Looking for some in-ear earphones

I've been using skullcandys(not great, but sound is bearable as long as i don't crank the sound dial too much) for half a year or so, and the cable is starting to wear, losing sound in 1 ear, so i need new ones.

I am on a tight budget, i'd also like something at least decent. Before these i had SE HBH-DS980 bluetooth headset, which had way better bass than skullcandys, on loud would even give the feel you get in your heart when standing to a decently sized sub-woofer, which is what I'd like to get from my new headset.

I wouldn't want to spend more than 30£, just to sort of give an idea on it, as i got a vita and have exhausted my luxuries pigybank. I paid 10£ for my skullcandys so i guess i should get a decent set.


Now i tried looking, but specs don't really seem to mean a whole lot on earphones... Probably will get some on a sale or special offer etc. had a quick and found something that looks tempting, though they all say "super duper sound quality great bass" all that.

JVC HAFX1X Xtreme Xplosives In Ear Canal Headphones: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-...s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1329952272&sr=1-108

Ones that are dieing now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skullcandy-...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1329952112&sr=1-12

I really don't want sony, as from my experience they don't seem to know jack about earphones. In my head Sennheiser, JVC, Klipsch, Logitech(had a good set for cheap) seem somewhat best, though have a fairly heavy price tag too...


Anyways, suggestions for some good earphones that wont tear me a new one to get em?

 

Head-Fi.org - Headphone forums and reviews for audiophiles is a good resource for those questions, though a bit overwhelming to be fair. I remember one thread about some Philips phones that claims you can get $100 sound out of some $10 IEM's they offer (but not all of them). They were recommending the Thermaltake Isurus very highly on that thread as well - which led me to buy a pair. It's actually marketed as a gaming IEM headset, so there's a tiny mic on the cable, but for about $25 they're a really good pair of IEM's, with the only downside I noticed being that they're rather light on the bass.

 

imo keep saving and get some klipsch s4's..best audio investment i've made since my logitech z5500s. music sounds awesome and it's still decent enough to play competitive fps games with

 

i was browsing through head-fi.org and noticed they are making earphones with replaceable cables (Panasonic RP-HJE900 cought my eye though way out of price range) anything decent with replaceable cables? Just trying to make a rough list of things to look deals for... would save me a new set of earphones every half a year having only to get new cables.

 

This thread is where you want to go as your one-stop shop for this kind of information.
Multi-IEM Review - 223 IEMs compared (Dunu DN-17 Crater & DN-18 Hawkeye added 02/22/12)

For 30 quid, I'd highly recommend going with a pair of used Klipsch Image S4 headphones. They wound incredible for the price you pay.

 

Thank you for shaing this info

 

ok i was browsing for some image S4, just want to know whats the difference between S4 and S4i ?

 

Klipsch Image S4: Stereo in-ear headphones

Klipsch Image S4i (or any of their "i" headphones): Stereo in-ear headphones with in-line microphone and 3-button Apple iPod / iPhone controls.

 

I also noticed someone say the s4i don't work with blackberries? I don't see why it wouldn't, but will it work fine with my android phone and laptop?

 

When someone says "it doesn't work with [not-Apple-device]," they are probably referring to the 3-button remote.

There are basically 2 or 3 different standards out there for how those in-line 3 button controls work. And the standard used by Apple devices is different than how smartphone & portable music devices from other manufacturers operate. I could take a pair of Klipsch Image S4i headphones, plug it into my Android phone (Droid RAZR), and the buttons wouldn't do anything.

The earbuds will play back audio from any device... Blackberry, Android, laptop, 1991 Sony CD Walkman, etc. It is the 3-button remote that will not work.

 

Klipsch S4 or Senn CX300-II as a cheaper alternative.

 

+1 on the Sennheisers.

 

I'm sure I'll catch a little hell for this, but I've used a ton of earbuds and they all eventually make my ears hurt ... bad. The bass response is almost always terrible and it makes me wish I could just tear my ears out.

The exception, and I'm not being facetious - simple Apple earbuds, the same ones that come with your ipod/iphone. I know lots of people disagree and I'm sure you can spend a ton of money for something a little better; for not too much dough, the Apple buds are comfy to me for long periods and I find the sound totally reasonable. My 2c!

 

You could have used a ton of similarly sized earbuds. Bear in mind that some of the earbuds being discussed here are of the in-ear kind which is a different prospect. The old Apple earbuds were pretty standard-sized, but after a while they probably noticed a lot of women weren't able to wear them properly. Given that women are Apple's market in effect this was a bad idea, so Apple redesigned their buds - which means they now don't fit a lot of men properly.

 

those Apple earbuds, and earbuds in general (not In-Ear Monitors), are straight garbage when it comes to sound quality and comfort. i feel sorry for ppl that have to settle for that garbage.

the most important thing u have to consider about IEM's are how well they will seal with your ear-type. first, find the right sized cushion or foam tip that fits YOUR EAR properly. second, find out what the recommended position your IEM's should be worn at. third, secure the "seal" and enjoy the sounds.

 

Actually, if they fit you the sound quality has every potential to be fairly decent - certainly outstripping entry-level in-ears slightly more expensive than the iBuds (but then a number of open earbuds are capable of this, and some of them cost less). Or at least, that's what the measurements told us.

However as I mentioned by changing the size, they made it female-friendly and male / large ear-unfriendly - and that affects how the sound comes across. If you're a bloke, the potential for it to sound comparatively tinny because you're not getting the correct fit is much higher.

But in either case, you're much more likely to get a) better fit & therefore better sound b) higher isolation meaning you can hear more music without turning it up to drown out the background noise and make yourself deaf quicker with in-ears. The Senns previously recommended are a pretty safe bet IMO.

 

Ok so i caved and got JVC XX earphones, they sound a lot different than skullcandys i had, but they were just 15£ and for that they sound amazing, bass and trebble are good, though a fair bit rougher than the skullcandys(10mm driver is to blame i guess, sound is less delicate, sort of). Also don't go high pitched squeeley like skullcandy ink'd on high volume(well they do on say my VITA, not on my laptop, thanks dell for decent sound card in it i guess). Cables feel way softer and more flexible as well, by miles, will probably last way longer than skullcandys.

But yeah they're probably best bang for the buck earphones I've had.

I will definitely get klipsch or Senns next, but now i am low on cash and these sound fairly better though more rough than skullcandys.

Also, the ones without silicone buds, the normal drop in ear earphones are indeed crap, they do for say phone calls but not much more... I got a set of SE earphones like that, sound quality is actually really good, with bass and all that but it just doesn't compare to decent in-ear sound insulated buds.

And also more, the apple earbuds that come nowadays are close to skullcandys i had (ones with silicone bits obviously)... They're not great... And cheap in-ear earphones do give you headaches as they have crap sound quality... it got nothing to do with you lol, i was using my cheap set of in-ears i found from long ago, the sound quality is apocalypticly bad... even on low volume when it sounds somewhat OK, it still gives headaches and makes your ears bleed. Get decent ones or don't waste your money.

@houstoned For me medium sized ones fit best all the time i get a set of in-ears... but usually they come with 3 different sized ones so they fit most people... unless the little mesh canal is wide. (had a pair once, would hurt my hears) but usually the mid range ones fit well.


Many thanks to all, i really wanted them klipsch ones, but can't justify spending that much on earphones at this moment... sorry for my rambling lol

 

congrats on the purchase!

have u tried foam tips? they provide a more consistent seal and are alot less fatiguing than the plastic stuff. Comply is a popular company.

 

These look big, but they don't weigh a thing, and i haven't tried foam tips. I am liking the silicone things, maybe i just got used to it, but it isn't tiring at all

Also, i can't get my finger on it, these earphones sound great, base is deep and all, but it somehow sounds dry especially on my phone... I get a feeling these are more for D&B kind of thing. other than that they're great for 15£ build quality is excellent. I will upgrade when i got some more money to spare but for now these are pretty good.

Yeah D&B definitely sounds more lively