Got my first headphone setup a couple weeks ago. Sansa Clip + ADDIEMs. This is mostly for the gym. Spent $85 total. Here is my review of the Clip + ADDIEMs together. I loaded the Clip with FLACs for evaluation...
Some background: Been a long time audiophile, but with speakers. I have a fairly hi-end two-channel system for music and a dedicated home theater setup. Anyway, I thought a relatively inexpensive pair of phones would be a good launching point before buying some serious IEMs.
Sound: Overall sound is fairly balanced and smooth. Very easy to pop these on and instantly get drawn into the music. The transient edges in the bass region are rounded off a bit, less of a problem in the middle range. This leads to a somewhat relaxed presentation, but I would not call these warm phones. The highs are decently extended if not totally grain free and lacking some air. Midrange is open and fairly transparent, but lacks a bit of density that I hear in higher end speakers. The midrange sounds a bit softer than the highs because of this and perhaps because the highs have a quickness and hardness to them that the midrange does not.
I am able to achieve a pretty good seal with stock tips, so I find the bass adequate in level. However, while the bass is not boomy, it is not "quick" bass. I find that the decay is a touch slow in certain rock recordings, and this causes the pace and timing of the sound to fall apart a little bit in complex passages. Perhaps there is a slight lack in punch as well. Not sure if this is the fault of the Sansa clip. Curiously, I don't find this a distracting problem with pop and r&b recordings, but only with live instruments. The analogy I offer is when you pluck a rubber band and how it takes a little bit to come to a stop. Tonally, the bass is slightly hollow sounding. Still, I appreciate that the bass is fairly neutral in level. I do not detect an overly ripe midbass.
Ultimately, I am very happy with these phones, considering the $35 street price discussed earlier in this thread. For $85 total (including Sansa Clip), this is really a nice little package. If I am getting picky, I would like some more control and punch in the bass region and some more density in the mid range region. Wouldn't expect improvements to the other areas in this price range. I'd be curious as to how these compare with other < $100 IEMs and how they compare to $200-300 IEMs.
Microphonics: Not sure if that is the correct term. Anyway, the transmitted sounds are quite noisy and distracts from the music. However, the problem is almost entirely solved by simply wrapping the cord around the top of the ear.
