[wer1sdf2]

Are these a good idea? For the price of $45 it seems too good to be true. 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261648093281?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Personally though I wouldn't, since I'd consider the following:

1. I have no idea what effect the Monster Turbine shell has on the IE8 drivers. That's like getting a pair of Wharfedale Diamond standmounts but with Focal midwoofers for example.

2. I just don't like shells like that - the IE8 shell might be a bit large and isn't as "biological" as shells by Shure, Westone, et al (ie the IE8 was too blocky - it's curved on one side but those corners still press on my ears at angles I didn't like), but shells like that never fit me well at all. They go into the ears straight and then I prefer/need to run the cable behind my ear to minimize microphonics and help them stay in place, but such shell designs always felt kind of awkward in my ears when worn that way.


YMMV though, so if $45 isn't all that much to you (especially if you don't have to deal with import taxes), then I'd say go right ahead. Make sure to add a review thread for reference.

 

[KaminKevCrew]

I used to have a pair of Monster turbines, and they would never stay in my ears. Anyway, they look kind of cool, and the $45 price tag is pretty attractive. I would think that since the IE8s sound pretty good in the first place, the sound can't be *that* bad, especially since it's about $200 off from the price of a new pair of IE8s.

 

[wer1sdf2]

Personally though I wouldn't, since I'd consider the following:

1. I have no idea what effect the Monster Turbine shell has on the IE8 drivers. That's like getting a pair of Wharfedale Diamond standmounts but with Focal midwoofers for example.

2. I just don't like shells like that - the IE8 shell might be a bit large and isn't as "biological" as shells by Shure, Westone, et al (ie the IE8 was too blocky - it's curved on one side but those corners still press on my ears at angles I didn't like), but shells like that never fit me well at all. They go into the ears straight and then I prefer/need to run the cable behind my ear to minimize microphonics and help them stay in place, but such shell designs always felt kind of awkward in my ears when worn that way.


YMMV though, so if $45 isn't all that much to you (especially if you don't have to deal with import taxes), then I'd say go right ahead. Make sure to add a review thread for reference.

I just bought one, since it is so cheap. I am going to use these to replace my apple EarPods for gym/on the go usage. I will make sure to review these after I bought them. I figured for $45 I can't go wrong with these.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I used to have a pair of Monster turbines, and they would never stay in my ears. Anyway, they look kind of cool, and the $45 price tag is pretty attractive. I would think that since the IE8s sound pretty good in the first place, the sound can't be *that* bad, especially since it's about $200 off from the price of a new pair of IE8s.

 
One thing I forgot to mention though - are they real IE8 drivers? They might be drivers from the counterfeit IE8s - they were all over the place and at some point some were selling them at a higher price so people won't think that they are actually fakes and think they're getting a bargain.
 
In any case...$45 

 

[wer1sdf2]

I don't think they were fake drivers, I looked at his feedback, and they all seemed to be positive from selling 8 of them previously.

   
One thing I forgot to mention though - are they real IE8 drivers? They might be drivers from the counterfeit IE8s - they were all over the place and at some point some were selling them at a higher price so people won't think that they are actually fakes and think they're getting a bargain.
 
In any case...$45 

 

[billybob_jcv]

Just because 8 people thought the headphones sounded OK doesn't mean they are real IE8 drivers...

Here are pics comparing real and fake drivers.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/464460/inside-the-fake-ie8

I don't think I could tell them apart!

Edit: Do these look familiar?
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/OEM-earphone-horn-unit-for-IE80-to-replace-the-broken-one-or-DIY-by-yourself/1851903199.html

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Just because 8 people thought the headphones sounded OK doesn't mean they are real IE8 drivers...

 

Yep, quality trumps small quantities. Unless there is good reason to believe that the reviews were by people who know enough about audio to give a reliable review, I wouldn't really put that much faith on those reviews. As it is, even reviews posted by forumers who spend a lot of time in audio forums or those who write about them professionally already need to be taken with a grain of salt, what with all the audio voodoo going around. In this case, what are the chances that the eight people who bought them were just people who might have picked up a fake IE8 primarily for the reputation of the company but not really that well versed in the qualities of the sound, then ran into these cheaper ones, at best thinking they might use authentic drivers? Worse, maybe some of the reviews were friends of the seller - that tactic isn't exactly unknown.

Of course, if  the OP gets them and writes feedback at least on this thread, that would be a bit more credible than eBay reviews especially if he can at least borrow a pair of IE8s for comparison. For a risk averse penny pincher like me though I would likely just blow that cash on the T1-E, the B3 Pro, or the VS3DS (heck I never really bought anything blind - er, "deaf").

 

[Kahbrohn]

Here's your $30 version... Hmmmm....

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Here's your $30 version... Hmmmm....

 
Now I'm curious about how that stacks up against the T-1E.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I like how the seller shows a FR graph, then makes a point of saying the left & right channel are within 1 dB. But, from the rest of the numbers, you can see that was a single measurement at 1000 Hz. You'll also notice the FR graph doesn't show the response below 200 Hz. And look at the rise from 1K to 4K - that looks pretty nasty.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I like how the seller shows a FR graph, then makes a point of saying the left & right channel are within 1 dB. But, from the rest of the numbers, you can see that was a single measurement at 1000 Hz. You'll also notice the FR graph doesn't show the response below 200 Hz. And look at the rise from 1K to 4K - that looks pretty nasty.

 
Just saw it now, didn't scroll down far enough when I first clicked. 

 

[Kahbrohn]

Way I personally see it, if you can spare the money, give it a try. Worst case scenario is you wind up with a set of overpriced iem's. Not necessarily a "bad" thing. Just use them when you are going to sweat a lot like doing yard work, working out or something. Or if you have kids or a girlfriend who is not tech savvy... an excellent gift! Chances are neither will probably be able to tell the difference.
 
If they are indeed excellent... then you have a hidden gem on your hands so please do let us know!
 
To all of the girlfriends or kids I have just offended... I apologize. But if you are offended, then you are probably among the small percentage who do know their audio! 

 

 

[bozoskeletonz]

I purchased these. Bass was too strong, but with 2 minutes of eq they sound very nice. Much better than the monster turbine golds, not as nice as the monster miles Davis tribute, more details and clearer than the regular monster turbines. They are quite accurate (with eq) and an excellent value. Without eq, I think most people would prefer because they have strong bass. Anyone else try them?

Ps they make excellent gifts since that is a popular sound signature.