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2So most of you probably own at least one iPod, Zune, or other MP3/PMP player. These devices usually cost several hundred dollars and apparently based on the iPod’s monumental success, millions of people are happy to pay for them. When it comes to the most crucial part of the sound reproduction chain, the earbuds, few people actually invest in a good pair. Aside from sound quality benefits, I contend that there is also an invaluable reason for buying some good in-ear-monitors: they can save your hearing.

Multitudes of people who listen heavily to MP3 players are losing their hearing. My antidote to this problem is the IEM because they isolate you from outside noise. Generally, the attenuation provided by a good IEM is around -10db or more. This means that you can listen at 10db lower than with an earbud that gives no isolation. Musicians have been using IEMs from Shure, Ultimate Ears, etc. for years.

Choosing an IEM is actually not too difficult because there are only a handful of choices. Since most consumers will not be able to test an IEM (for sanitary reasons) before purchasing, they should read all of the reviews and do extensive research before buying. From my experience, most of the major manufacturers covered here make technically solid products in their respective price segments. Your tastes in music and sound should determine which model you select. The frequency response charts included are courtesy of headphone.com. Please refer to the charts for a general idea of what the IEMs sound like. Remember that every ear is different, so technical data alone does not always indicate what an IEM will sound like to you.

CX300Sennheiser CX 300 $59.99: this is a favorite among listeners on a budget. It is a clear step up from many earbuds that are bundled with MP3 players. I think that these little guys are suitable for any genre of music, but they do tend to be a bit “warm,” so heavy metal and hard rock might seem less aggressive than with other monitors. One significant problem that I have with these is that they attenuate only -8db. Consider also Sennheiser’s $99.99 model, the CX 380.

Etymotic ER-6i $149.99: OK, so these are technically more than $100, but they can be had for well under that from most vendors, so I am including them here. These were my first “good” IEMs, and I would definitely recommend them to everyone except bassheads. The chart shows that the bass is actually flat with the mids, but even when properly sealed in your ears, these IEMs still sound slightly rolled off at the bottom end, with little impact below 100Hz. For rock, alternative, and pop though, the ER-6i is fairly detailed and more than copacetic. Isolation is -20db.
ER-6

Shure SE110 $119.99: Amazon sells these for under $80. To my ears, the SE110 sounds like a slightly more refined CX 300, with a bit more resolution and clearer mids-highs. Heavy rockers should be aware that the general Shure sound is warm and a bit mellow at the top-end, while lightly emphasizing mid-bass and lower mids. Isolation is around -20db depending on which tips are used.

Ultimate Ears SuperFi 4 $129.99: On sale at Amazon for $64.99 after rebate, these are quite a bargain right now. I do not have their frequency response chart, but the SuperFi 4 falls somewhere in between the ER-6i and CX 300/SE110. Perhaps the Ultimate Ears can be regarded as the best Jack of All Trades IEMs. Isolation is also an excellent -26db. I think that these look the snazziest too.

There are many other options out there, but these four candidates are the most established and well regarded IEMs under $100. Next, I will be looking at sub-$200 cans from Westone and other manufacturers.


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Oh and now that you said the ER4p is fatiguing, what about the ER6i? Is going down, then better?

LOl Jinra. Whats your most expensive handbag?

Well glad theres another audiophile in the house! Why are we the rare ones? People can plop down 2 Grand on a TV but not 20 bucks on audio, and its 50% of the experience. I don’t-get-it. We’re living in an age where people won’t pay for music nor even decent speakers.

Back in the 80s and 90s Speaker systems/receivers/stereos were common in every household and now I’ve only seen them in 1 out of 10 houses where I visit…

Anyways, I digress. Thanks for your input DEREK. I don’t like fatiguing either. I don’t like dark.

About the W2002. A few people at Head-fi forums claim to like the sound of the A900s more after the mod. I’ve modded my a900s to linear with the simple blu tac. The wood cups would make a remarkable difference in the W2002 though.

I can say that I chose carefully for my speakers (Boston CR67’s rare now) and headphones.
The sound signature is so close, you can take off the headphones and listen to the speakers and think you’re still listening to the headphones. Both are punchy, linear, clear and non fatiguing.

DannyTruong said:

Nice review. Let me speak that I’m an audiophile equivalent to Jinras taste in expensive handbags. Dropping $300 on a pair or headphones is not unusual.

I own the Audio Technica ATH-A900 with a Caffeine headphone amp

I agree with sound isolation being a necessity to save your hearing. I wear earplugs to concerts and clubs, thats how much I care about my ears and also sound quality.

I have the Sennheiser ones I have to say it sounds like underwater crap. Its overly bloated and warm, and unnatural sounding.

My idea of nice bass is punchy and Senn’s are not punchy. Its a great brand, but the earphones don’t do justice.

I was thinking about the ER4p by Ety’s since i’ve seen it go for $160, 20% under retail. I’ve also seen the ER6I on Amazon for only $60.

Judging by your review, I’ll hate the Shures. Thanks for letting me know!

LOL my taste in handbags, yes.

Danny, I agree with you about the Senns, but a lot of people like their sound, which I consider to be overly dark and bloated. It’s almost like listening to music through a dark veil, while having cotton in your ears. Natural and real music do not sound like most Sennheisers. I haven’t heard their new flagship but used to own the HD580, 600, and 650.

My cans right now are actually the Shure SE310. I chose these (even though I find most Shure headphones too warm and lacking sparkle at the top) because they are non-fatiguing, and I got a great local deal on them. I was looking to replace my broken pair of ER-4P but couldn’t find a bargain in my area. Plus, the ER-4 generally induced a headache after 60 minutes of continuous listening. Sometimes the treble accentuation is a bit too much.

I really love most of the A-T designs. A few years ago, I had a chance to audition the limited edition W2002, which look and sound simply exquisite. These days, I spend all of my money on my speaker system though.

Nice review. Let me speak that I’m an audiophile equivalent to Jinras taste in expensive handbags. Dropping $300 on a pair or headphones is not unusual.

I own the Audio Technica ATH-A900 with a Caffeine headphone amp

I agree with sound isolation being a necessity to save your hearing. I wear earplugs to concerts and clubs, thats how much I care about my ears and also sound quality.

I have the Sennheiser ones I have to say it sounds like underwater crap. Its overly bloated and warm, and unnatural sounding.

My idea of nice bass is punchy and Senn’s are not punchy. Its a great brand, but the earphones don’t do justice.

I was thinking about the ER4p by Ety’s since i’ve seen it go for $160, 20% under retail. I’ve also seen the ER6I on Amazon for only $60.

Judging by your review, I’ll hate the Shures. Thanks for letting me know!

Good stuff, dude. I need to go save my hearing!

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