[cos3]

Hello Head-Fi,
 
Long time lurker here who finally decided to register.  I recently picked up a Iphone and did away with my Ipod Classic.  So here I am – looking for a pair of headphones with a few requirements.
 
I’m a home-theater enthusiast.   When I listen to music I have a pair of monitors with excellent characteristics (+/-2db  flat freq, smooth high’s, and amazing off axis performance.) These monitors have active subwoofers and I tend to raise the gain there a tad for a bit more bass emphasis these (all personal preference).  My budget for headphones is pretty small so I know sacrifices have to be made.
 
Can you help point me in the right direction for reviews/comparisons/ or a flat out recommendation?
 
My needs/requirements are as follows:
 
-Headphone listening environment is primarily in NYC’s subway system and touring the city.  
-I’d like the cable material to be a bit more durable and less prone to tangling. Most of the time I’ll be pulling the headphones out of my bag and untangling/plugging them in while walking or in a crowded subway.  Come to think of it, I probably should use the storage /case that comes with most headphones. I damaged quite a few headphones in my day.
-My budget is < $150 (firm) and i’m ok with buying refurbished/used
-I did not want a speaker with a large amount of artificial/cheesy emphasis on certain freq ranges.  
- I listen to: Hip-Hop (classic, boom-bap, underground  etc not  club songs or those from the south with heavy 808 drums) . I also listen to House Music, Funk, Soul, Disco, Pop, etc.  Nearly all of the music I listen to has emphasis on percussion, bass and vocals.  
-Looking for something with a decent ~2yr warranty/ or future upgrade replacement plan.
-Iphone controls/voice would be great, but not a deal breaker.
 
 I did my own research and landed on V-Moda Vibrato Remote and Klipsch Image S4i. I'm still actively reviewing and would love some suggestions! Thanks.

 

[Moosecraft]

Etymotic hf3? May be a bit bass light but great isolation and details.
They also come with phone controls.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Quote:

Hello Head-Fi,
 
Long time lurker here who finally decided to register.  I recently picked up a Iphone and did away with my Ipod Classic.  So here I am – looking for a pair of headphones with a few requirements.
 
I’m a home-theater enthusiast.   When I listen to music I have a pair of monitors with excellent characteristics (+/-2db  flat freq, smooth high’s, and amazing off axis performance.) These monitors have active subwoofers and I tend to raise the gain there a tad for a bit more bass emphasis these (all personal preference).  My budget for headphones is pretty small so I know sacrifices have to be made.
 
Can you help point me in the right direction for reviews/comparisons/ or a flat out recommendation?
 
My needs/requirements are as follows:
 
-Headphone listening environment is primarily in NYC’s subway system and touring the city.  
-I’d like the cable material to be a bit more durable and less prone to tangling. Most of the time I’ll be pulling the headphones out of my bag and untangling/plugging them in while walking or in a crowded subway.  Come to think of it, I probably should use the storage /case that comes with most headphones. I damaged quite a few headphones in my day.
-My budget is < $150 (firm) and i’m ok with buying refurbished/used
-I did not want a speaker with a large amount of artificial/cheesy emphasis on certain freq ranges.  
- I listen to: Hip-Hop (classic, boom-bap, underground  etc not  club songs or those from the south with heavy 808 drums) . I also listen to House Music, Funk, Soul, Disco, Pop, etc.  Nearly all of the music I listen to has emphasis on percussion, bass and vocals.  
-Looking for something with a decent ~2yr warranty/ or future upgrade replacement plan.
-Iphone controls/voice would be great, but not a deal breaker.
 
 I did my own research and landed on V-Moda Vibrato Remote and Klipsch Image S4i. I'm still actively reviewing and would love some suggestions! Thanks.

 
You described the Shure SE-215. Highs are rolled off some. Great mids; vocals emphasized, decent bass, somewhat emphasized; good for competing with the outdoor rumbling low frequency city. Musical, somewhat lush. Isolates like an MF'r when popped into the ears. Durable cable; one of the most non-tangling. Mandatory to be worn over the ears; won't get hung up on your carry bag or yanked out of your ears when worn cinched behind the head, wire over the shoulder and into your side pocket. Under a $hundred. An extra $45 gets you iPhone control wires to swap out with the included kevlar reinforced wires. 2 year warranty. These are my personal choice for subway IEM's. You're not going to be analytical with these, but bopping along while getting to where you need to be.

 

[cos3]

Field, Excellent.  I will be adding Shure SE-215 and V-Moda Vibrato to my audition list. Both cost $140 with Itunes capability.
Moose, Etymotic hf3 sounds awesome but I think they might be a bit light on bass for my tastes.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Anytime. There are better sounding IEM's than the Shure; I have others for quiet room listening, but the part that does it for me is Shure's handling and isolation besides it's decidedly colorful, musical, and non-fatiguing sound. Here is a thread containing thoughts as it pertained to SE-215 towards being an ideal motorcycle helmet IEM:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/626498/best-iems-for-a-motorbike-helmet

 

[Moosecraft]

There is a mod that make etymotics signifigantly more bass heavy.
If u search here for NRB bass mod i bet u will find it.
I have personally not tried it though.

 

[cos3]

Moose, Thank you, I read through the link and will consider them as well.
 
Field, I'll look at that link. I'm worried about Shures bass capabilities but  will try them out. Isolation is key. Right now i'm using a pair of hand-me-down Bose headphones and the subway noise really drowns out the music.
 
I also read through the FAQs and buying guides on here - but they dont tell me the whole story in terms of mobility, comfort, and isolation.
 
At home I have a pair of DT-770 which I like. I  dont find particularly too bassy (despite what I read on here!) but  I know this game is subjective...

 

[cos3]

Im still finding mixed reactions for the SE-215's regarding bass. I dont want overpowering bass, but do want it present for the genre's that I listen to.

 

[cos3]

I like everything that I read about the V-Moda, but when I visited the website all I see is True Blood.   I cant tell if this is a gimmicky company trying to grasp the teen market. I did notice lots of comparisons to 'Dr Dre Beats'. Thoughts?

 

[glac1er]

I personally prefer the sound of full-size to IEM. I think you can find a used HD25-1-II for around $150. It is build like a tank, isolate well, and has a replaceable cable. The bass is super punchy.

 

[cos3]

I purchased the V-Moda Vibratos (amazon has it for 70ish).  Ran into a problem though. I hear deep "rumbling" or huumming sound the headphones every time the kevlar cable moves. I might have to use the sport hooks? Ack...Is this normal for isolating IEM's?

 

[PANGES]

Quote:

I purchased the V-Moda Vibratos (amazon has it for 70ish).  Ran into a problem though. I hear deep "rumbling" or huumming sound the headphones every time the kevlar cable moves. I might have to use the sport hooks? Ack...Is this normal for isolating IEM's?

 
Sounds like you're having microphonics problems. Try using a shift clip to keep the cable from moving. Nothing you can do about that aside from stopping the movement or switching cables.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Quote:

I purchased the V-Moda Vibratos (amazon has it for 70ish).  Ran into a problem though. I hear deep "rumbling" or huumming sound the headphones every time the kevlar cable moves. I might have to use the sport hooks? Ack...Is this normal for isolating IEM's?

 
 
There are no microphonics with the SE-215, shirt clip or not. Bass on SE-215 is nice, not overpowering. Especially considering the main requirement. You'd want some bass to compensate for the ultra low frequency rumble in subways systems. Especially when the IEM isolates less than the Shure.

 

[doctorjazz]

I have a large number of iem's, some full size jobs, nothing isolates (at least in my group, must be about 15 pairs) like ety's. You get decent bass with a good fit, not powerful, but it's there. They are the only ones to pass my lawn mower and leaf blower tests.