IEMs under 100$ with clear sound

[arj446]

Hey there community,


Title says it all : I'm looking for some "best bang for buck" IEMs under 100$ (the cheaper, the better). Important thing is they have to have a clear sound : I don't like reinforced bass or any fancy sound enhancing feature.

Used to possess Denons (2 different pairs, I forgot the refs) and they died a little too quickly for my liking, despite proper use / cleaning / storage. I loved the sound though, and the isolation.

Had UrbanEars headphones that I kinda liked but a lil' too much bass and not enough highs / mids for me.

I'm currently using Sennheiser CX3000II, but the isolation is not really good and the transmission of noise from the cord to the IEMs is really heavy. I walk around too much and I really don't like the cords configuration anyway.

Also I'm looking for something with integrated mic, since I'm using them with my phone and want to be able to control the player and phone and have conversations.

Is it too much to ask ? Is it illusory to believe I can find find something with detachable cords I could change just in case ?...

Thanks for your help !

[musichound]

I was going to suggest the Denon AH C560R, but I see you had your share of Denons already. I am very happy with them so far. They have a integrated mic, but not sure if it's compatible with other players besides the iPod line.

[arj446]

but not sure if it's compatible with other players besides the iPod line

I'd be surprised if they were not compatible with my Samsung phone. So far, all headphones I had with controls were compatible.

[arj446]

Ok so... Last night's trip to the shop.

I live in Montreal and it's pretty hard to find a store with a good selection of headphones. So, as I just learnt tha same day a new one just opened downtown, I left work early and headed there. Great selection... Of high-end expensive headphones and a somehow OK selection of in-ears. Lots of "skull candys" and Monsters, lots of Sennheiser, lots of Shure, Jays, a couple Denons, Sony, Panasonic...

Not quite knowing what to buy, I found the Denon AH C560R, and since I love Denon, I thought "I'll be extra careful with those one" and bought them. 92$, taxes included, with a 10% rebate. I'm trying then on right away... THE CONTROLS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ANDROID PHONES. Just so everybody knows. Yeah, I know, it's written at the back of the box... :-/ Too bad, cause they actually sounded very good, very much what I was expecting.

So, I went back, had a refund and took a pair of aJays one +. Did I say I had a crappy night ? Those are just plain terrible : lack of decent volume, lack of pretty much anything decent except maybe the looks and... They're compatible with Android.

So I guess I'll review my criteria and remove the integrated mic. Going back to the store today and trying to get a new refund. Total refund...

I was looking at Shure SE215's since they have detachable cords, but the reviews here are not too good. So, I might just take a new pair of Denons without mic. Or am opened to further suggestions, knowing that I'm not an online buyer and I have to find what you suggest in a store in Montreal. There's another place I'll visit today just to make sure...

[IDvsEGO]

Its really hard to recommend you anything without a store name since there are soooo many quality sets around these days. if you can provide store websites or just a list of products in your range it would help.

see if they have a set of spider realvoice IEMs. I have heard great things about them. I liek anything JVC personally. The microdriver stuff sounds right up your alley. Some of the yamaha products are good. Panasonic too. Meelec a151 and a161 are good too. I have the a161 myself and love them. Shure and westone are typically up your alley from what I hear. Really, there are a bunch that fit your requirements. The Sony BA1 sounds great but the cable is annoying as hell. Etymotic mc5. Sometime you can find the HF5 for $100ish. I can probably rattle off a couple more too. there are some pretty comprehensive review threads stickied here and over on head-fi. there is a lot of nonsense on headfi but joker a clieos are pretty down to earth as far as reviewers go

apple store has ultimate ears. they are decent. I am super curios about the incase IEMs. a member here loves the Sonic InCase headphones he picked up.

[singha]

For clarity, I would recommend the Head-Direct Re-0 is $49 these days. The brainwavz B2 is also a great analytical IEM that go on sale all the time for $100. Most etymonics, like the HF5 would also suit your needs.

[IDvsEGO]

I have been curious about the re0 for a while but worried about bass response. Maybe I could steal a set used now that they are so cheap

[JK98]

The JVC HA-FX40 and Panasonic RP-HJE355 have great detail and clarity. They are each around $20. The HA-FX40 is balanced on the bright side with strong treble, while the balance on the RP-HJE355 is warmer, around neutral. I have both of these and like them very much.