IEMs around $100

Mao_Zedong · June 25, 2018

I recently lost my Shure se-215, so I need to buy a new pair of IEMs to replace them. I have AKG K7XX headphones for when I'm at my desk, so these will be used when I'm on the go. I would prefer to spend around $100, but I could stretch it up to around $200 if it is really worth it. I liked how the Shures fit and they sounded ok. The only thing really lacking from them was media controls. The options I am currently looking at now are SE-215SPE with the cable with the remote, the 1 more triple drivers, the Sennheiser IE80, and the Fiio F9. Which of these is the best deal and is there another good option I'm missing? Thanks.

kokakolia · June 25, 2018

Well, if you come from the Shure SE 215 then the One More Triple will sound too bright and harsh from the highs. So you can rule that one out. I don’t know much or anything about the other two IEMs.

My daily drivers are the KEF M100. And they’re a steal under $60 if you buy them used on Amazon.com. These earphones were $275 at launch and nobody reviewed or bought them because the price was too darn high. You can sometimes find the KEF M100 on clearance now at rock bottom prices online as vendors struggle to get them off their hands.

So what do you get for $60? A lovely neutral ish sound signature with slightly boosted bass. The mids are nice and forward and the highs are to die for. They’re also very small and the angled drivers make for a nice fit. The only negative is perhaps the non removable cable that feels a little bit thin.