Guys, looking at the bleak economy and how things are churning around right now, I think it is a suitable time to address this issue: Which budget headphone you should get to get the optimum price/performance ratio.. For now (criticisms aside please), everyone is most welcomed to contribute their opinions on this topic..

Due to ambiguity, it is decided the term "budget headphone" should be used for headphones within the Rm100-200 range..Anything below the range would be considered inexpensive..

~Rm100-200:
1) KSC 75 (even though this is below 100, it certainly qualifies as a top contender in the category)
2) ON3
3) PX100
4) PX200
5) Sennheiser HD 201/202
6)




For starters, I'd like to give a head start:

No.1 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED : KOSS KSC 75 (~RM80)..
SQ: 5/5
Comfort: 4/5 (Awarded "just" a subpar 4(which is an average, given that ksc 75 is an absolutely terrific headphone) considering the fact ksc 75 utilises clip-ons, which would be slightly inconvenient if you are an active athlete or constantly on the move)
Build and design: 4/5 (another low point for ksc 75 because design-wise, let's just say that it doesn't quite have that X factor )
Note: Many people are customizing their ksc 75s right now, as we speak..So, enthusiasts please look up some mods online, google it, "yahoo" it..whatever and I'm sure you'll come up with some additional mods that'll really let your ksc 75 shine...Some even do recabling jobs to improve the SQ! Outrageous endeavour..Pay respect to those professionals!!!
Value: 5/5
KSC 75 wins the best budget headphone hands down, no questions asked. At a mere price of USD 6(~Rm23) in Radioshack, it is a steal..For fellow malaysians though, you can always get this pair of jewel for ~RM 80..Which, IMHO, is still a great bargain..

Other headphones I own and recommend:

Sennheiser HD 201(~RM100)
Sennheiser HD 212 pro(~RM200)
Creative EP 630(~RM50)

Headphones/Earphones I'm looking at:
1. Soundmagic PL 30 ~rm100++ coupled with Fiio3 amp
2. Shure SCL3 (there's a sale going on now, apparently they're going for ~$59 plus free shipping)
3. LEAR LE01..(an alternative to EP630, if not better..Hmmmm....I'm really dubious about that....=)
4.

*I know I sound like a cheap arse, but life isn't all that fair to everyone..hehe..I just enjoy the feeling of getting that optimum price/performance ratio..



IMHO, HD 201 is worth every single cent for its price because it's very comfortable, produces decent sound, and doesn't burn a hole in your wallet. Looks cool, albeit a bit bulky if you want to walk around with it slinging down your neck, and exudes a funky sense about yourself..Good accessory to add an attitude to your already unique self~

HD 212 pro..Hmm..Though it is a good pair of headphone and received numerous encouraging feedbacks about its performance, I would grade it a low 4/5..Why? Because it's a bit too expensive for the casual and average user who squirms at the idea of paying ~RM 200 for a pair of headphones. Naturally, if you are an average user who steps into the world of audiophiles and upscale headphones for the first time, the prospect of paying RM200 for a headphone seems daunting..And, due to this aspect, you, the user, would have this "pre-purchase bias", thinking for 200RM, this pair of headphone would produce great,absolutely mind-blowing SQ. Sorry to tell you this, that ain't gonna happen with this pair of headphones..Definitely, this is a pair of quality headphone, as can be judged by its appearance and build(which is highly commendable and looks very very "nerdy", in a positive way)..However, I'll still recommend getting 10 KSC 75s if you're willing to pay that price

Creative EP 630..Just look at my emo up there..
This shows enough? But I'll briefly describe it here anyway..It's the king of budget BASSHEAD STUNNER!!! Literally..The bass itself will leave you stunned and craving for more..For it's price range, I can steadfastly claim no other comes close to this pair of IEM..(Of course, there is this pair of LEAR LE01 running madly among our LYN green fields now, trying to claim this top post from EP 630).. For a mere RM55, which would otherwise cost you Rm110 if you were to get from a retail shop, this is another INEXPENSIVE(notice that I don't use the word CHEAP) investment which would prove to be an intelligent move in the long run..





P.S I'm in USA now, and I'm planning to bring some KSC 75s back home next time for you fellow forumers, who've helped me through the process of learning and unlearning of this audiophile world..Please pm me if you're interested..I'll post a thread here when I'm coming home to my homeland, Malaysia..

"All things under the sky shall perish,
Music shall live, forever" A quote from an excerpt by Daniel J. Levitin, author of the bestseller book "This is your brain on music"..

This post has been edited by killz23: May 23 2009, 03:10 PM

Nice post up bro.
I owned EP-630 and been using it for a few months. I think that Creative's earphone is quite worth for the price you pay for.

Of course, it somewhat lose to Mylarone Bijou.

good post!
how bout my EP830?
its an upgrade from EP630, and reviews says tat its really good!

anyways, really look forward bout u bringing in KSC75 to boleh land!
can get cheap price? reserve 1 unit for me!

I wouldn't say Creative Ep 630 is at a lower end than Bijou, but yes, there's a :slight difference: in between those two big boys I am thinking of getting 1 now though, but Uncle Wilson(yup, here in USA!) sells bijou for like 50 dollars a piece..Which I think is quite expensive..I think LYN has a better price heheeh might as well let forumers earn rather than let the guai lous earn hehehe.. support support!
Ep 830? Wow, I'm seeing some favourable support for fellow roticanai92's bulk here..hehehe, what's your best price? Looking at the specs don't tell much about earphones, as far as I'm concerned..Mind accentuating the lil jewel's strengths?Pm me k?
YUP!Definitely "special" price for roticanai92 I'll pm you when I come back...

Any how, I've noticed there's this model, "Soundmagic PL30" on sale right now..At mp4nation.com..They're selling that coupled with Fiio 3 amp for 27$ with FREE SHIPPING! I'm not sure whether the shipping includes Malaysia or not, but it's still a good deal nonetheless..Fiio 3 amp costs around ~30rm in our forum here..so..the earphone costs about ~RM70 only???Cheap eh? good deal there!! Might want to check that out..Oh man, I feel like selling off my 212 pro now to get that..hahaa..I don't really like my 212pro.Prefer Ep 630 for the bass, KSC 75 for clarity and crispness, and 201 for the "funky" and "nerdy feeling...

This post has been edited by killz23: Feb 14 2009, 01:18 AM

My take:

* Creative EP-830 (http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/935201) - 630's upgrade with better clarity & bass.
* LEAR Le01 (http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/914036)
* CrossRoads MylarOne Bijou (http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/776764) - one of the most frequently discussed IEM here.
* CrossRoads HR1 or HR2 (http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=850712) - should be good stuff but they're not IEM
* Philips SHE 9850 (http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=664579) - sexy pair of earphone, heard it performs better than Bijou!

What do you think of LEAR Le01? Do you think it can outperform EP 630? EP 830(no offense to forumers rooting for this earphone ) seems a bit overpriced for the value it carries. Is it a worthy upgrade, or one should just switch over to the crossroads bandwagon?

Philips loooooookkkkkssss HOT!!! But for the average user, the price is a bit too high(~300rm)...Nonetheless, thumbs up for the good looks and quality!

I've been wanting to get the bijou for sooo long!!!!I've gotten a deal before for x3i..but the seller pulled out last minute..sigh...Saad....If not, there would've been a new addition to my collection ..hehehe pun intended

No idea bout the LEAR Le01, u can refer to ClieOS's review on the link given. He's a guru in IEM.

I made a comparison between EP-630 & Bijou, you can read it here if u like:
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=23691552

The Philips looks hot, am considering on my list for the next upgrade list after Bijou.

Ohhh..the review seems really in favour of that LEAR le01 o...My friend got it, and he's really impressed with the quality as well..Hmm..another noteworthy earphone here haha..to add to a far too long list of budget IEMs....

haha, not really much support oso, onli manage to finish 4 person bulk!
hahaha...
actually I haven't try EP830 yet personally, not sure bout its performance.
just reading reviews from the net, and I forgot to take a pair myself when i bulk it last time~

haha, u give me special price, i oso give u special price lo!

aih, how come no EP830 users here?
then we can compare and see the potential~
but i think it can outperform EP630 la, not sure can compete with bijou or not~

tried 1 philips before, and the bass quite good!
clarity is nice, but somehow i think its overpriced too...

Yeah, why no EP830 user here? bro roticanai92, how much you're selling ar? +wink+ got good price? I've always thought of philips as inferior brand ler.hahah xp terrible terrible..skullcandy in malaysia got or not? I think they're pretty budget type and v v stylish..haha probably not as good as shure and akg, but style wise I think most people would fall in love with it, no doubt xp haha..

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Added on February 15, 2009, 5:04 amThere's so many people saying music shouldn be so much about hardware, but more towards the artistic appreciation of music itself..well, if don't use good hardware, how will the songs sound like?likewise, if too engrossed in hardware perfection, wouldn't one be indulging in the hardware itself rather than savouring its use-reveal music in its very true self?

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Added on February 15, 2009, 5:04 amThere's so many people saying music shouldn be so much about hardware, but more towards the artistic appreciation of music itself..well, if don't use good hardware, how will the songs sound like?likewise, if too engrossed in hardware perfection, wouldn't one be indulging in the hardware itself rather than savouring its use-reveal music in its very true self?

This post has been edited by killz23: Feb 15 2009, 05:05 AM

how do you guys rate Shure SCL2 ?

where can we get Shure SCL3 as stated above ?

SCL2...Hmm...That's somewhere above Bijou I guess..SCL3? That offer is currently available in US only bro..hahah..I'm thinking of getting it now though..
Here's the link: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/produ...27&CJPID=361116

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Added on February 15, 2009, 10:14 amHaha, people still don't know about the bulk yet probably? Hahah, bijou's bass, I heard, is tight and strong wor..hahaha..yup! special price k? hehe

This post has been edited by killz23: Feb 15 2009, 10:14 AM

Shure earphones are high-end stuffs, good one can cost more than 1k which is quite crazy consider that I only willing to invest max RM 300 for earphone (higher budget for headphone).

Artistic impression? Perhaps partially true. But once you hear the better sound quality, you wouldn't want to hear the old ones .
For example, I seldom use my EP-630 once I got my Bijou.

I own X3i, EP-630, X3 overall I can say X3i out is the best of the 3. Someone I find EP-630 isnt that clear and the sound is quite muddy and at times the bass can be overpowering lol. X3i comes perfect.

Now I feel like shifting back to normal earphone Yuin PK2. But I couldn't find anyone to bulk it at low price. Any Seller here wana bulk this monster PK2?

ksc 75 + recabled + amp

what holding me back from getting KSC75 is that the type is clip on. I don feel comfortable with that.

Prefer IEM or Earphone

i used to have EP830 and it was spoilt and i got bijou instead
overall ep830 is quite ok and the bass is quite balanced. Bijou's bass is quite strong and crisp.
My EP830 spoilt coz got dragged on the road and the earphone broke into half
can be repaired tho but i dont have any solder

right now happy using bijou :3

PM pcwork see can recable or not

Completely agree!! I want to do that to my ksc 75 too!!!! hahaha, I did the Kramer mod dy, and it's working great! wahhh, if only can recable it here..hehehee got some soldering machine selling cheap here..You think I can do it myself? hehee does ksc 75 work good with fiio 3 amp? Or any other amp to recommend?

This post has been edited by killz23: Feb 15 2009, 11:40 AM

some ppl said Fiio 3 only amplifies the sound, but not the quality

but some said sound stage, mids and bass improved with fiio3 ~