Great Earphones at Great Prices

Custardpi

BostonB wrote: »

What have you compared them with?

Various earphones I've had over the years, admittedly most of them in a lower price range - Sonys, JVCs, Sennheisers CX300s & Meelectronics (can't remember model name). I was amazed at how much better the M4s sounded than any other iem I'd heard before. Reckon the comply tips play a large part in that as once it settles in your ears the seal is really good. That was something I struggled with a tiny bit with the Sennheisers though they sounded decent enough.

yimrsg

Offer runs till Friday, just select it under free gift.

Black
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones/brainwavz-m5-iem-earphone-black
Copper
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones/brainwavz-m5-iem-earphone-copper

Microphone versions:
Black
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones/brainwavz-m5-iem-earphone-with-microphone-black
Copper
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones/brainwavz-m5-iem-earphone-with-microphone-copper

Joker's take on them:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-271-iems-compared-jvc-ha-fx101-spider-tinyear-added-02-06-13

Details: Brainwavz’ fifth M-series in-ear
Current Price: $40 from amazon.com (MSRP: $49.50); $54.50 for M5 with microphone
Specs: Driver: Dynamic | Imp: 16Ω | Sens: 103 dB | Freq: 16-18k Hz | Cable: 4.3' L-plug
Nozzle Size: 5.5mm | Preferred tips: Stock (wide channel) single-flanges
Wear Style: Straight down or over-the-ear

Accessories (4.5/5) - Single-flange wide channel (3 sizes), single-flange narrow channel (3 sizes), and bi-flange silicone tips, Comply foam tips, shirt clip, and hard clamshell carrying case
Build Quality (4/5) - The M5 features lightweight aluminum shells with metal nozzle filters. The rubbery cabling is a bit thin above the y-split but strain relief is excellent all around and the new L-plug seems very durable
Isolation (3/5) – Isolation is about average for a dynamic-driver earphone and can be increase slightly with the included Comply tips
Microphonics (3.5/5) – Cable noise is bothersome when worn cable-down. Cable-up wear is recommended
Comfort (4/5) – The housings are lightweight and compact, tapering at the rear to provide a compliant, non-intrusive fit. Flexible strain reliefs and cable cinch allow for over-the-ear wear, though this may not be desirable when a mic/remote is present

Sound (7.6/10) – The newest M-series earphone from Brainwavz, the M5 seems to combine some of the best aspects from the M1 and M2 into a competent and coherent audio package. At the core of the sound is ample bass—the low end of the M5 boasts good depth, plenty of impact, and a mild mid-bass focus. Compared to the older M1, M2, and M3, the bass of the M5 is deeper, more powerful, and more dynamic. It is noticeably more detailed and effortless, and even next to the VSonic GR02 Bass Edition the M5 more than holds its own, providing a deeper, more fleshed-out low end.

Despite the powerful bass, the M5 does a reasonable job of minimizing bass bleed and bloat. Part of the reason is the prominent lower midrange of the M5 – unlike many other bass-heavy earphones the M5 isn't notably mid-recessed. The lower mids are emphasized and the entire midrange is smooth, dropping gradually in forwardness towards the top. The treble takes a small step back and clarity is pretty much the only aspect of the M5 that doesn’t surpass other earphones in its price range. Still, despite its warmer tone, the M5 is about as clear as the older M1 model. Vocal clarity and intelligibility, especially with female vocals, take a hit compared to the M1 and M2 as well as competing sets like the pricier VSonic GR06. Detail levels are better than average, however, with the M5 sounding more refined and realistic than the M2. The top end doesn’t offer up a whole lot of sparkle but extension is good for a warmer earphone. Harshness and sibilance are nonexistent – in fact, the M5 cuts down on sibilance

The presentation is affected by the laid-back treble but offers a substantial improvement over the older Brainwavz models. The M5 isn’t very airy and can get slightly congested on busy tracks but has better layering and sounds much more enveloping than the M1 and M2. The M2 especially sounds exceedingly flat and two-dimensional next to the M5. The pricier VSonic GR06, on the other hand, despite its more forward midrange, is capable of portraying a wider and more open sonic space.

Value (9.5/10) – The Brainwavz M5 is a well-built, well-accessorized, and comfortable earphone with sound that puts it at the top of its game. Its sonic signature won’t do for those looking to maximize clarity but it is sure to please fans of warmer, smoother sound. Better still, the M5 improves in many ways on the older M1, M2, and ProAlpha models without hiking up the price – an amazing accomplishment considering how far ahead of the competition the original Brainwavz earphones were upon release just a few short years ago.

Pros: Good build quality; deep bass and full, smooth sound
Cons: Average clarity

TPD

Prompted by a thread in bargain alerts, the Monoprice 8320:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007VEQ2UU/ref=nosim/?t

3.81 pounds.

Reviews have been very positive. I picked up two pairs to have a spare handy.

Andy-Pandy

Due to the fact that they came free with the Xperia Z on preorder there are lots of Sony-MDR-1R on ebay at a decent price. Mine just arrived and i'm pretty delighted with them

BostonB

Whats "a decent price"?

Andy-Pandy

BostonB wrote: »

Whats "a decent price"?

I'd say you could pick up a pair for 150 or so, still expensive but well below 50% of the RRP. They are a hight end product

yimrsg

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002VPDOH8/

Joker's take on them:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-107-portable-headphones-reviewed-astrotec-as-100hd-as-200hd-added-12-02-12

Build Quality (7.5/10): The design and functionality of the PX100-II borrows heavily from the older PX100 but undergoes improvement in several key areas. First and foremost are the plastics, which are now thicker and beefier all around. The metal headband, too has, been widened and strengthened compared to the first-gen PX100. The foam pads are a carryover from the older headphone but the mk II model brings with it a slightly thicker and significantly more convenient single-sided cord. A soft carrying pouch is included with the PX100-II in place of the hard plastic case that came with the PX100.

Comfort (9.5/10): The beefier PX100-II is slightly heavier than the featherweight PX100 and the clamping force is a touch greater. Still, the cups have good freedom of motion and apply pressure evenly on the ear. The headband padding is minimal but still easily gets the job done – all these years later the PX design still passes the comfort test with flying colors.

Isolation (3/10): The open design lets plenty of outside noise in and leaks some sound out.

Sound (6.75/10): While the second revision of the closed-back PX200 model makes huge performance leaps over its predecessor, the PX100-II stays conservatively close to the sound signature of the PX100. In a way, the decision is understandable – for a budget-level open portable, the PX100 was almost universally praised and Sennheiser had much to lose by straying off the beaten path. It should come as no surprise, then, that the PX100-II is a midbass-heavy headphone with all of the warmth and darkness usually associated with the PX100. The mid-bass emphasis of the PX100-II seems to be a hair greater than that of the PX100 but other than that the bass is very similar – smooth, thick, powerful. Bass control is quite good next to my aging KSC75 but of course not as impressive as that of the flatter and leaner-sounding PX200-II.

The mids of the PX100-II are similar to those of the PX100 – thick and smooth but still detailed and articulate. Next to the bass, the midrange and treble are both slightly recessed – the more aggressive Meelec HT-21 really makes the PX100-II sound a bit veiled and smoothed-over. Still, midrange detail and clarity are nothing to complain about for a headphone as smooth as the PX100-II. If anything, the PX100-II seems to take an extra bit of emphasis off its lower treble to appear even more inoffensive for prolonged listening than my old PX100 – quite unnecessary in my opinion, but then I can tolerate the far-brighter HT-21 just fine. The treble itself is a bit laid-back and fairly well-extended. It’s not as clean and crisp as that of the similarly-priced ATH-SQ5 but still quite impressive for a bass-heavy ultraportable.

The presentation of the PX100 is again similar to the PX100-II – typical Sennheiser in placing the listener at a distance from the action but otherwise very decent for an entry-level portable headphone. Positioning is not spectacular and the slight thickness makes the bass a bit omnipresent but the soundstage is broad and manages to have convincing depth. The open nature of the PX100-II also prevents the reverb and cupped-in feel of many entry-level closed portables, not that the current prices justify calling the PX100-II ‘entry-level’. Drivability is good as well – I don’t think the PX100-II is quite as efficient as the current-gen PX200 but it handily beats the new PX90 as well as the slightly more expensive Ultrasone HFI-15G. Portable players have no trouble driving it to volumes above my tolerance limit, though amping does have an effect very similar to the old PX100, tightening the bass and improving the transient response of the drivers.

Value (7.5/10). (MSRP: $69.95, Street Price: $60) From the very first listen, it is clear that Sennheiser didn’t risk messing with the established PX-series formula when updating the PX100 – while slightly sturdier in build, the headphones are otherwise remarkably similar to the original sub-$50 heavyweight. Far more so than the PX200-II, the sound of the PX100-II follows very closely in the steps of its predecessor, which brings us to the PX100-II’s main problem - the price. The price point of the PX100-II is nearly double what the PX100 was selling at for the last few years of its existence, which puts it in the more competitive $50-100 market segment. More than that, the new price gives a pretty significant value-for-money advantage to the PX100’s arch-rival, the Koss PortaPro. Is the PX100-II worth the $60 it’s selling at now? If portability is a factor – yes. However, it just isn’t the bang-per-buck champion it once was when the price is nudging the Beyerdynamic DT235 and Ultrasone HFI-450 and being undercut significantly by the PortaPro, Meelec’s HT-21, and Sennheiser’s own PX90.

Manufacturer Specs:
Frequency Response: 15-27,000 Hz
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 114 dB SPL/1mW
Cord: 3.9ft (1.2m), single-sided; Straight Plug
Space-Saving Mechanism: Flat-folding, collapsible

Andy-Pandy

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

Due to the fact that they came free with the Xperia Z on preorder there are lots of Sony-MDR-1R on ebay at a decent price. Mine just arrived and i'm pretty delighted with them

how much did you pay?

shootermacg

BostonB wrote: »

I think I have the HD202, I bought the for guitar practise, and they are brutal. Just dire.

I'm using the Seins 880 OCX
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-OCX-880-Earbuds-Ergonomic/dp/B0035JKJB8

Most comfortable earphones ever, I use them paired with a cowon iaudio9 for running, bought them off a guy in adverts for 40 euro, they're just starting to break in now and sound great. I did have a pair of cx300s which are a bit more bass, but they kept falling out of my ears when running.

Andy-Pandy

glasso wrote: »

how much did you pay?

I got them free, but i've been reading on line that people have been finding them for 70-80 on ebay, you just gotta keep an eye out.

Tar.Aldarion

Any of these a good deal?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brainwavz-inline-remote-iPhone-Headphones/dp/B009A6I5BQ/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009UO26B8/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IF3CE8/

there's always these
http://www.mp4nation.net/headphones-amps/earphones/soundmagic-pl30-iem-earphones-white

TPD

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Any of these a good deal?

As a fellow cheap headphone buyer, try the ones in my post a few posts up. I'm genuinely shocked by them, have been using them more than my vsonic gr02 bass edition, which cost about 10x as much. And I preferred those to my old soundmagic pl30, but didn't get a side by side comparison.

Tar.Aldarion

Now they are 11£ so i feel ripped off :P


Better than pl30s you say, really...pretty good so. PL30s are probably my favourite earphones.

ED E

glasso wrote: »

the sony earphones as recommended by head-fi still available for 1/2 nothing. really amazing sound quality (particularly separation and clarity) for the price. mid to high bass level. I bought a second pair as reserve. sound quality on these rated as good as mid to high level shure and westone iems.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Headset-SmartKey-Control-XPERIA/dp/B008OG16EQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357570136&sr=8-1


(note - great for general purpose listening. don't be put off that they are originally designed for smartphones - work fine with mp3 players. may not function as a smartphone control - sort of phone dependent - google your phone with earphones. also, not good for use as sports headphones due to microphonics (i.e. sound caused by cable moving around)).

SERIOUSLY worth a shot at this price. you won't be disappointed.

Mine are on the way out

Time to order another two pairs while they're available methinks.

ED E

ED E wrote: »

Mine are on the way out

Time to order another two pairs while they're available methinks.

how on the way out - find them very well-made and durable - would expect them to last a good while...

Tar.Aldarion

How much you guys buy them for? 15 pound?

Tar.Aldarion

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

How much you guys buy them for? 15 pound?

think that I got 2 pairs for about £12 each. well worth £15

Tar.Aldarion

Interested but a review says it is lying, doesnt work with the xperia, damn.

Tar.Aldarion

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Interested but a review says it is lying, doesnt work with the xperia, damn.

worth getting just to use as normal earphones in any case as the sound is so good.

cunnifferous

Lost my mh1c's recently but while I loved their sound the cable and general fit of them just annoyed the crap outta me. To replace them I went for the vsonic GR 02 Bass edition. Got them for 28 euro. Anyone any experience of them?

cunnifferous

cunnifferous wrote: »

Lost my mh1c's recently but while I loved their sound the cable and general fit of them just annoyed the crap outta me. To replace them I went for the vsonic GR 02 Bass edition. Got them for 28 euro. Anyone any experience of them?

have a more expensive model, gr06. theyr'e good, I use them for sports but they don't sound anywhere near as good as the mh1c.

cunnifferous

glasso wrote: »

have a more expensive model, gr06. theyr'e good, I use them for sports but they don't sound anywhere near as good as the mh1c.

I've heard the gr06 are a bit more (some say too much) mid orientated compared to the gr02. Anyway saw in a thread of comparisons of $40 IEMs on head-fi that the vsonic gr02 bass were rated top, above even the mh1cs.

Here's the thread anyway

http://www.head-fi.org/t/640788/40-iem-battle-royale-rha-ma-350-added-3-1-13

it's all subjective but Clieos is one of the more respected listers on head-fi - here's his list - have tended to find him accurate to my ears....

http://www.inearmatters.net/2009/01/list_01.html

not much point trying to convince yourself about an iem that you already have bought - just enjoy them

cunnifferous

Yeah it's all subjective and a matter of preference I guess. I noticed that jokers multi-iem review has quite a few differences in ratings than Cleios list aswell, so even the more respected reviewers can differ. Anyway, I just wish my bloody v02s would arrive so I can try them. Been stuck with an 8 euro pair of Meelectronics for the last few days, the horror!

sebphoto

Does anyone have Sony MDR-NC60 headphones? Currently I'm using Audio-Technica ES55 and looking for other headphones with noise cancelling feature.

cunnifferous

Lend me Ur Ears, have a few deals going at the moment. Most notably are the new vsonic VSD1s which although not in stock are going for around €30. They seem to be getting rave reviews on head fi and joker has done a comparison of them with MH1Cs on the MH1C review.


Lend me ur ears: http://www.lendmeurears.com/product_info.php?products_id=75

Head-fi thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/663709/vsonic-vsd1-vsd1s-reviews-impression-thread

Jokers comparison:

The VSD1 was released as a budget version of VSonic’s popular GR07 model, providing a less analytical sound than the VC02 but retaining its technical performance. In comparison to the MH1C, the VSD1 is less bassy, boasting better overall balance and more neutral tone. Bass quality is similar between the two but the VSD1 is a touch clearer overall and boasts more treble presence. As with the pricier GR07, its treble does have a slight predisposition towards sibilance in comparison to the buttery-smooth MH1C. The soundstage is a touch wider with the VSD1 and again the VSonic is noticeably more sensitive than the Sony.

Scubadevils

AKG Q460 at €79.99 -

https://www.blocbuy.com/142/product

shootermacg

I was using Seinnheisers for running and the gym, but to me they lacked enough base for me, or rather the base was too tight and controlled. I was looking for a warmer sound and a base that was a bit more pronounced.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009A6CZYY

I bought these and they arrived today, i could not be happier! Great base, great treble and OK mids perfect for the type of music i like, if you don't like base, then these baby's are not for you.

The reviews are a bit weird, but the user reviews are great and I agree with them.

shootermacg

Just seen these on sale, I'd say they would be perfect for sports. Probably pick up a pair next week, if they are still available.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Koss-Porta-Stereo-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_9?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1371469197&sr=1-9

Scubadevils

shootermacg wrote: »

Just seen these on sale, I'd say they would be perfect for sports. Probably pick up a pair next week, if they are still available.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Koss-Porta-Stereo-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_9?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1371469197&sr=1-9

Ooh tempting alright - I've heard so many great things about them. Kinda hard not to at that price...