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Hi all! I apologize if there is another thread like this, did a search and didn't turn up anything useful.
I'm looking for a headset that you can't tell that is being worn. I'm talking like spy style, in the ear, no flashing lights, etc. Idealy able to play music through and use voice dialing. I have seen a few out there which appear to plug into the headphone jack with a wired mic that slips under the collar of a shirt and uses bluetooth to the in the ear, ear buds. These have all been in online spy shops, and the like. Does anyone have any recommendations on something like this? I'd hate to drop $150+ on junk.
Thanks!
Jayson
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You've watched too many spy movies.
I'm sure there are Headphones like that but they will definitely cost more than $150 and they probably won't be available on Amazon or the likes.
Batterylife will be dismal on a headphone that is small enough to fit into your earchannel and have a BT receiver aswell as good sound for music. You have to fit the battery the receiver and a large enough good quality loudspeaker into a very small room. One of the components will have to stand back.
Information about such things probably is hard to find but you can search the internet for inear hearing aids. There are several that are small enough to vanish in your earchannel and barely can be seen from outside. You'll see the prices and you will find tests about batterylife. The custommold of your earchannel will almost eat up your $150, no tech included.
Edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid
If you get one of the itc or cic ones with bluetooth you only have to find a bt mic that can be used with a smartphone. I'm pretty sure those exist but again, the cost will by far exceed your expectations.
Yeah I know it's not gonna be cheap lol. About $150 is the cheapest I have seen, but have seen in excess of $500. I'd just hate to spend the money for something that isn't going function the way I would like was my main concern.
Just stumbled upon this. http://www.spycheatstuff.com/index....l&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=55&lang=
This appears to be like your suggestions of the cic hearing aid, modified bluetooth headset with an external mic all wrapped up in a clunky box lol. Might not be too terribly difficult to fabricate something similar, but cost to purchase or make might wind up being close to the same. ... Uh oh... The wheel is turning now, but the hamster is dead lol.
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That's a weird device. The earpieces don't have a battery. That neckloop probably is a induction coil. I wonder if and how that works.
Even if it does, I can't believe the sound will be anything else than tinny. For that price they just can't use a balanced armature driver which would fit the earpieces size and is also used in hearing aids an high end in-ear monitors.
If they use a cheaper moving coil driver, the diaphragm has to be really small and therefore sound probably won't be good enough to listen to music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphones#Ear-fitting_headphones
Getting them in and out of your ear canal most likely will be a real *****. Keeping them in for longer periods of time will lead to all kinds of problems, like sweating, itching, increased production of ear wax. And they act as hearing protection, blocking sound from your environment which may be dangerous.
Granted, all in ear headsets do that to some extent but you can easily flip them out when you don't use them and put them back in in a heartbeat.
Do you actually need a device like that or is it just something geeky you would like to have?
Do you mainly want to listen to music or to make phone calls?
For really good sound I'd suggest custom molded in-ear monitors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-ear_monitors
You can get them in any color, different tones of skin color included. The wire is worn over the ear, and usually behind your back aswell. So no cables dangling around. They are not invisible but way less visible than ordinary ear buds.
They deliver amazing sound quality and the fit just can't be beat.
I have custom molded ear protection and custom molded headsets although not with the more expensive balanced armature drivers of the high end models. Once you get used to putting them in your ear you can do it very fast. There is only one position for them and that is sitting perfectly in you ear. They won't ever come loose accidentally, they won't fall out, they won't break the seal to you ear, so they will never have diminished sound. You can barely feel they are there. You have to try it before you can appreciate how much better they are compared to non-custom in-ears.
If that's too expensive for you, you could get something like that and give it a new paint job.
Cheap, sound not bad at all.
I have a pair of those, too and although they are not custom molded they fit very well. They don't stick out of the concha, giving them a very low profile. Because of the wire worn over the ear they won't come loose or even fall out at the slightest tuck at the cable, like many other in-ears. They aren't as comfortable as my custom molded earphones but I have no problem wearing them over longer periods of time.
Combined with a wired microphone that offers a 3.5mm headphone jack, you'll have a wired headset that offers good sound is not very visible and doesn't use up battery for bluetooth.
Or you get something like this.
That is similar to what you can often see agents and security details use in movies. They usually have those coiled wires/tubes that are quite visible and always make me wonder why they would compromise the low visibility of their headsets with them. Maybe because the tubes without coils aren't good for headmovement. I don't know.
Maybe the absolute invisibility part is important to you. Then my alternatives won't be of much use. But if you want good sound, which is more important to me, those alternatives are the better solution. Still kind of geek devices not many people have but at a more affordable price as long as you don't get professional IEMs.
I'm really more concerned with the voice aspect and the invisibility than the music quality. The music would be nice but not a necessary thing. I see 100% how more likely than not the sound would be very tinny. Thank you, I greatly appreciate the education and help with all of this.
Upon searching ebay I turned up tons of similar items priced from $35 on up, (mostly made in China ) , but if nothing else I think I'm going to pick up a set and if the quality is too crappy I can attempt to modify them to suit my liking. Or possibly ideas for another project. And at the prices they are offered at I'm not out much if I trash it in the process.
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Let me know how it turns out.
I'd find the neck loop annoying but it's a rather ingenious idea when it comes to battery life. You can wear a battery pack of any size anywhere on your body.
I'm pretty sure you won't get stereo sound with that setup, only mono but that's ok for voice only use.
That neck loop creates a magnetic field and your wearing it close to your head. I'd have slight concerns about that and I wouldn't be surprised if that thing would interfere with other technical devices like TVs and radios.
But it's hard to say for sure without ever having seen one of those kits in the wild and not much to be found on the internet. Maybe I'm completely wrong and they offer great sound and are absolutely harmless.
Covert acoustic tube earphones
Hi. I am interested in the same exact thing, just for recreational purposes.
i own the iphone version and can attest to it's clarity and comfort.. but i posted a samsung version i'm getting soon too.
hope this helps
i am so sorry, i am not able to post links as yet.
but if you search google for
Covert Acoustic Tube Earpiece / Headset for Samsung Phone: Galaxy S2, S3 etc
and also for
FBI Style Covert Acoustic Tube Headphone / Earpiece For Apple iPhone 3G 3GS 4 4S
i'm sure the first ebay links will lead you right to them. Both are under $20.
And finally, this one is absolutely tiny and hidden in your ear with no exposed wires. Here you go
wireless invisible gsm earpiece for test
you will find that on amazon. But if you do choose to try it please let me know how it goes
This is a review of a new model of SMS Audio SYNC by 50 on-ear wireless headphones. http://smsby50.com/products/sync-by-50-on-ear-wireless
Before anyone makes a judgment of "uh, another pair of status headphones by a rapper", I want you to open up your mind and your ears because this is one of the BEST pairs of wireless headphones I have tested and reviewed so far. Period. And since it offers a hybrid option of being used either wireless or wired - the sound quality is almost the same when comparing it. To be honest, I didn't have a high expectation when I received these for review. But after charging it up and running through 4+ burn in (white/pink noise loop to condition drivers), I couldn't believe my ears how sweet these sounds and even took a trip to a nearest Best Buy for a/b comparison with the latest Beats Studio. By far the clear winner was SYNC by 50. Now let's go more into review details.
First, let's start with packaging. This sets a tone of the product quality even before you get to the headphones itself. Opening it up definitely felt like x-mas time going through your presents. You slide off the outside sleeve to reveal a big blue box, a common color scheme of black'n'blue with these headphones. Under the cover you are greeted with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson picture pointing at you like Uncle Sam "I want you" to join him. Another flipped cover and you get to the middle where you see a well crafted hard shell carrying case with a same black'n'blue design. Also in a side pocket you have owners manual, product catalog brochure, soft touch cleaning cloth (blue), and SMS Audio stickers (nice touch!). Yes, presentation is very impressive but it means absolutely nothing without a golden egg inside of that football shaped hard shell case. That's where we are headed next.
Once you take headphones out of the case you notice how light they are, at only 190g and with a neatly foldable design they fit snugly in the case which makes it easy for traveling. With a precise click action of the hinges, after unfolding these you can adjust the headband to your liking. The design and construction felt very sturdy, and plastic parts had a nice shiny piano finish where use of cleaning cloth will come very handy. The inner side of headband top has a foam cushioning wrapped in black leather with blue stitching. Earpads are marshmallow soft made out of ultra plush memory foam OVALFIT. Here is something a lot of people get confused, a difference between on-ear versus over-ear headphones. These are on-ear headphones which mean earpads will be smaller pressing against your ears creating an air pocket between drivers and your ear canal. Over-ear are typically bigger and go "over" your ear. I actually prefer on-ear design since it improves sound quality and doesn't "sweat" as much. One side of earphones has micro-usb charging port and opening for charging led, and I assume that's where battery is housed. Full charging from empty takes less then 4hr and battery should last 10-12hr which also depends on level of your listening volume. The other side has 3.5mm port to use a cable for wired application, built in mic, power on/off switch, and VERY WELL laid out playback and volume controls. The large round button in the middle, discretely hidden by S logo, is your play/pause/pickup/hangup call button. Volume up and down positioned logically at the top and the bottom, and track skip next/prev positioned at the front and the back. There is no second guessing or fumbling to locate these buttons, the layout makes perfect sense without looking at it, in daylight or at night.
I was happy to see physical on/off switch which also has dual functionality with a spring loaded push for Bluetooth pair up that was very fast and painless. These headphones support the latest Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX codec, and backward compatible with BT2.1, 3.0+EDR, and support HFP, HSP, A2DP, and AVRCP protocols. If you are out of battery juice or want to listen to a device without bluetooth connection, it's just as simple as plugging included cable and going wired. As a matter of fact, while paired up with my Note 2, I was going back'n'forth wired and wireless by connecting and disconnecting the cable. And speaking of cables, both usb to micro-usb and audio cables were included and neatly stored inside of the inner pocket of hard shell case. Both of the cables are crafted with black'n'blue theme, felt very heavy duty with a nice shielding and overall cool design details. I tested and found included usb cable to be ONLY for charging, not for data transfer. The audio cable has in-line remote with a single multi-function button and built-in mic. Multi-function button worked perfectly with Android devices with single click play/pause/call controls, double-click to skip next and triple-click to skip prev to control playback of music tracks. I also thought it was a great idea for the side of the connector going to your phone/tablet to be angled for a better strain relief.
With design and built quality covered, here comes the most important part - the sound quality. According to their website, these are professionally tuned 40mm drivers, and from my personal experience you always have to burn in these before starting to judge the sound. I did give it initial 4+ hours of burn in connected wired to my laptop while running white/pink noise loop. That really made a sound delivery shine and brought up a lot of details and clarity. That is normal and expected from true high quality drivers. Once I had them on, I couldn't put it down going through my collection of music. Another important point to note, I switched to using Neutron media player (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neutroncode.mp) and would HIGHLY recommend only to use that player for your audio if you want to unlock true potential of your multimedia phone or tablet. Don't get discouraged with enormous array of settings and control options. Take your time and you will really appreciate quality of it's 32/64-bit audio processing engine and audiophile controls. But audio player can only bring up the best of the source and in order to hear that you need drivers that can translate it into analog sound delivered to your ears. SYNC by 50 truly DELIVERED it with a perfectly balanced sound across entire frequency range with an extra bump in powerful bass delivery, yet without overpowering or distorting it, a vibrant mids and crisp highs sounding clear and natural, bringing vocals right in your face surrounded by details of other instruments around them. I'm not going to lie and tell you these sound better than my audiophile $400 UE900, but for wireless headphones these sound truly incredible, thanks to BT4.0 + aptX. I was also pleased with a soundstage of these and how clearly I was able to hear position of every sound. The dynamics and clarify also held very well over the whole volume range. While doing a/b comparison between wireless and wired, I can only mention a slight improvement in sound width and a few more sparkling details of high frequencies with wires on. Also I should mention while taking/making calls, sound was great and people on the other side had no complains except while connected wireless they felt my voice was a bit distant verses wired using in-line remote/mic.
Overall, I was VERY impressed with SYNC by 50 on-ear wireless headphones. Everything from the design details to controls and sound quality was executed perfectly. I have seen and read before about their previous over-ear wireless model with KLEER technology, but was put off by a need to use separate wireless transmitter. Looks like SMS Audio done their homework and put a lot of thought into improving the design while also following the latest technology trend of BT4.0+aptX, and that really paid off! If I have to think of some negatives, I would say not being able to know how much charge is left in the battery since there is no led or voice prompt indicator (unless I missed it), and also assuming some people with big size heads might find these headphones to be a bit tight on their nugget, judging this by my average size head where I felt fitment to be very comfortable but perhaps closer to it's limit in terms of tightness. Currently, you can only get these directly from www.smsaudio.com website and they retail for $229 and come in shadow black or cool silver. It is pricey, but considering design and sound quality, as well as factor of brand name recognition, these are a much better value then Beats. Plus keep in mind, once it becomes available on Amazon, you probably will be able to get a better discount deal. Definitely gets my recommendation!
Here are the pictures.
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Hi
First, thanks for your long review! I just want to ask you a question. Do the controls work with Android? Will it work with CM10.2 on a HTC One with PowerAMP?
And do you probably have pictures with you having the headphones on? I ask, because i recently bought the Soul by Ludacris SL150, but afterwards because they were too big i selled them again. Now i'm using the Beats by Dre Solo (Wired), which have about the perfect size for me.
zotac1907 said:
Hi
First, thanks for your long review! I just want to ask you a question. Do the controls work with Android? Will it work with CM10.2 on a HTC One with PowerAMP?
And do you probably have pictures with you having the headphones on? I ask, because i recently bought the Soul by Ludacris SL150, but afterwards because they were too big i selled them again. Now i'm using the Beats by Dre Solo (Wired), which have about the perfect size for me.
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Absolutely, both wireless and wired controls work perfectly with Android. Wireless Bluetooth protocol supports volume, playback, transport, and call controls. Wired doesn't support volume, but multifunction button works perfectly as I mentioned in my review.
Sorry, I don't usually take pictures with headphone on my head. It definitely sounds like you need on-ear headphones NOT over-ear since those are bigger. SL150 is on-ear as well but do look more wrapped around and bigger, just from the pictures I'm seeing. I think new SYNC by 50 on-ear will have a lot better fit. I don't know if they sell them in the store like Best Buy to try it out, but if you order from Amazon and find fit to be not perfect - can't you just return it back? Your other option is V-Moda M-80, check into my signature link for detailed review. It's probably the smallest on-ear portable headphones you can find, wired only. But there might be some comfort issues, although their sound it out of this world, the best out of everything I have tested. SYNC by 50 are very comfortable, marshmallow-comfortable and earpieces tilt relative to headband which I see SL150 doesn't have. You definitely get convenience of wired/wireless with SYNC, good bass response, excellent wireless sound quality, and comfort. A matter of comfort is something you will need to test it yourself since ymmv.
Thanks for the review.
Do the controls on the headphones work when the headphones are wired, like forwards and backwards playback, and also does the volume control lower the volume of the system or the headphones, when wired and wireless?
also can you use these at the gym ?
faddys123 said:
Thanks for the review.
Do the controls on the headphones work when the headphones are wired, like forwards and backwards playback, and also does the volume control lower the volume of the system or the headphones, when wired and wireless?
also can you use these at the gym ?
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When you use them wired you need to use remote built into the cable; that will control playback and call, but but not the volume. The controls on earcup are only for wireless operation. And of course it will be perfect for the gym to use wireless so you don't pull any wires when exercising. Or if you are next to treadmill and want to plug in your headphones, just use the wire.
Or and the volume lowers headphones volume, while you can adjust system volume separately. It's typical with all bluetooth headphones.
Hey, thank you for your review. Do you have any comparison to serious headphone brand like Sennheiser, AKG, Grado? Comparing to beats audio which is toy brand, not headphone brand is not really satisfying. If by UE900 you mean logitech it is not good recommendation to these SMS.
corckie said:
Hey, thank you for your review. Do you have any comparison to serious headphone brand like Sennheiser, AKG, Grado? Comparing to beats audio which is toy brand, not headphone brand is not really satisfying. If by UE900 you mean logitech it is not good recommendation that these SMS.
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If you are looking for a good audio quality and considering your references above, these will not satisfy you. Keep in mind, I got heavier into audio reviews later last year, so got a chance to run more comparison for the reference Old gen Beats are junk, though I heard new Beats might be better, but I can't comment on that since I didn't have a chance to test it (and have no plans for it). Contrary to that, Monster DNA Pro are serious audiophile quality. Back when I tested UE900, those were the best IEMs at the moment I had, while now I would not recommend them since you can have Westone W40 (or upcoming W30 which I hopefully get a chance to review) or Audio Technica's latest ATH-IM03 with a much better sound and build quality. So, my impression of SMS was based on my earlier impressions.
Yes, comparing them to Senns or AKG or Grado - they will not stand up. But considering their are in $200 price range and wireless, it adds a lot of value to them. I know Monster DNA Pro Wireless is about to be released, but they will be priced around $400+. I'm sure they will sound awesome, but that's double the price. Actually, I think you might want to look into UE9000 over-ear wireless (though battery powered for ANC): www.amazon.com/Logitech-UE-9000-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B0094S37GS/ - I heard a lot of good things about these. Considering UE just discontinued all of their in-/on-/over-ear headphones (only UE900s is left), you can get UE9000 on amazon for under $300.
vectron said:
Yes, comparing them to Senns or AKG or Grado - they will not stand up. But considering their are in $200 price range and wireless, it adds a lot of value to them. I know Monster DNA Pro Wireless is about to be released, but they will be priced around $400+. I'm sure they will sound awesome, but that's double the price. Actually, I think you might want to look into UE9000 over-ear wireless (though battery powered for ANC): www.amazon.com/Logitech-UE-9000-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B0094S37GS/ - I heard a lot of good things about these. Considering UE just discontinued all of their in-/on-/over-ear headphones (only UE900s is left), you can get UE9000 on amazon for under $300.
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I already own pair of Sennheiser MM 550-X which I chose after lots of hearing and research. I compared them to beats audio (which generally are not worth even 1/10th of their price), AKG, Sony MDR-1RBT, Parrot ZIK and many more. By far 550's have the best sound quality and virtually no lag, I couldn't say if they are wired or not. But I am always open to something better and I thought that these SMS could compete. By price tag I would expect they sound at least as good as 550's, but unfortunatelly they seem to be as overpriced as Beats Audio. However I thought I would give them a shot and tomorrow I will hopefully have an oportunity to listen to them.
I'm surprised you mentioned $200 price of these SMS, because where I live 550-X are priced $500 and Audio Sync by 50 are priced $550. Maybe that's why I expected a lot from them. Now I see that this comparison is a little pointless, so I think that by now I should stick to 550-X. They are really badass wireless headphones, but I think that there still is room for improvement.
$500?!? Is that UK price or something? They definitely not worth that much.
vectron said:
$500?!? Is that UK price or something? They definitely not worth that much.
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Poland. SMS brand just entered the market so probably they try to position themselves as premium brand and we have so called "being new tax" when sellers raise prices to the skies for first few weeks to get higher profit from people who are unpatient and will buy no matter the price. So after all these headphones are not really worth considering.
They look very good
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I have wired Beats Studio v2, and I want to buy a wireless headphones, so my choice was Beats Studio v2 wireless, beacause is the same model as the wired one but without wire (obviously), so I already know everything about this headphones. But I always wanted to buy SMS Audio and now that I read your review I'm really undecided. Beats got an incredible ANC system and I love it, because when I travel by train or bus I'm completely isolated from other people's noise, are the SMS isolated so well? Thanks for your response
Curtis7990 said:
I have wired Beats Studio v2, and I want to buy a wireless headphones, so my choice was Beats Studio v2 wireless, beacause is the same model as the wired one but without wire (obviously), so I already know everything about this headphones. But I always wanted to buy SMS Audio and now that I read your review I'm really undecided. Beats got an incredible ANC system and I love it, because when I travel by train or bus I'm completely isolated from other people's noise, are the SMS isolated so well? Thanks for your response
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Beats have active noise isolation, it's more effective because it samples outside noise and cancels it out by adding a flipped waveform of that noise. But as a result you get a humming noise which affects background noise floor thus making a sound not as crystal clear. Other headphones like SMS do passive noise isolation (if I remember correctly since I don't have it anymore), which just blocks outside noise by providing a good earpad seal, though sound quality improves because you have black background. I can't speak for the latest Beats headphones since I didn't have a chance to review them. Never had luck getting Beats review samples since they favor more social medial channels with lots of subscribers or Apple crowd, and do NOT care about XDA-Developers Android community Now with Apple acquisition they definitely don't care about review on XDA-Dev lol!!!
vectron said:
Beats have active noise isolation, it's more effective because it samples outside noise and cancels it out by adding a flipped waveform of that noise. But as a result you get a humming noise which affects background noise floor thus making a sound not as crystal clear. Other headphones like SMS do passive noise isolation (if I remember correctly since I don't have it anymore), which just blocks outside noise by providing a good earpad seal, though sound quality improves because you have black background. I can't speak for the latest Beats headphones since I didn't have a chance to review them. Never had luck getting Beats review samples since they favor more social medial channels with lots of subscribers or Apple crowd, and do NOT care about XDA-Developers Android community Now with Apple acquisition they definitely don't care about review on XDA-Dev lol!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answer. All I want to know is, can I hear other people talk while wearing SMS Sync? I travel a lot and is important to me to just listen music, without background noise like people or street noise. This happen with Beats, but as you said sound is not properly clear. Thanks
I tried to hook it open on my Samsung galaxy s6 edge but it didn't work? Can u tell me why?
removed.
Since I got a few PMs from people inquiring if these UE900 can be worn wires down, I did some research and planning to order a few now bendable replacement cables from ebay (like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2m-Handma...ayer_Cables_Adapters&var=&hash=item4175e56a9b). Once I receive it, I will update my review.
Tell those people to embrace cable over the ears. I was VERY resistant to it at first, but the weightlessness of wearing them over the ears is amazing. Like you're not wearing them.
Overall, nice reviews. I personally like a little more focus on the negative aspects, because it shows you worst case. That's why I read the low rating reviews before buying anything. If you can deal with the negative aspects, then you've probably found a gem.
Do you find they lack (like many reviews say) the ability to make you feel the bass impact, carrying bass detail without bass quantity?
-No longer accidental, just Jeremy. F.cfb
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
jRi0T68 said:
Tell those people to embrace cable over the ears. I was VERY resistant to it at first, but the weightlessness of wearing them over the ears is amazing. Like you're not wearing them.
Overall, nice reviews. I personally like a little more focus on the negative aspects, because it shows you worst case. That's why I read the low rating reviews before buying anything. If you can deal with the negative aspects, then you've probably found a gem.
Do you find they lack (like many reviews say) the ability to make you feel the bass impact, carrying bass detail without bass quantity?
-No longer accidental, just Jeremy. F.cfb
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
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I was hoping you, as one of the few true audiophiles in this forum, will reply to this review sooner or later
Regarding cables, the comments actually came from another forum (AndroidForums) where I mirror all of my reviews. But nevertheless, I have been thinking about it and tend to agree. If I remember correctly you have SE215, with removable cable (the same one as UE900). Do you have a flex piece next to the headphone connector you bend in a shape to go over your ears? That's how it is with UE900 which is kind of a PITA to put your headphones on. When the cable is free hanging you just insert earpieces and put the wire around your ears. It's a lot easier this way based on my experience, for example using Klipsch S4A IEM and especially useful when you have bulkier earpieces. UE900 are very lightweight and small, almost go into your ears flush so in theory it could be worn either way but because of that flex rigid wire you can't hang those down. It will be interesting to see how the replacement cable going to work. I'm especially intrigued by "samsung" control reference, hoping they put correct resistors into the remote for volume control on my Note 2.
Now regarding bass of UE900. When you read a lot of professional reviews they all compare these to 50 other audiophile quality IEM reviewer tested before. I'm building up my headphone collection starting with reviews of cheaper lower quality ones and moving up to quad drivers. That explains my upbeat tone When I tested cheap $5 headphone from dx.com - those sounded great to me. When I stepped up to S4A - it was a huge improvement, but after testing UE600 I realized how much clarify a single armature driver was able to deliver. At the same time, I was able to distinguish that UE600 lacked bass, even after a prolong burn in. With wireless headphones my comparison continued where those with BT2.1 or BT3.0+aptX sounded awful and compressed, while BT4.0+aptX made a significant improvement to the point where I was very impressed by SYNC by 50 on-ear wireless headphones. But in parallel, when I compared Jaybirds BBX and Plantronics BBG2, both of which had old BT stack but it's own proprietary dsp decoding - I was blown away by BBG2 sound quality. M-Duo was impressive, but v-shaped FR wasn't really my cup of tea, although at the beginning I was very impressed with it's sound. So far everything I have tested was either v-shaped or enhanced either at low end or high end. So, when i started with UE900 - I found it's balanced sound to be amazing! The bass response has improved after burn in. Now, I also read about these having a pinhole which a lot of people seal for a better bass response (I'm still contemplating about it).
I have to absolutely agree EU900 carry a lot of bass details, and it has a slight bass bump, but it's not in your face to make you feel the bass. I have a number of bass heavy headphones where you get in-your-face bass without a need to adjust EQ. But I hate how that bass is delivered, colored, saturated, in some cases sounding hollow without "weight", etc. So I was excited about UE900 because to my ears it was ideal, especially since I listen mostly to EDM music where you get a lot of bass to begin with. But once I get my review pair of Westone W40, I will be able to make a true comparison between these two quad driver IEM and their bass response. Basically, my EU900 review was "standalone" while Westone will be more of a comparison, the same way how all those other pro reviews come out
I listen to a ton of EDM as well (Revolver's "The Chamber 24", which is his live set from Tomorrowworld is playing right now).
Bass is tricky. I wouldn't want all boom or all detail.
With my SE215's, I've used both the stock cable that has the memory wire and now use the mic/remote cable that doesn't. Both have their merits. Memory wire stays on better, but without it's more comfortable. I can get used to either. I wish I'd known about UE900 cables working on Shure when I bought my mic cable. It'd be nice to try out.
-No longer accidental, just Jeremy. F.cfb
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
jRi0T68 said:
I listen to a ton of EDM as well (Revolver's "The Chamber 24", which is his live set from Tomorrowworld is playing right now).
Bass is tricky. I wouldn't want all boom or all detail.
With my SE215's, I've used both the stock cable that has the memory wire and now use the mic/remote cable that doesn't. Both have their merits. Memory wire stays on better, but without it's more comfortable. I can get used to either. I wish I'd known about UE900 cables working on Shure when I bought my mic cable. It'd be nice to try out.
-No longer accidental, just Jeremy. F.cfb
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
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Yep, apparently these cables work with UE900, SE215, SE315, SE425, and SE535. I'm glad you mentioned "memory wire", I was looking for the right word to describe it lol!!!
I never heard of Revolver, but just looked them up on YT. Funny comments about their Tomorrowworld (darth & vader remix). A bunch of people posting about sounds being copied, and then another producer chimes it telling everybody "we all use the same Vengeance library" lol!!! Vengeance guys pretty much built EDM and in general club theme with dozens of their commercially released sample and sound sets which every single producer used in the last 7-8 years. Vengeance guys are actually producers behind Cascada and Spencer & Hill. But anyway, I digress here... My EDM cup of tea is Avicii, Showtek, Afrojack, R3hab, Spencer & Hill, Mikkas, Klaas,and commercial dubset like Krewella and Skrillex.
As promised, here is my review of replacement UE900 cable which also supposed to work with some Shure headphone models. The direct store link: http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=3352 in case if their ebay listing (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2m-Handma...ayer_Cables_Adapters&var=&hash=item4175e56a9b) is not available.
Without a doubt, UE900 is the top headphones pair in my collection with one of the best sound quality. Being high end audiophile IEM, these come with detachable cables which mean if down the road wires brakes or the connection is compromised - you can replace the cable and continue using headphones. The cable that comes standard with UE900 is twisted pair which gets braided after y-joint. The intent is to keep signal isolated, away from any interference. Although I found these original cables to be very unique, to be honest I wasn't too happy about it because they were easy to tangle and felt fragile. Another thing I wasn't too crazy about was the memory wire next to earpiece that supposed to retain shape around/behind your ears. First of all, you spend the time making a perfect loop adjusted to your ear, but when you wrap and store the cable in the pouch or hard storage box, it gets bent. Also it takes longer to put these hoops on and to adjust and align earpieces. You also don't have an option to wear headphones wire down. Not to mention that for Android you can only use multi-function button and not volume controls - common for all other in-line remotes.
So here comes Lunashops custom UE900 cables which I can with certainty recommend as MUST have replacement, especially if you have Samsung Galaxy phones. First of all you get a very generous length cable, 1.2m, which is perfect for keeping your smartphone in the pocket while having complete playback control under you fingertips. Multi-function button works perfect with any Android phone to play/pause/call and control playback with double/triple click, as well as long press to start Google Now. Built-in microphone was OK too, and I had no problem with phone calls or speaking with Google Now. I also didn't notice any microphonics effect. But what makes it standout is Volume up/down buttons which I confirmed to work with my Note 2!!! Samsung uses different set of resistors in their OEM headphone volume control which is different from iPhone controls. I haven't seen anybody else making headphones with a specific Samsung volume control. These work perfectly!!! Lunashops also has HTC in their list of compatible devices, but I'm not 100% if that includes volume control as well. They offer different versions of these cables with Samsung and iPhone in-line remote/mic. Multifunction button will work with any android phone, while I confirmed volume on Samsung version to work perfectly with my Note 2. Furthermore, you also get an option of straight 3.5mm plug or with 270-degree angle which I found to be a lot easier to handle than a regular 90-degree angled connector.
The cable itself is very easy to bend and it has a nice soft rubbery protective cable jacket. In-line remote/mic had a solid durable plastic construction, and so does the y-splitter. The piece with SMB connector is clear plastic with something that almost looks like a little bit of cloudy glue residue. But despite its look, the workmanship is very good and clean. I do have to question the decision to use red cable with white plastic connector tips. In my opinion it would have been better to use a neutral black color instead since for example UE900 is blue while Shure headphones vary in colors between black, clear, and other choices. But from a functional perspective - these are just PERFECT!!! Of course, the most important test is the sound quality. I have done a lot of a/b comparison between original cables and these replacement cables and found them to sound identical to my ears. As a matter of fact, the sound actually improved. Now with wire up I get a much better fitment and seal which improves the bass response significantly. Even so I'm not a big fan of over the ear wires, these are a real pleasure to use due to soft nature of the cable which effortlessly goes behind your ears. Also now you can use UE900 with wire down, although the angled design will make them stick out a little bit. Furthermore, it also compromises a seal which means you will get less bass wearing UE900 wires down. But it's still manageable considering that now you have an option to wear it both ways. For my particular taste I will continue wear these wire-up because I value bass
Overall, I consider these replacement cables to be a fantastic addition to UE900. It gives you flexibility to wear headphones wire up or down, provides a much better fitment/seal with wire up which improves bass response, and gives you ability to control volume up/down if you have Galaxy smartphone. For $20 plus change - this is no brainer! My only comment is that I wish this cable would come in neutral back color. Otherwise, it's perfect!
Here are the pictures.
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That red cable would be useful for me if it terminated in a straight stereo 3.5 mm plug instead of that Y-cable.
vantt1 said:
That red cable would be useful for me if it terminated in a straight stereo 3.5 mm plug instead of that Y-cable.
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Absolutely!!! For any on-/over-ear headpones with detachable cables - that would be perfect!!!
I'm talking to these Lunashops guys right now. They specialize in custom cables for headphones (check out their website). I will ask them if they can make such custom cable.
Also, after reading my review they mentioned about being able to make the same cable as above in all black which I think will a great idea since its a neutral color to go with any headphone color.
vantt1 said:
That red cable would be useful for me if it terminated in a straight stereo 3.5 mm plug instead of that Y-cable.
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I found another custom cable on luna-shop website which might do what we looking for: http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=3373 and only $6. The only problem is they talk about HTC One compatibility and I'm not 100% about Galaxy (Note 2) compatibility. That in-line remote doesn't look like Samsung oem remote (like the one I got in my UE900 cable replacement). I pinging luna-shop guys and waiting to hear feedback. If it confirmed to work with Note 2, I will get a review sample to post in here.
vectron said:
I found another custom cable on luna-shop website which might do what we looking for: http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=3373 and only $6. The only problem is they talk about HTC One compatibility and I'm not 100% about Galaxy (Note 2) compatibility. That in-line remote doesn't look like Samsung oem remote (like the one I got in my UE900 cable replacement). I pinging luna-shop guys and waiting to hear feedback. If it confirmed to work with Note 2, I will get a review sample to post in here.
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I might have a go at making my own cable once my new cables arrive. I got 12 of these:
Let's see how they'll end up!
As much as I was excited about my UE900 replacement cables with Samsung in-line remote/mic AND volume controls (
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=3352), I felt that red color of the cable wasn't as appropriate for these blue color earbuds. After discussing this with lunashops.com, they mentioned about being able to make the same cable in black. So for anybody interested, go ahead and contact them with a request for the same cable as I mentioned in my original review above but in black color.
It has the same excellent built quality, flexible cable to go over ear, 270-degree gold plated 3.5mm connector, and in-line remote with mic that has multifunction button for play/pause/call, double/triple click transport control, long press Google Now, and volume up/down adjustment for Galaxy phones.
Here are the pictures.
Found this while googling for replacement cables for shure. First off a Big Thank You!
I have two questions:
1. How is the call quality using the mic?
2. Can anyone confirm these work with Samsung Galaxy S3? S3 might not have the same earphone pinout as the note 2.
fatestkid said:
Found this while googling for replacement cables for shure. First off a Big Thank You!
I have two questions:
1. How is the call quality using the mic?
2. Can anyone confirm these work with Samsung Galaxy S3? S3 might not have the same earphone pinout as the note 2.
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Call quality is ok, no better than original UE or even Samsung earbuds in-line mic.
Will try to test it with S3 the next time my in-laws are over, they both have S3 phones.
I just wrote a review about FiiO RC-SE1 replacement cables for UE900, which you guys might enjoy: http://www.head-fi.org/t/657641/mak...e-rc-x-will-be-in-the-market/90#post_10217616
Yep, I read that. I'm pretty sure I'm going to blame you for that $30 purchase, but having a mic on my cable is so convenient.
Excreted from my Nexus 5
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
jRi0T68 said:
Yep, I read that. I'm pretty sure I'm going to blame you for that $30 purchase, but having a mic on my cable is so convenient.
Excreted from my Nexus 5
[Guide] Headphone/Earphone Buying
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True, in-line remote is very convenient for everyday use, especially when you are on the go or to remotely play/pause the song. But when you want to sit down and enjoy the best possible sound, you can't beat this upgrade. I can tell you with certainty, it wasn't just a subtle improvement, it was really noticeable. I don't even care about microphonics or complete color mismatch between clear cable and black/blue earbuds. Btw, with your SE215 it will be a perfect color match. If you are going to get it, I would really be curious to hear how it sounds with 215s.
Could anyone confirm that this lunashop cable (ue900/shure) works with the nexus 5, volume buttons and all?
Thanks in advance!
Hello, my House of Marley Earbuds recently broke and now I'm searching for an replacement. I'm not sure if I buy wired headphones again or switch to wireless headphones. Can someone recommend me some good headphones under 40$ ? Is there also a pair of wireless earbuds with an wired option (that would be ideal) ?
Do you want earbuds, in ear monitors, or headphones? Those are 3 different things. Earbuds, just like apple ipods that don't have a nozzle that goes into your earcanal, the best price/performance ratio in that category is $5 VE Monk+. In ear monitors (IEM) have a nozzle that goes into your ear, a more traditional, probably like the one you had before where you have a nozzle and different size eartips you select to make a better seal. If you want a killer price/performance ratio iems, try Meeaudio RX18, they are on amazon for $5-$6.
It has been awhile since I reviewed budget headphones, back when I used to review and to post on XDA, but I can tell you will not be disappointed with either of these $5 budget gems. Both have a very impressive sound quality, and shows you that you don't need to spend even $40 to get a good iem. Also, IEMs by KZ, like KZ ATE model which you can find for $12-$13 are very good. Of course, there are TOTL flagship iems that cost thousands of dollars, but that's not for XDA discussion
Thank's for the explanation ?. I mean't the In ear monitors. I'l check out the Meeaudio RX18.
What do you think about the Xiaomi Hybrid ?
And is it a good idea to buy a pair of Bluetooth i montiros (mostly for watching YouTube and gamimg) ?
Frostplexx said:
Thank's for the explanation . I mean't the In ear monitors. I'l check out the Meeaudio RX18.
What do you think about the Xiaomi Hybrid ?
And is it a good idea to buy a pair of Bluetooth i montiros (mostly for watching YouTube and gamimg) ?
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Xiaomi makes great stuff, you probably gonna like it! You can never go wrong with hybrids that usually feature dynamic driver (for the bass) and Balanced Armature "BA" driver for mids and treble.
You can find a ton of bluetooth IEMs, typically a pair of earpieces connected by a "wire" with in-line remote. They sound OK, but not all of them have a decent fit/comfort. With a wire-down fit they can fall out easily as you move around. Again, for example, Meeaudio has X6 Plus wireless sports in-ear monitors that have over-ear fit so it stays comfortably in your ear and those are reasonably priced under $30. In general when you are a looking for wireless budget iems, keep in mind that just because they look cool they might not function as good. Big fancy earpieces can easily fall out of your ears, and when you start fiddling with in-line remote to play/pause/skip/volume adjustment - earpieces can also fall out when you pull on the wire. So, over ear fit, regardless if its Meeaudio or someone else - is more desirable.
Another thing to keep in mind, most of these are BT4.1. Definitely make sure they support aptX codec, you will get better sound quality. But be aware, the current mainstream BT protocol still has a sync delay between video and audio. For playing music it's fine, but once you start watching YT or Netflix or playing games, you can have some delay. It's a gray area because I have seen some companies selling low-latency Bluetooth transceivers but not sure if there are headphones to support it yet...
Thank you for your help. I just bought the Xiaomi Hybrid.
Frostplexx said:
Thank you for your help. I just bought the Xiaomi Hybrid.
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Don't forget to come back and share your impressions!
The In ear monitors just arrived and they sound great. They sit also very well in my ears butt its a little tricky to get them in your ears because of the angled design. The only thing that I don't understand is why they change the cable midway from sleeved to rubber. I would recommend these in ear monitors.
Frostplexx said:
The In ear monitors just arrived and they sound great. They sit also very well in my ears butt its a little tricky to get them in your ears because of the angled design. The only thing that I don't understand is why they change the cable midway from sleeved to rubber. I would recommend these in ear monitors.
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Like in the attachment? That one is Xiaomi Pistons 3, so probably similar.
When cable rubs against your clothe, it can create microphonics effect, and it can get worse with that braided sleeve. That's why they change it to rubber sleeving going up above the y-splitter. Plus, rubber sleeving is more durable which makes sense to have at the top, because the clothe braid will be wearing off faster and can get loose after awhile.
Ok that makes sense. I noticed when I wear the headphones for a longer period of time they start hurting a little bit, but i think thats because u have pretty small ears.
Anyone facing the same issue? , I damn sure some of us would be facing this issue with akg, and I tried all the ear plugs provided, but to no luck... Planning to buy new earphones, anyone hav any suggestion on fixing this?
Those AKG earbuds don't work in my ears either, but my 17yr son said they are his absolute favorite and fit the best.
I guess everyone's ears are different enough that some designs don't work.
The AKG's just don't seem to go in deep enough into my ears. I usually end up getting the $40-$60 SkullCandy earbuds and like those (which my son says hurts his ears).
They are good as a backup pair (when you can't find your primary ones). Sound quality is somewhat okay, but the fit really makes it difficult to be a daily driver.
I don't have an issue with them falling out but they do lose their seal letting in ambient sound and loss of bass. They sound great when a good seal is maintained. I typically use them when I'm on a tractor or other equipment for hearing protection and to enjoy music.
No comparison to my UE10 pro custom IEM (of course) but better than say airpods.
I have not tried other sized tips though.
Prashanthme said:
Anyone facing the same issue? , I damn sure some of us would be facing this issue with akg, and I tried all the ear plugs provided, but to no luck... Planning to buy new earphones, anyone hav any suggestion on fixing this?
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Something I do with ALL in ear headphones is create custom moulds for your ear. Google Proguard custom earplugs and you get a kit to make custom ear plugs. While theyre soft, press the headphones(without the buds) into the mould and let it set. Then cut out a small hole for the audio to come through and youll have the best sound possible from those headphones as theyre custom to your ears.
Loads of videos on YT too
Akg headphones is 1,000,0000 times better than my beats audio. It's def made for s10+. Pairs this headphone with viper4android.....you get deep bass and rich audio
Hard to kill, great fit, nice sound
Player04 said:
Akg headphones is 1,000,0000 times better than my beats audio. It's def made for s10+. Pairs this headphone with viper4android.....you get deep bass and rich audio
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Same here. The AKG buds is some of the best i have got with a phone. My first pair was from Galaxy S8 i have used them a lot at work, and they are great . Now i have another pair from Galaxy s 10 and i understand why Samsumg have kept this model for 3 gens. And they are Hard to kill the wires are strong
From earbuds, 2 wires will join into 1. At the join, there's small ring. Pull that up. It will stay....
U need a "wet willy" first then put on your headphones
I ordered these a while back, i like them and sound way better than the akg.
mee m6
https://www.amazon.com/MEE-audio-Memory-Headphones-Version/dp/B0038W0K2K/
Sadly I'm so unlucky all earbuds don't fit in my ear for some reason... I have glasses so no sport buds too... Headphones for me
Did you try switching the silicone cushions/focusers? The ones in there to begone with are mediums or so I'd say. In the box your phone came in there should be a small and large set. Try that
Search Amazon for those spongy ear-bud tips. I got a box of 10 of them for less than $10 and they make all my ear-buds fit better and are more noise canceling.
Prashanthme said:
Anyone facing the same issue? , I damn sure some of us would be facing this issue with akg, and I tried all the ear plugs provided, but to no luck... Planning to buy new earphones, anyone hav any suggestion on fixing this?
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Fix your ears or get a new pair of ears lol
Looking for portable/ wireless earphones
For me AKG works best. It has got crystal-clear sound and deep powerful bass. Also they are tangle free, because of the fabric braided cable.
However i am looking for portable headphones or wireless earpods.
Do let me know the best options available.
daisy_12 said:
For me AKG works best. It has got crystal-clear sound and deep powerful bass. Also they are tangle free, because of the fabric braided cable.
However i am looking for portable headphones or wireless earpods.
Do let me know the best options available.
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Apple AirPods Pro - if you want good sound quality and comfort; Jabra Elite Active 75t - if you want active and passive noise cancellation. The latter has a more balanced sound but you would have to listen to both to make a sane decision. You might not like either of those in the end.