Can anyone give me some recommendations for in-ear headphones? Things to keep in mind when offering your opinions:
- Apple’s standard headphones are too small and won’t fit in my giant ears.
- I like a good overall sound, nice highs, solid lows and a good mid-range.
- They should be self-powered but…
I have a pair of Shure SE315’s that I love. They’re an IEM type earphone that fit quite deep in your ear and block outside sound. Shure in particular are known for being great at this.
They come with a “fit kit” which comprises of 7 (I think) different tips, including foam and silicone of varying sizes, so you shouldn’t have a problem getting a good fit.
They’ll run nicely from an iPod, and because they block so much outside noise you don’t have to listen as loud. However, they do benefit from an amp. I use a cMoy by Juice2214 that I got from eBay for about €30.
And aside from everything else, you get Shure’s legendary customer service. I had originally bought a pair of SE210’s, and damaged them accidentally. Not only did Shure replace them free of charge, they actually upgraded me to the 315’s without any hassle what so ever. Honestly, they’re a great company.
Unfortunately, they retail for closer to $200, and they don’t have a microphone, but they’re totally worth it. As with any earphones though, see if you can try out a pair before you commit to the purchase.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, Bose tend to be overpriced for what they offer. They’re not bad per se, but you can get more bang for your buck from other manufacturers.
This ended up being way longer than I had originally intended…
