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I'm not sure if this is the proper place to discuss it, but I'm curious as to what brands and makes of earbuds and headphones you prefer to listen to your music. I'm in the market for a new pair of earbuds and I'd love some input from people more experienced with the market than me. I don't honestly dwell on sound too much longer than to check the "Doesn't sound like two cans and some string" box before moving on. I'm more interested in something that won't fall apart after a few months and is comfortable. For reference, the cheaper line of Skullcandy's earbuds have been fine with me the assorted times I picked them up as have the $30ish run of Yurbuds (Inspire I believe). They've both had acceptable sound, but both have also had a major issue in that after regular usage for 5 to 6 months the rubber bits start falling off. This is a minor annoyance for a period of time, but inevitably one gets lost and then I have a pair of far less comfortable earbuds. I only really want something to listen with while I walk to class and work out, so top of the line stuff doesn't really seem necessary. Comfort and durability are paramount for me. Do you guys have anything in mind that might be a good fit? What do you prefer to use while listening on the move? Lists are a dime a dozen, I want to hear personal recommendations.
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Jan 13, 2015 23:30
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I have enjoyed these very much in the past http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HAFR36B-Marshmallow-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B005FDOGK2 Comfy, sound pretty good, earbuds
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Jan 14, 2015 00:36
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I have weird and bad ear holes and normal earbuds won't stay in my ears. I bought these like four years ago when they cost upward of a hundo, at 54 bucks they're a steal. Good sound quality and won't get dislodged during active usage (running, yardwork, etc). http://www.amazon.com/Bose-627476-0020-IE2-audio-headphones/dp/B003XU6H8I I recommend them to everyone I know, even though my pair is beat to poo poo by now.
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Jan 14, 2015 02:19
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The Bose look pretty good and I might give them a shot. What has your experience been with the plastic inserts? Any instances of them becoming loose? Also, what's with the poo poo Post label thing? Do people think I'm trolling or that the quality is subpar?
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Jan 14, 2015 04:35
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I've had a pair of Urbanears Zinkens for about a year now. Pros: - The cans have no integrated cable, it has both 3.5mm and 6.3mm jacks and the default cable can be plugged off and replaced with any stereo cable in case it breaks (mine has) - Said default cable (called TurnCable) has both 3.5mm and 6.3mm plugs so it can be used for dj-ing and stuff - Most parts can be replaced - Pretty sturdy - Cheap - Decent sound quality - Looks sleek as hell, comes in several different colors - Decent customer service Cons - I'll find out edit: I guess they might leak sound a bit? They're also actual headphones but Urbanears does also have earbuds and they're probably very good. slowdave fucked around with this message at 09:47 on Jan 14, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 09:42
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For almost two years I have been using these as my expensive "good" earbuds. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CQNTF6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I don't think they still make them but they sound pretty good and the inline controls haven't fallen apart. Before those I had a pair of Klipsch R6's http://www.klipsch.com/R6-headphones that I was in love with. Unfortunately I'm hard on headphones at work so when those broke I started buying cheap earbuds for work because they only last 3-6 months. I went through a lot of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004XXQI1U/ref=olp_tab_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new sometimes you can get two packs from amazon for 10 dollars. I will say again I am very tough on them at work, lots of cable snags, so they may last a lot longer for the average user. When my last pair of Sony Mdx's went down I started to look around to see if there was a better cheap option. I really liked the Sony's but had been using them for so long I thought maybe I had just settled. Wirecutter said they hated Mdx's and said this was their choice for cheap earbuds. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E4LGVUO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The Panasonic earbuds Wirecutter recommends are a fair bit bassier, which normally I'd like but at work it's mostly podcasts so it was really noticeable at first. I've since gotten used to them and they have an inline mic/stop button for about the same price as the Sony pair I like. Also about a week ago I left the panasonic earbuds in the pocket of my scrubs and found out a few days later scooping them out of the bottom of the washing machine. They still work just fine, the inline button was daft for a day or so but has bounced back. I would highly recommend all of the above for both cheap and pricier options, maybe I'm not picky enough but I've liked them all. I went way cheap for a short while due to the work thing and obviously cant recommend going below 10ish on a cheap pair. Any lower and its weird Chinese crap with waxy plastic and mold errors. I also had a pair of Bose earbuds before all these that don't seem to be around anymore, they were also in the $100 range and were the best headphones I'd owned until I got the bassier Klipsch set that replaced them. Warbird posted:Also, what's with the poo poo Post label thing? Do people think I'm trolling or that the quality is subpar? You're supposed to designate a thread tag at start, since you didn't pick one you got the default. EDIT: I came really close to grabbing a pair of those Urbanears cans for around the house when they were doing a big 50% off sale around black friday, I've read they are a reasonable persons alternative to Beats brand cans but ultimately decided I have enough headphones, seemed like a steal at the prices they were offering. Cyberball 2072 fucked around with this message at 10:14 on Jan 14, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 09:59
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Warbird posted:The Bose look pretty good and I might give them a shot. What has your experience been with the plastic inserts? Any instances of them becoming loose? Also, what's with the poo poo Post label thing? Do people think I'm trolling or that the quality is subpar? The inserts took regular wear and tear. I ended up replacing them after about 3 years; they sell packs of more inserts for a couple bucks.
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Jan 14, 2015 17:27
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I am a Vsonic user here, I have used the Vsonic GR06 earbuds for the past 2 and a half years. If you have the budget and the time needed to wait for delivery (I will discuss that in a bit), then I think for cost-quality then these are the IEM earphones of choice, top of the stack no question. I've also used Hifi Man. When picking out earphones, I typically went to the Head-Fi IEM review sheet carried out by the user over there named joker and read his reviews of the staggering amount of earbuds he had reviewed over the years. When reading it, I just took some chances, which is something I normally don't do, and initially picked up a pair of Hifi Man RE0s based entirely on jokers rating of the sound on the earphones. When buying, I wanted something that did not give me a stupid amount of bass and then terrible mids and highs, which is what I found so many other earphones I had used suffered from, so I was looking for products that were suggested to deliver a more balanced sound. The RE0s delivered on this, and gave me very strong and clear sounds on all fields. However, I cannot in good faith recommend the RE0s of this brand specifically (I lack experience in other models to suggest on them), due to the relatively weak build quality of the earphones. The actual casing of the earphone was something of an anomaly for me, in that the casing on them broke before the cable going into the cable, as is usually the case. They ended up lasting roughly a year for me before they went into the great earphone graveyard. Onto the Vsonics. Oh man, I love the Vsonic GR06. At a somewhat modest $80 (this was my buying price), they provide these qualities: Pros: -Very powerful and clear sound on all ranges with very little sibilance. -Affordability for the level of quality you would typically pay much more for. If you go out and read a number of lists of earphone rankings which have Vonsics in them, you will typically find the GR06s and GR07s rank among earphones which cost $50-100 more than them. I have no idea why they are so cheap comparatively. -Strong build quality. My actual pair of GR06s broke just a month ago, after owning and heavily using them on a daily basis for 2 and a half to 3 years. The actual cause of the breakage was not due to poor build quality on these however, but rather carelessness on my part where I got them caught in a door. The cable on them is a sturdy and thick beast, with some sort of anti-coiling and tangling quality to it. Breaking these cables by accidentally catching or tagging them on things will be a challenge and require a lot of force. It took me falling hard through a closing door to break mine. If it were not for that, my GR06s could easily have lasted another year or longer before I decided to get the GR07s. The jack on the cable is an L shaped jack, which reduces the problem of the connection breaking on the cables when held in tight pockets over time such as on skinny jeans, which straight jacks typically experience when the highest point of the jack lies on the opening of the pocket. The actual casing of the buds is very sturdy. I have stood on the cases, swung them into objects accidentally, and even accidentally put a desk on top of the cases when I wasn't paying attention and they still didn't break. They are made of plastic, but good lord that plastic is bombproof or something like that. The reinforcement on the casings which prevents the cable from being pulled out is also extremely sturdy, reducing risk there. - Comfort. These are quite possibly the most comfortable IEMs I have ever used. The casing has a small adjustable head on them, so that you can change the angle of insertion into the ear to better suit the shape of your ears if need be. Alongside this, Vsonic does not just send you one set of buds, or two different size sets of buds. They give you roughly ten pairs of buds. A whole variety of different sizes are provided, as well as the option of bi-flange buds in two sizes and also foam buds which form the inner shape of your ear when inserted. This gives the user options not only for comfort, but also gives you the ability to find the perfect bud to create a proper seal. If you want to close out the world, what you want in IEMs is to create a proper seal with the buds, which explains why some, like me, prefer bi-flange buds on their earphones. They also provide over-ear rings with the set, so that you can wrap the cable over the top of your ear, which is useful for running and working out as it makes you less likely to accidentally tug them out with motion. Incidentally, when using these earphones, no matter what you are doing, you should be wearing them with the cable running around the back of your ear and over it, inserted from above. They are designed with that purpose in mind, and the way that they allow you to customise angles of insertion only really shines when you realise this design aspect. -You will not hear any of the outside world whatsoever. Trust me, you just won't. These earphones are capable of going painfully loud on just base iPod settings and if used with the right buds will easily cancel out other noises. Give them an amp and they will still perform admirably all the way until you start becoming concerned for your long term hearing. They will perform with balanced sound right until you think that the sound is getting painful. Hell, pairing the one working case with my FiiO right now and I can max both the volume on my iPod and the amp and the sound quality and clarity is the same as if I had them both turned down to normal human being levels. -This quality of audio is something that I have not noticed any differences on between different genres of music, as I have used these when listening to rap, synthpop, rock, really heavy poo poo, noise, ambient, all sorts. They are not just versatile, they are consistently impressive. I still get impressed by the quality of them to this day. Some earphones are just not that versatile, and may be capable of sounding good when listening to electro, but might not sound right when listening to rock. Due to the balanced sound of these, they always sounded correct to me. Cons -They leak noise out like nothing else at high volumes and the rest of the world will get to learn about your terrible music tastes. "Hey, Another Person, I never knew you liked the song Smalltown Boy." This is less of a concern for some who might not give a poo poo about others in public settings, or other peoples perceptions of your tastes, blasting that 80s synthpop out. I lent them out to a friend once while they were working, and they turned them all the way up like I usually do, and were sat next to me with them in. To him they sounded amazing. To me sat next to him it sounded like he was playing music on his phone speakers. I never knew they leaked so much until that time. -Getting used to them. This sounds odd, but when you are extremely used to earphones which give such a massive boost to the quality of the bass, then suddenly switching to these will be slightly weird. Alongside this, if you usually use stuff like Skullcandy or things in that price range, then you might not even realise that sound stage is a thing possible with earphones. The sound of these is very wide, and sounds will be going into your ears from all directions at once, instead of the very central-feeling sound I got with cheaper earphones, like Skullcandys. This might be a bit confusing and unusual sounding at first. Give them time -Availability. This is the big hurdle with Vsonic. Getting them in the West is not a challenge, it is a loving quest. They are not a brand with much exposure in the United States or Europe, and tend to only have a market in Asia. This means you won't find anyone stocking them over here. At all. Living in the UK, it was a total bitch to try and find a stockist in the past few weeks to pick up some new earphones, upgrading from the GR06 to the GR07. If you choose to buy these, then I suggest that you use this site (http://www.lendmeurears.com/vsonic/), as they are a) in English, and b) legit (they have provided review samples in the past). You might have to wait a little bit for them to come back into stock though. You can get a 5% discount on the site with the code LMUECUST. However, due to the fact they are shipping out of Singapore, I wouldn't expect next day delivery. They are not a 3 week wait however, as I ordered my GR07s early Monday morning, and they are due for delivery tomorrow afternoon according to DHL. Another Person fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Jan 14, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 19:07
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I've always had to replace my earbuds every 6-8 months cause i put them through hell by wearing them about 12 hours a day, while biking, running, hiking, working, on the go, etc. The phone/ipod is being constantly jostled or inserted/removed from a pocket and the cord is frequently yanked from the jack when it snags on something, so with time I inevitably lose sound in one earbud. Seems like I damage the connection near the joint where it plugs in since fiddling and twisting that part of the cord will "re-connect" the missing audio. Thus I've avoided getting anything above the basic $30 pair of decent earbuds with unlimited replacements for 3 years. Is there a good-quality that is more resistant to this kind of use, or would I need to have a nice pair for more stable use and the cheaper ones for when I'm on the go?
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Jan 14, 2015 20:14
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I'd also be interested in this. On the matter of headphones, how do those of you more partial to them deal with "headphone hair"? I enjoy the sound, but having a inch deep trench in my hair isn't fun. Outside of a shower, I've never been able to get rid of it.
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Jan 15, 2015 05:53
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kalensc posted:I've always had to replace my earbuds every 6-8 months cause i put them through hell by wearing them about 12 hours a day, while biking, running, hiking, working, on the go, etc. The phone/ipod is being constantly jostled or inserted/removed from a pocket and the cord is frequently yanked from the jack when it snags on something, so with time I inevitably lose sound in one earbud. you want to be looking for earphones with an L shaped jack, like my recommended Vsonic ones, rather than straight jack. They are harder to yank out due to not being a straight line, and because they are L-shaped they will not twist at the jack in your pocket. The second pic on this page is an L-shaped jack: http://www.lendmeurears.com/gr07-bass/ You can find cheaper brands with jacks like this probably, but really, the build quality on that part might be nicer, but due to cheapness, build quality will likely be low elsewhere on the earphones, such as on the actual jack. I would spend more and get a good, solid pair. It will likely work out cheaper in the long run. I had my GR06s for 2 and 1/2 years, maybe 3, and I spent like £60 on them, and the way I broke them was not due to build quality but my stupidity. e; figure I may as well add in what I consider some very important IEM use advice too, since I already wrote an essay about some here. A lot of people when buying earphones tend to just use the standard buds which come with them, rather than testing and experimenting with any other buds, which is what they should be doing. When choosing your buds, keep in mind that your ears are not actually both the same size. You likely sleep on your ears. This means that the actual ear canals will be a slightly different size. What this means is that an ear bud which might be great for one ear might not create a perfect seal in the other, or it might be too large and uncomfortable. When using my earphones, I actually have two radically different buds, one on each casing. The left one is a very large bi-flange from my old RE0s, while the right ear is a non bi-flange bud in a large size. My right ear canal is too small for another bi-flange, and trying to insert longer or extra large buds actually hurts a lot to attempt. However, the the large standard bud creates a perfect seal for me on that ear, like the bi-flange does for the left. Why is it important to try different sized buds to get a perfect seal? Well, three reasons. First of all, a perfect seal is what isolates the sound going into your ears. If your bud is too small for your ear, outside noises will become more and more audible. If it is too large for your ear, then you will crush the tunnel of the bud inwards, which will negatively effect the sound quality and make it sound mumbly or muffled if it gets too squashed. Second, comfort. You want to maximise comfort at all times. You don't want to be putting a huge amount of outward pressure on your ear canal, because that is just stupid. If it is too big for your ear, it might even make it so that your ears hurt even without the buds in for a short while. Third, it will make it far more difficult for your earphones to be yanked out. Having no seal in your ears will mean the buds are loose, and this will make them increasingly likely to just get yanked out when you catch them on your hands, your bad, your jacket, anything. It will minimise the little annoying things and you will just have a better experience because of that. This is a small effort task of testing, and the quality of life and ease of use you will gain as a result is totally worth it. You want to enjoy your music, not suffer it. Another Person fucked around with this message at 06:53 on Jan 15, 2015 |
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Jan 15, 2015 06:19
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Thankfully I've never had enough issue with earbuds to warrant messing with different sizes, but I'll look into it when I do get a new pair. My real issue is that occasionally when walking near protrusions in the wall (doorknobs, handles, ect.) that the cord will catch and yank the bud out of my ear or possibly the phone out of my pocket. That's on me though and not something that can be resolved via a cord; plus I'm sure it's far from good for the cord. New question, what are acceptable ways to store earbuds when not in use? I typically just wrap them around my hand and then put them into my pocket, but that always leads to minor tangling at best and a pain in the rear end at worst. It appears to lead to the cords within the protective layer starting to coil naturally to the point of having permanent loops in the cord. I also had a coworker once recommend that I store them in my shirt pocket to prevent damage that might occur to them in a rougher/tighter environment like pants pockets. I've mused over trying to 3D print something to wrap and store my buds in, but haven't really given it too much effort so far.
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Jan 15, 2015 17:29
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When it comes to getting the cable caught on things, you can buy cable clips and clip it to your shirt. Alternatively, you could use a paper clip if you twisted it a little bit to hold the cord in place. I usually keep my earphones in my back jeans pocket, and I never really have any issue with tangling in pockets and stuff like that, but my past few have had anti-tangling qualities in the cable to prevent that. When I store them, I usually just fold the cable into half, and then half again instead of wrapping them around something. They usually come out untangled that way for me. If you really want something to put them in though... I'm not really sure there is a threshold of acceptability with storing earphones, they are yours, store them whichever way you feel best. A lot of earbuds in the $60+ cost range typically tend to come with something to store them in, such as a pouch or a case, which you could use and then keep that in your shirt pocket. If whatever you buy doesn't come with something to keep them in, just buy something for them to go in. If you don't mind having a hard case in the back of your jeans pocket, I would recommend looking into cigarette cases and finding one which fits the earphones. They won't tangle in there, and won't be broken by being smashed into or sat on. e; and since we are chatting earbuds, my GR07s finally arrived today, and I thought the GR06s were impressive. gently caress me. These are amazing out of the box, and they haven't even 'burned in' yet to get rid of the starting sibilance and they are already clear as day and sound beautiful. The cable also looks like a christmas candycane, which is funny. Another Person fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Jan 15, 2015 |
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Jan 15, 2015 17:57
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Working at an electronics store I've had the chance to stockpile a lot of earbuds, and for the under $50 price point, a as long as they'll fit you,. it's loving stupid how decent Apple's freebie earpods are compared to the competition. They have a good rich bass, the trebles aren't too harsh, they spread the sound a bit. They aren't top of the line or anything, but they blow the gently caress out of any skullcandy's or Sol Republics or even a the set of Klipsch's I've got. I know theres a few price point competitors that are great if you can find them around, or order them online, but for common selection, for someone who goes through a lot of earbuds...
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Jan 17, 2015 09:27
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The ones that come with iWhatever devices these days are pretty good I'll agree. They're not my favorite ones by any means, but they get the job done. The few I've had have had an issue of getting scratchy sound if you shifted them in the jack, but that could just be bad luck. So for availability and money reasons, I picked up a pair of Moshi Mythro earbuds at a local store. They are pretty comfortable so far and the sound in pretty nice. Best of all, they're $30. I'll report in as far as durability and "baked in" sound (or whatever that stuff is called) in a bit. Edit- One thing I forgot to mention is that the earbuds come with this velcro strap bit that wraps around a single cord once and then around the entire bundle as a whole to keep it together. I haven't really seen anything like this and we'll see how well it works. Also, bonus points for having packaging that doesn't make me a danger to myself and those around me when opening it. Warbird fucked around with this message at 18:08 on Jan 17, 2015 |
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Jan 17, 2015 17:51
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http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Portable-Earphones-Cobalt/dp/B000XP8DJC/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1421620099&sr=1-6 I've had these bad boys for the last three years of heavy use (probably averaging 4+ hours a day). They have great mids, good highs, and fine lows. I tried the $60 version previously, and while good, they only lasted for about a year. http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B003S3RFIQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1421620099&sr=1-4 I'm a fan of etymotics research. They were the folks that first developed the in-ear-canal earbuds for audiological use, so they know what they're doing.
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Jan 18, 2015 23:39
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Another Person posted:
I have the cheaper VSD1S and am very happy with them, if the GR06 are really a step up I'll consider them whenever these eventually die.
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Jan 20, 2015 16:28
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Oh man, I love the Vsonic GR06.
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88h88 posted:I have the cheaper VSD1S and am very happy with them, if the GR06 are really a step up I'll consider them whenever these eventually die. Never picked up the VSD1S because they simply did not exist when I bought my 06s, but I really do vouch for that model. They will probably be a step up in quality. The 07s are also amazing, which I now have, and they are also a noticeable step up from the 06s.
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Jan 20, 2015 19:17
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I picked up a pair of those Monoprice earbuds everyone is a fan of, but was told to replace the rubber nubs on them with quality ones. What is the recommendation here? I've never had a pair of earbuds that satisfactorily stayed in my ears.
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Jan 20, 2015 22:53
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Question: These are my favorite headphones ever, but they don't make them with an in-line mic. I found a pair made my Philips that were similar, but then they broke and had been discontinued. Does anybody have a recommendation for in-ear headphone that are held on by those over-ear clips rather than my friction in my ear but also have a mic?
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Jan 20, 2015 23:27
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So it occurred to me that the little sliding bits most earbuds have where the cord splits off to each ear would be a good way to keep the individual cords from getting tangled. This took far FAR too long for me to figure out. Are there any other blindingly obvious things I've missed? Am I supposed to put the buds somewhere other than my nostrils?
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Jan 22, 2015 18:41
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I found out as a kid that if you put them up your nostrils and they seal you can kinda 'yawn' in your head and you'll hear the music in your skull. If you've ever been on a plane and tried to make your ears pop it's the same sort of muscles used.
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Jan 22, 2015 19:37
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I just tend to use Sennheiser CX 300s as any pair of headphones last a couple of months max, thanks to the way the connector gets bent in my pocket. Have bought $150 headphones and had those break so just switched to the 300s as they're $25 and sound pretty decent for the price.
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Jan 24, 2015 01:47
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I love to use the Bose SoundTrue In-Ear Headphones because I feel comfortable while sleeping on the bed. But when I'm awake I use my pair of Bose QuietComfort 25 which have an awesome sound quality, they also have buttons for calls etc for the iPhone so they were the deal for me.
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Jan 24, 2015 02:05
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I've been using the basic $20 Skullcandy earbuds for several years and they still work as well as when I bought them. I only ever use them at the gym. Keep them wrapped around my mp3 player, leave them in the car at cold/hot temps, still work great and are not falling apart. The sound is acceptable. They're like $20 so it's not going to be amazing.
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Jan 25, 2015 19:56
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I had used a few different pairs of those over they years, but had repeated issues with them either losing the rubber bits or the sound dying due to the cord shorting out or some other nonsense. When they worked I found them to be pretty good.
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Jan 26, 2015 18:50
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I get through a pair roughly every six months, have had cheapy Skullcandy buds the past few times but when I went to the shop they only had rasta coloured ones left and screw that. Got some Sony ones for £7.50 which sound pretty decent for the price, fairly good stereo imaging and not as 'false' bass boosting when pissing around on Ableton on my night shifts.
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Apr 12, 2015 22:53
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