Etymotic HD5 Safety Earplugs/Earphones

They're pretty detailed for this price and well-balanced, but compared to Westone UM3X-RC, they're definitely not in this league (but they make me tap my foot more). If you get a good seal (I've only tried 3-flange tips so far), then there's enough bass even without EQ if you're not a basshead. Sub-bass doesn't exist. They kind of make you listen on lower volume, but the bass is much better when you crank them up. The highs aren't as pronounced as in some fun V-shaped IEMs, probably in order to reduce the fatigue. They're super-easy to drive too - I've tried with Samsung Note 3, Sound Blaster E5, and Xonar D2X + custom amp combo. The noise isolation is surprisingly good (these are my 1st Etymotics), so you get quite a lot of dynamic range. But I don't like the cable due to its tendency to add noise when rubbing/hitting against objects. I can hear my beard and it's loud :) It was not a concern with Westones. If you're into analytical IEMs, want good isolation and don't mind the absence of sub-bass, then I'd recommend them for this price. If you like V-shaped ones, then go for something else. Also, if your budget is $500 and not $50, there are other more interesting ones. Would I buy again? Definitely yes.

I got mine yesterday. I've got Samsung Note 3 and at max level it's loud enough to be very uncomfortable, but I can imagine some very quiet recordings to be too quiet if you're into listening loud. However if you're not, then the seal will lower the listening volume requirements a lot. When connected to Sound Blaster E5, they can get pretty loud even at low gain settings. Yeah, I was worried too, but they're really solid volume-wise.