Upgrading from the Marshmallows

[Zaiver]

I've been using JVC Marshmallows (Kramer modded) for nearly the past year or so. As of late, my ears have been begging me for a change of pace. And so, I'm back here again after one year. It's good to be back!

However, it's not good to be confused. There are so many recommendations on this board that I feel like I'm on the edge of selling out and just getting the first pair of portable headphones I see in Bestbuy. Fortunately, it hasn't reached that point.....yet.

Here's the summary of my situation:

1. I own a Blackberry Curve, Samsung YP Z5, and Gigabeat F-40. I do most of my music listening on the Curve.
2. I'm not going for an all out upgrade. I'm looking for headphones in the $50 range.
3. I've narrowed down my options a bit. Nuforce NE 7M, Altec Lansing UPH336, and RE2 seem like the most likely candidates.

The questions are: which one should I pick and are there any other headphones that are better in the $50 price range?

And would the NE 7M work on any mp3 player or just the phone based ones?

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[chews89]

I actually upgraded from the marshmallows to RE2s. HUGE improvement IMO. The difference in clarity and soundstage was incredible. Although the RE2s lack in bass somewhat, it was a breath of fresh air from the marshmallows overbearing and overemphasized bass.

So yep, RE2s are a good choice. I say, get them

 

[Zaiver]

How would the RE2 compare to Nuforce and Altec?

 

[Zaiver]

Hello

Any other recommendations?

Is the UPH336 for $40 (at buy.com) a good deal? And how good of an isolation does the RE2 provide?

 

[member1982]

NE 7M uses 3.5mm jack. and should work easily with any type of mp3 players that has the 3.5mm jack. Dont know about th eiphone functions in the middle thou.

 

[Thade]

UPH336 for $40 is an excellent deal. Too good for me to pass on so I bought a pair & some T-500 comply tips

 

[drkazndragon]

@chews89,
does the RE2 at least isolate as much as the marshmallows? (i heard they were open design)

my er-6i is too much isolation haha.

 

[Zaiver]

Do the Comply tips make the UHP336 sound better? Would it be easily driven by the Curve and other mp3 players?

 

[Thade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zaiver /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do the Comply tips make the UHP336 sound better? Would it be easily driven by the Curve and other mp3 players?

I haven't received the comply tips. To my ears, they sound great with soft tips. These aren't my 1st experience with the UE sound. I had a pair of SF3 & recently sold them. I've been "demoing" various IEMs recently: scl3, scl4. I love the comfort, fit & isolation of the Shures but the sound signature just isn't my cup of tea. I couldn't resist the UHP336 for 40.00 so I jumped all over the deal & now that I've had them for a few days I couldn't be happier and regretting that I ever sold my SF3 to begin with

They are pretty sensitive @ 115db so they should be easily drivin by just about anything.

 

[Zaiver]

Nice! These sound like headphones I could dig into. One last question though.....Do they go well with glasses?

 

[Thade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zaiver /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice! These sound like headphones I could dig into. One last question though.....Do they go well with glasses?

They do actually! I can definitely adjust them better if I set the memory wire before putting on my glasses but they work just fine either way. I also ordered a clear UE replacement cable as it seems to be better quality than the stock. If u hate them, I would imagine that they'd be petty easy to resell for at least 40.00 as soon as the buy.com deal expires. I also bought a pair of UHP306 for 19.99 b4 that deal expired on buy.com. Also an excellent deal as they are re-branded Metro.fi 2. The 336/sf3 really blow them away in terms of clarity and balance as the 306 are way too bassy.