I’ve been getting the itch to upgrade for a while now and I’ve decided to get a new pair of in-ears. I am hoping that these next in-ears can be my daily users. I use headphones for most of my day and I want to upgrade to a pair that are comfortable and have some awesome sound. I have been seriously eyeing the Campfire Orion’s but I’m not sure about the power needed. I am running straight out of a phone and computer, and I’d prefer not to carry an amp around. My budget is $350 or lower. I am hoping to use this next pair for at least a couple years, so replaceable cord is probably needed as well.
You can power Orions through your phone no problem!
I’ve had a pair I’ve been using for the last month or so and I have been enjoying them. If you enjoy bass, they don’t have a ton. But they really shine with the highs and mids.
Just noticed the Noble X on Massdrop (Massdrop x Noble X Universal IEMs).
Haven’t heard them myself but Noble has a pretty good reputation. Could be a good bargain if you are into the sound signature.
My hands down favorite in ears are the Etymotic’s they have a very accurate sound mean they are very neutral. They are not boomy or tiring to listen to. Check out the ER-4 line they have balanced–armature receivers. Wonderful sound. My second favorite are the Shure earphones. They have the advantage of easily replaceable cables. Take a look at the SE-425 the very interesting thing about the Shure earphones is because they have replaceable cables you have the option of switching to a Bluetooth set when you want.
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I’ve never looked into noble because of the usual price. That massdrop does sound enticing. What do you know about the sound signature?
I’ve enjoyed etymotics in the past and while they are crazy accurate, I also nap with the headphones in when I’m at school so some flat wrap arounds is more what I’m lookin towards. I’ve really enjoyed my shure se215’s, so I’ll definitely look into their higher end stuff.
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Would you say the bass is disappointing? I listen to some 80’s electro wave and that genre is almost pure bass and synthesizer. A gentleman suggested the “Massdrop x Noble X Universal IEMs” but they look a bit bulky for my ears. To give some contrast for fit preferences. I thing the shure se215’s are the best fitting headphone I’ve ever owned.
how do the Orion’s compare to the Shure se 425’s?
I have lost so many ear phones with bad cables. It is a real deterrent to purchasing an expensive set only to have a non-replaceable cable fail. Spending $300 for earphone with replaceable cable is the way to go. I have one set of Shure‘s that has had 3 replacement cables.
I am on my second replacement cable with my 215’s. My biggest complaint with shures is how the form fit wire breaks and ends up cutting open the cable. Any ideas on other cables that I could buy with the 425’s that may last longer than the standard cable?
If they are MMCX style there are a bunch on Amazon for cheapish. Mee mmcx cables are pretty good but I’ve also had good luck with the Chinese made ones also.
There are indeed better cables but they are so expensive you can purchase a sack full of the original Shure cables. There are replacement cables that cost as much as $500 Dollars. Here is an example. The Moon Audio SIlver Dragon IEM cable is relatively cheap at “just” $199.00 USD.
What a steal! Lol, I don’t need an upgrade cable, I just need one that doesn’t break like the wired ear piece does on the shures.
Here is a sovereign fix for fragile cables.
I can vouch for the Orions. I have driven them through a iPhone with great success. They are very low impedance iem’s, to the point where it is very easy to overdrive them. Very neutral IEM’s. Personally I wish they had a little more bass but they are very accurate. You can read my full review here.
I read they have more of warmer signature vs. neutral.
From the Headphonics review: “The Noble X is a warm, full sounding tonal presentation with a gently elevated bass response, a forward vocal presence around 2k-3k and a laid-back treble performance that is smooth, musical and fun to listen to.”
I own Noble Audio k10 from massdrop, really excellent everyday iem. They have good engineering staff, so if you can get a deal on any Noble Audio iem, buy it!