Seeking the Perfect iPhone Earbuds Replacement

[kewl]

EU super.fi 4vi Review

Two pairs later, I ended up returning my EU super.fi 4vi's.

I'm the original poster and after many good replys, I went with the EU super.fi 4vi's. My first pair died within 2 hours of normal play - the right monitor went out. I returned them to EU and got another pair within a week. I had my second pair for 5 days before I returned them. I noticed from the get-go that the sound was not quite right. I dismissed it at first, thinking that high end earphones are supposed to sound like this. On the fifth day, I finally did a comparison with my apple earbuds comparing each extensively with with different songs and players. I made sure they were on correctly (sealing the ear). I discovered the EUs had absolutely no low end (bass)! The range between the two is quite noticeable and I don't believe this is simply a difference of perspective. So the second pair was yet another defective pair of earphones. I'm not usually one to be so picky, but for $130, the quality is definitely lacking.

For what it's worth, I did email EU to tell them my experience. Hopefully, they will employ better quality control measures in their future products.

Peace.

 

[Clyde099]

I bought my V-Moda DUOs about two months ago and a week ago I sent them in for repair since I had an issue with my pair. Regardless of the issue, I love the headphones. I purchased the superfi's before I got the V-Moda's but I didn't like them. They had very little bass and the controller-thing was very hard to manage.

Any who, after sending my V-Moda's in I got an e-mail that my replacement pair would not arrive for another 3-4 weeks since they are back-ordered. Apparently, they are releasing new updated DUOs in the coming weeks and have no stock left of the current DUOs.

Best thing is, they let me have a free pair of the regular Vibes to keep me entertained while my replacement Vibe Duos are being sent. Gotta love free stuff.

 

[ubercool]

I was at the Apple Store yesterday and a genius with colorful hair recommended the Shure SE210 with MPA as the best choice. Now that I've spent more than $206 (with tax) on these and see so little positive feedback on this combo here, I'm going to return them and order the Etymotic Research hf2.

I really don't want to spend that much on something that:

1. Has "too long" a stem
2. Does not fit right in my ears (always a risk)
3. Has too many attachments (like the MPA). I like to keep things simple.

The only problem is that Amazon does not have the hf2 in stock, so it's going to be a long wait.

 

[ubercool]

I agree. The eBay earphones sound incredible considering the price. I don't have genuine Sennheiser CX-300s to compare them to, but I can't imagine that the sound quality can be much better.

Since this Power Seller is in Fremont, I'm going to order these and return the Shure SE210. For the one or two calls I take each day, spending $200+ is probably overkill.

 

[ubercool]

While I like that Rivet is an Ultimate Ears company, I don't like the fact that they charge a flat $11 for shipping, even within California, which adds 33% to the price. The eBay guy adds $7.00 but at least his price is only $25. When you go dirt-cheap, you gotta watch those shipping fees!

I see that no one has mentioned what I call the BEST poor man's headphone's. I found these within a month of iDay and are still using them to this day. www.rivetnow.com

Only $29.99 + Shipping

So far I have used for over 8 months with no breaks, signs of wear or any other inconvience and for the price, the sound is that of a $100 set.

Cons: Haven't found one yet, thats why I keep using.

Good Luck

 

[simoleon]

Since I've had my iPhone, I've had two pairs of iphone-dedicated headphones. First were the V-Moda Vibe duos. They had all the bass of a $400 dollar car with a $900 stereo, so in that respect, I saved almost $1200. The silicon earpieces were comfortable and they made a nice seal, but they were far too thin for any serious noise-isolation. Then they broke. Warranty service was very quick though.
This past christmas, I was looking for a present for my brother and I found the Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 4vis which had just come out. I couldn't find any reviews for them online, but favorable reviews of other UE products led me to take a chance on them. My brother ended up loving them so much that shortly after new years he convinced me to buy a pair for myself.
Ever since, I've been enamored by them. Their output is incredibly clean and well-balanced throughout the entire range. I use them on airplanes and they do an incredible job of isolating the noise. They work well enough that I rarely have to turn my volume up above 40% or so. In spite of the superior noise isolation, they remain comfortable enough that I can wear them for hours at a time. That balance between comfort and isolation is not often achieved, in my experience.
With all of that in mind, I'd highly recommend the UEs.

 

[OC513]

question about Freq

JTFreq.....u mentioned that ur buds offer a microphone.....I was all over the site and love the idea of triple driver, custom fitted phones at such a great price. I went so far as to start my order but could not find a microphone option. Can u please help?? Do u offer a control button as well as a mic???

 

[thegoldenmackid]

i didn't see it either

 

[ubercool]

OK, I received these earphones and they sound great! Only con so far: the cord is made of an anti-slip material, so when it gets tangled, it's almost impossible to untangle. Will have to get a cord winder for it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/iPhone-earphone...yZ111693QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pros
1. Same exact drivers/sound identical to Sennheiser CX300 (tighter, less boomy bass than V-Moda, still big bass though, much clearer mids/crisper highs than V-Moda).

2. CHEAP!

3. Mic/button unit same size as iPhone.

4. Stylish black aluminum jack with silver rings

Cons

1. Build quality slightly lower than regular Sennheisers, mostly in the cord dept. The jack does not have a rubber grommet around the cord junction and since the housing is aluminum, it may eventually cut into the cord. The cord is relatively tangle free however.

2. No case/pouch/trained rodent to hold the buds for you.

3. extra set of flanged tips are made of crappy silicone. They're described as free anyhow. Still too much to pay for them.

I'm continually amazed at how many people have been lulled by V-Moda's schtick. They sound like 20" Jeep speakers with a blown tweeter. Sennheisers have a full rich fun sound with big bass, solid mids and crispy highs.

 

[NewSc2]

I would highly recommend the Etymotic series. I had an ER6i, upgraded it to an ER4p, broke that and purchased the Shure E500PTH. Even though the Shure was about twice as much as the ER4p, I would rate them pretty much the same.

 

[JTFreQ]

Microphone

JTFreq.....u mentioned that ur buds offer a microphone.....I was all over the site and love the idea of triple driver, custom fitted phones at such a great price. I went so far as to start my order but could not find a microphone option. Can u please help?? Do u offer a control button as well as a mic???

Sorry for the delay. As of yet, we are still in negotiations on purchasing a line from a distributor. In the mean time you can mail in anything you want to connect to your FreQs (microphone). As far as the control is concerned we are still in the testing fazes and are not completely satisfied with the product we offer with a control (warranties, etc…).

 

[OC513]

Thanks

JTFreq............if you could post here when you guys have it figured out.......that is the mic and control button it would be greatly appreciated......I want to order them when the come out. Thanks in advance.

 

[JTFreQ]

JTFreq............if you could post here when you guys have it figured out.......that is the mic and control button it would be greatly appreciated......I want to order them when the come out. Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE

You got it! Thanks.

 

[True Tao]

I agree. The eBay earphones sound incredible considering the price. I don't have genuine Sennheiser CX-300s to compare them to, but I can't imagine that the sound quality can be much better.

For those who are curious I do have the Sennheiser CX-300s and can verify after listenting to them one after the other and one in each ear that they do sound the same.........at least to my ears I can't tell a difference.

But beware they are cheap and as of writing this my button stopped working after only a few weeks.

Do you think the seller could replace them free of charge?

 

[thegoldenmackid]

For those who are curious I do have the Sennheiser CX-300s and can verify after listenting to them one after the other and one in each ear that they do sound the same.........at least to my ears I can't tell a difference.

But beware they are cheap and as of writing this my button stopped working after only a few weeks.

Do you think the seller could replace them free of charge?

It's commonly known that you can buy many of the same drivers and actual IEM pieces that major brands you, Sennheiser doesn't actually make the CX-300, its just branded and marketed that way, which is why you can oftne find a generic copy for less.

It's worth a shot, but I have a feeling they are just going to instruct you to live with it or purchase a new pair.

 

[AJsAWiz]

For those who are curious I do have the Sennheiser CX-300s and can verify after listenting to them one after the other and one in each ear that they do sound the same.........at least to my ears I can't tell a difference.

But beware they are cheap and as of writing this my button stopped working after only a few weeks.

Do you think the seller could replace them free of charge?

Good luck with that. I ordered a pair and never received them. They said they would refund me and send another pair that I could just keep. I did get the refund but no still ear phones. LOL

 

[iphonewiz]

Mic included?

Trouble with most of these ear bud replacements is that they don't have mics! I use my mic all the time. One of my favorite features of the iPhone.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Trouble with most of these ear bud replacements is that they don't have mics! I use my mic all the time. One of my favorite features of the iPhone.

V-Moda
Shure MPA?
Shure 12C-M?
Ultimate Buds UB3
UB7 Ultimate Buds Apple / Etymotic ER6i

 

[mrJnC]

Trouble with most of these ear bud replacements is that they don't have mics! I use my mic all the time. One of my favorite features of the iPhone.

+ Etymotic hf2 (if they resume shipping any time soon)

 

[londondude]

skull candy isnt available in UK yet.

 

[Ambrose Chapel]

Has anybody heard any news about the Sennheiser MM50 iPhone earbuds? They were announced at a trade show last month but I haven't seen any new info since. I'm holding out hope that these will be great, given Senn's track record.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Has anybody heard any news about the Sennheiser MM50 iPhone earbuds? They were announced at a trade show last month but I haven't seen any new info since. I'm holding out hope that these will be great, given Senn's track record.

I wonder if they use the same drivers as the CX-300's

 

[Ambrose Chapel]

I wonder if they use the same drivers as the CX-300's

not sure but they do have an MM50 model for other mobiles (the jack prevents it from being iPhone compatible). can you tell what drivers they have? i bet the iPhone version will be the same.

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=500745

 

[maxxscholten]

What I did:

I wrote a threat on this in the regular iPhone forum... here's the link:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/463710/

Basically I changed out the iPhone earbuds with the iPod In-Ear Earphones, but kept the wire the original iPhone was on with a soldering job.

 

[rush0]

I got the ebay ones for 30bux shipped, and I must say the Sound Qual is amazing. However the mic is ass.