What are the Best Budget Earbuds?

[prosound]

IMHO the Sony MRD-E931s are decent and they're dead cheap. They sound better to my ears than iBuds, but I have no idea how they compare to the Yuins and the Senns which I don't own.

The only thing is they have slightly larger drivers and you may complain if you have small ears as I do. I gave mine away but am thinking of getting another pair.

 

[kjk1281]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is the general consensus that ebay mx760 legit?? Anyone ever get screwed? And what about the extension being annoying??

I purchased from two eBay sellers, and both orders were legitimate (albeit open box). The first order was from espot.deals, where I bought two white pairs, one of which is now in ClieOS' possession. I later purchased a titanium pair from VMInnovations, and it too was the real deal. Currently, only the latter has the MX760s up for sale: $19 Buy It Now or you can steal one for $18 on auction since nobody is bidding on them.

As for the extension cord, although most people don't seem to have a problem, I personally feel the plug on the main short cord and jack on the extension are slightly on the bulky side, so I use a clip whenever I'm walking around. The MX760 doesn't come with one, but you can find Radio Shack shirt clips on eBay for under $2 shipped if needed.

 

[RASeymour]

I've had durability issues with the Senn earbuds (although not this particular model). Yuins hold up great.

 

[kjk1281]

While I have had issues with the Sennheiser MX55, which had to be replaced under warranty, my black MX760, which has been in my possession for almost six months, still looks new with no signs of wear, and is easily one of the better built earbuds in my stable. I also have the MX660, which I have owned for about a year and a half, and it has seen some good usage as a bedtime earphone (at least before the MX760). I tend to toss and turn quite a bit, so I'm sure that the build quality will stand the test of time, at least from my experience.

 

[DeusEx]

Wait, do the MX760 come with shirt clip or not? Some members said they, and some said they didn't?

Also, which are sonically better (SQ) headphones overall?
How about bass, midrange, highs? Which one is the more fun can? I guess this is more a casual/relaxing earphone for me, going out, cycling workout, going to the beach - my SE530 will be my serious music phones..(until I get around to getting jh13)

Are the ebay MX760 new for $19? Cheapest I can find new Yuins is $40...

Also, the Sennheiser comes with 2 cables, right? How long is each one? are they bulky (like se530 cables)...Are they Y or J cables? (I hate my CX300 J cable...) I wonder how earbuds can sound so good without an airtight fit.. (like IEMs)

Also, will I have to use the foamies? I usually don't use foamies on earbuds (like my stock Samsung)

 

[Bilavideo]

The problem with answering a question like, "What's the best earbud on a budget?" is that you've got these two variables: price and quality. People don't buy stellar earphones for the price of a pizza. Do you want it cheaper or better? The market in cheap earphones is jammed with competitors. I bought a pair of Marshmallows at Walmart the other day, intending to scavenge the shells, and was pleasantly surprised at what my $20 got me. No sooner did I mention this than I got lots of posts maligning the cheapo Marshmallows and suggesting much better phones. Well, of course, there are much better phones. I've heard a bunch of them. The point is that, when you're dealing in a market of mediocrity, there's always going to be a better earphone. It's an endless obsession over nothing. We might as well argue about the best car for $200 or the best pair of shoes for $10.

 

[DeusEx]

Didn't put my budget in the title, but it's under $50 (wrote in first post). It's a casual phone, nothing serious, for easy use only (IEMs for the real deal).

What other accessories do the MX760 come with? Is the short cable really that short? Amazon reviews make it sound like it can only reach to your upper arm...Can it at least reach my jeans pocket? (I'm 5 11")..

 

[kjk1281]

The main cable of the MX760 is 45cm (17.7in), so unless the 1.0m extention is used, the cord will only be able to reach a shirt pocket. As stated in a previous post (and as seen in the below pic), the connectors can be slightly bulky for me, but the use of a shirt clip, which is not included with genuine MX760s (but can be purchased on eBay for $2), helps a good deal.

The MX760 also comes with a faux leather pouch and cable winder.

 

[RedSox]

I've heard PK3s and they're really great for the price. They pretty much blew my mind.

 

[DeusEx]

That's pretty annoying about the MX760s then...do the other sennheiser buds have the same design? Let's say, the 660, is it similar sound quality?

Also, which are sonically better (SQ) headphones overall, MX760 or PK3?
How about bass, midrange, highs? Which one is the more fun can? I guess this is more a casual/relaxing earphone for me, going out, cycling workout, going to the beach - my SE530 will be my serious music phones..(until I get around to getting jh13)

Are the ebay MX760 new products for $19?

 

[kjk1281]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's pretty annoying about the MX760s then...do the other sennheiser buds have the same design? Let's say, the 660, is it similar sound quality?

The other Sennheisers use a less annoying one-piece cord, but the MX760 sounds a good deal better than the MX660 and MX460. The MX660 has recessed mids, making them sound overly spacious and somewhat hollow. They are also rolled-off in the treble compared to the MX760. The MX460 (and I believe the MX560 as well) are less extended in both extremes, and have a more mid-centric but less airy sound, with far less separation.

Really, the modular design of the MX760 isn't that bad considering that the sound quality more than makes up for it, and as stated earlier, you could always get a shirt clip. Also, I'm one of the few people that takes issue with the design, as several others have stated that it doesn't bother them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, which are sonically better (SQ) headphones overall, MX760 or PK3? How about bass, midrange, highs? Which one is the more fun can? I guess this is more a casual/relaxing earphone for me, going out, cycling workout, going to the beach - my SE530 will be my serious music phones..(until I get around to getting jh13)

As for the comparison with the PK3s: I'm still waiting for a formal comparison between the two.

There are several people who owned both that have briefly chimed in, either in my review thread or elsewhere in the forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are the ebay MX760 new products for $19?

The MX760s I bought off of eBay were brand new, but open/damaged box.

 

[DeusEx]

Someone said on Amazon that MX660 and the other models were essentially MX760 without the extension cord...so that's not true, then. Or else I'd snap up MX660 instead!

You mean you shirt-clip the extra length (do you roll it up or something?) to your shirt/pants/etc?

A formal comparison would be great here (since I'm buying in the next couple days or so), but what's the general idea/consensus (or is there one?), since I might not be able to wait for the review if it's going to be a extensive one...

So far, I'm leaning toward the Senn MX760 in terms of looks (pretty modern/sleek) and pricing ($20 vs $40 for Yuin PK3), but I'm slightly put off by the cable issue...

 

[kjk1281]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Someone said on Amazon that MX660 and the other models were essentially MX760 without the extension cord...so that's not true, then. Or else I'd snap up MX660 instead!

The specs of both models are identical, and before I bought the MX760, I was assuming there wouldn't be much of a difference. It goes without saying how surprised I was when I found the MX760 to sound quite a bit better than the MX660.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif You mean you shirt-clip the extra length (do you roll it up or something?) to your shirt/pants/etc?

I usually use the clip just above the connectors to avoid unwanted movement of the cord. I find that this keeps the buds from slipping out of my ears due to cable swaying and vibrations, although those issues aren't that pronounced to begin with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif A formal comparison would be great here (since I'm buying in the next couple days or so), but what's the general idea/consensus (or is there one?), since I might not be able to wait for the review if it's going to be a extensive one... So far, I'm leaning toward the Senn MX760 in terms of looks (pretty modern/sleek) and pricing ($20 vs $40 for Yuin PK3), but I'm slightly put off by the cable issue...

Well, there are only a small number of people who have tried both, so there aren't enough opinions to form a true consensus. However, it seems that most people who own both models (and have been kind enough to share their views) seem to prefer the Senns.

 

[DeusEx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjk1281 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I usually use the clip just above the connectors to avoid unwanted movement of the cord. I find that this keeps the buds from slipping out of my ears due to cable swaying and vibrations, although those issues aren't that pronounced to begin with.

I'm not seeing it...

...how does that work? (I had busy-tired morning today at California Philharmonic concert presetup...sorry)

 

[kjk1281]

I didn't really do that well at explaining, so I'll try it again.

(Awesome gig, by the way

)

I usually attach the clip between the Y-split on the main cord and the connection between main cord and the extension like this. That way, the movement of the connection is minimized, and any swaying of the bulk shouldn't affect the fit of the buds since most of the movement is terminated at the clip. (Okay, I didn't do that well this time either

)