time for new earbuds

[cmdrdredd]

Ok people lets hear some recommendations. I am a music connoisseur. Not quite an audiophile but I can tell the difference between cheap headphones and quality and more natural ones.

Here's my dilemma...I need earbuds. Something relatively mid-high end. Now I'm not talking about someone telling me to go buy some Monster Beats cause they have lots of bass. Lots of bass is ok if it doesn't distract from the mids and highs like every set of Monster buds/phones I've used. I don't want mud. I'm also looking for a clean sound. Something pretty neutral. I can stand a "fun" sounding set of buds if they sound clean and don't muddy everything up. I can spend up to $150 on a new set of buds. Maybe closer to the $200 mark if it's worth it. This is for portable use only with my android phone, ipad etc. as I have a set of studio cans for home use.

I've been looking at the following...

Klipsch Image S4: from what I understand have solid bass but sound somewhat harsh compared to other models in the price range.

Shure SE215: I've heard the build quality is suspect and the sound is a little more fun rather than a reserved. I do hear good things about the voice quality and treble balance.

Phonak Audeo Perfect Bass 012: I've heard that these sound the most natural and neutral in the price range. Some people have mentioned they don't output very well at low volume though which might be a problem on some devices or recordings.

These aren't the only models I will consider, just the three around the $100 mark that seem to get good reviews. I ultimately hope that when I buy whatever I end up buying in the end, I can say that I did not waste my money. Remember, I like bass but not at the expense of the other channels. The mids and highs must be clean and separate.

Thanks

 

[Chapbass]

I'm a big etymotic fan, so a pair that would fit in your price range would be these:

http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Resea...7089944&sr=8-3

I have the ER4P's (they're a bit more expensive), and they sound incredible.

 

[gorcorps]

I have the Phonak PFEs, which are just the perfect bass headphones with more accessories and 3 different audio filters... but not the bass filter. Well made and good sounding. I find the other brands to be very lacking in bass and low end. This is very true about the klipsch and etymonic phones. I find them to be too analytical and missing depth in the low end. Everybody hears differently though and listens to different music.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Don't know who told you that the S4s sound "harsh", but they don't. They have a great balance between lows, mids, and highs. They're not very durable, though; that's what I don't like about them. If you want the same sound but in a very durable package with much better cabling quality and water resistance then I suggest you look at the Image S5i instead. They're still under your budget at $130 and I think are the best choice overall because of the sound quality and durability.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Most audiophile centric reviews have said the klipsch sound a bit harsh.

Either way I hyave some other options to research and look at. Thanks

 

[vbuggy]

There's also something to be said for how much isolation you're after. Shures and Etymotics with the appropriate foam tips do an excellent job of keeping noise out. Some others - Ultimate Ears, etc - don't do as great a job due to differences in design and tip compatibility.

Obviously, depending on where you're using it, how much isolation on offer directly affects how much of the music you can actually discern from the background noise around you.

HOWEVER, I find those same really isolating tips really irritate my ears and I can only use sleeves like the ones that ship with the Phonaks (and the Shure olives) without my ear canal feeling like they've encountered a razor blade: Nowadays if I want the isolation of the foam tips, I have to use a custom.

 

[cmdrdredd]

So I got to listen to a pair of Klipsch S4s that a guy local to me uses. They really did sound pretty good. Almost as good as my Sony MDR-7506s that I've used for my music at home for years. The Sonys have less boom in the bass but a distinct thump is audible but subtile. The highs really shine a bit more than the Klipsch S4, but that's expected with the different impedence and intended usage.

The bass on the S4s is a bit booming but it sounds clean and the highs were not quite cristal clear at the extreme range with some drop out due to the bass and mids. However, they sounded good enough that I bought a pair. Got them for around $40 because of a bestbuy gift card and some reward points I saved up from there. Happy with them.

When they break (as I know they will) I'll look at the Klipsch line again I think.

 

[Gibson486]

audio is one of those things that is subjective. Someone may think something sounds "harsh", but someone who actually likes a "harsh" sound may say it sounds great.

As for me, I am an ultimate ears fan. Of course, they are now owned by logitech.

 

[richardycc]

check out B&W earphones, with their audiophile rep, they should be at least as good as others in this price range?

http://www.amazon.com/Bowers-Wilkins...7389030&sr=1-6

 

[Tennoh]

Vsonic GR07. Go get them now at frogbeats.com for ~$140 US with the promotional 15% off. Better than all models listed above this reply.

 

[mshan]

http://www.head-fi.org/f/103/portable-headphones-earphones-and-in-ear-monitors

There are often meet ups where you can listen to tons of gear if you are in major metropolitan area: http://www.head-fi.org/f/24/local-regional-head-fi-meets-parties-get-togethers

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/in-ear.php

 

[GTaudiophile]

I enjoy my Phonaks as well. Durable and the most comfortable IEMs I have ever used. Isolation is best with different tips. I use Sony silicon tips. They are best when driven with an external amp but this is not necessary. Sound is very neutral.

 

[CyanJL]

Although these are lower than your price range, I use these ear buds daily and they are far better than the Dre Beats that my sister has. The sound is really clear and full sounding. As you go louder the bass intensifies, whereas with my sister's Beats just become scratchy and tingy-sounding. Check them out for sure, especially since JLab has an awesome warranty system and customer support. Definitely worth checking out, and they have tons of reviews on the buds.

http://www.amazon.com/Rugged-Earbuds.../dp/B0011TS8LM

 

[Rekonn]

For the past 10 months or so I've been listening to music and podcasts with a pair of Brainwavz M2 earbuds, and I think they're excellent. Much better than the sennheiser C300 pair I had before. Here's a massive review thread comparing a ton of these in different price ranges:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/mul...io-tandem-hisoundaudio-crystal-added-10-05-11
They're currently going for $60 on amzn.

 

[homercles337]

I have the PK2s, but here are the PK1s.

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/yuin-pk1.php