Best in-ear headphones ever

[damha]

Simply stunning sound. I am not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't take one to recognize pure quality and unadulterated sound.

I am talking about the Head-Direct HIFIMAN RE0 in-ear headphones.

Initially I was looking for closed cans. I wanted something brilliant yet not overly expensive. Started off looking at BOSE stuff, then moved on to Sennheiser, then finally AKG. Just as I about to order the AKG702s I came across a few threads praising the RE0 @ head-fi, comparing them to things like the HD650s :eek:

Of course I am not quick to believe everything I read, I continued my research only to realize that if I was to acquire serious cans I am going to need a decent amp. In the end I was going to be 300-400$ and I am not even a serious audio freak. I decided for $80, how can I go wrong?! Besides, they are ranked #2 in the head-fi overall rank.

Bit the bullet @ http://www.head-direct.com/product_detail.php?p=38

No regrets whatsoever. I am hearing frequencies I have never heard before, and for gaming, these are simply amazing. In BFBC2 I am hearing detail I never noticed with my cheap 5.1 setup which I paid a similar amount of money for. Bass is just perfect, nothing overdone and not too low like you find in other in-ear phones. Unlike other in-ear phones, these do not force the sound directly in your ear. Rather you feel as if the sound is coming from around you. They also isolate roughly 70% of external noise which further improves the experience. I don't have any more words to describe them, but I still haven't done them justice.

I don't think I can listen to anything else after this experience. For the price, surely they destroy any competition that might have existed.

5/5

I am not a supporter of head-direct, nor do I work or endorse their products. It's just that I am so impressed I felt like I should share :)

Maybe in the future I'd get to hear the AKG702s and make my own comparisons. For now.. I am looking at another pair.

[BeepBeep2]

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/grado-igi-earphones.php


*runs and hides*

[damha]

Didn't come across these, but then again there are so many to choose from I didn't read about all of them. You can run but you can't hide! ;)

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/448417/grado-igi-first-impressions

If you check many have sold theirs off because I think they under performed. Not first hand experience obviously, so don't take my word for it.

As for specs, iGis are rated 20-20kHz, these are rated 15-22kHz. iGis have 24 ohm impedance, these have 64ohm.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/head-direct-re0-in-ear-headphones

[lkiller123]

As for specs, iGis are rated 20-20kHz, these are rated 15-22kHz. iGis have 24 ohm impedance, these have 64ohm.


Those specs does not really matter. Especially the frequency range; you will rarely hear things that comes out from the top/low end of the spectrum. Also, impedance doesn't mean much also. Higher impedance does not necessarily make better sound, but in some cases they might. Also, the higher the impedance is, the more chance you might need an amplifier to drive it.

It doesn't really matter, what sounds the best to you is the best headphone for you.

[cyberspyder]

Those specs does not really matter. Especially the frequency range; you will rarely hear things that comes out from the top/low end of the spectrum. Also, impedance doesn't mean much also. Higher impedance does not necessarily make better sound, but in some cases they might. Also, the higher the impedance is, the more chance you might need an amplifier to drive it.

It doesn't really matter, what sounds the best to you is the best headphone for you.

+1, what sounds best to you doesn't mean squat to someone else maybe a baseline, but that's about it. Me? I'm content with my Westone UM3X or JH13's.

Of course, my AKG k518's bring a smile to my face everytime I use them.

[Bobsama]

K702's are actually open-can headphones... ;)

And the best xxx ever is very hard to quantify; there are a lot of great headphones that some people may prefer for X, Y, or Z reason. Often it's one headphone is brighter or warmer or more bassy or more dynamic or soundstage is wider or more comfortable or priced better or more stylish or has more celebrity/press endorsements. :p:

[Mean Machine]

So, in-ear you say. For that price tag, what about Shure E2c? Or Etymotic ER6-i? Had the Shures, loved 'em till the fell to pieces after two years, gotta resolder them some day in the future. Had some Creative Zen Aurvana as well, they sounded like a bag of nails in comparison.

[saaya]

its a shame that there are so few shops where you can actually demo all the headsets and find one that suits your needs :(
im looking for a new set and boy its hard to make a decision... :/

[damha]

No its not. Check other users reviews: if you like lots of bass, get something that gives you lots of bass. If you want high quality sound at all tones, find something that can give you this. If you want something to give you better highs, then check the reviews.

Unless you make a decision and bite the bullet at some point, you can't really "know" what you want.

[stars1]

My friend's recommendation would be to look at the Sennheiser HD-515's in that bracket. Might be a bit more, but worth it. If it's an Ipod a good pair of in-ears like the CX-500's might be a better bet.
For me, I just use cheap Soft In Ear earphones (http://www.sourcingmap.com/purple-35mm-soft-earbud-ear-headphone-earphones-for-mp3-psp-mp4-p-77774.html) for my iPod. As my requirements is not too high.