The Best In-Ear-Monitors for under $200

Part two of my round-up review features what I deem to be among the best IEMs at under $200. Before the list starts, I have to caution consumers about the potential dangers of IEMs. Be extremely careful when crossing the street while wearing these, and never under any circumstance should you use an IEM on a bike, driving a car, near dangerous machinery, or on a hazardous work-site like a construction area.

Shure SE210 $179.99: these are a notch better than the cheaper SE110 in just about every category. There is slightly more detail, and I personally prefer the frequency balance of these over the SE110. As you can tell from the chart, the treble at around 10KHz has a prominent spike, making the SE210 airier and sharper at that range than the SE110. Although a steep roll-off begins past 10KHz, not much musical information is contained above those frequencies. As before, I recommend these smooth sounding IEMs for most genres, but hard rock fans may prefer some of the others on this list.

Etymotic ER-4P $299.99: perhaps the most venerated IEM of all time, these legendary cans have been around and have remained virtually unchanged for nearly two decades. Usually on sale for well under $200, these monitors are extremely detailed and rival some of the finest speakers for musical data retrieval. Only one major complaint exists regarding these –that they are bass shy; however, the chart shows that the lower frequencies are nearly flat with the mids. Still, I cannot deny that the ER-4’s bass does sound a tad weaker when measured against the Shure’s. For listeners craving pure detail, treble sharpness, and awesome isolation (up to -42db!), these IEMs are a winner. Critics who insist that these IEMs are too bright probably need to check their hearing biases. The measurements below demonstrate that the ER-4 is closer to neutral than almost any other IEM. I would recommend the Shure if you are looking for a softer presentation. The ER-4S model sells for the same price as the ER-4P, but the difference between the two is that the “P” has higher sensitivity, meaning that they are easier to drive and do not require a powerful headphone amp to sound loud.

Westone UM1 $120: entry model from Westone, which I have no experience with, so I cannot comment. Here is a very thorough review of the UM1. Generally, I avoid audio reviews from major technology sites like Cnet because most of their staff members are not audiophiles. Some user reviews, like the SGheadphones one, are more trustworthy since the reviewers are audiophiles who are used to high-quality gear.

Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 $249.99: again, I have not auditioned these particular IEMs, so I will point you towards Enjoy the Music’s comparison review. Enjoy the Music is one of my more trusted audiophile websites, although their expertise is more with speaker components than headphones. Having been out for a few years now, the SuperFi 5 is commonly discounted $200. Isolation is -16db.

Denon AH-C751K $199.99: despite being a newcomer to the IEM market, Denon has already established a commendable following. I have not heard these earbuds, but headphone.com has a fairly unbiased assessment of the product:

The vented port on the C751k does deliver a bit more spacious quality to the musical presentation while slightly lessening the overall sense of isolation /noise-blocking ability…

The audio detail resolution is fairly clear overall, although it lacks the seamless extension at the edges of the frequency range available with pricier in ear headphones. Good musical presence, excellent soundstage imaging for an in-ear design…

The next mini-review examines some of the better IEMs for over $200. I have significantly more experience with the upcoming group of offerings than I do with those in this particular article.