[agentsquish]

Wow! massive thread. i was combing thru all the iems on theheadphonelist and im a bit overwhelmed. looking for a great bass iem for = or < 100. something with good sub bass that doesnt sacrifice the mids & highs 

 

[Shahab Khan]

A very nice thread you have. It is a joy to see it after so many years.
 
I bought my first pair of so called hi-fi IEMs "Future sonic m5" from reviews based on here. which started this whole thing for me. I later on bought Beyers dt770 and superlux 668b as well.
 
I am about to purchase an other suitable IEM for my needs because i find the treble on the M5's to be a tad sharp and a bit fatiguing for me, But i do love the bass on those though.
 
What will you recommend for a good pair of IEMs preferably under 100$, budget can be stretched to 150$ if sound wise it is considerably better.
 
I like smooth or non fatiguing highs, a bit bassy sound signature with tight deep punchy bass but not too much to ruin the sound and with good mid bass as well. I listen to almost any music but mostly Rap, Hip-Hop, Electro, Trance, and some pop.   
 
A sturdy build quality and an inline mic or remote would be a plus point. Not a necessity though.
 
P.S: Considering i am from a third world country, I can not demo any IEMs in my country, Once i get the approval from your experience on which IEM to buy, only then will i be able to pull a trigger on it with my eyes closed. 
 
Regards,
Shab

 

[ljokerl]

  Wow! massive thread. i was combing thru all the iems on theheadphonelist and im a bit overwhelmed. looking for a great bass iem for = or < 100. something with good sub bass that doesnt sacrifice the mids & highs 

 
EPH-100 from Yamaha if you're prioritizing bass quality (and overall sound quality) over sheer boost/bassiness.
 
If you just want the bass cranked up as high as possible, the Pump Audio Earphones do a good job. Next best thing would be a Beats Tour 2.0 or Velodyne vPulse.
 

  A very nice thread you have. It is a joy to see it after so many years.
 
I bought my first pair of so called hi-fi IEMs "Future sonic m5" from reviews based on here. which started this whole thing for me. I later on bought Beyers dt770 and superlux 668b as well.
 
I am about to purchase an other suitable IEM for my needs because i find the treble on the M5's to be a tad sharp and a bit fatiguing for me, But i do love the bass on those though.
 
What will you recommend for a good pair of IEMs preferably under 100$, budget can be stretched to 150$ if sound wise it is considerably better.
 
I like smooth or non fatiguing highs, a bit bassy sound signature with tight deep punchy bass but not too much to ruin the sound and with good mid bass as well. I listen to almost any music but mostly Rap, Hip-Hop, Electro, Trance, and some pop.   
 
A sturdy build quality and an inline mic or remote would be a plus point. Not a necessity though.
 
P.S: Considering i am from a third world country, I can not demo any IEMs in my country, Once i get the approval from your experience on which IEM to buy, only then will i be able to pull a trigger on it with my eyes closed. 
 
Regards,
Shab

 
Yamaha EPH-100 - non-fatiguing, great-quality deep bass, works very well for hip-hop and EDM-type genres. Would be my pick for sure.
 
RHA MA750 would give you better build quality and a mic/remote (if you get the MA750i) but has a little more upper midrange presence than the Yamaha. It's not harsh by any means but just a little less "safe" from a sound quality standpoint per your requirements.
 
If neither of those is available, you can consider the Shure SE215 (can also be outfitted with a mic cable later). It's very non-fatiguing but I find it a fairly dull listen compared to the two above. 

 

[Semak]

Hey everyone, 

My daughter just broke my IE80's
 
Time for me to look for some replacements.
 
I loved the sound on my IE80's and I am not agains getting the same again, but its been 3 years since i last looked and so am out of the loop a bit.
 
I enjoy a neutral sound and a wide soundstage. A detachable cable would be preferable as an in-line mic is a necessaty.
 
Budget is around $250?
 
Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Amitl]

Hey everyone,
Just wanted to share my way of wearing my IEM.
I do it with the my Sony mdr-ex650, unfortunately it rarely works with others because it requires a good long distance between the y-splitter and the phones. Also a cable cinch is a must. So there it is, i just slide the cinch all the way up to the phones and place my head between the cinch and the y-splitter, then release the cinch a bit. The cinch ends up behind my neck while the splitter at the front. Very secure, no microphonics!

 

[bretemm]

RHA just came out with a XLR iem and a amp for it.
I have a sound question,
Is there a noticeable difference between XLR and regular headphone jack IEMs?

I am looking at also Shire, senheiser, Noble and JH Audio.

 

[Niyologist]

I'm looking for something up to $250 that's better than the DUNU DN2000. In terms of detail retrieval and deep bass with a large 3D Soundstage. Any suggestions?

 

[Raketen]

I'm looking for something up to $250 that's better than the DUNU DN2000. In terms of detail retrieval and deep bass with a large 3D Soundstage. Any suggestions?

Was going to suggest fx850 but it is a bit midbassy & idk 2000 only 2000J.

maye something on these lists will suit your needs: http://www.head-fi.org/t/761433/head-fi-basshead-iem-thread-lists-page-1

 

[apaar123]

Has anyone tried fiio x1 or RHA s500 or audio technica path anc23?

 

[B9Scrambler]

Has anyone tried fiio x1 or RHA s500 or audio technica path anc23?

I've got the Dunu Titan 1 which the X1 is based on, and the S500i. If you have questions about either I might be able to help out.

 

[apaar123]

How will you rate them?

 

[apaar123]

Has anyone tried beyerdynamic DX 160 or sound magic e 80?

 

[apaar123]

Hz

(000) Short Take: Comparison by numbers


To summarize, I've taken all of the data and calculated numerical averages of all of the scores for each earphone. 

The accessory score has half the weight of the others. The 'i' column denotes earphones with an available (optional or otherwise) in-line microphone for use with smartphones and other devices. Single-button remotes for Apple, Android, Windows, and other smart devices are denoted with a "1". Three-button remotes with Apple volume controls are denoted with a "3". Three-button remotes with Android volume controls are denoted with an "A".

See here for the new sortable/searchable version of this table with up-to-date pricing & availability.





* Denotes custom-fit monitors
** Price in USD at time of review

This table is meant to only be used as a quick reference guide in the context of the review. The numbers are meaningless unless you know the reasoning behind them. I am sure most other reviewers will agree - no matter how high of a rating, in sound or value, we give to a particular product, always place your own personal preferences first. I cannot stress this enough - sound is a subjective thing and we all have our preferences. I try to be as objective as possible, but complete objectivity is completely impossible, so take the numbers with a grain of salt and read the reviews!

[COLOR=FF4400]See here for the new sortable/searchable version of this table with updated pricing & availability[/COLOR]


(001) Upcoming Reviews

A list of planned reviews, in no particular order

1MORE Design Crystal Piston
ADV.SOUND M4
Astrotec AX7
Audio-Technica CKX5iS
Brainwavz S5
Custom Art Harmony 8 Pro (brief review)
Custom Art Pro 330v2 (brief review)
DUNU Titan 1
Havi B3 Pro I (brief review can be found here)
Heir Audio 8.A (InnerFidelity review can be found here)
HiFiMan RE-600 (InnerFidelity review can be found here)
LIFE Headphones
Minerva Mi-Performer Pro & Mi-Artist Pro (brief impressions)
Onkyo IE-HF300 and IE-FC300 (InnerFidelity review can be found here)
Ostry KC06 (brief review can be found here)
Perfect Seal SportBud Silver (brief impressions)
Philips Fidelio S1 and S2 (InnerFidelity review can be found here)

Philips SHE3580
Popclik String
Sennheiser IE6
Sennheiser IE 800 (InnerFidelity review can be found here)
Sony MDR-7550
Sony XBA-H3 (comparison with Fidue A83, Dunu DN-2000, and T-Peos Altone200)
T-Peos Altone200 (comparison with Fidue A83, Dunu DN-2000, and Sony XBA-H3)
Thermaltake Isurus
UE700
UE Triple.Fi 10
VSonic GR07 Classic (brief impressions can be found here)
VSonic VSD1 (Innerfidelity review can be found here)
VSonic VSD1S (Innerfidelity review can be found here)
VSonic VSD3S (brief review can be found here)
Westone ES5 (InnerFidelity review can be found here)
 

What follows are sets in my possession that probably won't get a full review

Accidentally Extraordinary Bamboo Earbuds (brief impressions)
AirBuds (brief thoughts)
AKG K330

AKG K370
AKG K376 (brief thoughts)
Boqari Q1
Brainwavz R3 (brief impressions can be found here)
Cardas EM5813 Ear Speakers (brief thoughts)
Dunu DN-900
Fidue A81 (brief impressions can be found here)
Final Audio Design Adagio III (brief thoughts)
Harman Kardon AE (brief thoughts)
Harman Kardon NI (brief thoughts)
HiSoundAudio Golden Crystal
HiSoundAudio HiPhone HP4 (brief thoughts)
HiSoundAudio Popo
JBL J22i  (brief thoughts)
Meze 11 Deco (brief impressions)
Miu-Audio MR2 PRO
Noble 6 (brief impressions)
Noble FR and PR (brief impressions)
Noontec Rio (brief thoughts)
Panasonic RP-HJE120
Phiaton MS 200 (brief thoughts)
PNY Midtown 200 (brief thoughts)
PNY Uptown 200 (brief thoughts)
RBH EP1 (brief thoughts)
RHA MA-150 (brief thoughts)
RHA MA-450i (brief thoughts)
Sunrise Xcited
Sunrise Xcape IE
T-Peos Spider (brief impressions)
Tekfusion Ecoofers
Torque t103z (brief thoughts)
Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor Demo - brief thoughts with comparisons to several CIEMs
Westone Adventure Series (ADV) Alpha (brief thoughts)
XTZ EarPhone-12 (brief thoughts)


(002) Interactive table

For anyone curious to play around with the numbers, a fully sortable version of this table can be found here 
.


(003) Buyer's Guides

An abridged buyer's guide containing my some of my favorite earphones, grouped by price and sound signature, can be found here.

A guide to my favorite sub-$50 earphones can be found here.

A few of my favorite custom monitors can be found in the CIEM Buyer's Guide here.


(004) Acknowledgements

As the number of people who have assisted me in creating this thread grows, I've decided to add this section in an attempt to thank at least some of them. Without the support of these fellow head-fiers I would never have gotten as far as I have with this thread. 

jant71
rawrster
mvw2
Poetik
jwhitakr
daveyostrow
ethan961 
kjk1281
HeadphoneAddict
violinvirtuoso
Inks
slntdth93
takoyaki7
Marcus_C
Carlsan
esanthosh
12345142
monoglycer
mcnoiserdc
average_joe
kidcharlemagne
nmxdaven
randomZash
idvsego
carfentanil
mascareiro
mark2410
-y0-
Selenium
Anaxilus
james444
shotgunshane
Gilly87
5370H55V
dweaver
scootsit
Fernito
inline79
ericr
abhijollyguy
listen4joy
1clearhead
BassInMyFace

Big thanks to them and anyone else who has chimed in with questions, comments, and suggestions! 


(005) FAQs

Q: Why is there no review of [X]?
A: There are hundreds of IEMs on the market under dozens of brands. It is unrealistic to try and cover all of them so I am limiting myself to those that are new, interesting, or popular. 

Q: Can you review [X]?
A: Theoretically, yes. However, my queue is generally planned out months in advance and my spending is limited. If you want to loan me [X] for review, please contact me via PM. If you are a manufacturer interested in releasing a product sample, please contact me via PM or here.

Q: [X] is on the planned review list. When will it be finished? Can I loan you one for review?
A: If an earphone is on the list, that means I have it in my possession. These reviews are written in my spare time and 1-2 per week is the most I can swing for both this thread and the portable headphone shootout. Priority is given to sets loaned to me by other head-fi members and manufacturer samples. Reviews of my own gear will be postponed as long as I have samples and/or loaners to get through.

Q: Your review of [X] is wrong. It is clearly better than [Y].
A: There are few constants in the world of audio and a whole lot of variables. My reviews reflect my experiences using my ears, my gear, and my descriptive powers. None of these are perfect but rest assured that a lot of thought is put into the scoring. Nevertheless, the scores are far more important for a ballpark performance estimate than an absolute evaluation. Please read the reviews and form your own conclusions.


As always, please feel free to make improvement suggestions, either by commenting or via PM.

have you tried fiio ex1 or ath anc23 or beyerdynamic dx160?

 

[peter123]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

 

Nice quote 

 

[1TrickPony]

I'm looking for something up to $250 that's better than the DUNU DN2000. In terms of detail retrieval and deep bass with a large 3D Soundstage. Any suggestions?

Got my bets on a Pm4 by trinity audio. Maybe I can give a comparison on top my head when I do get mine. A used Flc8s might get you those except in my experience with its seal, bass quantity was rather underwhelming...