New Earbuds

Okay i am looks for a great pair of ear buds for my ipod nano (3rd gen) and my macbook. I am looking to spend about $20 to $40. I will go to $50 but i have to buy it from best buy.com We have a reward zone card that will take about $5 off.

Are there any suggestions??

 

Well I went to the bb website and searched vmoda but there's no results. I'd totally recommend that earbud. It's comfortable, secure, and lots of bass. Sure beats that bose earbud thing which falls out at the slightest tug.

 

I personally love these. Great quality.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...topia&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1091101528169
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...topia&lp=5&type=product&cp=1&id=1051826204625

 

For that price I'd look for some Sennheiser CX300's. But if your going to go insane about it and spend more then I'd get some Q-Jays or some FutureSonic Atrio M5's.

 

I got the Creative EP-630s for $25. They sound great and yes, they do block out almost 100% of outside noise. Is there any specific type you're looking for? In-ears? Headphones? Just ear-buds?



edit; I did not realize they do not sell them at Best Buy, which is awfully strange (no, I personally did not purchase them from Best Buy, I purchased them online). So if you end up not finding any from Best Buy that you like, I would recommend those.

 

Check out head-fi.org, they have some good recommendations

 

EP-630/CX300/CX95 or Etymotic Research ER6i for +$50

 

Yeah the CX300 would be a good idea. The EP-630's sounds about the same, cheaper if you can find them. Also the UE Metro.fi2 is another option.

 

I just bought some sennheiser cx400 good base and nice little extras with them, like carry case, extension lead, cable winder etc

 

I agree with the Sennheisers. I have a pair of thier headphones and they have great sound and bass.

+1 rep

 

Get some skull candy.

 

Don't check out head-fi.org if you value your wallet...
(speaking from experience, if you look up my user name there - 3700+ posts )

I'd recommend looking at (some have been mentioned above)
v-moda bass-freq (++ on isolation/comfort)
v-moda remix
jvc marshmallow (also great isolation)

Avoid:
Bose - poor comfort, unstable, sound quality does not justify price (10 dollar philips earbuds sound better)
Skullcandy - same reason pretty much, assuming there is more to music in your book than midbass.

That's comments on what I see available at best-buy. They might have Sennheiser cx-300 in stock in stores, consider a pair of those if you find it.

 

LOL - I'm another victim, I have a UN over there and, well, let's just say I spent a LOT of money on headphones since joining. I can't imagine how much you spent.

My Shure e2C's broke two weeks ago and I ordered a pair of UE metro.fis as a replacement. I wasn't that happy with the Shures given their price tag - little bass, limited soundstage. I will give them props for great isolation though.

I paid $63 for the metro.fi at Amazon with free shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Metr...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1204258863&sr=8-1
They are supposed to come in the mail tomorrow, if you wait until then I'll post some first impressions. (PM me if I don't). I ordered them after going through the head-fi forums and reading a lot of reviews/comments.

 

Hah. You had E2C's and you say you spent alot of money? I am not 'sorry about your wallet' like that at all. =]

The recommendation of Metro.fi is quite excellent if the OP succumbs to online ordering and just a bit more budget. Bestbuy is quite limited with regards to audio equipment, really, and they manage to be overpriced.

 

I keep suggesting the JVC Marshmellow earbuds to everyone. I've been using them for about 3 months about 5 times a week, and they are awesome. Ver comfortable, lots of bass, and come with an extra set of the spongy ear pieces. Best part, they can sometimes be purchased for less than $10.

 

I just got a pair of SE210 and I am very impressed with the sound isolation.

It does lack a bit of bass and the mid range is kinda flat. I think my Sony MDR-EX90 sounds a bit better. I just wish there is some way I can take the Shure Earbuds and put it on my Sony headphones.

I'm thinking of returning my SE210 and get the SE530 instead.

Chaz, when you said your E2C broke, you mean the cable or the entire headphone?

 

The cable broke I think . . . the right headphone started to cut out and now I get no sound at all. It's an internal problem. They were over 2 years old and I used them daily outside/inside/at the gym, so I guess I should have seen it coming. A shame I am out of warranty because Shure is awesome at warranty replacements from what I have been reading.

About my metro.fis - I left for a friend's house for the weekend and apparently they got delivered just after I left. Oh well, I'll have to wait until Sunday to use them. I won't need them this weekend anyway. Still would have been nice to have though.

 

Chaz how much were the metro.fi s?

 

I concur..I've had the Senns for about a year and just picked up the aesthetic twin the creative 640's....similar sound but less exaggeration in the low end...and a symmetric cord setup along with a straight plug.

 

$63 was the best price I could find via PriceGrabber:

 

bummer I am being blind again ...

I got my super.fi 3 s for $70 ....ebay, I think they were clearing out the stock with old packaging.

 

Mostly agreed. And yes, looking at head-fi can be depressing. For OP, I recommend to stick with marshmallow or opt for 60-80$ range, where there are more choices, though.

 

For around $60-$70 US, you can get yourself a Sony MDR-EX90.

I've had it for 2 months and so far so good.

I've been reading a lot about Ultimate Ears and Shure and I still can't decided which one to buy. I kinda have my eye on Shure SE530 but people at "head-fi" seems to hate Shure. At least majority of the people prefer UE > Shure.

Anyways here is a picture of my modded EX90 which I am very happy with! Sounds so much better than the stock.

 

I got the metros today. They are amazing, and provide much fuller sound compared to the Shure e2c. The soundstage is wide, and there is great separation. The Shures in comparison sounded narrow and channeled. Mids are solid and peak a bit in the higher mid-range, which gives a nice effect in vocals. There is A LOT OF BASS and it is fantastic; I sorely missed bass with the e2c. The bass on these extends very far and doesn't overwhelm. It's just plain good bass, and very welcome. The highs are respectable - you'd need an earphone with more than one driver to get better (which are more expensive of course).

The noise isolation is good - not as good as the e2c which is a canalphone, but for an IEM is very respectable. There are four different sets of ear tips so these are great for just about any ear. I can't say these are quite as comfortable as the e2c based on the limited time I have spent with them (1 hour) but they most definitely are comfortable and they fit well; after a while I forget they are in my ear.

For a great all-around IEM, can't go wrong with these . . . highly recommended. $62.99 with free shipping ATM @ Amazon.

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Metr...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1204510120&sr=8-1

 

Here are some pics of the metro.fis. Left to right:
1. The whole package - packaging, leather pouch/case (a good quality leather one nonetheless), ear tips, & earphones

2. Earphones closeup

3. Another closeup

4. The shipping box, now apparently claimed by my cat

 

Hey Chaz, how much did Amazon charge for the kitty? haha~ j/k

Anyhow, I don't pretend to be an expert in earbuds, but i've owned a few and I basically look for ones that are 1. comfortable, 2. provides good sound. My most recent earbud is the Shure SE530, and I honestly can't make myself to like it. The sound is the best I heard from an earbud, the noise cancellation is phenomenal, BUT it's not as comfortable as I imagined (I'm not a big fan of foreign objects implanted inside my ear canal). I'm not sure what the metros are made of, but the se530's has a kind of plasticey and spongy texture which i find it kinda gruesome. I finally gave in and am now using the earbud that came with my ipod. From the pics, it looks like the metros are made of a more solid plastic material... is that right? how does it compare with your previous E2C in terms of comfort?

 

LOL. She follows me and likes to investigate/take part in whatever I'm doing. There goes a saying: dogs have owners, cats have servants.

The ear tips are very soft silicone, and they are very flexible.

Wow, those SE530s are very expensive. The tips on them look very similar to the ones on the e2c I had. These tips feel lighter in the ear if that makes any sense, and they are less intrusive since they are not canalphones. The tips on the metro.fi are much more reluctant to slip out of my ear. When I was at the gym, the e2c's ear tips slid out of my ear canal after a while, which was annoying. These seem to be a bit wider (I don't have the e2c with me to make the direct comparison) and have a more secure feel.
Note that I've had these for less than a day and have not had the chance to wear them continuously for over an hour; message me later in the week or something and I'll update you.

 

I necourage anyone who has not tried them to the Etymotic ER-4P. Not bass heavy but about as clear IEM as you can get. They go for about $175 now. I liked them mor than the Shure E4's I got later on.

 

That's one adorable, albeit grumpy looking cat.

 

no cat can ever resist an open box...

 

The OP asked about "ear buds". A lot of these suggestions are for ear canal phones (aka IEM's). There is not much to choose from in the ear bud catagory. In fact, I too am interested in ear bud suggestions.

 

But the fact is, a decent pair of IEM's are much easier to find than ear buds

Have a look at the Yuin PK2, according to head.fi they are probably the best ear buds.

 

does anyone know a legit seller for New White cx300s? (i live in the US)
or anything similar to cx300s in quality, and white.
(just like white headphones... ipod influence...i dunno)

 

It's a lot safer to buy a pair of in ear-phones - they block a significant amount of noise, even the canal phones. That means you don't have to have the volume up as high to hear music. For example the metro.fis block 16db of sound. I was walking down a busy road with lots of cars/trucks the other day and even with the music at a bit less than half volume, I could hear my music fine. Try that with the iPod stock earbuds. Note that my music is normalized to 89db - most music is closer to a crazy 99 db these days. That means I could have been listening to a non-normalized track at like 25-30% volume.

You could lose your hearing over time if you listen to music at above 50% with earbuds.

 

Not the best way to go with headphones due to a few design limitations with earbuds...

The best sounding buds on the market are made by Yuin, although their website is not very accessible. This is the company that handles retail / warranty issues (proven itself to be very reliable
http://www.head-direct.com/products.php?m=5

Otherwise - when it comes to earbuds...you might as well get the iBuds.

 

I have some kind of vmoda and they are totally comfortable. I can forget they're in really easily. They also stay well enough to work during exercise. They do block a lot of noise, and sound great. I was very pleased. They saved my life on a trans-atlantic flight with a screaming baby.

 

Sennheiser CX-95

http://www.trustedreviews.com/mp3/review/2008/03/05/Sennheiser-CX-95-Style-Canalphones/p1

 

I love my V-Modo earbuds from Costco.

 

Shure SE420 FTW!!!

But seriously, if you want a budget model, I say CX300 or EP630. Low end, either Etymotics research ER6i or Metro.Fi 2.

Avoid Sonys like the plague. Me and my friends that had MDR-EX71SL all regreted our choices. The (really soft and low quality) rubber of the cable melted. From normal use...

 

Well, if you want in-ear canal phones, at the price, you can't go wrong with a pair of Etymotic ER-6i. The MSRP is $150, so it's one hell of a deal. The sound is crispy clear and my volume is at 50% which is pretty loud. The only thing that would be great if it they had a bit more bass.

Earbuds? I got a $20 pair of Sennheisers MX500 which I bought before my pair of Etymotic's. They're pretty decent stuff, wayy better than the crappy buds that come with the ipod.

 

I wouldn't touch the Etymotic's I have some and I'm not impressed with them. They have no bass, for the price I'd go with the Future Sonic Atrio M5's I haven't heard them but I still think I'd suggest them over the Etymotics.

 

^ That's what I'm saying, the bass is lacking but there is bass, it's not like there's none. You first need to have a good insertion of the buds to feel it and to isolate the outside sound.

If you need lots of bass though, the Sony EX71's is where it's at. You think you're wearing huge headphones they're great. You can find em in the $30's. For higher priced ones,I'd go with Shure.

I myself bought Etymotic's because of the clarity, and the 6i do have more bass than the previous models by Etymotic.

 

Here is a ear buds suggestion. I got a pair of Sony MDR-E888LP 6 years ago and I am still using it. I think it is one of the best ear buds I own. I think they even sound better than my Shure 210 and Sony EX90. The bass doesn't have this really muddy feeling and the treble really crisp.

I know it sounds a bit odd, but the build quality for my MDR-E888LP is really good. Sony is not very well known for their built quality but the cables on my MDR-E888LP is still in very good condition after 6 years.

I've attach a picture that shows 3 cables.

1. Sony MDR-EX90LP
2. Sony MDR-E888LP
3. Shure SE210

As you can see, Sony latest top of the line IEM cable feels like very weak. The E888LP is so much thicker. I've been using it for 6 years now and it still works. I've own 2 pairs of EX70 and 1 EX71 and they are all broken because of the cable.

I'm sure if you search around online, you can find a pair!

 

I use the Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 3 canalphones. They're just a couple of bucks higher than your $50, but they're quality cans. They also come with multiple types of ear tips so you'll be able to find maximum comfort.

Their sound is clear, and of excellent quality. They're probably not for the person who believes music is composed of only bass (without any treble or midrange), but they are geared towards accurate sound reproduction (remember: studio monitors are meant for even treble/midrange/bass, and don't weight one over the other), and for that, they are excellent. They also have a two-year warranty.

I bought my pair on Ebay, mainly because Ultimate Ears made a red version for Radio Shack that I thought looked cool. They are available mainly in black or white, but there are special editions in red or clear.

Here's a link to the vendor product page as well. Prices are MSRP, so they are much higher on UltimateEars' website. Note: for best sound, canalphones need to make a good seal inside the ear, so if you choose this type, work to get the proper fit, since better seal = better sound quality.

http://www.ultimateears.com/_ultimateears/products/superfi/superfi3studio_description.php

 

I completely agree I own a white pair. The range of ear tips they provide are brilliant. I use the smallest ones because I've got small ears.

 

I must say, I just got the V-Moda Vibes in Black and they're excellent.

 

I still say that anything below SE420 is crap. But I'm just picky ^_^.

 

Yes...yes you are hehehe