Acoustic jazz fan seeks $40-50 phones/buds

[GA Russell]

I am planning to buy my first mp3 player to use while I exercise. I plan to buy the Sansa Clip+.

I will have $40-$50 to spend on phones/buds.

I like 1950s and '60s acoustic jazz. I am primarily interested in the treble rather than the bass. I will play the music fairly softly.

A search here indicates that there are a number of Hippo brand iem's that are in my price range.

I have no preference regarding in-ear or over-ear, although I guess a bud which has the reputation for having trouble staying in the ear would be a non-starter.

Can you recommend something for me? I'm afraid my budget is limited.

Thanks!

[CrowdAds]

[lestatar]

Heya, welcome to ABi...

I really like these in this range:
Maximo i590s
Hippo 10s

Both do a great job in the upper end IMO while still offering good, deep, not overwhelming bass. Particularly the i590s boast marketing speak of being "enhanced definition" IEMs. The i590s also use a bi-flange tip design and the housings are quite small - meaning they seal and fit extremely well/securely IME.

Don't think you can go wrong with either of these. But you will def get some more suggestions so stick around!

[GA Russell]

Thanks lestatar!

I'll check out the Maximo's.

I've spent the evening researching the Hippo 10 and Hippo White. I can only find them from one retailer in Malaysia. Unfortunately, they won't tell me what the shipping fee is to the US until after I register with my credit card, etc. It seems pointless to spend 40% of the price of the unit on shipping, and that's what I am afraid it will be.

Maybe I would be better off spending $70 on something from Amazon which offers free shipping.

[GA Russell]

Les, I see that Amazon has the Maximo i590 for $53.

You stated Jan 20 on cnhardwick's thread that you think they have a lifetime warranty. I note that Amazon is offering the three-year Square Trade warranty with them for $18, and a number of reviewers say that they break easily. Any thoughts? Where did you get yours from?

[lestatar]

^ Hmm...they went up in price!

I bought mine back in March 2010. No issues at all for like 6 months and then the glue on the right earpiece separated, exposing the driver. Called em and they proceeded to ship me a new pair via email/picture RMA immediately, explaining that this was a very odd occurrence.

Not only did they send me a new pair, they sent me a white pair as a permanent loaner [mine was black pair]. The replacement I got was of the latest generation - they changed the braided cable to one that was more supple and kinked up much less. The new one also has a one piece rubberized plug end with very good stress relief [though cosmetically I liked the original better, which had a brushed silver plug].

Got mine through Amazon. Yes, I believe they still offer the lifetime warranty but not 100% sure - you need to do due diligence on this if this is important to you.

Sonically, I find the Maximos very good across the board. They are very "fun" IEMs to me, take very well to EQ and fit/seal very nicely. Plus IMO/IME, they come with the best accessory package for an IEM under 100USD. Per your interest, they absolutely handle the mids/high end very well - to me, crisp and clean and well suited to music that is not crazy bass heavy [though they do get down respectably low].

TBH, when I bought them they were like 42USD shipped. To me, at that price, they were an absolute steal. Now at 53USD, they are still good, but you are inching up the price spectrum and there are lots of good stuff out there.

Have you looked here?
http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15243

http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69

and

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/...ded-02-03/1560

I bought the i590s based on pretty great but not ubiquitous reviews online and based on the HeafFi thread. I have since learned that Maximo originally started selling OEM headphones [stuff made solely in China], but the i590s seem to be their first real IEM that they possibly designed/engineered/made [though likely still made in China]. Still, whatever their true provenance, I really like the i590s. A couple folks here have chanced them and found them enjoyable as well - take that for what it is worth [not much!]

I am only one voice and speak only from my experience. Tons of good stuff out there and I ain't no expert. But I like what I like and I cannot be more honest than that.

HTH! cheers,
-les

EDIT:
The Hippos are a product available from Jaben.net. Jaben is based out of Singapore now with stores all over Asia. You can get Hippo products via Jaben or from Uncle Wilson himself here:
http://www.unclewilsons.com/

But seems that Jaben no longer has the 10EBs which were the ones I suggested. This is the Hippo 10[eb] I mentioned:
http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/sho...ighlight=hippo

Wait for others to chime in with more suggestions!

[dfkt]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I've spent the evening researching the Hippo 10 and Hippo White. I can only find them from one retailer in Malaysia. Unfortunately, they won't tell me what the shipping fee is to the US until after I register with my credit card, etc. It seems pointless to spend 40% of the price of the unit on shipping, and that's what I am afraid it will be.

I think Jaben offers free shipping to most worldwide destinations? At least to Austria, Europe, it's free.

[cnhardwick]

I checked my iM-590 and the box/user guide says it comes with a 2 year warranty. I have not owned mine very long or used it very much, but build quality seemed quite decent to me. It is a shame the price has gone back up, I believe it was closer to $40 when I bought my pair.

Sadly, there aren't many balanced earphones in the sub-$50 bracket (I am assuming that is what you are after). Mostly just bassy IEMs. I have never heard either, but the Brainwavz M1 and MEElectronics CX21/CW31 might be two more to consider.

[GA Russell]

Thanks, guys!

Les, I did take a look at dfkt's thread, which is where I got the idea about the Hippos.

It looks like Uncle Wilson doesn't sell the Hippo 10 or the Hippo White, which are the two that appear to be most appropriate for me.

Jaben lists the Hippo 10 available in Bundle #3. It also lists the Hippo White with Bundle #8. Are these bundles good deals? With free shipping, the price is right.

http://www.jaben.com.my/

I believe that the Square Trade Warranty starts immediately regarding drops and spills, and otherwise picks up when the manufacturer's expires. So a three-year Square Trade deal would give me five years of protection.

[Barristan2]

Hey, I have a set of Hippo 10s if you're interested. They are in great shape. I can send pics if you want.

[GA Russell]

Thanks Barristan! I'm not ready to make a move yet.

[GA Russell]

Hey guys, I've been off the internet for nearly three weeks with my computer in the shop, so I've been incommunicado, but I haven't forgotten my request.

I've received a number of small Amazon gift cards recently which add up. Since they carry the Sansa Clip+ and the Maximo's but not the Hippo's, I'll go with that match unless someone wants to suggest another idea.

I appreciate your input.