Best IEMs under $300

[monjanger]

I use IEMs all the time. For school, for riding my longboard, runnjng. Really for everything. I have generally been buying cheapo pairs (under $10) but want a nice pair to last me a while. I care most about comfort, and custom ones would be pretty sweet, but seems like a push for a budget like this. I also listen to mostly edm/bassy/ectro/future music. I listen to producers such as Troyboi, Apashe. But I would like to say I do want good all rounder IEMS.

 

[Synawke]

4 minutes ago, monjanger said:

I use IEMs all the time. For school, for riding my longboard, runnjng. Really for everything. I have generally been buying cheapo pairs (under $10) but want a nice pair to last me a while. I care most about comfort, and custom ones would be pretty sweet, but seems like a push for a budget like this. I also listen to mostly edm/bassy/ectro/future music. I listen to producers such as Troyboi, Apashe. But I would like to say I do want good all rounder IEMS.

 

I love my 1MORE triple driver in-ears. $100

[DioOmicida]

Sadly I can't attest to high end IEMs because I don't buy high end IEM's as I tend to misplace.
However, in the aspect of running and  longboarding I use Skull Candy XTplyos which run around $40 or $80 for wireless.
I can ware them 8 hours a day at work with not strain on my ears and while I work out with zero slip.

[Oscargot]

While I wouldn't usually recommend them because of the price, as they fit within your budget I must say I really love my IE80s. I have very little experience with many other pairs but they're very comfortable, secure, very good sound quality, and have a nice bass kick that makes the genres you listed especially fun to listen to (in fact I've started to listen to more of that type of music since getting them)

[Xiphan]

I use a pair of Shure SE-215 IEMs for pretty much the same thing as you; I listen to a lot of Trance music and the sound quality and bass is excellent for what you get at the $99 price mark. I also use mine for running / gym and they fit very comfortably, nor do they fall out because of the way the cable wraps around my ears. Best of all the cable can be replaced if it gets damaged, which was one of the biggest factors I took into consideration when I chose these IEMs.

[xtroria]

So the question is are you planning to upgrade in the future, or you just want to get a good IEM and that's it, never to change it or upgrade it

 

Alclair audio has a custom model with 2 driver that costs $250. The price of ear impression differs from place to place and you even could do it yourself but I don't recommend it.

 

I used to use Westone 4R with shure's triple flange because nothing else blocks out noise better but after an hour or so the pressure hurts my ears. So I got myself the alcair Quad RSM, their $650 model and it's been great for me. It's extremely comfortable because it fills your ear canal but doesn't put any pressure to create a seal.

[kokakolia]

On 4/25/2017 at 2:00 PM, monjanger said:

I use IEMs all the time. For school, for riding my longboard, runnjng. Really for everything. I have generally been buying cheapo pairs (under $10) but want a nice pair to last me a while. I care most about comfort, and custom ones would be pretty sweet, but seems like a push for a budget like this. I also listen to mostly edm/bassy/ectro/future music. I listen to producers such as Troyboi, Apashe. But I would like to say I do want good all rounder IEMS.

 

$300 is overkill! You can find really good IEMs under $10 if you order from China. But they usually come with thin wires (that get noisy when they bounce on your shirt) and feel cheap. But the sound quality is pretty darn good...amazing! If you don't believe me order yourself the KZ ATE.

 

If you want an awesome all-rounder earphone with a sturdy cable, a good fit and respectable sound then get the Marshall Mode around $50. 

 

[Pomfinator]

AKG N20 - slight U-shape

VSonic GR07 Classic - warm (Bass Edition will be darker)

Shure SE215 - darkish (will improve if used with spinfits)

Audio Technica E40 - V-shaped

 

Recommending lower prices than the budget because after $100, lots of companies shift to using balanced armatures (and Chi-Fi brands rarely make anything above $100), and the bass on BA IEMs is an acquired taste, better to stick with dynamics.

[xtroria]

12 hours ago, kokakolia said:

$300 is overkill! You can find really good IEMs under $10 if you order from China. But they usually come with thin wires (that get noisy when they bounce on your shirt) and feel cheap. But the sound quality is pretty darn good...amazing! If you don't believe me order yourself the KZ ATE.

 

If you want an awesome all-rounder earphone with a sturdy cable, a good fit and respectable sound then get the Marshall Mode around $50. 

 

I feel like my ears are bleeding whenever I use earpods from my iPhone. Using those $10 "IEM" will probably feels the same when you are used to hearing actually good IEM

10 hours ago, Pomfinator said:

AKG N20 - slight U-shape

VSonic GR07 Classic - warm (Bass Edition will be darker)

Shure SE215 - darkish (will improve if used with spinfits)

Audio Technica E40 - V-shaped

 

Recommending lower prices than the budget because after $100, lots of companies shift to using balanced armatures (and Chi-Fi brands rarely make anything above $100), and the bass on BA IEMs is an acquired taste, better to stick with dynamics.

The sound isolation on dynamics just isn't as good though because you need ports

[kokakolia]

Just now, xtroria said:

I feel like my ears are bleeding whenever I use earpods from my iPhone. Using those $10 "IEM" will probably feels the same when you are used to hearing actually good IEM

Well, you never know until you try. 

 

Your typical $10 Sony/JVC/Philips earphones will make your ears bleed with boosted shrill treble from oblivion. They'll label something like "Cristal Clear Sound" on the box. Run to the hills when you read that description. 

 

At least with some of the Chinese earphones (not all, many still have that boosted treble from oblivion) you get a pretty decent frequency response with smooth highs and clean bass. You get soundstage too. Here are some models I can recommend:

 

- KZ ED7

- KZ ATE

- KZ ATR

- KZ ZS3

 

That said, the $50 Marshall Mode have noticeably better treble and slightly wider soundstage compared to the $8 ED7. 

 

I know that it's not fair to compare headphones to earphones. But the Marshall Mode sound shockingly similar to something like a Sennheiser 558. And that's plenty of "audio quality" for me. And the ED7 is just slightly inferior. 

[spwath]

17 minutes ago, xtroria said:

I feel like my ears are bleeding whenever I use earpods from my iPhone. Using those $10 "IEM" will probably feels the same when you are used to hearing actually good IEM

The sound isolation on dynamics just isn't as good though because you need ports

Not that bad, but not good.

 

1 minute ago, kokakolia said:

Well, you never know until you try. 

 

Your typical $10 Sony/JVC/Philips earphones will make your ears bleed with boosted shrill treble from oblivion. They'll label something like "Cristal Clear Sound" on the box. Run to the hills when you read that description. 

 

At least with some of the Chinese earphones (not all, many still have that boosted treble from oblivion) you get a pretty decent frequency response with smooth highs and clean bass. You get soundstage too. Here are some models I can recommend:

 

- KZ ED7

- KZ ATE

- KZ ATR

- KZ ZS3

 

That said, the $50 Marshall Mode have noticeably better treble and slightly wider soundstage compared to the $8 ED7. 

 

I know that it's not fair to compare headphones to earphones. But the Marshall Mode sound shockingly similar to something like a Sennheiser 558. And that's plenty of "audio quality" for me. And the ED7 is just slightly inferior. 

i tried. The kz ate are ok. Too much treble. For the price, pretty good. But a pair of $50, let alone $300 iems are so much better

[xtroria]

2 minutes ago, spwath said:

Not that bad, but not good.

 

i tried. The kz ate are ok. Too much treble. For the price, pretty good. But a pair of $50, let alone $300 iems are so much better

 

Well, there we go. I trust your words so I'll take it as it is.

[Pomfinator]

24 minutes ago, xtroria said:

The sound isolation on dynamics just isn't as good though because you need ports

True, I don't own any dynamics or hybrids with ports for that reason.  I guess I could throw out a couple that are good at $300: IM03, ER4XR, or the Orion is my recommendation, fast as f**k bass ftw.

7 minutes ago, spwath said:

I tried. The kz ate are ok. Too much treble. For the price, pretty good. But a pair of $50, let alone $300 iems are so much better

If OP goes chi-fi, might as well pony up for a GR07, the bass edition is pretty good too.