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nice quality earbuds?

post #1 of 14
1/18/12 at 2:26am
Thread Starter 

Hi! im new to the forums :D

 

now i know most people would recommend inears over earbuds but ive always had a terrible time with in ears.

i cant wear them for longer than like 10 minutes until it starts to get uncomfortable.

 

anyhow, are there any earbuds that you would recommend?

My standards arent very high, not by a long stretch. but like i said id like to try something nicer for a change.

more specifically, im thinking of buying a fiio E10 for my laptop as the onboard is crap. preferably something that might sound well with that.


Edited by cradle emperor - 1/18/12 at 2:50am
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post #2 of 14
1/18/12 at 3:13am

Depends how much you want to pay?

Yuin PK3 are great and available from china on ebay, if you amp and want to pay more move up the range to the OK2 and PK1

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/441400/earbuds-round-up

 

If you want something elcheapo on another reccomendation I got a blackberry headset, which is surprisingly good and cheap ( I have them on now as I type)

http://www.expansys.com/rimreg-blackberry-wired-stereo-headset-3-5mm-149002/

 

I think there are some fakes around so I would avoid the $5 ones and get the genuine ones. They are certainly a step up from apple buds and worth a try for a few bucks, if you see the improvement then invest some more money getting a good pair.

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post #3 of 14
1/18/12 at 3:28am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the reply. I know it would be a good idea to have included a price point but i didnt because... Frankly i have no idea what to expect for how much. i havent had much chance to listen to very many headphones. My brother's bang & olufsen A8 wasnt exactly my cup of tea. If thats the kind of improvement ill get for other ~$140 earbuds then hell, i wont even bother. I own sennheiser cx300-ii i like them a bit better, but theyre inears and sound a bit tinny than id like.

Basically im not sure if ive just been unlucky or if im not spending enough money.

And another thing, from what ive read the fiio e10 has a "dark" sound signature? What would this mean and what kinds of phones would synergize well with it? This is probably gonna be my major source of audio so id like to know.
Edited by cradle emperor - 1/18/12 at 3:37am
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post #4 of 14
1/18/12 at 3:52am

you also have the option of the E7, for the price they sell them for I think its worth it to upgrade the soundcard.  I have a dac destroyer which is also a similar price but I dont know how it compares to the Fiio.  I would recomend the Yuin buds. My idea is not to "search" to improvements in quality (ie I have to concentrate hard and listen and swap across to find some subtle increase in sound quality). I guess an audiophile is someone who does. I like to try something and if it hits you and you go "wow thats better" then its worth it. The pk3 did that for me for a modest outlay and the DAC also but less so.

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post #5 of 14
1/18/12 at 8:17am

The Sennheiser MX580 earbuds are only around $25 and sound great.

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post #6 of 14
1/18/12 at 10:42am

For good sounding earbud that cost less than $50, I would recommend:

 

Sennheiser MX580 or MX581 (The MX581 is made for slightly smaller ears. Apparently they do not sound exactly the same)

 

Yuin PK3 (by now this is a classic and it sounds very fun and involving.)

 

Blue Ever Blue 328R

 

Sunrise AS-Feeling

 

 

 

I have heard the PK3 and AS-Feeling, and I prefer the PK3. They however both very involving and have great mids. They are both made for rock music. The PK3 is more balanced than the AS-Feeling which has got slightly more forward mids and recessed highs.

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post #7 of 14
1/18/12 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 

thanks for the suggestions. I think im leaning towards the Yuin PK3

 

you guys have been great help but would someone mind going the extra mile and give me a rundown of how impedence works? and how it affects sound quality on the listener's end? is that what determines whether a pair needs amping or not?

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post #8 of 14
1/18/12 at 11:32am

When it comes to impedance, the higher the number, the more difficult to drive (i.e. get maximum performance). Most earbuds are between 16-32 ohms, and there are some high end earbuds such as the Yuin Pk1 which has got 150ohms and needs an amp to sound good. I am not sure how higher impedance makes earphones sound better, though. At least not when it comes to earbuds which are for portable use and should not require amplification.

 

Here's a quote from a page I found when I searched for info on impedance:

 

Quote:
This means that low impedance type will sound louder when plugged in devices with low output voltages such as portable CD players, etc. In reality, because of the limited power available from portable players, headsets for portable use should have a maximum impedance of 64 ohms.
 
Worth keeping in mind here that the lower the impedance, the more efficient the headset drivers are in converting the incoming electrical energy into sound. On the contrary, the higher the impedance, the more electrical energy is required to drive the headsets tiny speakers.

http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/headphones.html

 

 


Edited by Danneq - 1/18/12 at 11:35am
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post #9 of 14
1/18/12 at 1:53pm

Higher impedance means that the coil can be of thinner wire, making it lighter.

 

Ohms law states that V=I*R. Since P=V*I,  P=I^2*R, where P is power, V is voltage,  i is the amperage and R is the impedance.

On a low powered player like the Sandisk Clip+, the voltage output at the headphone jack is limited to around half a volt. To increase the power to

the headpone, a lower impedance headphone is needed. To get a lower impedance, they need a shorter coil or a thicker coil.

A thicker coil adds to weight, which can be an issue when trying to produce good sound. A shorter coil produces a weaker magnetic field.

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post #10 of 14
1/18/12 at 3:50pm

Anybody got a slide rule?  blink.gif

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post #11 of 14
1/18/12 at 4:01pm

Welcome to Head-fi!

 

I would suggest for you to get the Klipsch s3. great sound quality for a cheap price

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post #12 of 14
1/18/12 at 9:28pm
Thread Starter 

oops I forgot to mention that im in canada. and i just cant find any of these anywhere online!

 

i dont want to ship from abroad because I've had lots of bad experiences with last second C.O.D fees that bite my ass. If theres no other options i guess ill have to but id really prefer to keep in canada.

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post #13 of 14
1/18/12 at 9:36pm
Thread Starter 

man look at this BS!!

 

http://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-MX580-Headphone-Intergrated-Control/dp/B0035JKJEU/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326950983&sr=8-2-fkmr1

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MX580-Headphone-Intergrated-Control/dp/B0035JKJEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326951015&sr=8-1

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post #14 of 14
1/18/12 at 10:16pm

That is crazy. I just checked B&H  and they won't ship this to Canada.

J&R will ship to Canada. $29.95 +$2.95 shipping. Perhaps you might need to pay duty on it though.

 

 

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