Ear Buds?

[Buck91]

Anybody have a recomendation for some nice ear buds? I've been really pleased with the ones that came with my Sony Erricson W810i, but they have a very short lead which connects to their proprietary plug, so I'm looking for something simliar to use with my Sansa mp3 player. Soft rubber/silicone ear swappable ear channel pads are a must, as is a good balanced sound (no craptastic DX units).

Thinking about these JL Audio units here, but I don't know if they are really worth the $20. Any other suggestions? :thinking:

 

[NeonLights]

A search on the word "earbud" will turn up a recent 2-page thread on the same subject. You might get some insight there. For more than you ever wanted to know about headphones and earbuds, you could also visit http://www.head-fi.org/forums I am a member there but haven't posted in quite awhile. I haven't bought any new earbuds recently, as I have been very happy with the Sennheiser, Sure, Sony, and Etymotic earbuds I've been using for a few years now.

 

[justjim]

i like these:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4319

cost is $4.88 (includes shipping) from dealextreme.com. they're cheap, but performance is surprisingly good. quality is not bad. and they're cheap. give them a try.

-jim

 

[LukeA]

I like my Ety ER-6i, but I'm not sure you want to drop that kind of green (~$70).

There's some good info on head-fi, but you have to wade through a lot of crap and a lot of members who are equally full of it and themselves.

 

[Kabible]

I'm happy with my Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 Pro ear buds. Found them on Amazon for about $150.

The Sure SE540 (OOPS, I mean SE530) buds have deeper base and a bit better mid/high range but are about $300 on sale.

 

[HoopleHead]

im a big fan of my Shure e3c's.

 

[tdurand]

I can vouch for the Shure SE530s. I don't know of SE540s. If you spend a lot of time listening to your headphones, the ear canal style will sound the best.

Using a lossless encoder can make a huge difference as well.

Don't even get me started about the importance of a good headphone amp, whether portable or not.

The revolution of convenience the iPod affords a music lover should be given equally to the value of accurate, comfortable headphones.

T
:rock:

 

[baterija]

I have a pair of the ones Jim mentioned above from DX that are surprisingly not bad. I bought them as a cheap backup and was pleasantly surprised.

My normal headphones are a set of JVC Marshallow. The linked review is a pretty good description except I have never had issues with the pads coming off or getting so squished I poke myself. They have the advantage of being the best fitting earphones I have tried. Most in ear phones fall out easily or feel really uncomfortable. I hardly notice these and can run with them in.

 

[flashfan]

I think in-ear-monitors (IEM) are superior to ear buds. IEMs seem to provide better sound isolation, so I can immerse myself in the music. YRMV

My favorite pair of Etymotic ER6 IEMs broke just the other day...woe is me. The music was so sharp and clean to my ears, although noticeably light on the bass spectrum. If bass is very important, these are not for you. I have read that the ER6i does better in this regard. As mentioned by another member, price is much higher than $20.

I've been lusting after superior Etymotic ER4s, Shure, Ultimate Ears and other fine names, but alas, the prices are in the stratosphere, and the budget was "invested" in SureFire instead.

Audiophilia is much like flashaholism. Once you start, you can't stop. You'll keep wanting better headphones, then portable and not-so-portable amps, then custom cables, and so on and so on and so on.

 

[LukeA]

Audiophilia is much like flashaholism. Once you start, you can't stop. You'll keep wanting better headphones, then portable and not-so-portable amps, then custom cables, and so on and so on and so on.

But, in my experience and generally speaking, the point of diminishing returns affects flashlights much less than audio equipment, i.e. a PH50 has significantly more 'wow factor' than, say, an M6, whereas the performance difference between a $500 audio setup and a $5000 one typically won't blow anyone away.

But I don't want to start that flamewar! :sweat:

 

[gunga]

Hey LukeA, flashfan, do you have any insight on the difference between the ER6, ER6C, and ER6i? I get similar price points n a local store when on sale, ($100 Canadian) but I'm unsure of the major differences or sound signatures.

I have some Vmoda vibes which are fun, classy (all aluminum) but rather bass heavy. This can be a good thing, but they are not neutral! I also have a pair of Shure E2Bs. They are fair (have done the Kramer mod) but I find the high end a bit rolled off. I do get good isolation with them so now use them for travelling on the plane etc...

I don't NEED another pair of nice buds, but have been tempted by the ER6is lately...

:naughty:

 

[UnknownVT]

Check out Headphones at ConsumerSearch where they claim to be reviewing the reviews -
that is to survey all the reviews out there and come to some concensus -
which would be correct way we'd do things if we had the resources.....

Even if one did not agree with their opinion - it is still a very good resource for links to other review sites (which they also rate).

Personally I like the Philips SHE5910 earbuds they can be found for $14.72 at WalMart (or as low as about $7 shipped used from Amazon - eeeew!? - wash/disinfect the silicone ear inserts!).

These are basically the same (just a model # change?) as the Philips HE591 read this excellent review and my review both on Amazon.

 

[Coop]

If you want to keep it affordable, I recommend either the DX ones mentioned before (which are also available in other colors, most colors are around $4, but if you want black, you pay $8). Also Koss 'The Plug' are pretty good for the money. I've modded mine with some Shure black foamies and they feel even nicer now. Or indeed the aforementioned JVC Marshmallows (HAFX33).

If you want to go high end, I suggest heading over to head-fi.com and start doing your homework.

Oh, and stay away from the Philips SHE-9500, I have those too and IMHO they suck pretty bad.

 

[flashfan]

gunga, sorry, but I've only tried the Etymotic ER6 IEMs, so can't provide any comparison. Some users over on head-fi however, seem to indicate that the ER6 tends to provide a more "accurate" sound with less bass, while the ER6i provides more bass, but tends to be a bit "muddy." I don't know anything about an ER6C.

Much too pricey for me, but the IEM I want to get/try is the Etymotic ER4P, together with the P to S cable. Reportedly the P provides more bass, while connecting the S cable provides better sound for Classical music and the like.

 

[NeonLights]

Much too pricey for me, but the IEM I want to get/try is the Etymotic ER4P, together with the P to S cable. Reportedly the P provides more bass, while connecting the S cable provides better sound for Classical music and the like.

I've had a couple of pairs of the Etymotic ER4-P's over the years, as well as the P to S cable. Awesome IEM's, but I didn't use them often enough to justify keeping them and sold them. The ER4-P work great unamped out of most sources, the ER4-S (or the P with the P-S cable) needed an amp for best results.

 

[Greenlead]

I use Shure SCL2 IEMs.

 

[tiktok 22]

Hears a lot of great reviews about the Klipsch x10's, but they are very pricey...