So far the Bose Sound True II for apple seems pretty good. Too bad the deal wasn't for the android variant of it :( https://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundTrue-around-ear-headphones-II/dp/B0117RFX38/

Don't think Im taking a chance on those bose earbuds. All the reviews rip it's Build Quality apart. I mean IEM's are mostly plastic but how do you make it that bad lol.


Sennheiser 598's SE are back on sale for 110$ 10$more than the lowest. Pretty good if you want open back. https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0126HISOO/

Pink Cloud II's for 75$ is pretty good. One of the best gaming headsets for your money. https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-PS4/dp/B00Y09G6H8/

Beyer Custom Street?!?! what are these? Bassier versions of the custom ones? Now even sure if it's a deal at 99$ https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-Custom-Street-Headphones-Black/dp/B00UK7ZQXO/

Other than the usual cheap ass wood earbuds and shitty gamer headphones this sale seems kinda sad :(

So far pretty good for entry level stuff but that's the "amazon" usual so it seems with every big sale.


edit: So in 2 hours this is supposed to drop in price, anyone hear anything good about these? I might bite to try them out as I'm currently using shit for iems. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQG7IC2/
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8AM PST these are going to drop in price, I know they are very popular :P https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B1QENY/ DT880 250 Ohm O.o
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832AM Brainwavs hybrid pads are lined up for sale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGGG3KY/

Ok lets answer this for real. No personal anecdotes about what I've liked in the past. I've used a lot of earphones. Lets get into it.

What you are looking for in an audiobook earphone is a mids-focused presentation balanced with good comfort levels. The middle part of the audible range is where we hear vocal. This sits between the bass and treble. Now the earphone in question doesn't need to emphasize this range but shouldn't have it recessed either.

You seem to be looking for really good sound isolation from the environment. The Etymotic MK5 is excellent for this, and you'll have a hard time finding better sound isolation. It has very precise and analytical sound especially in voices. The comfort is what takes a hit for this level of isolation. Some people really don't like triple flange tips. https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Isolator-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B00OQG7IC2

For a more comfortable headphone that still have great mid presentation but warmer sound with more present bass, look at the Thinksound TS02. Its my favorite durable and just plain fun earphone. Much more exiting for music than any etymotic and still works great for audiobooks. Their isolation isn't as much as the etymotic, but you can improve that. https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Isolator-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B00OQG7IC2

They are so discounted on that amazon link from what they used to come for that I'd recommend throwing a few bucks of your savings toward some Comply earphone tips. Improve isolation greatly. Its memory foam in your ear. Whichever earphone you intend to use them with, make sure you get the right version on their site, but I find the 200s pretty versatile.
https://www.amazon.com/Comply-Foam-Premium-Earphone-Tips/dp/B004HKIABA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493866044&sr=1-1&keywords=comply+200+foam+tips

With a similar style in-ear bud as the ones you posted, I've been a fan of Etymotic for years. I go with the MC5 or the MK5 model due to the slightly lower price point.

> Isolation: Not too important, but loud is what I need, more than isolation, will be using at work, but it's a warehouse type area.

The higher the isolation of an IEM the less need to "crank it". Some manufacturers make IEMs which you basically place directly infront of your ear drum. Unfortunately they are a little over your budget Etymotic MK5 Isolator

I highly recommend you check these out and consider upping your budget.

Next point: If you want to increase the lifespan of your headphones, stop jamming them in your pockets. That brakes the soldering contacts. Use the pouch that comes with "better" gear and takes 20 seconds to properly coil the cable when you store them.

These are a bit out of your price range but they're well worth it. I've had mine for 5 years now. And you can buy replacements for the buds which will get worn out after awhile. The noise cancellers (the foam looking ones) are weird to get used to at first, but you'll never go back to anything else after you do.

Thank you for your reply!

I couldn't find the HF5 on Amazon (and the HF3 are a bit outside of my budget). I found these though, the ERMK-5 MK5. The reviews look great, but I don't know how they compare to what you recommended

One thing to note though (I should have mentionned that in my post) is that the main objective is to block annoying noises and I'm not too worried about getting high quality audio. I'm not an audiophile by any means and I would mainly wear these so that I can focus on what I'm listening to (or watching) without being distracted by surrounding things

Me too! I like my etymotic

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQG7IC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_hFXOBbSQ4MPHP

Friends on discord say I sound fine, but this blocks a lot of external noise which is good. I use it with my phone.

These work well for me

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Isolator-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B00OQG7IC2/

I would look into replacing them with

Around the same price:

https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-IMAGE-Noise-Isolating-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B001V9LPT4

Little bit more expensive:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OQG7IC2?psc=1&smid=A19NVE4G6SOT2C

IEMs might help. They are basically headphones that double as earplugs. I use the discontinued Mc5s which are great, but I believe this is the updated version: https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Isolator-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B00OQG7IC2/ref=pd_cp_23_2?pd_rd_w=SEhZP&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=H7MSMZKK7NRXRFTDQJMQ&pd_rd_r=16ca3e48-a5d2-49a6-ae05-cba86cb3455b&pd_rd_wg=DPhAx&pd_rd_i=B00OQG7IC2&psc=1&refRID=H7MSMZKK7NRXRFTDQJMQ

Anyone have an opinion on the Etymotic MK5 ($47.20) vs. Shure SE215 ($99 + $20 Amazon gift card)?

What's the difference between the etymotic MK5 and MC5? I'm not talking about etymotic kids 5, I'm talking about the MK5.