[b0ris84]

i'm with you on that but still decided to post it.
Love my triple fi's , i'm just a really big fan of dre and upset that he created some so so headphones

 

[karthur]

I thought some of the Denon's have tangle-free cables, so how could this be first?

edit: it took them 10 years of research to come up with a flat cable? oh please.

 

[Zhdude]

The earphones look so umcomfortable, heard its hard to get a seal, and without a good seal, the IEM is worthless really.

 

[jinx20001]

love how they encourage you to play music loud, very mature huh.

ofcourse its nice to know you could if you wanted too, but my shures will blow my head off way before the drivers distort, so being able to play em loud really isnt a new thing lol

 

[lobbert]

Well, I just like to add I don't like Monster.
( Noel Lee Is Not an Enormous ******, Says Noel Lee [audiojunkies] )

But when a rookie salesdouche kept telling me "You have to hear these beats" I took a listen to the full size cans.

Wow, what a joke. They just SUCK, all bass, no dynamics, no detail, no soundstage, pretty worthless to me. I like the AKG501, and they seem to be the exact opposite.

Just ridiculous and I don't think the IEM's will be different.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Does it really surprise anyone that Monster would spend as much or more (probably much more) on marketing as they do on the actual product? I would expect nothing less!

 

[Syrus28]

Anyone know how these sound? I was impressed with the full-sized headphones, but they leak sound like crazy... I guess that's that whole "speaker in your ear" sound they were going for...

So, anyone had a chance to test these out? Better than say... The V-Moda Vibe or Shure SE210? Comparable?

 

[cvdubb]

Ok ok ok...before I even begin let me start with a few things that will be good to know:

1. I have always LOVED Shure and have been the first to sing their praises to anyone who'd listen.

2. I have always thought that Monster was part of the evil empire that consistently overcharged by several fold to feed their own hype-machine.

3. As much as I have respected everything Dre has contributed to hip-hop and the recent history of music in general, my gut reaction to any celebrity endorsed product has been nothing short of reverse peristalsis.

Now that that is out of the way I'll cut to the chase. I had accumulated about $150 in apple gift cards and honestly had nothing that I really needed or wanted from the store. But, my old Shure E2Cs that had served me so so very well were falling apart physically, despite still sounding brilliant after over four years of heavy use. So I looked immediately to the SE210s as a suitable replacement and upgrade. Well...after dropping nearly twice the price of my old E2Cs on the 210s I was sadly and severely disappointed to find that my very old and abused E2Cs sounded better, and not by a slim margin. I gave the 210s a week of heavy use hoping they'd break in a bit and surprise me. As my 2-week return period came close to an end I reluctantly gave in and returned them to the apple store, ready to order several pair of similarly priced headphones from the online store to do a side by side with them all before selecting one worth keeping.

Enter the newly arrived (that day) Monster Beat Tours. Before finishing my return I was told that these were in stock and I decided I should at least give them a try before blowing them off as nothing but hype...especially after being so wrong about the shures. Well...in a nutshell, they blew away the 210s. And my E2Cs. By a LOT. This was side by side, listening to the same track played from the same device. I tried everything from hip-hop (Omega Watts...Giant Panda...Roots...etc.), to punk (Operation Ivy), alternative (Broken Social Scene), and Jazz (Miles Davis, John Coltrane). Sound was rich, full, and warm, with a tight but definitely present bass. One of the biggest things I noticed was the definition that each instrument had. Bass was bass...yes...but you could clearly hear the strings of a bass being played compared to an electronic bass in another track. It wasn't just a tone, it was music the way it was recorded without degradation. I never thought I'd capture that in a pair of sub $200 IEMs. Needless to say I happily bought them and quickly got over my disdain for the packaging and image that were being so heavily pushed by Monster; this was one product that at the very least exceeded my expectations and I would even suggest lives up to their own hype.

So...are these the best IEMs for $150? I have no idea. I've heard that the Sennheiser MM150 IPs are great, better than the Shures as well. I've read of many other options in this range. I do know that these are great for me. Much better than the Shures, and good enough for me to stop looking and comparing.

Are they overpriced? Probably. But what I now know is that pretty much all of these are overpriced. At least in this case I feel satisfied with the quality I'm getting for the price I've paid. That's good enough for me.

Good luck in your quest.

Chris

Oh...regarding fit - At least as comfortable and sound isolating as my 210s were (using the smallest bud - the incremental tiered buds were junk for me).

 

[Zhdude]

The Shure SE210 aren't the best sounding earphone period. They are mediocre. How do these compare with Super.fi 5 EB?

 

[rkw]

Review (positive) of the Monster Turbine on CNET:
Monster Turbine In-Ear Speakers Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews

I know CNET reviews tend to be dismissed on head-fi, but this one should be considered at least as valid as a post here. The reviewer is familiar with UE-5, UE-10, and his reference is ER-4.

 

[limin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SchneiderStudios /img/forum/go_quote.gif Get Low Low It took Monster more than three years to develop the technology that gives Beats Tour bass so big, you’d think there’s a subwoofer in your head. It’s deep, club-like bass. Dr. Dre would have it no other way.

Translation : we spent 3 months trying to eq the crap out of our drivers but finally decided size=bass so we just made them freaking huge!

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkw /img/forum/go_quote.gif Review (positive) of the Monster Turbine on CNET: Monster Turbine In-Ear Speakers Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews I know CNET reviews tend to be dismissed on head-fi, but this one should be considered at least as valid as a post here. The reviewer is familiar with UE-5, UE-10, and his reference is ER-4.

Just my $0.02 here, but Steve Guttenberg, the author of the CNET Turbine review, is a true headphoneophile and audiophile in every sense, and is a highly credible reviewer. His reviews deserve to be considered.

He does not fall prey to hype on either side of any given fence.

 

[tstarn06]

X2 on Guttenberg. But to talk about the best $150 IEM and not have the Phonak Audeo in the mix is a glaring error. Just read the threads. And yes, I have been a major proponent of the PFEs, but that's because they sound terrific. You can get the non-iPod version for $125 (in U.S. and Canada) with the Save10 coupon code. The iPod version is $25 more. Not doubting the Monster Beats or Turbines sound very good, since I haven't heard them. But the PFEs are major players at this price point. Just check the threads, plenty of top tier IEM owners praising the PFEs.

 

[Nocturnal310]

Quote:

Designed for Apple Sound Check The Sound Check feature on your iPod balances playback levels so all your music tracks play at a consistent volume. Beats Tour’s high-efficiency drivers ensure you can hear every note.

more of marketing nonsense.

the Sound check totally messes up the frequency response at the amp stage the music sounds dull and i also doubt its bit perfect anymore with Sound check enabled.

..so unless the IEMs got artificial intelligence to compensate for it by changing their response...somewhat like Adidas's intelligent shoe.

sounds somewhat like X-fi claim by creative aint it?


Read more about Sound check issues here: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/ar...p/t-83935.html


Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone who's anyone here knows that CNET reviews are not to be trusted and given any credibility at all. A review from an experienced reviewer here or at such sites as anythingbutipod.com, compudio.ca etc, hydrogenaudio.org is much more credible.

seems like Cnet guys have noticed our comments..

if u see now..most of their new reviews are fairly consistent with reviews on head-fi...but they are playing it safe now by not making big claims.

maybe their reviewers read the stuff on head-fi and then form opinions

who knows..but their latest reviews are considerable for quick info atleast.


checkout review of Sennheiser IE7 and IE8 on UK site.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif X2 on Guttenberg. But to talk about the best $150 IEM and not have the Phonak Audeo in the mix is a glaring error. Just read the threads. And yes, I have been a major proponent of the PFEs, but that's because they sound terrific. You can get the non-iPod version for $125 (in U.S. and Canada) with the Save10 coupon code. The iPod version is $25 more. Not doubting the Monster Beats or Turbines sound very good, since I haven't heard them. But the PFEs are major players at this price point. Just check the threads, plenty of top tier IEM owners praising the PFEs.

I don't want to get into defending Steve, but maybe he hasn't reviewed the Phonaks yet? It took him over two months of listening to the Turbines before he published his review. He's very methodical in his approach.