What are some good IEMs comparable to the Grado sound?

[Daveed84]

Specifically I'm looking for a bright sounding IEM with exceptional clarity.

I'm looking to replace a pair of Futuresonics Atrio m5's that were a bit muddy for my tastes, and also very dark sounding. The reason I'm replacing them? I've literally lost them. I can't find them anywhere. $180 down the drain. But it does give me a good excuse to get something else. So, is there anything out there like what I'm looking for? My price range is ~$200 USD.

 

[Daveed84]

Oh, and my main cans are a pair of Grado SR-225s, unamped. I have a Total Airhead but I don't use it much. I find that my iPod Classic 120 GB drives them just fine.

 

[gadgetman]

For exceptional clarity and those sparkly highs, consider Phonak Audeos. They come with 2 years warranty and some 14 or 30 days money-back guarantee for you to try out.

 

[syn_fx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gadgetman /img/forum/go_quote.gif For exceptional clarity and those sparkly highs, consider Phonak Audeos. They come with 2 years warranty and some 14 or 30 days money-back guarantee for you to try out.

x2, especially if you found the Atrios too muddy and dark sounding.

PFEs with portable amp would be well within your budget - they are bright sounding (using grey filters) without amplification. They have a brutal reputation for clarity.

What kind of music do you listen to?

 

[Daveed84]

I listen to mostly rock music, some electronic music. Radiohead, Muse, Coldplay, Weezer, Secede, Kettel, Aphex Twin, Pete Yorn, Dave Matthews Band, Aqualung, Badly Drawn Boy, R.E.M., The Flashbulb. That kind of stuff. I'm not a huge basshead but I do like a good amount of bass. Any IEMs I get should have at least as much bass as unamped Grado SR-225s. I'd rather not use an amp for my IEMs because I'd be only using them at work. I need to be able to keep everything in my pocket

Oh, and one other thing, they should be easy to insert and remove. I had no problem inserting and removing my Atrios quickly, so it would be nice to have that same sort of convenience.

 

[K_19]

Not an IEM, but PK2's seem very Grado like to me. Sparkly highs and upfront mids. Lesser extending but tight bass. If OK series (which are sort of IEM's if you make them to be... its an hybrid) are anything like this signature then it may be something to look into.

 

[Daveed84]

I've actually been considering the Etymotic ER4P, but I keep hearing that it has terrible bass response. I hadn't considered the PK2. Is it really that comparable to what I'd get from a full size can like the Grado?

 

[Daveed84]

I ended up going with the Phonax PFEs.


Thanks for all the suggestions!