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In ear headphones for about 50 bucks
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Revlimit Punk said:
Thanks for the input. I am probably going to go with the EX 81 as they are a good price and the reviews on iLounge seem to be really good. If i end up wearing my contacts more because of this that will be fine. Seeing as i ended up having my mom get me contacts i might as well start using them.
I will keep an eye out for the others but right now the EX 81 are winning.
Yes, the EX-81 model has better sound clarity overall, with a little bit less scratchy highs and definitely a lot better on the low end where things just sound like "boom, boom, boom" on the EX-71.designed said:
I have to say, though, that if you adore the EX-71 you might not like the EX-81 in the same way. The bass is tighter but there is less of it in the EX-81 (but still a decent amount for being a single driver earphone in my mind).
So, in case you like the EX-71 because of their bass, maybe you shouldn't upgrade to the EX-81 because it feels a good deal different.
I switched to the EX-81 (after i auditioned a pair bought by a friend of mine) because i was not satisfied with the EX-71at all.
Get em' they're amazing! They have a very equal treble and bass I would say. They in my opinion are much better than Apple in-ears. Out of all the headphones I've used, I definitely like these the most, and their look is awesome!! For $25 bucks you can't go wrong!!Kingsly said:
Well i ordered the ex 81 and they should be here the middle of next week. The main reason i went with them was cause they got good reviews and they are a very good price.
The more reading i did on iLounge the more i read about the Sennheiser cx 300 and a lot of people seem to love them for the price. When i find a deal on them, like the one amazon had for $40, then i will probably go ahead and buy a pair. Cant ever have to many headphones.
Thanks for the input everyone and if anyone is looking for headphones i highly suggest chekcing out iLounge and asking questions over there. They REALLY know there stuff.
The more reading i did on iLounge the more i read about the Sennheiser cx 300 and a lot of people seem to love them for the price. When i find a deal on them, like the one amazon had for $40, then i will probably go ahead and buy a pair. Cant ever have to many headphones.
Thanks for the input everyone and if anyone is looking for headphones i highly suggest chekcing out iLounge and asking questions over there. They REALLY know there stuff.
Revlimit Punk said:
I think I'll give the EX-81's a go the next time I'll be shopping for ear buds, I'm not that much into huge amounts of bass (altough I don't think the EX-71 has too much) but tighter sounds more like my stuff. Also the bail (or whatever it's called) attracts me so that the cord wouldn't pull the buds out of my ears.
Hi!
I've gone through two pairs of EX-71s and they sure are not a good buy. As other people mentioned, the plastic between the left and right ear cord easily distorts. Also, the sound on these phones leaves a lot to be desired, as the bass is extremely muddy.
I also have a pair of Shure E3c's and Creative EP-630s.
While the Shures win hands down when it comes to sound detail and quality, the sound is extremely tightand can get somewhat tiresome when listening to it for extended hours. Also, as the Shures were meant for accurate listening, bass is kept at a minimal, which gets a bit annoying when it comes to bass-heavy (or music with bass at all).
In comes the Creative EP-630s. If you head over to Head-fi, you will find that these buds, along with the Sennheiser CX-300s are getting extremely good feedback. When compared to the Shure E3c, these buds come nowhere near when comparing sound detail, yet they definitely sound more fun when it comes to day to day listening while commuting.
Therefore, it really depends what type of in-ear buds are you going for. Ones that you want to "hear details in your songs that you have never heard before", or ones that are just fun sounding and provide isolation.
If you belong to the latter group (as I think you do), I would whole heartedly suggest the Creatives (it is believed that the Creatives live up to the Sennheiser CX-300s at half the price).
Hope you make a good choice in the end!
cruxed
I've gone through two pairs of EX-71s and they sure are not a good buy. As other people mentioned, the plastic between the left and right ear cord easily distorts. Also, the sound on these phones leaves a lot to be desired, as the bass is extremely muddy.
I also have a pair of Shure E3c's and Creative EP-630s.
While the Shures win hands down when it comes to sound detail and quality, the sound is extremely tightand can get somewhat tiresome when listening to it for extended hours. Also, as the Shures were meant for accurate listening, bass is kept at a minimal, which gets a bit annoying when it comes to bass-heavy (or music with bass at all).
In comes the Creative EP-630s. If you head over to Head-fi, you will find that these buds, along with the Sennheiser CX-300s are getting extremely good feedback. When compared to the Shure E3c, these buds come nowhere near when comparing sound detail, yet they definitely sound more fun when it comes to day to day listening while commuting.
Therefore, it really depends what type of in-ear buds are you going for. Ones that you want to "hear details in your songs that you have never heard before", or ones that are just fun sounding and provide isolation.
If you belong to the latter group (as I think you do), I would whole heartedly suggest the Creatives (it is believed that the Creatives live up to the Sennheiser CX-300s at half the price).
Hope you make a good choice in the end!
cruxed
No Contest
No Contest. Sennheiser CX300 noise-isolating earphone's (They also come in black)
Read my review of them on the Apple Store(UK) (I'm JG from Glasgow).
Jamie
No Contest. Sennheiser CX300 noise-isolating earphone's (They also come in black)
Read my review of them on the Apple Store(UK) (I'm JG from Glasgow).
Jamie
Have you guys seen Sony's new EX series EX71SL replacement earbuds? Coming out soon this quarter they say. It replaces the MDR-EX71SL but not the 81SL because the 81SL is a different style since it clips on. Called the MDR-EX90SL. Here is a link:
http://www.atraclife.com/2006/04/03/sony-mdr-ex90sl/
They are sharp looking buds I say.
http://www.atraclife.com/2006/04/03/sony-mdr-ex90sl/
They are sharp looking buds I say.
Not sure I'd want to use 'em with the iPod though... or compressed music in general. If they are really reference quality monitor-type earbuds, they'll probably be a lot more revealing of flaws in mastering/encoding.finalcoolman said:
Who knows though, they sure do look hot. Wonder how much they'll cost.
I read on the same page that they are about 85$ in Japan. For that price i'm skeptical they will be good enough to reveal compression artifacts at 160+kbps.Cless said:
My guess is that they will share the same kind of muddy bass of the EX-71 but they will sound less thin because of the larger driver.
Revlimit Punk said:
By the way, the MDR-EX71SL and maybe even the new MDR-EX90SL are NOT meant to compete with the $200-300 Shure or etymotic earbuds so please don't compare the sound quaality of $50-100 earbuds with those of $200-300 earbuds like the Shures. Anyways Sony DOES have a REAL premium in-ear phones, they are called the Qualia MDR-EXQ1. When I mean premium I mean hand made in Japan. Anyways here is something about them I quickly looked up:
http://forums.ipodlounge.com/archive/topic/43248-1.html
Too expensive for my tastes though but I think the MDR-EX90SL @ $85 would be a good cost-quality compromise and I'll probably be picking a set up once they arrive here and a couple of reviews are posted on the web.
I was not really comparing them to audiophile grade earbuds. I think they don't sound good at all for their price tag (referring to EX-71). Two weeks ago I was comparing directly my EX-71, EX-81 and the stock iPod earbuds.finalcoolman said:
My opinion is that, in a quiet room at least, the iPod earbuds sound better than the EX-71. For that money, you are not paying for good sound yet, you are just paying for design and isolation.
About the EXQ1, i don't own them personally but i read audiophile reviews about them and they don't compare at all with earphones in the same price range (250$ish if i remember correctly). For that price all you are getting is the EX-71 sound signature with refined highs, which is frankly a bit disappointing considering that for the same price you can buy a dual driver earphone that completely blows away the EX-71, EX-81 and of course, stock earbuds.
About the EX-90 we'll see. No reviews yet, but if i had to judge from current sony earphones, i wouldn't expect so much from them (for their price).
I just want to mention the "melting" of the white Sony earphones as well. I own both the black 51 (with no extension cord) which is wonderful. No wires are showing, no warping, the wire insulation is still intact. However the plug is showing signs of wear and tear and sound only comes out of the left now.
I also own the white Sony's 71 that come with the extension cord. The short cord is very handy ... I recommend getting this if you have your iPod around your neck or on your arm, great length. The extension cord adds a lot of length, but adds bulk in the middle of the cord that when moving around pulls down on your ear thanks to gravity. Another issue is the melting cord ... I think the sweat slowly erodes away the plastic, and wrapping the cord up distorts it, eventually tearing the insulation and exposing the wire.
I had the wires exposed in three places now which I've cleverly (or not so cleverly) rewrapped up in Teflon, maintaining the white color as well as maintaining the wire flexibility. This shouldn't be an issue in the first place tho' =(
I also own the white Sony's 71 that come with the extension cord. The short cord is very handy ... I recommend getting this if you have your iPod around your neck or on your arm, great length. The extension cord adds a lot of length, but adds bulk in the middle of the cord that when moving around pulls down on your ear thanks to gravity. Another issue is the melting cord ... I think the sweat slowly erodes away the plastic, and wrapping the cord up distorts it, eventually tearing the insulation and exposing the wire.
I had the wires exposed in three places now which I've cleverly (or not so cleverly) rewrapped up in Teflon, maintaining the white color as well as maintaining the wire flexibility. This shouldn't be an issue in the first place tho' =(
Sorry to resurrect a thread, but... 
Can I ask a few questions? I need a new pair also. Right now, I'm back to using my original Apple earphones, because the cheap pair of Phillips in-ears I bought at Target broke. Plus my Apples need new earbud covers and the casing is coming apart at the Y-junction. I really want to get back to a pair of in-ears because of the amount of noise outside around here....
1) Are any of the Sony headphones symmetric like the Apple ones, or are they all asymmetric, in the sense that at the Y junction in the cable, there is a shorter cord for one ear, and a longer cord that wraps around the back of the head for the other ear? In particular, are the EX81LP's symmetric or asymmetric?
2) Does the EX81LP have the two-piece cord design like the 71 (short cord + extension), or is it one piece?
3) Are the Sony headphones supposed to be EX81 better than 71 better than 51?
4) Does Apple even make their in-ears anymore? I couldn't find them in the store....
Thank you!
Can I ask a few questions? I need a new pair also. Right now, I'm back to using my original Apple earphones, because the cheap pair of Phillips in-ears I bought at Target broke. Plus my Apples need new earbud covers and the casing is coming apart at the Y-junction. I really want to get back to a pair of in-ears because of the amount of noise outside around here....
1) Are any of the Sony headphones symmetric like the Apple ones, or are they all asymmetric, in the sense that at the Y junction in the cable, there is a shorter cord for one ear, and a longer cord that wraps around the back of the head for the other ear? In particular, are the EX81LP's symmetric or asymmetric?
2) Does the EX81LP have the two-piece cord design like the 71 (short cord + extension), or is it one piece?
3) Are the Sony headphones supposed to be EX81 better than 71 better than 51?
4) Does Apple even make their in-ears anymore? I couldn't find them in the store....
Thank you!
mkrishnan said:
1)The EX81 have the asymmetric cord. Except maybe the upcoming EX90 (but i didn't really check) all the in ear models from sony have the asymmetric cord.
2)The EX81LP is short cord + extension cord.
3)Having owned both EX71 and EX81 i can definitely tell that the EX81 have a lot less muddy sound to them. Less bass, but a lot clearer sound. The EX81 wins hands down in my opinion and all in all, it's a solid performer for the 35$-ish price tag.
4)I don't know.
If you want an in-ear and you live in the US, i HIGHLY reccomend a pair of altec lansing iM716 instead of any of the sony models. They are unbelievably discounted at amazon.com right now and you can have a pair for just 69 dollars. The difference in quality with the sony will be really night and day, audiophile reviews put those in direct comparison with 200+ dollars earphones (both single and dual driver).
They use the same drivers as the Etymotic ER4 so it's like getting a Ferrari for the price of an utility van. But that price is only for the lucky ones living in the US... uff, unfair!
Revlimit Punk said:
Oh, god, those look really, really nice. The only thing is I was thinking of using a $50 Apple certificate I have. Hmmm... these are really, really nice. Thank you for pointing them out!
I wish not everything had these asymmetric cords, though. They drive me crazy...I get all tangled up in them.
tedrjr03 said:
Are you sure that you are putting them in correctly? Have you ever used in-ears before? Or if not, have you ever used earplugs before? You have to press them in farther than you probably think they belong, if you haven't. Once you get them in, they should kind of lodge there and fit into the shape of your ear, and they shouldn't fall out easily. But then I can't see what you're doing and I can't say for sure....
Also, note to self, Apple does still sell their own in-ears for $39.00....
I had the sony EX-71's, and i hated the short cord long cord design, and the aysimmetrical cords. I know its supposed to be fashonable or whatever, but i just found it to be uncomfortable. They are really good at isolatiing, but now im back to a free pair of the stock apple 'buds untill i can find something better for less than 40 bucks. I'm really looking at those apple in ears also...