# Question for audiophiles...



## MFD00M (Aug 31, 2011)

can anyone recommend some good ear buds? my skull candy ear buds took a dump a couple months after i got em. I know the full size ones are the way to go, but at work i can only use ear buds. I don't need anything pro status, but id like some nice sounding quality ear buds that wont take it to my wallet too bad.

tia


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## GotSka81 (Dec 27, 2011)

It truly depends on your budget. Any idea how much you want to spend? I got a set of monster ear buds (now known as beats by dre) for $50 on amazon a while back that have served me well. If you have a bigger budget, look at Shure in-ear buds or perhaps Bose earbuds. The key to good sound and bass response is isolation. The Bose earbuds don't do this as well as the Shure one's will, but I think the quality of the drivers are better. It's sorta gross, but go to the store and check some out and see which ones sound better...my opinion of "good" sound and yours might differ greatly.

PS - I hate the new beats by dre buds...overpriced and too bassy. The ones I got were from before that brand was smeared all over them.


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## Teksu (Aug 23, 2011)

Here is a great resource for anything audio related

this specific thread is a review of 214 different ear buds, or In ear monitors (IEM) as the audiophiles call them

http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-214-iems-compared-jvc-ha-fxt90-and-ha-fx500-added-1-8-12


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## nunyazz (Jun 6, 2011)

For the money the Klipsch s4i's ($99 retail, but you can find them cheaper) are a pretty good set. I used to use them but passed them to my wife after I upgraded. The set I am using now (Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 ) sound better but cost a whole lot more...

http://www.klipsch.com/image-s4i-black-in-ear-headset


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## D3fault121 (Jun 7, 2011)

I have the Turbines by Monster and really enjoy their sound quality. But if I didn't get them as a gift I would have purchased the Klipsch S4.

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## kk4df (Jul 2, 2011)

My son has the Klipsch S4, which led me to purchase the S4A (android version). Good value and good sound.

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## iambeast (Dec 29, 2011)

Like nunyazz, I'm also using the ultimate ear triple fi's. They're very very amazing, but a lot of people don't see the point of spending $199.99 on earbuds. Everyone has different tastes on what they like to spend money in.

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## bridaddy69 (Jun 7, 2011)

I have a pair of sure e2c's and i love em.

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## MFD00M (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'm thinking $100 is the most I'm willing to drop. My xbox just took a dump as well so i have to buy both. I've heard a lot of good things about the klipsch s4's. Someone gave me a $50 gift card for best buy but every time I go to look at ear buds, sorry iem's







, its nothing but skull candy, beats by Dre or $10 sony's


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## midnight assassin (Jun 7, 2011)

Look in their mobile phone department. Check out the etymotic buds they're really nice buds too.

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## JsinLegacy (Jun 7, 2011)

the ones that come with the phone are pretty decent to be honest. The issue is just how much of an audiophile you feel you are.. I know a lot of people who are heavy into audio and they don't really care for the Beats by Dre headphones ... but they always sound good to me ... Klipsch makes probably the best in ear I have heard and they are fairly reasonably priced I think the Image S4's can be picked up for around $70 ... Westone is good also if you want to spend a lot more.


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## MFD00M (Aug 31, 2011)

JsinLegacy said:


> the ones that come with the phone are pretty decent to be honest. The issue is just how much of an audiophile you feel you are.. I know a lot of people who are heavy into audio and they don't really care for the Beats by Dre headphones ... but they always sound good to me ... Klipsch makes probably the best in ear I have heard and they are fairly reasonably priced I think the Image S4's can be picked up for around $70 ... Westone is good also if you want to spend a lot more.


Holy shit I forgot about those. I ripped my nexus box open like a kid on Xmas and absolutely forgot about the headphones haha thanks. Those will hold me off until I pick up a quality pair.

I know nothing when it comes to being an audiophile other than I love music and love when it sounds great.


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## JsinLegacy (Jun 7, 2011)

MFD00M said:


> Holy shit I forgot about those. I ripped my nexus box open like a kid on Xmas and absolutely forgot about the headphones haha thanks. Those will hold me off until I pick up a quality pair.
> 
> I know nothing when it comes to being an audiophile other than I love music and love when it sounds great.


haha.. yeah the ones in the box were surprisingly better than I thought they were going to be ...


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## Gil Smash (Jul 22, 2011)

I have the Klipsch S4's as well and I love them. They got even better when I put a pair of comply foam tips on them.

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## ScorpionAZ (Jun 22, 2011)

I didn't realize how many others had the Klipsch S4 Android ear buds. I also bought them recently and didn't care too much for the Dr. Dre Beats. I have a BA in music performance and I know music well enough. I think the Klipsch is the best pair if ear buds in the price range class. The most important thing is to find the best fit ear buds and this version comes with all different sizes to ensure the best fit. In addition, I would make sure your phone has an equalizer to optimize the sound.

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## MFD00M (Aug 31, 2011)

ScorpionAZ said:


> I didn't realize how many others had the Klipsch S4 Android ear buds. I also bought them recently and didn't care too much for the Dr. Dre Beats. I have a BA in music performance and I know music well enough. I think the Klipsch is the best pair if ear buds in the price range class. The most important thing is to find the best fit ear buds and this version comes with all different sizes to ensure the best fit. In addition, I would make sure your phone has an equalizer to optimize the sound.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


DSP manager









Yeah I think I will pick up a set of those soon


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## striker1553 (Jan 7, 2012)

Klipsch are a good start. Bose are very good as well, but expensive. I do sound recording for bands, and a good pair of studio-style sony's will give the best frequency-range, covering low's, mid's and highs. But, a lot of the sound comes from what you're running the sound through, as well as the quality of the music. If you purchased all of the music from itunes or something, it should be pretty high quality. But, if your like every other person who has some crap downloaded form of music, then the better the headphone, the worse its gonna sound simply because the quality brings out every detail, good or bad.

Just bear that in mind.


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## SplicedX (Jun 15, 2011)

If you want the finest headphones go with Grado! Hands down the finest headphones i've ever used!

http://www.gradolabs.com/page_headphones.php

For home listening, I use the RS1i
For on the go I use the GR8.

Price wise the two I have above are a little higher then the dr dre beats but the quality is 100 times better. And they are 100% made in America.


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## SomeGuyDude (Jul 3, 2011)

If you can FIND them, I suggest the Etymotic HF3's. They're the best headphones I have -ever- used. Normally go for around $150 but there are frequent sales that'll drop you down into the $100 range.

Barring that, Klipsch S4.


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## SomeGuyDude (Jul 3, 2011)

SplicedX said:


> If you want the finest headphones go with Grado! Hands down the finest headphones i've ever used!
> 
> http://www.gradolabs..._headphones.php
> 
> ...


He said $100. The -cheaper- of the two you mentioned is three times that.


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## litrekid (Jan 7, 2012)

Klipsch for sure. Just bought my second pair of x10's. Retail is $350 but I found them for $140. The sound of those with cm's DSP manager is unbelievable.

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## MFD00M (Aug 31, 2011)

the klipsch s4's are going for $69.99 on amazon, seems like a fair price?

I think i will be picking up a pair of those on pay day.

thanks for the suggestions everyone, if had more disposable cash to burn i'd go for some of the higher end stuff. but my use and wallet dont agree with that. $70 sounds so much better to me.


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## XfrostX (Jul 30, 2011)

Bower and Wilkins C5 sound amazing, better than klipsch and bose IMO


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## MFD00M (Aug 31, 2011)

I forgot to ask...but my current headphones, when the wire rubs on my shirt or anything else, i get crazy amounts of feedback. SO ANNOYING. Please tell me the S4's don't do that


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## nunyazz (Jun 6, 2011)

No, I don't think you get that noise on these.


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## MR H3LLMAN (Oct 20, 2011)

XfrostX said:


> Bower and Wilkins C5 sound amazing, better than klipsch and bose IMO


You win at life. But there's another pair of headphones I'd recommend as well. http://m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail.jsp?skuId=2891476&pid=1218361268828&catId=&ev=prodView

I actually work in Magnolia at Best Buy and depending on your budget they are currently selling a pair of originally 130$ denon ear buds for 34.99$.

Beats arnt actually that good. Bassy and loud but that's about as far as they go. Shure, Sennheiser and Bowers and Wilkins are probably among the best out there. 
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## iphone_quiter (Dec 20, 2011)

Luv my beats by Dre! Spendy tho


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## dirtmaster88 (Oct 10, 2011)

Another Klipsch s4 user here. Awesome buds, no complaints at all. Think I paid full retail at best buy around $80 or so. I'm sure you can get them cheaper now though.


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## CaucasianAsian (Dec 21, 2011)

I'm no audiophile by any means but I got a pair of Bose IE2 ear buds that I think are amazing. They were a gift but I think they were about $100.

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## Dr. Hax (Sep 24, 2011)

I use Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10's and they're like aural sex man..


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## SomeGuyDude (Jul 3, 2011)

Without an amplifier, I'd bet dollars to donuts you can't tell above a certain quality line. People who use Grados and Denon phones have them amp'd up because that's what those need, and I heavily doubt many people are listening to pure lossless music on our phones, aside from the fact that the soundcards in these things aren't exactly top of the line.


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## MR H3LLMAN (Oct 20, 2011)

SomeGuyDude said:


> Without an amplifier, I'd bet dollars to donuts you can't tell above a certain quality line. People who use Grados and Denon phones have them amp'd up because that's what those need, and I heavily doubt many people are listening to pure lossless music on our phones, aside from the fact that the soundcards in these things aren't exactly top of the line.


Respectfully, I would disagree. If you were to compare a pair of Sony 20$ over ears to a pair of Bowers and Wilkins C5s you would hear a tremendous difference. And all 17 gigs of music on my phone are FLAC files haha. Some people may be able to hear the difference more than others. And honestly, some people may not care as much as others.

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## masri1987 (Jun 29, 2011)

Jaybird bluetooth earbuds work great, especially for gym

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## nklenchik (Dec 1, 2011)

Skullcandy INK'd + PowerAMP's EQ = Amazing.

http://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-S2INCZ-035-INKd-Earbuds-Blue/dp/B003KN2K0M

You can get these at Target too for only $16-$18. The bass and treble are great for only $17.


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## SomeGuyDude (Jul 3, 2011)

MR H3LLMAN said:


> Respectfully, I would disagree. If you were to compare a pair of Sony 20$ over ears to a pair of Bowers and Wilkins C5s you would hear a tremendous difference. And all 17 gigs of music on my phone are FLAC files haha. Some people may be able to hear the difference more than others. And honestly, some people may not care as much as others.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


Did you not read my post? I said ABOVE A CERTAIN LINE. Once you're talking 'phones in the $100+ area on a mobile handset the difference becomes negligible. Obviously the ten buck Ink'd buds won't sound nearly as good, but that's because (not to belabor the point) they're way at the low end.

Plus, like I said, are you amplifying your phone? If not, it's a waste! This phone is NOT powerful enough on its own to drive high end headphones. I use a pair of Etymotic HF3's that I adore, and I also use a Fiio E6 amp, and frankly at this point it's the fidelity of the input that's limiting my quality and even with the 320kbps audio I'm getting through MOG it'd be pointless for me to drop any more money. It's snake oil.

I've used high-high end over the ear cans, and while they sound great, they certainly don't offer such a ridiculous benefit that 99% of end users would ever notice in a blind test.


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## CDuke619 (Dec 22, 2011)

Ultimate Ears Triple Fi are amazing. My Klipsch x10 are more comfy though but sound quite as good. Still great sound tho

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## times_infinity (Aug 6, 2011)

The samsung ones the come with the phone are just fine for me. Just had to add DSP Manager to the roms I use. And I'm an absolute audiophile. All my music is FLAC.

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## nklenchik (Dec 1, 2011)

times_infinity said:


> The samsung ones the come with the phone are just fine for me. Just had to add DSP Manager to the roms I use. And I'm an absolute audiophile. All my music is FLAC.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


So you can fit like 20 songs on your phone?


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## Snow02 (Jun 14, 2011)

times_infinity said:


> The samsung ones the come with the phone are just fine for me. And I'm an absolute audiophile.


Pick one or the other. Both can't be true.


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## dirtmaster88 (Oct 10, 2011)

MR H3LLMAN said:


> Respectfully, I would disagree. If you were to compare a pair of Sony 20$ over ears to a pair of Bowers and Wilkins C5s you would hear a tremendous difference. And all 17 gigs of music on my phone are FLAC files haha. *Some people may be able to hear the difference more than others*. And honestly, some people may not care as much as others.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


It kills me that my girlfriend can't tell the difference between radio in a bone stock 97 escort to a flac playing on a high end denon receiver with polk audio speakers.

If you really want to get into headphone audio, check out the head-fi forums but be prepared to be overwhelmed if you're a beginner like me.


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## MR H3LLMAN (Oct 20, 2011)

SomeGuyDude said:


> Did you not read my post? I said ABOVE A CERTAIN LINE. Once you're talking 'phones in the $100+ area on a mobile handset the difference becomes negligible. Obviously the ten buck Ink'd buds won't sound nearly as good, but that's because (not to belabor the point) they're way at the low end.
> 
> Plus, like I said, are you amplifying your phone? If not, it's a waste! This phone is NOT powerful enough on its own to drive high end headphones. I use a pair of Etymotic HF3's that I adore, and I also use a Fiio E6 amp, and frankly at this point it's the fidelity of the input that's limiting my quality and even with the 320kbps audio I'm getting through MOG it'd be pointless for me to drop any more money. It's snake oil.
> 
> I've used high-high end over the ear cans, and while they sound great, they certainly don't offer such a ridiculous benefit that 99% of end users would ever notice in a blind test.


Whoa whoa whoa bro. You need to re-read the end of my post. I was actually somewhat agreeing with you. Though, yes, unless you are amping the difference will become negligible. I won't drop who I work for but I am more than qualified to voice this opinion. And as for your statement on "99% of end users", I actually agreed with you as I stated that many won't be able to hear the difference or even care enough to bother. My apologies for not making that more clear. But I know I can hear the difference even in the higher end range. Finite differences? More than likely. Does NOT change the fact that I can still hear the difference and I seek perfection. That's solely a personal preference. Nothing more, nothing less. And as for it it being a waste unless you are amping, that's not true at all. In theory, if you have better drivers with the same amp, its GOING to sound better regardless if you, personally, can hear it or not. Good sound is dependant upon way more than just one isolated area of your setup.

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## times_infinity (Aug 6, 2011)

Snow02 said:


> Pick one or the other. Both can't be true.


If you read, I clearly and basically said, without DSP Manager the Samsung ones that come with the phone sound like complete shit. With DSP Manager they sound pretty damn good. Don't try to twist my post by picking and choosing what you want to quote. Yes I am an audiophile because I can pick up subtle differences between a 320 mp3 and a lossless file.

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## MR H3LLMAN (Oct 20, 2011)

times_infinity said:


> If you read, I clearly and basically said, without DSP Manager the Samsung ones that come with the phone sound like complete shit. With DSP Manager they sound pretty damn good. Don't try to twist my post by picking and choosing what you want to quote. Yes I am an audiophile because I can pick up subtle differences between a 320 mp3 and a lossless file.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


+1

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## SomeGuyDude (Jul 3, 2011)

MR H3LLMAN said:


> Whoa whoa whoa bro. You need to re-read the end of my post. I was actually somewhat agreeing with you. Though, yes, unless you are amping the difference will become negligible. I won't drop who I work for but I am more than qualified to voice this opinion. And as for your statement on "99% of end users", I actually agreed with you as I stated that many won't be able to hear the difference or even care enough to bother. My apologies for not making that more clear. But I know I can hear the difference even in the higher end range. Finite differences? More than likely. Does NOT change the fact that I can still hear the difference and I seek perfection. That's solely a personal preference. Nothing more, nothing less.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


Fair point, fair point. I just bristled when you used cheap-o Skullcandies as an example, my bad. I'm not even saying that high-end headphones aren't worth it, just that a cell phone doesn't have the oomph behind it to necessitate that kind of ear-power, you know? The sound card on this thing and the codec software isn't going to have the kind of ultra clarity that would do top end drivers justice.


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## MR H3LLMAN (Oct 20, 2011)

SomeGuyDude said:


> Fair point, fair point. I just bristled when you used cheap-o Skullcandies as an example, my bad. I'm not even saying that high-end headphones aren't worth it, just that a cell phone doesn't have the oomph behind it to necessitate that kind of ear-power, you know? The sound card on this thing and the codec software isn't going to have the kind of ultra clarity that would do top end drivers justice.


Absolutely agreed good sir!
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