Earphone recommendations for around £100

[Cosmos_i7]

I'm looking to buy some new earphones to replace my current Anker Soundbuds IE20 which recently broke. Ideally I would like something with bluetooth and a remote to use with my iPhone 6S. I would like something portable for listening mainly from my phone. I listen to rock/metal music as well as podcasts. At home my audio setup is a Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro connected to a Schiit Modi 2 and Magni 2 stack. Some of the options I have looked at are:

 

Beyerdynamic Byron BT/BTA

Shure SE215 Wireless

Jaybird X3

Sennheiser Momentum Free

Bose SoundSport bluetooth

Audio-Technica ATH-CKR75BT

 

Whilst I prefer to have bluetooth I am also wondering if I should instead get wired headphones, and if so which ones? 

[Max_Settings]

Try the iSine LX

[dizmo]

I'd lean towards the Sennheiser for wireless. You can also check out RHA's wireless offerings, I love my MA750i's. They're also a British company so they might be even cheaper within country.

12 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

Try the iSine LX

I've read a few reviews and they were...not spoken of highly.

[Max_Settings]

1 minute ago, dizmo said:

I've read a few reviews and they were...not spoken of highly.

I have read great reviews. I happen to know @Densetsu loves his set. You must however use them with the lightning cable and the EQ tweak.

[Cosmos_i7]

17 hours ago, Max_Settings said:

Try the iSine LX

Whilst they are nice I believe the Audeze website states that they are semi-open design. One critical requirement is that they must be closed back as I need zero sound leakage. I will be using them in public spaces so noise isolation and no leakage are a must. 

 

17 hours ago, dizmo said:

I'd lean towards the Sennheiser for wireless. You can also check out RHA's wireless offerings, I love my MA750i's. They're also a British company so they might be even cheaper within country.

I've read a few reviews and they were...not spoken of highly.

Had a look at some of RHA's offerings, they do look quite nice. The wireless ones however are not really what I'm looking for, I need earphones that I can put away in my pocket, not a fan of the neck-band style earphones, as I would just get full on headphones otherwise. 

[dizmo]

12 minutes ago, Cosmos_i7 said:

Had a look at some of RHA's offerings, they do look quite nice. The wireless ones however are not really what I'm looking for, I need earphones that I can put away in my pocket, not a fan of the neck-band style earphones, as I would just get full on headphones otherwise. 

Yeah I'm not a fan of them either, always felt they looked a bit off. Plus I'd expect better battery life if I have to have something that large hanging around my neck.

[Cosmos_i7]

On 04/04/2018 at 6:51 PM, dizmo said:

Yeah I'm not a fan of them either, always felt they looked a bit off. Plus I'd expect better battery life if I have to have something that large hanging around my neck.

I'm debating between the Shure SE215 or the RHA 750i. This seems to be a common comparison that I've seen in many places. Though I'm undecided at the moment. I'm sort of leaning more towards the RHA because I hear that the SE215 have more bass, which I'm not a fan of. I'm also wondering whether I should go wireless or wired. As my current phone still has a headphone jack, but I do anticipate upgrading it in the future, that being said I don't mind using an adapter. The RHA750i wired are £90 and the wireless ones are £149. I'm not sure it's really worth the jump up.

What are your opinions on the RHAs? I've also heard on forums that they require a burn in period. But in many cases people say they outperform the SE215, so I'm tempted by them. 

[minervx]

If sound quality is a primary concern, wired headphones with full-sized ear-cans give you far more for your money than bluetooth headphones or earbuds.

[Wyllio]

I'd recommend the Vsonic GR07 Classic. If you're looking for more bass they also have the bass variant and also a detachable cable option, but that version costs about $30 more.

[Cosmos_i7]

22 hours ago, minervx said:

If sound quality is a primary concern, wired headphones with full-sized ear-cans give you far more for your money than bluetooth headphones or earbuds.

I already have Beyerdynamic DT990 paired with a Schiit stack for home listening. I need something which is portable, closed back so I can use them in an office environment or library. I've considered just getting the DT770s but it's not very portable and I'll need to carry them in a bag. Plus I'd want earbuds that I can just put in my pocket, and listen to while walking about. Full size headphones are a bit bulky for that case I think. 

[Cosmos_i7]

18 hours ago, Wyllio said:

I'd recommend the Vsonic GR07 Classic. If you're looking for more bass they also have the bass variant and also a detachable cable option, but that version costs about $30 more.

Can't really find them in the UK or if they are available they are very expensive. So those are ruled out for me

[Wyllio]

Then based on the options available on Amazon UK website. Best bets for bluetooth is the Sennheiser Momentum Free and for wired earphones I'd pick the Fiio F9 Pro or Focal Sphear S.

[xtroria]

I’d get fiio f9 or the tfz king. Chi-fi at this budget simply best the others

[GamerDude]

1 hour ago, xtroria said:

I’d get fiio f9 or the tfz king. Chi-fi at this budget simply best the others

Agreed! I have a number of higher end IEM's like the CA Jupiter, iSine 10, Fitear Parterre and a Senn IE800, yet I find myself reaching for my Senfer 4in1 whenever i go out. They sound pretty good and are cheap enough that I don't really mind if I were to damage it or lose it. ChiFi IEM's at even <50USD are pretty damn good imo. Yes, some may sound a tad sparkly, like my 4in1 (but I like sparkle) while others may be a tad bass heavy, the thing to do is, do some research to find the right fit for you.I have a couple of Senfer 4in1's (that's how much I like 'em) and some TFZ ones as well......great price:performance value imo.

[dizmo]

On 4/6/2018 at 5:12 PM, Cosmos_i7 said:

I'm debating between the Shure SE215 or the RHA 750i. This seems to be a common comparison that I've seen in many places. Though I'm undecided at the moment. I'm sort of leaning more towards the RHA because I hear that the SE215 have more bass, which I'm not a fan of. I'm also wondering whether I should go wireless or wired. As my current phone still has a headphone jack, but I do anticipate upgrading it in the future, that being said I don't mind using an adapter. The RHA750i wired are £90 and the wireless ones are £149. I'm not sure it's really worth the jump up.

What are your opinions on the RHAs? I've also heard on forums that they require a burn in period. But in many cases people say they outperform the SE215, so I'm tempted by them. 

I'd just go wired if you don't mind using the adapter. Then you don't have to worry about charging. 

 

I love the RHAs. So much that I bought a pair of T20's to use with my new DAP. It's a combination of great sound and a cable that simply will not tangle.

 

They bass is present, but not as pronounced as say something from Beats or Monster. At first I was a touch disappointed, but then it kicks in and it's nice, deep and definitely present. I feel it's more accurate to how the music's  meant to be presented. You can always just use an EQ to tweak it if it's not exactly to your liking. 

[Cosmos_i7]

On 4/9/2018 at 9:04 PM, dizmo said:

I'd just go wired if you don't mind using the adapter. Then you don't have to worry about charging. 

 

I love the RHAs. So much that I bought a pair of T20's to use with my new DAP. It's a combination of great sound and a cable that simply will not tangle.

 

They bass is present, but not as pronounced as say something from Beats or Monster. At first I was a touch disappointed, but then it kicks in and it's nice, deep and definitely present. I feel it's more accurate to how the music's  meant to be presented. You can always just use an EQ to tweak it if it's not exactly to your liking. 

The wireless MA750 is the same price as the T20i. So now I'm wondering should I go for the T20i? Since you have experience with both would you say there's a big difference? 

[dizmo]

28 minutes ago, Cosmos_i7 said:

The wireless MA750 is the same price as the T20i. So now I'm wondering should I go for the T20i? Since you have experience with both would you say there's a big difference? 

I actually haven't listened to them yet. I've been waiting for my Hiby R3 to get here so I can see what they're like together.

I think the main difference will be customization. The T20's have three different filters you can change on the earbuds (bass, reference and...a third, I can't remember what they call it).

 

Honestly, I'd go for the T20i (the i just adds the remote, if you don't want that just get the T20) for the customization and the fact that you don't have to worry about charging it.