Doc-holliday
Never did like custom titles.
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2012
- Posts
- 2,235
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- 111
NOTE: I have been keeping this updated periodically. I am hoping it is helpful to someone. IF SO please post something even if it is brief so I know people are using it. Thanks.
Useful links:
Tyll's wall of fame
Joker'ss 260+ IEM Review.
Joker's 100+ Portable Headphone reviews
The reason I am even posting this is I would like to hear peoples "diamonds in the rough" to try out. Sleepers if you will. Cans or iems that way out perform their "income bracket" so to speak. Because it is those headphones that many people will get freinds or family to purchase to gain interest in the world of better sound, not 3 or 4 hundred dollar headphones in most cases.
For some reason it seems that things that are inexpensive automatically are considered inferior by some. They could sound spectactular but the price tag seems to affect it no matter what. For instance, in my frustration, I have simply quit recommending the Triplefi 10s to people on here. Because every time I do, someone knocks them somehow. Why? Because they are offered at a price of 150 bucks on amazon.. If they are so bad why are there so many threads on TF10s vs SE535s? A 150 dollar iem vs a 450 dollar iem? Some people think 20 bucks.. they must be bad and if expensive they must be good. The Bose In Ear (version 1) is an example. 100+ dollars and sound like garbage.
If anyone knows of other real out-performers for the $$ post em.. What would be your top 3 recommendations in this category?
My personal list of overachievers based on my somewhat limited experience (most overachieving at the top.)
I have purchased or borrowed a bunch of different budget earphones or headphones in the process and lets face it, there are a lot out there that just sound plain bad. And with that, here is my personal list of my TOP OVER-PERFORMERS.
#1 -- Sony MH1/MH1C
#2 -- Philips SHE3580
#3 -- Philips Citiscape Uptown
#4 -- JVC HA-FX40
#5 -- Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 (using silicon tips -- NOT FOAM)
Overtaking number one on my personal list is now the Sony MH1. That headphone for 27 dollars including shipping from amazon at the time of this writing is an amazing deal. To my ears they sound at least AS GOOD AS the TF10. Actually I A/B'd them against my TF10's and I prefered the Sonys but at the time the TF10 had foam tips on them so I don't consider it a fair comparrison. I personally modded them by covering a vent on top with a small sliver of tape to lessen the bass and with that mod they sound amazing.
Sony MH1C: This is a headphone that is being compared with the likes of the Vsonic GR07 and goes for $20 dollars. For that price its worth checking out. That thread is here.
she3580: At 9 dollars, this little baby is ranked up with many phones many times it's price. There is a huge thread on here on these as well. Great cheap replacement for the stock sport mp3 player "buds".
Dedicated thread.
Philips Citiscape Uptown -- These replaced my JVC HA S500 on the list. At a slightly lower price point ($65 shipped) they have much more textured bass and more realistic overall presentation to my ears. More laid back highs but more natural. They are a supremely comfortable set of Over Ear headphones meant for portable use. With mic and ipod controls in the cord they are great for use with idevices. The build quality/comfort alone for 60 bucks puts them ahead of most of the competition at this price.
Dedicated thread.
JVC HA-FX40: Finally got these in and without the well known "200 hours of burn in" that many on here say they require before they smooth out, they still are a FIRM number 2 on my list. I paid 19 dollars for them and they are better than my previous favorite budget IEM (Sennheisers below). Again a fun sounding phone but for the money outperformed others in like the UE200 and AT cks200.
CX-200: I don't know why these sound so good to me. I have the comply tips on them which tame the bass a bit and take the "edge" off the highs. That combination to me is very pleasant to listen to and are perfect for the gym due to an unbelievable fit. Compared back to back with the Shure 210, I frankly will never listen to the low end Shure's again (although I hear the 215 is a signifigant upgrade to the 210). That's 20 bucks compared with almost 100 and that's why these make my list. They are not just as-good-as, to my ears they blow the 210 away.
UE TripleFi 10: These are routinely mentioned in discussions with phones like the Westone 3, SE535 and other 350 to 450 dollar headphones. I think they sound muffled with the comply tips so I much prefer the sound of these with the silicon tips they come with. Due to the 150 dollar price tag on these and that they hold their ground against the big boys, these have to be on my personal list.
Dedicated thread here.
JVC HA-S400 Considering got these for 25 bucks a pair and are basically a more laid back version of S500 they have to go on the list. These I have seen for as low as 18 dollars shipped. The price to performance ratio is very high.
Dedicated thread
JVC HA S500: These are one of the best sounding budget headphone I have been able to try out. They are a V shaped fun sounding phone but they are not bereft entirely of midrange like most economically priced V shaped phones. Changing the earpads on thes for 10 bucks is a way to tune them to your liking. 75 dollars imported from Japan.
dedicated thread
Monoprice 8320 IEM: (These were knocked off my top 5 list by the SHE3580). I have gotten a couple guys at work to get these and ditch the aforementioned Bose in-ear models which they clearly surpass in SQ. Comparing the two, that's a 20X value ratio. Not bad. Cons are fit and really bad cable microphonics. $7 I got them on sale for $5.22
dedicated thread.
Overperforming honorable mentions or great headphones I have not had the opportunity to try:
The only criteria to go on this list is not if they are "good" but if they SOLIDLY compete with headphones as good at a higher price point. Bang for the buck.
Beyerdynamic DT235 -- in two colors I have heard nothing but good about these. They are 40 bucks and keep getting described as "sleepers" or "under the radar" for how good they sound. Apparently practically circumaural for those with small ears this lightweight on-ear is a steal. See amazon.
Monoprice 8323 DJ Headphones: Great build, referred to as the "poor mans ATH-M50". Run you about 25 bucks.
Creative Aurvana Live (The "CAL"): Around 50 dollars. Another headphone with a lengthy thread on Head-fi full of praises.
Grado SR80i: For 100 bucks these sound like they are worth the investment compared to other 100 dollar cans based on comments on this thread and on head-fi. Open headphone with reported comfort issues by some.
Koss Portapro: Brought up again and again and they are only 40 bucks. Kinda retro looking but sound good. Been around forever and still going strong.
Koss KSC75: Just search em. If you like playing around with mods, for 15 bucks these supposedly can knock your socks off for the price. One guys says all you need is a headband and the "quarter mod" (cutting a quarter sized hole in the foam pad).
GR99: These are regarded pretty high for their low 20+ dollar price range by several posters on this thread.
FXD 80: JVC's premium version of the FXD carbon nanotube line. Posters on that thread claim it is better than the TF10 and other higher priced phones.
Dedicated thread.
Philips Citiscape Downtown -- Wow what a strange looking can in purple, but also comes in white and brown. These puppies make Tyll's well known "Wall of Fame" plus they can be had for 30 bucks(See Innerfidelity.com). Need I say more.
Tyll video review
Sony MH1C: This is a headphone that is being compared with the likes of the Vsonic GR07 and goes for $20 dollars. For that price its worth checking out. That thread is here.
**** MORE RECOMENDATIONS FROM THREAD POSTERS ****
DN-HP700
See post by Twinser. Alledgedly competes with the old discontinued D2000, D5000 etc on a budget. For $99 dollars that is an impressive statement.
Rockit R50
Given a 10/10 value rating on Joker's famed IEM Shootout and a sound rating of 9.2 these surely rank high for their $130 dollar price tag.
(Many thanks to Joker for the review, please click the link above to see his full review)
-- Doc
Useful links:
Tyll's wall of fame
Joker'ss 260+ IEM Review.
Joker's 100+ Portable Headphone reviews
The reason I am even posting this is I would like to hear peoples "diamonds in the rough" to try out. Sleepers if you will. Cans or iems that way out perform their "income bracket" so to speak. Because it is those headphones that many people will get freinds or family to purchase to gain interest in the world of better sound, not 3 or 4 hundred dollar headphones in most cases.
For some reason it seems that things that are inexpensive automatically are considered inferior by some. They could sound spectactular but the price tag seems to affect it no matter what. For instance, in my frustration, I have simply quit recommending the Triplefi 10s to people on here. Because every time I do, someone knocks them somehow. Why? Because they are offered at a price of 150 bucks on amazon.. If they are so bad why are there so many threads on TF10s vs SE535s? A 150 dollar iem vs a 450 dollar iem? Some people think 20 bucks.. they must be bad and if expensive they must be good. The Bose In Ear (version 1) is an example. 100+ dollars and sound like garbage.
If anyone knows of other real out-performers for the $$ post em.. What would be your top 3 recommendations in this category?
My personal list of overachievers based on my somewhat limited experience (most overachieving at the top.)
I have purchased or borrowed a bunch of different budget earphones or headphones in the process and lets face it, there are a lot out there that just sound plain bad. And with that, here is my personal list of my TOP OVER-PERFORMERS.
#1 -- Sony MH1/MH1C
#2 -- Philips SHE3580
#3 -- Philips Citiscape Uptown
#4 -- JVC HA-FX40
#5 -- Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 (using silicon tips -- NOT FOAM)
Overtaking number one on my personal list is now the Sony MH1. That headphone for 27 dollars including shipping from amazon at the time of this writing is an amazing deal. To my ears they sound at least AS GOOD AS the TF10. Actually I A/B'd them against my TF10's and I prefered the Sonys but at the time the TF10 had foam tips on them so I don't consider it a fair comparrison. I personally modded them by covering a vent on top with a small sliver of tape to lessen the bass and with that mod they sound amazing.
Sony MH1C: This is a headphone that is being compared with the likes of the Vsonic GR07 and goes for $20 dollars. For that price its worth checking out. That thread is here.
she3580: At 9 dollars, this little baby is ranked up with many phones many times it's price. There is a huge thread on here on these as well. Great cheap replacement for the stock sport mp3 player "buds".
Dedicated thread.
Philips Citiscape Uptown -- These replaced my JVC HA S500 on the list. At a slightly lower price point ($65 shipped) they have much more textured bass and more realistic overall presentation to my ears. More laid back highs but more natural. They are a supremely comfortable set of Over Ear headphones meant for portable use. With mic and ipod controls in the cord they are great for use with idevices. The build quality/comfort alone for 60 bucks puts them ahead of most of the competition at this price.
Dedicated thread.
JVC HA-FX40: Finally got these in and without the well known "200 hours of burn in" that many on here say they require before they smooth out, they still are a FIRM number 2 on my list. I paid 19 dollars for them and they are better than my previous favorite budget IEM (Sennheisers below). Again a fun sounding phone but for the money outperformed others in like the UE200 and AT cks200.
CX-200: I don't know why these sound so good to me. I have the comply tips on them which tame the bass a bit and take the "edge" off the highs. That combination to me is very pleasant to listen to and are perfect for the gym due to an unbelievable fit. Compared back to back with the Shure 210, I frankly will never listen to the low end Shure's again (although I hear the 215 is a signifigant upgrade to the 210). That's 20 bucks compared with almost 100 and that's why these make my list. They are not just as-good-as, to my ears they blow the 210 away.
UE TripleFi 10: These are routinely mentioned in discussions with phones like the Westone 3, SE535 and other 350 to 450 dollar headphones. I think they sound muffled with the comply tips so I much prefer the sound of these with the silicon tips they come with. Due to the 150 dollar price tag on these and that they hold their ground against the big boys, these have to be on my personal list.
Dedicated thread here.
JVC HA-S400 Considering got these for 25 bucks a pair and are basically a more laid back version of S500 they have to go on the list. These I have seen for as low as 18 dollars shipped. The price to performance ratio is very high.
Dedicated thread
JVC HA S500: These are one of the best sounding budget headphone I have been able to try out. They are a V shaped fun sounding phone but they are not bereft entirely of midrange like most economically priced V shaped phones. Changing the earpads on thes for 10 bucks is a way to tune them to your liking. 75 dollars imported from Japan.
dedicated thread
Monoprice 8320 IEM: (These were knocked off my top 5 list by the SHE3580). I have gotten a couple guys at work to get these and ditch the aforementioned Bose in-ear models which they clearly surpass in SQ. Comparing the two, that's a 20X value ratio. Not bad. Cons are fit and really bad cable microphonics. $7 I got them on sale for $5.22
dedicated thread.
Overperforming honorable mentions or great headphones I have not had the opportunity to try:
The only criteria to go on this list is not if they are "good" but if they SOLIDLY compete with headphones as good at a higher price point. Bang for the buck.
Beyerdynamic DT235 -- in two colors I have heard nothing but good about these. They are 40 bucks and keep getting described as "sleepers" or "under the radar" for how good they sound. Apparently practically circumaural for those with small ears this lightweight on-ear is a steal. See amazon.
Monoprice 8323 DJ Headphones: Great build, referred to as the "poor mans ATH-M50". Run you about 25 bucks.
Creative Aurvana Live (The "CAL"): Around 50 dollars. Another headphone with a lengthy thread on Head-fi full of praises.
Grado SR80i: For 100 bucks these sound like they are worth the investment compared to other 100 dollar cans based on comments on this thread and on head-fi. Open headphone with reported comfort issues by some.
Koss Portapro: Brought up again and again and they are only 40 bucks. Kinda retro looking but sound good. Been around forever and still going strong.
Koss KSC75: Just search em. If you like playing around with mods, for 15 bucks these supposedly can knock your socks off for the price. One guys says all you need is a headband and the "quarter mod" (cutting a quarter sized hole in the foam pad).
GR99: These are regarded pretty high for their low 20+ dollar price range by several posters on this thread.
FXD 80: JVC's premium version of the FXD carbon nanotube line. Posters on that thread claim it is better than the TF10 and other higher priced phones.
Dedicated thread.
Philips Citiscape Downtown -- Wow what a strange looking can in purple, but also comes in white and brown. These puppies make Tyll's well known "Wall of Fame" plus they can be had for 30 bucks(See Innerfidelity.com). Need I say more.
Tyll video review
Sony MH1C: This is a headphone that is being compared with the likes of the Vsonic GR07 and goes for $20 dollars. For that price its worth checking out. That thread is here.
**** MORE RECOMENDATIONS FROM THREAD POSTERS ****
DN-HP700
See post by Twinser. Alledgedly competes with the old discontinued D2000, D5000 etc on a budget. For $99 dollars that is an impressive statement.
Rockit R50
Given a 10/10 value rating on Joker's famed IEM Shootout and a sound rating of 9.2 these surely rank high for their $130 dollar price tag.
(Many thanks to Joker for the review, please click the link above to see his full review)
-- Doc