[doctorjazz]

Gets mixed reviews, from my admittedly quick Google search...

 

[MrEleventy]

I own a slightly newer iteration, NFB 12.1 and I think it's great. Warmish and smooth. Pairs well with a bright or thinner soundind headphone. Can be a little too much smoothness when paired with a HD600/HD650. I've paired it mainly with my Beyers (DT880/600 & T90) and now a AD900. It's actually pretty hard to find a dac/amp combo with multiple inputs and a powerful amp at the 100-150ish price mark. I have it hooked up where my soundcard outputs game audio to optical and foobar output directly to the NFB via USB.

 

[esteebin]

Couldn't resist. Went ahead and purchased the PFE022 from earphonesolutions for ~$40. Curious about the sound signature of the green filters. I have the PFE132 and prefer the gray over the black. The black just sounds veiled overall and the gray is more mid-centric and clear.

Back on topic:
Woot has some monster headphones on sale. Haven't seen many reviews on the Inspirarion in-ear version. They have it on sale for $50 and tech bargain review likes them and only gripe is the heavy feeling of the units on the ear.

 

[bikerboy94]

Couldn't resist. Went ahead and purchased the PFE022 from earphonesolutions for ~$40. Curious about the sound signature of the green filters. I have the PFE132 and prefer the gray over the black. The black just sounds veiled overall and the gray is more mid-centric and clear.

Back on topic:
Woot has some monster headphones on sale. Haven't seen many reviews on the Inspirarion in-ear version. They have it on sale for $50 and tech bargain review likes them and only gripe is the heavy feeling of the units on the ear.

I jumped on the PEE012 myself. Under $40 couldn't resist. At least there IEM,s so I can hide from girlfriend easier. There 4th I've bought this years so far. I told her no more for awhile after the 3rd LOL. No wait I told her no more after the 2nd she dose't know about the 3rd yet.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

The 11,12,15 are excellent for the money. Powerful amp, great sound, simple interface and small profile

I own a slightly newer iteration, NFB 12.1 and I think it's great. Warmish and smooth. Pairs well with a bright or thinner soundind headphone. Can be a little too much smoothness when paired with a HD600/HD650. I've paired it mainly with my Beyers (DT880/600 & T90) and now a AD900. It's actually pretty hard to find a dac/amp combo with multiple inputs and a powerful amp at the 100-150ish price mark. I have it hooked up where my soundcard outputs game audio to optical and foobar output directly to the NFB via USB.

 

[K.T.]

I'm also glad the Phonaks are getting a lot of interest. These are great sounding IEMs.

It's good that some of the more affordable models are getting their due. I bought two pair of the PFE122 last year but might have sprung for the more affordable ones had I known the only difference was in filters.

A short while ago, however, I picked up the PFE232 and, boy, are those good. After I got them, I don't even touch my 122s anymore.

But, yeah, even at the sale price, paying almost $300 is still a lot to shell out. Not realistic for everyone.

The value proposition of the lower models at the sale price is pretty great, however.

 

[ibs63]

Buysonic has the Sennheiser HD800 + HD650 together for $1,399.  https://www.buysonic.com/products/sennheiser-hd800-hd650/
Buysonic also has them separately for $1,199 and $329.99

 

[drbluenewmexico]

I must be the only one who LIKES Ety's (have the 4P).
1)It isolates like a MOTHER-nothing else I can mow the lawn, blow the leaves, etc with, really cuts out the sound.
2)I concede they aren't for everyone.You have to be able to tolerate that really deep insertion and get the seal. Then, the bass is there, they do sound really nice, no nasties as far as I can tell. But, if it is weird to insert it really deep, they won't work for you (me, I find it difficult to use these iems that just barely sit in your canal and block very little. To each his own...)

doctorjazz, i had Etys 4P and also the biannual ones, and had to get rid of them cause they caused me to have
hearing problems after i used them, severe buzz, probably tintinitus, in my ears.  don't get that with any other
items unless i really crank them too high.  i wonder if current new models are more efficient and wouldn't do that
to me.  they were of course the first, and one of the best items based on hearing aid technology,. since i don't have
a lawn to mow in new mexico, when else would i find them useful???

 

[doctorjazz]

I guess everyone is different-someone on the Hifiman HE-560 thread was developing tinnitis, and felt it was from the aggressive highs he was noting from the headphones...I haven't had any problems using them...What did you say? What? What? Could you repeat that?

 

[doctorjazz]

I must be the only one who LIKES Ety's (have the 4P).

1)It isolates like a MOTHER-nothing else I can mow the lawn, blow the leaves, etc with, really cuts out the sound.

2)I concede they aren't for everyone.You have to be able to tolerate that really deep insertion and get the seal. Then, the bass is there, they do sound really nice, no nasties as far as I can tell. But, if it is weird to insert it really deep, they won't work for you (me, I find it difficult to use these iems that just barely sit in your canal and block very little. To each his own...)

doctorjazz, i had Etys 4P and also the biannual ones, and had to get rid of them cause they caused me to have
hearing problems after i used them, severe buzz, probably tintinitus, in my ears.  don't get that with any other
items unless i really crank them too high.  i wonder if current new models are more efficient and wouldn't do that
to me.  they were of course the first, and one of the best items based on hearing aid technology,. since i don't have
a lawn to mow in new mexico, when else would i find them useful???

 

[Evshrug]

I was blown away by the Etymotic ER•6i at the Macworld Expo '05, I got to side-by-side compare the Ety and Shure lineup. The Shures at that time were easy for me not to like... The olive tips were hard to fit and all sizes fell out after a few minutes, isolation was good but Ety's were great, and the first three tiers all exhibited distortion off of my iPod, while the Ety's blew me away with their isolation and revealing character. I actually really liked the more flat ER•6 model for it's honesty, the salesman and my dad talked me into the more bass-lifted ER•6i model. My first Hi-Fi headphone.
That said, the foam insertion ritual was annoying if I wasn't going to leave them in, and mostly I had moved on to on-ear headphones a few years later. I did just buy a pair of Audeo, the higher-end model was out of stock unfortunately but I simply couldn't resist the $40 deal.

 

[dabtpa]

Momentum on ears at Rakuten for $85.
 
http://www.rakuten.com/prod/sennheiser-momentum-premium-on-ear-headphone-black/254667845.html

 

[KG Jag]

Schiit Lyr (1) from Schiit by way of Amazon Prime for $329:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Schiit-SCH-03-Lyr-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B004T335BK
 
Valhalla (1) in black or silver directly from Schiit for $279:
 
http://schiit.com/products/valhalla

 

[Hifihedgehog]

I was blown away by the Etymotic ER•6i at the Macworld Expo '05, I got to side-by-side compare the Ety and Shure lineup. The Shures at that time were easy for me not to like... The olive tips were hard to fit and all sizes fell out after a few minutes, isolation was good but Ety's were great, and the first three tiers all exhibited distortion off of my iPod, while the Ety's blew me away with their isolation and revealing character. I actually really liked the more flat ER•6 model for it's honesty, the salesman and my dad talked me into the more bass-lifted ER•6i model. My first Hi-Fi headphone.
That said, the foam insertion ritual was annoying if I wasn't going to leave them in, and mostly I had moved on to on-ear headphones a few years later. I did just buy a pair of Audeo, the higher-end model was out of stock unfortunately but I simply couldn't resist the $40 deal.

I have to admit. As much as I dislike the ER-6i, I like it more than Shure's offerings. The lower models are muffled and dark and the SE-535 is just way too warm. I consider the ER-6i a lesser evil--too bright, but not as bright as Shure's are dark. Audeo is like that perfect happy medium, that do-it-all, pair-of-headphones-for-all-seasons that sounds fantastic with anything you play through it.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

  Buysonic has the Sennheiser HD800 + HD650 together for $1,399.  https://www.buysonic.com/products/sennheiser-hd800-hd650/
Buysonic also has them separately for $1,199 and $329.99

That's a superb deal. You could potentially buy both and resell them for a profit. Or keep them and never upgrade again until the Summit-Fi bug bites really hard and the thought of the HE-1000 can no longer seem to be shaken from your mind.