Good IEM under $50?

[PhantomPersona]

well my seinheiser cx-500's are dieing (only 1 ear bud works) so im looking for something to replace them. the cx's are a bit too bassy. i would like something with less thump and more clarity i guess. I listen to jrock/pop.

My budget is $50 or maybe even possibly $75 max. im a complete noob in headphones. Im probably gonna listen to these headphones on my sonywalkman and galaxy player5.0 (near future)

[CrowdAds]

[eightbitsprite]

Er, possible options might be the Soundmagic E10 [$35 on Amazon] and the Brainwavz M2 [~$50]. They've both been reviewed fairly recently on this site, and both have been proclaimed as good IEMs for the price.

[PhantomPersona]

Originally Posted by eightbitsprite

Er, possible options might be the Soundmagic E10 [$35 on Amazon] and the Brainwavz M2 [~$50]. They've both been reviewed fairly recently on this site, and both have been proclaimed as good IEMs for the price.

yeah im looking at the sound magic. I've found a pretty helpful forum page too about IEM's.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/mult...1#post_6492055

I'll probably decide soon after i look into most of the IEM reviews.

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by PhantomPersona

... i would like something with less thump and more clarity i guess. I listen to jrock/pop. ...

I saw the Mee A151s are going for $47.44 at amazon now. I find them to have good detail, clear across the sound spectrum with accurate sound reproduction and a nice warmth to them. For this price they're a very good deal, but keep in mind that some need to use after market tips to improve isolation and seal. Although they do come with a good assortment of included tips of the cheap variety.

[sYlt]

Make sure you also check this spreadsheet: http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15243

[PhantomPersona]

Originally Posted by WalkGood

I saw the Mee A151s are going for $47.44 at amazon now. I find them to have good detail, clear across the sound spectrum with accurate sound reproduction and a nice warmth to them. For this price they're a very good deal, but keep in mind that some need to use after market tips to improve isolation and seal. Although they do come with a good assortment of included tips of the cheap variety.

After market tips??I haven't even thought about that. What kind of tips would you recommend?i was just planning on buying the iem and just using them. The tips never even crossed my mind. Show's how inexperienced i really am .

Originally Posted by sYlt

Make sure you also check this spreadsheet: http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15243

Oh wow, that spread sheet is pretty helpful as well. It's gonna take me a while to decide, i want the best for my price range.

i'm wondering, where would the best and cheapest site to buy Brainwavs M2 or Sound magic?I ususally just look at Amazon, Tigerdirect, or Ebay.

[dfkt]

I haven't heard the Mee Walkgood mentioned, but the Soundmagic E10 are excellent for $35.

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by PhantomPersona

After market tips??I haven't even thought about that. What kind of tips would you recommend? ...

Normally what I tell friends is to try out what it comes with and if it works for you then fly with them, no need to spend more if you don't have to. Their bi-flange and tri-flange tips are not bad, the bi-flange works great for me but the triples on the A151s are too big for my ears and don't seat correctly for me. The real cheap ones are the included silicone tips, way too flimsy to achieve a good seal. I was fortunate to have numerous after market tips in my arsenal already so I didn’t have to buy any new ones. So try the ones that come with and when you need new look to the sony hybrids or monster gel tips that fit a 3mm nozzle.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...TQ3JPK443DTPCA

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Foam-S...ref=pd_sim_e_4

I haven't heard the Soundmagic E10 dfkt mentions but you can't go wrong with his recommendations either. I just know I like the a151s enough that they've replaced all my beater phones because of the clarity they produce.

[FLMikey]

Also if you're getting a good seal with the ear buds from the CX-300 you'd most likely be able to fit them on the nozzle of whatever you're getting.

$35 for the E10 is the lowest I've seen for it.

The M2 you can try here $59.50 plus free shipping. Not sure if that's a good deal.

Something I've recently discovered is Squaretrade where you can extend the "warranty" of whatever IEM you buy. If after the standard 1 year warranty you need to get it replaced, you'd send them the earphone and then they send you a check for the coverage amount. I.e. I just picked up a SP-51, and put a Squaretrade 3 year agreement with $59.99 coverage which cost me about $11 I believe. So if after the standard 1 year warranty expires and a driver stops working or whatever I'll send it to them and then buy another SP-51 (in theory I believe I'd be able to buy any other phone for $59.99 or use it as a credit towards something more expensive).

[PhantomPersona]

i think imma go for the MEElectronics A151. I heard that they aren't bass heavy which is good and that they have excellent clarity. Imma buy them off Amazon.com for $47.44 plus free 2 day shipping cuz i have Prime. I can't wait to get them!!

http://www.amazon.com/MEElectronics-...0039821&sr=1-9

[PhantomPersona]

Originally Posted by FLMikey

Also if you're getting a good seal with the ear buds from the CX-300 you'd most likely be able to fit them on the nozzle of whatever you're getting.

$35 for the E10 is the lowest I've seen for it.

The M2 you can try here $59.50 plus free shipping. Not sure if that's a good deal.

Something I've recently discovered is Squaretrade where you can extend the "warranty" of whatever IEM you buy. If after the standard 1 year warranty you need to get it replaced, you'd send them the earphone and then they send you a check for the coverage amount. I.e. I just picked up a SP-51, and put a Squaretrade 3 year agreement with $59.99 coverage which cost me about $11 I believe. So if after the standard 1 year warranty expires and a driver stops working or whatever I'll send it to them and then buy another SP-51 (in theory I believe I'd be able to buy any other phone for $59.99 or use it as a credit towards something more expensive).

Yeah i think ill probably buy a square trade warranty with my IEM's. My phones don't seem to last for more than a couple of months. So a warranty would be a good investment.

[FLMikey]

Originally Posted by PhantomPersona

Yeah i think ill probably buy a square trade warranty with my IEM's. My phones don't seem to last for more than a couple of months. So a warranty would be a good investment.

Don't forget the A151's come with a standard 1 year warranty and MEE's customer service is excellent, so if that doesn't work out then you can always fall back on Squaretrade

[WalkGood]

Congrats and let us hear back how you like. Only thing I can say is be careful with them and they should last you long. I still haven't had issues with mine but I could see one of the stress relief points going if one's not careful with the IEMs. On the positive side I love the cables for the various reasons I stated in the review ...

[JK98]

How does the PL11 compare to the E10? There are many who are looking for somethng $20 or less.

[spurs20]

Try the Audio Technica ATH-CK300M iems. It sounds really good, better than Sennheiser CX series. It has the right amount of bass, mids & highs without the boominess/muddiness of other iems & it's cheap here in the Philippines.

[IDvsEGO]

I just got the e10s and they are a great deal at $35 IMO. they are my full time set right now.