best in-ear headphones for under $100

[bsf1002]

I want a pair of the in-ear buds, but I don't have much money, so a pair for under 100 dollars would be good. I also have small ears, so the fit is really important. I don't really want too much bass also, if you know of any good ones, post them here and the price/website to buy from if you know it

[MikeM]

shure e2s can be found for around $70 [e3s if you can stretch to get them]
etymotic er-6i [another stretch] The ety's are generally considered less bassy, more detailed.

[bsf1002]

do you know if they're over the front or behind the back, I've heard that some go behind your ear and down your back and I don't think I would like that

[MikeM]

You can wear them how ever you'd like- in front of you or behind. They do go up over your ears, which is quite nice. Very secure and keeps the wires under control. But from there, its front or back of the neck, however you'd like.

[Matt174e]

Originally posted by bsf1002
I want a pair of the in-ear buds, but I don't have much money, so a pair for under 100 dollars would be good. I also have small ears, so the fit is really important. I don't really want too much bass also, if you know of any good ones, post them here and the price/website to buy from if you know it

You should check out the iBuds, here's my thread about them http://forums.ipodlounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86001

http://202.153.110.46/Xskn/ShowImage.asp?i=&filename=include/express/ibuds/Vibrant/Indigo.jpg
$11 including shipping

[bsf1002]

have you ever tried a pair of those? if they are comfortable, I will definately get one, also, do you know how visible the buds are while its in your ear

[Matt174e]

Lajo usually has very good specials on during holidays like 50% off all items. There are a few events coming up (Easter, Spring break, Daylight savings) so i'm waiting to see if there's going to be a sale before I purchase them. I'll let you know what they're like when I get them.

[thebrain]

Daylight savings? A holiday?
I better go talk to my school to get another week off. LOL

[mjburks99]

I wouldn't get the EX71's. Just ordered them, terrible. I don't know what all the good reviews about them were all about. I would say that the original apple head phones were just as good. Does anyone have any suggestions for a significant upgrade over the EX71's w/out spending over $100?

[FallN]

The Shure E2c is a great buy! I have had a half a dozen different earphones for my iPod including the Apple In-Ears, the Shure E2c, and the Sony EX71 to name a few. I can honestly say from first hand use that the best of those headphones are the Shure E2c without a doubt. If Shure made them in white, they would be absolutely perfect! But they are amazing headphones especially for the price.

The Sony EX71 are have more bass which can seriously muddly songs that aren't set up for the bass boost. The artificial boost in bass does come in handy for R&B/Soul, Rap/Hip-Hop and some Pop songs. They also have an incredibly non-sensical loopsidedness to them. I don't know what Sony was thinking designing the EX71s but it doesn't make sense to me. Also the cord without the attachment is too short and with the attachment is too long.

Whatever you do, don't waste your time or money on the Apple In-Ears. They aren't designed with "staying power" in mind and constantly slip out. They are also lacking in a bass (if that's what you're looking for) and have overall poor sound in comparison to both the Shure's and the Sony's.

Go for the Shure E2c. You can find them for $60-70 shipped online at places like Buy.com. Good luck. :)

[dwchin]

If you are looking for something like the Sony EX71's but with a bit better sound, you probably should look at the Sharp HP-MD33's. Same type of design, but supposedly better.

For the money, though, I would recommend either the Shures or the Etys.

[LittleSwallow]

If you want better sound than the Sonys, but cheaper than the Sharps (and Sonys), go with Panasonic HJE50's. They're very very good. And again, same type of phones.

[AZ-GT]

Depends on what kind of music you listen to:

Shure E2C - rock, metal (about $65)
Etymotics ER-6i everything else (about $95)

[elistoughton]

Etymotic ER-6

[Wired_Monk]

I'd get either the Panasonic HJE50's, Sony 51/71, or Sharp MD33.

I wouldn't get the E2c. I own them and don't like the way they sound. Poor sounding bass and highs (or lack there of). I wouldn’t listen to the advice of the guy telling you to buy the E2c’s and have the EQ on bass boost to increase the bass. The sound quality on the Ipod is crap when you have the EQ on bass boost, regardless of what earphones you’re using.

[jpmac55]

From my own experience, I have reached a conclusion that there isn't a panacea choice of earphones for under $100. - or more for that matter. Not with canal-type earphones. Just read the above comments. Thumbs up and down on the same 'phones. So you have to research as much as you can and begin to find some consistencies. Ironically, what most people don't like about the Sony lineup is a feature I like. The shortness of the cable isn't great unless you use a Shuffle. The over-the- shoulder cable is something I do like. Unless you are as isolated as your canalphones - you will have to take at least one side out of your ear to engage in conversation sometimes. I like just dropping it on my shoulder instead of letting it hand down or perhaps stuff it in an empty pocket. The Shure over-the-ear insertion isn't my favorite design despite the potential better fit. I have trouble keeping it coiled over my ear. Plus, for portable use, I am not crazy about the thicker cable. Which leads me to my Etymotics ER-6i's. I like'em and think the lightness and overall sound works for me. I took a pair of the Shure soft sleeves and placed them on the 6i's and found I not only like the sound, the fit is better. Now all I have to so is shorten the cable. I don;t need several feet to reach my ears from my waist.

So which would I suggest? All and none of them unless you can accept than none will be the perfect earphone. Read the reviews even on the high end canal phones and yes, you'll line up x amount of positive and almost as many negative. I decided to invest my money on the mid-priced phones. For the most part, earphones are meant for the portable lives we lead. At home, I will use the Grado's. Not perfect but plenty of good to go around. In fact, I am going to stop with my craze for earphones and invest in a great pair of headphones one of these days.

[ebert]

Originally posted by mjburks99
I wouldn't get the EX71's. Just ordered them, terrible. I don't know what all the good reviews about them were all about. I would say that the original apple head phones were just as good. Does anyone have any suggestions for a significant upgrade over the EX71's w/out spending over $100?
This is very true, compared to the ex-70's. Although they both look almost the same, sony has tweeked the drivers in the new ex71's. I have had a pair of ex70's for about 3 years, and after heavy use they were starting to fall apart. Because I didn't want to be without them, i decided to buy the new ex71's and found a white pair on ebay. Compared to my old ones, they stink. The bass is way less, and they sound tinny compared to the ex70's. If you are interested in buying these headphones, do not get the ones with the teardrop-shaped backs (the new ones). Get the ones with the rounded shiny back instead. You will be much happier, even though they do not come in a white version.

[Bflip]

Sony's EX71's are great for only $30-$40. I also have the EX81's, which are even better.

I think if you want the best for under $100, you should get Shure E2c, $99 retail and $70 street.

[JBipodWRXsti]

e2c's on ROCK setting work very well for just got them. ill never go back to stock.

[jwegriffin]

The Apple in-ear earphones are my favorite. I also have Sony EX81s that I find very heavy in the bass and light in the treble. The Apple phones tend to be a bit lighter in the bass end but they also have a clarity that is hard to beat. Also the Sonys seem a bit lacking in volume. I have to turn the volume at full with them. With the Apple phones about 75% to 80% is just fine. Having a high end hearing loss, I need all the treble and volume I can get! With the Apple phones I can almost make out all the lyrics (not so with the Sonys).

Griff

[bsf1002]

for everybody with the Shure e2c's, I just need a definate answer, can you wear these in front on the ear like regular earbuds or do they have to go in the back to still look/feel good, if so, do you know where I could find any pictures of what they look like when they go in front of the ear, I just don't want to pay $70-100 and then they fall out when you wear them in the front

[ebert]

I have some shure e2c's and don't have much problem putting the earphones behind my ears the way they instructed on the package. It is a weird design, but it works. Because the cord is thicker and heavier than normal headphone cords, you might loose the seal in the headphones after moving around more frequently than you would if they were behind. The weight of the cord tends to pull on the buds a little, which could be annoying for some and could be quite fine for others.
If you think these might not be the right earphones for you, I would highly recommend sharp's HP-MD33S Four Pole Headphones which you can get on audiocubes.com or warehouse123.com. They are a new rebuttle to sony's ex71's and are so much better than the sony's. I would argue to say they have a better sound than the shure's, because there is a good amount of base present, which is lacking in the shures. Although the ex71's had huge base, they drown out most mids and have tinny highs. The Shure's have better sound isolation, but its not too different from the sharp's if the volume is turned up.
Hope this helps.

[bsf1002]

I found the ER-6i's for $95 at buy.com, and I want to know if they basically fit any sized ears, it looks like the flanges are pretty long and i'm not sure if they would fit my small ears, thanks again

[elistoughton]

um, they should. they have different size foam tips too, if the flanges don't fit. check out www.etymotic.com

[dwchin]

Originally posted by bsf1002
I found the ER-6i's for $95 at buy.com, and I want to know if they basically fit any sized ears, it looks like the flanges are pretty long and i'm not sure if they would fit my small ears, thanks again

I have very small ear canals and the flanges fit me fine. Etymotic was kind enough to send me a pair of small flange tips, but I don't believe these are available for sale yet. However, the "small" flange tips are basically the stock triflanges which have been modded by removing the largest outer flange, so you can always make your own small tips if you find the triflanges don't feel quite right. Others have also tried this mod (and others have instead cut off their innermost flange if they have larger ears).