**** Please note that I received these from Spider Cable for free [ http://www.head-fi.org/t/564608/spider-gives-away-20pcs-tinyear-micro-driver-iem ]
I've owned these IEMs for about a week now, and in that time I've used them exclusively and quite often. I don't have any IEMs in this price range (~$40) other than my Meelec M6 (which I haven't used in months because they don't fit well), and looking through my past IEMs, I never explored this price range in my IEM quest so I won't be able to make direct comparisons with competing products.
Most of my listening was done using the included single flange tips, paired with my Sansa Clip+ (80% of the time) or iPod Touch 2G (the other 20%). I didn't like the double flange and I've yet to try the included.
Comfort / fit seems to be the main pushing factor of the TinyEars. With many in-ears, the left side has a bad fit for me and the sound is horrible, as if the plug wasn't pushed in all the way or something (this is the case with the M6). These TinyEars are one of few that I have no problems with; I just throw them in my ear and it's golden, minimal adjustments required. These are easily worn up or down, with down being more low-profile and up having less microphonics, as you would expect. Wearing them down, I've been able to lay on my side and listen without any real discomfort. Obviously YMMV based on several factors, but this seems to be one of the things they were shooting for so I would expect that this will be the case for many users.
As for sound, on my first listen I was immediately impressed by the clarity these small things had. The next thing I noticed was that bass was a bit lacking in quantity, though definition was good. A few more decibels would be great but that should be easy enough to do with a quality EQ. Vocals are my other main complaint; on some recordings, voices just don't sound natural, even though they sound fine with other headphones. Male vocals in particular often sound a bit hollow, which comes back to the bass that I was talking about just a few sentences ago. Female vocals suffer much less but occasionally sound peaky, so I'd guess there's a spike somewhere in the upper mids. Beyond that, the timbre is accurate for most instruments, and this is one of the main qualities I look for in any headphone so I am pleased on that front. There is some grainyness in the higher frequencies, but nothing hugely detracting. Extension is fair in both extremes. Overall, they have a very good sound and are not very fatiguing, which definitely goes well with the comfort aspect. Combined with good isolation, it seems these are designed for extended listening sessions and I imagine they would be awesome on a long trip.
Build quality seems solid. The cable is a bit thin, but it doesn't feel like it's about to snap when I hold it. The housing, though made of plastic, doesn't feel flimsy and the nozzle part looks very well attached. I don't think anything will break when you are trying to change tips. Comes with a little plastic case to hold the IEMs and two sets of tips. It's a nice bonus, but it'll break if you step/sit on it I think.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I don't have anything in this price range to make comparisons against and I've been listening to much more expensive equipment for years now. That said, I'm very impressed with the Spider TinyEars and I feel they are a great value for their $40 asking price. I had been looking for a pair of IEMs suitable for exercising / sleeping before the giveaway, and these fit that bill extremely well. In fact, they are good enough that I'm sure I'll end up grabbing them for general use over my other IEMs once in a while.
[After trying the comply tips, they pretty much fix the problems I was having with the bass and upper mids. I'd yet like just a tiny bit more bass, but I'm very pleased with the balance now!]
I've owned these IEMs for about a week now, and in that time I've used them exclusively and quite often. I don't have any IEMs in this price range (~$40) other than my Meelec M6 (which I haven't used in months because they don't fit well), and looking through my past IEMs, I never explored this price range in my IEM quest so I won't be able to make direct comparisons with competing products.
Most of my listening was done using the included single flange tips, paired with my Sansa Clip+ (80% of the time) or iPod Touch 2G (the other 20%). I didn't like the double flange and I've yet to try the included.
Comfort / fit seems to be the main pushing factor of the TinyEars. With many in-ears, the left side has a bad fit for me and the sound is horrible, as if the plug wasn't pushed in all the way or something (this is the case with the M6). These TinyEars are one of few that I have no problems with; I just throw them in my ear and it's golden, minimal adjustments required. These are easily worn up or down, with down being more low-profile and up having less microphonics, as you would expect. Wearing them down, I've been able to lay on my side and listen without any real discomfort. Obviously YMMV based on several factors, but this seems to be one of the things they were shooting for so I would expect that this will be the case for many users.
As for sound, on my first listen I was immediately impressed by the clarity these small things had. The next thing I noticed was that bass was a bit lacking in quantity, though definition was good. A few more decibels would be great but that should be easy enough to do with a quality EQ. Vocals are my other main complaint; on some recordings, voices just don't sound natural, even though they sound fine with other headphones. Male vocals in particular often sound a bit hollow, which comes back to the bass that I was talking about just a few sentences ago. Female vocals suffer much less but occasionally sound peaky, so I'd guess there's a spike somewhere in the upper mids. Beyond that, the timbre is accurate for most instruments, and this is one of the main qualities I look for in any headphone so I am pleased on that front. There is some grainyness in the higher frequencies, but nothing hugely detracting. Extension is fair in both extremes. Overall, they have a very good sound and are not very fatiguing, which definitely goes well with the comfort aspect. Combined with good isolation, it seems these are designed for extended listening sessions and I imagine they would be awesome on a long trip.
Build quality seems solid. The cable is a bit thin, but it doesn't feel like it's about to snap when I hold it. The housing, though made of plastic, doesn't feel flimsy and the nozzle part looks very well attached. I don't think anything will break when you are trying to change tips. Comes with a little plastic case to hold the IEMs and two sets of tips. It's a nice bonus, but it'll break if you step/sit on it I think.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I don't have anything in this price range to make comparisons against and I've been listening to much more expensive equipment for years now. That said, I'm very impressed with the Spider TinyEars and I feel they are a great value for their $40 asking price. I had been looking for a pair of IEMs suitable for exercising / sleeping before the giveaway, and these fit that bill extremely well. In fact, they are good enough that I'm sure I'll end up grabbing them for general use over my other IEMs once in a while.
[After trying the comply tips, they pretty much fix the problems I was having with the bass and upper mids. I'd yet like just a tiny bit more bass, but I'm very pleased with the balance now!]
