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Best Earbuds For $100?

blairh

blairh

macrumors 603
Original poster
Dec 11, 2007
6,134
4,866
Curious what you guys recommend for earbuds with a max budget of $100. My S4's broke again (second time in 12 months) so please no Klipsch recommendations. I listen to a variety of music including hip-hop. Also needs to have silicone tips. Thanks.
 
Hmmm...do you have problems with IEs falling out? If so you need something with hooks, loops, or over ear. Let me know.
 
Brazzy said:
etymotic
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People tell me the bass is underwhelming.

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njgeek said:
Hmmm...do you have problems with IEs falling out? If so you need something with hooks, loops, or over ear. Let me know.
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Nope, no problems with IEs falling out. I used the S4's running straight down from my ears with no issues.

Anybody familiar with Ultimate Ears 500s or 600s?
 
I tried a pair of cheap Skull Candy's a while back (like $40) and fell in love. They have a lifetime warranty, so when they went out a couple of months ago (after two years) I sent them in and they send out a voucher that I put towards a pair of Heavy Medals ($80) and they are the nice. good bass, clear, and I can wear them for hours without making my ears hurt.

http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/heavy-medal-chrome.html
 
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Don't know on the Ultimate Ears though they make some decent products. Have you tried the gaudy but decent monster turbines?
 
njgeek said:
Don't know on the Ultimate Ears though they make some decent products. Have you tried the gaudy but decent monster turbines?
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I like those a lot. Amazon is the only place I've seen them for less than $100 and they are temporarily out of stock. I could wait to see when Amazon will sell them again.
 
I've read some good things about these, including here, and they will probably be my next earphone purchase:

Logitech Ultimate Ears 600vi


I currently use a set of UE 220vi's, and love them.
 
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Etymotic HF-3. Best headphones around that price plus they have mic and 3 buttons. Can find on eBay for around 100$.
 
Brazzy said:
etymotic
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toxictrix said:
Etymotic HF-3.
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I prefer Etys but I wouldn't recommend them to anyone that mentions listening to bass-heavy music such as hip hop. Be sure to read the OP and not just recommend what you prefer/purchase without any thought to the preferences of the person making the request.

blairh said:
People tell me the bass is underwhelming.
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It't not exaggerated but I guess it's 6 one way and a half dozen the other. :D

toxictrix said:
Best headphones around that price
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Best is always highly subjective, regardless of topic. See my first comment above.
 
While I agree the Klipsch S4i is great the OP distinctly said he's not interested in any more Klipsch.
 
njgeek said:
While I agree the Klipsch S4i is great the OP distinctly said he's not interested in any more Klipsch.
Click to expand...

I never realized how many people fail to read the OP. This thread is an eye-opener.
 
Bose are good but very bass heavy. I myself listen to a lt of different music (minimal hip-hop) and I like a decent amount of bass but the Bose can be a bit overwhelming in that respect.

For example: If I'm listening to Queen's "Another one bites the dust" the base is perfect and welcome. If on the other hand I'm listening to Coltrane or Miles the base can be a bit much for that type of music where it wasn't meant to be so pronounced.

So the truth is, it's subjective to each listener's tastes. But if you like more bass than the average person and listen to hip hop a lot you might love the Bose.
 
These are a little under budget, but I can't vouch for them enough. They're from this brand called MEElectronics and I've got several of their in-ear monitors. They're really quite good. You can find a lot of talk about them on Head-fi and other places too.

http://www.amazon.com/MEElectronics-A151-BK-Balanced-Armature-Headphones/dp/B004OBZ2XQ

The HiFiMan RE0 is another well-regarded headphone.

http://head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=38

Honestly, any of these earphones are gonna make you more than satisfied, I feel.
 
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