# need in ear monitors/earphones



## doomgiver (Apr 25, 2011)

which ones are better?
 senn cx 180
 brainwavz m1/pro alpha/m2
 sony mdrex57
 soundmagic pl 30/pl 50
 klipsch image s2
 mee m9/m6
 any other?

 budget 1.5k-2k

what about using an amp?


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## Sid_hooda (Apr 25, 2011)

I'd go with the M1's and no, they don't need a separate amp.


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## doomgiver (Apr 25, 2011)

what about pl 30?
could you give me a detailed pro/con of each??? thanks!!


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## Sid_hooda (Apr 25, 2011)

What kind of music do you listen to ? Which genres ? Also, what sort of a sound signature are you looking for ? (i.e. decent low-end with great mid-range, bright sounding, bassy, etc)
But IMO, the Brainwavz M2 are a great pair of VFM earphones with great bass (quality and quantity with enoug depth), good mids and a great treble without any sibilance. Get them if you can expend your budget by about 700 more bucks


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## azzu (Apr 25, 2011)

Dont forget to also check , 
Philips She 9700 , 9800


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## doomgiver (Apr 25, 2011)

i like psychedelic, electronic, trance, house, a bit of progressive rock, and some metal
the bass must be present, but not too overpowering.

i had creative ep 630's, and they were very weak in the mid range, while having strong bass. 
sometimes the bass sounded flabby, and the highs were a bit grating.

and no, i did not burn them in.

so, 
1. m2 @ 2.5k
2. m1 @ ???
3. ???

the other options are if my dad starts smoking at the ears, i'll need to placate him by lowering my budget (you know fathers, they think that once you buy something, it will go on forever)

and yeah, what is the approx life of such iems'?

@ azzu, can you post some reviews? i've not heard of them


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## Sid_hooda (Apr 25, 2011)

Well, the M2 should certainly suit your needs and its a great IEM. I dont really like IEM's and have only owned 2 cheapish ones, which i dont use anymore, so i'm probably not the best person to ask that question to.

Convince your father that spending slightly more for a significantly better product is worth it. Whats the point of buying a cheaper one if it will get broken easily. My dad was (still is) apprehensive of me buying anything expensive. Took a long time to convince gim otherwise so i can understand


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## doomgiver (Apr 26, 2011)

what kind do you use?
i require them mainly for listening to music on the bus.


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## Krow (Apr 26, 2011)

If you can afford it - Brainwavz M2.

Else, M1. M1 is Rs. 1950 shipped from pristinenote.com.


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## doomgiver (Apr 26, 2011)

what phones are you guys using?


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## Krow (Apr 26, 2011)

I am using the M1. You may read the review I posted here. Link in my signature.

The source is iPod Classic or Dell Studio 15. The M1 is great for those looking for balanced sound under Rs. 2000.


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## doomgiver (Apr 26, 2011)

yeah, i saw your review. well written. 
im going for the m2, or m1. thanks.


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## EdoPack (May 16, 2011)

The Soundmagix PL30's do come with a bass control nozzle on the actual earpiece that's suppose to increase/decrease the amount of bass - but in all honesty, the change isn't that noticeable and cranked up to the highest point of 'bass' it's still dwarfed by the bass quality of the M2's (which I own) - which have the strongest bass out of the Brainwavz bunch but is not overpowering in general. P.S, I would recommend not considering the PL50 in regards to what you said you'll be listening to - it uses a balance armature driver - not good for bass at all.


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## doomgiver (May 16, 2011)

Brainwavz M1 IEM Earphones - Preorder [Brainwavz-M1] - $29.50 : MP4 Nation!, :: Low Priced MP4, MP3 Players and the latest scoop on the newest MP4 Player

m1 pre order for $29

worth the wait?
is the site reputable?


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## teejay_geekEd (May 17, 2011)

I'd say go for the M2 if your can afford. Lynx india and pristine note are selling it for around 2.6 to 2.7 k.
However i bought my M2 few days back for 2.3 k only. (It was 25% off the M2 for one day on lynx)
M2 has a lovely bass which doesn't overpower the mids and highs and its detailing is nice too.
You will probably love the M2 if u spend a little more.
IMO, you should spend 500 more bucks for them.
Regarding M1, they are also pretty good for its price, just that they dont have that much quantity of bass. It does well for vocals and is a pretty neutral Iem.
Go for M1 if you can't afford M2.
P.s - You can get soundmagic pl50 for less than 2k which in my opinion is a great deal. Its better than M1 for sure but the bass of M2 is best for your price.

Yes the site is reputable. But be prepared for long delays if you order through that.
You'd be better off buying from lynx india and pristinenote.


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## doomgiver (May 19, 2011)

im going for m1, cant go for m2, exceeds budget


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## Krow (May 19, 2011)

You won't regret it. Get it from Pristine Note. Extra price is worth the prompt delivery.


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## xtremevicky (May 19, 2011)

M1 is a good choice indeed. Enjoy


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## doomgiver (May 20, 2011)

luck is holding up. i asked my dad for the money again today, he didnt blow up this time.
thats a good sign 

if all goes well, i'll order them within the week


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## Sarath (Aug 24, 2011)

I have the exact same query and feel that reviving this dead thread will serve more purpose for me than start afresh.

Well I am looking for alternatives to CX-180 or the same pair themselves. Actually my question is are there any better IEMs than the CX-180 for around the same price?

I recently got a pair of Brainwavz M1 @1800bucks from pristinenote around a week back.
My old pair of CX180 are also with me, but one of the earpieces has distorted, ever so slightly though.

In comparison my old CX sound better than the M1. Infact I was happy with the M1 until I did the comparison. So now I am an unhappy soul. I am contemplating buying the CX180 again since I never had problems with them in the first place and have been tried and tested by me. [I know however that they would die in a year]

So guys what do you suggest? Buy a CX180 again? or what?

No suggestions?


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## Krow (Aug 25, 2011)

What do you like about the CX 180 sound over the M1? Is it the bass? Or anything else? That will help people suggest IEMs.


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## Sarath (Aug 25, 2011)

I find it really difficult to explain features of "sound" but yes the bass is a little lower in the M1 but that is not even a problem, since it has healthy amounts of bass by itself that is fairly satisfying. 

Its the kind of sound it produces. Its clear, its nice but on listening to CX the sound just feels livelier. I cannot describe it in a better way. Switching between those makes me feel that the senn ones are a tad more "warm" or "alive" or I don't know how to describe it. 

The M1's are a good pair but I seem to have institutionalised myself to the CX180.


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## Krow (Aug 25, 2011)

Hmmmm... slightly difficult for me to recommend without trying the CX180. But if you like it, get it.  You could do a google on comparisons between CX180 and Soundmagic PL 30.


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## Sarath (Aug 25, 2011)

Hmm Ok I will look into them. Thanks.

BTW I feel the more expensive IEMs (around 5-8k) will make a massacre out of normal 256kbps MP3 music that I usually hear. Is that true? I am actually 80% sure it is true.

massacre= playing low bitrate songs on such good IEMs will also amplify the shortcoming in the quality of the low bitrate songs, thus making the minor niggles more prominent. Like background noise etc will be more prominent.

Also does the sound signature change when these M1s are underwent through a "burn in"?

P.S. I don't know what sound signature actually means. I know about burn in though.


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## Krow (Aug 25, 2011)

Burn in has no real effect on M1. 256kbps is a pretty decent bitrate and massacre won't happen don't worry. Get good 320kbps music if you are still worried. 

Also, I think (from what I have read), the best IEMs are in the $150 category. But it is better to work your way up to that level. Try different IEMs at lower budgets first.


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## Sarath (Aug 25, 2011)

I have used upto 2k now and hence was looking at the 5k ones. Even I wanted to go my way up since it would be a better upgrade path. 

Any suggestions for 5k phones that you know of?


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## teejay_geekEd (Aug 25, 2011)

Head Direct REZERO or Head Direct RE0.
The best two within 5k for mids and highs.

I think hippo VB has been released again after they were apparently listed off.
For bass, nothing comes better than VB in its price range.

Check with Jaben for Hippo VB


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## Sarath (Aug 25, 2011)

Ultimate Ears	MetroFi 220	5520			
Ultimate Ears MetroFi 220 Noise-Isolating Earphones


Klipsch 	S4i	4000			
Klipsch S4i 0GB Price India, Klipsch S4i Review, Klipsch Headphone India - Infibeam.com

	S4	4000			


Bose	IE2	5175			
Bose IE2 Headphones - Audio Headphones - Bose Headsets and Headphones
Considering these


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## Faun (Aug 25, 2011)

teejay_geekEd said:


> Head Direct REZERO or Head Direct RE0.
> The best two within 5k for mids and highs.


Agree with that. Planning to get RE ZERO next month.

@Sarath
*www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-191-iems-compared-xears-cp100ip-td-iii-v2-added-8-23


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## Sarath (Aug 25, 2011)

You are getting another pair of headphones? Why?

I usually listen to songs with a lot of emphasis on Bass. I would say that it is more important that how bassy the phones are. I don't think "analytical" ones will appease me, for the kind of music I hear.

I will continue my research and look for more headphones and hopefully audition a few.


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## Faun (Aug 26, 2011)

^^Radius DDM.

I want to try different IEMs, no other reason.


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## Sarath (Aug 26, 2011)

If you don't mind can you leave a small feedback in the "feedback thread" in my siggy.
Thanks


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## teejay_geekEd (Aug 26, 2011)

Radius DDM for you, if you want one of the best bass! But its around 7k.
Don't go for Klipsch S4i (sibilance issues, disturbing it is)
Instead of the Klipsch , go for Hippo VB.
Check reviews of VB on TE,Inearmatters,Head-fi,Techpowerup etc.


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## Sarath (Aug 31, 2011)

Wow, this thread is on the digit magazine this month. Cool  . Any suggestions for framing a page off the magazine


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## Krow (Sep 1, 2011)

Could you take a pic of the page and post here?


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## Sarath (Sep 1, 2011)

Here it is:

*i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc480/sarathmay3/scan0002.jpg


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## Krow (Sep 1, 2011)

Haha, I didn't expect my post to be there.  Thanks for posting.


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## Faun (Sep 1, 2011)

Is this guy EdoPack a rep of Brainwavz brand ?


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## teejay_geekEd (Sep 1, 2011)

Err, even if he was, he said nothing wrong. What he wrote is a cent percent true.


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## Sarath (Sep 2, 2011)

Since its made in china you are getting more for moneys worth. I hope the quality is good too but I have yet to hear complains about the M1 and M2.

And yes, Yipee!


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## Ayuclack (Sep 2, 2011)

Get Synth


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