Monster iSport Strive Athletic Earphone

boxfox

New Head-Fier
Pros: Can't think of any
Cons: Sound quality, comfort, poor build quality
Intro rant
If you are like me then you are probably looking for earbuds that stay in your ear and don't fall out. You want something durable with good sound quality. I was very skeptical of buying these earbuds after contacting the company about their specifications. When I asked what the tech specs were and since they claim to be water resistant I also asked what their IPX rating level was(http://www.thehulltruth.com/jensen-marine-electronics/267442-water-resistant-vs-waterproof-ipx-ratings-explained.html). The only answer I was given back was "We do not give out this information because we want you to hear the monster sound experience for yourself rather than compare it to a sheet of data."
That is not very reassuring for me. And I doubt they have actually tested the water resistance of these earbuds since they could not answer that question either. Water resistance isn't an important question. But if they make the claim, I want to know the info.
 
Sound quality
The sound quality is lacking in my opinion, the bass isn't there very much. I don't really get a fullness of the noise. The noise isolation of these earbuds is supposedly 50/50 that is what the chart on the box claims, I would say it's more like 30 isolation, 70 ambient. If I'm walking past people I can hear them talking.
 
Fit
This is my biggest con.
The good - They stay in the ear very well, they stay very snug and do not shift around.
The bad - They don't fit comfortably, and they can be difficult to fit into the ear, infact challenging to get to fit in your ear. I'm sure you can get used to putting these in your ear the right way every time without much adjusting, but it will take some getting used to. They hurt also, they hurt since I put them in and they still hurt right now. I would say it is a very noticeable feeling, I am very aware that these are in my ear.
 
Build quality
Another big con.
When I'm walking, or even moving my head for that matter. In the right ear bud I can hear a creaking noise, I'm not sure if it's my ear against the rubber making the noise or if it is something inside the earbud, but it is only on one side. I can also wiggle the cord for that same earbud and hear it slightly rattle inside the earbud. It could simply be a construction flaw for this pair.
 
 
Bottom Line
I won't be keeping them, they are going to get returned. I can't really name one thing that I enjoy about these.
I'm not sure why Monster wants to hide their tech specs from us so much, not sure what they have to hide. But I heard the Monster sound experience, and I'm not a believer.
 
Other notes
I bought these along side of the Yurbuds Venture Duro earbuds. Comparing the two I can say that by far the Yurbuds Venture Duro is the better pair.
To see that review you can click http://www.head-fi.org/products/yurbuds-venture-duro-sport-earphones-orange/reviews/10580
The Monster iSport Strive lacks in sound quality and mostly bass compared to the Yurbuds Venture Duro.
For being around the same price range. Monster should be ashamed.
 
 
Color
Apparently there is less love for the black pair, which is the pair I bought. I have noticed that the blue pair of these earbuds is $10 dollars more expensive. But nothing is suppose to be different. I believe the blue ones come with a nicer carry case, a snap and close kind.
The black pair gets a little mess bag with a string to close it. Maybe you are paying for coloring and a nicer bag for that $10.

Squeedly

New Head-Fier
Pros: "Good" Sound, Stay in my ears.
Cons: Painful to wear. Not uncomfortable, just straight up painful.
I think these would be the be all end all inexpensive workout headphone if they came with a few more ear pieces. I couldn't find a set of ear pieces that didn't cause me significant pain and stay in place, but man do they stay in place.
 
Running, lifting and headbanging have no affect on the seal of these headphones, it is quite remarkable. I wish they didn't hurt to wear because I am in love with them.
 
Sound is to me quite good. They fit the Monster House sound, very similar to the iBeats, maybe better (also owned and returned) Deep bass and a decent amount of it, mids are a bit recessed and highs are aren't anything special but are present and accounted for. Way better sound than I was expecting though. They also improve with an amp though I never work out with one.
 
These don't isolate much, they say right on the package that they don't either.
 
I bought them locally so I am returning them, if it had been through Amazon I most likely would have gone through the trouble to return them also.
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