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Quality Sub-$100 Earbuds / General Audiophilia Crash Course
Hamurabi
MiamiRegistered User regular
MiamiRegistered User regular
So while I definitely consider my $200 investment in a pair of Ultrasone DJ1-Pro headphones to have been a savvy apportionment of funds... they're bulky as fuck, and given how deliberately light they are I always feel like I'm risking breaking them when I stuff them in my carryon and use them while traveling. Frankly, they're also huge and I look weird when I wear them -- which is not something I care about in more private settings, obviously, but which comes into sharper relief when some lady's kid at Queen Alia Intl. Airport literally points and laughs at me.
This is why I'm looking for quality earbuds.
I'm very skeptical though, given that: A) almost all earbuds I've tried have sounded tinny and awful in comparison to my headphones (which isn't a fair comparison, but whatevs); and
my freakishly deformed aural cavity seems to be genetically predisposed to letting earbuds fall out. I would love to find a pair of earbuds that addresses these specific concerns.
I'm also interested in the general heuristics I should be employing in choosing headphones in the future. The basic idea I've always had is to look for the highest frequency response range and to go with that. The range on my current headphones, for instance, is 10 - 22k hz and they sound great. Is there a lot more to it than simply looking at the range? I assume there is, but I don't really know what, and what a good level for this number might be.
This is why I'm looking for quality earbuds.
I'm very skeptical though, given that: A) almost all earbuds I've tried have sounded tinny and awful in comparison to my headphones (which isn't a fair comparison, but whatevs); and
my freakishly deformed aural cavity seems to be genetically predisposed to letting earbuds fall out. I would love to find a pair of earbuds that addresses these specific concerns.I'm also interested in the general heuristics I should be employing in choosing headphones in the future. The basic idea I've always had is to look for the highest frequency response range and to go with that. The range on my current headphones, for instance, is 10 - 22k hz and they sound great. Is there a lot more to it than simply looking at the range? I assume there is, but I don't really know what, and what a good level for this number might be.
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I know some people say Bose isn't worth the cash but I love them.
For a quick-hit recommendation, I'm going to say the Shure SE215.
Specifically that I recall, the Apple earbuds sound pretty bad to me, and so do some $50 Sennheiser buds. I was surprised that I didn't like the Sennheisers, given that I've loved every pair of Sennheisers I've owned (which is 3 at this point).
Depending what audio source you wanna use you there are different models. If you say have your player in a pocket then go for some without strap but if you, like me, want the player to hang by the headphone cable then Sony makes some where the weight is handled by a small strap you wear around the neck (which is much better than letting your ears carry even the lightest player). On some models the strap is made out of leather.
Now as for sound quality in general. A high frequency response is a start but without data telling if this is with a pretty linear sound level all through the range it is useless. It is sort of like getting the average temperature for a 24h period in a Dessert and concluding it is comfortable when in reality it is way to hot in the day and pretty cold at night. Instead of numbers I recommend going by reviews and if no reviews then overall reputation of the company you consider buying from.
The only place where numbers really matters is when matching equipment. Old school big headphones require a lot more power to make music than modern ones and the small in ear one tend to be very efficient so they can play with very little power. However as long as you stick to modern equipment and maybe keep away from the studio gear and/or very high end gear most headphones will play fine regardless of your equipment (which I assume is portable and thus not too powerful).
PS. Don' play with too loud a level or you'll regret it down the line. Loosing ones hearing is not a good thing.
Apple ones are crap. I'm a Sennheiser fan, but it's hard to know if it's the quality you didn't like or just their particular acoustics.
I usually see people fight back and forth whether Sennheiser or Shure is better, so I'd recommend you try the Shure earbuds a5ehren linked to. They also come with multiple size plugs, so you should hopefully be able to get a good fit.
These are easily the worst headphones of any variety I've ever used, although I guess maybe if I bought some from the dollar store those would maybe be worse. All the sound leaks out the sides unless you cover your ears (which looks more retarded than having huge headphones on when you're in-transit), and the sound quality when you can hear them properly is mediocre at best. Plus they break easily. Anyway, if Sennheisers didn't work for you and that's why you're skeptical about earbuds that's fine, but don't let the crappy headphones that come with iPods influence your ideas about earbuds' quality. :P
I also think Sony is great, but what I tend to buy is Philips' earbuds. My favorites (may they rest in peace) were some "virtual surround" earbuds from Philips that went slightly into your ears, so they were less prone to falling out. Great sound quality, and they're easily audible over a morning commute. I suppose pretty much all in-ear earbuds have a tougher time falling out than the usual earbuds, and the whole point of them is that they're easier to hear than the standard earbuds when you're commuting, so I think at the very least that's the type of earbud you should be looking for, whether or not you grab stuff from my recommended company. (Disclaimer: I haven't normally paid a lot for headphones, but I have listened to my fiance's pair of Sennheiser headphones, probably exactly like the ones you're looking to supplement, and didn't feel like there was a massive difference in quality because the ones I was using were awesome. Well, except that the headphones cover the ear entirely, which naturally makes somewhat of a difference but also makes them kind of unwieldy and warm.)
I paid $80 bucks at the time, but a quick look on Amazon reveals they are $60 now.
The first moment I put these on at my job the silence was heaven. I could see the the countless mouths moving at my job, but I couldn't hear them. They also allowed me to have my volume at a more comfortable level.
Especially this post - http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/24096565/#Comment_24096565
They're triple your budget, but we're talking about custom built in-ear monitors that will sound better than almost anything even close to that price.
I wondered if someone would mention these before me.
I got these several years ago for Christmas and they're amazing. I think I remember reading an audio tech review somewhere that they're easily on par with earbuds three times their cost. I love mine.
Are they clogging with wax? I had that problem with my E2C's.
Try the other tips, they do make a difference. Especially the foam ones