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Looking for good in-ear headphones

Winter Charm

Winter Charm

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 31, 2008
804
270
I'm looking for some high end in-ear headphones.

I have owned and loved the vmoda vibes, but it's time for an upgrade...

Any suggestions? does anyone own the vmoda remix, or the revamps? how do they compare?

Also, any other suggestions? I want durable in-ear phones. Please do not suggest bose, as they were my first in-ear phone purchase and I was wholly disappointed with them.

How about Klipsch image S4 or S4i?

Any other goons ones?

PS: I prefer deep and clean bass, but I expect the headphones to also have crisp and vibrant highs. I listen to classical, rock, alternative, etc. A very wide variety of music :)
 
Bowers and Wilkins C5. Klipsch S4i is nice, but it's not high-end. If you want professional sound, great true bass, crisp highs, great mid, comfort, and stability in ear, etc then you need the C5.

Seriously, people will tell you Klipsch S4i, a lot will say Bose, some might even say Beats or Monster. If you want high end sound, great isolation, and outstanding build quality you need the Bowers and Wilkins C5. Once you have them I'd recommend picking up some Comply TX-400 foam tips too, they sound great and are highly comfortable.

I should be in sales. =P
 
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Look no further than these. They are still some of the best headphones you can buy on the market even after being out for a few years. I've had mine since last December and i have never been happier with a pair of headphones. No problems with the detachable Kevlar coated cables, accurate deep bass which you can adjust on the headphones, great build quality etc. Do not buy them unless they are from an authorised dealer though as fakes are everywhere!

http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/home_en.nsf/root/private_headphones_portable_500772

The reviews here..

http://www.head-fi.org/t/375547/sennheiser-ie8-appreciation-thread
 
Frenchjay said:
Look no further than these. They are still some of the best headphones you can buy on the market even after being out for a few years. I've had mine since last December and i have never been happier with a pair of headphones. Do not buy them unless they are from an authorised dealer though as fakes are everywhere!

http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/home_en.nsf/root/private_headphones_portable_500772

The reviews here..

http://www.head-fi.org/t/375547/sennheiser-ie8-appreciation-thread
Click to expand...

Finally someone with a decent counter to the B&W C5. You're right, if you can throw down the $300-400 or so for the IE8s this is the elite standard in iPhone IEMs. If you're in that range you can also look at the Shure SE535s.

If you can't afford that, go for the B&W C5. Anything below that is in the "decent, better than Apple earbuds" category.
 
I recommend the C5s. Beats are horrid.
a6cd8c9d-2ab8-b64d.jpg
 
I could recommend looking into the Shure SE535s if they are within your budget. I have had the E500s (a.k.a. SE530, the generation before the SE535s) for several years and I absolutely love them. Very comfortable fit, and they have nice clean highs and clean bass, although it is not profound bass (if you are looking for that). They are some of my favorite IEMs that I have had the chance to listen to and would definitely buy them again if I was in the market for a new set.

I would definitely recommend going to the forums over at www.head-fi.org and looking for reviews. I used to be a regular contributing member there, and I have to say the people there are extremely knowledgeable and can provide you with a lot of information that is mostly unbiased and not largely based on hype, which I find seems to be very prevalent on boards such as these, which aren't filled with members whose main interest focuses on these types of gadgets.
 
Shure SE535s are the best I used so far. Check Earphonesoutions.com for discounts. Last time they gave 20% off. Too bad I missed that since I already bought mine long time ago :(
 
a1rflow said:
If you're looking for good in-ear IEMs without breaking your bank, I have a pair of Etymotic MC3s (http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/mc3.html) and they're great. The sound isolation is really superb but again thats not what some people are always looking for.
Click to expand...


Great sounding headphones but they lack the punch of bass I like to hear! I don't like analytic headphones too much I like a warmer sound :)

Still I was impressed with the detail on these just not for me!!
 
Only get the S4's if you hate yourself. I've had two pairs stop working properly in a year. And I treat them well. Klipsch gives you a 2 year warranty so they replaced mine but I'm really to toss them now that they broke once again.

C5's look nice. How is their bass? I listen to hip-hop a bit. Contemplating the Ultimate Ears 500. Need to scour the head-fi reviews to see what my options are.
 
blairh said:
Only get the S4's if you hate yourself. I've had two pairs stop working properly in a year. And I treat them well. Klipsch gives you a 2 year warranty so they replaced mine but I'm really to toss them now that they broke once again.

C5's look nice. How is their bass? I listen to hip-hop a bit. Contemplating the Ultimate Ears 500. Need to scour the head-fi reviews to see what my options are.
Click to expand...

The bass on the C5 is very pure. If its means to be deep and poundy (like a G6, welcome to my hood) it will be. If its meant to be rich and vibratey (E S Posthumus, Two Steps From Hell, orchestra) it will be.
 
I've tried several, and I know some people don't like them....but I personally love my Beats Tour $150...

Bose IE2 are a joke - They sound good, but they leak A LOT OF SOUND.
Oh and don't even dare go near Etymotic earphones if you like Bass, and Klipsch lacked bass (but they were GOOD).

Sennheiser or w/e I have not tried yet, and Shure's are FANTASTIC but if you're on a low budget I'd stick to the Beats Tour....

The Over-Ear Beats do suck though, there's just TOO MUCH BASS....

My 2 Cents :)
 
njgeek said:
The bass on the C5 is very pure. If its means to be deep and poundy (like a G6, welcome to my hood) it will be. If its meant to be rich and vibratey (E S Posthumus, Two Steps From Hell, orchestra) it will be.
Click to expand...


Haha. How about the fit? That loop thing looks weird but I'm sure it's not horrible.

I used to use Shure's but my pair broke and then after using silicone buds (S4's) I'll never use foam ones ever again.
 
blairh said:
Haha. How about the fit? That loop thing looks weird but I'm sure it's not horrible.

I used to use Shure's but my pair broke and then after using silicone buds (S4's) I'll never use foam ones ever again.
Click to expand...

The loop thing is weird at first, its basically the size of an earbud and sits in your cartilage like an earbud while the tips go in your ear. It's a good mix, keeps them in tight.
 
I have had great experiences with Shure. Be sure to take a look at them.
 
Klipsch S4i's are definetely alright.

The Shure SE215s sound a bit better though, they fit more awkwardly as well.
 
I've had Klipsch S4I (broke after 1 year) and Boes MIE2 (put through washing machine with pants), and I've been trying to find a replacement for the Bose. The Klipsch sounded good, although didn't stay in my ears well. The Bose MIE2's did sound good, but they sounded distinctly Bose. I'm tired of the sound of Bose, and the Klipsch had poor build quality...the wire eventually came out of the strain relief and they stopped working.

I purchased and returned Ultimate Ears UE500's. They sounded awful. I just bought a pair of Etymotic MC3's, and I'm not sure what to think. They go so deep inside your ear canal that they are somewhat fatiguing to listen to, and unless you have a really perfect seal, there is no bass.

As much as I don't really want to spend the money, I might break down and buy the Bowers & Wilkins C5's. I can't find too many negative reviews, and I do use them a lot.
 
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