Headphone/Earphone Reviews

[Finlandia]

There were some problems with the glue used onone batch of the PL50's, but that should all be fixed by now.
PL50 vs S4, both are very good, PL50 wins on clarity and detail, S4 wins on dynamics and comfort. A tough choice really, depends if you like a nautral or more dynamic sound.

[Finlandia]

I don't really, read never, use foam tips, but Comply foams are said to be good and the Shure black foams are rated highly as well.

[Finlandia]

Personal preference, I find them fiddly to fit and not as comfortable as silicone tips, and they darken the sound on some IEM's.
Btw, Comply T100 and Shure black foam fits the S4's.

[Finlandia]

Never heard of that place, there are plenty of places outside UK though, focalprice is apparently a good one.

[Finlandia]

Brainwavz Beta and Fiio E5 added

[Finlandia]

Fischer Audio A'leph and Eterna added

[Finlandia]

RRP added to A'leph and Eterna, they both offer unbelievable value for the money.

[Finlandia]

They are quite well suited for classical and acoustic music, but they fall short on more bass driven music. It depends on the bass required for each and everyone as well, some prefer detail and clarity, others want a nightclub in their ears

[Finlandia]

Hippo VB, Pearl and Shroom added

Edited by Finlandia on Tuesday 26th January 10:56

[Finlandia]

S6PNJ said:

Finlandia, any thoughts on these? Samsung Pleomax PEP-950 Ultimate In-Ear Earphones. Seem them for sale as a duo pack for 15 notes - not sure if they are a good buy or not.

Sorry, never heard of them. Can't see them being all that good, but for the price they may sound ok.

[Finlandia]

No IEM's are sweat proof to a 100%, I would recommend to go as cheap as possible while still retaining a good sound and good isolation. CX300 are ok (too bassy and bloated, horrible cable). Fischer Audio A'leph, Meelectronics M9 or Hippo Pearl, or maybe stretch a couple £'s higher and go for the Hippo Shroom.

[Finlandia]

They are difficult to find other than online, Meelectronics have their own online shop, and I believe Fischer Audio will open their online shop in February.

http://www.meelec.com/
http://www.fischeraudio.com/

[Finlandia]

Not heard the UE Superfi4 myself, but from what I understand they are not all that good, mind you they are not bad either, but for the price there are better. Soundmagic PL50 or Hippo Shroom are detailed and offer good isolation, and about the same price.

[Finlandia]

They use a single balanced armature, so they are not likely change their overall sound in a dramatic way.

[Finlandia]

I don't get along with the earbud style myself, but the Yuin PK3 are really good for $39. The problem will be that they do not isolate any background noise, as the ones you have tried.

[Finlandia]

The deciding factor when buying new earphones is to know what sort of sound signature you want, bassy, neutral or detailed.

What I have noticed is that during my reviews, new and cheaper models are becoming better and better and gaining fast on the top tier competition, which makes a favourite pick that much more difficult as well.

But for now, my overall favourites are as follows.

(Has now been updated and moved to the first post)


In the £100/$160 range, Audio Technica CK10 rules, they are in fact one of the best IEM's of any price, and with a bit of luck they can be had for £100.

Edited by Finlandia on Sunday 7th March 15:15

[Finlandia]

I haven't heard the PL30 myself, but from what I have read about them, they do not seem overly bassy. You could try the A'leph with the foamhybrids from the PL30. This combination gives strong bass presence, with clear and detailed mids and highs.
It depends how much bass you want, and if you still appreciate clarity and detail?

[Finlandia]

Bonefish Blues said:

Finlandia said:

In the £100/$160 range, Audio Technica CK10 rules, they are in fact one of the best IEM's of any price, and with a bit of luck they can be had for £100.

I need to replace my E4s, one of which has started buzzing, and would like to try the ATs, I can't see any close to £100 though - any recommendations re suppliers?

They were on sale recently for $160, at the moment the prices seems to be >$180 from US and >£160 in UK, best is to keep eyes open on amazon and the likes. The CK10's are built like tanks and should be a safe second hand purchase as well.

[Finlandia]

h0tsh0t said:

Finlandia said:

You could try the A'leph with the foamhybrids from the PL30. This combination gives strong bass presence

How is the bass of Aleph compared to M9 ?. M9 costs me $27(including shipping) and aleph costs $28 including shipping which do u think is more value for money ?
Also is there any other models under $30 I could consider ?

Sennheiser cx300 seems to the default choice for bass-a-plenty, but the bass is rather bloated and overpowering, I wouldn't recommend them for someone wanting more than just powerful bass.

A'leph, with foamhybrids would be my choice over the M9, better comfort and fit, slightly better detail and clarity, bass is pretty much on pair.

[Finlandia]

Sennheiser IE6, IE7 and IE8 added