Your Favorite In-Ear Headphones/Monitors (I hate calling them earbuds)

[stevetoney]

Just curious what people have used and believe in. 

(Please qualify your discussion by telling us what you've tried and rejected because if you've only tried one or two, then you probably can't provide a very informed opinion.)

Personally, I had tried a variety of sub-$100 phones but once I got some $200 Ultimate Ears Super-Fi 5 Pro's, I'll NEVER go back to cheap headphones.

Tried...

Ultimate Ear Super.fi 5 Pro ($249...available for less from the web)
EX+  Easily the best phones I've used...BY FAR.  Great sound...great balance...beautiful tones...beautiful saturation...excellent volume level...no noticeable distortion at peak ipod volume while providing a significantly enhanced SPL over others that I've used.  Good fit too.  Excellent high strength, heavy duty cable with integrated metal stays that form fit over your ears to enhance the fit of the ear pieces onto your head.

Only negative is that I broke one of the ear pieces on my first pair by applying pressure from my knee while the phones were in the airplane seat pocket.  Probably not a knock on the phones, but seems like it didn't take alot for plastic case to break on the ear piece.

Bose In Ear ($99)
Good sound, but HATED the way the ear mold wouldn't stay connected to the plastic speaker part.  Ended up giving them away because they do no good if you can't keep them in.

Skull Candy Smokin' Buds ($32)
I've owned two pairs of these.  The first pair had good and clear sound with nice balance, albeit somewhat less pristine tones than a more expensive pair.  They don't have a right angle plug though and, with heavy use, the cable wore out in less than a year.  The replacement pair had LOUSY sound, muffled and muted.  Pleasing heavy bass though.

Sony MDREX300LP Ear Bud Headphones ($79)
Quite a nice sound, a little weak on the bass and somewhat tinny-er than ideal for my liking, but a clear bell like tone.  A good value at this price but not as good sound as the Bose...although MUCH better fit.

Altec Lansing BackBeat Pro ($79)
Excellent sound to price value, but if you listen to your ipod at full volume, these distort ALOT.  I have a slight hearing loss from birth (not due to listening at peak volume LOL) and these headphones would have been great except they clip like crazy with the ipod at ten.  If you like to listen with your ipod at lower volumes, then these are a great sounding pair of phones for this price.  I really REALLY like the way they fit too.

Final comment.  For those that bash ipods, my first thought is that if you haven't listened through good headphones, then you can't honestly say how the music sounds because lousy in-ear phones are TRULY crappy and can't possibly allow the listener to form an honest opinion of what's coming out of the ipod.  Once I got my super.fi 5 pro's I couldn't believe how nice my ipod sounded.

[tedyun]

I use the Yuin OK-1. I've tried Yuin PK-1, and sonically, I can't really tell the difference. They are both excellent. I actually lost my PK-1s and still am kicking myself for that, especially since I got a deal of a lifetime on those.

For low budget, although not in-ear, I use the Koss KSC75. The best value out there, especially if you mod it.

I also have a pair of Etymotic ER6s, which are in-ear. These were my first pair of mid-fi quality phones. I love the accuracy, but the microphonics of the canal-phones pretty much limit its usage to sitting sessions (which are rare).

So my go to cans are the Yuin OK-1s. These can be converted to in-ears, but apparently, the sound isn't as good as they were designed to be ear buds.

I was tempted by the triple drivers, like the Shure 530s, the Triple fi and the Westone's, but I am more curious about how they sound than actually needing cans that are that expensive. If I was going to plunk down that kind of cash, I'd probably buy a set of full cans, like the AKG 701's.

For the best sound out of an iPod, you have to go line-out and into a good headphone amp. Apparently, for audiophile sound, you have to get an iMod (http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html) and a VCAP dock (http://www.aloaudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_17). I've only heard glowing reviews about these, but don't have the $$$ to test it myself!

[jlykos]

Here are some of my more notable ones:

JVC "mushroom" style: Bought these for $20 in Turkey when my stock earphones broke.  Comfortable and decent isolation, but muffled sound with heavy bass.  Not a bad option for $20, however.

Sony MDR-EX85LP (~$60): Bought these at Best Buy when my Westones went into the shop.  Good range across the harmonic spectrum, but veiled sound, particularly in the midrange.  Excellent bass, however.  The cord royally sucks and gets really tangled if you look at it.  Comfortable, but they can use some adjusting in your ears.  Overpriced in my opinion at $60; I should have bought another pair of the JVCs instead.

Westone UM1 (~$100): My current earphones.  I really like these a lot.  Not the deepest bass in the world (only go down to around 40hz), but excellent midrange and presence.  Great cord, with next to no sound when you touch something with it.  Also the most comfortable earphones I have ever used.  Use with the Shure "olives" for best fit and comfort.  Westone customer service is also the best in the business.  Two-year warranty and have had them repaired twice, both for free, including one out-of-warranty repair.  Can't ask for any more than that.

Ultimate Ears Super.fi.5 Pro: (~$180): These had the best sound quality of any earphone I used, but they were not very comfortable and their isolation was not as good as that of the Westones.  The cord is also stiff, tangles easily, and makes noise when it beats against your chest when moving around.  I liked them, but the convenience of the Westones won me over.  Unfortunately, the Armenian airport officials didn't like them either, as I emerged from their airport with them completely destroyed.

I'm saving my pennies for the Westone UM2, which should give me all the comfort of the UM1 with the sound quality of the Super.fi.5 Pro.  Hopefully this will become a reality one day.

[stevetoney]

Thanks for the replies so far guys.  Interesting feedback...I was curious about what people were using just so if I ever lose or break my super.fi 5 and find myself searching again, I wouldn't have to go through another frustrating (and money wasting) trial and error research project.  Probably the most frustrating thing (although wasting money is pretty dang frustrating) is not have a good pair of listening devices during the time that you're conducting your search.

[tedyun]

I went through the same search for headphones, and I got hooked by head-fi.org (their For Sale section is almost as dangerous as the Yard Sale here). When I lost my PK-1s, I was contemplating what to get next, and the Koss KSC75s were a pretty good substitute.

Surprisingly, I'm almost embarrassed to say, but these Philips perform pretty well:

http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/en/us/consumer/cc/_language_us/_productid_SHE2850_27_US_CONSUMER

They have these little plastic wraps on them, that if you take them off, it really improves the high-end. My wife bought them for me at CVS because she had these store coupons that were expiring, and she needed to use them or lose them. Their construction is flakey -- there's a loose connection in the wire now -- but for $15 (free if you use these coupons), they are good if you're "between cans" or if you need a cheap set during non critical listening situations, like the gym.

Thanks for the replies so far guys.  Interesting feedback...I was curious about what people were using just so if I ever lose or break my super.fi 5 and find myself searching again, I wouldn't have to go through another frustrating (and money wasting) trial and error research project.  Probably the most frustrating thing (although wasting money is pretty dang frustrating) is not have a good pair of listening devices during the time that you're conducting your search.

[anodyne33]

I'm pretty happy with my Sure E2s that I got for about $100. They're comfortable and sound great for recreational listening. I have a set of Microsonic Music's customs, but I don't get nearly the isolation, although they're build like a brick shithouse.

[George]

I've only used and own two:

Shure e2c:  I paid $65 for them on sale at buy.com several years ago.  I'm on my third pair as the wiring or plastic housing would break apart after winter rolled in every year.  At first I hated them.  They sounded dull and lifeless.  No bass, no treble.  Once I figured out which tips to use (medium foamies), they sounded a little better and a bit more comfortable.  They surprisingly sound great if you get a good seal with them. 

SEAL is key.  You must have them inserted in right and deep to get a good bass response and treble too.  It seems that different tips also affect the sound.  I just started using them for the heck of it and tried the clear plastic tips and they have some incredible bass response.  Very deep and fluid, the impact is just good, albeit a little two dimensional.  However, I find the treble response to be a little too sharp for my tastes now.

Shure SE530 PTH - $500 or so.  I got the 530's in a trade of a lifetime.  I owned a custom built tube amp that had a wood chassis (oak?).  Anyway, the amp was okay and I had been pining for the 530's for a while.  Someone on head-fi had sent in his E500's (the 530's predecessor) and he got the 530's as a replacement since the e500's were discontinued.  The 530's are a world apart from the e2c's.  The first thing I noticed was how smoooooth they sounded.  Billy Joel sounds downright graceful like a ballerina whether he's crooning or bee-bopping.  The imaging and soundstage on these iem's (yep, in ear monitors is the right term to use) is just magical.  The midrange is lush and fun.  Cymbals crash effortlessly.  Vocals sound like silk. The treble response is good...shures are known to be warm sounding and forgiving.  Kind of like the Sennheiser line of headphones.  I frequently catch myself tapping my feet along to whatever I'm listening to. 

The black olive tips are fantastic.  Very comfortable and easy to insert and remove without any pain.  I don't even notice their in my ears sometimes.  The seal is quite effective too.  I ride mass transit every day to and from work and I don't flinch at all when the E train comes screeching into Chambers street every 3-4 minutes. 

To back track, I've owned about a dozen headphones over the last 9 years, from the Sennheiser HE60 electrostatic headphones which retailed for $800 to the Koss ksc75's.  The HE60's are in a world of their own and I have some regret for selling them.  I hope in the future I can find a iem that can match its finesse.  They are truly a headphone to behold (seriously!). 

[Gutbucket]

Still love my Etymotic ER4S for straight accuracy (and isolation).

All in-ear canal phones need a tight seal for bass especially those single driver Etys.  I use a leather punch to adapt the highest attenuating foam earplugs I can find which improve the fit, sound and isolation dramatically. 

Other in-ears? I didn't care for the Ety ER6s. Listened briefly to the full line of the Shure's, UE's and Klipsh's at a headphone meet.  Quality improved with price as expected.  The make that stood out there for me were the Sleek's due to mostly their tunable sound and good design- small interchangeable port plugs allow for tuning the bass and treble to your ear response and preference.  I think that is a great innovation as earphones are like shoes and fit everyone and every ear-response differently.

I also have a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 noise canceling in-ears which are interesting.  The sound is nothing great but the noise cancellation is very good.  I bought them to try to get even better isolation and boom reduction over fully inserted foam earplugs, using them  with my leather punched foam plug mod.  They are promising and sound very natural by actively reducing the bass that bypasses even a fully inserted, treble-killing earplug, but they don't have enough headroom for the super loud stuff I need it for and distort.  Promising experiment though.

[javertim]

Oddly enough, I prefer the Shure SE420s to the 530s, as I find the latter have way too much bass.  I tend to listen almost exclusively to classical and opera, so the more balanced sound of the 420s works better for me.  I would imagine the 530s are much better for rock and pop.

[George]

Oddly enough, I prefer the Shure SE420s to the 530s, as I find the latter have way too much bass.  I tend to listen almost exclusively to classical and opera, so the more balanced sound of the 420s works better for me.  I would imagine the 530s are much better for rock and pop.

Also depends on what device is driving them.  My blackberry (8830) drives them okay, not much bass there.  My Rio Karma is probably the most well balanced mp3 player and drives them effortlessly with the right amount of bass.  Of course, eq also comes into play. 

[page]

Bump:

background: I used a set of ER-6s (not the "i"s, but the regular ER-6) for a long long time. Big fan of the bi-flange silicon tip. I agree that the microphonics of the cable reduced it to sitting (which I primarily did) and it's sort of a bright listening device. That said, my left channel seems to have died, so I picked up a set of UM3Xs from Westone.

For those of you who are familiar with the ety sound, the UM3X is designed as a stage monitor, and has much more of a flat or unhyped response then it's cousin the W3. Over the evening, I noticed that there is less 6-12khz response compared to the ER-6s and there is bass (lets say, +4db worth and the extension is lower as well). Midrange is recessed a bit comparatively, with the lower the khz, the less recessed. It would bother me since I like that laser precession of the etys, if this wasn't so good... The soundstage is the other general difference. The etys have a flat or in-your-face soundstage. If your into that sort of thing, there you go. The UM3Xs have a much bigger soundstage. The easiest example is setup a band on stage. Half on your left and half on the right. Now stand on stage between them and listen. Thats the etys. Now step back into the audience by about 10 ft (so maybe 3rd or 5th row in a small club), thats the UM3X soundstage.

Couple of general points:

1) The etys have laser precision. The westones are detailed, but not in a precise manner. There are things I hear on some recordings, that were more difficult to hear on the etys. Overall, comparing the two, the westones appear slightly veiled, but less so then regular headphones would sound veiled. The UM3X does seem to have a neutral sound, slightly warm, slightly dark compared to the etys which were generally regarded as bright and sterile. Areas where I don't recall hearing much bass, I don't hear in the UM3X listenings, while tapes that were bass heavy, *are* bass heavy IMHO.

2) If you like foam tips, the UM3X is great, if you hate comply, then when you buy them, look at getting the $120 UM-56 custom mold adaptor (these don't fit your musicians plugs like the ER-6s). There are no other tips delivered stock, but supposedly the same aftermarket tips for the Shure 530 will work as they use a similar nozzle end.


This is ultimately why I think I'll keep the UM3X and get the UM-56 adaptors:

3) When I wear my musicians plugs, I get a little more bass then I would otherwise. I'm glad to wear the plugs and things are fine, but i get a little more bass then otherwise. This IEM generally replicates that better then the ety ER-6 did. Now, I liked the ety, it was a great IEM, however this is closer to what I hear at a show while taping (for better or worse).


edit:

I hate comply. f'ing foam BS... I get a consistent fit or balanced sound about once every 10 or 11 tries. I called my audiologist today and will get impressions when I get back to town on Monday.

[Terps]

buy the best shures you can and be happy

[bobbygeeWOW]

I still think these are great bang-for-buck: http://www.fidelitycustomearphones.com/

[KenH]

Still love my Etymotic ER4S for straight accuracy (and isolation).

All in-ear canal phones need a tight seal for bass especially those single driver Etys.  I use a leather punch to adapt the highest attenuating foam earplugs I can find which improve the fit, sound and isolation dramatically. 

I like this idea and would like to try it w/ my ety's.   Do you need to use an adhesive to get the foam earplugs to stick to the center post ?

[Gutbucket]

Nope. Just punch a hole axially through the ear plug.  It will conform to the post like it does the inside of your ear.  It sort of crunches the foam when you punch the hole and takes the plug a good bit of time to recover its shape. The best isolating foam plugs are pretty long, so all of the narrow tube and most of the driver ends up inside the plug.  Punch the hole to fit the smaller tube part and it slips on there pretty easily, then you need to kind of stretch it over the larger diameter driver section.  Once on there correctly, the tube opening is nearly flush with the ear end of the plug and the cable end sticks out just a bit. 

They stay on there fine but you can pull them off easily to change them once your GF freaks out about the earwax discoloration.  If you don't have extra punched plugs ready to go just throw the dirty plugs in your pocket when you wash your jeans. Squeeze the water out when they come out of the wash, let 'em dry and they're bright blue and good as new.