# [Buying Advice] Need an IEM under 1.5k



## Mr.Kickass (Nov 4, 2013)

I cannot believe I'm asking this but unfortunately I lost my trusty pair of phones which costed 1.5k. I couldn't find the box but a quick search leads me to this. I think this was exactly the pair that I had bought sometime ago.

Philips SHE9700 Headphone

Now that you know where I'm coming from, can you suggest another great pair around 1.5k ? I know I'm not a true audiophile but I know what I'm looking for. I listen to bass all the time but can't really compromise on the mids. Out of the two, I'd prefer the deep over the shrill though

I never really shopped for IEMs and most of my friends probably never went beyond the 0.5k mark so I'm not having any _*acquired*_ experience to speak of either. I upgraded from the stock Samsung pair(that I got with something) to Philips and the upgrade was just okay-ish. I know there is a sudden jump in quality from 0.5k to 1.5k~2k but I don't know if there can be anything _better_ than this.

I'm not really looking for an upgrade at the moment as I just need a replacement as soon as possible for I _*can't live without my phones*_. I just want a good replacement. Next time though, I'd *definitely* require an upgrade because I want to experience something better. Or is there anything better than this ? Nevermind. Just have a look at this and let me know if at this price point this is a so so buy ?

I don't know if this design would be comfortable though the Philips one was the best so far, but then I can be wrong as I haven't tried anything other than a Philips(owned) or a Panasonic(borrowed from a friend)

Sony MDR-XB30EX Extra-Bass Stereo Headphone

Audio Benchmarking
-------------------
I typically listen to the following types,
Acoustic
Rock
Pop[Includes a typical mix of my pop playlist]
EDM
Drum N Bass
Dubstep

I've yet to experience the difference in going from 720p to 1080p


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## shreymittal (Nov 4, 2013)

Get SoundMagic E-10


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## sahil1033 (Nov 4, 2013)

^^I don't think it's under 1.5k


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## vishpt (Nov 5, 2013)

I know what you mean..... i too  had a SHE9700 until recently.....they are a class of themselves.....

I am also thinking of buying earphones around 1.5k.

Many of them are suggesting Soundmagic E10.
But XB30ex is also having excellent reviews with the exception that they cant be used as comfortably as your old one.... You have to get used to it to enjoy its features

But can any one suggest earphones at the asked price with a max of 100/- difference...Suggesting the price more than 400 ,kind of loses the purpose to the question regarding price


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## Mr.Kickass (Nov 5, 2013)

I have never tried SoundMagic. Is it a local brand ?
Edit: Did a little digging around and came up with this

People prefer the SoundMagic(SM) E10 over the Sennheiser CX-300II which I still find it hard to believe because Senny isn't that bad. I mean, how can it be that SoundMagic under 2k is better than a Senny over 2k ? I didn't know that CX300II costed 3k  so I can imagine what CX495 would cost  I thought it was always about Sennheiser or Bose 

So, the SM E10 _does_ seem to have some weight and is rated high in the HiFi Mag.

At this price I don't think I can get anything better this. Or can I ?

I never knew IEMs cost that much. Given how short their life is. I don't know what a decent pair costs as quality is such a subjective matter. The Philips gear was good, but not great. The first time I put them on I felt the difference but it wasn't anything great to write home about  I tested it with a song. I listen to a lot of EDM, Trance and DnB so I thought I'd go full throttle at 1080p on YouTube and listen to the difference but that beat never came  The mids sounded great. The bass was tight but lacking a thump. That was all I missed. The rest was handled pretty well by Philips IMO.

At 1.5k I thought it could be a matter of brand. Maybe, Sennheiser would have sounded better but it wasn't available around 1.5k at the shop. I thought skullcandy would be nice but people are bashing it 

So, SoundMagic E10 will be preferred *if* there are no other alternatives at this price. I know its a tad higher than 1.5k but I have another problem. I see two E10s on Fk and both are labelled the same yet differ in price by a small margin.

SoundMAGIC E10 Headphone Or SoundMAGIC E10 with Noise Isolating Headphone ?

Finally, is the Sony one that bad ? Anyone coming from a Sony, Philips, JBL, Shure, Klipsch ?


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## sahil1033 (Nov 5, 2013)

SoundMAGIC is a Chinese company and let me tell you, I'm using SoundMAGIC ES 18 since quite long and I'm like totally impressed with it's quality at it's price. I mean, it just overperforms at only 470 INR. Cheers to flipkart for the deal and cheers to SoundMAGIC. I'm too saving up for E10.


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## Mr.Kickass (Nov 6, 2013)

Ok, how is their service ? That is the only question holding me back. I was a bit skeptical because of the Chinese tag  but HiFi rating and suggestions coming from you people is a game changer. I'm actually temped to try this out.

So, 
1. How is their after sales support ?
2. How long did they last ? (assuming I handle them with care)
3. Any random negative feedback ?

I think I'll go for it. _*If its really*_ better than the CX300II then man, this is a killer deal


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## sahil1033 (Nov 6, 2013)

Mr.Kickass said:


> Ok, how is their service ? That is the only question holding me back. I was a bit skeptical because of the Chinese tag  but HiFi rating and suggestions coming from you people is a game changer. I'm actually temped to try this out.
> 
> So,
> 1. How is their after sales support ?
> ...


See, till now I've got no issues, so, can't say anything about their customer support. Second, it's durable, like very durable, I own CX 180 and ES 18 is way durable than CX 180. No negative feedback from my side. You better PM @shreymittal as he owns SoundMAGIC E10 (which you're willing to buy) whereas I own ES 18 (which you're not willing to buy).


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## Knight2A4 (Nov 7, 2013)

> I thought I'd go full throttle at 1080p on YouTube and listen to the difference but that beat never came


 .... Seriously Bro. 

Here is Something to enlighten you YouTube Audio Quality Bitrate used for 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, and 1080p : H3XED

 I went thought this first when i started to rip YouTube video's .... I never ripper them again.

As for sound magic  Its a hint or miss game there .... *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/audio/178265-soundmagic-gone-kaput-again-o.html ...

You topic IEM under 1500 has been discussed many times in last two pages only .... The exact Preferred music ...

1. *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/audio/176747-headphones-good-bass-budget-1k-200-a.html
2. *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/audio/178339-need-iems-budget-1-5k.html

Seriously Bro. in your budgat if i where you i would stick with Philips ........


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## little (Nov 7, 2013)

Had been using Sony MDR XB30EX for the past 3 to 4 months and it sounds awesome. This is the first time I have used any IEM for this long. 

The bass is awesome and vocals sound clear. And about that design thing, it may look weird but its designed to fit perfectly in human ear. Even on prolonged use it won't hurt. 

And it is very durable.


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## shreymittal (Nov 7, 2013)

A.S.S is good here got my earphones changed 2 times. Durability they're  all made of metal. Ask "ratul" for more information on usage 
BTW from where you'll buy?


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## Bencollins (Nov 7, 2013)

Stay away from MDR-XB30EX. U'll regret it aftr buying just like i did.
Try getting soumdmagic E10. It was selling for 1.7k @snapdeal few days ago


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## ratul (Nov 7, 2013)

You just can't beat SM E10 under 2k, stretch your budget and get them asap, ASS depends on where you get them from, warranty is a hassle with online retailers like flipkart or snapdeal, i got them from SMC International, Nehru Place, and they give 1 yr warranty and usually replace hand to hand if they have the earphones in stock..  Rest is upto you.


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## vishpt (Nov 7, 2013)

Can any one tell difference between

1)Philips SHE 9700(i Own them)
2) SM PL30
3)SM PL21
4)SM E10
5)Sennheiser CX180
6)Sony XB30EX

I want to know if any of the above are better than 1. I mean the philips was one of the most all rounder earphones I had in ages(Bass ,metal, ....all were good)


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## Mr.Kickass (Nov 9, 2013)

Hakimtai said:


> Here is Something to enlighten you YouTube Audio Quality Bitrate used for 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, and 1080p : H3XED
> 
> I went thought this first when i started to rip YouTube video's .... I never ripper them again.


Which is why I don't rip. I prefer to have the link to the audio instead, if available 





Hakimtai said:


> As for sound magic  Its a hint or miss game there .... *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/audio/178265-soundmagic-gone-kaput-again-o.html ...


That was exactly what I was looking for, _Negative Feedback_. Thanks





Hakimtai said:


> You topic IEM under 1500 has been discussed many times in last two pages only .... The exact Preferred music ...


Sorry, I panicked when I found out my IEM had died  Besides, I had a particular query as I was coming from a Philips. So people having a similar experience could better help me out. Your links were really helpful.





Hakimtai said:


> Seriously Bro. in your budgat if i where you i would stick with Philips ........


I guess you're right, at this price the conclusion seems to be that...


The Incinerator said:


> ...Philips has better understanding of sound than some Senns and Sonys at that price point and beyond any day.


A quick read over at the Head-Fi forum reveals some golden advice, posted in a guide by the user ClieOS and sambo60


			
				ClieOS and sambo60 said:
			
		

> Be wary of two things: Firstly, many Low Budget and Entry Class IEM are often overpriced by their manufacturers (to appear of a higher class than they actually are). Therefore, judging them by price alone will not suffice. Secondly, price is often determined by demand. Therefore, you should not use it as an absolute guide when buying an IEM. Sometime great IEMs are undervalued, and sometimes they are overvalued. The best way to determine an IEM's price/performance ratio is to read reviews and ask those who have more experience than you for advice. It would be ideal if you could audition your targeted IEM before paying for them, but unfortunately it is often rather difficult to do so





shreymittal said:


> *A.S.S* is good here





ratul said:


> ASS *depends on where you get them* from


I'm so sorry for misinterpreting this shorthand, but 





shreymittal said:


> BTW from where you'll buy?


At first I thought I'd buy from FK, but when I have to go to Nehru Place any way so I 'll get there





ratul said:


> You just can't beat SM E10 under 2k, stretch your budget and get them asap, ASS depends on where you get them from, warranty is a hassle with online retailers like flipkart or snapdeal, i got them from SMC International, Nehru Place, and they give 1 yr warranty and usually replace hand to hand if they have the earphones in stock..  Rest is upto you.


That sounds great. Now its a showdown, SHE9700 vs E30
Also, could anyone differentiate among these variants  priced at 1999, 1989 and 1890 ? What's the difference besides colour ? 

*Verdict:* As I clearly mentioned I'm looking for a replacement, not an upgrade, the E10 sounds like an upgrade. I have read reviews and while both have fetched a high enough rating, the price can only be the deciding factor(after A.S.S). If I get a better deal then I'll get any of them. Be it E10 or 9700
Thank you @sahil1033, @shreymittal, @ratul for feedback on E10 and @Hakimtai and @vishpt for advice on Philips, @Bencollins for that stern warning, and man I hear you. Sony trolls in the name of Bass. And @little, I'm sorry but I don't find Sony a better choice(go through links by @Hakimtai) so that advice was of little value 

Meanwhile, I stumbled upon this awesome review  Head-Fi|Multi-IEM Review|301 IEMs compared|(Custom Art Music One Added 10/28/13 p.796)



vishpt said:


> Can any one tell difference between
> 
> 1)Philips SHE 9700(i Own them)
> 2) SM PL30
> ...



You _have to_ listen to the same song on each one of these to find it out yourself


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## shreymittal (Nov 9, 2013)

As for "hakimtai" commented about the thread it was mine and I got them replaced by SMC int. So no worries go ahead with your purchase


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## RohanM (Nov 25, 2013)

@Mr.Kickass  Have u bought anything yet ? please do update as I am also in search of good headphones.


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## srkmish (Nov 25, 2013)

Ur life story sounds like mine  . I lost my She9700 and was heartbroken. To replace it, i tried soundmagic e10, brainwavz m5, jvc ( don remember model no) but nothing could replicate the warm recessed bass, sparkling treble and the lively soundstage of philips. So i bought it again and it been my lifeline ever since. Its a purely subjective thing and most people swear by E10 but for me 9700 is the best sounding and highly comfortable for long periods of listening.


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## Mr.Kickass (Nov 26, 2013)

^True Story, bro

Ya RohanM, I bought them. Now I take extra care of them. In that price range I don't see anything can get better than what people here suggested. Maybe, stretching the budget might yield better results but I've yet to experience anything better than this. I'm still in the under 1.5k club


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## Knight2A4 (Nov 27, 2013)

Good Buy  Mr.Kickass ......... If you want to upgrade SIGNATURE ACOUSTICS C-12 Elements Wooden IEMs would be the next step with same audio signature but better bass texture ....


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