Suggestions for IEMs needed with a budget of 1.5k-2k to be used with Samsung galaxy S

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Dark Prince

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Hi All,

I am looking for IEMS in the above mentioned price range.
I went through a few of the pages of suggestions and have short listed the following(not mentioned in the order of preference or rankings)

soundmagic mp21/pl21/pl30
Meelectronics M6
sony cx-180s
brainwavz M1/M2

I know that some of these just cannot be compared to the others and are definitely better than the others (for eg.PL21 can't be compared to M1/M2)...Kindly correct me if i am wrong.
I am complete noob when it comes to IEMs :ashamed: and will be making a purchase based on the suggestions here
I listen to Rock(maximum),Hip HOP(very occassionally) and Trance(very occassionally)

I am looking for IEMs with decent bass(not very heavy) and good overall sound quality
and they should be durable as i tend to use them in a rough manner

Thanks in Advance
 
Cross out the first three choices.
Even the M2 should be crossed out since its out of ur budget.
You're left with M1 , and you should also consider soundmagic e30/e10.
 
M1 and E30 overall have a similar level of performance though they do not sound the same.

Go for E30 if you want wider sound stage, better bass quantity and punch (depends on the tip used), wearing comfort, a little sparkle in treble. The mid range is recessed, but is warmer compared to M1. E30 sounds well spaced out and 'big' compared to M1.

Go for M1 if you are after a smoother signature with more forward and well bodied mid range. M1 does have a good bass, but treble is a little recessed. It scores better than E30 with vocals and bass texture, but does not show off the 'grit' when needed with Rock. It has better cable and build quality than E30.

But, those two, with E10 falling a little behind are the better ones within the 2K range. M1 pricing has crossed 2K level and I am not sure how much E30 will be priced when the next batch is imported. If they end up at a similar price level, then choosing from among them comes to specifics i.e., Would you prefer the more forward vocals of M1 or the wider sound stage of E30?
 
Tenzin said:
Cross out the first three choices.
Even the M2 should be crossed out since its out of ur budget.
You're left with M1 , and you should also consider soundmagic e30/e10.
Click to expand...

esanthosh said:
M1 and E30 overall have a similar level of performance though they do not sound the same.
Go for E30 if you want wider sound stage, better bass quantity and punch (depends on the tip used), wearing comfort, a little sparkle in treble. The mid range is recessed, but is warmer compared to M1. E30 sounds well spaced out and 'big' compared to M1.
Go for M1 if you are after a smoother signature with more forward and well bodied mid range. M1 does have a good bass, but treble is a little recessed. It scores better than E30 with vocals and bass texture, but does not show off the 'grit' when needed with Rock. It has better cable and build quality than E30.
But, those two, with E10 falling a little behind are the better ones within the 2K range. M1 pricing has crossed 2K level and I am not sure how much E30 will be priced when the next batch is imported. If they end up at a similar price level, then choosing from among them comes to specifics i.e., Would you prefer the more forward vocals of M1 or the wider sound stage of E30?
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the quick replies guys
Soundmagic e30 is the option to go for considering your suggestions
Just one thing though,how is the build quality of E30
cos it would be a bummer if they go kaput in 6-8 months time
dont wanna end up spending again on new IEMs that soon
 
I am not the right person to ask about longevity as I do not use IEMs every day. Even if I did, I keep switching IEMs and restrict use to certain environments and hence they last longer with me than others.

Keeping that in perspective, for rough use, I am not sure about E30. As mentioned, M1 has a better cable and build quality than E30.
 
esanthosh said:
I am not the right person to ask about longevity as I do not use IEMs every day. Even if I did, I keep switching IEMs and restrict use to certain environments and hence they last longer with me than others.

Keeping that in perspective, for rough use, I am not sure about E30. As mentioned, M1 has a better cable and build quality than E30.
Click to expand...

Build quality is the reason i am confused between the two
will i be compromising a lot in terms of overall experience if i opt for brainwavz
cos you mentioned e30 being better than m1 for ROCK listening experience
 
A few things -


  • It's really difficult to answer that question. Rock is a broad classification, so it comes down to the genre / bands you listen to. The difference is on a track by track basis. Some bands do better with M1, but others with E30.
  • Frankly, I would choose neither for Rock/Metal. Despite it's flaws, HJE-900 seems to do better.
  • You may not listen to the same music as I do. You may not have the same expectations like I do.
  • It's hard to find perfect IEMs in this price range. So, you may not go wrong with either. After all, you are not going to be doing side by side A:B comparisons. If this is your only IEM, after a while, you will get used to it's quirks :)
 
Try something from Xears. I have a Voodoo SGS and I find the Xears to pair well it, be it xb120 or td 100 II. Do not go for something with low bass quantity.
 
@iaudio,

Refer: In Ear Kopfhörer - Exzellenter Sound in edlem Design

I refrained from suggesting Xears because at today's conversion rates (with KLANGFUZZIS applied), the rates are closer to 2.7K. You know from experience that choosing the right Xears IEM is as easy as finding needle in the haystack (surprisingly TD3 was replaced by TD4, but TD2 still sells).

XB120 comes to 33 EUR shipped, which is close to 2.4K and I think both M1 and E30 perform better than it. Two models - XE200Pro and TD2 are at a slightly higher level of performance than E30/M1 (and may be TD4). If the price of E30 and M1 are about 2.2K, then it would make sense to step up and get Xears. Being his first decent IEM, I thought buying locally and settling with a local warranty would ease his mind.
 
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esanthosh said:
iaudio,

Refer: In Ear Kopfhörer - Exzellenter Sound in edlem Design

I refrained from suggesting Xears because at today's conversion rates (with KLANGFUZZIS applied), the rates are closer to 2.7K. You know from experience that choosing the right Xears IEM is as easy as finding needle in the haystack (surprisingly TD3 was replaced by TD4, but TD2 still sells).

XB120 comes to 33 EUR shipped, which is close to 2.4K and I think both M1 and E30 perform better than it. Two models - XE200Pro and TD2 are at a slightly higher level of performance than E30/M1 (and may be TD4). If the price of E30 and M1 are about 2.2K, then it would make sense to step up and get Xears. Being his first decent IEM, I thought buying locally and settling with a local warranty would ease his mind.
Click to expand...

I have ordered e30 from flipkart for 2250
ebay had it for 2230(after 5 percent discount)
in this case would xears be a better choice?
my friend is returning from UK tomorrow and i can ask hime to check xears for me
that waives off the shipping charges.
also there are chances that VAT will be waived off for him since he has been there for only one month.
I can try and cancel the flipkart order if i have better options to get from England for that price point.
Also, i am guessing that i won't have warranty for those....correct???
If so, then i will be giving it(buying from UK) a second thought
 
Why didn't you buy it from smc, they offer it for a lower price (1.7k).
And regarding warranty, if anything goes wrong, you will have to send it to them.
 
Dark Prince said:
my friend is returning from UK tomorrow and i can ask hime to check xears for me
that waives off the shipping charges.
also there are chances that VAT will be waived off for him since he has been there for only one month.
Click to expand...

Wrong assumptions.

Xears are shipped from Germany and it is the same 8 EUR shipping for world-wide, whether it is UK or India, it does not change.

VAT is levied if it is sold within EU. Normally, when you order from outside EU, VAT should reduce (case in point: Differential pricing on Meier-Audio). But, Thomas does not do that. So your friend would not save on anything.

Dark Prince said:
Also, i am guessing that i won't have warranty for those....correct???
Click to expand...

Tenzin said:
And regarding warranty, if anything goes wrong, you will have to send it to them.
Click to expand...

You have one year warranty and in case of failure, you'd only need to communicate with Thomas and send an E-mail with the cable cut.
@Dark Prince,

Do not confuse yourself. You can buy it from SMC at a lower rate as Tenzin suggests. Xears have build quality issues and are a little worse than E30.
 
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esanthosh said:
Wrong assumptions.

Xears are shipped from Germany and it is the same 8 EUR shipping for world-wide, whether it is UK or India, it does not change.

VAT is levied if it is sold within EU. Normally, when you order from outside EU, VAT should reduce (case in point: Differential pricing on Meier-Audio). But, Thomas does not do that. So your friend would not save on anything.





You have one year warranty and in case of failure, you'd only need to communicate with Thomas and send an E-mail with the cable cut.
Dark Prince,

Do not confuse yourself. You can buy it from SMC at a lower rate as Tenzin suggests. Xears have build quality issues and are a little worse than E30.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion
i tried querying for e30 with SMC by posting on their thread
will try the PM route as well
If i get a reply today then i will try to cancel the flipkart order
i hope that is possible
Does anyone know of a faster way of getting in touch with SMC
 
As far as I know, MEElectronics follows this policy as well (going by the experience of my friend who had a CC51 failure).
 
Just spoke to SMC people
they say that e30 currently not in stock
i told them that i have placed an order on flipkart
to which they replied that they are the ones supplying to flipkart and the price will be the same that is mentioned on flipkart and that i should not cancel my order
Tenzin

The rate on SMC thread on TE is the old rate and now,after the dollar to rupee rate fluctuation,the prices have gone up a little
SOURCE: SMC Sales person
 
Dark Prince said:
Just spoke to SMC people
they say that e30 currently not in stock
i told them that i have placed an order on flipkart
to which they replied that they are the ones supplying to flipkart and the price will be the same that is mentioned on flipkart and that i should not cancel my order
Tenzin

The rate on SMC thread on TE is the old rate and now,after the dollar to rupee rate fluctuation,the prices have gone up a little
SOURCE: SMC Sales person
Click to expand...
cheaper here
SoundMagic E30 Earphones (Black) . Buy Best SoundMagic E30 Earphones (Black) at Lowest Price Online

call them on stock availability and shipping time before placing order... they are known for their lousy shipping time
 
Yes i checked with HOMESHOP18
they are available for 1800
thanks a lot @sandeepsachin
i am just hoping that they are relaible and deliver it in time
Any idea where should i claim warranty from(in bangalore)
 
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@Dark Prince
Glad, i was of help
site is very reliable . members here have ordered books from them on regular basis and got delivered in no time with free goodies
warranty is handled by acro engineering
as long as you don't step on them and make sure your pets dont chew on the cables, they would last long. dont worry too much about it
 
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