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I have been testing a bunch of different headphones and earbuds lately and will answer in a completely unbiased way any questions posters may have about any of the setups.
I have been doing extensive listening with all these different setups lately.*
To tell what kind of listener I am, I was in the high end/audiophile *stereo business for over 10 years. I also sold/installed competition grade car audio.
I have a fairly musical ear from all that, but I am absolutely NOT an audiophile. *I am no different than a good majority of posters in that I like loud rock music with plenty of bass and a bright high end. *I am NOT looking for the most accurate sound (that is boring to me), I want my headphones to ROCK. *I used to sell $4000 electrostatic speakers and when I listened to them I always wanted to crank up the bass and treble, it drove the "true audiophiles" crazy LOL
I have tested and own:
Headphones:
1. V-Moda Crossfade
2. Bose QC 15
3. Beats Studio
4. Beats Solo
Earbuds:
5. *stock Rezound ibeats
6. Beats Tour
7. Ultimate Ears TripleFi
8. Kicker (don't know the model, they came free with some car speakers)
9. Senheiser CX300 ll
10. Etymotic ER-4 Micro-Pro
Right now, my daily driver at work are the Bose QCs but it's not because I am overly impressed with the sound (I'm not). *The battery powered sound isolation in the QCs is absolutely amazing and I work in a noisy environment. *This is great for me, but my son says the sound isolation feature makes him nauseous so they are not for everyone. They are also very light and comfortable (but the build quality sucks for the price, they remind me of the build of a galaxy nexus)so I can wear them all day.
My favorite headphone sound wise are the beats studio (which also use battery sound isolation but it is not even close to as effective as the QCs) although they are overpriced. *I got them from the monster outlet store for $199 and the site said they where "refurbs" but they sent me a brand new pair in a sealed box. *The studios have much stronger bass than the Bose and it doesn't break up when i push the volume like the Bose do. *I tried to wear the Studios for work, but they are a lot heavier than the Bose and gave me a headache after a few hours.
I like the beats tour a LOT, *they are much better than the ibeats and are also available in the monster refurb store.
The TripleFi's are awesome (as well they should be for the price), the senheiser sound absolutely amazing for the $30 price.
The Etymotics are much too accurate for me and I hate them and they are really expensive.
The V-Moda are a great deal for the $100 eBay price, sound really good and are very comfortable. They sound a little "hollow" at times, but I don't object to it.
The beats solo are $200 and they sound awful to me plus they hurt my ears after a while.
I recently sold a pair of Klipsch M40s also, I thought they where much too heavy and way overpriced.
Think you should check out nuforce. Their earbuds are 70 $ and destroy all of what you have listed.
I much rather listen to my B&W P5s but I didn't like B&W's earbuds so I got the nuforce.
Also...$4000 dollar electrostats are not audiophile grade. Not even close. I to work in high end audio, and you start hitting audiophile grade electrostatics at 13K or so.
Plus, your never going to get car fi bass outta a two channel stereo setup for what you said, it is accurate and real sound.
I am guessing you never go to concerts? You wouldn't like those either because they are to accurate lol.
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nosympathy said:
Think you should check out nuforce. Their earbuds are 70 $ and destroy all of what you have listed.
I much rather listen to my B&W P5s but I didn't like B&W's earbuds so I got the nuforce.
Also...$4000 dollar electrostats are not audiophile grade. Not even close. I to work in high end audio, and you start hitting audiophile grade electrostatics
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No argument from me about the nuforce, I have a set of NE-700x sitting right here but haven't really had a chance to check them out yet.
I agree that $4000 is certainly at the low end for electrostatics, but we didn't stock the higher priced models -those where just a demo set.
I am not in the business anymore, but I was the top B & W dealer in our area for a few years.
Where is your business??
jmorton10 said:
No argument from me about the nuforce, I have a set of NE-700x sitting right here but haven't really had a chance to check them out yet.
I agree that $4000 is certainly at the low end for electrostatics, but we didn't stock the higher priced models -those where just a demo set.
I am not in the business anymore, but I was the top B & W dealer in our area for a few years.
Where is your business??
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I actually work for a Magnolia Home Theater right now in cincinnati. One of the few salesmen who hasn't been corrupted by best buy yet. Trying to leave for that reason. Best buy has been ruining everything they touch.
We are the only B&W dealer in like 100 miles. The other company that was, started discounting B&W to steal our sales and B&W found out and pulled all their products from them.
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I don't have enough experience with headphones as I used Skull Candy buds in the past which sounded ok to me and were cheap (which is why they don't last long) so these headphones are my first set of quality buds.
I would like something with a bit better sound, however, I would like to also maintain the buttons which are useful on my long commute to/from work. Do any of the buds you have used maintain the use of the buttons?
Rezound ibeats plugged into an Beats Audio HP laptop with tweaked settings. Beyond amazing! If only I could get the same beats quality sound from my laptop on my Rezound. Beats on Rezound arent as good.
Marcismo55 said:
Do any of the buds you have used maintain the use of the buttons?
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The beats tour do, but like most buds they are set up for an iPod/iPhone. (same with all the headphones Listed)
I use an app called "headset button controller" to make the control compatible with Android.
as far as just listening to music(no mic) goes, i have these Sony sport earbuds i got from Best Buy for like $45 - $50... model #: MDRAS40EX.
they have about as much bass as the beats + sound cleaner. i got them because the beats kept falling out of my ears when i was working out. i don't have that problem anymore.
LOL, that's quite a sig you got there bro.........
I use a $20 set of Skullcandy buds.
The Beats headphones that come with the phone sound pretty good, but ergonomically they are complete crap. Too long and too heavy, they simply will not stay put in your ear, and as soon as they shift out of position even slightly, the bass and sound quality go to ****.
Because of the weight and length, they get a ton of leverage and unless you are sitting perfectly still, they work their way loose no matter what cushions I use. And they are too long to fit inside a helmet, so I got a set of Skullcandy buds and they sound almost as good, and they stay put and work really well inside a motorcycle helmet.
Yea, inside a motorcycle helmet presents a whole new set of problems.
I have ridden a motorcycle for years (& I owned a biker bar for 20 years) so I know all about that.
The Senheiser & the Kicker buds I have work fine under a helmet, others like the Ultimate Ears or the Beats Tour definitely do not.
EDIT: if you think the ibeats are too long, you sure don't want to try the Beats Tour -those are like twice as long...LOL
I just recently have been trying to use the stock ibeats for when at the gym and I can tell you that they just don't work for me. I can't seem to find the right fitment so they are always falling out.
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I know a lot of audiophiles absolutely hate Bose, but I've got a pair of IE2s, and I personally think they're the best headphones I've ever used. The ear pieces do not come out, and they're comfortable, so that's a plus.
They're extremely clear and they handle the bass really well. (although probably not as well as a pair of Beats.)
godsmacked4653 said:
I know a lot of audiophiles absolutely hate Bose
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Right, they all hate Beats/Monster stuff too.
It is the hip/sophisticated snob attitute to say that kind of stuff.
The fact is Bose & Beats stuff put out exactly the kind of sound a lot of normal guys (not audiophiles) really like. I love the sound of my Beats Studio headphones. Are they accurate?? Absolutely not, they have too much bass & the high end is too bright but that is exactly what I like about them.
The high end Klipsch cans I had ($350 a pair) where more accurate for sure, but I sold them because I like the Beats better.
marksde said:
I just recently have been trying to use the stock ibeats for when at the gym and I can tell you that they just don't work for me. I can't seem to find the right fitment so they are always falling out.
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That is a problem with a lot of earbuds.
My UltimateEars TripleFi solve that problem although they are expensive. The UEs have a stiff bendable wire section of the cord right after the ear part. That wire can be bent to wrap around the back of your ear & hold the buds so there is NO WAY they can fall out.
One thing I have found out lately is what a HUGE difference in the sound a different set of ear tips can make. I must have gone thru 12 different sets of tips on the UEs thinking the whole time that "these things don't really sound all that great especially for the price".
Then, I tried a set of Moster gel tips that just happen to also fit the UEs & all of a sudden it was "WOW, these things sound absolutely awesome"
jmorton10 said:
Right, they all hate Beats/Monster stuff too.
It is the hip/sophisticated snob attitute to say that kind of stuff.
The fact is Bose & Beats stuff put out exactly the kind of sound a lot of normal guys (not audiophiles) really like. I love the sound of my Beats Studio headphones. Are they accurate?? Absolutely not, they have too much bass & the high end is too bright but that is exactly what I like about them.
The high end Klipsch cans I had ($350 a pair) where more accurate for sure, but I sold them because I like the Beats better.
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I completely agree. Most people fail to realize that audio is subjective, and "if you don't like what I like, you're wrong."
godsmacked4653 said:
I completely agree. Most people fail to realize that audio is subjective, and "if you don't like what I like, you're wrong."
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It's a lot more objective than you claim. It's more like "The further you get away from the sound coming from the monitors when the final mix was made, the more you're wrong."
Just sayin' - I know some people simply don't care about what the artist intended to be heard. But then again, there are the Enid Lumley's, who say they can hear a difference in the sound when they point a flashlight at the speaker.
mike.s said:
It's a lot more objective than you claim. It's more like "The further you get away from the sound coming from the monitors when the final mix was made, the more you're wrong."
Just sayin' - I know some people simply don't care about what the artist intended to be heard. But then again, there are the Enid Lumley's, who say they can hear a difference in the sound when they point a flashlight at the speaker.
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My point was that what headphones sound good to one person don't sound good to another. Whether the artist intended for you to max out the bass when you listen to their music doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong. It's the same reason why people like band A but dislike band B.
godsmacked4653 said:
Whether the artist intended for you to max out the bass when you listen to their music doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong..
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Whoosh.
If the artist wanted more bass, they'd put it on the recording, not expect it to be added in playback.
Anyone have any opinions on which is better? I'm an avid runner and cyclist and looking for a stereo bluetooth headset to get rid of the wire. Sweat resistance and sound quality are my biggest concerns.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
I personally found the S10's to be extremely uncomfortable after only a few minutes. They were returned the next day.
I haven't tried the other model.
I've owned S9, S9-HD and S10. Sound quality is so disappointing with the S10, get the S9-HD. It is the best.
I bought the LG Tone Bluetooth earphones. I liked them because of the 10 hour battery charge and because of the small earphones.
I actually took them to the gym last night and they weren't bothersome while I was on the treadmill. they didn't fall out or anything. at the beginning, the base jumped around a little. but then I tucked them into my sweater and they stayed in place. they did get sweaty but I just cleaned them down with a sanitary wipe a couple of hours later when I got home. didn't notice anything today.
and just now I wore them for a couple of hours while I went out for a long walk at the beach.
answer call buttons, play/pause, volume up/down, forward/back buttons.
they're pretty inconspicuous when wearing something with a collar. the audio is good. like i said... 8-10 hours on a single charge. that itself was a big selling point for me.
I had originally wanted these Sony instead: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GXR1P2/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8 Sony Ericsson Bluetooth HBH-IS800 - Headset ( in-ear ear-bud ) - wireless... but they only hold a 3-4 charge. and they stick out from your ear more than regular in-ear earphones because I guess that's where the Bluetooth stuff is located. as well as the battery. and these lack any sort of buttons. I really like the simplicity of them but I passed.
and then I thought about going this route: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DQ1DCM/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8 Sony Ericsson Hi-Fi Bluetooth Stereo Headset with FM Radio... but i figured I'd still have to deal with the length of wire from the headphones you choose to plug in. but the good thing about these ones is that you can plug in some high quality headphones if you choose to.
and finally, if all you're going to use the earphones is for exercising... then you could go with these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FVNHBI/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8 Jabra SPORT Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Black/Yellow... but then you can't use them for casual stuff without looking silly.
I didn't even consider those Motorola ones because they look silly to use say at work... and they look rigid.
I looked into a wide variety of available Bluetooth earphones. I chose the LG Tone for the reasons I stated. I like them. and I found them new on Craigslist for $40.
What would you guys recommend for a cheap bluetooth headset capable of streaming music from my Atrix while at the gym? Doesn't have to be flashy or expensive or have insane sound quality.... just something reliable, that will work for a while and be somewhat resistant to drops etc...
I've got the S10 headset. It's okay, seems pretty durable, and stays on snugly when running. I do get a little tired of wearing them after a couple of hours. And the sound is just mediocre without using some king of EQ app, like DSPManager or something.
They work pretty well for running, though. And casual listening at work. And conference calls.
I've had mine for 9 months or so.
I personally use the MW600 by sony ericsson which lets you actually use your own headphones - a big plus if you care about the sound, seeing almost any high quality headphones are better then the ones that are built into these usual bluetooth pieces.
also battery life is pretty damn good and it has a led screen which shows which song you are playing and also has control buttons and volume, its very lightweight and all-around a pretty good device.
i've also found this device very useful for a lot of other occasions, seeing as you can plug anything that has the right cable to it, like speakers and what not.
I've had the Moto S9 and S9HD. Sound quality of the S9HD is great. However, I'm on set #4 as sweat kills the control buttons if you sweat heavily. I've heard that the S10s are a little more sweat resistant, but still subject to the same mode of failure. Due to this, and the inferior sound quality of the S10s, I'd pass on them. If you don't sweat heavily, the S9HDs are a good choice.
Sent from my HTC EVO View 4G
Thanks for all the responses. I've really learned a ton from the suggestions in this thread. The Motorola reviews here have matched what i've read on the web. S10 is more sweat resistant but sound quality is severely lacking. The other recommendations also suggest that they will not survive my situation (the humidity in NOLA is brutal year round). Still have not seen anyone with experience with the jaybird gear. The price is almost double compared to the other recommendations. Could that unit have the sound and build quality i'm looking for?
As much as I'd love to get rid of the wires, it seems like the better solution, for me anyway, may be wired earphones.
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nsaia said:
Thanks for all the responses. I've really learned a ton from the suggestions in this thread. The Motorola reviews here have matched what i've read on the web. S10 is more sweat resistant but sound quality is severely lacking. The other recommendations also suggest that they will not survive my situation (the humidity in NOLA is brutal year round). Still have not seen anyone with experience with the jaybird gear. The price is almost double compared to the other recommendations. Could that unit have the sound and build quality i'm looking for?
As much as I'd love to get rid of the wires, it seems like the better solution, for me anyway, may be wired earphones.
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I will say my cheap Skullcandy earbuds sound better than the S10 headset I have. My only beef was that they would fall out while I was running.
Sorry if this is a bit late but I have owned both the S9 and the S10. I've had no problems with sweat.
The biggest advantage of these over pretty much all of the alternatives is that you can wear them whilst running. Anything with a cable I found whipped about and the headphone type ones weren't secure enough for my liking.
S10 sound quality isn't great but can be improved by changing the ear buds for some of the larger items which come with the headset. Other than this I like the S10s and they are (otherwise) a step up from the S9s.
I used the jaybirds for a while and i found them far more comfortable than the motos. Quality was good as well.
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Ive had s9, s9-hd, s10, and jf3. s9 was a great headset, survived alot of beating, but quality was so-so. s9-hd had great quality, but lost it after about 6 months, presumably from sweat (I use my headset primarily when i am working around the yard, or riding a motorcycle in the summer, both of which cause me to sweat like a beast). S10 was far less comfortable than the S9 and 9-hd, seemed that the band was much stiffer and it pressed against my ears resulting in me only being able to wear them for about an hour pain free. Additionally, I never saw more than about 6 hours battery life out of any of the motorola products, which is problematic if you ride for 8-10 hours on a saturday trip. I picked up the JF3 in july of last year after the s10 bit the dust in an unfortunate encounter with a truck tire (oops). Sound quality is better than the 3 motorolas by a good bit, and i listen to them turned WAY up often, due to ambient noise from wind (motorcycle) or lawnmower. They also have much better noise canceling characteristics. It takes a bit to get the correct configuration worked out as they come with multiple size and styles of earbuds, however, once all is said and done, I can ride comfortably with them securely in my ears with interstate speed winds hitting me in the face, have plenty of volume and quality to go with it, and the battery life seems to be in the 10-12 hour range. So far no ill effects from perspiration, and ive put alot of sweat on them. Additionally, I had problems with bluetooth communication with the motorolas. I used to leave the phone in a saddlebag prior to having a handlebar mount, and with it behind me like that, the motorolas would often skip and cutout, the jf3 did not do this for the 1 month I had it in the saddlebag (I got a handlebar mount shortly after).
So far its the best bluetooth headset ive owned, and unless something changes drastically, ill run them till they wear out and buy another set just like em. The only downside i can come up with, is that like most bluetooth headsets, they dont fit well under a full face helmet, but that is a general problem with all that i have used, not just these.
I just received my Jaybird JF3 set today. I have to agree that the sound quality is a tad better than my Moto S9HD set. However, the Motos do have a little more bass than the Jaybirds. Haven't used the Jaybirds in the gym yet -- will try them tomorrow. I'm hoping that they withstand sweating better than the Motos. They have a lifetime warranty against sweat damage, so I'm hopeful that they'll last longer than my Motos, which seem to die from sweat exposure after 4-6 months of hard use at the gym.
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rickwood, it's been a little more than a day. So what is your opinion now that you have had enough time to review the headphones? I am trying to find the best and least bothering bluetooth stereo headset there is for running. this seems to be the product to choose, and i look forward to your opinion.
I've been using the Jaybirds for a while now. I can attest that they are indeed sweat proof! This was my primary reason for buying them, so I'm happy. Sound quality and battery life have also been great for use at the gym. I can also lay on my back with them either on a gym bench or in bed without issue (can't do that with the Moto's due to the rigid back piece). Volume level is also acceptable, although the don't go quite as loud as my S9-HDs.
Now for the annoyances:
First, the bass on the S9-HDs is just better. I personally believe that this is due to the Jaybirds inability to seal in my ear properly. Even the largest set of ear pads on the Jaybirds is too small -- about half the size of the pads on the S9-HDs. I called Jaybird to see if they offered a larger set of ear pads, but they don't.
Second, the Jaybirds tend to want to fall out of my ears. This is due to the smaller ear pads, the weight all being concentrated right below the ears, and the fact that unlike the S9-HDs, they don't rely on compression to hold them in securely. I tried all three sets of the pads and the ear clips, but I still have some issues holding them in securely. They're not awful, but they're not as secure as the Moto's.
The controls on the Jaybirds are also not as good as the Moto's. I can advance to the next track just fine, but can't ever seem to get them to play the previous track when I want to. Volume controls work just fine.
Jaybird ships only a very short USB cable with the headphones. This is very annoying. I mean really, how much would it have cost to include a proper wall charger? The connector on the headphones is very small -- not sure if it's proprietary or not, but I think to rectify the situation you'll have to buy a longer cable from Jaybird if they offer one. I've just been using the supplied 1-ft cable and plugging into the USB port on my laptop, but this can be annoying.
I have not used them for calls, so I can't give you any meaningful feedback on that.
All in all I do like the Jaybirds. But if Motorola made a truly sweat proof set of the S9-HDs, they would be my first choice. I still wear my S9-HDs to the gym when I'm doing weights only. But if I'm doing cardio too, I use the Jaybirds.
One other annoyance with both sets (but this is phone related). On my Atrix, bluetooth range was fantastic. With my new Galaxy S III, range is much worse. Not a problem when running, but really annoying in the weight room if I walk behind a weight rack or machine and my phone is sitting on the other side and the music cuts out. Oh well. Sometimes I miss my Atrix (but my daughter is now enjoying it).
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Hi, I was just curious if anyone is using these particular earbuds with your Z2? I have read our phones can be a bit picky with earbuds so I was just wondering if anyone had any success/failure stories for these. Cant decide between them or just ordering the noise cancelling Sony ones that shipped with some Z2s. Any help is greatly appreciated!
I use Sennheiser IE80. They are very sensitive ear buds and I hear no Android hiss at all. I think any headphone should work well with the Z2. A better place to look is headfi forums.
After re-reading everything I think I may have gotten myself a little backwards and its the in-line mics and 3 button remotes that can get a bit picky with the phones. I found a local store selling the Shures for $89.95+tax so I took the plunge. The sound difference is pretty awesome compared to the sub $20 earbuds I have always used up to this point.
I use the SE 215's on the Z2 and pretty much on any other device I have to plug into on the go. No issues at all, the noise isolation is already very good due to its ergonomic design and they fit in very securely too. Just make sure you have the right type of ear buds to give you an optimal balance of comfort and seal.
If there was any downside to the SE 215, its that the highs arent prominent enough, alot of users also say this to be true. But installing ViPER4Android on the phone really changes the whole listening experience, plus you can increase the gain to make up for the Z2's pathetic headphone volume output.
cr0wnest said:
I use the SE 215's on the Z2 and pretty much on any other device I have to plug into on the go. No issues at all, the noise isolation is already very good due to its ergonomic design and they fit in very securely too. Just make sure you have the right type of ear buds to give you an optimal balance of comfort and seal.
If there was any downside to the SE 215, its that the highs arent prominent enough, alot of users also say this to be true. But installing ViPER4Android on the phone really changes the whole listening experience, plus you can increase the gain to make up for the Z2's pathetic headphone volume output.
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Is The SE215 comfortable for long periods of listening? I usually listen for about 3-4hours at one go when I'm studying. My bose ie2s hurt after about 2h. Trying to get a better pair of earphones.
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Plain Water said:
Is The SE215 comfortable for long periods of listening? I usually listen for about 3-4hours at one go when I'm studying. My bose ie2s hurt after about 2h. Trying to get a better pair of earphones.
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I've never had it on for 3 - 4 hours in one sitting, but for anything 1.5 - 2 hours it should do just fine. Its very ergonomically shaped to sit nicely in your ears without sticking out, making it possible to lie your head on the side flat and listen while sleeping. Its very transparent, once you fit it right you'll forget that you have a pair of IEMs in your ears. Many have said Shure makes the most comfortable over the ear IEMs, and I cant agree more. But in terms of sound though you want want to consider the Audio-Technica IM70. They aren't as comfortable as the SE215 but for roughly the same price the sound quality is noticeably better. Do check both out.
cr0wnest said:
I've never had it on for 3 - 4 hours in one sitting, but for anything 1.5 - 2 hours it should do just fine. Its very ergonomically shaped to sit nicely in your ears without sticking out, making it possible to lie your head on the side flat and listen while sleeping. Its very transparent, once you fit it right you'll forget that you have a pair of IEMs in your ears. Many have said Shure makes the most comfortable over the ear IEMs, and I cant agree more. But in terms of sound though you want want to consider the Audio-Technica IM70. They aren't as comfortable as the SE215 but for roughly the same price the sound quality is noticeably better. Do check both out.
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Thanks for the help man!
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First and foremost, a note to the mods:
I'm asking a question about V30 accessories, so I wasn't sure where to post this thread. If I chose, wrong, then please forgive me and move it. I'm really sorry!
Now for the question:
I want a good sounding in-ear earbud for my V30. I have a decent set of cans, but they aren't very portable and I want a a good set of earbuds too. I mostly listen to rock and metal and prefer flat sounding headphones (I think... I don't like the bass overpowering the vocals and I don't use any equalizers in my music player app... so, flat?).
I can't afford much, but $150 is the most I'm willing to spend and have narrowed my choices down to two specific headphones based on reviews here on XDA and Amazon.
The problem is, the headphones have a lot of drastically different specs and now I'm super confused on what to buy.
Choice 1 is the SoundMagic E80C
https://soundmagicheadphones.com/products/soundmagic-e80c-in-ear-isolating-earphones-with-mic
(scroll to specifications)
It has- compared to Choice 2- a lower frequency range (15Hz - 22KHz), but a higher sensitivity (102dB) and impedance (64 Ohms).
In fact, I bought them already and like them, but wondering if Choice 2 would be better.
Buyer's remorse combined with confusion of headphone spec meanings. UGH!
Choice 2 is the 1More Quad Driver Headphones
https://usa.1more.com/products/1more-quad-driver-in-ear-headphones
(Again, scroll to Specs)
It has- compared to Choice 1- a higher frequency range (20 - 40,000Hz), but a lower sensitivity (99dB) and impedance (32 Ohms). On top of that, it has 4 drivers and is THX certified (if that means anything with the V30).
Now, here's the reason for my confusion. Everyone here on XDA and many other sites are praising the V30's Quad-Dac, but say that it won't kick in under 50 Ohms. This is making me believe that higher impedance is better, so I need Choice 1 (why I bought it). However, audiophile websites are saying something like (based on my understanding) higher frequency is better and so is sensitivity. This is making me wonder if Choice 2 is actually better for me because the sensitivity is only slightly lower than Choice 1, but the frequency is almost double of Choice 1. They say too that bigger drivers aren't necessarily better, so... Choice 1 again?
So, after hours of research, buyer's remorse (wondering if I made the correct purchase), and my brain frying from confusion, I ask my fellow V30 owners:
Can you help me make a buying decision? Did I make a good decision and should keep the SoundMagic E80C, or should I return them and pay more for the 1More Quad-Drivers?
This decision needs to be based on the music I listen to and I don't want bassy headphones intended for hip-hop, rap, etc.
Thank you, Community and I look forward to seeing what you all have to say.
SOUND MAGIC E80: Superb, for in-ear headphones*. There may be something to the idea that higher impedance headphones have better sound quality by virtue of higher intensity magnetic field produced by more wire turns, e.g. better damping & control, faster response, etc. (E80 has 64 Ohm impedance, relatively high for in-ears and enough to trigger the V30 high impedance mode.)
The "C" suffix means some form of inline controls, there is (or was) also an "S" suffix model denoting inline controls. I got the version without inline controls, the E80.
On the other headphone with quad drivers: I tried a 1More triple driver, and the sound was muddy. My guess is that multiple drivers may introduce problems with intermodulation and also crossovers if those are used. Just a guess. Haven't tried the quad driver version, but after finding the E80, I have no need to.
(* In-ears have their own drawbacks, including effect on audio quality related to placement and seal in the ear, and "microphonics" aka noise conducted to the headphone from mechanical movement of cables. I accept those issues as the trade-off for the advantages of in-ears for use while exercising etc. The cable noise can be reduced by looping the cable over the ear.)
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I have both and prefer the Soundmagic by far.
Whichever earbuds you get, don't forget to easily root that phone(Magisk necessary), use WhiskeyOmega's mod for utilizing the advanced Dac preset always and installing Viper4Android.
XCaliburX said:
Whichever earbuds you get, don't forget to easily root that phone(Magisk necessary), use WhiskeyOmega's mod for utilizing the advanced Dac preset always and installing Viper4Android.
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I'm not interested in rooting and last I checked, the ATT variant isnt rootable. (See edit) I rooted the V20 and found it to have been a complete waste of my time. It just didnt add anything useful for me.
I also had installed Viper4Android on the V20 and the Play Store kept disabling it because it thought it was malware or something. It was SUPER annoying to deal with on a daily basis and don't want to deal with it on my V30. Plus, I don't need it anyways since I said I don't use equalizer settings and prefer the settings to be flat. It sounds better that way. It sounds like how the bands intended their music to sound. (At least I feel that way)ñ
Edit: I think I'm wrong. I guess all variants except the T-Mobile one have root now? Still not interested though.
Tinkerer_ said:
SOUND MAGIC E80: Superb, for in-ear headphones*. There may be something to the idea that higher impedance headphones have better sound quality by virtue of higher intensity magnetic field produced by more wire turns, e.g. better damping & control, faster response, etc. (E80 has 64 Ohm impedance, relatively high for in-ears and enough to trigger the V30 high impedance mode.)
The "C" suffix means some form of inline controls, there is (or was) also an "S" suffix model denoting inline controls. I got the version without inline controls, the E80.
On the other headphone with quad drivers: I tried a 1More triple driver, and the sound was muddy. My guess is that multiple drivers may introduce problems with intermodulation and also crossovers if those are used. Just a guess. Haven't tried the quad driver version, but after finding the E80, I have no need to.
(* In-ears have their own drawbacks, including effect on audio quality related to placement and seal in the ear, and "microphonics" aka noise conducted to the headphone from mechanical movement of cables. I accept those issues as the trade-off for the advantages of in-ears for use while exercising etc. The cable noise can be reduced by looping the cable over the ear.)
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bilbo60 said:
I have both and prefer the Soundmagic by far.
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Thanks you two!
I think I'll keep the Soundmagic E80C's. After thinking about things a bit more (and reading opinions), the E80C's seem to be a better deal. They sound great, but cost less than the 1Mores do. So more bang for the buck I guess.
e80 are not flat, they are quite bright and unbalanced and they lack bass like any other soundmagic E-series out there.
1more quad on the other side are as flat as inear headphones cand be, are balanced and have superb sound stage. they are not harsh on highs (like 1more triple are). they are not muddy or warm or bright, they sound almost like my monitor speakers i have on the desk which i can asure you that they are as flat as any speakers can be.
but if you prefer soundmagic, i think that you might not know what flat sound is...
i tried e10, e50, e80 and decided to spend more money and get something that has more quality because my years really hurt and not even a week on them couldn't get used to the very bright sound they have, which did not happen when i was using 1more quad.
i don't even know how you compare these two because the 1more is almost 4 times more expensive than e80...
if you want something that really sounds good you should also look at Shure SE846
and seach whathifi forum because here, on xda, i had arguments with people saying that there is no difference between bluetooth and wire...
and another mistake you made is that in the audiophile world you cannot speak of "bang for the buck" because you cannot find the best cheap ones out there, it's simply like this: if you want quality, you pay because if you buy something that is cheaper you cannot get the sound of a high quality earphones by using cheapr ones and apply some "tricks" on them, you just have a lower quality sound. (quality can be described in may aspects, some even call themselves audiophile and praise the "extra bass" sticker on some sony boxes)
but many people out there do not understand this.
iRS_ said:
e80 are not flat, they are quite bright and unbalanced and they lack bass like any other soundmagic E-series out there.
1more quad on the other side are as flat as inear headphones cand be, are balanced and have superb sound stage. they are not harsh on highs (like 1more triple are). they are not muddy or warm or bright, they sound almost like my monitor speakers i have on the desk which i can asure you that they are as flat as any speakers can be.
but if you prefer soundmagic, i think that you might not know what flat sound is...
i tried e10, e50, e80 and decided to spend more money and get something that has more quality because my years really hurt and not even a week on them couldn't get used to the very bright sound they have, which did not happen when i was using 1more quad.
i don't even know how you compare these two because the 1more is almost 4 times more expensive than e80...
if you want something that really sounds good you should also look at Shure SE846
and seach whathifi forum because here, on xda, i had arguments with people saying that there is no difference between bluetooth and wire...
and another mistake you made is that in the audiophile world you cannot speak of "bang for the buck" because you cannot find the best cheap ones out there, it's simply like this: if you want quality, you pay because if you buy something that is cheaper you cannot get the sound of a high quality earphones by using cheapr ones and apply some "tricks" on them, you just have a lower quality sound. (quality can be described in may aspects, some even call themselves audiophile and praise the "extra bass" sticker on some sony boxes)
but many people out there do not understand this.
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As noted, in-ear headphones designed to seal against the outer ear canal are very sensitive to fitment and seal. This is one of their drawbacks, and also produces widely varying opinions about any given headphone model.
I can produce a wide range of response (audio quality) with the E80 and any other headphone of this type simply by adjusting the fit, and also by using different tips. The bass is especially affected.
Even when a good fit and seal is obtained, the fit tends to loosen with use and user movement, one must periodically reseat the headphones to restore the seal.
Also, even if a tip produces a good seal, it may produce inferior audio quality compared to another tip, depending on headphone and individual user ear canal shape. For example, the Comply tips produce inferior sound quality in my ears compared to the base silicone tips of the E80. I suspect because the Complys have a longer and thinner opening "duct" and more absorbent material, which veil more of the driver, constrict airflow more, and absorb more sound energy than the silicone tips.
The E80 produce excellent response across the frequency range for me with the large silicone tips, when firmly seated just-so. If they are not seated just right, the quality suffers, just like all other sealing type in-ears. I'm comparing to two good standalone stereos and also other headphones.
No offense, but the Shure line is typically poor quality audio. They roll off at about 16-18kHz, producing noticeably dull sound compared to decent headphones. They made their name in professional monitors, which are intended for reliablility and durability, for use by performers, not high fidelity.
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Tinkerer_ said:
As noted, in-ear headphones designed to seal against the outer ear canal are very sensitive to fitment and seal. This is one of their drawbacks, and also produces widely varying opinions about any given headphone model.
I can produce a wide range of response (audio quality) with the E80 and any other headphone of this type simply by adjusting the fit, and also by using different tips. The bass is especially affected.
Even when a good fit and seal is obtained, the fit tends to loosen with use and user movement, one must periodically reseat the headphones to restore the seal.
Also, even if a tip produces a good seal, it may produce inferior audio quality compared to another tip, depending on headphone and individual user ear canal shape. For example, the Comply tips produce inferior sound quality in my ears compared to the base silicone tips of the E80. I suspect because the Complys have a longer and thinner opening "duct" and more absorbent material, which veil more of the driver, constrict airflow more, and absorb more sound energy than the silicone tips.
The E80 produce excellent response across the frequency range for me with the large silicone tips, when firmly seated just-so. If they are not seated just right, the quality suffers, just like all other sealing type in-ears. I'm comparing to two good standalone stereos and also other headphones.
No offense, but the Shure line is typically poor quality audio. They roll off at about 16-18kHz, producing noticeably dull sound compared to decent headphones. They made their name in professional monitors, which are intended for reliablility and durability, for use by performers, not high fidelity.
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yet you spoke only about the sealing which is important indeed, but i was speaking about the drive capabilities of the earphone itself asuming perfect sealing.
even so... for my ears the 1more quad has the best seal and i never need to refit them even when i am out with my bike or running.
foam tips never give a good seal but they are a little more comfortable over long periods of time (several hours)
if the fit tends to lose it might mean that the e80 are not for your ears and you should try to find some other that do not have fitting problems.
professional studio monitors are not made with reliablility and durability being the first in mind but the sound reproduction to be as flat as possible which helps the sound producer to hear and correct the mistakes he made during composition.
every standalone stereos have colorised sound compared to studio monitors which are flat.
i was trying to make a point in flat sound because that si what op was asking for.
if you are saying that shure se846 are low quality earphones and e80 are superior in terms of sound quality, then... we have a problem.
which, unfortunately, you cannot correct.
it is curious how you say that foam tips produce lower quality sound because of the sealing problems...
what you hear is not lower quality sound because you are using them in a way they were not supposed to. you need that good sealing!
it's not the size of the duct, or the asbsorbing material, it's the sealing.
out of curiosity, what are the speakers you compared to and the other decent headphones?
iRS_ said:
yet you spoke only about the sealing which is important indeed, but i was speaking about the drive capabilities of the earphone itself asuming perfect sealing.
even so... for my ears the 1more quad has the best seal and i never need to refit them even when i am out with my bike or running.
foam tips never give a good seal but they are a little more comfortable over long periods of time (several hours)
if the fit tends to lose it might mean that the e80 are not for your ears and you should try to find some other that do not have fitting problems.
professional studio monitors are not made with reliablility and durability being the first in mind but the sound reproduction to be as flat as possible which helps the sound producer to hear and correct the mistakes he made during composition.
every standalone stereos have colorised sound compared to studio monitors which are flat.
i was trying to make a point in flat sound because that si what op was asking for.
if you are saying that shure se846 are low quality earphones and e80 are superior in terms of sound quality, then... we have a problem.
which, unfortunately, you cannot correct.
it is curious how you say that foam tips produce lower quality sound because of the sealing problems...
what you hear is not lower quality sound because you are using them in a way they were not supposed to. you need that good sealing!
it's not the size of the duct, or the asbsorbing material, it's the sealing.
out of curiosity, what are the speakers you compared to and the other decent headphones?
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I refer to professional in-ear monitors used by performers on stage, such as made by Shure. These are quite different than headphones used in a studio for mixing and production, which are made for accurate audio.
I have not tried all Shure in-ears, but the ones I tried performed as one would expect judging by the specs indicating complete rolloff at 16-17 kHz. That is completely missing at least the top 4 kHz of nominal human hearing range, and the sound was pathetic. Dull, lifeless.
I suspect that this may be related to the use of heavier materials (for durability), which lower the upper natural frequency response due to greater inertia of moving parts.
I compare with a standalone system using an NAD receiver with Klipsch RF-3 speakers plus Klipsch 15" sub, and another with NAD preamp, AVA amp, and Infinite Slope speakers (no longer in business).
Headphones are a personal preference matter, the disagreements and debates never end. No doubt, many who find dull headphones e.g. Shure that only extend to 17 kHz to be "good", will say that other headphones that extend to 20 kHz and above (upper hearing frequency ranges) are "too bright", To each their own, I prefer to hear the full range including both upper and lower frequencies, of the music.
Best thing to do is buy a few different headphones to try from sellers with good return policies. Then you can decide for yourself.
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Tinkerer_ said:
I refer to professional in-ear monitors used by performers on stage, such as made by Shure. These are quite different than headphones used in a studio for mixing and production, which are made for accurate audio.
I have not tried all Shure in-ears, but the ones I tried performed as one would expect judging by the specs indicating complete rolloff at 16-17 kHz. That is completely missing at least the top 4 kHz of nominal human hearing range, and the sound was pathetic. Dull, lifeless.
I suspect that this may be related to the use of heavier materials (for durability), which lower the upper natural frequency response due to greater inertia of moving parts.
I compare with a standalone system using an NAD receiver with Klipsch RF-3 speakers plus Klipsch 15" sub, and another with NAD preamp, AVA amp, and Infinite Slope speakers (no longer in business).
Headphones are a personal preference matter, the disagreements and debates never end. No doubt, many who find dull headphones e.g. Shure that only extend to 17 kHz to be "good", will say that other headphones that extend to 20 kHz and above (upper hearing frequency ranges) are "too bright", To each their own, I prefer to hear the full range including both upper and lower frequencies, of the music.
Best thing to do is buy a few different headphones to try from sellers with good return policies. Then you can decide for yourself.
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yes, professional in-ear monitors have a different purpose and i never used a pair. i think that nobody compose music only using headphones and everyone has a pair of monitors which sound very different compared to normal speakers which are made to soung 'good'. that's why i felt a big difference between a dac for audition and a audio interface designed for audio composition (burson conductor and audient id4). i liked the audient more becuse it sounds more natural. i always disable all effects from audio players and drivers.
i have tried only these shures (856) and i liked them (yes, they are a bit warm), nut i like more 1morequad and above all the speakers i have (m3-8)
i have done some tests and i cannot hear much above 17khz and even at this frequency it needs to be really amped to hear it clarly (or the source was bad)
brightness of a headphone doesn't mean that they extend to 20khz or above, it means that the hights are way louder than the rest of the range (i think that you already knew this). i think that what you are trying to say is that every headphone has its own signature and not all humans hear the same, but because of this debate never ends.
one fact is clear, after using the soundmagic for a week i had to sell them because they were literally hurting my ears and had to boy something else.
i do not know if you tried the 1more quad but the sound they produce are more clear and bit warmer than soundmagic (maybe because the highs are not that much amplified) and i can use them for a whole day without having any problems. (yes, same volume for both on modded nexus 5x and then high impedance mode for lg v30)
i also prefer to hear the full range but i do not prefer to sacrifice the lows for more highs.
other courious thought i have is that your audio equipment is way above soundmagic e80 yet you say they sound very good...
Hello friends i want to buy V30 plus because it has DAC, my doubt is whether i can use 32ohms earphone? will this sound good. Because i could see LG V30 plus supporting only above 50 ohms. is it true? please help. i have 1more quad drive earphones which so great in clarity.
P.K.Shivaram said:
Hello friends i want to buy V30 plus because it has DAC, my doubt is whether i can use 32ohms earphone? will this sound good. Because i could see LG V30 plus supporting only above 50 ohms. is it true? please help. i have 1more quad drive earphones which so great in clarity.
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It "supports" all earphones. It will adjust to make any earphones sound good.
Without root only those with about 50 ohms or more will get HIM (high impedance mode). Your can artificially trigger that by adding short 3.5mm accessory impedance plug with any earphones or through root.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v30/themes/whiskeyomegas-v30-sound-mods-t3757115
ChazzMatt said:
It "supports" all earphones. It will adjust to make any earphones sound good.
Without root only those with about 50 ohms or more will get HIM ((high impedance mode). Your can artificially trigger that by adding short 3.5mm accessory impedance plug with any earphones or through root.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v30/themes/whiskeyomegas-v30-sound-mods-t3757115
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Thanks dude for the reply.:good:
TinAudio T2. 45$. mind blowing
Personally I think the 1more Triple Drivers are a better value (and sound just as good) as the 1more quads.
Hey everybody! I got my "SoundMAGIC E80S RED Reference Series Flagship Noise Isolating In-Ear Headphones with Microphone and Remote for all Smartphones + Extra eartips" yesterday.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0U9YMM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So far I'm VERY pleased with them in comparison to the GGMM C800's I was using before:
https://smile.amazon.com/GGMM-Isola...qid=1536606946&sr=1-1&keywords=GGMM+C800&th=1
I actually felt like I NEEDED to get the new headphones because I was having a weird thing with the GGMM's where I couldn't get the volume loud enough even with the volume all the way up and ViPER4Andoid tweaks. It wasn't always that way but has become a recent issue.
Now with these SoundMAGIC E80S ones the sound is SUPER loud. I don't have the Hi-Fi Quad DAC volume set above like 33 and that's already quite loud. Actually this morning I had to tweak the Hi-Fi Quad DAC and ViPER4Android settings because the highs were so clear that it was actually painful. I was using the Magisk module for ViPER4Android 2.5.0.5 but I removed that and put the unofficial ViPER4Android 2.6.0.5 from "Team_DeWitt" in /system/priv-app instead:
https://labs.xda-developers.com/store/app/com.pittvandewitt.viperfx
So far it's working well except that it sometimes crashes and I have to restart it. The 2.5.0.5 Magisk version had problems where it would frequently go to "Processing: No" and I had to reboot to get it working again. This unofficial 2.6.0.5 version seems to have fixed that, which is awesome! Also on the 2.5.0.5 I was having a problem with some Convolver impulse response files (such as SRS_1-1.irs) where the volume would constantly dip for fractions of a second. It drove me nuts and I THINK so far that this 2.6.0.5 has fixed that too!
So anyway these SoundMAGIC E80S headphones are pretty freaking amazing. I needed to tweak the DAC and V4A but right now my ears are in heaven!
Does anyone have it? How's the quality for $20? I can't seem to find any reviews on YouTube
I just received mine yesterday so I haven't had a chance to fully test them. Initial thoughts are for $20 and USB-C, I'm satisfied. I mainly used them to listen to podcasts today and voices were clear.
I can't attest to the bass on these yet since I didn't listen to much music. I'm not expecting any miracles but I imagine they will be decent (considering the cost). I think they might lack that deeper punch of the bass but I also haven't messed with the equalizer too much (other than setting to Type-C Bullets and just a quick custom equalizer).
I do like the fact they had volume up and down on them. I didn't have any complaints when making a call using them from the person on the other line and I heard them clearly.
They feel like pretty good quality to me and fit my needs. I'm not a super audiophile like some but I definitely feel like they are worth the cost. Hope that helps.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
louiej23 said:
Does anyone have it? How's the quality for $20? I can't seem to find any reviews on YouTube
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I ordered a set with my 6t. Finally got a chance to listen to some Tool today. the album Aenma is my go-to audio test. It sounds snobby, but coming from Axon 7, the sound is just okay, not great, but for $20 it is serviceable, and thats after adjusting the EQ settings, etc of the phone. If you're looking to be blown away by the sound or the loose mention of a "DAC", you may be disappointed. It is an okay soundstage. Volume is acceptable and clarity is okay, but ultimately, if you are an audiophile or really are in to HiFi music, you probably own a great set of IEM's already.
I listen at about 60% volume typically. When i pushed up towards 80-90%, the sound had some bleeding of highs, but no crackle. The soundstage is much more balanced at 60-70% volume. Ultimately, they will bleed over and the lows will bottom out at 80-90% volume, but hey, for $20, you really cannot go wrong.
The more i listen do different styles/sounds, the more i realize these are rather versatile. i have edited this post a couple of times already and will continue to do so if i feel there is something else to add.
The earbuds, much like the phone, are a great value for the coin, but if you are discerning, you will notice they are $20, not $200 earbuds, but for the price, you cannot go wrong. I recently purchased a set of $20 Sony earbuds for the Axon, and i can honestly say, comparing apples to apples, the One Plus Bullets usb c are a much better sound than those, and the Axon has a real DAC. You would be hard pressed to find a better $20 set of earbuds.
Does anyone know if these work with Google Assistant and/or Google Translate? I'm on the fence about these and the Pixel USB-C buds.
Thanks
It works with Google assistant when keep pushing the middle button.
I have also wireless bullets and I think that type c have more bass.
Anyway I believe that is fair for the price.
By the way with viper4android we can do whatever we want.