mids. E10's mids are a lot smoother. However, some genres benefit from that, some don't.
E10's highs are nice, CX300-ii's aren't bad either. Slight edge to E10. 
 
For me the CX300-ii's large bass kinda spoil the rest of the frequency range.
 
Then you gotta figure out what kind of sound you like in terms of spaciousness (I many not be using the most accurate/appropriate vocabulary, if someone more experienced is on this thread, correct me).
 
The CX300-ii's sound is very intimate (due to the slightly bloated 'overbearing' bass). These make the CX300-ii's very immersive. Some genres benefit from it, some people like the whole 'immersive' sound. However, this intimate, immersive sound comes at the cost of layering. This is where the E10 excels. The sound is wide and airy and roomy. The silence between sounds is nice and black. There is a much better sense of spaciousness. Different instruments, different 'layers' of sounds are well presented. Personally, this spaciousness is what sold me on the Soundmagic products. While it will lack the intimacy of the CX300-ii, it'll gain the spaciousness. Also, if you're using these for gaming, the E10's are significantly better.
 
From a sound quality perspective, amongst the two, I'd go for the E10.
 
There's other things to think of too, beyond just the sound quality:
(1) The market is littered with CX300 fakes. Be careful. As long as you've got a certified seller, you're safe.
(2) The Fit/Comfort. The CX300-ii is a dream. It fits amazingly well. You could fall asleep in it. The CX300 (and the similarly shaped/designed EP630) are amazingly comfortable. Period. The E10's are a whole other story. The housings are tubby, kinda uncomfortable on some ears. Could work fine with the right ears, but there's absolutely no denying that the CX300-ii are the epitome of comfort.
(3) Build quality. I'm not sure you'd care much for this, they're budget iems, you could use it for a few months and throw them later, no harm done. But if you care, the E10's come with aluminum housings and a twisted 'weaved' cable. Much better than the plastic and rubber on the CX300.
 
Now. Other options.
Firstly, there's the E30. Basically what the E10 does to the CX300-ii (reduce bass, tighter bass, better sq, spaciousness), the E30 does further. Even lesser bass. Where the E10 are bassy, the E30 are more balanced (some people still call it a hair bassier than neutral). These are not as bassy as the E10. That makes them less suitable for a few genres. The mids on the E30 are marvelous. Extremely smooth. The treble is great. Sparkly with no spikes or sibilance. More spacious and significantly better layering when compared to the E10. You might find its shape/shallow fit bothersome, though. 
Other option - Signature Acoustice C12. Made in India. Its worth being proud of. Now how I described the E30 being a better E10 of sorts, think of the C12 as a significantly, significantly better CX300-ii. The same bassy and intimate sound, but quality bass. Deep bass. And it has a lot more 'dimensionality' than the CX300-ii. Also, great build quality and accessory set. With this in the market, personally, I think there's no reason to buy the CX300-ii. Well, except for the CX300-ii's comfort. 
 
Others to consider. (disclaimer: no personal experience on the following)
Kilpsch S4. Had an ears-on on a friend's pair. Not worth the price. However. These are often found on discount. That's when you hit the button. They're worth it if you find them at around $50.
Audio Technica CKN50. Never heard them myself. I can't imagine myself liking the fit. But there's a whole thread on head-fi thats a fan of these and the higher ckn70. Generally, you can't go wrong with audio technica. But good luck finding the reviews, they've got a billion different iems for different sounds, and a billion different versions for each region. 
Brainwavz M1/M2/ProAlpha - They're good. Worth the money. Not exceptional for the price, but generally likable sound. Good build quality, good comfort. Nothing wrong with these. 

 

[singla]

Well thanx tquickbrownfox.....thank you very much for such detail.
so taking ur advice i am thinkin of buying Signature Acoustice C12.
i like listening to pop,rock, dance (mostly trance).
So i think that won't be a bad buy??
(Actually the cx 300 II are in replacement).

 

[tquickbrownfox]

Well thanx tquickbrownfox.....thank you very much for such detail.
so taking ur advice i am thinkin of buying Signature Acoustice C12.
i like listening to pop,rock, dance (mostly trance).
So i think that won't be a bad buy??
(Actually the cx 300 II are in replacement).

At the price point of $50, you can't go wrong with either of those options. Generally, I consider the E10/E30 to sound good with all genres, while the C12 will sound good with a few specific bass heavy, beat driven genres.
 
The three genres you mentioned are very very distinct. Pop is either mid-centric or bassy, rock needs a nice v shape, etc. I think the E10/E30 are the better alternative for rock. Especially if you're gonna be listening to live recordings of rocks songs. C12 are too dark and intimate to enjoy those. Not bad, but E10/E30 have the clear advantage for rock (and for classical/orchestral, if I may add).
Conversely, I'd say that the C12 is significantly better for dance/trance. Maybe a few of the trebly songs could benefit from the E10/E30's better treble, but generally, C12 will deliver a better bass that is essential for dance/trance.
I'm not very familiar with pop, but to my knowledge, pop is in itself quite varied.
 
Again, you're not going wrong with either purchase. They will both get you your money's worth, and if the sound signature suits you, it'll get you more than your money's worth.
 
Its the Head-Fi world. Either of these IEMs are a good place to start. Your first purchase generally teaches you vastly about how sound works, how music works and about your own tastes. You will be better equipped to make your second purchase, and by then, you'll yourself know what the right sound signature is and what product to go for.
 
Also, there's a dedicated forum for introductory recommendations. This post should be there.

 

[airomjosh]

I have most of the popular entry level iems from China  such as Soundmagic, Visang, Vsonic, Astrotec, Lear and many others. For, 50 USD price bracket and for the type of music you listen to, you cant go wrong with Vsonic VSD1. 

 

[singla]

can u send me the link to that page??

 

[airomjosh]

can u send me the link to that page??

I was just saying that I have them and to my ears Vsonic VSD1 is the best in terms of sound quality. I have no link to provide but if you want to see a review of those IEMS, you might want to check jokerl's thread. http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-302-iems-compared-1964ears-v6-stage-added-11-12-13-p-806

 

[tquickbrownfox]

can u send me the link to that page??

If you were asking me, then you were supposed to make posts like this one on this page:
http://www.head-fi.org/f/7840/introductions-help-and-recommendations
 
VSonic and the like are great for the price in USD, but I'm not too sure about their availability in India. After Import expenses, I doubt they'll still be the 'steal' that they are. 
 
A quick google search shows that VSonic and Astrotec iems are available from a website called "HiFiNage", but I doubt its legit. Never heard of it before, but if you wanna take the leap, go for the GR06, being sold for 3.6k Rupees. I haven't tried it personally but it is very well received in the community.
 
Otherwise stick will C12 (Or E10/E30). You're not going wrong with either. Stop worrying about every 100 rupees here and there.
 
Stick with what is easily available. Odds are that you're (1) either gonna enjoy these iems and will want to purchase more expensive ones, or (2) you're gonna find these better than stock, but 'meh' otherwise. Either ways, its best to not to spent too much time struggling with the "which iem" question. Jump on your purchase. Only on your second purchase will you really be able to say which iem is right for you. Not trying to be condescending or anything, you'll understand what I'm saying. Right now each shot is a shot in the dark. Any IEM purchase right now isn't about "getting the right iem" its about getting an IEM that'll inform you about what you like in sound. And anything will do, as far as that goes. Both of those iems mentioned (E30/C12) are fairly equal. Different, but neither is gonna get you massively more value than the other. 
 
I'll repeat - try not to make this purchase about "Finding the best iem you can get for x amount of money", make it about "getting a good iem that'll let you explore sound as a whole".
 
You can be picky on your second purchase.

 

[singla]

will E30's over the ear design and lesser isolation be a problem??

 

[tquickbrownfox]

will E30's over the ear design and lesser isolation be a problem??

Over the ear design isn't a problem. I takes an extra couple of seconds while putting it on and taking it off, but thats it. After that, it gives a more stable fit wherein your earlobes take the weight rather than your earcanals. More importantly, over the ear fit gets rid of microphonics. On this website, very often even straight down iems are recommended to be worn over ear.
 
Lesser isolation (which is caused due to a shallower fit) can be a problem. Depends on your usage. Its still pretty decent isolation, when compared to headphones, but it isolates less than other iems. If this is going to bother you, then go for the C12. Personally, I thought that I can live with the lesser isolation. BTW, it is only marginally lesser isolation, nothing to fret about. If you travel in buses or trains a lot, then yeah, it might be a dealbreaker. 
 
Go for the C12. The only reason why I personally prefer the E30 out of the two is because of my own personal taste in music. I listen to classical, classic rock, and progressive rock. The C12's trebles are lacking and the tone is generally too dark for rock. E30 has a slight V shape which is better for my genres. 
 
For pop (and bollywood), the C12 is better. E30 is better for any analytical genre due to its great soundstage and significantly better layering. C12 is better than the E30 for any beat driven songs, so that include most of the pop songs.
 
Just make your purchase, don't overthink it. Neither of the choices is a bad purchase. Think of it this way - each day you delay, you're missing out on one day's worth of usage. I'm saying this because I've been down on this road, spending too much time lurking in forums, trying to learn everything there is to know, wasting hours of my life and waiting for weeks before my purchase. Just get either one. Neither is a bad purchase. 

 

[okibcn]

Dear All, I post in this thread because I am looking for something up to $100. I have lost my CX300 after 9 years!!!! serving every day, having them in my pocket without any case, using them while other new IEM were forgotten in the bottom of some drawer. The only issue I started to suffer last year was the plate of the connector, It started to do some creeping noise caused by losing the contact to the phone/iPad/laptop socket.
 
I was so happy with them that my first choice was to buy the same model. Sadly the original CX300 are not sold anymore, but the CX300-II seem to be the same after all. This is what I like from them:
 
- Small, so small that you can sleep with them sideways without any issue. That is amazing!
- Comfortable: It will depend on the ears, but the fit is amazing too.
- Good sound/bass: I really like the deep and immersive bass while enjoying the crisp and clear high. I use to hear EDM or New Age music and they make me feel INSIDE the music.
- Good isolation: I travel a lot in airplanes so good isolation is a must.
 
With all this in mind, I want to have at least the same combination of features if not better. After reviewing the huge IEM database at theheadphonelist.com I have some contenders:
- Sennheiser CX300-II (Is it my best option? after 9 years there should be something better!!!)
- HiFiMan RE-400 (Will they be as comfortable as the CX300 when sleeping on one side? What about the immersive bass?)
- Velodyne vPulse (Will they be as comfortable as the CX300 when sleeping on one side? Will I have good isolation?)
 
I am confused because there are many options, maybe the Philips SHE3590, or the HiSoundAudio Wooduo 2... My main concern is sound quality, with good bass, small size and good isolation.
 
Any suggestion?
 
Thanks in advance
 
Oki d-.-b

 

[singla]

vsonic vc02 is available through "ebay" and "hifinage" at a price of around 3K.
I am thinking about these.

 

[airomjosh]

  Dear All, I post in this thread because I am looking for something up to $100. I have lost my CX300 after 9 years!!!! serving every day, having them in my pocket without any case, using them while other new IEM were forgotten in the bottom of some drawer. The only issue I started to suffer last year was the plate of the connector, It started to do some creeping noise caused by losing the contact to the phone/iPad/laptop socket.
 
I was so happy with them that my first choice was to buy the same model. Sadly the original CX300 are not sold anymore, but the CX300-II seem to be the same after all. This is what I like from them:
 
- Small, so small that you can sleep with them sideways without any issue. That is amazing!
- Comfortable: It will depend on the ears, but the fit is amazing too.
- Good sound/bass: I really like the deep and immersive bass while enjoying the crisp and clear high. I use to hear EDM or New Age music and they make me feel INSIDE the music.
- Good isolation: I travel a lot in airplanes so good isolation is a must.
 
With all this in mind, I want to have at least the same combination of features if not better. After reviewing the huge IEM database at theheadphonelist.com I have some contenders:
- Sennheiser CX300-II (Is it my best option? after 9 years there should be something better!!!)
- HiFiMan RE-400 (Will they be as comfortable as the CX300 when sleeping on one side? What about the immersive bass?)
- Velodyne vPulse (Will they be as comfortable as the CX300 when sleeping on one side? Will I have good isolation?)
 
I am confused because there are many options, maybe the Philips SHE3590, or the HiSoundAudio Wooduo 2... My main concern is sound quality, with good bass, small size and good isolation.
 
Any suggestion?
 
Thanks in advance
 
Oki d-.-b

Since you already visited theheadphonelist, try reading this--->http://theheadphonelist.com/holiday-buyers-guide-best-earphones-under-50/#comment-938