[planetluvver]

I have downsized. Most of what I own has been piled into a dumpster. I don't have any idea where I will be living, nor when, where, or how I will be listening to my CD collection in the future.

Right now, I need some way to listen to music using my phone. I can spend about $30 for earbuds or earphones. I listen to a wide variety of music. My usual genre is folk, but I do like to listen to classical along with a bit of everything else, but no longer as loud as I used to. I also am learning to play guitar and plan to listen to a lot of solo acoustic and classical guitar music.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Raketen]

I don't have a pair myself but these earbuds are very highly regarded and only $5 (plus shipping) http://www.head-fi.org/products/venture-electronics-ve-monk-monk-plus

My own rec would be Zero Audio Carbo Tenore inears , usually around $35, though there is some question about the build quality. If you don't mind clip-ons Koss KSC-75 are great (also prone to falling apart).

This guide is by a head-fie'r and has a lot of budget options depending on your preferred sound type: http://theheadphonelist.com/earphone-buyers-guide/

 

[Ruben123]

I would too have a look at the Monoprice 8320 (very neutral sound, great for acoustical music), KZ ED9 and ZS3 (more consumer friendly with more bass but still quite natural). Have a look at their own topics. Theyre highly praised.

 

[Aida]

I just bought a pair of the KZ zs3 and I love them. You can get them for $10 and they sound as good as most $50 IEMs. Depends what sound signature you're looking for. 

 

[Viqor]

I would too have a look at the Monoprice 8320 (very neutral sound, great for acoustical music)

I can at attest that these are pretty good. I've gone through a few pairs over the years and my only advice is to get some better tips (the ones it comes with are really uncomfortable). Foam works best, but flange tips are also pretty good and are much more durable.

 

[smy1]

**** 4 in 1 or the vivo ex800?

 

[planetluvver]

Thanks everyone!

Raketen, after looking at the guide you recommended, I have decided that I am mostly interested in the balanced profile. This choice is mostly because I want to become more discerning in listening to guitar, which I think could be of benefit in my learning to play. Secondly, I would be interested in the V profile since these have a lot more of the extremely inexpensive choices. I went ahead and ordered two pair of the Venture monk headphones. I want to be sure I have something to listen with before my surgery in late October. (These are shipping from China, so delivery time might be long.) I also looked at the Zero Carbo Audio Tenore, but the price has jumped to $60 or $70.

Ruben123, Aida, Viqor and Smy1, I am researching your recommendations also. Thanks so much! I was finding that Googling reveiws was just not selective enough. "Inexpensive" meant vastly different things to different reveiwers and I was becoming frustrated.

 

[smy1]

Thanks everyone!

Raketen, after looking at the guide you recommended, I have decided that I am mostly interested in the balanced profile. This choice is mostly because I want to become more discerning in listening to guitar, which I think could be of benefit in my learning to play. Secondly, I would be interested in the V profile since these have a lot more of the extremely inexpensive choices. I went ahead and ordered two pair of the Venture monk headphones. I want to be sure I have something to listen with before my surgery in late October. (These are shipping from China, so delivery time might be long.) I also looked at the Zero Carbo Audio Tenore, but the price has jumped to $60 or $70.

Ruben123, Aida, Viqor and Smy1, I am researching your recommendations also. Thanks so much! I was finding that Googling reveiws was just not selective enough. "Inexpensive" meant vastly different things to different reveiwers and I was becoming frustrated.

You can read reviews from http://www.head-fi.org/forum/newestpost/805930, http://www.head-fi.org/forum/newestpost/820747

 

[planetluvver]

I have a question about volume. Will volume ranges be comparable across all of my choices? If not, is there a way to determine the expected maximum volume? The set I am currently using is not loud enough to use while riding the bus. However, they are also made entirely of a hard plastic so thete is not much I can adjust with the fit.

Before posting here, I found an article at thewirecutter.com dated September 7, 2016. I am going to look into those suggestions, too. They recommend the AKG Y20U and the Brainwavz Delta. One criterion they used was best fit for a variety of testers. Since I don't really understand the control and remote differences, I am leaning towards the Delta with the idea that the mic will be useful. Both sound like a V sound profile, but the wirecutter article describes it as a shallow V.

The thread about Chinese products looks intetesting, but definitely beyond my depth at the present time. Eventually, I will be settling into a new home/lifestyle and I hope to replace my home audio setup, so I see much more research in my future!

 

[smy1]

I have a question about volume. Will volume ranges be comparable across all of my choices? If not, is there a way to determine the expected maximum volume? The set I am currently using is not loud enough to use while riding the bus. However, they are also made entirely of a hard plastic so thete is not much I can adjust with the fit.

Before posting here, I found an article at thewirecutter.com dated September 7, 2016. I am going to look into those suggestions, too. They recommend the AKG Y20U and the Brainwavz Delta. One criterion they used was best fit for a variety of testers. Since I don't really understand the control and remote differences, I am leaning towards the Delta with the idea that the mic will be useful. Both sound like a V sound profile, but the wirecutter article describes it as a shallow V.

The thread about Chinese products looks intetesting, but definitely beyond my depth at the present time. Eventually, I will be settling into a new home/lifestyle and I hope to replace my home audio setup, so I see much more research in my future!

Some headphones isolate better then others. If you want to maximize your isolation try some better tip and better seal.

Another good iem is the LG QB3

 

[Viqor]

If you want to maximize your seal/ isolation, I would suggest getting foam tips for whatever iems you end up getting. You squish them down before inserting them and they expand to fit your ear canal, making a great seal. The only downside is that they wear out after a few months, so you will have to replace them once or twice a year.

 

[planetluvver]

I went ahead and ordered the Brainwavz Delta from Amazon. In part because I thought the mic would be useful to have. A freind has an Amazon Prime account, and the free two day shipping was a big incentive.

 

[buke9]

If you got a extra $16 or $20 get a set of comply tips they are very comfortable and isolate well.

 

[planetluvver]

Thanks for the suggestion about the comply tips.

 

[planetluvver]

The Brainwavz Delta arrived yesterday. I listened very briefly. I am happy with the sound of the marimba. Might be a bit too much bass for me. I will likely need more isolation for listening on the bus or outdoors.

I have a question about wearing this IEM. I read that the cotrect way is to loop the wires above and behind the ears. This makes accessing the control difficult because it is high and on the left side.