In-ear Headphones... I need help deciding

[Habakuk]

The products in the OP are all heavy overpriced. Best value you'll get with Sennheiser MM 50 iP by far. It's not only a headphone but a headset and you'll get much more functionality for your iPod Touch. You can make use of all sound recording apps! You can make Skype (or other VoIP service) calls. The sound quality is superb! And I have lots of experiences with headphones and headsets.

Attention! There are lots of cheap imitations out there (plagiarism, fake) and they sound aweful! Get it via Amazon.

Please have a look at this very detailled and informative website (the example there is a very similar Sennheiser headphone):
http://fakeheadphones.com/pictures/sennheiser-cx300-fake-vs-genuine/

For me personally the asymmetric cables are ingeniously once you've got used to them. Yes -- as mentioned before -- the tiny mic is larger and heavier than that of Apple headset but it never caused that I lost the headset (and I am using it really frequently everyday). It's better rounded than Apple's so it won't get hooked at zippers etc.

A friend of mine has the latest original Apple headset for iPod Touch and I've tested it: The sound quality is weak compared to the Sennheiser headset. Very weak.

The cables of MM 50 are rather thin and vulnerably but the whole set is extreme lightweight. The impact sound insulation is not very good, you can hear noises when you move (when the cable hits somewhere) but the solution is easy: Switch the music a bit louder ;-) The sound insulation in- and outwards of the ear buds is excellent. For me the very soft silicon buds fit perfectly. They are easy to clean and you can buy them separately.

Have a look at my review -- sorry it's German-language but there are some high-res images in it.

 

[doobi18]

The products in the OP are all heavy overpriced. Best value you'll get with Sennheiser MM 50 iP by far...

Okay, UE Metro.Fi 220vi have a microphone designed for iPhone. They are what I currently use. I used the Sennheiser CX300 (identical buds to MM50iP) previously and the UEs are superior in every way for only a small price increase.

Sound is far better. Looks are better. Cable doesnt tangle. No annoying asymmetrical wiring. So far proven to last longer.

Don't get me wrong, Sennheiser is a decent brand, but the Ultimate Ears buds take the cake.

//doobi18

 

[sebb630]

I currently have Shure SE110 with my iPhone, bought them 16 months ago, they go in rough conditions almost every day, and they still working wonderfully!

I love them, very sound isolating, my best earphones ever!

 

[michael.lauden]

ha don't worry about the burn in period. it's not like a freaking amplifier.

try breaking in 2 4x12 guitar Cabs you got 2 days before a tour.

i think that's why my neighbors didn't invite me over to the slip n slide yesterday haha.. a year ago and still pissed

 

[Habakuk]

Okay, UE Metro.Fi 220vi have a microphone designed for iPhone.

They have microphone box and switching box separate! Two boxes in the cable, and the switching box is really far away and hard to find. In-line control at the lower end of the cord and seperated from the mic. So you can't wear the headset inside your jacket when you use it as an iPhone control switcher. That is VERY unpractical. You can't see that on any product photo. They try to hide that fact.

The Sennheisers have -- like original Apple headset -- ONE little box for mic AND switch and you can find it easily even "blind".

It's not mentioned at the UE's website if you can switch iPod functions (next/previous item of playlist). And it's not mentioned if the headset has a three- or four-way miniplug. Not very professional. (Sennheiser MM 50 iP: Four.)

People are complaining that the UE cable is way too stiff. The Sennheiser cable is much softer. Because the UE's cable is so stiff it is really hard to keep the phones in ears!

I used the Sennheiser CX300 (identical buds to MM50iP) previously and the UEs are superior in every way for only a small price increase.

Sorry that I have to contradict, doobi.

Sound is far better.

No. The Sennheiser sound is much better. I've asked a professional sound engineer who owns them (exactly: her daughter-in-law owns the UEs.). I hope your CX300 weren't fakes.

Looks are better.

It's a matter of taste. I like the Sennheiser headset more, it is more decent. You can have different colors and they fit better to your iPhone 3G or iPod Touch. The shiny and glossy look ("metallic finish") of the UEs is too flashy and not very reputable in my eyes. Okay -- when you are 13 years old that doesn't matter maybe...

Cable doesnt tangle.

But the UE cable is so stiff, dull and cumbersome. Some people hate that cable and call it unusable! The UE's don't have cord grips at the boxes and the phones, that is very important for stability.

No annoying asymmetrical wiring.

As I've said before: The asymmetrical wiring is ingenious. I needed some time to get used to it and now I don't want to miss it anymore. You find the benefits listed here in the thread somewhere.

So far proven to last longer.

I have the Sennheiser since they came out and they work and look like new. As you can see on the macro photos in my blog the Sennheiser phones have a very tiny and tenuous metal grid to avoid getting pollution inside. The UEs lack such a grid! That's a NO NO for in-ear-headphones!

Don't get me wrong, Sennheiser is a decent brand, but the Ultimate Ears buds take the cake.

You know, I am working in different sound production studios, broadcast, stage, TV, all over Europe, and almost each technical staff member and musician has Sennheiser or AKG headphones or headsets. Since decades. And they know why: Those brands are reference.

 

[aaquib]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/apple-iem-most-underrated-iems-market-418220/

And that's coming from the internet's most demanding audiophiles

 

[michael.lauden]

Sennheiser is definitely the way to go in the music front. most musicians use them as well - i had a pair not long ago on loan from the church

 

[Pika]

Im happy with my Apple In-Ear Headphones.

 

[bjett92]

Thanks for all the input and help!
I think I've managed to narrow it down to 4 choices.

1. Shure SE210
2. Etymotic hf5
3. Apple In-Ear Headphones
4. Monster Cable Turbine

This is the hard part. I really can't decide which choice I should go with.

 

[shoppy]

OP: After reading this post I went ahead and purchased some shure se210's, I was going to get some bose in the ear.

 

[SkillsToShow]

I guess not many people have heard about the NuForce headphones yet, they are as good as the Shures 210 if not better and only cost about $80. They also have a remote & mic attached.

You can find these on amazon and I suggest you buy some tips with these headphones (Complys T400 or E2c Silicone tips) for even better sound quality, definitely the best bang for the buck.

 

[Bengt77]

nevermind

 

[Bengt77]

I have the Shure SE210 myself and think they're pretty good. For home listening I also have the Audio-Technica ATH-AD900 and ATH-A900Ti headphones, which make the SE210 sound rather meh in comparison. For the money, though, it's actually very good. That's not to say it's the end of the road for me, as I'm saving up for the SE530 right now. Don't make the mistake I made and join Head-Fi, as your wallet will go bye bye...

 

[Bengt77]

Sennheiser is definitely the way to go in the music front. most musicians use them as well - i had a pair not long ago on loan from the church

If I wouldn't know any better, I'd have stated the same thing. But I do know better and don't (fully) recommend Sennheiser. Well, many people like their headphones a lot, but I happen to like other brands better. Also, some brands specialize in IEMs (Shure, Westone, Etymotic, UE), some are the overlords when it comes to full-sized cans (Audio-Technica, beyerdynamic, Denon, AKG, Sennheiser, Grado), while others rule the earbud (Yuin) or electrostat lands (Stax, Sennheiser). There is no single brand that rules the whole headphone empire.

Another thing to keep in mind is that in the US, some European and Asian brands will be quite overpriced. That also makes going Sennheiser (German) less sensible than going Shure (American). In Europe, it might be the other way around. In Asia, brands like Denon, Audio-Technica and JVC will be the most sensible choice, economically.

 

[r6girl]

Thanks for all the input and help!
I think I've managed to narrow it down to 4 choices.

1. Shure SE210
2. Etymotic hf5
3. Apple In-Ear Headphones
4. Monster Cable Turbine

This is the hard part. I really can't decide which choice I should go with.

I just chose the Apple In-ear headphones with remote and mic to replace my V-Modas. I do believe that the Etymotic and Shure headphones have better audio quality, but I'm pretty sure I'll be upgrading to the new iPhone this summer and the ability to control the volume on it with these headphones is highly likely, IMHO. I need some level of isolation during my commute and I would like the convenience of volume adjustment without needing to dig my iPhone out of a closed pocket. From what I've read, the audio quality is decent, I've never had problems with any of my previous Apple headphones, and they're not horribly expensive. Amazon is selling them now for $71 with a $5 credit toward their MP3 store.

 

[enfanteribl]

The Sennheiser range is great. They seem to get good reviews in all the various price points.

 

[Exegesis48]

I have the Bose In ear Headphones and i got them for $69.99. I like the sound quality, but I am sure there are better ones out there. My friend has some Shures (don't know which model). And while they do a really good job of blocking out ambient noise, i found that shoving them into my ear canals was a bit uncomfortable.

 

[jvette]

Ok, my turn to chime in here. I have had piles of shure head phones and everyone of them had problems with the cords. I have owned the 310, 420 and 530. Every time there was a problem Shure was no help. I use them professionally and need the best sound I can find. I switched to Westone about a year ago and have never looked back. I now have two different ones and both are the best I have ever owned and the quality is great. I currently have the Westone 3 that I use everyday and my back up is the UM2. If you want quality and great sound these are the ones to buy. Check out earphonesolutions.com

 

[txhockey9404]

I mostly listen to alternative and rock.

I also listen to alternative (mostly 90s and some 00s). I have owned the Bose IEs, the SE210s, and the V-Moda Vibe Duos. I have also tried the Shure SE110s and SE310s, as well as the Monster Cable IEs and the Apple IEs.

I currently use the SE210s (my second pair via warranty replacement after 9 months of heavy use). They stand up very well to wear and tear, but if you use the foam tips, make sure to replace them about every 1-2 months because they lose their elasticity and cannot seal correctly. I like the Shure cord system as well. I own two of the standard cords as well as the iPhone cord, and they are all great. Now, onto the important part: the sound! They definitely need to be broken in. I left them in the basement plugged into my iPod overnight playing around 80% volume and they were golden. They have great highs and awesome mids, but if you are a bass junkie, you will most likely not like them. I even had to upgrade most of my music library from 128kbps AAC from the Bose and V-Moda to 256 and 320kbps AAC.

The SE110s are a bit more flat sounding, but are nice. The SE310s have much more bass, albeit they cost $100 more.

The V-Modas are complete garbage. I gave them to my mom because I couldn't stand them.

The Bose IEs are VERY comfortable. Thats about all the good I can say about them. I went through 6 pairs (all replaced under warranty) in one year. They are very muddy and distorting. They also break incredibly easily and the tips constantly fall off.

The Monster Cables were nice, but I just couldn't love them. They would probably be my second choice between the SE210s or third behind the SE210s and SE310s if I had an additional $100 to spend.

The Apple IEs were ok. They were worth $79, but can't really compare to buds twice their price. I don't like the Apple tips, but that's really personal preference. They sound nice, but aren't nearly as nice as the Shures (save for the SE110s--they give them a run for their money).

In all, I would put them in this order: SE310s, SE210s, Monster IEs, Apple IEs, SE110s, Bose IEs, V-Modas

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I have a pair of Bang & Olufsen in ear headphones; they are a lot better, more comfortable and a lot, lot more expensive than Apple's own offerings. The sound is excellent, but they are very expensive. In any case, I must confess that I never liked the Apple iPod pods, as I have always found them uncomfortable to wear. They Bang & Olufsen in ear head-phones come with a little travelling pouch and also have a clip on piece which holds them in place in your ears. For standard "ear-muff" style head-phones I have used both Sennheiser and Bose and found both very good.

Cheers and good luck

 

[Bengt77]

You also have to keep in mind that different brands will get you different sound signatures. What kind of sound presentation do you like?

Do you want ultimate isolation? Go IEM. Do you love bloated, emphasized and uncontrolled bass? Go Bose or, worse, Skullcandy. Do you like a very wide, neutral, slightly bass-shy presentation with lots of detail? Go Etymotic or AKG. Do you like warmth with nice bass but slightly rolled off highs? Go Denon, Sennheiser, JVC or Shure. Do you like lush mids and fantastic highs with an ever so slightly shy but perfectly controlled bass presentation? Go Audio-Technica. Do you like good bass and detail? Go beyerdynamic or Ultrasone. Do you like a narrow sound stage with very lush, slightly emphasized mids and screaming highs? Go Grado. Do you like an ultra wide soundstage with a mostly neutral presentation that does almost everything right? Go Stax or, - Gasp! - Orpheus.

And so on...

First, try to find out what sound you like, then make a list of headphone models within or slightly above your budget from the brands that will most likely get you what you're looking for. Then, when you've got it narrowed down to three or four models, see if you can audition them anywhere. (Make sure they're all properly burnt in when you're listening to dynamic headphones. Balanced armature IEMs, like Shures, Etymotics or Westones, don't need any burning in.) Lastly, look your favourite model up on eBay and see if you can get it cheaper. That's when looking at models above your budget comes in handy. They might turn out to be affordable after all.

 

[Habakuk]

You also have to keep in mind that different brands will get you different sound signatures. What kind of sound presentation do you like?...

Good description on a quite high level.

Lastly, look your favourite model up on eBay and see if you can get it cheaper. That's when looking at models above your budget comes in handy. They might turn out to be affordable after all.

This I don't ack at all. eBay is full of plagiarism and fakes. The devices look pretty the same as the originals but sound cruel. You will never be sure until you have the piece in your hand and in your ears.

 

[basesloaded190]

I've owned a pair of Etymotic 4Ps since the last three years. They are the most excellent piece of in-ear headphones I've ever owned. People may complain a little about it not having too much bass, but I think the 4P delivers the same bass that the musicians intended to- it doesn't amplify it.

I love the 4Ps, and can vouch for any Etymotic Research phones.

That's where my vote is and always will be. Tried many others and my er-4p are by far the best for the money!