Topic: ear phone

[shotyd]

didn't know where to put this, but what is the best in-ear headphones out there? I'm willing to spend about $100-$150. anyone help? thanks! 

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

I had some Shure's (forget the model # but they were $100), and the sounded great but didn't fit in my ears comfortably.

So then I tried the Etymonic ER-6i. At first I didn't like the sound, but once they broke in, I've been very happy. The are very comfortable to me. I think I got them for about $70.

If I upgrade, I would more than likely just get some better Etymonics.

[George]

Check out www.headphone.com for a pretty extensive list of in-ear monitors available.  I personally use Shure's SE530's and love them.

[Brian Skalinder]

I'm sure the SE530s sound great, but they're about triple the budget the OP offered.  Good recommendation to check out headphone.com - definitely a good resource.

FWIW, I like my Etymotic ER-6s.  They sound pretty good, match your budget, and will fit - with an adapter - into custom-molded earplugs used with Etymotic filters for über-comfort.  I've not used them, but others like the ER-4s a lot, and they're available online at the high end of your budget.  Note:  neither the ER-6i nor ER-4 will fit custom-molded plugs. 

[BC]

Check out www.headphone.com for a pretty extensive list of in-ear monitors available.  I personally use Shure's SE530's and love them.

I got some ultimate ears superfi 5pro from here based on their description that I am happy with.

[anodyne33]

I've got custom molded IEMs now that I like (from Microsonic), and I've used Sure E2s and E3s. I think the E3s sound just about as good as my customs, and in ways I prefer their fit. Got mine used for $50. They can be had new at about 2x that.

[bgalizio]

I'm sure the SE530s sound great, but they're about triple the budget the OP offered.  Good recommendation to check out headphone.com - definitely a good resource.

FWIW, I like my Etymotic ER-6s.  They sound pretty good, match your budget, and will fit - with an adapter - into custom-molded earplugs used with Etymotic filters for über-comfort.  I've not used them, but others like the ER-4s a lot, and they're available online at the high end of your budget.  Note:  neither the ER-6i nor ER-4 will fit custom-molded plugs. 

I use these as well (ER-6 w/custom molded earplugs) and love them as far as earbuds go. Can't get a much better fit than custom plugs.

[rastasean]

Is there any reason many people like these kinds of listening devices? I'm sure they are really comfortable but I like my over the ear headphones quite a bit. Maybe I'll check a pair of these out for extra fine listening.

[anodyne33]

Is there any reason many people like these kinds of listening devices? I'm sure they are really comfortable but I like my over the ear headphones quite a bit. Maybe I'll check a pair of these out for extra fine listening.

Isolation.

Especially when you're mixing FOH at 105dB and you need to see what channel is making funky noises.

[rastasean]

Isolation.

Especially when you're mixing FOH at 105dB and you need to see what channel is making funky noises.

That's a hell of a reason. And you're saying something like the Etymotic ER-6 could provide that kind of isolation?

[anodyne33]

I've not tried any of the Ety's myself, but yes, they should.

[Brian Skalinder]

Per the Ety site, the ER-6s provide 24-36 dB of attenuation:  http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6.aspx.  That's with standard one-size-fits-all plugs, and about as good as you'll get from any in-ear 'phone.  Not sure how the numbers change with custom plugs.

[anodyne33]

FWIW, I get less isolation from by customs than from my Sures by virtue of the material they are made of and the fact that I wear the Sures pretty deeply.

[Eigenklang]

Is there any reason many people like these kinds of listening devices? I'm sure they are really comfortable but I like my over the ear headphones quite a bit. Maybe I'll check a pair of these out for extra fine listening.

Well, if you feel comfortable wearing these things (some do, some don't), then the chances are quite good to find plenty of reasons. The most important thing to me is the good isolation of noise. Next to that, listening to a good binaural recording with a good pair of IEMs is really impressive. There are some things that big headphones just can't provide.

But there also are som cons: These very good buds are not cheap. They often have a high sensitivity in combination with a quite low impedance. Some mobile devices on the other hand have slightly hissy phone outputs (ambient noise that is not growing when you set the volume higher), so the combination of both plus the good isolation (---> low overal listening level) can result in audible noise. Fighting this noise with a set of damping resistors will result in a more or less dramatic loss of high range.

They are near to the optimum, so get used to hear every slight misadjustment you never realized before.

[George]

Is there any reason many people like these kinds of listening devices? I'm sure they are really comfortable but I like my over the ear headphones quite a bit. Maybe I'll check a pair of these out for extra fine listening.

1.  Like everyone else is saying, isolation.  As well as the low profile nature of iem's over huge headphones lumbering around your head and making you perspire on hazy, hot and humid days).
2.  Sound quality is superb with my se530's and I'm sure the more affordable iem's are rock solid (I also used Shure's e2c's for 2+years before switching to the se530's and I generally liked the e2c's).
3.  I have yet to find a headphone that's ~$500 that blows my se530's away.  The imaging and sound stage can be incredible with the right source (read: rio karma). The only pair of headphones that I own that beat them hands down are my Sennheiser HE60's, which are electrostatic and typically sell for 3x the price tag of the se530's on head-fi.

Synergy plays an important part with iem's. I have a neighbor who used the se530's with his ipod and found they were a bit lackluster (shure iem's are known for their rolled off high frequency response) in comparison to a pair of ety 4's which he raved about (ety's are known to be more flat or neutral sounding in comparison to shure's).  I like my shures because my rio karma has a hell of a dynamic eq system that really allows me to shape the sound the way I think it should sound (ie. fixing the rolled off treble without making it sound exaggerated).   Anyone that has used a rio karma knows what I'm talking about. 

To the OP:  I'm pretty sure that headphone.com has a 30 return policy, so I think they are your best bet until you find a iem that suits your needs.

[pyiteac]

As posted below in the earbud thread; I have been totally blown away by my Shure SE530's.  They are above your budget but are worth every penny.  When listening to a high resolution or 16 bit source there are things you can distinguish that you never thought was there.  Absolutely amazing.  Just my 2 cents.

[jlykos]

Check out www.headphone.com for a pretty extensive list of in-ear monitors available.  I personally use Shure's SE530's and love them.

I got some ultimate ears superfi 5pro from here based on their description that I am happy with.

I also use and like the super.fi 5 pro earphones from Ultimate Ears very much.  Upgraded from Westone UM-1 and the Westones are more comfortable with better isolation, while the Ultimate Ears sound better.  Liked them both, but use the Ultimate Ears every day and have the Westones for backup.

[javertim]

A few months ago I had to make the same decision, albeit with about twice the budget (college graduation money ).  I was going to save up a little extra and go for the Shure SE530s but decided to be a little more thrifty and went for the SE420s instead. ... I love them! I may eventually try the SE530s, but I am certainly not making that a priority as I am absolutely thrilled with the performance of the SE420s.  Apparently the difference is 2 microspeakers (SE420) v. 3 (SE530).  Well, if 2 sound this good, I can only imagine what 3 sound like.

[bhoy]

Can anyone point me to a website that would sell the Etymotic's as a custom molded set of earplugs?  I have custom ear plugs that I bought from E.A.R. Inc. at an AES Convention a few years ago.  I use them for lawn work and for concerts and they are very comfortable.

I also have the original mold that they used to make my plugs.  Would there be a place that I could send my ear impressions to, buy the headphones and have them insert the headphone into the mold?  Are there other brands that can be inserted into custom molds that I should consider?

Bill

[nickgregory]

I got my ear plugs made at the local ear,nose and throat doctor, and he used the ety filters for them.  Allows me to swap out different filters, or the ety plugs and use it for my headphones...

[George]

A few months ago I had to make the same decision, albeit with about twice the budget (college graduation money ).  I was going to save up a little extra and go for the Shure SE530s but decided to be a little more thrifty and went for the SE420s instead. ... I love them! I may eventually try the SE530s, but I am certainly not making that a priority as I am absolutely thrilled with the performance of the SE420s.  Apparently the difference is 2 microspeakers (SE420) v. 3 (SE530).  Well, if 2 sound this good, I can only imagine what 3 sound like.

To my ears, the se530's sound midrange sounds border-line electrostatic which means the midrange is very smooth and fun to listen to.  

[Gutbucket]

I'm more than happy with my Etymotic ER4s that I've used for years, but at the national Head-Fi meet last spring held locally, I was very impressed with the Sleek Audio in-ears.  They sounded very good, as did the better Sures and UltimateEars but have little tunable ports to adjust the bass and treble response that I really dug.  They also have easily detachable cables and can be made to custom molds if desired and all the models.  If I was in the market I'd serious consider them. Worth checking out.

[live2496]

Can anyone point me to a website that would sell the Etymotic's as a custom molded set of earplugs?  I have custom ear plugs that I bought from E.A.R. Inc. at an AES Convention a few years ago.  I use them for lawn work and for concerts and they are very comfortable.

I also have the original mold that they used to make my plugs.  Would there be a place that I could send my ear impressions to, buy the headphones and have them insert the headphone into the mold?  Are there other brands that can be inserted into custom molds that I should consider?

Bill

Hello Bill,
I have been using the ultimate ears superfi 5 for a good while and I find them to be an accurate sounding in ear monitor. I have considered getting a set of their custom molded ones. I know that Ultimate ears will make a set from your impressions.

There is an address on this link.
http://www.ultimateears.com/_ultimateears/products/custom/audiologist_instructions.php

You could also try calling Eymotic's customer support # and see what they say.