I am a newb audio fanatic who doesn’t know all of the terminology and technical language to be looking out for. I know sort of what I want, but I thought I ought to resort to experts / fellow people who nerd out over the sound tech they purchase.
I am largely a proponent of having high quality sound equipment when I can afford it and I know there’s better products out there than what’s marketed to the regular public. I just don’t have the time or energy to do another tech deep dive after researching PC’s and their parts for weeks.
In search of new Earbuds or IEM’s for listening to music on the go. Specifically from my iPhone while at the gym, chilling at home, or even on small construction jobsites working. I don’t mind paying for quality but want to get the best bang for my buck. I try to stick to the best value in mid tier or upper mid tier. However, I will take any suggestions and explanations of what sits in higher tiers in case of future upgrades.
Excuse me if I don’t know the technical terms for these features. If you care to explain them I like to learn. Also I think some features may mean you don’t get X other feature but I want to get as close to all of these as I can. Drop multiple reccs if necessary.
Features :
Sound clarity
Sound quality
Good volume control and capability for higher volume
Ability to hear different tunes and notes clearly
good soundstage
surround sound
Hard enough hitting bass that bass parts of songs or videos is differential but it’s not the end all be all
Directional audio (like when I listen to music if the audio was made for it, I like to hear when it sounds like instruments come from different parts of the room almost)
water proofing
comfort
ability to stay in the ear during activity
ability to connect to my phone via Bluetooth
good or decent battery life
noise cancellation
Budget : I’m looking to spend around $250 can be more but generally around or below $500. I’d like to know what my options are at the mid range, upper mid range, and even high tier options and their price points.
I used to rock Powerbeats pro and they did well enough for a time, but eventually after 3.5 years the battery stopped holding charge more than 30 minutes on the right ear and only 2 hours on the left. The sound quality also degraded. Those were $250 back then. However I’ve heard there are IEM’s that can outclass beats and apple at that price range. I am not a fan of the fit, form, color, or quality of AirPods. Only good things those have going for them is the Apple chip for easy connection. If it exists I’m looking for that brand or manufacturer that puts true sound quality and quality product build first. I’m looking for people who don’t compromise on sound and their opinions. Not run of the mill “my air pods / beats / skull candy are pretty good.” No, I want the stuff that makes that look amateur.
Bonus : I also recently upgraded to PC for gaming and am in search of the best headset for gaming that has great audio quality, as many of the same features above as possible, good enough directional for footsteps, and also solid build quality / durability. If it has a mic cool if not I may have to pair with external microphone.