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Earphones buying advice

F

FunkyMonkey

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 4, 2007
419
0
Right behind you
My iPod earbuds just broke on me so I'm shopping around for new ones. I'm looking for a pair of in ear headphones, under $50, with the best sound quality possible.

Any suggestions? I'm thinking about getting the Creative EP - 630. Good choice?
 
if you spend a little more you can get the best bang for your buck.

i think the shure e2c might still be out as well as the etymotic er-6i (i think that's what it's called).

i think it's a worthy investment
 
FunkyMonkey said:
Any suggestions? I'm thinking about getting the Creative EP - 630. Good choice?
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That's a very good choice. For this kind of budget anyway. I have and use these buds a lot and they not only sound well but they also last. There is also EP-830 out there which is said to have tighter bass, also within your budget. Some say these are better but I cannot comment on them as I only used Creative EP-630 so far.
 
Anything by Sennheiser, or Bose are pretty good. I have had Creative in the past and found them excelent. The important thing is to get the best earphones you can afford, as they will give better performance and better protection for your ears.
Cheers
 
I bought a pair of Panasonics last year for $50, very pleased with them. I also second the Sennheiser suggestion. Fantastic products... I'm looking for a pair of their iPhone-compatible earbuds, but they're tough to find in Canada. :(
 
ep 630 's are essentially the same as the sennheiser cx300.

I don't consider myself an audiophile by any means, but I use earphones daily and have gone through many of them. I should also mention that I appreciate bass.

I've owned the koss spark plugs, sony 31's, 51's, 71's and 81's (all of which died within 6 months), JVC marshmallows, creative ep 630, sennheiser cx300, shure e2c, vmoda bass freq, Ultimate ears superfi 5 eb and more that I can't remember off the top of my head.

In the under $50 category my personal favorite were the vmoda bass freqs - but again, this is coming from someone who appreciates bass. I felt that the ep 630s/cx300 had good mids and highs, but coupled with an iPod, I just did not feel there was enough bass response.
 
six.four said:
ep 630 's are essentially the same as the sennheiser cx300.

I don't consider myself an audiophile by any means, but I use earphones daily and have gone through many of them. I should also mention that I appreciate bass.

I've owned the koss spark plugs, sony 31's, 51's, 71's and 81's (all of which died within 6 months), JVC marshmallows, creative ep 630, sennheiser cx300, shure e2c, vmoda bass freq, Ultimate ears superfi 5 eb and more that I can't remember off the top of my head.

In the under $50 category my personal favorite were the vmoda bass freqs - but again, this is coming from someone who appreciates bass. I felt that the ep 630s/cx300 had good mids and highs, but coupled with an iPod, I just did not feel there was enough bass response.
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I believe that well the CX300 was not bass heavy by any means, however iThink it was enough for my daily uses. It was a lot more then the bass on the Shure E2's and what I would consider would be bass heavy as opposed to balances.
 
Might I suggest these? Don't have them myself, but have heard really good things about them. Plus the price is right. I've got these Shures. Really good (though not too bass-heavy), but they seem a little out of reach for your budget (although a better price can be found through a good search).

EDIT: Also, might I suggest this forum for headphones-related questions?
 
mrcharlie91 said:
You guys all suggesting crappy earphones..

I strongly suggest you to look up for Shure SE530 , UE11 , and EX700.
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Erm... yeah, sure. And where exactly will the OP find the SE530 (arguably about the best IEMs out there) for somewhere around $50?
 
BrettFarve04 said:
I have brand new never used Phillip's earbuds. I'll sell them too ya for 30 bucks.
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Umm...you've been around since '07 surely you would know
Forum Rules said:
10. Selling outside the Marketplace. All threads offering items for sale or trade, asking to buy items, or asking for pricing advice on items to be sold must be posted in the Marketplace forum, which is accessible only to qualified members and subject to additional rules; see the Marketplace Rules for details. Members not eligible for the Marketplace forum may not start threads elsewhere for such purposes.
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Bengt77 said:
Erm... yeah, sure. And where exactly will the OP find the SE530 (arguably about the best IEMs out there) for somewhere around $50?
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The same place you would find the UE11's or the Sony EX700 for $50. Arguably the other two of the top five headphones on the market. In fact the UE11's moldings would cost +$150, however, mrcharlie91 (ironic, because of my name and birthdate), would much rather suggest that we are all suggesting "crappy' options without realizing the OP's request. While I would strongly suggest that you look into some of the same IEMs and headphones that I own (Grado GS1000, Shure SE530 and Shure MPA, UE10) if that's what you are looking for; I'll try to keep my recommendations within your price range.
 
Dermot said:
That's a very good choice. For this kind of budget anyway. I have and use these buds a lot and they not only sound well but they also last. There is also EP-830 out there which is said to have tighter bass, also within your budget. Some say these are better but I cannot comment on them as I only used Creative EP-630 so far.
Click to expand...

That's tighter as in no bass. It's encroaching on CX300 territory. Creative brought these out for people who thought the 630s were too bassy.

six.four said:
ep 630 's are essentially the same as the sennheiser cx300.
Click to expand...

Only if you are deaf. Different drivers in a similar casing. They sound completely different. EP-630 has decent bass and a balanced but not particularly clear sound. The Sennheisers have pronounced and clear middles and highs and virtually no bass to speak of.
 
I have a pair of JVC Gummies they are 10 bucks and they are the best ear buds I have ever used. The best thing about they is they are made of rubber so they don't break easily.

dont spend a lot when you can get these for a little
 
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