Recommend (or don't) some in-ear headphones

[MickMcGeough]

I'm looking for a decent pair of in-ear noise-isolating headphones. Had a good set of skullcandy's for a year or so, used them every day. But the cord shielding wasn't the best quality and it's start to come apart.

Normally I just search for reviews but for whatever reason, headphones seem to have a huge array of scores across the board. What sounds great to one is tinny or hollow to another. Obviously this is a product you can't just go try out in a store.

Looking for something durable, decent bass, bonus for iPhone controls. Trying to keep it in the $100 range but I'm interested in any headphones you've got experience with.

[FlamesPuck12]

I used to use Skullcandy earphones, which were great for it's price.

I was going to pick up a Shure 115 from Bestbuy then I found out that for ~$20 more, you can get the same earphones with iPhone controls built into it (Shure 115m) from the Apple store.

I definitely recommend getting the Shure 115m, which is about $125, but it's definitely worth it. It feels more comfortable than Skullcandy, and it isolates noise better than Skullcandy. The cord shielding is a lot better than Skullcandy, which makes less noise when they're moved while they're in your ears. It also comes with a carrying case for your earphones so it doesn't collect dust while they're in your pocket.

Edit: Apple Store is the only vendor which carries the model with the iPhone controls.

[fredr123]

JVC FX66. Hands down the best cheap in-ear canal phones I've ever owned. You can get them for under $40 at Future Shop. They generally get pretty good reviews and are excellent value for the money.

I found mine to be comfortable, durable and sound better than any other cheapy headphone out there. You'll like them a lot more than your Skullycandies.

[TriCitiesHockeyFan]

i use a pair of shure's SE115's
some pros and cons:
+
they are VERY durable
the sound isolation is excellent
they come with a variety of ear buds so you can pick which one is suited best for you
and last but certainly not least, the sound quality is great albeit for one thing (mention in the cons)

-
the bass is just OK, it could be a little higher (i heard skullcandies have high bass so you might not expect the same from this pair)
the price might be a little high, however i think it it justified in the quality of these headphones

overall i would recommend them

[Bob]

Klipsch S4i. Apple stores and London Drugs both have them. They are highly rated over on Cnet.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by TriCitiesHockeyFan

i use a pair of shure's SE115's
some pros and cons:
+
they are VERY durable
the sound isolation is excellent
they come with a variety of ear buds so you can pick which one is suited best for you
and last but certainly not least, the sound quality is great albeit for one thing (mention in the cons)

-
the bass is just OK, it could be a little higher (i heard skullcandies have high bass so you might not expect the same from this pair)
the price might be a little high, however i think it it justified in the quality of these headphones

overall i would recommend them

Thanks for the response - I'm going to check them out.

This is a great example of how the reviews are all over the map. The CNet review on these (http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/s...-33485095.html) says the bass is overpowering and the mids/highs are weak. Recommends them for hip-hop/reggae fans. Then every user review complains about the lack of bass.

TriCities - how's the fit? I'm assuming it's pretty good with all the buds they supply.

[TriCitiesHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

TriCities - how's the fit? I'm assuming it's pretty good with all the buds they supply.

they fit great, i think there are 4 different sizes and each size has a choice of rubber or foam material. i rarely have to adjust them even when im exercising.

[Bob]

This is a great example of how the reviews are all over the map. The CNet review on these (http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/s...-33485095.html) says the bass is overpowering and the mids/highs are weak. Recommends them for hip-hop/reggae fans. Then every user review complains about the lack of bass.

That's weird. I think it's pretty much true of all canalphones that they have terrible bass. There simply isn't enough room to do much low frequency work. I have the Klipsch S4i and the CNet review mentions "powerful thumping bass", which is frankly laughable, but it's all relative I guess. I would describe the bass as "weak at best" on them, but I've never heard other canalphones, so maybe they really are pretty good in comparison.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Bob

That's weird. I think it's pretty much true of all canalphones that they have terrible bass. There simply isn't enough room to do much low frequency work. I have the Klipsch S4i and the CNet review mentions "powerful thumping bass", which is frankly laughable, but it's all relative I guess. I would describe the bass as "weak at best" on them, but I've never heard other canalphones, so maybe they really are pretty good in comparison.

I’d rather have a good quality set of headphones with a flat frequency response - then you can tweak with EQ on your device instead.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by Bob

That's weird. I think it's pretty much true of all canalphones that they have terrible bass. There simply isn't enough room to do much low frequency work. I have the Klipsch S4i and the CNet review mentions "powerful thumping bass", which is frankly laughable, but it's all relative I guess. I would describe the bass as "weak at best" on them, but I've never heard other canalphones, so maybe they really are pretty good in comparison.

Yeah, when I say I'm looking for "decent bass" I mean "decent bass for earbuds".

Ended up going for the Klipsch S4i's - really happy so far. The reviews were just too mixed on the Shure's and the Klipsch ones ranged from positive to glowing.

My only complaint is that the wires seem a tad flimsy, but Klipsch gives a 2 year warranty so we'll see.

Overall these are awesome for just over a bill.

Thanks for the responses!

[gonzo29]

Just don't go with Bose. Good sound quality but I've had major issues with the 3.5 mm jack not properly connecting, and Bose has done nothing to fix it.

[wooohooo]

Check out Head-fi.org

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/list/103
This ones specifically for IEM (in ear monitors). Good sight with audiophiles and they give detailed analysis about each head set. Lots of people posts questions like yours so just give it a read and see what you like.

[MickMcGeough]

After a few days with the Klipsch S4i's; these really are incredible for $120 in-ear headphones. Highly recommended.

[blankall]

http://www.meelec.com/ProductDetails...phone-MEE-What

Look up reviews for these products. The best part is they regularly go on sale. I was able to buy a pair of their m9s and m6s for 30 after shipping.

[Russic]

I'm a fanboy, so take this suggestion with a grain of salt, but I really enjoy the Apple in-ear headphones. $90, more comfortable than the comparable Shure or Bose model and the remote is tiny and out of the way. I know some people don't like them, but they are my favorite. They don't have the foam tips like the Shure model, but I wasn't a fan of those anyway. The Bose were garbage imo.

[wooohooo]

Originally Posted by blankall

http://www.meelec.com/ProductDetails...phone-MEE-What

Look up reviews for these products. The best part is they regularly go on sale. I was able to buy a pair of their m9s and m6s for 30 after shipping.

I got the M6's last year. They were pretty good, but felt it was lacking a good sound stage/bass.

How do the M9's compare to the M6's?

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by blankall

http://www.meelec.com/ProductDetails...phone-MEE-What

Look up reviews for these products. The best part is they regularly go on sale. I was able to buy a pair of their m9s and m6s for 30 after shipping.

I checked out some reviews of the M11+'s cause they were on sale not long ago and I couldn't find much in the way of positive reviews...

[blankall]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

I checked out some reviews of the M11+'s cause they were on sale not long ago and I couldn't find much in the way of positive reviews...

I think it really depends on what kind of review you are reading. If you compare the M11s to top end earphones, no they won't do so well.

However, if you can get an Meelectronic earphone for $30 during one of their sales, then you won't be able to beat the sound for anything less than $100.00.

Basically, if you are an extreme audiophile, spend the $200+ and get the premium earphones. If you are the average listener, MEElectronics cannot be beat for the value.

Of course like I said before, the sales are common. At least one of their models goes for at least 50% off every month or two. So I would wait if you can.

[FlamingInfinity]

I've had a friend recommend the Monster Jamz. They're on at Future Shop for $124.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Russic

I'm a fanboy, so take this suggestion with a grain of salt, but I really enjoy the Apple in-ear headphones. $90, more comfortable than the comparable Shure or Bose model and the remote is tiny and out of the way. I know some people don't like them, but they are my favorite. They don't have the foam tips like the Shure model, but I wasn't a fan of those anyway. The Bose were garbage imo.

I like them too. I have two issues with them though. First, the noise from the cable moving around can be a bit overwhelming. Second - they give me small static shocks when I used them with my Touch, depending on whether I had a case on the Touch or not and what pocket I had it in. Very annoying!

Stationary though they are probably the highest quality headphones I've used (which might not be saying much), and I think they are probably decent, if unspectacular compared to others at the pricepoint. A safe choice overall.