[Rpg2]

Hey everyone!

I've been reading around for the last few weeks here at Head-Fi being interested in new IEMs.

I want to know which pair of IEMs are right for me before I buy, that and I'm curious. I don't know what my budget will be, but it will probably stay out of the Image X10s, Triple Fi 10s, or SE530 price range.

I don't have much of a set up, but this is what I got:

Home: 192/320 kbps MP3s (<5% 128 kbps MP3s) > Foobar > Xtreme Gamer (Creative ASIO) > JVC FX-66

Portable: 192/320 kbps MP3s (same as above) > 2nd Gen iPod Nano > JVC FX-66

I listen mostly to Jpop and Jrock. I have a Fiio E3 on the way because I read people saying it was worth the 8$, and it was cheap too.

So what pair of IEMs does the Head-Fi community recommend for me with all the info I've posted above?

 

[Rpg2]

Bump, anybody?

 

[Crackerman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rpg2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, are high priced (> 40$) earphones worth it? I can't imagine how much better they can sound. My older sets of earphones include the stock Nano ear buds and some 10$ pair of Philips ear buds so hopefully you can see where I am coming from.

You'd be surprised, I certainly was. I used to be adamant that £30 'phones are just fine and that there was no need to spend huge sums of money on such things until I was tempted into buying some Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5's.

At first I was actually proven right, sort of. They sounded nice, but nowhere near as nice as the price tag suggested so I sold them and decided to give it one more go and stumped for the Triple.fi's.

Thats when I was proven completely wrong. I've had my Triple.fi's for a year and I've not wanted for another portable earphone since; they sound amazing. Even without an amp, even with bog-standard compressed iTunes tracks they still do a great job. I'll admit its still a lot of cash to put up for headphones, but the right ones really can open up your music.

Ultimate Ears have a pretty wide range of cheaper phones out at the moment too. My girlfriend has a pair of cheap Metro.fi 100's which sound really nice, if a little too bass-heavy for me.

edit: good god I sound like such a shill for UE.

 

[jonathanjong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rpg2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, are high priced (> 40$) earphones worth it?

$40. That amused me. *grin* I'm been infected by the disease that is upgraditis...

Anyway...it's a pretty subjective thing, whether "high priced" headphones are "worth it." A lot of people are happy with their iBuds. One step up, a lot of people are happy stopping at JVC Marshmallows/CX300s/KSC75s. Actually, the KSC75s are a special set. There are quite a few people here with pretty expensive setups who still use their 75s. Fact is, there's a point of diminishing returns in this hobby. My opinion is, the point's pretty low. Most people who go from iBuds to CX300s (for example) go: Wow! But from CX300 to SE530, most people go: Yea, that sounds better...but how much is this thing? Chronic Head-Fiers, of course, are not "most people."

My point is: If you're "most people", you can probably stop early. I dunno about $40, but probably at $60 (for supra-aurals, e.g., PX100, PortaPro, SR60) and definitely at $120 (for IEMs and circum-aurals, e.g., C551, RE2; D1001, Q40, ES7). Personally, I think my itch for better sound will stop at $200-$300 (e.g., C751, HD25-1 II, D2000/HD600). Then it's on to a new hobby...

Hope this helps.

 

[Rpg2]

I don't have plans to keep upgrading every few months. I just want to get a good set that will last me a long while and stop there. I don't want to be infected with Upgraditis, sounds scary.

Would you say 150-200$ earphones be worth it for the money compared to the cheaper 120$ sets you mentioned? SA6, SF5. etc.

@Crackerman: How much better do the UE 10s sound to justify being more worth it than the SF 5's which are nearly half the price?

It's great that you found the right set of IEMs for yourself though.

 

[toughnut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rpg2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif @Crackerman: How much better do the UE 10s sound to justify being more worth it than the SF 5's which are nearly half the price?

U curious? u shown the first sign of Upgraditis

 

[obobskivich]

as far as earbuds go, I've heard wonderful things about the Yuin PK2 and PK1 (PK1 needs amp)

as far as IEM's or ECH's, theres a LOT LOT on the market to consider, Denon, Klipsch, UE, Ety, Shure, Senn, etc

 

[Rpg2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by toughnut /img/forum/go_quote.gif U curious? u shown the first sign of Upgraditis

What!? Just by being curious??? Quick, get me the cure!

Sorry if I confused you guys, I meant IEMs. I'm guessing that is what my pair of FX-66s are. I like the isolation (if you can call it that) from my FX-66s a lot, especially when I'm at school and they're blaring music so loud that I can feel the bass while holding a water bottle (hope that made sense).

I wasn't aware that Denon made IEMs. I recognize the other companies though except Yuin and Ety.

I'll edit the first post so I don't confuse anyone else.

 

[obobskivich]

I think you're talking about ECH's, not IEM's

 

[Rpg2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by obobskivich /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think you're talking about ECH's, not IEM's

What are ECHs?

As long as they isolate well and sound great, they're all the same to me.

 

[obobskivich]

Ear-Canal Headphone, which is what Denon makes

Inner Ear Module is like the UE and Klipsch 'phones, which are much different from ECH's

ear buds are like what apple includes with the ipod stock, Yuin makes some of the best buds on the market (from what I've read so far, then again, there isn't much of a market for buds, so, yeah)

 

[Crackerman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rpg2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif @Crackerman: How much better do the UE 10s sound to justify being more worth it than the SF 5's which are nearly half the price?

A surprising amount. I was worried I'd wasted my money and they wouldn't be that much better but they were miles ahead of the SF5's.

 

[Rpg2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by obobskivich /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ear-Canal Headphone, which is what Denon makes Inner Ear Module is like the UE and Klipsch 'phones, which are much different from ECH's ear buds are like what apple includes with the ipod stock, Yuin makes some of the best buds on the market (from what I've read so far, then again, there isn't much of a market for buds, so, yeah)

I didn't like my old ear buds. I had to pump up the volume a lot to just get it to be audible over my surroundings. Once my ears started ringing because it was too loud, but with the JVC's, I don't have to pump up the volume, it gets rid of a good amount of the background noise, and the music sounds better.

I'm thinking of getting a pair of Sleeks from SoundEarphones and try them out since I hear a lot of good things about them. If I don't like them, I suppose I can return them.

If IEMs aren't for me, I'll go look up canal phones then.

obobskivich, thanks for the help! Do you have any recommendations for IEMs and Canalphones around the Sleeks price range?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crackerman /img/forum/go_quote.gif A surprising amount. I was worried I'd wasted my money and they wouldn't be that much better but they were miles ahead of the SF5's.

That is good to hear... must resist urge to ask more questions...

 

[obobskivich]

I don't really do canalphones/IEMs, sorry

as far as pumping up the volume to get over your environment, VERY bad for your hearing, and VERY bad idea

so if you do need the isolation, buds aren't for you, and IEMs/ECH's are a better call (or some decent closed phones)