Audioppophiles: Need new earbud suggestions that don't break the bank.

"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond) 08/12/2015 at 13:58 • Filed to: None

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I went to a high end stereophile store a long time ago when setting up my first surround sound living room. Their speaker packages began at $500 and peaked at $unobtanium. I listened to their 5.1 $500 set and I thought it was wonderful. Next, listening to an $800 set was like cleaning out the ear wax and I heard things I never heard before. That was my transition to In-Ear headphones. High-school for me was the tape-cassette walk-man era of head banded foamed on-ear. Over time there was the canal resting ear-bud style and then some better engineered over the ear clipped on -ear Sony’s that sounded alright but the whole time I knew there was baseless sound for decades.

I picked up some Skullcandy Titans many years ago and the transformation was amazing. For $35 I thought it was impressive. The bass was deep from an 11mm metal driver and the mids and highs, I thought, so much more wonderful than before. And they were. I lost them after two years and bought a replacement (the picture above) and those have been great for another 18 months, until the right bud shorted out. Living in a pocket without the case does that.

I know that great isolated sound can be had and the in-ear style is where to get it, at some points, over $1,000. Honestly, I know that Skullcandy Titan’s are NOT the best and I know there there’s PLENTY of better sound for the same price point, but there is such a mammoth volume of product out there and everything is either, “Too boomy and muddy highs” or ,”distorted on either end of the spectrum” reviews.

Multi-driver breaks the bank. Internet has multiple places to read on $50 and under buds, all littered with product inferior to the audiophile. What I want to know, is what would a serious audiophile buy, if they had to budget $50-$70 knowing the wife would complain at anything towards that 70, and wanted to get clear sound from the whole spectrum. Music tastes from rock, electronic, to mid-range easy synth to occasional classical. I know a single solution is not ideal but were talking budgets here and the reviews are by snobs or people that just take the manufacturer word for it.

The Titans actually sound good, but there’s better. Gimme the skinny.

Party-vi > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:03

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I must be a heathen, thinking my $30 Skullcandy buds are awesome. Commenting so I can read this later.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:04

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Sennheiser is real good. I have some of their cheaper ones i use at work and love them. Quality is pretty good IMO but im not a crazy audio person (songs on ipod are all 320kps). They have a good rep too

BorkBorkBjork > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:04

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I really love my Klipsch S4’s, some of those models hover between $50 and $100 on Amazon. They are extremely comfortable and faithfully reproduce any audio source. The newer models (The R6) have come out, but I have never tried them.

Higher end, I’ve heard that the Bowers and Wilkins C5 S2, at $160, are as good as ear buds can get. Also check out the Martin Logan Mikros 70s

Tareim - V8 powered > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:05

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I wouldn’t class myself as a serious audiophile but I’m mightly impressed with JVC’s HAF1X which are a budget earphone but they are great sounding, I too listen to a wide variety of music from pop to rock, heavy metal, rap, hip hop, dance, some classical etc. and come with a cool protective case for carrying them

also shared this with http://soundboard.kinja.com/ so should get some good answers

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:07

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Any in ear Sennheiser stuff is pretty good. I had CX300 2s and they were well worth the £15 (about $24) I paid.

BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:08

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Panasonic RPHJE120K In-Ear Headphone, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003EM8008/… no need to search anymore. I have a pair of these and they're great.

dogisbadob > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:09

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hehehehe audiophile earbuds

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:10

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I’ve never been impressed by any headphones really, but in-ears always worried me from an ear safety perspective. They pretty much seal off the ear canal, so I’ve always been worried about the pressures they create. The ones that I have heard all sounded worse than headphones anyway. Beats are absolutely awful. My go-tos for when I have to use headphones (at work, on set, in the studio, etc) are Sony MDR7506s. They’re older and don’t have the bass response of some newer headphones, but they are very clear and don’t sound artificial or muddy like alot of bassier headphones do. This makes it easier to focus on what matters in noisy environments, but there’s a great company called Remote Audio that modify the 7506s to have more outside sound suppression. Those cut outside sound better than ear plugs and are really well built. Unfortunately they get really hot and they’re heavy, but that just comes with the territory.

CB > Party-vi 08/12/2015 at 14:10

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I liked the sound quality of Skullcandy earbuds, but the build was crap. I went through a pair every six months.

Megamullin > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:10

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I have been very pleased with every audio product I have purchased recommended by the Wirecutter which have included bookshelf speakers, bluetooth speakers, and over-ear headphones. Below are links to what you’re looking for in two different price ranges.

Best in-ear headphones under $40:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-h…

The step up: Best in-ear headphones under $100:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-1…

The links should give you some pretty good options.

Edit: to save you some time, here’s what they recommended for your desired sound profile:

Also Great

$35* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $46.

ME Electronics A151p

If you like folk or rock

The mids and highs are very forward with much less emphasis on bass, so if you prefer guitar solos to thumping basslines, the ME Electronics should satisfy.

njp1589 > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:10

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The best earbuds I ever owned were a pair of Klipsch Image S4 IEMs. They can be had for pretty cheap these days. If you follow popular opinion, you need to break them in a little before you get the best sound out of them, but I found that they sounded pretty great out of the box.

I eventually had to stop using them due to ear problems and got a pair of Sony MDR7506, which are quite excellent.

phenotyp > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:11

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I’ve used Shures for years, a little over $100 a pop (two pairs in seven years), and they’ve been amazing to me. Like putting glasses on your ears.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:12

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I loved my set of Titans until I had the same issue with the right earbud.

CalzoneGolem > CB 08/12/2015 at 14:12

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This is the universal opinion of skull candy.

ForzenTundraXC70 > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:13

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I honestly wouldn’t call myself a hardcore audiophile, but I like to think I know what sounds good and what doesn’t. I bought a pair of Sennheiser CX 300 II Precision Enhanced Bass Earbuds two years ago a think they sound pretty darn good for what they cost. For reference, I have a set of AudioTechnica ATH-M50 studio headphones, and the sennheiser buds sound almost as good to my modest ear.

Hermann > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:15

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I hade one of these. They really didn’t last very long. Their cord is too hard and sensitive.

A friend of mine got ones similar to THESE around the same time. And while I was much more careful with my Skullcandies, his last much longer and now he bought THESE . The sound is a bit Bassy, as the name suggests, but not too much. They still sound very clear and are very comfortable too.

Takuro Spirit > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:17

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I have some Bose buds that came with my phone that are awesome. They retail for over $100 if I remember right, so there’s that... but they sound nice, bass is deep and crisp and the the highs are decent, and they are all but impossible to fall out of my ears, even when I’m bouncing around and getting sweaty.

(While cutting the grass or running, what were YOU thinking of??)

MonkeePuzzle > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:18

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I dig my zunes (the premiums with the braided cord). durable and good sound.

its hard to pay even $30 for somethign that may be ok, when I have a set I KNOW I like, so when they broke I bought a replacement of the same. pretty sufficient for my needs.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:18

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I had serious doubts about these because of how cheap they are:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00…

But really I do quite enjoy them. Maybe because I paid less than $7 I am more lenient about judging them, but honestly they are pretty good. I keep all my music at home in FLAC and use it in ogg 192-256 on the go, so I am definitely picky about that crap. Easily as good as any sub $100 pair out there.

Moves-Like-Senna > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:19

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May I suggest the VSonic GR07. They’re considered the best sub 500$ IEM and come in around 100$ give or take.

pjhusa > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:19

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A famous quote by idk who:

“Audiophiles listen to their audio systems with their music. People who appreciate music listen to their music with an audio system.

Entropic Force > dogisbadob 08/12/2015 at 14:19

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They exist. Although I think most people prefer over-the-ear cans, high quality IEM and earbuds do exist.

TheHondaBro > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:20

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JVC Marshmallows. Those things are amazing.

pjhusa > dogisbadob 08/12/2015 at 14:20

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Party-vi > CB 08/12/2015 at 14:21

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I guess I’ll count myself lucky since I’ve had these for years.

DrJohannVegas > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:22

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http://www.head-fi.org/products/categ…

Tapas > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:22

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I have a pair of SOL Republics. They’re pretty good :)

http://www.amazon.com/SOL-REPUBLIC-1…

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:23

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Bruh.

Nibby > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:24

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALTEC-LANS…

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE 08/12/2015 at 14:26

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Same here, and its not just because they are cheap. Relatively balanced headphones (read: not stupid amounts of boomy bass)

Entropic Force > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:28

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Looks like you have a lot of replies already, but I’ll throw in my two cents. Personally, I don’t use IEMs (In Ear Monitors) or earbuds unless I have to. They’re uncomfortable for me. But, the ones I picked up from monoprice on amazon work really well, feel good, are cheap, and above all, sound nice.

Here’s a guide I always show people who are interested in getting a nice pair of headphones (and honestly, the whole website is pretty good if you’re interested in learning more about this that or the other in terms of audio equipment). From there, based on what you listen to, I would recommend the DUNU Trident . However, I’ve also heard good things about the Klipsch , which other people in this thread seem to like too.

Hope this helps!

Hermann > dogisbadob 08/12/2015 at 14:28

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When it comes to Audiophiles, there is no such thing as “Audiophile ____”. There WILL BE at least one guy that will say he bought it and thought it was a pile of shit, and that product in question is not Audiophile grade.

ceanderson920 > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:30

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I went out on an limb and bought these ones a couple months ago and I think they sound pretty good. The only thing I don’t like is they have that stupid uneven cords that the headphones are attatched to.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-II-…

BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/12/2015 at 14:30

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But the bass is really good. I'm on my second pair, but only because I lost the first pair. Unbeatable value.

Justino6969 > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:30

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I love these, very well balanced.

http://www.amazon.com/MEElectronics-…

CalzoneGolem > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:38

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I’ll just leave this here: http://gizmodo.com/363154/audioph…

RockThrillz89 > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:42

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I’ve heard good things about Shure IEMs and earphones. They run the price gambit from sub $50 on up to $1k+. Never tried them, since I only circumaural open cans. Just make sure that whatever you get, they have low enough impedance to be driven by your source. Otherwise you’re going to need an amp. If you want a flat sound, get IEMs. Probably the best bet if you listen to a massive range of music genres. Then you can tune it a little if your source has an EQ. An audiophile isn’t going to be spending sub $100, especially on earphones.

finn's arm > Megamullin 08/12/2015 at 14:43

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I can agree to everything in this post. The 151’s would be my choice. I’m using Brainwavz M4’s at work. For $25, they’re great. $35 on Amazon currently, but they have sales. Foam tips made the difference for me. Better seal & sound.

For off the shelf, I’d stick with under $100. If you’re going to spend a little more, get imprints of ears done at a hearing aid place and get some IEM’s made through 1964 ears.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:43

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if you want earbuds that sound good and don’t cost a fortune the answer is Sony. If fit is your first priority there are better “feeling” options for the price, but for my money these are the winners . Discontinued, and selling for double or more the original price anywhere you can find them new. there’s a reason for that.

The $50ish Panasonics are surprisingly awesome too...

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE 08/12/2015 at 14:45

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Surprisingly non-shitty, and relatively comfortable. best cheapo-headphones you can buy probably. I have a few pair floating around...

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:46

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Given your budget I would go for the Etymotic MC5 since they have an uncolored sound and pretty good isolation if you can get over the weird deep insertion of the tri-flange tips.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:52

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I’ve had good luck with Griffen WoodTones. Being made of wood is just hype. I dropped mine on the driveway and my wife clipped one of the buds, not smashing it completely, but a piece is missing. Even with the damaged wood case, the left bud sounds just as good as the undamaged right bud. I like them much better than the Sennheisers that Gawker likes to hawk through their daily deals posting.

I have a set of Beats buds that sound ok, but they tend to be a bit bass-heavy and muddy for my taste. But again, they are better than the Sennheisers.

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 14:56

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Check out Westone ear monitors. Single drivers are around $100 if I remember.

MarquetteLa > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 15:01

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Amazon has these $100 Sennheisers for $50. http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-400…

uofime-2 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 08/12/2015 at 15:05

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I too recommend the CX300II’s

they also fit entirely in your ears so you can sleep in them

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > uofime-2 08/12/2015 at 15:21

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Yeah they’re great value headphones, a little fragile though, I went through 3 sets.

uofime-2 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 08/12/2015 at 15:24

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Yeah, I need to buy my third pair now actually, they only seem to last a couple years unfortunately.

I think the current pair were a victim of tight pants and inebriated hamfistedness.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > uofime-2 08/12/2015 at 15:25

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I used mine mostly when running or cycling so they saw a fair bit of wear.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE 08/12/2015 at 15:30

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Well yeah, the bass is good because it doesn’t just sound bassy for no reason. Some headphones end up just having a lot of bass but don't really balance it out with the mids and highs. I feel like these hit a good balance and properly produce bass as it should be. The sound isolation helps a lot with producing quality sound.

bob and john > CB 08/12/2015 at 15:39

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i was replacing mine once a year is. but for <$40 a pair, i really wasnt complaining.

JDIGGS > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 15:46

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http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-II-…

Cheese302 > dogisbadob 08/12/2015 at 15:49

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agreed but there are days that i need to use earbud/cheap headphones, like... everyday carry while traveling, some days at work. I want to find nicer light bluetooth headphones, but i also mainly listen to podcasts, or music while working out.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > CB 08/12/2015 at 16:35

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I actually bought a pair and soldered on new wires. Still trucking along somewhere. They’re like the easily-breakable Koss Portapro of the in-ear world

Salmanorguk > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 16:43

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I have Sennheiser Momentums which are pretty great. You can pick them on a discount now but still in the hundreds.

I also picked up these $15 chinese earphones after a review in wired.com and hifi.com. The reviewer (whos an audiophile) said they rivalled headphones worth 10x the price. Read the review here:

http://www.wired.com/2015/06/mrice-…

They are actually pretty great.

Comfortably Dumb > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 17:25

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I had two pairs of skullcandy earbuds, both had great sound, attractive design, and awful build quality. They both died within 6 months of owning them. I bought a pair of Klipsch earbuds for around $80. Love them

Grindintosecond > Comfortably Dumb 08/12/2015 at 17:51

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The titans are completely metal. Although held together with an adhesive it’s more of the glue on a slightly threaded body as I found out on my first pair. They split but i just stuck them back together with a twist and they held until I lost them 6 months later. The metal ones were good. That’s why I’m not buying them again because they’re discontinued, replacements are plastic, and the reviews on the last of the metal titans show a step down in quality. So, it appears a good sound intention company is falling to the show vs. sound market.

Comfortably Dumb > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 22:22

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I enjoyed my skullcandy ear buds (I can’t remember which ones) but I wasn’t happy about them dying on me. My Klipsch have served me well and sound great although I don’t use them nearly as much as I used the other ones

Comfortably Dumb > Grindintosecond 08/12/2015 at 22:23

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CNET. Com is usually a good place to go for reviews and comparos on electronics

Comfortably Dumb > bob and john 08/12/2015 at 22:25

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That’s a good point, they do sound great for the price. Just too bad they can’t design them to be a little tougher

Comfortably Dumb > BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE 08/12/2015 at 22:26

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Jesus that’s cheap enough even if the build quality was crappy I could buy 20 pairs of them lol

Comfortably Dumb > pjhusa 08/12/2015 at 22:28

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Comfortably Dumb > BorkBorkBjork 08/12/2015 at 22:29

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I have the Klipsch as well, love them

BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE > Comfortably Dumb 08/12/2015 at 22:40

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Exactly. I've never had any problems with mine. I had one pair for two years and even ran them through the washing machine once on accident and they still worked perfectly. Unfortunately, I lost that pair, so now I'm on my second one.

TheJMan92 > Grindintosecond 08/13/2015 at 15:17

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A friend of mine is an audio engineer and his go-to for anything from listening to designing is the over ear Sony MDR7506 that a lot of others recommend. I’ve personally used the Klipsch S4i (I got them for $25 on EBay), though they tend to sound bright to me and had an unfortunate amount of noise transfer if you hit the cord. I’m currently using LSTN Bowery IEM’s I found new on EBay for $24 and I love them.

So maybe try EBay once you narrow down which you want?

Grindintosecond > TheJMan92 08/13/2015 at 16:55

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Thank you. Yes I adore the Sony over the ears everyone recommends, however I just don’t have use for them. I travel quite a bit so something IEM related is perfect, like the skull candys I used to use. I just ordered some Meelectronics S6P’s wich are the exact same as the M6 pro’s but with moisture resistant components and are just a shade less bright up top. just a shade. So with the reviews these get on the sound, I think ill be happy and it will clue me in to experiencing exactly what I am looking for. Shoot, for such a huge discount on Amazon ($29) I couldn’t go wrong.

Comfortably Dumb > BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE 08/14/2015 at 02:33

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Better than spending $300+ on a pair of overpriced underperforming Beats by Dre headphones and having them break

TheJMan92 > Grindintosecond 08/14/2015 at 10:00

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Glad you found some! That does sound like a good deal, I’ve heard of Meelectronics but never used them. Good luck!