[Amps]

Hey guys,

I've been looking around the forums in search for earbuds to replace my AKG K319s. I've noticed that the Earbud types (not the ones that go inside your ear canal) are quite 'underappreciated'. Threads about this topic were dated a quie while ago.

I liked my AKG K319s, but the cables weren't very durable. The extension cable has been broken twice already (in less than 1.5 years). So I'm looking for similar quality earbuds (again, not the ones that go inside your ear canal) that are under €50. The earbuds have to be durable since I've had some issues with AKG's thin cord. I'm no audiophile by any means, but some decent sound quality is appreciated. Since my extension cord died for the 2nd time, I'm currently using my Sennheiser MX460

Any suggestion is highly appreciated

 

[ZARIM]

If you want to hear lot more details in music with quality bass then i will ecommend the RE0. But if need more punchy bass and good details then Turbine, Sony EX310 are recommended.

 

[Amps]

Thx for the reply, however, all earphones you mentioned are the in-ear canal types. I'm specifically looking for earbuds (the type of earphones that come with iPods).

 

[kova4a]

Well, the title of this thread is kinda misleading as you have written "in-ear buds" and someone might think you want iems. Anyway, it's not that earbuds aren't appreciated here - just there are hundreds of great iems and only a handful of good earbuds and also most people prefer the fit, seal and isolation of iems as they can enjoy their music better. As far as a recommendation in your price range with decent sq and build quality, you may try the HiSound Audio PAA-1 Pro 

 

[Amps]

I thought "in-ear buds" was the common name for these kind of earbuds. I guess I was wrong. What would be a more suitable term? Just "earbuds"?
 
I will keep an eye on these ones. I'm not sure if they are easy to come by in my country.
 
Edit: I've come across this post via HiSoundAudio's website: http://www.head-fi.org/t/531063/earbud-guide-22-earbuds-compared Quite useful for people who are also looking for some decent earbuds

 

[kova4a]

Yeah, just earbuds. If you decide to get them you can buy them here http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hisoundaudio-PAA-1PRO-Professional-HiFi-Grade-Earphones-/290630211106#ht_3072wt_1168 . It's a reputable seller and ships to everywhere in the world .

 

[Danneq]

If it's only the extension cable, you can probably find a better cable on Ebay. The K319 are pretty good earbuds.
 
Anyway, I'm an earbud guy and I recommend you to try out Yuin PK2. I think it's better than AKG K319 and Yuin PK3. There's also the Hisoundaudio Paa1 Pro that Kova4a wrote about. I haven't heard the Paa1 Pro, though.
There are also newer Sennheiser models such, as MX580 and MX880, that fit your budget.
 
You can also check out Audio Technica CM707. They are pretty much only released in Japan, but you can find them on Ebay. The price is much higher there than in Japan, though... (in Japan the price is around 5500-6000 yen)
 
That's pretty much it. Unfortunately there aren't that many earbuds made as in the 80's and 90's (I collect old Sony and Aiwa earbuds). If you aim to collect the best earbuds sold (such as Sennheiser MX980, Hisoundaudio Live & Living, Blox TM7, 9W Studio Pro), you will still not spend as much as for the most expensive pair of custom IEM's.
 
Anyway, read through the threads and decide what you want. Also remember that people have different preferences and likes. I know that some people don't like the Yuin PK2, but I think it's really good. Not the best earbud I have heard, but I prefer it to stuff like AKG K319 and Blox M2C (a cheap and good sounding earbud that recently has been discontinued).

 

[Amps]

Thanks for the advice Danneq! Unfortunately I've already sent my K319 for repair, and it appeared AKG has discontinued (parts of) the K319. The repair company basically proposed three options: (1) they do nothing and send the earbuds back; additional fees will be charged, (2) they replace the K319 under warranty for the AKG K316 or (3) they replace the K319 under warranty for the K370. As option 3 is the 'most valuable', although an in-earphone, I chose that option, and will most likely sell that one. I thought the extension cable would just get replaced like the first repair, but it was not the case this time.
 
And you're right, the earbuds guide may be helpful, but ultimately, it comes to the preference of one or another (except for the really poor ones).
 
I've also been looking at the Paa-1 (without the "Pro"), which is interesting, but I don't like an asymmetric cable at all.
 
As I mentioned, I'm not an audiophile, so I don't think I would be needing high, high-end earbuds.
 
I'll take a look at the Sennheiser ones you mentioned as those are probably available at our hardware store.

 

[Danneq]

It really only is the extension cable that is broken? I recently bought 1 m extension cables for 3.5mm plugs for something like €3 each on Ebay. You can find pretty cheap ones that will work better than the one included with the K319.
 
Are you sure that the Hisoundaudio cable is a J cable, as in asymmetrical? I thought that it was a Y cable as just about all earbuds nowadays.
 
I just took the relative low cost of high end earbuds compared to a single pair of custom IEM's. The JH16 custom IEM's start from $1.149. You can get the 5 pairs of high end earbuds I mentioned for $850 in total... With earbuds, you might lose isolation and some detail compared to IEM's, but earbuds most often have a bigger soundstage (sound more open). That and the fact that I only want to stick something into my ears if I really have to is why I prefer earbuds.
 
Sennheiser MX880 has gotten good reviews and you might be able to find it for around €50. The MX580 is probably half the price and apparently also pretty good. I've only heard the MX880, though. And it was in a noisy headphone shop in Japan so I could not really focus on the sound. I think it should be on the same level as K319 or better...
 
By the way, I don't consider myself an audiophile either. I stick to 320Kbps MP3 files and old HDD MP3 players. However I do notice a difference between cheaper and more expensive earbuds, and since the earbud market is so small, I might as well try to collect them all. That's a hobby too, I suppose...

 

[Amps]

Yeah, the extension cable was the only one that's broken. My old K319s has already been swapped for the K370s, so never mind the old ones. The HiSoundAudio Paa-1 has indeed an asymmetric cable, however the Paa-1 Pro does have a symmetric cable.
 
I'm currently leaning towards the Sennheiser MX580s, since these are most likely (widely) available at the store in a near city. I'm a bit hesitant about ordering earbuds overseas.
 
Maybe I should have mentioned this in the OP, but what I'm aiming for as for the sound quality goes, I just want the sound to be accurate, as Beats by Dr. Dre would say, "[size=small]exactly what the [/size][size=small]artist intended".[/size]
 
I'll try to get rid of these K370s first

 

[Danneq]

Quote:

Maybe I should have mentioned this in the OP, but what I'm aiming for as for the sound quality goes, I just want the sound to be accurate, as Beats by Dr. Dre would say, "[size=small]exactly what the [/size][size=small]artist intended".[/size]

 
 
Well, I have noticed that the more expensive earbuds often are more neutral and not colored (bassy or trebly, or having a "fun sound", like the Dr Dre headphones which are not neutral at all). Sennheiser MX980 sound very natural to me. I would definitely recommend them for someone who would want an accurate sound.
Apparently the Hisoundaudio Live are somewhat similar to the MX980.
 
Anyway, give the MX580 a go. They should be fine for everyday portable use.