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Need new earbuds... Suggestions?

mrat93

mrat93

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 30, 2006
2,340
3,383
So, my Apple In-ear headphones have consistently failed me. I never go over 75% volume, and no pair has lasted more than one year.

I am looking for new earbuds that fall under the following criterea:
  • Less than $200 (preferably less than $150
  • Good with handling heavy bass. I listen to a fair amount of hip-hop.
  • At least three separate sizes of earpieces.
  • If possible, a warranty longer than one year.
  • Remote, volume controls, and mic on the cord.

So... Any suggestions?
 
mrat93 said:
So, my Apple In-ear headphones have consistently failed me. I never go over 75% volume, and no pair has lasted more than one year.

I am looking for new earbuds that fall under the following criterea:
  • Less than $200 (preferably less than $150
  • Good with handling heavy bass. I listen to a fair amount of hip-hop.
  • At least three separate sizes of earpieces.
  • If possible, a warranty longer than one year.
  • Remote, volume controls, and mic on the cord.

So... Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Sennheiser IE6 on sale at Amazon $119 (regular $249)

Good reviews
 
robots3humans0 said:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-205-iems-compared-j-phonic-k2-sp-added-11-13-11

That's a thread dedicated to review IEMs and earbuds at different price ranges. Some have mics, some don't. I found the ones decided to order on this list - Shure SE215. I'll be picking them up on saturday.. lots of good reviews about them online. Just gotta shell out another $40 for the replaceable iPhone cable.
Click to expand...

Damn, that guy has a ton of headphones...

While some of those in my price range seem very good, I don't know the company that makes them, which I prefer. I'm looking at the Bose MIE2i on Amazon. They seem to get very good reviews, though some people report that the mic/controls break easily.

Anybody here have the MIE2i? What do you think of them? Any issues like I described above?
 
I was struggling with the same dilemma myself. After digging through much of head-fi I ended up picking up an Etymotic HF3.

The last 3 headsets that I ended up limiting down to were:

Bose MIE2I
Etymotic HF3
Klipsche S4i

I tried out the Bose MIE2I at the Bose store...and for some reason I was quite disappointed with it. I didn't try it out for long, probably one of the reasons why I wasn't 'wow-ed' by it... The sound seemed a bit too warm and a bit muffled up for me. It was, however, VERY comfortable... A lot of people like the Bose so I have no doubt that it's a great headset.

I'm loving the HF3s right now. I do need to break into these, but so far and especially with the Awareness app, I'm finding these to be quite pleasant. As with all the Etymotic headsets, the bass is a bit on the low, but the clarity of the mid-highs make up for it.

I'd say try them out from Amazon, Best Buy or Apple Store as they have generous return policies. :) Everyone has different tastes with their sounds, and from the reviews that I've read, the above 3 are solid choices.
 
I have owned the Bose MIE2Is for two weeks. I am very pleased with the sound quality and the build. I also did a ton of research and finally decided to pull the trigger. The controls work wonderful on the 4s. I'm not sure what the factory warranty is because I always purchase the best buy ext warranty. For 2 years that covers all but theft my total was 170 out the door. you will not be disappointed. I did love my skullcandy FMJ but lost them on a trip so I upgraded. I have tried several and the Bose are the best in ear I have ever owned. They blow the beats by dre in ear out of the water.
 
I got the Logitech 600vi and theyre awesome. Got them for $60 new right off of logitech with my 50% coupon i received a couple months ago from logitech.com
 
The thing about these threads about earbuds is...you get so many opinions about how great these earbuds are that you become swamped with the number of earbuds you need to look up.

I had the Bose and HF3 in my hand at the cashier until I finally decided on the HF3, and that was after going back and forth from the shelves and the cashier several times :eek:

IMO I think all the earbuds stated above are excellent choices. From here, I think a lot falls into personal preference. That said, don't stop giving suggestions :) New opinions and reviews are always helpful.
 
Best overall sound quality is going to be something from ultimate ears on sennheiser or shure, but those can get very pricey

Best overall in your price range is kilpsch s4i in my opinion (but you can find higher quality sets on pretty good sales if you're patient, putting them in your price range)

Bose is the way to go if you also want them to be comfortable...Bose have the best comfort in the industry from my experience...but they aren't the best on sound quality

Beats by dre have very over exaggerated bass, so I almost never recommend them to people. But as you've said you listen to a lot of hip hop, you're one of the few who could benefit from them as something more than a fashion accessory
 
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