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Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
10/04/09
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.
10/04/09
10/04/09
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?
10/04/09
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.
10/04/09
10/04/09
10/03/09
If you pay more than $50 for earbuds, let alone $500, you just got scammed.
Stock iPod earbuds are just fine.
10/03/09
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).
10/02/09
10/02/09
The ER6i had no bass, it bugged me terribly.
10/02/09
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.
10/02/09
10/02/09
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10/02/09
Are those good?
10/02/09
Some people can. Most cannot.
10/02/09
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10/02/09
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.
10/02/09
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10/02/09
10/02/09
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...