A strange question but the one many newbies will have about earphones

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miteshpuri

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[font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Hi all,[/font]

[font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]I'm sorta newbie when it comes to being specific about how I want to hear music - in other words, have always loved hearing music but never cared much about which are the earphones I'm listening my music on. However, quite recently, it struck me why not choose amazing earphones which enriches my whole music experience. So, trying to understand all about earphones before i buy one consciously.[/font]

[font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]I love the sounds of bass and guitar (keep reading this post to know what kinds sounds i'm referring to when I say guitar) a lot lot. Most of the times, you will find me hearing some parts of the songs again and again because they have an amazing bass. So, my first question is:[/font]
  1. [font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Does the bass production capability depends on the device (laptop, iPod, etc.) or the earphones?[/font]

[font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]To get a clearer perspective, here are the songs I love a lot. They have too good bass and/or guitar sound:[/font]
  1. [font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Nayan Tarse - Dev D (just love the drum beats that keep playing throughtout the song)[/font]
  2. [font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Jiyein Kyun (love the part from where the amazing guitar+drum start playing speedily, somewhere at 2.10 seconds).[/font]
  3. [font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Right Round - FloRida[/font]
  4. [font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Shah ka Rutba - Agneepath[/font]
  5. [font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Superchor - Oye Lucky Oye (amazing foot tapping beats)[/font]
  6. [font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Ye Pal - No One Killed Jessica (love the part which starts playing after 3.44 minutes . I guess it's a violin or similar instrument)[/font]

[font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Considering the above mentioned info, can anyone suggest a good earphone (which has a rich clear sound with great bass) for laptop or 3.5 MM jack in phone? My budget is between Rs. 500-1500. Pls. suggest earphones only and not headsets...[/font]

[font=verdana, geneva, sans-serif]Errghhh! I know pretty long post but a couple of minutes of yours to answer my query will help me and others like me a lot
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[/font]
 
We all are assuming you are asking IEMs (In-ear monitors), but if you are asking for ear phones (earbuds) like MX580, then it would be a whole different thing.

miteshpuri said:
[font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Does the bass production capability depends on the device (laptop, iPod, etc.) or the earphones?[/font]
Click to expand...

Simply stated, they both do play their part.

To learn more about associating instruments with frequencies, refer this chart. I have done it many times learning to decipher the reviews. Though I did not understand much in the beginning (i.e., listening to music vs listening to gear, listening to how good the music sounds vs listening to how well it is reproduced), with lot of time and of course, money and more IEMs, I've learned a bit.

Coming to your question, the ear phone should be able to have a good response in the bass region. The source should also have a flat frequency response in order to allow the ear phone to bring out bass. If either of them have an issue, then bass won't come out. Then there is the question of how the bass is reproduced.
  • Many IEMs, typically in the lower price bracket (say below 2K) typically have bass boost, typically in the mid bass region (refer chart). So, depending on whether the bass is flatter in the bass region (Atrio MG7, Hippo VB) or boosted (Eterna), you will get moar bass quantity.
  • How low does the IEM go? This determines extension - that rumbling sensation you get typically comes from this.
  • How is the speed? This determines how you hear the transitions within the bass region. Otherwise, tiny nuances could be missed.
  • How is the decay? A quicker decay would almost result in no 'body' of the drum being reproduced (DBA-02 MK1), a slower decay would prolong the sensation of bass being more present. There are those which do it right (GR07, MG7, FX700)
  • How loud is it? This is the quantity (in dB), which is the first thing that comes to mind when people refer to bass.

For guitars, I'd count FX700 (in general for strings) and HJE900 among the best I've heard. For bass which is neither bloated nor tiny, there is GR07. Even with it's enhanced mid bass, FX700 is magnificent. Of course, there's always EX-1000 which is just about right in every aspect, but not the one to go for if you need more quantity.

None of the above are in your price range. So, as for recommendations, I'd suggest Tekfusion, CX180 (based on what I've read about them) for bass. PL30 is light on bass but a little more suitable for guitars, may be. E30 is PL30 with a little more bass, so you can take a chance with it. M1 is not a bass monster, but has adequate quantity, but with slightly recessed mid range. It would be an example of a much more balanced IEM.

So, as your first IEM, I'd say M1, E30 should be good choices if you can let go of hearing more bass quantity. Otherwise, take a chance with CX180 or Tekfusion - neither of which I've heard myself.

Choosing IEMs is a self discovering journey i.e., learning which tiny nuances you like or dislike as you go along rather than a one size fits all thing. Only your ears and your brain knows your exact taste. What we all suggest is just based on our own biases and assumptions, but that's the best that can be done in a forum.
 
My limited stock contains soundmagic PL11, PL21 & brainwavz M1

For bass & guitar thing I rank them as

1. PL21-Rs 765

2.PL 11-RS-650

3.M 1- Rs 1560

You will dissapoint your self if you buy M1( what they say " balanced & low strian long term listening", but less fun to listening music (for me at least))
 
Thanks guys for your overwhelming response... Really appreciate that...

Anything is OK for me - IEMs or earphones
happy19.gif


How's this one :

http://www.flipkart....41-5fb7bde7c907

This seems to have a lot of good reviews and people saying it VFM... Does it meet my requirements?

I know I'm getting a bit cheap but was just checking if this is good for what I'm looking for...

esanthosh said:
We all are assuming you are asking IEMs (In-ear monitors), but if you are asking for ear phones (earbuds) like MX580, then it would be a whole different thing.

Simply stated, they both do play their part.

To learn more about associating instruments with frequencies, refer this chart. I have done it many times learning to decipher the reviews. Though I did not understand much in the beginning (i.e., listening to music vs listening to gear, listening to how good the music sounds vs listening to how well it is reproduced), with lot of time and of course, money and more IEMs, I've learned a bit.

Coming to your question, the ear phone should be able to have a good response in the bass region. The source should also have a flat frequency response in order to allow the ear phone to bring out bass. If either of them have an issue, then bass won't come out. Then there is the question of how the bass is reproduced.
  • Many IEMs, typically in the lower price bracket (say below 2K) typically have bass boost, typically in the mid bass region (refer chart). So, depending on whether the bass is flatter in the bass region (Atrio MG7, Hippo VB) or boosted (Eterna), you will get moar bass quantity.
  • How low does the IEM go? This determines extension - that rumbling sensation you get typically comes from this.
  • How is the speed? This determines how you hear the transitions within the bass region. Otherwise, tiny nuances could be missed.
  • How is the decay? A quicker decay would almost result in no 'body' of the drum being reproduced (DBA-02 MK1), a slower decay would prolong the sensation of bass being more present. There are those which do it right (GR07, MG7, FX700)
  • How loud is it? This is the quantity (in dB), which is the first thing that comes to mind when people refer to bass.

For guitars, I'd count FX700 (in general for strings) and HJE900 among the best I've heard. For bass which is neither bloated nor tiny, there is GR07. Even with it's enhanced mid bass, FX700 is magnificent. Of course, there's always EX-1000 which is just about right in every aspect, but not the one to go for if you need more quantity.

None of the above are in your price range. So, as for recommendations, I'd suggest Tekfusion, CX180 (based on what I've read about them) for bass. PL30 is light on bass but a little more suitable for guitars, may be. E30 is PL30 with a little more bass, so you can take a chance with it. M1 is not a bass monster, but has adequate quantity, but with slightly recessed mid range. It would be an example of a much more balanced IEM.

So, as your first IEM, I'd say M1, E30 should be good choices if you can let go of hearing more bass quantity. Otherwise, take a chance with CX180 or Tekfusion - neither of which I've heard myself.

Choosing IEMs is a self discovering journey i.e., learning which tiny nuances you like or dislike as you go along rather than a one size fits all thing. Only your ears and your brain knows your exact taste. What we all suggest is just based on our own biases and assumptions, but that's the best that can be done in a forum.
Click to expand...

Thanks dude for such an elaborated reply... You truly rock! You will laugh it off but I'm gonna play the songs on my Nokia X2-01
happy19.gif
Thought of buying Sony Walkman NWZ-B172F, but then someone advised to go for a good earphone instead of that.

What do you guys think about this???
 
miteshpuri said:
Thanks guys for your overwhelming response... Really appreciate that...

Anything is OK for me - IEMs or earphones
happy19.gif


How's this one :

http://www.flipkart....41-5fb7bde7c907

This seems to have a lot of good reviews and people saying it VFM... Does it meet my requirements?

I know I'm getting a bit cheap but was just checking if this is good for what I'm looking for...
Click to expand...

I have the Nokia W701, which isn't the same as the above. However given my experience, I wouldn't ever look at Nokia IEMs again for Sound Quality. These are very convenient in that you get mic+iem, but the SQ is too horrible for music. They sound like they're muffled & veiled. Mids are restrained and there's hardly any treble. Bass was OK.

I used mine for music for a little while and then moved to audiobooks, for which they were adequate.

In short, these are likely to be cheap not just in price, but in sound quality too. I wouldn't advise going with 'em.
 
esanthosh said:
We all are assuming you are asking IEMs (In-ear monitors), but if you are asking for ear phones (earbuds) like MX580, then it would be a whole different thing.

Simply stated, they both do play their part.

To learn more about associating instruments with frequencies, refer this chart. I have done it many times learning to decipher the reviews. Though I did not understand much in the beginning (i.e., listening to music vs listening to gear, listening to how good the music sounds vs listening to how well it is reproduced), with lot of time and of course, money and more IEMs, I've learned a bit.

Coming to your question, the ear phone should be able to have a good response in the bass region. The source should also have a flat frequency response in order to allow the ear phone to bring out bass. If either of them have an issue, then bass won't come out. Then there is the question of how the bass is reproduced.
  • Many IEMs, typically in the lower price bracket (say below 2K) typically have bass boost, typically in the mid bass region (refer chart). So, depending on whether the bass is flatter in the bass region (Atrio MG7, Hippo VB) or boosted (Eterna), you will get moar bass quantity.
  • How low does the IEM go? This determines extension - that rumbling sensation you get typically comes from this.
  • How is the speed? This determines how you hear the transitions within the bass region. Otherwise, tiny nuances could be missed.
  • How is the decay? A quicker decay would almost result in no 'body' of the drum being reproduced (DBA-02 MK1), a slower decay would prolong the sensation of bass being more present. There are those which do it right (GR07, MG7, FX700)
  • How loud is it? This is the quantity (in dB), which is the first thing that comes to mind when people refer to bass.

For guitars, I'd count FX700 (in general for strings) and HJE900 among the best I've heard. For bass which is neither bloated nor tiny, there is GR07. Even with it's enhanced mid bass, FX700 is magnificent. Of course, there's always EX-1000 which is just about right in every aspect, but not the one to go for if you need more quantity.

None of the above are in your price range. So, as for recommendations, I'd suggest Tekfusion, CX180 (based on what I've read about them) for bass. PL30 is light on bass but a little more suitable for guitars, may be. E30 is PL30 with a little more bass, so you can take a chance with it. M1 is not a bass monster, but has adequate quantity, but with slightly recessed mid range. It would be an example of a much more balanced IEM.

So, as your first IEM, I'd say M1, E30 should be good choices if you can let go of hearing more bass quantity. Otherwise, take a chance with CX180 or Tekfusion - neither of which I've heard myself.

Choosing IEMs is a self discovering journey i.e., learning which tiny nuances you like or dislike as you go along rather than a one size fits all thing. Only your ears and your brain knows your exact taste. What we all suggest is just based on our own biases and assumptions, but that's the best that can be done in a forum.
Click to expand...

I found this post very useful. Thank you esanthosh for really trying to educate instead of just sharing your views.

btw, off-topic, have you tried the much appreciated Monoprice 8320? I have been using it for several weeks now, I find this to be a gem of an IEM.

It sounds more natural in terms of soundstage (to me PL-30 sounds a bit exaggerated) and pretty good in the mids and clarity.

I am convinced that it deserves all the awe that head-fi users have expressed.
 
3.14or22by7 said:
I found this post very useful. Thank you esanthosh for really trying to educate instead of just sharing your views.

btw, off-topic, have you tried the much appreciated Monoprice 8320? I have been using it for several weeks now, I find this to be a gem of an IEM.

It sounds more natural in terms of soundstage (to me PL-30 sounds a bit exaggerated) and pretty good in the mids and clarity.

I am convinced that it deserves all the awe that head-fi users have expressed.
Click to expand...

A few months ago, I sure would have. I was buying an IEM every week on average
54645.gif
. Since September, I have added more on the source + amp + headphone side than IEMs (only two - Fischer Tandem and DBA-02 MKII).

At first I was very skeptical of Monoprice considering that head-fi is prone to hyping... until Joker reviewed them and gave them a high score. I guess the build quality may not be up-to par, but the SQ is.

How did you buy it? Shipping was 5 times as much as the IEM cost when I checked it. If there's a cheaper way to buy it, I might be interested.

miteshpuri said:
You will laugh it off but I'm gonna play the songs on my Nokia X2-01
happy19.gif
Thought of buying Sony Walkman NWZ-B172F, but then someone advised to go for a good earphone instead of that.

What do you guys think about this???
Click to expand...

The short of it...

Indeed! Go for the IEM now, but get a dedicated DAP at the next available opportunity.

The long of it...

This is repetitive, but I'll do it one more time. In the world of audio, the contribution to the final SQ would be something like this...

Headphone / IEM > (Source + Source Files) > Amp >>> Cable

This is straight away lifted from Joker's S:Flo2 review on MP4Nation. But, it is also something I agree with totally. That is how I went about in my own experience. However, let's take a step back to check the 'source' part. I've always had dedicated PMPs/DAPs (6-7 of them, some exclusively for burn-in and yes! it was useful at that time). A source which is not good enough would hold you back from experiencing the full range of what the IEM / Headphone is capable of. When you are on a tight budget, it is better to get the IEM first, try it for sometime, but at the next available opportunity, go for a dedicated DAP (Clip+ / Clip Zip / Nanite N2 / Sony / Cowon C2). Once you have done that, you can upgrade the IEMs slowly, making sure that every time you spend money, it is truly an upgrade. With IEMs, typically the best upgrades occur when you move from stock earbuds to $100 level. $100 to $150 is a small upgrade, but you will still hear the differences. But after that, it's a matter of choice - refinement, tuning and coloration.

By this time, it's best you know your preferences all too well. This is where you ought to spend the most time - learning, reading, questioning - not only others, but yourself about what you exactly want and need. Then, you wait and pick the best one suitable for your tastes and preferences. The $300 or $600 IEM you get next is not going to blow you away if you objectively sit and compare them side by side. But, it should have ironed out the tiny irritating things present in the $150 range and a wholesome experience you can live with.

The main issue is reaching such a state of satisfaction with IEMs. It's a matter of personal taste, preference and budget. If you reach such a stage early with a $80 IEM, you are by no means worse off than anyone. Once you are settled with IEMs, find the best source you can within your budget ... and do not visit forums for 2 years
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@esanthosh I sourced it from a friend who came from US
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I ordered two pairs in fact. Though I do not want to sell them, I can send a pair to you for testing if you would like.
 
I was happy reading this, thanks to all...

Using Sansa Clip and SoundMagic Pl-11... After rockboxing it its delight to ears...

Will be buying Pl-30 after some pocket gain !

Song List-

Kholo Kholo - Taare Jameen Par
Teri Ore - Singh is King
Sanson Mein - Adnan Sami
Paper Planes - Slumdog Millionaire
Breathless - The Corrs
 
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