Captivate Earbuds? - Captivate Accessories

Figured I'd ask for some opinions!
My earbud stopped working (well, the mic part still does. somewhat) and I've been without for probably a few months now. Does anyone have any recommendations on what would be a decent replacement? I see a bunch on ebay but I'm afraid to end up paying for a mediocre one.
I do place some value on good sound quality, and don't mind spending a bit more $50~100? if they're really good.
Thanks!

does it have to have the inline mic?
I've used Klipsch S4's for a year now- best "budget" earbuds IMO. They are ~80USD, and if you get the S4i (inline mic) they'll set you back 100. You won't be disappointed.

the klipsh s4 are supposed to be pretty good. but reading user reviews some like cheaper alternatives better, not that the cheaper ones are actually better but everything is a matter of taste.
as for what i've been reading and what i know i like started lookin into woodies and also found thicksound, reviews looked good on both but brought me to reviews on xeers from germany. they supply a large number of iem's at reasonable prices. of those the td iii blackwoods (they have ebony housings for what that's worth) got excellant reviews, ordered them on ebay and will review them as soon as they get here.
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300540943565
if these things are as sensitive and wide ranged as they claim they might make your ears bleed. not recomending them yet but will let you know!

Ultimate Ears 5vi great ear-buds and they are usually on sale for about 75 or so.

Ah, yes, having the inline mic is probably necessary. I'll probably pick up a bluetooth eventually but I think my main issue now is not being able to talk to the girlfriend while working on stuff at the computer with two hands
I'll google up the ones listed in this thread, thanks! If anyone else has some alternatives, that'd be great too.

Jeffu said:
Ah, yes, having the inline mic is probably necessary. I'll probably pick up a bluetooth eventually but I think my main issue now is not being able to talk to the girlfriend while working on stuff at the computer with two hands
I'll google up the ones listed in this thread, thanks! If anyone else has some alternatives, that'd be great too.
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might i ask what your taste is. the cheaper ones tend to be bass cannons. i kinda like that and can add more mids and highs in galaxy tuner to compensate. when you spend $100+ you will see flatter respose curves which is great for classical and hearing vocals but the lowend might sound weak.
http://www.headphone.com/
read the user reviews as well as the top ratings. you might find that a $30 set from dennon is better for you than a $200 set from etymotics or $80 set from klipch.

Coming from an audiophile that has spent way too much money on headphones, I recommend that you give this massive review a look.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/
I, personally, recommend the Denon C452, I bought mine months back for only $30, and they retail at $70. Right now, I could not stand to listen to them (after hearing $300+ iems), but before then, these were outstanding. They blow anything from Bose out of the water, including the Beats Tour.

Hydrocharged said:
Coming from an audiophile that has spent way too much money on headphones, I recommend that you give this massive review a look.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/
I, personally, recommend the Denon C452, I bought mine months back for only $30, and they retail at $70. Right now, I could not stand to listen to them (after hearing $300+ iems), but before then, these were outstanding. They blow anything from Bose out of the water, including the Beats Tour.
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true im definately not impressed by the beats by dre series or anything from monster cable especially not there cables!

It's also worth noting what you listen to. I don't listen to too much rap so I care more for mids and highs instead of bass. Certain buds perform better listening to certain genres, so keep that in mind when you read reviews.
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it is nice to see others that are serious about there iem's. audio performance is soo overlooked when selecting a phone, i mean they play various codecs of music and have massive internal storage. why not give phones the same scrutiny that we give mp3 players.

The NuForce NE-700Ms are exactly what you are looking for. They have excellent sound quality, a microphone, and aren't ridiculously expensive.
Their sound quality and NuForce's customer support are often praised on Head-Fi.
You could even go for the now cheaper older versions, the NE-7Ms. They are what I have and I still love them, though I've had to contact customer support about once a year to get replacement foam tips, which they kindly reply back that for $4.00 for shipping they'll send me some.
And for more ratings, the buds without a microphone have 5/5 stars out of 38 outstanding reviews. In fact, out of 38 reviews there are no 1 or 2 star ratings, and only 2 for 3 stars and 3 for 4 stars. The rest are 5/5. I say go NuForce and you will not be let down.

Dani897 said:
it is nice to see others that are serious about there iem's. audio performance is soo overlooked when selecting a phone, i mean they play various codecs of music and have massive internal storage. why not give phones the same scrutiny that we give mp3 players.
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TBH, it's the Wolfson WM8994 chip that kinda sealed the deal for me.
And SuperAMOLED too.

I bought my phone a little after it came out, so I was not even aware at the time of the Wolfson WM8994 codec. I'm happy that there are others that appreciate headphones as much as I do...at least on XDA. I'd also overlook all reviews from Amazon, as they, a lot of the time, come from people that do not listen to high end headphones and do not know what true quality is. I'd peruse Head-Fi though if anyone is truly serious about a GOOD set of headphones.

MaxRabbit said:
The NuForce NE-700Ms are exactly what you are looking for. They have excellent sound quality, a microphone, and aren't ridiculously expensive.
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Thanks for the recommendation - I made the order.
While I definitely appreciate audio quality to my music listening, I'm hardly hardcore so I should be happy with these.
Thanks!

Jeffu said:
Thanks for the recommendation - I made the order.
While I definitely appreciate audio quality to my music listening, I'm hardly hardcore so I should be happy with these.
Thanks!
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Let me know how awesome they are! They might just make me want to upgrade my ol' NE-7Ms.

hmm Wolfson WM8994 codec chip
google is amazing and i finally learned something today!

so, it might just be me, but $75 for a set of earbuds is kinda steep...anyone have any recommendations in the $10-30 range? I've just been using iphone headsets, since you can get them cheap on ebay, but it'd be nice to have an in-ear pair for better sound.

well it seems you dont have the appreciation for headphones as others do. $80 is barely entry level but i see your point. i wont spend $300+ like some do.
from the reviews at headfi and headroom the cheaper dennons tendto get good review even from people that have more expensive klipch earbuds.
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/denon-ah-c360.php#tabs

Dani897 said:
well it seems you dont have the appreciation for headphones as others do. $80 is barely entry level but i see your point. i wont spend $300+ like some do.
from the reviews at headfi and headroom the cheaper dennons tendto get good review even from people that have more expensive klipch earbuds.
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/denon-ah-c360.php#tabs
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Well, first, I don't have a collection of FLAC encoded music on my phone, and even then, the phone isn't the best at sound reproduction/noise reduction, so why spend the money on high end headphones? Plus, I've easily lost them in the past, so when it's less cost, it doesn't hurt as much to have to replace.

ryboto said:
so, it might just be me, but $75 for a set of earbuds is kinda steep...anyone have any recommendations in the $10-30 range? I've just been using iphone headsets, since you can get them cheap on ebay, but it'd be nice to have an in-ear pair for better sound.
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a couple cheap pairs have already been listed
but further more, as stated before here as well, the answers you are looking for are just a Google search away. Amazon, Ebay and many other stores have customer reviews already.
you could have had your answers already, but you are waiting for us?

Related

Good cheap in ear heaphones?

What are some good ones? And best file to play music in?
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Thread moved to accessories. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.
Thanks
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vote for seinhesser ...
syaugi said:
vote for seinhesser ...
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Thanks
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alexisrobbinson said:
you need good cheap earphone. I know where you can get such an eraphone. I just get one from this shop:
http://www.awholesalecompany.com/earphones-for-all-ipod-models-and-other-device.html
it is comfortable to wear them on and the voice is quite clear. are you attracted by it?
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Thanks dude
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What is your price range? I mean at a certain price you can only sound so good. If you are willing to up your price I can find you a deal that offers a lot of 'bang for your buck' as they say haha
Drzfr3shboialex said:
What are some good ones? And best file to play music in?
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I got a pair of jvc marshmallows. They are really good quality. Maybe the best quality ive seen for under $20 in-ear headphones.
Now I also got a pair of Sony MDR-XB500's. The best headphones I've experienced so far! The Sony's are around $45-$50, maybe cheaper now, since I bought mine over a year ago. They arent in-ear, they are actually very big, but lightweight and comfortable. Just a rant about my favorite headphones =-]
But ya, You should try DBPoweramp. It has alot of support for audio types, like mp3,mp4,m4a,flac etc...
You should also try using lossless audio music, it takes up more space but is definitely worth it if you want the best audio experience.
System of a Down in .FLAC is the most amazing audio experience i've had in my short 19 years (well 20 now, since todays my bday)
sparkplug619 said:
I got a pair of jvc marshmallows. They are really good quality. Maybe the best quality ive seen for under $20 in-ear headphones.
Now I also got a pair of Sony MDR-XB500's. The best headphones I've experienced so far! The Sony's are around $45-$50, maybe cheaper now, since I bought mine over a year ago. They arent in-ear, they are actually very big, but lightweight and comfortable. Just a rant about my favorite headphones =-]
But ya, You should try DBPoweramp. It has alot of support for audio types, like mp3,mp4,m4a,flac etc...
You should also try using lossless audio music, it takes up more space but is definitely worth it if you want the best audio experience.
System of a Down in .FLAC is the most amazing audio experience i've had in my short 19 years (well 20 now, since todays my bday)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to the JVC marshmallows, i found i got better sound and they were a bit more comfortable when i switched the marshmallows to the tips from my old apple IEMs, you can get the tips online pretty cheap.
sparkplug619 said:
I got a pair of jvc marshmallows. They are really good quality. Maybe the best quality ive seen for under $20 in-ear headphones.
Now I also got a pair of Sony MDR-XB500's. The best headphones I've experienced so far! The Sony's are around $45-$50, maybe cheaper now, since I bought mine over a year ago. They arent in-ear, they are actually very big, but lightweight and comfortable. Just a rant about my favorite headphones =-]
But ya, You should try DBPoweramp. It has alot of support for audio types, like mp3,mp4,m4a,flac etc...
You should also try using lossless audio music, it takes up more space but is definitely worth it if you want the best audio experience.
System of a Down in .FLAC is the most amazing audio experience i've had in my short 19 years (well 20 now, since todays my bday)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, and happy birthday : D
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xiaosha said:
cheap doesn't means bad
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I dont think anyone said that yet.
sparkplug619 said:
I dont think anyone said that yet.
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No one has yet I but I will kind of say it now...
Almost no reason to waste space with flac files if you are going to use 20 dollar headphones. Not saying it's bad to buy cheaper head phones. We all have a budget but if you truly want to get an amazing audio experience these are really goo in terms of price and sound:
http://www.audeoworld.com/en/US/Products/PFE/AudeoPFE11.htm
And they are having a promotion where they give you a free pair of 99 dollar headphones with it. Insanely good deal for amazing IEMs
I know these aren't IEMs but the Grado sr60 headphones are incredible for the money. You will hear stuff you've never heard in recordings before.
Wow, I've been waiting for a thread like this. I'm a headphone addict, and have several different sets of IEM's, over the ear, on the ear, buds, etc. I've got cheap dinky ones and ones that were over $100. It all depends on what you want to get out of the music. This is vital, and if you have any headphone afficiando friends, they will be able to help you out. Also, as with any headphones, please break them in for 12 - 36 hours of constant music so that they can loosen up.
If you're talking about IEM's, the first and most basic thing to understand is that you get a good seal. Without that, every pair of IEM's you audition will sound like a box of crap. There will be no low-end bass, you'll have noise bleeding in from the outside world, and your view of IEM's will quickly get ugly. Try different tips, although I'm a big fan of foam tips, even though they have to be thrown away after a while. However, I've found that if you put them in warm (not hot, this will melt the glue that holds them in place) water for a few minutes, give them a good shaking, this will break up the earwax that builds up on them. Squeeze them dry with a towel, give them another couple hours to completely dry out, and BOOM, you doubled the life of that set of foam ear tips. I've had some last 3 or 4 times as long as they should have this way before they finally began to fall apart.
That being said, I'd start with something around $40 - $50. Altec-Lansing makes a model called the UHP-336. These Altec's are not bad at all, and are a good introduction into IEM's. I'm also a fan of Maximo IM-590's. I don't understand a lot of the bad reviews for them, I found them great for occasional listening.
Once you get used to them, and want to move up (you probably will), look at something like Etymotic er-6 series. I've got a pair of the ER-6i headpohones, and they are very good mid-range cans. Very nice step-up from the Altecs and the Maximos.
I finally splurged years ago and got a set of Shure e3c's, which aren't even made anymore. However, these IEM's are hands down my favorite headphones ever made. They cost me $110 second hand, and I use foam tips for mine. They've lasted me for over 8 years, although I wasn't using them for two or three of those years while I was trying out others. However, these IEM's have some of the best clarity I've ever heard out of any headphone I've ever owned. I hear nuances of music I didn't know existed. I've put thousands of hours of music and audio through them, and they sound absolutely breathtaking. It will be a very, very sad day for me when they finally die.
I hope I haven't given you information overload. This is something I am nuts about, although I don't really delve too deeply into the specifics and technical details of what each IEM can do. I only know what my ears like. =)
I travel a lot and lose earbuds frequently. So I try and get the most performance for the least amount of money. That being said I am currently using JVC Xtreme Xplosives and I am very happy with the price point and sound quality at what I consider a very low price point.
I've probably had over 30 different pairs of earbuds going back 10 years, and the Bose ones I have now are by far the best.
Maybe they are over priced, but the small plastic attachment that slips into the top part of your ear makes them well worth it. I use them while I workout and it helps a lot.
The sound is also very decent.
The price is anywhere from $69-$99/pair, which is probably extremely expensive to some people, and a bargain to others.
I have yet to find out whether they offer lifetime warranty, but a friend of mine sent his back and received a brand new pair. Do that once and you've made back your $100 instantly.
Because we all know that cheap earbuds go kaput quite often.
Soundmagic pl series any day. I got a pl11 for £20 and tbh it was better than my £50 seinheiser cc 300 ii.
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I bought a pair of klipsch S4 last year for $80 (most i've ever spent). The oval shaped buds create a real nice seal, and they produce nice lows.
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solarpolitiks said:
No one has yet I but I will kind of say it now...
Almost no reason to waste space with flac files if you are going to use 20 dollar headphones. Not saying it's bad to buy cheaper head phones. We all have a budget but if you truly want to get an amazing audio experience these are really goo in terms of price and sound:
http://www.audeoworld.com/en/US/Products/PFE/AudeoPFE11.htm
And they are having a promotion where they give you a free pair of 99 dollar headphones with it. Insanely good deal for amazing IEMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, so flac is the best for audio files? And what do you guys think of beats my dad is going to buy me the solos
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blitzfire said:
Wow, I've been waiting for a thread like this. I'm a headphone addict, and have several different sets of IEM's, over the ear, on the ear, buds, etc. I've got cheap dinky ones and ones that were over $100. It all depends on what you want to get out of the music. This is vital, and if you have any headphone afficiando friends, they will be able to help you out. Also, as with any headphones, please break them in for 12 - 36 hours of constant music so that they can loosen up.
If you're talking about IEM's, the first and most basic thing to understand is that you get a good seal. Without that, every pair of IEM's you audition will sound like a box of crap. There will be no low-end bass, you'll have noise bleeding in from the outside world, and your view of IEM's will quickly get ugly. Try different tips, although I'm a big fan of foam tips, even though they have to be thrown away after a while. However, I've found that if you put them in warm (not hot, this will melt the glue that holds them in place) water for a few minutes, give them a good shaking, this will break up the earwax that builds up on them. Squeeze them dry with a towel, give them another couple hours to completely dry out, and BOOM, you doubled the life of that set of foam ear tips. I've had some last 3 or 4 times as long as they should have this way before they finally began to fall apart.
That being said, I'd start with something around $40 - $50. Altec-Lansing makes a model called the UHP-336. These Altec's are not bad at all, and are a good introduction into IEM's. I'm also a fan of Maximo IM-590's. I don't understand a lot of the bad reviews for them, I found them great for occasional listening.
Once you get used to them, and want to move up (you probably will), look at something like Etymotic er-6 series. I've got a pair of the ER-6i headpohones, and they are very good mid-range cans. Very nice step-up from the Altecs and the Maximos.
I finally splurged years ago and got a set of Shure e3c's, which aren't even made anymore. However, these IEM's are hands down my favorite headphones ever made. They cost me $110 second hand, and I use foam tips for mine. They've lasted me for over 8 years, although I wasn't using them for two or three of those years while I was trying out others. However, these IEM's have some of the best clarity I've ever heard out of any headphone I've ever owned. I hear nuances of music I didn't know existed. I've put thousands of hours of music and audio through them, and they sound absolutely breathtaking. It will be a very, very sad day for me when they finally die.
I hope I haven't given you information overload. This is something I am nuts about, although I don't really delve too deeply into the specifics and technical details of what each IEM can do. I only know what my ears like. =)
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Thats a lot lol thanks.
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Speakers and earbuds recomendations?

I'm looking for a good pair of earbuds and speakers for my android HTC Amaze 4g. For the earbuds, I'd like something that's comfortable, has great sound, and preferably has music controls + not so easy to tangle wire. I'd like to keep it under $100 for these.
For the speakers, I'm looking for something that has great quality sound and is portable (and uses bluetooth). I don't need the loudest speakers around, but I want something that sounds good. I also want something that looks good/stylish. I'd like to get something around the $150 range or below. I don't really want to spend more than $150 on this.
I've checked out a few things, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. If you know of any products that sound like a match for what I'm looking for (earbuds or bluetooth speakers or both), please let me know.
Thanks!
I would go for earbuds Sennheiser CX 300, great sound for good price
X-mini II capsule for speakers, most deffo. It is loud enough for indoor/outdoor use
Best Buy had Etymotic hf'3 on clearance for 78.99 the last few weeks. These are earbuds and they usually retail for $180 to $200 (just noticed Amazon has them for about $130). One caveat, they are meant to go pretty far in the ear canal to make a proper "seal". The hf3's do have an inline mic and music control worked for me on rezound, so not sure about the amaze.
I've got a pair of Shure SE215s and they're fantastic. They wrap around the ear, come with foam and silicon tips, and have a replaceable cable. They're around $100 though, so you'd be pushing your budget.
Along with being able to replace it the cable, they sell a single(generic) and triple(iOS) button inline control cable to go with them.
The only off-putting thing might be their sound signature. It's definitely grown on me but being used to a neutral sound from my HD25-1 IIs their sound was rather different from my norm.
On a cheaper note, you could also get a pair of Klipsch Image S4s. They're rather popular and are quite light, and have three versions: standard, iOS inline, and Android inline. Something that I personally didn't care for was the bloated bass and thin cord on them. The Shure buds definitely have a thicker, more quality cable.
Of course, 'erryone'll recomend the Sennheiser CX 300s. They're on par in terms of popularity and price with the Image S4s, however I haven't tried 'em myself so I can't comment on them really.
Ravaloft said:
Best Buy had Etymotic hf'3 on clearance for 78.99 the last few weeks. These are earbuds and they usually retail for $180 to $200 (just noticed Amazon has them for about $130). One caveat, they are meant to go pretty far in the ear canal to make a proper "seal". The hf3's do have an inline mic and music control worked for me on rezound, so not sure about the amaze.
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Damn. I wish I was in the states for some of the things you can get.
DarkShot666 said:
I've got a pair of Shure SE215s and they're fantastic.
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I can definitely confirm that, they are hands down the best in-Ears for around 100$ if you are searching for something reliable.
You wear them a bit the different than most in-Ears, since they are designed as on-stage monitors.
But when you get used to them, you never want to miss them.
You should also know that they are a bit bass heavy and not perfectly neutral, but you can compensate a lot with the equalizer, since they react to an equalizer better than normal in-Ears.
DarkShot666 said:
Of course, 'erryone'll recomend the Sennheiser CX 300s. They're on par in terms of popularity and price with the Image S4s, however I haven't tried 'em myself so I can't comment on them really.
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I also own the CX 300s, thy do a great job for the price but the SE215s are a different class, i mean for 25$ the CX300s have a decent performance but the SE215s are way better.
So if you have the money, go for the SE215s, you won't regret it.
puujalka said:
I would go for earbuds Sennheiser CX 300, great sound for good price
X-mini II capsule for speakers, most deffo. It is loud enough for indoor/outdoor use
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samotronta05 said:
I can definitely confirm that, they are hands down the best in-Ears for around 100$ if you are searching for something reliable.
You wear them a bit the different than most in-Ears, since they are designed as on-stage monitors.
But when you get used to them, you never want to miss them.
You should also know that they are a bit bass heavy and not perfectly neutral, but you can compensate a lot with the equalizer, since they react to an equalizer better than normal in-Ears.
I also own the CX 300s, thy do a great job for the price but the SE215s are a different class, i mean for 25$ the CX300s have a decent performance but the SE215s are way better.
So if you have the money, go for the SE215s, you won't regret it.
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The CX 300 are really great for their price, if you don't want to spend too much buy them.
I will have to check out the SE215s !
If you have even more money to spend, i am told the "Ultimate Ears triple.fi 10" are superb.
samotronta05 said:
I can definitely confirm that, they are hands down the best in-Ears for around 100$ if you are searching for something reliable.
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Precisely the reason I listed them first.
And while they aren't bass shy, the bass on them isn't nearly as bloated as the Image S4s. Easily much better.
Dark3n said:
If you have even more money to spend, i am told the "Ultimate Ears triple.fi 10" are superb.
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Thats true, based on your preferenced style they do a good to superb job.
But they are so fragile, you would expect them to be better manufactured judging by the price.
I'm wary about them working very long, when used everyday.
samotronta05 said:
Thats true, based on your preferenced style they do a good to superb job.
But they are so fragile, you would expect them to be better manufactured judging by the price.
I'm wary about them working very long, when used everyday.
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Oh, why?
Cheap materials?
Dark3n said:
Oh, why?
Cheap materials?
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There are there major issues:
1. The cables are crap, they break so easily at the 3.5mm jack.
You can buy a replacement, since they say its not included in their warranty, which run around 40$ and also won't last long.
Check out their facebook page or some reviews and you will see that a lot of people have this problem.
2. On some models the connector within the actual in-Ears becomes lose, which is also isn't included in the warranty, since they say it is caused by excessive stress.
However this also can happen while just using them carefully, which is rather annoying for the price you pay.
3. Some people claim that the outer cover fell after a while and they had to glue it back onto. I can't confirm on that but it seems possible to me.
Sounds really good for that price.... not..
they make this speaker that sticks to any hallow item such as a box. The bigger it is, the louder the sound gets.
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samotronta05 said:
There are there major issues:
1. The cables are crap, they break so easily at the 3.5mm jack.
You can buy a replacement, since they say its not included in their warranty, which run around 40$ and also won't last long.
Check out their facebook page or some reviews and you will see that a lot of people have this problem.
2. On some models the connector within the actual in-Ears becomes lose, which is also isn't included in the warranty, since they say it is caused by excessive stress.
However this also can happen while just using them carefully, which is rather annoying for the price you pay.
3. Some people claim that the outer cover fell after a while and they had to glue it back onto. I can't confirm on that but it seems possible to me.
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That is funny, because I have a good experience with them. After my previous UE failed (after three years!), I upgraded to these superfi's, and have those for half a year already, putting them in my pockets wrapped around my iPod everywhere i go. They sound amazing, way better then those shures.
If you decide to go for the etymotics, it is important to know that the bass will be a lot less then from more lively in ears like these superfi's, or the cx-300's.
Personally I think that they are good for the price. Because you can, in my country, order them online for €200 while they sell in retail for €400. I mean the only competing products sound wise are a lot more expensive. Examples are the shires 530, and the ie80's, both of which exeed the €400 mark here.
I got some Bob Marley in ears I bought one day, really awesome, like 40 bucks I think its pretty reasonalble
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koeniekoenie said:
That is funny, because I have a good experience with them.
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Well, maybe it depends from pair to pair how reliable they are.
Regarding the sound i already said that they are very good.
Actually at the moment you can get them really cheap, when i got my hands on them they were sold for 320+.
koeniekoenie said:
They sound amazing, way better then those shures.
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Of course they sound better than the single driven SE215's, however the UE's are still twice as expensive as the Shure's and he asked for earbuds that coast less than 100.
It does not change my recomendations, for less than 30 go for the CX300's.
If you want to spend up to 100 the SE215's are the way to go.
From there on you should take a look at doubel/tripple driven in-ears like the UE's triple.fi 10 / SE425 / SE535 / Um3x / IE 80 / whatever.
However in this region you should seriously consider the limitation of your phone's DAC and amplifier circuit.

Headphones

I have a budget of around $350 to buy a really good headphones... I was looking at beats by dre pre or sennhizer (sp) for around 350. Any suggestions? I'm a audiophile and I enjoy traveling. My bode gave up on my about 2 weeks ago... And it's time for me to upgrade.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
If you are an audiophile, you aren't going to be happy with the Beats by Dre unless you are more interested in making a fashion statement than listening to balanced sound.
In your price range, I would recommend:
- Grado Prestige Series SR325is
- AKG K701 or K702
If you need something more portable and/or noise blocking, I would go with the B&W P5. This is the pair of cans I carry with me while I am traveling.
+ 1 Grado has one of the best headphones.
enigma00 said:
If you are an audiophile, you aren't going to be happy with the Beats by Dre unless you are more interested in making a fashion statement than listening to balanced sound.
In your price range, I would recommend:
- Grado Prestige Series SR325is
- AKG K701 or K702
If you need something more portable and/or noise blocking, I would go with the B&W P5. This is the pair of cans I carry with me while I am traveling.
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Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I love all the "Beats by Dre are no good/overpriced/Your paying for the name, blah, blah, blah". Its BS. The Beats by Dre depending on model are fine. Its you who has to decide if there worth the cost. Just because Joe Blow who is not buying them does not like them does not mean you will not. For $400 before tax you can get the pro model. These are a high quality set that's metal and not plastic. The build quality reminds me of my MacBook Pro. They cost more than the Studio but I like the build quality way more. They sound good.
I had the QC-15 Bose Noise Cancellation set and spent about $300 I believe. I actually liked the Beats Studio better than the Bose. The Studio set cost about $300, some places may have them a little cheaper. You really should try hearing the sets if you can. For sure read reviews on those who actually have the sets and not those who just assume or tried them on at the store and think they know all about them now. Good luck.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Beats headphones are over priced but they do perform well for the most part yes.
I'd check options at head-fi forums.
I bought few years ago some seinheise hd555. They're awesome. You should look for the newer model of the hd series.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
The beats are over priced. What makes it so? It's really for a specific genre while not sounding bad but also because you will find much better headphones in the same price range that will sound well in all genres of music. Your definitely paying for the brand name/looks and nothing is wrong with that. If the damn thing sounds as good as it looks I'd have one too. My suggestion is to find a store that will let you audition headphones with your own source/phone. It's all about finding your preference in sound signature. We can say all this but it all comes down to you =]
My personal preference when it comes to portability
http://www.head-fi.org/gallery/image/view/id/497405/album/294058
Bottom line is if you are really anal about your audio and you are listen to mp3s then stick with what works best for you regardless of make. If you carry FLACs with you then Grado or Sennhiezer. Beats are overpriced for what sound they deliver (bass heavy). If $20 buds sound fine to you then get them. But the main thing is as long as your listening to a compressed format, don't expect perfect sound no matter what headphones you use.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
For a phone, I always prefer to go with ear buds instead of full size headphones. I have a few sets of audiophile cans that I use at home, but they won't fit in my pocket and they're not practical for wearing outside or going on trips, and anything that can be billed as "sounds way better with an amp" is not going to do that dinky little phone DAC any favors.
I bought a set of Sennheiser IE8 buds two years ago and never had a complaint. They're nice and loud even when powered by a phone, and they include ten sets of foam/rubber inserts so that way you can adjust the fit without having to go on a second shopping trip. You'll have to do some shopping around first to find them in your price range, as they normally retail for $400. I managed to snag them from Amazon for $280 when they were on sale.
I bought some ath-m30's that have a VERY similar sound quality to the beats studios i used to own.
The difference? my ath m30's were 40 bucks.
That being said, with beats being sold left and right nowadays, you can pick up a pair of studios for about 130, and they definitely don't sound bad. A little bass heavy but I listen to hardcore mostly so they sounded good. The only thing i miss about the beats from the ath-m30s is the noise cancelling.
I took the beats to california (on a plane) and oh my god the noise cancelling was unreal. the low drone of the airplane is completely gone. when i got back from that vacation, i sold them for the ath's, and then went on another plane ride (to fl) and i was very unimpressed by the sound cancelling. I could hear the roar of the engines even over my loud music.
If you're going to get beats tho, they leak, and they leak bad. with my ath's I can virtually blast music sitting next to someone and they may hear a whisper. with the beats, they would be able to sing along.
davidstech11 said:
I love all the "Beats by Dre are no good/overpriced/Your paying for the name, blah, blah, blah". Its BS. The Beats by Dre depending on model are fine. Its you who has to decide if there worth the cost. Just because Joe Blow who is not buying them does not like them does not mean you will not. For $400 before tax you can get the pro model. These are a high quality set that's metal and not plastic. The build quality reminds me of my MacBook Pro. They cost more than the Studio but I like the build quality way more. They sound good.
I had the QC-15 Bose Noise Cancellation set and spent about $300 I believe. I actually liked the Beats Studio better than the Bose. The Studio set cost about $300, some places may have them a little cheaper. You really should try hearing the sets if you can. For sure read reviews on those who actually have the sets and not those who just assume or tried them on at the store and think they know all about them now. Good luck.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Any reviews will tell you the same thing, Beats are not that good for how much they cost. Bose is the same. Saying Beats are good because there better than your overpriced Bose isn't a good review. Compare them to any real headphone brand in the same price range. Any real audiophile will tell you that. Just head over to Head-Fi to find out.
I didn't say they were bad for all types of music or compared to other not-so-good headphones.
The Bose Noise Cancelling headsets (Bose's entire line-up) are good for noise cancellation, but leave much to be desired in sound quality.
The OP clearly stated he is an "audiophile", and just "sounding good" for a $300 headphone doesn't cut it. The AKG, B&W and Grado models I listed sound much more neutral and conveys a lot more details in all ranges than the similarly priced Beats.
If you are happy with your Beats, that's great, but I would urge people to audition the other less known brands (to average consumers) and make a more informed decision. If the end result is that people still get the Beats, I have no issues; everyone's got a different taste in sound.
davidstech11 said:
I love all the "Beats by Dre are no good/overpriced/Your paying for the name, blah, blah, blah". Its BS. The Beats by Dre depending on model are fine. Its you who has to decide if there worth the cost. Just because Joe Blow who is not buying them does not like them does not mean you will not. For $400 before tax you can get the pro model. These are a high quality set that's metal and not plastic. The build quality reminds me of my MacBook Pro. They cost more than the Studio but I like the build quality way more. They sound good.
I had the QC-15 Bose Noise Cancellation set and spent about $300 I believe. I actually liked the Beats Studio better than the Bose. The Studio set cost about $300, some places may have them a little cheaper. You really should try hearing the sets if you can. For sure read reviews on those who actually have the sets and not those who just assume or tried them on at the store and think they know all about them now. Good luck.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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The build quality reminds me of my MacBook Pro.
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MacBook Pro's have terrible sound quality. That comparison makes no sense.
Everybody who buys stuff at the Apple store is always so quick to point out the build quality of their equipment, as if there's no chance that you'll ever find an overpriced gimmicky piece of trash as long as the Apple logo is overseeing it.
In Apple's own online store the Beats get terrible reviews. You'd have to be living under a rock without any other product to compare these to in order to believe you've got your money's worth after taking home a set.
earlyberd said:
MacBook Pro's have terrible sound quality. That comparison makes no sense.
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Build quality entails much more than just sound quality, believe it or not. His point was clearly not to compare the headphones utility to a MBP's utility (headphones vs laptop), he was talking about how high quality the actual device feels reminded him of how high quality the MBP feels. I cannot believe I have to explain that to another human being. I'm fairly certain you have trouble reading.
davidstech11 said:
I love all the "Beats by Dre are no good/overpriced/Your paying for the name, blah, blah, blah". Its BS. The Beats by Dre depending on model are fine. Its you who has to decide if there worth the cost. Just because Joe Blow who is not buying them does not like them does not mean you will not. For $400 before tax you can get the pro model. These are a high quality set that's metal and not plastic. The build quality reminds me of my MacBook Pro. They cost more than the Studio but I like the build quality way more. They sound good.
I had the QC-15 Bose Noise Cancellation set and spent about $300 I believe. I actually liked the Beats Studio better than the Bose. The Studio set cost about $300, some places may have them a little cheaper. You really should try hearing the sets if you can. For sure read reviews on those who actually have the sets and not those who just assume or tried them on at the store and think they know all about them now. Good luck.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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I have the Bose QC-15 and my brother has the beats studio. Both are $350 in Canada.
The Bose are definitely better. Ive done many tests and the Bose is hand down better spatially, in noise cancelling, in comfort, and IMO in sound.
first, i doubt that you're audiophile, because beats sucks, crapy sound, sound leak, bad instrumental sepration, if you wanna spent some 350$ on a pars of cans, i recommend to you, to specify what type of cans you're a wanna want, like full size, close,open etc, and what genres you listen, if you want a good all rounder i would say shure srh940+amp or a sennheiser hd 600+amp and they are totally differents cans (closed-open), but thats depends, if you are gonna use a source like gnex i doubt that you're a gonna hear differences between 50$-300$
baadaq said:
first, i doubt that you're audiophile, because beats sucks, crapy sound, sound leak, bad instrumental sepration, if you wanna spent some 350$ on a pars of cans, i recommend to you, to specify what type of cans you're a wanna want, like full size, close,open etc, and what genres you listen, if you want a good all rounder i would say shure srh940+amp or a sennheiser hd 600+amp and they are totally differents cans (closed-open), but thats depends, if you are gonna use a source like gnex i doubt that you're a gonna hear differences between 50$-300$
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+1 head-fi would be a better place to ask as well
I would go with the Grado 125/225 with an amp, or the Alessandro MS-2 with an amp. I've tried audio technicas, but the Grados are the most neutral sounding to me. Plus it looks cheap so it's not an attention seeker.
IMO, Sennheiser HD25-1-IIs are the best value in terms of price/performance for portable audio (IEMs notwithstanding, not my department). While I love my K701s, that's a pretty ridiculous suggestion for a phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I've had my Sennheiser HD280s for about 6 years now and they are still in almost perfect condition... Best purchase I ever made.

Best earbuds?

Hello xda!
I'm getting a galaxy nexus next week and heard it has one of the best "soundcards" in it, and wanted to get an "higher end" earbuds than the ones that comes with it. I have beyerdynamic dt770 pro 32ohm already for home use, but im looking for earbuds that I can use on the bus/plane and when training/running. My friend has iBeats on his htc sensation and he is pleased, but sometimes he calls random people because its only meant for iphone I think? So this is what I want
- Good quality (durable)
- Good sound (Listen mostly to hiphop, dnb, metal)
- Good bass
- Volume control (dont REALLY need this)
- Compatible with android
- Price not above 200 usd
edit: Also they have to be noise cancelling. Does anyone know if the volume control thing support spotify? Thats the only music program I use and it would be really great to change song, pause and volume +/-
I'm currently using the Zagg Smartbuds. They sound great and are very durable. Its also designed to sit around your neck which I find works great for running and workouts.
It has a built in slider volume adjust which works with any phone and a single button/mic for answering calls and music control. I haven't tried spotify yet but when I use poweramp I can pause/change/play all my songs with the one button.
They are noise isolating earbuds and come with various bud sizes. They are about 50$.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
xiophyte said:
I'm currently using the Zagg Smartbuds. They sound great and are very durable. Its also designed to sit around your neck which I find works great for running and workouts.
It has a built in slider volume adjust which works with any phone and a single button/mic for answering calls and music control. I haven't tried spotify yet but when I use poweramp I can pause/change/play all my songs with the one button.
They are noise isolating earbuds and come with various bud sizes. They are about 50$.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
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Thanks, but dont seem to find Zagg here in Norway Ive heard good things about Klipsch image s4, they cost about half of the ibeats here in norway.
I'm using the Klipsch s4a model (designed for Android) and I love them. I've also swapped out the tips with Comply T-100 foam tips. They're much more comfortable, better noise cancelling and bass.
+1 for Klipsch S4's, been using them on my galaxy nexus and love the sound.
If you're looking for something instead of beats you should try ultimate ears triplefi out. I got them not to long ago and they've been working great so far.
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Ears-TripleFi-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B0019RBJOE/
I use a jays one there nice but lately I have been switching to the stock headphones for the in line mic. But I think ima look into the s4a
If you want something cheap, but yet has damn good sound then I recommend the ZAGG Smartbuds. ZAGG always has 50% off coupons through their Twitter so I got it for 25 bucks. If you want something a little better and a little more expensive, then the Klipch (I think I spelled that wrong =/) is your best bet. I believe they're under 100. Good luck!
i have the Pure Pur-1000 and i've gone through many earbuds and these are the best sounding kind.
make sure you break them in correctly though-- i left mine playing on a playlist overnight-- takes around 20-30hrs though for a full break in.
I have used the Kilpsch Image s4's as well as others in here and agree they do sound great. The problem I ran into with them was getting them to fit comfortably. They are IEM's meaning the go into the ear canal. I have Sony MDR XB40EX model ear buds. They are great if you really like bass, and the overall sound quality is pretty good.
you wouldnt think this company would make great earbuds but you have to check them out best sound for the price $50. ifrogz timbre pro
http://m.nypost.com/p/blogs/gamereport/ifrogz_timbrepro_review_KwXl5uT1zBrp0wR8vjePUI
I would rather go something cheap.
Brainwavz M1
http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-BWAVZ-M1-M1-In-Ear-Headphones/dp/B004IK2EAW
I've been using the Yamaha EPH-100. I would say its one of the best under $200. Do dig into head-fi and check reviews
These won't win any awards for looks, but they sound DAMN good for the price. Give all those higher end buds a run for their money.
Monoprice 8320
No noise cancellation, but they do isolation pretty good.
If you really like bass, but want clarity and natural sound and don't mind paying a little bit more I would totally recommend the Hippo VB (Variable Bass). They have the deepest bass of the bunch, or at least appear that way because they lack a distracting midbass hump. Their bass is also quite controlled and rich in texture, more like a good full-sized phone, and clearly performing way above its price range. You can read some reviews of people who had them (and know what they are talking about) here and get them from ebay.
Have a good one
It depends on what sort of sound you're looking for. I, for instance, appreciate the lush midrange (vocals, many instruments) of my Thinksound Rain headphones. They're durable, too. I accidentally put them through the washer and they came out just fine.
Thinksound's TS-02 would be a good model for a cell phone. I'd buy them myself if I wasn't already happy with my Rockboxed Sansa Fuze.
The guy who owns Thinksound, Aaron, is amazing. I sent him an email complaining that none of the included eartips were a good fit for my ears, and he contacted the factories in China to see if any others could be special ordered for me. The answer was no, but it's the thought that counts.
I don't know about the Klipsch. But I had the Zagg ones and decided to use my stock ones from my old xv6700 instead, just wasn't a fan.
I use skull candy 50/50. Great sound and bass. Just wish the in line mic would work.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I've been using Meelectronics as of the last year or two. They have lots of great low priced ones (my current pair is $10 and are on par with $40 pairs I've owned). They also have some higher priced ones in the $50-$80 mark, and from looking at the reviews, they're worth that much as well.
The company is all over Amazon. Check out a few pairs of their headphones and some of the reviews, and if you go with them, enjoy!
indyred99 said:
I use skull candy 50/50. Great sound and bass. Just wish the in line mic would work.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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They have a lifetime warranty.
Sent from my I9250
I have Sennheiser IE-8 and they are really good earbuds. Before you ask what is the best, you should give us some info on what's your budget, and music.
Will you be able to spend $400+? Are you looking for custom made IEM and can spend $900+? What interests you the most, bass, mid, or high?
Are you an audiophile at head-fi? Maybe I know you.

Review of Beyerdynamic MMX 102ie and DX 160ie in-ear headphones w/lots of pics!!!

removed.
Really appreciate your reviews.. It's great to have someone like you in this section and I'm very much interested in earphones so thorough and in-depth reviews like yours are always welcome.
I went for the Xiaomi ones you reviewed instead, and looking forward to receiving them. Out of curiosity, do you use the Viper mod for your Note II?
Also, do you have a pebble watch? I've noticed a massive bug with that + the bluebuds x on Android 4.3 which I've not been able to ask anyone else about!
fade2black101 said:
Really appreciate your reviews.. It's great to have someone like you in this section and I'm very much interested in earphones so thorough and in-depth reviews like yours are always welcome.
I went for the Xiaomi ones you reviewed instead, and looking forward to receiving them. Out of curiosity, do you use the Viper mod for your Note II?
Also, do you have a pebble watch? I've noticed a massive bug with that + the bluebuds x on Android 4.3 which I've not been able to ask anyone else about!
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Thank you for the kind words! More headphones and other audio equipment reviews are on it's way
My N2 is all stock 4.3. Don't use Pebble, but Metawatch instead. Regarding question about Pebble, don't know if you aware but XDA has a separate smartwatch section with Pebble sub-forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/smartwatch/pebble - I have no doubt someone will be able to help you in there. Good luck!
vectron said:
Thank you for the kind words! More headphones and other audio equipment reviews are on it's way
My N2 is all stock 4.3. Don't use Pebble, but Metawatch instead. Regarding question about Pebble, don't know if you aware but XDA has a separate smartwatch section with Pebble sub-forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/smartwatch/pebble - I have no doubt someone will be able to help you in there. Good luck!
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Thank you for the link. Unfortunately though I had already barked up that tree a while back and got nowhere. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2655628
It's a shame as it makes using the Bluebuds with my phone useless unless I disconnect the pebble first, which sort of defeats the point of using apps like "music boss." Since it works fine on 4.4 on my Nexus 4, I'm guessing that the bitpool of the bluetooth connection lowers when the pebble is in town. Really hoping for a kit kat update soon to sort this out!
vectron said:
Thank you for the kind words! More headphones and other audio equipment reviews are on it's way
My N2 is all stock 4.3. Don't use Pebble, but Metawatch instead. Regarding question about Pebble, don't know if you aware but XDA has a separate smartwatch section with Pebble sub-forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/smartwatch/pebble - I have no doubt someone will be able to help you in there. Good luck!
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Hey man, thank you for such an in depth review!
I'm currently looking for some buds to replace my Sennheiser CX300IIs.
I am wanting a good sound at a good price and I've narrowed my options down to 3 possible buds:
RHA MA750i
Beyerdynamic DX 160 (after reading this)
Klipsch X7i (I think my favourite)
But I am no audiophile and these would be my first pair of half decent in ear buds.
I'd love your opinion and which ones would you go for?
Thank you for your time
To be honest, $25 Xiaomi Pistons were designed as an alternative to CX300 Klipsch has a very poor quality. Beyer sounds good, but Pistons have the best value.
Advise needed
I recently lost my Klipsch S4 headphones, with no clue as to where they are. *sad
I am looking to invest in a good pair of IEMs to replace them, something that will last me a while.
My list comprises of this: Soundmagic E10, Shure SE112, Klipsch Image S4A-II, Philips Fidelio S1, AKG K376, and one of the two Beyerdynamics you reviewed in this post.
I would like your advise on these earphones and possibly any others that may be of note. It's hard to buy earphones off the internet because of an inability to test them before committing to the product. I would like to have good audiophile quality and perhaps the extra functionality with my HTC One will be nice (although not having it will not be a dealbreaker).
Thanks mate.
PopeBaldie said:
I recently lost my Klipsch S4 headphones, with no clue as to where they are. *sad
I am looking to invest in a good pair of IEMs to replace them, something that will last me a while.
My list comprises of this: Soundmagic E10, Shure SE112, Klipsch Image S4A-II, Philips Fidelio S1, AKG K376, and one of the two Beyerdynamics you reviewed in this post.
I would like your advise on these earphones and possibly any others that may be of note. It's hard to buy earphones off the internet because of an inability to test them before committing to the product. I would like to have good audiophile quality and perhaps the extra functionality with my HTC One will be nice (although not having it will not be a dealbreaker).
Thanks mate.
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What is your budget? Your price spread is from $25 to $125 (Beyer phones are over $100). If you are constantly on the go and prone to loosing your headphones, I wouldn't invest into anything expensive. Stay within good value budget so if you loose it - it's easier to replace without breaking a bank. Klipsch quality went down. Shure lower price model is a junk. Except for E10, I'm not too familiar with others but see reviews with a mixed bag of comments.
If you want to stay on the budget in $25-$35 range, Pistons 2 and E10 are great. Btw, Soundmagic just released E10S version with in-line remote, I'm getting it for review toward the end of this week. Going a little higher in price you have Ostry KC06A and Audio Technica ATH-IM50 (with removable cables). Hitting $100, you have a great choice of Beyer DX 160 or Brainwavz S5.
Thanks
vectron said:
What is your budget? Your price spread is from $25 to $125 (Beyer phones are over $100). If you are constantly on the go and prone to loosing your headphones, I wouldn't invest into anything expensive. Stay within good value budget so if you loose it - it's easier to replace without breaking a bank. Klipsch quality went down. Shure lower price model is a junk. Except for E10, I'm not too familiar with others but see reviews with a mixed bag of comments.
If you want to stay on the budget in $25-$35 range, Pistons 2 and E10 are great. Btw, Soundmagic just released E10S version with in-line remote, I'm getting it for review toward the end of this week. Going a little higher in price you have Ostry KC06A and Audio Technica ATH-IM50 (with removable cables). Hitting $100, you have a great choice of Beyer DX 160 or Brainwavz S5.
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Thank you for your response and I will look into the suggestions you have made. I would also like to inquire as to how well these headphones would handle use during sports like jogging. Your advise is very much appreciated.
When you a dealing with this type of wire down headphones (versus wire over the year or with removable in-/over-ear stabilizers), the fitment while you are exercising will depend on how well eartip is jammed into your ear If you are using Comply foam tips, they expand creating a great inner ear seal and hold earpieces secure. BUT a big drawback with Comply tips is their superior noise isolation which cuts down on your awareness when outside running/exercising/cycling, etc.
For exercising and great sound quality, I would highly recommend Monster iSport Victory (look up in my list, I reviewed those as well). Totally forgot to mention about those, but their sound quality is on part with DX 160ie, and they got in-ear stabilizer. The neon green one is on amazon for $118, the same price as DX 160ie.

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