[gurus]

I lost my Shure 530 somewhere while traveling, so looking to replace it.
 
After reading through the forums I have decided that it's either the
 
AUDIO TECHNICA CKM500- for value and decent sound 
OR
JVC HA-FX700-Good build and sound but much more expensive.
 
Since it's ONLY going to used during plane travel I am wondering whether either will do without any sacrifice in sound quality due to the background noise of the plane engines. Definitely details are going to be lost and sound quality compromised so does it really matter? And definitely not going to carry an amp for use during travel.
 
Your thoughts?

 

[Huxley]

Id say neither.
 
JVC HA-FXD80

 

[dweaver]

don't go FX700 as they are a V shaped signature so will be recessed in the mids as compared to your Shures plus they would let in way to much sound from the plane. I say go CKM500, or if you live near a Walmart you might want to check out the Monster N-ergy IEM (easy return policy if not happy with the sound), or if you want really good isolation go Etymotic HFx and pick up a package of Shure Olive tips which will give you better comfort and very good isolation. All 3 IEM's have a midrange oriented sound.
 
Edit: the FXD80 is also a very nice IEM, in comparison to the 3 I mentioned it is a bassy IEM with a warm midrange and excellent detail, as compared to the N-Ergy and the Etymotic which are bass neutral with a brighter midrange. The Ety's will have the most detail, followed by the FXD80, then the N-ergy. But all 3 will have good levels of detail.

 

[gurus]

Quote:

Id say neither.
 
JVC HA-FXD80

The reason(s) for your recommendation?

 

[dweaver]

to further clarify the 3 IEM's I mentioned:
 
FXD80 - heaviest bass of the 3, warmest midrange, crisp treble, 2nd most amount of detail, 2nd best sound stage.
N-ergy - 2nd heaviest bass, more forward midrange that is on the bright side, treble is very good especially for cymbals, least amount of detail but is very close to the FXD80, best sound stage.
Etymotic HF3 - least amount of bass but probably the best bass punch, more forward midrange that is on the bright side, treble is very good with the most amount of detail, I find the treble a bit to crisp for cymbals on some recordings. Soundstage is the smallest but due to the detail of the IEM instruments never feel crowded.

 

[Huxley]

Quote:

The reason(s) for your recommendation?

Mainly price/performance. Many have said they're better than the CK500 and as dweaver says the FX700 doesn't isolate at all, so would be of little to no use on a plane.

 

[dweaver]

Price wise the N-ergy kicks ***** LOL. They can be bought locally from brick and mortar stores with zero hassle return policies and retail for $70... Personally I suggest trying them out if you can. Worst case scenario you take them back after a couple days trial.

 

[Huxley]

Quote:

Price wise the N-ergy kicks ***** LOL. They can be bought locally from brick and mortar stores with zero hassle return policies and retail for $70... Personally I suggest trying them out if you can. Worst case scenario you take them back after a couple days trial.

Trouble is you're about the only person championing them.

 

[eke2k6]

The FX700 is THE LAST iem you want for plane travel. It has poor isolation, even with music playing. The Yamaha EPH-100 is among the best in isolation, and has good SQ too.

 

[dweaver]

Trouble is you're about the only person championing them.

Very true, I was hoping someone would have bit and tried these by now and posted their opinion, good or bad. It would be nice to know if I'm crazy or not LOL. Anyway for me they are one heck of a bargain.

 

[glac1er]

Since you mention that the IEM is going to be used only in the airplane, why don't you aim for maximum isolation?
 
Although the likes of se530 has good isolation, I personally would take the Ety ER4 or hf5 for airplane travel. Those engine noises can really degrade sound quality.

 

[gurus]

Thanks for the feedback.  Based on your suggestions now I am looking at the following three that I like and are in contention
 
Yamaha EPH-100 because of higher isolation while sounding good. I like the looks too and it exudes quality.
CKM500- AT sound and it looks like its a bargain for the sound quality
JVC FXD80 Bargain, good build tho worried about isolation.
 
I passed on the Etymotics because too many complaints on the net about shoddy quality control and issues. And I will check out on N-ergy at the local brick and mortar store.

 

[Inks]

For plane traveling forget the CKM500 and perhaps the FXD80. High isolation will be ideal. 
 
EPH100s have good isolation. I wouldn't worry about the build issues of Etymotics though, they're just bigger and more well-known so the issues are more brought out. IME they're well built. The Etymotic MC5 for example, equals or betters the build of the EPH100. 

 

[dweaver]

HMMM, I love the N-Ergy but in hind sight they may not be isolating enough for on an airplane but you can decide if you try them. I suggest using them in a loud environment for a while to determine isolation or the lack there of.

 

[Gozzer]

Used the HF-5's on a flight from Toronto to Vegas. They worked great on Air Canada's sound plug when watching their movie/TV feed. Kept them at minimum volume level and could hear the movies very clearly.  When the movie was over, I used them on my player and found they were able to block quite a bit of noise.