Develop Bugs

Headphones /w Mics (Ibeats)

I figured I let my loss be to the benefit of the forum. I bought the dre ibeats can confirm that they do not work with the Atrix at all. i also have the first generation beats by dre that don't work as well. I know there are newer models of the large ones so I don't know if it would be the same for all of them. I am getting the bose MiE2 later tomorrow, and i will tell you guys if they work. If any one else has tried getting high quality sounding headphones to work with the Atrix please chime in.

ram8704 said:
I figured I let my loss be to the benefit of the forum. I bought the dre ibeats can confirm that they do not work with the Atrix at all. i also have the first generation beats by dre that don't work as well. I know there are newer models of the large ones so I don't know if it would be the same for all of them. I am getting the bose MiE2 later tomorrow, and i will tell you guys if they work. If any one else has tried getting high quality sounding headphones to work with the Atrix please chime in.
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Lol I'm not trying to be a troll or anything but Bose and Beats By Dre are NOT high quality sounding headphones. Try some Klipsch or Shure.

Best way to no troll is simply to say what headphones you think are better. maybe say why and provide a model number for people to look it up. Thanks in advance if you take the time to provide the information. I think it would prove very constructive to the thread.
P.S. After some preliminary searching the shure's that would work are the 100 series and are of lower quality. I used to have 200 series. The Klipsch are pretty much the same. All the best ones only control apple products. I'm hoping to be proven wrong so i can buy great headphones.

Hmm.... i don't recall the headphone jack actually supporting a microphone input as well. Mind if i ask why you're searching for such headphones?
Not sure if they have any headphones with a microphone.... but i'm quite fond of Sennheiser's offerings. I have the CX 300 noise cancelling earbuds, and while i don't use them very often for listening to music (Unlike the odd people i see driving down the highway with the telltale white earbuds in their ears.... idiots... both for the obvious reasons, and because Apple's earbuds blow), the times i do i really enjoy them. They sound great.

elementaldragon said:
Hmm.... i don't recall the headphone jack actually supporting a microphone input as well. Mind if i ask why you're searching for such headphones?
Not sure if they have any headphones with a microphone.... but i'm quite fond of Sennheiser's offerings. I have the CX 300 noise cancelling earbuds, and while i don't use them very often for listening to music (Unlike the odd people i see driving down the highway with the telltale white earbuds in their ears.... idiots... both for the obvious reasons, and because Apple's earbuds blow), the times i do i really enjoy them. They sound great.
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I'll take a look. To answer your question. I take public transit to and from college. I hate hearing people on the train. I also hate the interruption of a call where I have to take off my studio headset. I would rather have a small pair that allow to answer the call, and then get back to what I was doing quickly.

Guys seems that this headset works with Atrix..
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/U...s/ci.Motorola-OH20-US-EN.productCompatibility
considering on buying one of this? did someone tried?

I can confirm that the RF3 ENVi Natural Wood Stereo Earbuds microphone works with the Atrix. Very good sound quality as well, better than some Klipsch s2s I had!

I can confirm that the bose mie2 doesn't work either.

whoo hoo!
https://market.android.com/developer?pub=Christoph+Kober
His app seems to work for me. Using Altec Lansing uhp336 (rebadged Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3) with the cable for the Ultimate Ears Triplefi 10vi and the button and mic appear to work.

They aren't the top of the line, but the mic on these skullcandy Full Metal Jacket headphones work well for me. w ww.skullcandy.com/shop/fmj-shoe-blue.html
And they sound great for the price.

I'll probably use them very rarely and would like something cheap (<$15). Any suggestions?

MrEelgante said:
They aren't the top of the line, but the mic on these skullcandy Full Metal Jacket headphones work well for me. w ww.skullcandy.com/shop/fmj-shoe-blue.html
And they sound great for the price.
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Ok I guess I will return my $100 plus sets and get the skullcandy.

khufiya said:
I'll probably use them very rarely and would like something cheap (<$15). Any suggestions?
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I'm about to buy the motorola OH20 model. On ebay we can find it for 10 bucks.
Sent from my GT-I9000B using XDA App

Just so you know, on the skullcandy headphones, you'll need the headphone button control app for the in-line headphone button to control your music.

FYI, tested BOSE MIE2i headset - mic works, the buttons do not. I tried the above mentioned Headset app, but no luck with buttons either. This sucks a bit :/

meelectronics m11p work fine on my atrix

any comment on how some of the known functioning (mic and buttons) headphones/earbuds are for running and working out? I'd like to put my atrix in place of my ipod sometimes while running but I hate the earbuds coming loose and having to constantly adjust them.

For reasons that don't matter here, I got a set of Klipsch s4i earphones/mic.
Klipsch said up front the control buttons will only work with the iPhone line, says there's a magic ichip actually in the control stick.
So while none of the buttons (NONE AT ALL) work on the Atrix, the sound quality, clarity and definition, is astounding, better than a lot of expensive audio gear I've heard over the years, and the mic functions 100% on calls as well.

Rred said:
For reasons that don't matter here, I got a set of Klipsch s4i earphones/mic.
Klipsch said up front the control buttons will only work with the iPhone line, says there's a magic ichip actually in the control stick.
So while none of the buttons (NONE AT ALL) work on the Atrix, the sound quality, clarity and definition, is astounding, better than a lot of expensive audio gear I've heard over the years, and the mic functions 100% on calls as well.
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Mic + controls work on RF3 ENVi earphones.

Zephyrs said:
I can confirm that the RF3 ENVi Natural Wood Stereo Earbuds microphone works with the Atrix. Very good sound quality as well, better than some Klipsch s2s I had!
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How's the bass on the RF3's? Thanks.

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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Click to collapse
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.

Loud headphones, buds, or BT

I am kind of hard of hearing.
I am looking for suggestions on the following for headphones/buds. I would prefer buds but over the ear is okay.
1. Loud. (Loud enough to use while I am mowing the lawn and weed eating) I listen to both music and podcasts.
2. Clear/Good sound.
3. Not too expensive.
First one that says "Beats" gets my AR-15 pulled on them. Though no one should make that suggestion since two of my requirements are that they sound good and are inexpensive.
I use the ones that came with my M8 for everyday use and I had a certain set that I used while mowing. (They were earbuds and came with one of my MOTO phones I think) I broke them the other day mowing when they caught on the handle of the pull start and ripped apart.
Anyway, is anyone in a similar situation that has suggestions for me?
Also, down the road, I would like to find some BT earbuds or headphones that fit the same criteria.

If you have seen a sticky with all my reviews (also the link in my signature), I reviewed a ton of headphones. When it comes to wired ones and on a budget, Xiaomi Pistons might be a good choice for you but wires will get in the way. Speaking from a personal experience when I'm working in my backyard, you need to go with a wireless headset. I absolutely enjoy using my LG HBS-730 because of all the controls under my fingers. HBS-800 has a better sound, but some of the controls are not as easy to access and 800 cost $90 while 730 is on sale for $43 now. Both were reviewed and in my list. 730 is a great choice under $50, you can get it loud enough, and all the controls are easy to access.

It really depends on what you want to use them for.. Yes obviously listen to music but is that all?. Do you want a pair for watching movies with big sound or are they just for your way to work on the bus..
Perso, I bought the cheapest pair of sony buds and they work like a charm.
On a side note, if your hard at hearing why would the sound quality be a priority since your probably going to phase out the deeper hrz you would find on more expensive gear.....

If somewhat hard of hearing, I think sound isolating headphones (either closed back ones that just keep sound out, or active noise cancellation ones) would be the way to go. In my experience, managing the signal-to-noise ratio is as important as total volume. Knock out the background noise, and the signal that you want to hear will be easier to hear at moderate volume.

Xiaomi Piston 2 have very good sound from what I have read. If you use Comply tips they will also isolate very well.
Xiaomi Piston IF Commemorative Edition (With more tips)
Xiaomi Piston Design 2.0 Earphones
They are both the same

vectron said:
If you have seen a sticky with all my reviews (also the link in my signature), I reviewed a ton of headphones. When it comes to wired ones and on a budget, Xiaomi Pistons might be a good choice for you but wires will get in the way. Speaking from a personal experience when I'm working in my backyard, you need to go with a wireless headset. I absolutely enjoy using my LG HBS-730 because of all the controls under my fingers. HBS-800 has a better sound, but some of the controls are not as easy to access and 800 cost $90 while 730 is on sale for $43 now. Both were reviewed and in my list. 730 is a great choice under $50, you can get it loud enough, and all the controls are easy to access.
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Sorry for just now getting back here but I have been busy. Thanks for the replies. As recommended both by you and note10 I will check out the Pistons.
As for the LG BT buds, I picked up a pair a few months ago at the Verizon store. A lot of the employees in the stores had them on so I specifically asked about quality and volume. I was told they were great. So I bought them. They were the LG Pro. On sale for $59.
Well they sounded like crap. no volume and it was like I was listening through a tin can. So I took them back. Someone I know was working theat day and I told him my problem. And he was wearing a pair. So this guy leveled with me. The ones they are carrying are the second gen and they have been getting them all back. Just about everybody in the store that was wearing them had the first gens. Huge difference.
obtuce said:
It really depends on what you want to use them for.. Yes obviously listen to music but is that all?. Do you want a pair for watching movies with big sound or are they just for your way to work on the bus..
Perso, I bought the cheapest pair of sony buds and they work like a charm.
On a side note, if your hard at hearing why would the sound quality be a priority since your probably going to phase out the deeper hrz you would find on more expensive gear.....
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I will mostly use them around the house and yard work for both music and podcasts of talk shows.
As for wanting sound quality, I am hard of hearing, not deaf. I have losses in some upper ranges. And I also have tinnitus which is mainly why I need the louder volume. I still like deep rich bases and clear highs (at least the ones I can hear)

Skullcandy
I don't like buying headphones that are too expensive. That's why I bough the Skullcandy Ink'd 2.0. They seem to be really solid headphones and even after 5 times in the washing machine were working for me. :good:
They can go pretty loud and they're really clear audio quality. That is my recommendation

If volume is the biggest problem, something like a Fiio E11 ask amp, or even an E6, would help.
However, I fully agree you should first focus on isolation and clarity, thus salvaging whatever hearing you can. Foam tips are your friend.
Bluetooth will likely never be as loud or as clear as plugging directly in, also.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

For me it is BT headphones.

Recommended headphones

Guys, I bought the US HTC 10, so it came with no headphones.
Which ones do you recommend? I'm really interested in the Sennheiser CX 5.00 but I'm not sure if they're going to take advantage of the DAC. WHat other recommendatios do you have?
Thanks in advance.

I got the HTC "hi-res" earphones as I'm in Europe. They're very good for a bundled pair and I thought they were too bassy but then I set up a audio profile for them listening to frequencies and they sound fine. That function actually works!
I haven't listened to the cx 5.00 for a while but as far as direct experience on the HTC 10, I'm pleased with
-Sony EX650ap, same price range, quite a nice, refined sound.
-Sennheiser HD25 i-ii, sounds just lovely, get deafeningly loud but twice the price and not an iem...
-UE 700 really takes advantage of the dac, so maybe another dual driver like the Xiaomi Hybrid or One More?
This phone is even able to drive my HD600s to acceptable levels. I'm tempted to hang on to my Tidal hi-fi account after the trial ends.

Original ones...
Sent from quite brutal hTc 10 ..

The original earphones are very good for a bundled earphone but aren't really anything special in the grand scheme of things. Those Sennheisers will probably be a decent upgrade. Otherwise, there are plenty of options available online; the HifiMan RE-400 was just on sale for $60, the Shozy Zero can commonly be found for the same price and offers a bassier alternative. The Xiaomi Pistons earphones are also very good and extremely cheap, the Pistons 3 go for around $15 whilst the triple driver hybrid "pro" model is around $25, both are an absolute steal.

I've got some Bose Soundlink over ear headphones and the sound is immense...

Shure SE215

Klipsch X10

Too bad we didn't get aptx HD for those times when I can't use wired cans.
Sony MDR7506 with 24 bit flac of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.

I'm using the B&O H7, which sound great too me. Was using the Beats Studio 2 before that. The sound quality was decent but it was lacking deep bass.

HTC has always seem to nail it in the audio department.

Sennheiser m2
Wired. No Bluetooth.

Still have to finish burn in with the original htc in ear but I already don't like them, too bassy! I do really love the Zero Audio carbo tenore, they are worth a lot more than the price they're asking for!

AF45m By Audiofly with Vyper4Android FX... Sound Is Very Very Good

Just paid $20 for Xiaomi In-ear Hybrid Earphones Pro. Triple drivers and they sound great!

I use Westone W40. All cool)

I'm using my old HTC8 Harmon Kardon ear buds for mobile use and Sennheiser Momentum 2 over the ear, corded headphones for home use. Both sound nice with this phone but the Sennheisers are my favorite. Being a decent set of over the ear headphones with a lower impedance, means this phone has more than enough power to get them sounding nice without a stand alone amp. I listen to a wide variety of music but they do a good job. Real comfortable and nice build quailty

jonson.0401 said:
HTC has always seem to nail it in the audio department.
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They're definitely becoming renowned for it, which is great because I think most manufacturers see it as an afterthought. The bundled Hi-Res earphones are so freakin' good.

is here someone from Taiwan, who may be interested in helping me to buy the HTC Hi-Res Audio Earphones in the HTC store?
if so please contact me priv.
thx in advance

Using a pair of Audiotechnica ATH M50X with it. Its awesome!!!

to big to me, I like small earphones, and those original form HTC are very good to me, but can't bay it anywhere.

Good Earbuds under 40$ ?

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.