bryanlee81

Looking for an advice on earphones. I can't stand having headphones. I tend to sweat a lot and headphones that cover your ears will have me bleeding sweat from my ears in 5 minutes.

I've been using Yamaha EPH-100 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 for the last 18 months and i accidentally stepped on one side and broke it completely.

Before I purchase another set, I am trying to see if there is a product that's superior to this.

things that i am looking for

1. comfort: With the Yamaha, it comes with 5 different sizes of earplugs so you can put the one that fits most comfortably. I can put it on for 15+ hour flights and it doesn't made my ears itchy.

2. Sound quality: I try to listen to music in lossless format as much as i can (FLAC or ALAC). I don't listen to hip hop or trance and HATE strong bass as it feels like someone's hammering my skull. I prefer earphone that will give me the most true sound with great clarity (You can rule out Beat by Dr. Dre).

Lastly, it doesn't have to be noise cancelling, and maximum price of $500.

Any recommendation will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

deniah

no emphasis on bass, with comfort, true response, clarity.... easily the etymotic er4pt @ 299$

my other favorite with similar sound signature comfort and price are audio technica ath-ck10 which are now discontinued. ath-im01 and ath-im02 might be their spiritual successor (and not the similarly-named ath-ckr line)

Darren

I have little funny ear holes, and the only ones I have been able to find that I loved were the Thinksounds. I had the TS02 right up until I was a bit too hard on them and broke off the cord. But I loved them, I miss them, and I will def get again...some day.

gobluetwo

The OP in this thread swears by his custom-molded Westone monitors and claims dealer prices are significantly lower than the listed MSRP on the Westone website. Looks like you should be able to get the CR10, AC10, AC20, and ES10 for under your $500 pricepoint, and maybe even the ES20 (listed at $799).

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...le-review.html

kraggin

I've gone through about 20 different sets. I have one ear with a larger-than-normal canal, and buds never stay put. I found a brand called Yurbuds that makes an in-ear that doesn't rely on friction with the canal to stay in place. The outer part of the earphones are large and slightly ribbed, so they grab the little "cups" of your outer ear to stay put. Good enough to stay in place even when I'm running.

lids369

Custom IEM's are great for fit, but they rest directly against your skin, which causes some unwanted resonance dampening that can adversely affect the sound quality

This is why a couple companies like Shure and Westone are coming out with $1000+ non custom IEMs

The Fidue A83 and the DUNU DN2000 both are well below your budget and are better than Shure or Westone's offerings up to $700.

HDQDD

Shure SE535's. I don't think you'll find a better product under $500.

http://166.78.80.61/americas/product...ting-earphones

I've had mine for about 4 years and couldn't live without them. I say this as a "retired" soundboard operator/audio mixer which is where my love of Shure originated from.

Two things I really like (besides the audio quality): The Kevlar in the cord which keeps it from breaking, and the cables detach (i.e. break away) from the earphones.

gfunkdave

"$499! I thought I'd have to pay at least $500!"

bchandler02

Highly recommend Etymotic Research. I have the low-ish end HF-5 and they are great. You can get the higher end if you want.

Most accurate sound I've ever heard. Not hard on bass but it's there when it's supposed to be. I hear parts of songs on them I have never heard on other speakers.

njxbean

the vsonic gr07 are the best IEMs i have heard. Outstanding sound clarity. Even the new bass editions are not heavy on bass and sound great.

TOMFORD

I personally don't like earbuds with those rubbery things that completely plug the ear and messes with my ear pressure, so I go with B&O 3i.

glennaa11

I wish there was a way to try these things out before spending hundreds of $$$ on them. I've been to electronics stores in Asia where you can try out some midrange earphones but not so much the higher end ones. Of course finding the right silicone tips makes a big difference too.

lost*in*cyberspace

I have QuietComfort® 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones ($299) and I love them. It's really hard for me to wear earbuds (just can't get them to fit in my ears), but I can use these with no problems. They fit very well and I find they work much better and are more comfortable than my Bose noise canceling headphones. They come with a number of different sized tips.

gobluetwo

I've tried the QC20 and have the QC25. While the QC20s fit well and are great for their noise cancellation, sound quality is not nearly as good as some of the other options being described here. If OP really values sound quality over noise cancellation, I think the QC20 would be low on his list. For me, I'm not audiophile and value noise cancellation more, so QC25 it is! (I've lost way too many earbuds to invest in a $300 pair - much easier to keep track of those large cans!)

deniah

yodobashi has lots of high-end earphones and headphones to try out. better - theyre properly hooked up to high-end cd players and (headphone) amplifiers for the proper listening experience.




the things on the right are Stax and cost up to thousands