im716 is only USD80 (new) plus shipping to msia if you can find someone in the states to get it for you.

if you are not in a hurry getting it, I will have my friend get you a pair when I get one myself. IEM has very low priority in my list now so I have no idea when I'd buy it.

there are only 2 kinds of iem sound signature in the market,

1) bassy with rolled off highs
2) clear with rolled off bass

There is only one IEM that I'd put my money into - er4. The im716 should be similar to the er4, and it's alot cheaper, that's why I've considered getting it.

When you are ready to get them and if you need me to help u get a pair or im716, just shoot me a pm. I might not buy it for myself but I *might* be able to get my friend to send a pair back to you.

They don't make good iems, ety does. All Altec is good at making now is portable speaker to market those ipodtards.

The ksc75 will still sound tonally better than the er4/im716 (if it sounds like the er4), but still significantly brighter than the er4. I cannot recall if er6 is brighter or ksc75 is brighter on the extreme highs, but I know er6 is very irritating, the ksc75 could be as irritating as the er6 if it wasnt that the ksc75 has a better midrange and bass...IIRC, the er6 is like the ksc75...with even less bass, and a more colored mid.

The er4 is good, you can hear some details that are not easily heard on the 650, but...the mid range coloration on the er4 could be irritating if you are already used to the 650's tone. The er4's mid range will sound alot more upfront and clear compared to the 650 (which i think its midrange is very very laid back and tad harsh). The bass is a joke if you compare it to the 650 and that's the best ety could do for now.

your friend is right to recommend u the brand, he should also have recommended you sennheiser, audio technica, grado, beyerdynamic, and etc...what's not right is that...you cannot get good headphones from these brands with your budget.

practically...you don't need an amp for a phone to make sound..but technically youa re required to amp it. then again, with your budget...what kind of amp can you get? a cmoy for RM80-100...left you about 100 or less for your phone...you're better off just get some phones that are not too dependable on an amp.

technicality holds; subjectivity is another story. A poo is a poo(technical), but there are people who treat it as a delicate food(subjective).

If you want me to rank the best (ear/head)phone by price, it'd be something like this:

USD15-20: Koss KSC75/KSC35 - clipon
USD40: Sennheiser PX100 - portable headphone
USD70: Grado SR60 - headphone
USD80: Altec lansing IM716 (assuming it sounds like er4) - In ear monitor

-Amp Dependent-
USD90-100: Sennheiser HD555/Alessandro MS-1 (I prefer 555 though) - headphone
USD200: Etymotic ER4 - IEM
USD250: Beyer DT880/Sennheiser hd600 - headphone
USD300: Sennheiser hd650/AKG K701 - headphone

I might have missed something, but this is generally how I'd price the best phones at its price. MY subjectivity and sonic preference applies. I prefer something that leans towards the brighter side. 3 of the phones above I have not tried - IM716, KSC35, and MS1 (though I tried SR125).

If I had to pick 3 phones from the list, it'd be the K701, ksc75 (which I have picked anyway ) and IM716 (if it sounds like er4) otherwise, I'd just pick er4

if u like the sr80, u'd wanna get the KSC75 instead. The px100 is very warm...if you move from sr60 (let alone ar80) -> px100 you'd find the px100 to be very boomy n muffled.

btw, I didn't rank the phone by sound quality, I just ranked them on what I believe is the best you could get for its price. I don't think the PX100 is better than the ksc75

if you like the sennheiser flagship phones, you will like the px100. if you like any of the grados, you will like the ksc75.

Both of them die easily if they will be going through some heavy use. What I really worried about the px100 when I had it was that the cable would get stuck on the hinges and get cut...it did get stuck once and it wasnt funny though it didnt really do any damage. I'll give you another reason why the ksc75 is a better choice....the lifetime warranty

the ksc75 is more comfortable indeed despite being a clip on.

701 cost around RM1200 if you order from ttvj.

from sr60...that'd be a BIG difference.

im picking up a pair of im716 in the next couple of days, but my friend will only bring it over during august..might also have a pair of AKG K81DJ to play around

i'd suggest that you just save up to 2000+RM or so, then just splurge it all on a pair of sub 300usd phone and a decent amp. at the mean time, be happy with what you have.

you should state your criterias when you ask for recommendation eh, that'd save alot of time getting the right answer.

Basically you want something:
-RM80+/-
-Comfortable
-Canalphone
-sound quality is least concerned
-Dont want anything else

then you should just get the philips. the CK5, afaik, is not very comfortable due to the design.

if you can get a new unit for RM1200, don't hesitate, that'd be the street price for a new unit including shipping even in NA

lol cmon there are people who argue the senn 650 is no better than the 600 though being placed higherand priced higher and also from the same brand

just a tease ya regarding the er4 vs er6...the er4 is just better than the er6, 0 doubt.

HAH
ksc75 should run around 60-75 in bulk now.

im sure there are more proton than benz out there

Alessandro MS-1 at usd99 shipped or dump your 595 and get a k701..it will do everything.

The MS1 is a fullsize can, only that they are supraaural...hence slightly smaller than other circumautal ones. The 701 is actually RM1300+ shipped to malaysia, you can check the AKG thread about it.

You are not getting much recommendation not because you were abandoned or something, there just arent many phones around your budget that meets your needs. Either save up, or lower your requirements.

you havent been catching up with my reviews eh?
I personally prefer the 701 and hd600 to the other two. They are just a little too slow for some music. Even the hd600 is still a little slower than the 701. All of them will need an amp to shine, but dont let that stop you from gettin them. It's better to just get a good phone, then later get an amp. Definitely better than getting a mid-fi setup now.