Earbuds Round-Up

[nofarewell]

Buds definitely worth more
Can you take some pictures without foams?

Yeah. Bit dark here now. Rubber rings are not in the best shape, but the housing definitely is.

 

[furyossa]

Yeah. Bit dark here now. Rubber rings are not in the best shape, but the housing definitely is.

Thanks. They look really cool.
Mr Woody will probably write some info about them later ... something that can see on the package .

 

[SlimCharles]

Anyone tried EMX500? Just got mine and I'm absolutely blown away. It destroys my Yincrow X6 and 1More EO320.

 

[samandhi]

Anyone tried EMX500? Just got mine and I'm absolutely blown away. It destroys my Yincrow X6 and 1More EO320.

Care to share more, and maybe some pics?

 

[nofarewell]

Thanks. They look really cool.
Mr Woody will probably write some info about them later ... something that can see on the package .

I know, right? I never talked to anyone who knew more about these gems
Although the biggest question is I think, and I maybe am not alone with this query - is why are these not manufactured anymore.

 

[samandhi]

I know, right? I never talked to anyone who knew more about these gems
Although the biggest question is I think, and I maybe am not alone with this query - is why are these not manufactured anymore.

I know! He seems to know about almost every pair that has ever been (and shall yet be ).

Probably sales. Earbuds are/have been a niche product; though they are picking up popularity again as time goes by, and tech gets better IMHO.

When the Sony Linkbuds came out Sony was touting them as remarkably unique (and I am not talking about the wireless part), and they are. But, it seems as though they were marketing them as if they were the only classic earbuds you can get (a whole new way to listen to your music). Yeah, they do have a hole in them, but they are classic flathead earbuds at the end of the day. They ARE different, but they borrowed the design from old school earbuds, and people believed them to be a totally new type of technology (which Sony encouraged IMO). People have bought them because Sony marketed them as they did, and people seemed to have not heard of anything like it (being open). I bought them BECAUSE they are flatheads that are wireless; simple as that... LOL They DO have some really nice extra features though that I really like!

More and more people are forgetting about classic earbuds. Heck, even the name has been stolen to describe any IEM that is TWS or the fruit-pods that are ALMOST earbuds; go ahead, do a search on Google, I dare ya'. I bet you won't find many/any flathead earbuds (at least in the US anyhow). If you ask youngsters about earbuds, I would bet they will either quote a TWS, those fruit-pods, or ask "Oh you mean those old crappy things that used to come free with iPods?"

Until a couple of years ago, and I started visiting this thread, I had also forgotten how good they can be (I won't forget again, I can tell you that).

 

[furyossa]

I know, right? I never talked to anyone who knew more about these gems
Although the biggest question is I think, and I maybe am not alone with this query - is why are these not manufactured anymore.

No one know more about Sony and AIWA than Mr Woody.

When the Sony Linkbuds came out Sony was touting them as remarkably unique (and I am not talking about the wireless part), and they are. But, it seems as though they were marketing them as if they were the only classic earbuds you can get (a whole new way to listen to your music). Yeah, they do have a hole in them, but they are classic flathead earbuds at the end of the day. They ARE different, but they borrowed the design from old school earbuds, and people believed them to be a totally new type of technology (which Sony encouraged IMO). People have bought them because Sony marketed them as they did, and people seemed to have not heard of anything like it (being open). I bought them BECAUSE they are flatheads that are wireless; simple as that... LOL They DO have some really nice extra features though that I really like!

More and more people are forgetting about classic earbuds. Heck, even the name has been stolen to describe any IEM that is TWS or the fruit-pods that are ALMOST earbuds; go ahead, do a search on Google, I dare ya'. I bet you won't find many/any flathead earbuds (at least in the US anyhow). If you ask youngsters about earbuds, I would bet they will either quote a TWS, those fruit-pods, or ask "Oh you mean those old crappy things that used to come free with iPods?"

Until a couple of years ago, and I started visiting this thread, I had also forgotten how good they can be (I won't forget again, I can tell you that).

I agree, they have some innovative features and that's all. But again, some less expensive buds (DIY included) can beat them easily, when it comes to sound.
What surprises me the most is that Sony usually releases new stuff for its products after a couple of years, but LinkBuds 2 came out in less than a year.
They probably realized that the ring driver is not an ideal solution, especially for outdoor or noisy environment.

 

[nofarewell]

I know! He seems to know about almost every pair that has ever been (and shall yet be ).

Probably sales. Earbuds are/have been a niche product; though they are picking up popularity again as time goes by, and tech gets better IMHO.

When the Sony Linkbuds came out Sony was touting them as remarkably unique (and I am not talking about the wireless part), and they are. But, it seems as though they were marketing them as if they were the only classic earbuds you can get (a whole new way to listen to your music). Yeah, they do have a hole in them, but they are classic flathead earbuds at the end of the day. They ARE different, but they borrowed the design from old school earbuds, and people believed them to be a totally new type of technology (which Sony encouraged IMO). People have bought them because Sony marketed them as they did, and people seemed to have not heard of anything like it (being open). I bought them BECAUSE they are flatheads that are wireless; simple as that... LOL They DO have some really nice extra features though that I really like!

More and more people are forgetting about classic earbuds. Heck, even the name has been stolen to describe any IEM that is TWS or the fruit-pods that are ALMOST earbuds; go ahead, do a search on Google, I dare ya'. I bet you won't find many/any flathead earbuds (at least in the US anyhow). If you ask youngsters about earbuds, I would bet they will either quote a TWS, those fruit-pods, or ask "Oh you mean those old crappy things that used to come free with iPods?"

Until a couple of years ago, and I started visiting this thread, I had also forgotten how good they can be (I won't forget again, I can tell you that).

Yeah, totally agree, I have the same experiences here in Hungary too. Usually the sceptical part with people only lasts until they listen to one of my vintage earphones though (both buds and on ears)
But it's good to see how the earbud world is not forgotten, on the contrary, many manufacturers keep it alive. I get this info from this thread as well, mostly. Maybe I'll too do some experimentation in the future, who knows...

 

[SlimCharles]

Care to share more, and maybe some pics?

Sorry for the quality, certainly not the best photographer in the world.

About the sound, for me there is no comparison between the EMX and Yincrow and 1more. It's instantly noticeable that the EMX500 is way more resolving. I'm specially surprised by the tightness and slam of the bass.

 

[Eduardiofilo]

All About Flathead Earbud Cushions
by @WoodyLuvr, @assassin10000, @furyossa, and @jogawag
Picture Source: Head-Fi Archive Mostly

Earbud "cushions" aka "covers" or "pads" are used to provide a securer fit and/or to improve the sound signature (e.g. tame the highs or bring up the bass) and fall into two (2) main categories: sponge foam and silicon rubber:


SPONGE FOAM aka "FOAMS" or "FOAMIES"

Foam Density aka Thickness​

Sponge foam density/thickness is generally categorized into four (4) sub-types:​

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Ultra Thin​

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Ultra Thins by Venture Electronics on left​

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Thin​

​

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Medium aka Standard​

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Thick​

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Hiegi Black Thick Foam Cushions​

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Foam Hole Gauge​

Sponge foam material gauge can also be furthered categorized into two (2) sub-types:​

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Small Hole aka Normal Gauge​

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Large Hole - Large Gauge​

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Trig Rain Ultra Thin Large Gauge Foam Cushions left and right​

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Style or Type​

Sponge foam cushions are categorized into two (2) styles/types:​

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Full​

​

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Donut (Small and Large)​

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Color​

Literally a plethora of available colors...​

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SILICON RUBBER

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Style or Type​

Silicon rubber covers are simply categorized into the following three (3) main types:​

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Full​

​

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Ring​

Typically coming in clear, gray, white, and/or black colors​

​

​

Hook​

Typically coming in clear, gray, white, and/or black colors with a hook to firmly secure the earbud into the ear​

​

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EARBUD CUSION COMBINATIONS

The following are some of the more popular cushion combinations & alterations that earbud users utilize to help improve fit and sound signature.​

​

The first example is double foam (donut foam on top of full foam), which @furyossa and @jogawag cleverly refer to as "cold weather" mode. ​

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​

​

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RECOMMENDED EARBUD CUSHION BRANDS

Hiegi @ Penon Audio​

Trig Rain on aliExpress​

Open to any/all corrections or suggestions and of course any cool pics you may have!

Hi, do you know if others stores apart Venture Electronics sell that Ultra Thin Foams?

 

[leaky74]

Got these @Kobemghri Gojibuds today & really liking them. Packaging is nice and cute and the build quality of the buds and cable is great.

Sonically, details and texture across the lower frequencies are excellent. Nice punchy mid bass with a smooth transition to mids. Treble is somewhat rolled off but the open back steps in to provide staging and airiness without being fatiguing at all. A solid recommend. I think my daughter wants the Juniors now!

 

[Sam L]

Got these @ Kobemghri Gojibuds today & really liking them. Packaging is nice and cute and the build quality of the buds and cable is great.

Sonically, details and texture across the lower frequencies are excellent. Nice punchy mid bass with a smooth transition to mids. Treble is somewhat rolled off but the open back steps in to provide staging and airiness without being fatiguing at all. A solid recommend. I think my daughter wants the Juniors now!

wow, such a nice looking earbud!

 

[mt877]

I bought a pair of Fiio EM5 a week ago. At first, I was very disappointed with them. The vocal sounded distant. They sounded nothing like what I read in reviews. I think it was after the third or fourth time while I was using them with my phone that suddenly the sound came alive. Now the reviews make sense. They sound great.

I'm wondering what caused this. Was it the phone plug? I'm pretty sure I pushed the Jack down into the plug. Or something is wrong with the buds?

Should I return them for another new pair or should I keep them?

It could be how you positioned them in your ears(?). In my own listening tests I like using donut foams and using a source that is pretty neutral.

Here's my mini review of Fiio EM5 vs Yincrow RW-3000. Maybe that will ease your EM5 concerns.

 

[mt877]

wow, such a nice looking earbud!

You can get em at Kobe Audio Shopee store. Not sure how shopping at Shopee is, I can't figure out if they ship anywhere other than in the Philippines.

 

[leaky74]

You can get em at Kobe Audio Shopee store. Not sure how shopping at Shopee is, I can't figure out if they ship anywhere other than in the Philippines.

They were kind enough to ship to the U.K. for me