[costellogreg]

Alright, I want to get the old man a nice pair of earbuds for xmas. Here are the criteria:

1. They have to be ipod style buds, not in-ear. He's grossed out by in-ear.

2. They need to be comfy, and a better fit for his ear for when he's on the treadmill (I know this is subjective, but some seem to be generally better than others)

3. They will be used exclusively with mp3 players. I don't know if something like Yuin's earbuds, which fit this bill, would be overqualified since the audio file itself isn't of high quality. I don't mind spending $159, but I would rather spend $50 if it there isn't that much that can be done to improve mp3 sound.

Any help would be appreciated. -Greg

 

[costellogreg]

Oh and not the Sennheiser MXL 70. Those were a poor fit and didn't have great sound. Also feel apart, too, but that may have been my fault...

 

[Aimless1]

couple of options come to mind. Go to Head-Direct.com | YUIN and get the Yuin PK-3 or PK2, which are earbuds ala ipod sytle. Both sound just fine unamped. If his musical tastes lie more towards classic rock, then the PK3 will make him smile. If it lies more to classical then the PK2 will give him joy. The Koss KSC-75, a clip on with sound that belies it's small cost.

Don't forget to match what you buy to his musical preference.

 

[scott_d_m]

I'll go ahead back what aimless is advising.
I've used the PK2 with my ipod and was very happy.

 

[necropimp]

i've been hearing that the OK3 sounds as good as the PK2 for $20 less

 

[costellogreg]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Am I worrying too much about good earbuds being wasted on mp3s?

 

[necropimp]

yes

 

[Aimless1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by costellogreg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the advice, everyone. Am I worrying too much about good earbuds being wasted on mp3s?

That's a good question, but I believe the answer is concentrate on a good quality earbud/headphone. If the source (music recording) is of bad quality that can always be re-ripped.

I'm thinking you want your father to be grateful for the gift of fine music. Get the earbuds you think will make him happiest and I think you will glad you did.

 

[mambo5]

I would go for any easy-to-drive YUIN

 

[Ojsinnerz]

Another vote for YUIN.

 

[ClieOS]

Any of the lower-end Yuin, or CrossRoad MylarOne HR2.

 

[Cinders]

I'd say go for the PK2. The PK1 is great, but it's on the expensive side and would do better with an amp apparently.

The PK3 are nice, but not spectacular. So yeah, PK2 would probably be best for you. Or maybe an OK3, I'm not sure what those are like. They do seem to stick out towards the ear a bit more, I don't know if that would affect the comfort or not, and it might be confusing for him having all these pads and tips and how it's an earbud but also an IEM, sounds strange to me, but I trust Yuin makes good stuff. So the OK3 probably sounds good too.

 

[scott_d_m]

Right now for thanksgiving week only at Head-Direct, the pk3 are $39US and the ok3 are $59US.

I just grabbed the ok2 for $129US.

On Sale Products - Head-Direct.com

 

[necropimp]

i thought those were the normal prices and the sale was the free fiio e3

 

[scott_d_m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by necropimp /img/forum/go_quote.gif i thought those were the normal prices and the sale was the free fiio e3

Here is a list of the sale prices Head-Direct.com | YUIN

I noticed this sale ended nov 30, but the sale prices on the website still remain.
I got the sale price(ordered dec 1) but I'm not sure if the fiio will be coming with. I guess I'll find out sometime next week. TBH I didn't even notice the included fiio until you pointed that out.