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What do you guys think of $400-$500 headphones/earphones? Any interest? Users?

I started doing my reviews with a single goal in mind to find the best price/performance products to test/review and to share it with others. Sometime its a hit, sometime it could be a miss once something else comes out and I do a/b comparison.
I have reviewed a number of wired/wireless speakers and headphones, and starting to realize that in some cases perhaps a premium price will justify the quality. I mean, how many times we have people chiming in about using Beats and paying upward of $350 per a pair of cans. Or I remember reading someone posting about spending $1500 on a pair of earbuds. This tells me people are willing to pay extra money for a quality sound.
One thing for sure, Note 2 is a premium entertainment phone and if you want to enjoy this entertainment - you need a way to deliver the sound, and some people willing to pay premium for that. Headphones/earphones (in-ear-headphones) is something that you can use with your next phone or your tablet or another phone in the family, so in a way its an investment. Although I have been trying to stay within budget of under $100 with headphones or sometimes under $10 budget ones from CH sites, these are still far from perfection of how I want it to sound. So, I have been talking to a few premium sound companies trying to get a review loaners of premium models like UE900 or Westone 4R, and maybe some Shure (although their PR is not the friendliest bunch).
So the question, has anybody using premium IEH with their smartphones and can share their opinion? Or just a general comment if some would be willing to spend $400-$500 to get top of the line earbuds with crossover and 4 drivers, etc. I know head-fi.org is well know for these audiophile reviews, but when I start reading about people using their headphones with pre-amps and a special cables, and custom setup - it doesn't give me any good indication how it works directly with a smart phone out of the box, and how does it sound in plain english without all those big words to show how well versed you are in this subject. That is what I would like to do in my upcoming write ups here on XDA and also curious to hear from others

Love my Shure se535 IEMs with neutron player!
Sent from my SGH-I317M using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Valkern said:
Love my Shure se535 IEMs with neutron player!
Sent from my SGH-I317M using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Uh, now we are talking business! May I ask you why you decided to use SE535 over other triple-/quad-driver IEH in the same price range? Was that strictly based on reviews (head-fi.org, etc.) or your own personal comparison between other ones like UE900, Westone 3/4R, etc? If you have compared these, was there a definitely sound or design advantage with SE535? I had an opportunity to receive review sample of SE535, but Shure PR company wanted credit card deposit and some other restrictions which made me uncomfortable. I will be getting UE900 sometime next week, and still in talk with Westone about testing their W40 which replaced flagship 4R model. But I honestly think this comparison will not be complete without SE535 in the mix since its highly regarded.
Btw, thanks for Neutron pointer! I gotta check it out. Also, I assume you connect your headphones straight in rather then using something like Fiio amps?

Personally, I wouldn't spend more than $40 on a pair of headphones. I have tried much nicer headphones and there does seem to be a difference but I wouldn't say it's hundreds of dollars worth of difference. Senheiser and Audio Technica make some pretty good stuff you can occasionally find on sale at that price range.

Well, that used to be my thinking looking at various headphones up to $100-$150 range with a single driver design. Without a crossover and separate woofer drivers it's hard to distinguish and often you might find cheaper headphones sounding as good as more expensive ones. Although sometime there is an exception like Meelec M-Duo dual-driver I just had a chance to review and will publish write-up soon ($73 on amazon!!!). But once you step into a category of triple and quad drivers where you have precisely tuned crossover, interchangeable filters, and dedicated drivers for lows, mids, and high - you will be blown away by the difference and would have hard time believing these sounds are coming from a pair of tiny buds. That is what I would like to check these out and to compare in my reviews.
Furthermore, I'm also looking into reviewing Fiio E17 usb dac headphone amp which everybody raves about in audiophile community. You don't connect audio to headphone jack but rather connect this dac through OTG cable to usb port and plug your headphones in there. Will see if I get a chance to review it as well.

vectron said:
Uh, now we are talking business! May I ask you why you decided to use SE535 over other triple-/quad-driver IEH in the same price range? Was that strictly based on reviews (head-fi.org, etc.) or your own personal comparison between other ones like UE900, Westone 3/4R, etc? If you have compared these, was there a definitely sound or design advantage with SE535? I had an opportunity to receive review sample of SE535, but Shure PR company wanted credit card deposit and some other restrictions which made me uncomfortable. I will be getting UE900 sometime next week, and still in talk with Westone about testing their W40 which replaced flagship 4R model. But I honestly think this comparison will not be complete without SE535 in the mix since its highly regarded.
Btw, thanks for Neutron pointer! I gotta check it out. Also, I assume you connect your headphones straight in rather then using something like Fiio amps?
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I bought mine based on reviews I have read online coupled with my experience with Shure products in the past. What I read online pretty much was exactly what I received. Pronounced mids with clear highs with a more subdued low end. I will tune the low end up a little bit to compensate for the more subtle lows which is perfect for me.
Neutron player is important if you want to hear good sound from the note2 as other apps sound surprisingly terrible. Neutron is a god send.
I usually listen to lossless format but if I happen to listen to a lower bit rate mp3 the highs can be very irritating with these IEMs, very over pronounced and garbled. I wouldn't recommend less than 320bit anyways.
I do not currently use a external DAC although I sometimes listen with my dedicated mp3 player if pocket space isn't a concern which is a Cowan j3. It's too bad they don't make these anymore though.
Sent from my SGH-I317M using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Seems to be a lot of high praises of Fiio X3 audio player: http://www.fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000045041475&MenuID=105026016 - might be your solution for dedicated audio player replacement.
Good point about bit rate content. Usually down sampled files loose low frequency content, although kind of strange since I would expect a loss across the whole spectrum. So, with high quality IEH where low end is reduced, the high end gets "boosted" in your ears.

For those how are interested, I just posted a detailed review of Logitech/Ultimate Ears UE900 headphones: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2485233

try koss ksc75, they wouldnt call it "bang for the buck" and "mini-grado" for nothing.

BratPAQ said:
try koss ksc75, they wouldnt call it "bang for the buck" and "mini-grado" for nothing.
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7+ year old ear-clip headphones for $17 I do see comments about it having a good sound, but way too many comments about cheap design and poor quality where it stops working after 3-4 months.

I only have one pair of headphones in that price range, and it is the infamous Beats Studios. They cost me AU$499 when I got them in Australia about 20 months ago. I also own several other headphones, but rarely do they exceed the $300 mark (the only other pairs that I have that cost more are the Bose QuietComfort 15, at $399 and Sennhesier HD 650, at $499).
After wrapping them in carbon fibre Di-Noc, installing a second stainless steel internal headband, replacing the cushions twice and removing the terrible ANC, they actually turned out to be my best pair of headphones (not earphones) for portable use. The integrated pre-amp provides a slight edge over non-powered sets in terms of audio "fullness". The Studio's sound is actually quite interesting once the ANC is out of the way. Bass, along with bits of the mids and highs are emphasised by the circuit which makes the music sound less flat and boring. Plus, the closed cavity design makes it very usable when out and about. Wind doesn't interfere with the speaker drivers like it does in open-back sets. They're very comfortable, and have a hard carry case which increases its ability to tag along with my Note 2 as a full-sized over-ear headphone.
I personally don't like IEMs because they don't fit very well, have lots of cable noise and practically completely block out all external noises AND I hear myself talk a lot louder. Plus they extract my earwax very well, maybe too well.
Now regarding spending $400-$500 on headphones, I don't think it's worth it if you're intending to use it with a smartphone. My HD 650 only really shine when I'm listening to FLAC on a $900 setup. But even then, I have to really pay attention to what I'm listening to to hear the difference. Otherwise when I'm simply listening to music while on a bus or train, any decent headphone is fine for me.

I'll either use crappy earplugs that came with the phone, usually at school for maybe an hour. Otherwise I will use my etymotic research ER4P and HeadRoom BitHead portable headphone amp.
I never considered using my Sennheiser 600HD can with a HeadRoom Cosmic headphone amp.
I tend to use my Jawbone Big Jambox significantly more often because I'm usually by myself and watching sports.

I use the audio technica ath-m50 (not 400-500 but decent ones and very comfy)at home but outside I just use the headphones that came with the phone. I don't think its worth it without an amplifier for 400-500 headphones.

You guys all brought up very good points. One thing I hear in common: for quality sound you only trust over-/on-ear headphones and some prefer to use it with a separate headphone amp. But on the go you switch to basic cheap in-ear-headphones because big "quality" headphones are too bulky and you don't want to carry headphone amp box. I have read a number of similar comments in other forums where it seems like IEM don't get enough credit of being the replacement for big headphone cans. That was a reason why I looked into quad driver IEM, such as UE900 I reviewed already, and another new ones from Westone I'm planning to review. The sound of UE900 alone was better than some of the studio Sennheiser and Sony headphones I tested before. Switching to Neutron MP improved the sound, but it was still processed by Note 2 internal dac output going to headphone output. Taking this digital-to-analog processing outside of the phone and making it portable enough to carry with you is a key in appreciating sound quality of IEM either for music or movies.
So once you get all the pieces of a portable setup in place, that could be a game changer to use portable IEM instead of big studio cans. With that in mind, I'm seriously looking into new Fiio E18 headphone amp/usb-DAC: http://www.fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000049935442&MenuID=105026002 - full external audio processing outside of the phone through OTG usb connection. I guess the intent is to have it piggyback to the phone with a rubber band to turn your phone into external audio processing powerhouse.
It's a very addictive cycle as you begin with lower class headphones and start moving up in class with each one sounding better, clearer, more dynamic, and overall with improved SQ. What I have noticed with headphones I tested is that in $100-$150 price category you can either get low end or treble enhancements, but not both at the same time where a single driver can't handle the whole range or even a dual driver with built-in crossover (like M-Duo) has v-shaped FR. So going to a pricey quad driver design is the only way to cross that limitation. Again, speaking based on my own personal preference of a balanced sound with a slight bump in low frequency.
Sorry, for those who are true audiophiles, I'm probably stating the obvious. For those who think $5 headphones will do the trick - you thinking I lost my marbles But for myself, I'm just starting to discover this audiophile world and trying to justify it for myself (in terms of expenses).

vectron said:
You guys all brought up very good points. One thing I hear in common: for quality sound you only trust over-/on-ear headphones and some prefer to use it with a separate headphone amp. But on the go you switch to basic cheap in-ear-headphones because big "quality" headphones are too bulky and you don't want to carry headphone amp box. I have read a number of similar comments in other forums where it seems like IEM don't get enough credit of being the replacement for big headphone cans. That was a reason why I looked into quad driver IEM, such as UE900 I reviewed already, and another new ones from Westone I'm planning to review. The sound of UE900 alone was better than some of the studio Sennheiser and Sony headphones I tested before. Switching to Neutron MP improved the sound, but it was still processed by Note 2 internal dac output going to headphone output. Taking this digital-to-analog processing outside of the phone and making it portable enough to carry with you is a key in appreciating sound quality of IEM either for music or movies.
So once you get all the pieces of a portable setup in place, that could be a game changer to use portable IEM instead of big studio cans. With that in mind, I'm seriously looking into new Fiio E18 headphone amp/usb-DAC: http://www.fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000049935442&MenuID=105026002 - full external audio processing outside of the phone through OTG usb connection. I guess the intent is to have it piggyback to the phone with a rubber band to turn your phone into external audio processing powerhouse.
It's a very addictive cycle as you begin with lower class headphones and start moving up in class with each one sounding better, clearer, more dynamic, and overall with improved SQ. What I have noticed with headphones I tested is that in $100-$150 price category you can either get low end or treble enhancements, but not both at the same time where a single driver can't handle the whole range or even a dual driver with built-in crossover (like M-Duo) has v-shaped FR. So going to a pricey quad driver design is the only way to cross that limitation. Again, speaking based on my own personal preference of a balanced sound with a slight bump in low frequency.
Sorry, for those who are true audiophiles, I'm probably stating the obvious. For those who think $5 headphones will do the trick - you thinking I lost my marbles But for myself, I'm just starting to discover this audiophile world and trying to justify it for myself (in terms of expenses).
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When it comes to portable high fidelity, it's all down to what is most convenient for the occasion. For example, when I'm going somewhere but I don't know if I'll need to wait on something or not, I'd bring my modified Samsung YP-U3 earbuds because they just slip into my pocket. Otherwise when I know I'll be listening to music for a while, then I'd bring my Beats Studios. For my uses, they're the most suitable as a portable "high end" headphone. It's closed-back, foldable, fashionable and even has a built-in pre-amp for use with the Note 2's low audio output. They're certainly better than the HD 650's in terms of portability. because the HD 650's leak sound and lose bass through outside interference. Wind also makes the speaker diaphragm flex and stuff.
IEMs are kinda in a league of their own. They sit right inside of your ear canal, so the distance between your eardrum and the speaker is very small compared to that of supra or circum-aural cans. Furthermore, the silicone tip things create a nearly airtight seal so minimal sound can escape. I acknowledge the capability of a good set of IEMs, having tried out a few semi-high end ones myself. In the end though, I'd rather have over-ear headphones on my head than IEMs in my ear canals harvesting earwax.
On the same note, high-end IEMs usually utilise balanced armature drivers as opposed to the commonly used moving coil drivers of headphones, making them notably different in terms of technology. This is also probably why IEMs can be made to be multi-driver in such a small space.
Did you know that the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD headphones have a dual-driver configuration? The large 40 mm driver is responsible for the lows and mids, and the 15(?) mm tweeter is responsible for the highs. They are cleverly configured so that the tweeter is closer to your ear than the woofer, due to the difference in wavelengths.
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They are indeed a somewhat substantial improvement over the non-HD Solos, which suffered from over-prominent muddy bass.

Good timing with a comment about IEH seal to block outside noise. I'm getting a review unit from Etymotic, HF2 IEH with Android controls (http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/hf2.html) and apparently it comes with AWARENESS! app that somehow can tune a balance of noise isolation?!? Etymotic is known for their canalphones that do a great job of removing earwax considering their triple flange tips that get jammed right into your ear canal for the best sound isolation. So, I have no idea how they can accomplish any control with just an app where you have a physical ear tight seal. Will be interesting to find out. Plus, I'm curious how about microphonics on these since I heard mixed comments about it with all Etymotic IEH in general. Etymotic guys were at forefront of IEH development many years ago, as a matter of fact they state about inventing canalphone (in-ear) technology. I should be getting review sample early next week and will share my thoughts about it.

Apparently it has something called "Programmable Noise Isolation", which I'm guessing changes the phase timing of the inverted soundwaves used for noise isolation. If these inverted soundwaves weren't inverted, it would just be like the sounds pass through the earphone, bypassing the physical noise isolation.

vantt1 said:
Apparently it has something called "Programmable Noise Isolation", which I'm guessing changes the phase timing of the inverted soundwaves used for noise isolation. If these inverted soundwaves weren't inverted, it would just be like the sounds pass through the earphone, bypassing the physical noise isolation.
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It does makes sense to play around with phase inversion, but I'm still puzzled how do their communicate with ear pieces since noise sampling has to be done inside. You will need some adjustable phase inversion, thus some kind of a built in programmable control, and 2-way communication to send digital signal from the app on the phone to ear piece.
Btw another interesting find since you mentioned about using modified samsung headphones just for the purpose of in-line remote with volume control. I was looking for replacement cables for UE900 to wear it wire down, and came across these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2m-Handma...ayer_Cables_Adapters&var=&hash=item4175e56a9b
For $22 they have angle connector cable with Samsung in-line remote that has mic, multi-function control button, and volume controls!!! Its a samsung version of the cable. Of course I'm getting these and will review as soon as I have it. But perhaps if they can sell the cable with in-line remote and without those earphone connectors - it will be cheaper and cleaner to convert any in-ear headset with sammy controls.

vectron said:
It does makes sense to play around with phase inversion, but I'm still puzzled how do their communicate with ear pieces since noise sampling has to be done inside. You will need some adjustable phase inversion, thus some kind of a built in programmable control, and 2-way communication to send digital signal from the app on the phone to ear piece.
Btw another interesting find since you mentioned about using modified samsung headphones just for the purpose of in-line remote with volume control. I was looking for replacement cables for UE900 to wear it wire down, and came across these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2m-Handma...ayer_Cables_Adapters&var=&hash=item4175e56a9b
For $22 they have angle connector cable with Samsung in-line remote that has mic, multi-function control button, and volume controls!!! Its a samsung version of the cable. Of course I'm getting these and will review as soon as I have it. But perhaps if they can sell the cable with in-line remote and without those earphone connectors - it will be cheaper and cleaner to convert any in-ear headset with sammy controls.
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Yes that is a real mystery. Do you know if there is any active circuitry in those Etymotic IEMs? It's highly unlikely that it relies on the phone to perform the noise isolation.

I have a $600 pair of Beats Detox Pro Editions. I love using them with my Note II
and Power Amp. The ROM/Kernel you're using also has a major role in terms of loudness
output from the phone. The sound is crisp and engulfing with that setup.

Review of Syllable on-ear headphones w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of Syllable wired on-ear headphones: http://dx.com/p/syllable-g04-201-wired-game-headphones-w-microphone-for-iphone-4-4s-red-black-194551
Before you start reading this review, scroll down to take a look at the pictures and then back up to my write up. You have to be living under the rock not to recognize these, and if you are still in doubt just look at what the doctor prescribed to use in the studio last year So what does this mean? Well, if you were planning to spend $200 on a certain pair of studio wired on-ear headphones, now you can test drive it for 1/4 of the price without sacrificing build or sound quality. That is exactly a target audience for this product. As far as I can tell, these are nearly a carbon copy in terms of looks, and from a very reliable source who took another similar pair apart - have almost the same controls and drivers. For me, I wanted to give this pair of cans a fair run through the test mill and to share with you my opinion about it's performance rather then a comparison since I don't have the original ones.
From my previous experience of using on-ear headphones, these could go either way of being very comfortable or not. Just because you have soft foam "marshmallow" earpads, it doesn't mean it will fit you like a glove. Its a size, weight, bend radius of headband, and padding inside of headband that determines how comfortable these will fit. I found these to be very comfortable with a perfect fit and a balance of all the design details. Weighting at about 240g (256g with 2x AAA batteries), it's relatively light weight. In addition to soft earpads, the inner side of headband which sits on top of your head has the same soft padding, while the rest of the inner headband has a soft touch plastic material. Outer construction of the headband is a durable abs plastic which I found to be scratch proof. You will appreciate that especially when trying to take off battery cover which requires some nail work The headband itself has a steel band inside to keep the shape and to give it a nice springy action without any pressure on your head. Headphones have a clever folding design to a minimum footprint which is comfortable when you are traveling. I do have to note that package includes a fake leather pouch, but you can always get a spare hard case for "these" headphones. Along with leather pouch, it also included airplane adapter, 1/4 adapter (to connect to an amp or pro mix board), a cleaning cloth, and set of minimal instructions. The folding latches are metal with a nice click-action, and headband adjustment also has a nice latch action. Everything is held together with over two dozen of external hex screws.
Now about controls and sound. These supposed to be active noise cancellation headphones which mean they sample outside noise source, invert it's waveform, and combine it together with a source to cancel it out. I can't comment about the "original" ones, but have read comments those were not as great. In case of Syllables, noise cancellation is noticeable by passive nature of covering your ears with sealed earpads, but active part of noise cancellation just adds some mild white noise hiss to mask it out, not much of an improvement. Just think of these as passive noise headphones. At the same time, in order to use these headphones you need to turn the power switch on, which activates both noise canceling and enables the sound. Syllables are just sticking to "original" design, either if you agree with it's logic or not. The power comes from 2x AAA batteries housed in one of the earcups. I can't comment yet on its longevity, but do keep in mind that after you done using headphones - don't forget to turn power switch off, otherwise batteries won't last for that long. Battery cover is not the easiest to take off, but it has two notches to push on with your nails, and I did appreciate scratch proof plastic material in this case The same earcup with batteries also has 3.5mm connector. Having a replaceable chord is a fantastic idea since most of the times chord connection is the weakest point in the design. If it fails, you replace it. Plus, these headphones come with 2 sets of cables - a straight red cable without remote control, and a black cable with in-line remote that has mic and multifunction button. This particular remote design worked well with apple products, but on my Note 2 it sets the volume to 0. I assume this is apple specific remote (due to internal resistor selection). But since it's replaceable, there are other "original" cables with in-line remote that could work with Samsung devices. Typically multifunction button should work in these, but not volume controls. I also liked how earcup with a power switch had a button in the middle that muted a sound when you press and hold it. Very convenient when you are listening and someone wants to talk to you - you don't need to take headphones off or reach out to your phone or in-line remote. Just push that button and hold it to hear what's going on outside.
Regarding sound quality, I have a feeling it was also a very close to the "original" characteristic since I have seen inner guts of comparison between active filtering elements. Syllables have a very strong bass, and nice warm sound characteristics throughout entire frequency range, and a typical V-curve EQ setting (with enhanced lows and highs and deep cut in the middle). These are definitely not audiophile headphones, but neither does the "original" version. These are intended more for EDM and Rap/Hip-Hop music where you want to feel the bass (nice warm rounded bass sound without being too overpowering). Don't count on too much on mid frequency presence, but you can correct it with your own eq.
Overall, I was very impressed with a level of design details and the quality of material. The fit is very comfortable, something you can keep on for hours without fatigue, or wear around you neck for people to think from a distance you have "those" on. You do have to keep in mind Syllable have a cleverly designed upside down question mark, so the cat will be out of the bag after a close examination. Sound quality will be more then adequate for modern electronic dance music or hip-hop/rap music. In my opinion, all this is no different then what you will get with 2012 model of the "original" ones that still cost 4x more. Up to you to decide.
Here are the pictures.
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Great review! What material is the Syllable logo made of on the ear cups? They kinda look like stainless steel, but also don't at the same time. The inclusion of a Syllable-branded serial number sticker is quite interesting. The only difference I can pick up on are the box design, accessories (specifically the carry case, cables, 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter and flight adapter (that's all of them, isn't it?)).
The cables are seen here with L-jacks at the device end and the 6.3mm adapter does not have a mirror finish:
Bonus picture of my flight adapter:
Also in this picture here:
You can see the cable running through the headband. I'm not sure if it's the lighting or not, but the gray matte-plastic components on the interior of the headband seem darker in comparison, as mentioned by myself in the other thread:
vantt1 said:
(...)The Syllables might have darker gray matte-plastic components, or the ear cup can slide side to side (not fixed in the center). (...)
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Here's an official stock picture of the red and white pair for reference:
Taking all this into account, the Syllables replicate the Beats Studio reasonably well from a physical standpoint, but in the end it just seems a bit "off" to me. As many deem Beats headphones to be a fashion accessory, the branding also plays a part in the aesthetic appearance of the product, like the Mercedes Benz bonnet emblem. Without the famous (and infamous) Beats by Dr. Dre branding, you could say the Syllables are nearly 'cringeworthy'.

This thread seems awfully quiet...

Well, I don't know what else to add The bottom line, retailers who deal with PP will not be selling "Beats" labeled products. While those on alibaba that deal with credit/debit cards is where you can get a fully legit "knock off". Also I'm not sure about the pricing of Syllable from DX ($54) versus from Alibaba site shipped. From craftsmanship and sound quality I believe both should be the same. I still didn't get a chance to take it apart, but I have no reason to believe it will be different. Basically anybody who can't afford to shell out the full price of real Beats, now has a choice of other alternative options.
As a disclaimer from someone who reviews a lot of legitimate products, I want to add - this review was done for "research" purpose

I see, I never knew PayPal sellers can't sell branded replicas.
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Syllable G18
I bought a Syllable G18 Bluetooth 4.0 Headphone.
Pity I don't have the skill set to judge if these are technically good or not.
But to my naive ear, they sound OK with a good bass, midrange and treble.
They don't fit my ears to well and become sore after an hour.
Has a 3.5mm jack so you can use them wired as well.
You can pair two devices with the Bluetooth headphones.
On receiving a phone call, the person at the other end said I sounded like I was on any other normal landline phone.
MicroUSB adapter for charging the battery broke away from the mount, so it'll have to re-solder it again .
Battery is bespoke to the headset, so not sure where I'll find a replacement in the future.

If they don't actually work, why consider them?
Not sure I get the point of this review, which seems to be the ONLY one out (yet) there for these headphones.
These are supposed to be active noise cancelling. No one is going to buy them if they dont cancel out noise reasonably well at relevant frequencies while leaving adequate bass and treble response in place. They will opt for the model which doesnt have this function or the model which touts itself as being passive noise reduction. If the noise canceling doesn't work, which you indicate, who cares about the rest?
Even worse, you seem to say that these suffer from the "Bose problem", which is that if you dont keep the batteries charged for the non-working noise canceling part, the whole headphones wont make any sound at all. . "At the same time, in order to use these headphones you need to turn the power switch on, which activates both noise canceling and enables the sound" Which sorta makes these cans an absolute no-no for most purposes?
Does the " active part of noise cancellation just adds some mild white noise hiss to mask it out, not much of an improvement"? If so, these cans are just an expensive chinese waste-of-money copy with an added gimmick which completely defeats their purpose? Period. Why would anyone want to consider them to " Just think of these as passive noise headphones"?
Thanks for the clear warning about these cans, - Sorry you appear to have had to buy them to write it!

licensedtoquill said:
...
Thanks for the clear warning about these cans, - Sorry you appear to have had to buy them to write it!
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Click to collapse
I review products other companies send my way, so don't feel sorry for me since no money was wasted. I do a detailed write up, provide my honest opinion, and at the end you guys should decide if it worth spending you hard earned money.
The idea behind this review was to showcase a knock off of Beats Studio headphones (2012 edition, since in 2013 they updated it with rechargeable battery). This is 1:1 copy of what Beats is selling for a few hundred dollars, with an exception of some details as it was pointed out above were the name and label was changed and a few accessories are different. All your comments above are valid and understandable, and also applicable to those who spent $200-$300 on a real thing

Oh well, in that case, well done for having got yourself into that position!
I have reviewed a number of noise cancelling headphones myself, starting with the Noise Busters which were the first on the market over a decade ago, made by a firm on Long Island which specialised in headphones which HAD to work, for people who work habitually on airfield tarmac surrounded by 747s. Sooner or later the consumer headphone companies undercut them in price enough to put them out of the consumer business. However after a while one common thread became noticeable, which was that with few exceptions, they all seemed to use the same circuitry and did more or less the same job. The difference being the drivers themselves which most companies dont think worth spending too much on if the consumer likes noise reduction.
The result is that most of them sound very much alike, with some white noise, no really deep bass and mediochre mid range and not particularly clear high end. But they all more or less detect and get rid of much the same background noise. Interestingly, these Syllables according to your review, don't do that job at all! Leading to the question:: What is the circuitry which needs those batteries for exactly? And why did the company design circuitry which is not only cheap and is married to cheap drivers but which doesnt read sound and produce inverse sound waves? Especially where the universally available circuitry seems to be produced in one factory for sale to all sorts of headphone companies and does do what the other companies claim!
Did you try these cans in various different sound stages? In a plane, or in the street, in a subway or in a crowded room/bar? Sometimes the noise reduction is quite subtle and is only apparent after the sound has been sampled for a period of time. The cheaper ones (even the Philips, a company renowned for producing electronic equipment stuffed full of knobs which don't actually do anything) do in fact mask quite a lot of sound. it is just not apparent that they are doing so at first and the symptoms can sound like an ordinary injection of white noise.
There is a trick in the trade of not turning the item on and looking for effect; but listening for a while and turning the unit OFF and then registering any difference.
I would be amazed if Syllable didn't buy the circuitry from the factory which produces it, although there is something different about these if they don't work with the batteries flat. Just injecting white noise does nothing in noise canceling terms. If anything, it reduces any passive noise canceling effect?
There is some controversy in the industry concerning whether the inverse waves have to work at low frequency for aircraft noise or high frequency. (the original Noise Busters used to have an airplane slider to increase or decrease the effect. Which also didn't do a whole lot in consumer terms) And what is needed to cancel the background noise for telephone conversation has been in issue ever since people started trying to use VoIP on the 8125/Wizard!! Do these REALLY do none of these things?
---------- Post added at 12:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:12 AM ----------
I would be interested in knowing the answers to my questions because i do accept that if a chinese producer of absolute junk uses pathetically bad drivers, they will use the cheapest conceivable microphone which wont be able to read any realistic frequency range so it wont know what to tell the circuitry to cancel.
They may well use, for example, the real licensed NoiseBuster circuitry and still not work!

licensedtoquill said:
Oh well, in that case, well done for having got yourself into that position!
I have reviewed a number of noise cancelling headphones myself, starting with the Noise Busters which were the first on the market over a decade ago, made by a firm on Long Island which specialised in headphones which HAD to work, for people who work habitually on airfield tarmac surrounded by 747s. Sooner or later the consumer headphone companies undercut them in price enough to put them out of the consumer business. However after a while one common thread became noticeable, which was that with few exceptions, they all seemed to use the same circuitry and did more or less the same job. The difference being the drivers themselves which most companies dont think worth spending too much on if the consumer likes noise reduction.
The result is that most of them sound very much alike, with some white noise, no really deep bass and mediochre mid range and not particularly clear high end. But they all more or less detect and get rid of much the same background noise. Interestingly, these Syllables according to your review, don't do that job at all! Leading to the question:: What is the circuitry which needs those batteries for exactly? And why did the company design circuitry which is not only cheap and is married to cheap drivers but which doesnt read sound and produce inverse sound waves? Especially where the universally available circuitry seems to be produced in one factory for sale to all sorts of headphone companies and does do what the other companies claim!
Did you try these cans in various different sound stages? In a plane, or in the street, in a subway or in a crowded room/bar? Sometimes the noise reduction is quite subtle and is only apparent after the sound has been sampled for a period of time. The cheaper ones (even the Philips, a company renowned for producing electronic equipment stuffed full of knobs which don't actually do anything) do in fact mask quite a lot of sound. it is just not apparent that they are doing so at first and the symptoms can sound like an ordinary injection of white noise.
There is a trick in the trade of not turning the item on and looking for effect; but listening for a while and turning the unit OFF and then registering any difference.
I would be amazed if Syllable didn't buy the circuitry from the factory which produces it, although there is something different about these if they don't work with the batteries flat. Just injecting white noise does nothing in noise canceling terms. If anything, it reduces any passive noise canceling effect?
There is some controversy in the industry concerning whether the inverse waves have to work at low frequency for aircraft noise or high frequency. (the original Noise Busters used to have an airplane slider to increase or decrease the effect. Which also didn't do a whole lot in consumer terms) And what is needed to cancel the background noise for telephone conversation has been in issue ever since people started trying to use VoIP on the 8125/Wizard!! Do these REALLY do none of these things?
---------- Post added at 12:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:12 AM ----------
I would be interested in knowing the answers to my questions because i do accept that if a chinese producer of absolute junk uses pathetically bad drivers, they will use the cheapest conceivable microphone which wont be able to read any realistic frequency range so it wont know what to tell the circuitry to cancel.
They may well use, for example, the real licensed NoiseBuster circuitry and still not work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny that you should mention the circuitry. I have just the answer to your question:
vantt1 said:
Now onto the internal components. This replica uses the exact same speaker drivers, noise cancelling microphones (one in each ear cup) and active noise cancelling amplifier circuit as the real ones. This means they have the exact same audible range (20-20,000 Hz) and the same bass-heavy audio (but surprisingly less muddy than the real ones). The circuit does a mediocre job at noise cancelling, also having the same noisy hiss like the real ones.
As seen here, the circuit board is like a clone of the real one, seen in comparison with an official picture. It even has the same dual-color LED that changes color when the battery is low. The only difference I can see is the Monster branding on the power switch.
The circuit board mainly uses two ICs to achieve the unique Beats EQ effect - the Maxim Integrated MAX4410EUD+ 141 and two ON Semiconductor MC33202 (ALGW?) ICs. The Maxim provides a -3 dB high-pass filter to decrease treble (thereby increasing bass). I'm not sure what is responsible for the ANC though, the 33202's look like they're independent amps driving the left and right channels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm that the microphones used are real piezoelectric microphones. Being absolute junk though? You'll have to ask Dr. Dre why that is.
And for your information, noise environment =/= sound stage.

Sorry for delay on this response, I wasn't notified of your response.
vantt1 said:
Funny that you should mention the circuitry. I have just the answer to your question:
I can confirm that the microphones used are real piezoelectric microphones. Being absolute junk though? You'll have to ask Dr. Dre why that is.
And for your information, noise environment =/= sound stage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it is the old chinese trick of using the correct licensed boards or copying them, but completing your product with such low quality junk components that the end-product doesn't either work or continue to work. (Just because the mics are real piezo doesnt mean that they are the same as Sennheisers or Bose and that proper QC was maintained in the factory making them)
Incidentally, you didn't say what happens when you use the headphones for a while so that the mics become acclimatised to the exterior sound and turn the NR off?

licensedtoquill said:
So it is the old chinese trick of using the correct licensed boards or copying them, but completing your product with such low quality junk components that the end-product doesn't either work or continue to work. (Just because the mics are real piezo doesnt mean that they are the same as Sennheisers or Bose and that proper QC was maintained in the factory making them)
Incidentally, you didn't say what happens when you use the headphones for a while so that the mics become acclimatised to the exterior sound and turn the NR off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correction: they are typical electret condenser microhpones, not the piezoelectric type.
I don't know about the ANC turning itself off. Are they supposed to do that?

vantt1 said:
Correction: they are typical electret condenser microhpones, not the piezoelectric type.
I don't know about the ANC turning itself off. Are they supposed to do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what happens when you use the headphones for a while so that the mics become acclimatised to the exterior sound and turn the NR off?

licensedtoquill said:
what happens when you use the headphones for a while so that the mics become acclimatised to the exterior sound and turn the NR off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, sound stops coming out of them, because they only work when the headphone's on.

vantt1 said:
Well, sound stops coming out of them, because they only work when the headphone's on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting: I always wondered why so many reputable companies (eg Bose, which arent exactly cheap) bothered with that lousy design in which the whole headphone dies completely when the battery gives out.

I've checked out the reviews on Amazon & many people say that these are cheaply built & break easily. Plus the "1 year warranty" is only if you live in China & they won't honor it anywhere else

licensedtoquill said:
Interesting: I always wondered why so many reputable companies (eg Bose, which arent exactly cheap) bothered with that lousy design in which the whole headphone dies completely when the battery gives out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you used those headphones passively, you'll no longer be able to experience the "Bose Experience" or "What the artist intended".

Review of SMS Audio SYNC by 50 on-ear wireless headphones (2013) w/lots of pics!!!

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Sent from my g2 using Tapatalk

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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?

Review of Xiaomi Pistons 2 headphones with Android in-line remote w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of Xiaomi Pistons 2 in-ear headphones with a full featured android in-line remote. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L92CU24/ or http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=321443604850 (manufacturer website: http://www.xiaomi.com/huosai)
Once again I'm speechless, sitting down with a pair of $24.90 headphones that look and sound better than a number of other popular brand name IEMs that cost 4x-5x that much. How is it possible? For a lot of us who live in US and EU, there is a whole world of great headphone brands from Asia we never even heard of. After reading and participating in a number of discussions on head-fi, I decided to look into much talked about Xiaomi Pistons currently on their 2nd generation release.
I know the price of under $25 sounds ridiculous for anything of a high quality, but you have to trust me - these headphones are simply amazing! I know a lot of you see the name and the model and quickly get on Google to search for the best deals. Here is a thing, when it comes to these particular in-ear headphones, any search will yield a lot of results with fake models. And because those often cost almost as much or a few dollars less than original, it's really hard to find a trusted seller of Pistons. That is a reason I'm providing you Amazon link of a trusted seller who has real Pistons v2 in stock. Be very careful when placing an order even with amazon where you have multiple sellers, and make sure its with Zhengnan'shop. Apparently there used to be other sellers under the same listing which turned out to be fake ones. The one I received came from Zhengnan'shop, I confirmed it to be the real deal!
OK, since I got that explanation out of the way, let's take a closer look at the headphones itself. The small carton box they arrived in turned out to be a one piece design which unfolded with instructions and other info. Unfortunately, everything was in Chinese, but I can certainly appreciate the originality of this design. Once you take the actual box out, you are presented with a gorgeous view of golden in-ear headphones inside of jewelry-like box. When you lift the cover, the first thing you notice is... a smell. I know what you might think, probably a smell of toxic plastic? Absolutely not, you are getting a smell of a chocolate. Yes, I did say "chocolate". There is a lot of thought that went into design of these headphones and their packaging, including one of the most original presentation with a piece of molded rubber insert that houses earphones, inline remote, a plug, a cord which gets wrapped around, and also made out of material with a sweet smell of chocolate. Underneath on the bottom of the box you will find 3 bonus sets of eartips and a really cool shirt clip (a very original design). Once you take the headphones out, you can't help but notice how super lightweight these are and how detailed is their design. Everything from headphone housing to in-line remote (which also serves as cable y-splitter) and 3.5mm connector is made out of lightweight aluminum alloy material with a gold finish and laser etched circular lines. Everything feels solid, durable, and very premium quality. The cord itself is tangle free, and the portion between splitter-remote and 3.5mm plug has a threaded coating which almost looks like a shoelace. The part of the cable from the splitter-remote up to headphones has a durable rubbery coating attached to earpieces with a decent strain relief.
There is no doubt, Pistons have a very luxurious look and feel, but how about the sound quality? Once you put these in your ears, get ready for a very pleasant surprise!!! Featuring a patented beryllium diaphragm, I found these dynamic drivers to cover quite an extended frequency range. The first thing you will notice a rich deep bass which extends quite nicely down to a powerful sub-bass layer while still having a well controlled punchy mid-bass. The selection of a proper eartip size to create the best seal with your earcanal will play a significant role in the amount of bass you will hear. With my selection of medium eartips, I found the bass quantity to be definitely boosted. Not quite at basshead level, but enough to feel it. At the other side of the spectrum, treble was very clear and smooth, hardly any hint of sibilance. Mids were detailed, a bit recessed, but still leveled enough to enjoy vocals. Overall the sound was bright and balanced with a little bit of v-shaped eq, a nice low end enhancement, and in general very airy and smooth. Of course, as great as they sound, it will not replace $500 multi-driver IEMs with a fuller body sound and better separation, but the fact I'm even bringing up a comparison of $25 to $500 in-ear headphones can tell you how highly I think of these. The soundstage was above average thanks to semi-open design with a port on the back of these headphones. Despite that, they actually had a decent passive noise isolation, but as I mentioned above a good seal with a proper eartip is very important to achieve that.
Usually I don't spend too much time talking about in-line remote, but in case of Pistons it deserves a special mentioning. Every pair of headphones I reviewed so far with in-line remote never had a set of volume controls that works with Android phones. Typically you have multi-function button which is universal between android and apple devices, mic for taking calls, and up/down volume for iPhones. Well, Xiaomi is actually a very well known Chinese android smartphone maker, and that is why their headphones were designed specifically for android phones. Though I only tested it with my Galaxy Note 2, the volume control worked perfectly!!!!! Furthermore, multi-function button worked great for play/pause/call with a single click, skip next with a double click, and skip prev with a triple click, and long-press for Google Now. No additional software was necessary, everything worked by default. Also, phone calls were loud and clear.
Overall, I found Xiaomi Pistons 2 to be one of the best value headphones I have tested in a very long time!!! The combination of a sexy design, durable construction, amazing sound quality with a great bass, and full remote control compatibility with android phones makes this a MUST have accessory which gets my high recommendation.
Here are the pictures.
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Apparently these Pistons 2 just won a prestigious IF 2014 design award, and even going to be re-leased in a limited edition white box. For $25 with their sound quality and full android controls, it's a no-brainer.

Vectron,
Thanks for the great review. Just ordered them using your provided link. Question.
How long did it take to get them?
Rusty
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

Rsmin said:
Vectron,
Thanks for the great review. Just ordered them using your provided link. Question.
How long did it take to get them?
Rusty
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About 10 days.
Make sure to come back with your impressions Sound quality is very subjective, so I'm always curious to find out what others think about it.

Will do
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

amazing ear phone

vectron said:
Apparently these Pistons 2 just won a prestigious IF 2014 design award, and even going to be re-leased in a limited edition white box. For $25 with their sound quality and full android controls, it's a no-brainer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vectron,
Thanks for letting us know about these headphones. Just received them yesterday and the sound is fantastic. These are going to be my go to headphones for now. Now mind you I am no music guru but for me these are crisp, and super clear through the entire spectrum. I have had Sony's, V-moda, Panasonic, Skull Candy's (all which are good) but there is just something about these that seem a little better than the others I have had, plus the Android controls just make it that much better.
And the price just puts the icing on the cake.
Rusty
Sent from my GT-N5110 using xda app-developers app

yellowstarmoonsun said:
looks good, but i don't like golden... the sound is good or average?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sound is VERY good, better than some $150 headphones I tested. Definitely highly recommend! Just make sure you get a real thing, too make fakes are floating around.

May I ask about the length of the wire between the controller and the in-ear headphone? Because I've seen in some reviews that people say the distance is long, thus it is hard to either reach for the controller, or talk in a call while walking or standing outside

Eleo said:
May I ask about the length of the wire between the controller and the in-ear headphone? Because I've seen in some reviews that people say the distance is long, thus it is hard to either reach for the controller, or talk in a call while walking or standing outside
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's about 10.5 inches. There is no problem to reach the buttons, it's actually very convenient since the in-line remote is also y-splitter for the wires. But sometime when I make a call the mic is too far away and I have to lift it up to speak. For those occasions the included metal shirt clip is a lifesaver Just attach it to the cable underneath of the remote and place it closer to your face. Problem solved! This headphone has the highest price/performance ratio at the current moment from everything I have tested. For $25 it's an amazing value, great sound quality, sexy design, and full android integration including volume up/down.

xiaomi
wow xiaomi is a big name in china:victory::victory:

it looks good
Maybe I should try to get one to use

Doesn't work for my Moto X 4.2

I want to buy this, I don't live in the US, I'm assuming the ones on eBay are mostly fake
?
Faux - Cataclysm Nexus 5

gunrunner25 said:
Doesn't work for my Moto X 4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean volume control, right? The multifunction middle button should work for play/pause/call. I have no idea why Moto had to be different with volume control

honeybunchie said:
I want to buy this, I don't live in the US, I'm assuming the ones on eBay are mostly fake
?
Faux - Cataclysm Nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you contact Zhengnan's shop on Amazon (US) and asked them about it?

Just ordered a pair, and awaiting shipment!
vectron said:
Be very careful when placing an order even with amazon where you have multiple sellers, and make sure its with Zhengnan'shop. Apparently there used to be other sellers under the same listing which turned out to be fake ones. The one I received came from Zhengnan'shop, I confirmed it to be the real deal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up.
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

vectron said:
You mean volume control, right? The multifunction middle button should work for play/pause/call. I have no idea why Moto had to be different with volume control
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right. the middle button works fine. On my wife's HTC DNA, the volume controls function as the next/previous track. I assume it's software dependent.

gunrunner25 said:
Right. the middle button works fine. On my wife's HTC DNA, the volume controls function as the next/previous track. I assume it's software dependent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried JAYS Headset control app? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.jays.headsetcontrol
Not 100% sure it will resolve your problem, but still worth a shot!

vectron said:
Have you tried JAYS Headset control app? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.jays.headsetcontrol
Not 100% sure it will resolve your problem, but still worth a shot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes. in the advanced options, it only recognizes the button press for the center button.

Review of Audio-Technica ATH-IM50 in-ear headphones w/lots of pics!!!

removed.

this is masterpiece.. :good:
the best IEM under $100 i ever wear.
no doubt about that.
the best.
the only downside for me is, this device is huge.
i dont know if my ear somewhat small or what, but i kinda uncomfortable wearing it for long period.
also the choice for using a memory wire curling behind the ear to secure position, makes it more uncomfortable to use it while sleep-relaxing in bed.
other than that, this is awesome and great IEM.. :good::good::good:

marhensa said:
this is masterpiece.. :good:
the best IEM under $100 i ever wear.
no doubt about that.
the best.
the only downside for me is, this device is huge.
i dont know if my ear somewhat small or what, but i kinda uncomfortable wearing it for long period.
also the choice for using a memory wire curling behind the ear to secure position, makes it more uncomfortable to use it while sleep-relaxing in bed.
other than that, this is awesome and great IEM.. :good::good::good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great place to get replacement cables for ATH-IM50: http://www.lunashops.com/search.php...hcmNoX2VuY29kZV90aW1lIjtpOjE0MDcyMTE4NTI7fQ==
I got their silver plated one, but you can get a cheaper one for $20. No memory wire, and you can get even one with in-line remote for phone control (I'm waiting to receive that one as well). Silver placed wire improved the sound significantly - more detailed mids/highs and more rumble in the bass.

vectron said:
Great place to get replacement cables for ATH-IM50: http://www.lunashops.com/search.php...hcmNoX2VuY29kZV90aW1lIjtpOjE0MDcyMTE4NTI7fQ==
I got their silver plated one, but you can get a cheaper one for $20. No memory wire, and you can get even one with in-line remote for phone control (I'm waiting to receive that one as well). Silver placed wire improved the sound significantly - more detailed mids/highs and more rumble in the bass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what the heck? there's a lot cable choices?
wow, this is good.
the silver one you are using, do you mean this?
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4257
also the other one with microphone, is this the correct one?
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4344

marhensa said:
what the heck? there's a lot cable choices?
wow, this is good.
the silver one you are using, do you mean this?
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4257
also the other one with microphone, is this the correct one?
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4344
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes on both counts I already posted a review about silver one in my ATH-IM03 review thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=54336482&postcount=2
Will do the same when I get the other cable. Btw, I did mention that bass a bit too strong with silver cable on IM50 and I preferred it on IM03 better, but it's just a matter of a personal taste.

Thanks for the review

Review of Lunashops replacement cable with in-line remote for ATH-IMxx headphones.
This is a review of Lunashops replacement cable with in-line remote for Audio Technica ATH-IMxx series headphones. http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4344
After my last review of Lunashops silver-plated audio replacement cable for ATH-IMxx series, I would like to look now into another replacement cable with in-line remote for calls and music controls when connected to your smartphone.
Available at a faction of the OEM in-line remote cable cost (only $20 shipped), this is another high quality cable for those who are on a budget and don't want to sacrifice the performance. Arrived in a plain small ziploc bag, it was carefully packaged and taped in a bubble wrap and mailed inside of a small bubble-padded envelope to ensure safe delivery. Cable itself is a little bit longer than stock, 1.3m, but uses the same OFC copper wires as OEM and similar color-coded 2-pin connectors with red designated for a right side. Furthermore, each connector is labeled with corresponding L/R marking and L one has a dimple to id it in the dark.
The cable has a soft cotton braided net shielding which resembles shoe lace, and it actually feels very nice to the touch and when placed over the ear. Just make sure to keep it away from velcro, it will pull it apart At first I was a bit surprised that cable cinch wasn't included, but once I tried these on, I found it wasn't even necessary since the soft nature of the cable shaped naturally around my ear. It also makes it easy when you need to wrap the cable for storage. For anybody who has IM01-04 and IM50-70, you know very well that between memory wire loop and heavy duty cable you need a large headphone case for storage, especially if you want to keep the shape of memory wire. Here, you can use any compact small headphone case. The 3.5mm plug has TRRS gold plated connector, and the housing of the plug is straight with a small diamond cut ring area toward the end (enhances the grip when you pull the connector out) and also a strain relief.
Of course, the star of this cable is in-line remote with microphone which also serve as y-splitter for the cable. The mic opening and multi-function button is on the same side, with a button being slightly raised and easy to locate by sliding a finger without even looking at remote. The button has functionality to pick up and hang up a phone call with a single click, and also to control the music playback with a single click for Play/Pause, double click to skip next and triple click to skip previous, all tested successfully on my Note 2. Long press starts Google NOW. In addition, there is a switch to ensure compatibility with different smart phones. As some of you might aware, common multifunction button in different headphones work well with Galaxy, LG, HTC, and iPhone, while sometime it doesn't work as expected with Moto, Sony, Nokia, and some others. This switch ensures full compatibility with all smart phones. Another important point, though remote/mic is located farther away from your mouth down by y-splitter location, the mic has an excellent sensitivity without a need to raise remote to your mouth. The reason I'm bringing this up because Pistons headphones cable has remote/mic in the same location, and I always have to bring it up to my mouth for people on the other side to hear me. This cable doesn't require that.
As you can see, cable has a great build quality and robust remote/mic functionality. So how about the audio quality? I have tested it on IM03 and IM50 comparing to stock cable, and can tell you with 100% certainty - the audio quality is IDENTICAL! Don't expect an enhancement since this is not silver plated cable, but rather OFC replacement cable. But the fact that adding remote/mic inline didn't affect the sound quality means a high quality workmanship since the continuity of the wire was interrupted to add the remote/mic while sound quality still remained unchanged. Also, I sensed no microphonics effect.
Overall, for $20 this is a fantastic cable that enhances functionality of your Audio-Technica ATH-IM series headphones, helps to get rid off memory wire (for those who are not fans of it), and adds call and music playback control when used with your smartphone. Unfortunately, there is no volume control, but considering how volume control varies between Android and iOS and even between different Android phones, looks like Lunashops decided to use universal remote control to cater to most of the smartphones. I definitely recommend this cable!
Here are the pictures.
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With IM03
With IM50

I have a similar pair, they are pretty nice.

Review of Lunashops silver-plated OFC cable with in-line remote/mic
Here is a mini-review of Lunashops silver-plated OFC replacement cable for ATH-IMx series of Audio-Technica in-ear headphones. http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4402
Just over a week ago I was excited to share with your about their OFC replacement cable with in-line remote/mic (http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4344) which is still a great value for $20 shipped, without a memory wire, and with in-line mic/remote while retaining the sound quality identical to a stock OFC audio only cable. I also reviewed their silver plated audio-only cable (http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4257) which had a noticeable sound quality improvement for $40. But what if you don't want to sacrifice benefits of silver plated OFC cable and still want to retain universal in-line remote/mic to use ATH-IMx IEMs with your smartphone? The answer is a lovechild of these two cables in a form of a new http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4402 cable currently on sale for $25 (their introduction offer).
This cable is truly the best of both worlds. It has a twisted 5N OFC wire with a silver plated coating which improves conductivity of the signal, and as a consequent action improves the sound quality. This is a very consistent performance with every single silver plated wire I have tested on all of my mmcx and other removable cable IEMs. The sound gets brighter, more detailed, and improves perception of the soundstage width, though not necessary makes the sound wider. It also helps to improve the low end perception, making it crispier and less veil. In case of this cable, you can definitely hear the benefit of sound improvement over the stock cable and the replacement OFC w/remote cable. It's not at the same level as audio only silver plated cable, but comes close. The cable shielding is soft and easily folds behind your ear. The in-line remote is universal without a volume control, but with multi-function button for a Play/Pause/Call with a single click, skip next with a double click, skip previous with a triple click, and activate Google NOW (or SIRI) with a long press. 3.5mm plug is slim and straight and has gold-plated finish.
Overall, I think it's a no-brainer for $5 more than original OFC only replacement cable where you get a higher quality silver-plated wire and the same in-line remote/mic control. This one gets another high recommendation from me.
Here are the pictures.

I might have to pick me up some of these. I have been looking for a good IEM with a lot of bass for the gym and listening at work. Great review Vector. You are the man!

Beautiful review :good:, congratulations.
I bought a pair of these ATH-IM50 in accessory jack too. They haven't yet been delivered but I'm already thinking of buy the silver-plated cable with mic and because of this I have a question for you.
Do you have any friend that have a Lumia Windows phone that you can test if the Cortana voice commands works on these cable mics?
Thanks

Pvcabr said:
Beautiful review :good:, congratulations.
I bought a pair of these ATH-IM50 in accessory jack too. They haven't yet been delivered but I'm already thinking of buy the silver-plated cable with mic and because of this I have a question for you.
Do you have any friend that have a Lumia Windows phone that you can test if the Cortana voice commands works on these cable mics?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I don't know anybody in my circle who uses Windows phone. Hopefully that switch on the remote will enable full compatibility with other phones. For example, standard iPhone/Android remote (beside volume controls that have different implementation between platforms), multifunction button works on iPhone and Galaxy phone as well as HTC, Sony, and LG. But it doesn't work on Moto phones Not sure if Lumia has a same implementation as Moto or the rest of the phones. So, hard to tell...

Just a quick review from a nubie of audiophile.
I just attend an audiophile event in my country, and bought both the ATH-IM50 and also a JBL Synchros Reflect for my XZU (pictured).
I mostly enjoys smooth jazz, some new pop music (MJ, Phil Collins, OneRep, JasonMraz, etc) and a little bit of rock & metal. I mostly had them in 320 MP3 and FLAC, with some only about 192-256 cbr and vbr one.
I found it that ATH-IM50 is warmer compared to Synchros Reflect. Moreover, ATH-IM50 a bit behind on punchy side and upper side compared to Synchros Reflect.
So to me, the ATH-IM50 is better for rock, heavy metal songs as it tend to render middle up a bit muffled compared to Synchros Reflect which tend to be forward on middle up.
My 2cents. Cheers.
My XZU and the two IEM. The ATH-IM50 had gone 20hrs of burn in, while the Synchros Reflect is on burn-in stage.
Edit: they both at the similar price level when I bought it. (Event promo priced!) ATH-IM50=~US$74, SynchrosReflect=~US$65

REALLY GREAT earphones for the price !
prominent vocal, ample bass, a whole change of style, great work audio-technica