Upgrading from cheap iPod earphones to canalbuds

[Metaleer]

Hey, all.
 
I sort of got tired of the cheap earphones that come with the iPod, and other similar earbuds.
 
So, I've decided to purchase some entry-level canalbuds.
 
Here are the four options I have; I have listed them from cheapest to most expensive.
 
Sony MDR-EX10LP (12 Euros): Cheapest of all. The website doesn't state that this model comes with small, medium and large eartips, however one reviewer pointed out that he bought these just for the extra ear tips. Does anyone know if it comes with a set of eartips? Perhaps it depends on the country.
 
TDK MC-300 (12.50 Euros): Same query as above.
 
Philips SHE3570 (14.90 Euros).
 
Panasonic RP-HJE270 (25.59 Euros): Has received glowing reviews on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
 
So, does anyone have any experience with these canalbuds, or similar ones? Which is the best for the price, taking into consideration comfort, sound isolation, and sound quality?
 
I listen to metal from my iPod, and the files are fairly high quality (atleast 192 kbps).
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[LegendaryLvl1]

Just having fun

On a serious note, you wouldn't consider investing a bit more than 25 pounds on a pair of IEM's? Is it for any reason at all? Like you lose them a lot or something? 

I would definitely recommend that you save up to around 50 pounds (roughly $75 AUD) and purchase a better pair of IEM's - this way, I believe head-fiers will be able to help more (due to the exposure of >$ products)

 

[Metaleer]

LegendaryLvl1, thanks for the reply.

 
To be fair, only some are 192 kbps. Most are VBR, ripped with the (--alt)-preset standard (, that is, -v2 in newer versions) of the LAME encoder.

 
The actual reason is that I'm a broke college student, and for the moment, I was only looking for an improvement. Do you think it's recommended to jump into the slightly more expensive equipment straight away?
 
I appreciate your advice, and I will start looking for some IEM's of about 50 pounds (which is about 57 Euros) that are available at stores near me, where I actually live (right now I am abroad on vacation).

 

[Dom de B]

 
If at all possible, get more expensive earphones. Don't go crazy and like pay $200 or anything but £75 will give you enough to look at a wide variety of headphones and get a good idea of what sounds nice. If your sure of your budget. Go for sennheiser CX-300 s or some cheap creatives. The most economical earphone i can offer is a pair of £3 creative buds that my brother buys off of amazon everytime. I'll have to go find the link. He isn't an audiophile but he knows enough about sound to have a pair of KRK Rockit 8's on his desk.
 
These are the earphones - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-EP-630-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B0009G6FQI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312048716&sr=8-1 that says 8.75 but below it people are selling the exact same thing for a fiver.

 

[Metaleer]

They seem nice, definitely. Great reviews on Amazon, for sure. I'll try to locate those.

 

[Metaleer]

Another decent one I've managed to find for a not so bad price of 99 Euros, are the Shure SE115-CL.
 
Anyone have experience with these? They have great reviews on Amazon.

 

[ZARIM]

I will highely recommend to try Sony EX310, EX510, they are detailed yet fun to listen and fit snugly in the ear and feel sturdy. But if you can raise your budget to $150 then i will highely recommend to buy Sony EX600 or GR07, both offers such an amazing clarity without scrificing fun part of music with deep rich bass. They are huge step above iBuds in term of overall details, soundstage and bass.

 

[DaBomb77766]

I think it's worth checking out something by Brainwavz, Meelectric or Soundmagic...those tend to have higher bang-for-buck than the bigger brands.

 

[BattleBrat]

I'm using the Sound Magic PL50's right now, I am quite impressed how smooth they are! I put triflanges on them MUCH better!, Sony X1061/Leckerton UHA-4/PL-50= Awesome!
If memory serves the PL50's are about $50 USD here in the states, and they are balanced armature.

 

[Metaleer]

Appreciate all the answers, I'll check all those out.