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Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
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MasonLabeo
10/04/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
I've owned 30 different earphone models, from the stock Apple buds to $500 Shures, Etymotic, Ultimate Ears, Klipsch, Sony, etc. I even started my own earbud company.

The best earbuds I've ever heard are the Ultimate Ears UE-10. Loud, clear, eye-blinking impact and $500.

In general I've found that "you get what you pay for" and until recently I would have said that you need to spend at least $300 to get great sound from earphones/buds.

But In my search for the ultimate value in earphones I ran across a surprise. JVC (yeah, I know, JVC? ) has developed a new approach to earphones. They've designed a dynamic driver so small that it fits down inside the ear canal in the tip of the earphone nearer the eardrum. The difference is amazing. For $27 at Amazon http://amzn.com/B001E2SHI0 I can get sound far closer to the quality of $500 earphones than I would have thought possible. Very clear, tight, remarkable low end. Light comfortable, easy to put in (unlike the UEs/Shures). Easily the best value in earphones today.

Now I have a pair of these JVC's in my car, my briefcase and my bedside table and usually in my pocket if they're not in my ears. And I buy them for my friends and family.
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ytkliu
10/04/09

@MasonLabeo: Thanks for the info! I'll check them out :).
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dps27a
10/04/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
I bought some £70 shure's last year and they are brilliant. I don't need it to sound any better. As a music producer I've tried many headphones out and own a large pair when producing in my studio.

The one thing that annoys me about in-ear headphones is when you walk with them, or actually even slightly knock the headphone cord, you get a great bassy amplification running up into your ear. I have to hold the cord next to my chest as I walk around!

Anyone know what I mean?
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skierpage
10/04/09

@dps27a:
I don't need it to sound any better. As a music producer...

Thanks for explaining why nearly all recorded music in the past decade sounds so crappy. Keep those earbuds jammed in deep so you won't hear music lovers coming to your house with torches and clubs.
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OmarMojojojo
10/04/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
Ever notice how oldies sound best on an AM radio?
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skierpage
10/04/09

@OmarMojojojo: No, they don't. Oldies sound fun and punchy on AM radio, but my old 45s sound much better on my $20,000 high-end stereo. If they sound worse on your music system, it's because it has an inaccurate tonal balance, fattening an upper bass that isn't there in old records, or a piercing treble, etc. Try turning off the tone controls and other EQ on your amp and repositioning your speakers, but it sounds like you need a better stereo.
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pete1061
10/03/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
And pretty much everyone but the expert audiophile will never notice the difference.

If you pay more than $50 for earbuds, let alone $500, you just got scammed.

Stock iPod earbuds are just fine.
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Lizard_King
10/03/09

@pete1061: I don't have a problem with people being satisfied with their purchase of cheap earbuds. Honestly, I can't tell the sonic difference between $20 and $80 earbuds, it's often the fit and design.

However, I take exception to statements that equate expensive to foolish. This isn't the monoprice/monster audio debate. There is a definite difference in audio quality from Shure's offerings, as well as others. Mine were a custom fit and cost well above the $100 marker the author is stating at minimum. Were they worth the money? Yes, every penny.

If you are happy with your $20 earbuds, then good. It's doesn't mean they are going to make someone else as happy, or that someone's enjoyment of a more expensive earbud isn't just in their head (pun intended).
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ShrigeetaImp
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
Small ear canals here too. Etymotic ER6i is the only set that fits my ears. I can also get the full face helmet on and off without ripping them out of my skull.
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Lizard_King
10/02/09

@ShrigeetaImp: I had the Etymotics until I got the BE-1C from www.bigearinc.com. Made for inside the helmet. Absolutely perfect. I have a VERY narrow ear canal on my left ear, custom was the only thing that would work, the ER6's came close.

The ER6i had no bass, it bugged me terribly.
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Adrian Blackwell
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
I bought the Shure 500's a while ago, and whilst they did sound pretty good, you don't get the full experience. I paid $430 for fine at the time, and even though it seems crazy, you need to spend another $175 to get the full 500 experience. Inside the manual, they list a website where you can buy custom molded ear pieces. I got mine done in San Francisco, basically, they take a mold of the inside of your ears and send away for some silicone type ear molds. These moulds go right over the Shures, making them slightly bigger, but still very portable. The difference in sound is incredible. Not only do they truly cut out about 93% of all ambient noise, but the bass truly comes to life and the highs sounds that much sweeter. They do get a little sweaty after about 2 hours though.

If you buy the Shures, make sure you look in the manual for the website that does custom molds, otherwise your only getting 50% of what the headphones can offer. Also, bitrate with the molds makes a huge difference, now days, with iPods and Zunes breaking the 100GB barrier, there's no excuse not to rip your cd's at uncompressed.
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Lizard_King promoted this comment Edited by Adrian Blackwell at 10/02/09 7:21 PM Adrian Blackwell was starred Adrian Blackwell was unstarred

Lizard_King
10/02/09

@Adrian Blackwell: Shure's custom molds are not equal to custom earbuds. It is meerly a sleeve for the driver to hang on. Most of the custom manufacturers build the drivers into the mold, this puts the mass closer to your head, and prevents necessary readjustments. Some even have a pressure valving, I can hear mine opening when I swallow.
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narc101
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
strange...my $5 ones seem to work just as well as those $100 Bose ones that I tried in the store on my own ipod. If you're going to buy something better, you go for the earmuff style ones where theres essentially a subwoofer on your head.
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Lizard_King
10/02/09

@narc101: Proper music replication needs no subwoofer.
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phunnyballs
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
What about Sennheiser's cx 400 ii's?

Are those good?
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Gary_7vn
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
I want to see the "blind" taste test on Mythbusters, you know, the one where they test to see if the average person can even tell the difference between $30 earbuds and +$100 earbuds.

Some people can. Most cannot.
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Edited by Gary_7vn at 10/02/09 3:37 PM Gary_7vn was starred Gary_7vn was unstarred

SeeratDawk
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
Or he's talking MSRP Pricing. Aka the fact that most SHURE headphones on Amazon sit aroun 50% of MSRP
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matt buchanan
10/02/09

@SeeratDawk: ding ding ding we have a winner.
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hilikusopus
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
I upgraded from standard freebie earbuds to a set of in-ear Shure SE210s last year and it changed my world. It is critical that you have a seal and that the tip fits well and comfortably. In-ear is definitely the way to go. I live in NYC and commute on the subway -- you can turn the volume way down because you don't have to compete with all the ambient noise and destroy your eardrums. (Just be careful not to walk into oncoming traffic!) I couldn't justify spending the extra $$$ on the 530s, but I'm glad I shelled out the $150 at a Best Buy for the 210s. I went back to my iTunes and reripped all my music at higher bit rates now that I could appreciate the difference.
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Edited by matt buchanan at 10/02/09 3:01 PM matt buchanan approved this comment hilikusopus was starred hilikusopus was unstarred

Cetrian
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
Another vote for my Shure E500's - BUT what is really killing music is people's acceptance of CRAP: CRAP codecs. 128kbit MP3's are considered the acceptable de facto standard. Compressed-to-Hell Cell phones are acceptable levels of f-cking horrible audio quality. Auto-tuned jailbait hotties with canned synthetic backbeats are accepted as quality music.
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NeoAkira
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
I think the bigger problem here is how popular in-ear buds are. They are, and will always be worse than over-ear headphones.
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tanukineri
10/02/09

@NeoAkira: That really depends on the headphones. It's more true if they are of comparable price. For instance I'd still pick my gr8's over any over-ear headphone under $100 (and even most under $200). They aren't perfect but the sound isolation and portability is pretty nice.
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NeoAkira
10/02/09

@tanukineri:

Oh well yah. I was mostly referring to models in the same price range. Otherwise the Ultimate Ears can beat out most over-ear headphones.
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gunluva is prepared to drop.
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
I hesitantly bought a $15 pair of skullcandy earphones, and they work pretty spectacularly, in my opinion. Heck, I was hearing instruments I'd never heard in my music before. I'm pretty happy with these.
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njso18
10/02/09

@gunluva is prepared to drop.: I have the same ones, the ink'd ones, and i though compared to other earphones in that price range they are spectacular. I want to try a pair of around $100 buds sometime but for now these are great.
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Sakurafire
10/02/09

@gunluva is prepared to drop.: Likewise. The $15 pair of skullcandy are about the best earbuds I've ever bought (better than a $60 pair I had a few years ago). Although not for all types of music, there is a $30 pair of skullcandy earbuds made especially for bass-heavy sound. Cheap, but damned good.
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fuchikoma
10/02/09

In reply to Giz Explains: Why You Can't Get Decent Earphones for Less Than $100
Sony MDR-EX70LPs were my first kickass in-ear buds. Now I have Shure E2cs. Both are under $80 even in Canadian money. Both are like having a line input jack in your skull, though the former colours the sound with some nice rich bass without any secondary distortion.

So you can get decent headphones under $100. Personally I find that about right because above that, you end up paying twice as much for a set that's 2% better, unless you're cursed with superhuman hearing...
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