Baldoor "EarBell" E100 review:
This review is about E100 MK1, currently not available anymore.
All E100 and E100A sold after mid-2015 are MK2 and MK3 - however they are not marked as such.
This earbud caught my eye because I thought it was the most beautiful earbud ever.
I bought it purely for its looks, didn't have high expectation for the sound.
Build Quality:
When I received it, it looked more plastick-y than in the pictures, but still very beautiful.
It also came with 3 pairs of doughnut foams - a rarity these days.
The build quality is great, cable and plug are very good.
Cable is totally non-microphonic, best cable I ever seen.
Fit:
They look quite large, but I didn't experience any fit issues.
Due to their shape, they can't be pointed directly into the ear canal, but even angling them a little makes a lot of difference.
Sound Quality:
I listened to it out of the box - and was pleasantly surprised. It was clear this would be a top contender.
I've burned them for a couple of days, and enjoyed them for the last few weeks.
Baldoor did a great job tuning these - very balanced and clear. They sound practically identical to TG-JL1.
At first, I thought it was another incarnation of TG-JL1, but it seems to have a single diaphragm.
I would say that these are 95% of TG-JL1. Not sure if I could tell them apart in a blind A/B session.
Compared to Yuin PK1, the EarBell has a bit more bass, lusher mids and less bright (although well extended) highs.
Price/availability:
I couldn't post the review sooner, as the price on Amazon and eBay for US head-fiers was 15-16$ shipped,
but non-US members would have to pay over 32$ shipped. I have contacted the Aliexpress seller, and he lowered the price to 19.99$ shipped.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Berta-bell-e100-earbud-earphones-for-apple/1512302769.html
There is also the version with a microphone at 40$ shipped, but I don't know if it sounds as good.
Introduction of additional circuitry often decreases SQ.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/BALD...-HIFI-mobile-music-headphones/1887813227.html
Conclusion:
At 15-20$ (depending on your location) this is an excellent balanced earbud - a very rare occasion.
Most earbuds in this group sound veiled and boring - but not E100.
My current earbud ratings are:
TG-38S = TG-JL1 > E100 > BE5 > M760 > M1 >= ANV3SE > PK2 = ANV3 > M2C > PK1> M3 = AP8
Or in terms everyone can understand
16$ = 31$ > 20$ > 95$ > 26$ > 15$ >= 100$ > 80$ = 70$ > 50$ > 160$ > 13$ = 12$