[Danneq]

Quote:

I just have to chime in on these buds. I came very late to this party, but I'm glad I did. An amazingly fun and engaging cheap thrill! I had several brands of earbuds from a few years ago, and settled on the good old Sony MDRE828LP for durability, convenience, and acceptable sound. Never really wanted to use them much, always preferring my SR80 phones at home. But the PK3s have changed my mind about what earbuds can sound like - actually like real headphones. Not quite Grado sound, but still fun, good for all kinds of music. You have to get a decent fit, though, and I settled on using one bud with cable wrapped over ear, the other down. Works well for me.
 
I don't want to know how first-ear how much better other earbuds can sound; it would be a wallet-mugging.
 
So far no problems with durability at all. So far.
 
Now I have to give IEMs another chance. The PK3 is so inspiring!

 
Glad that you like them. The PK2 are even better (at least I think so).
 
There are other good earbuds and you can get the best ones for around $200 (unless you try to get vintage Sony and Aiwa earbuds). You might not get as much bass with earbuds as with IEM's, but you get a much bigger and deeper soundstage.
 
You can check these threads out:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/441400/earbuds-round-up
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/531063/earbud-guide-22-earbuds-compared

 

[dragonfly50]

Thanks for the reply. I AM trying a set of vsonic GR02 right now, and struggling to get a good fit. Having tried most of the many tips that come with it, I'm looking to get some Comply and whatever else might work.
 
I hear much about the Ety triflange and Shure olives, but it's hard to know what will fit. Using the Comply fit guide and extrapolating, the vsonic takes at 400 size, Shure and Ety are mostly 100 and 200. Seems incompatible, but maybe there's some flexibility to it?

 

[Danneq]

Well, I wouldn't know since I never use IEM's.  

 
I'm strictly an earbud guy.

 

[dragonfly50]

After trying the GR02 IEMs, and working with fit and different tips, I think I have to throw in with Danneq - I'm an earbud guy, too. Can hardly stand the feeling of jamming those tips into my ear canals, and even when they fit and seal I don't really like the sound. I'm sure some custom shells would make a difference, but at what cost? I don't even want the isolation anyway.
 
So, continuing my small collection of buds, I ordered the PAA-1 Pro. Turns out it was the start of Chinese National Holiday, and there will be a 5-day delay before they ship.  I think this seller, bigbargainsonline, is the only seller of these buds with reasonable shipping to US right now. Ah well.
 
If I really like the PAA-1 Pro, I suppose I'll want to jump right to the Lives. Or TM7? Who knows. Shoot, I'm still digging the old PK3s, and have had zero issues with them. Yuins are completely passe now, huh? Then I have a lot to look forward to.

 

[Danneq]

Welcome to the earbud gang!
 
There aren't that many earbud models to choose from these days, something that is both a blessing and a curse. If you are prepared to spend some money, you can get all of the high end models for less than $1000 in total (Yuin PK1, Sennheiser MX980/985, Blox TM7, 9Wave Studio Pro).
 
Yuin's earbud models are a few years old, but I still think that they are pretty good. Heck, when it comes to earbuds, the 80's and 90's were the best! I've got some old Sony and Aiwa earbuds that easily can compete with new models.
 
I have not heard Yuin PK1, but my favorite of the PK series is the PK2. Blox TM7 are a bit expensive at $140, but they sound amazing. They are about in the same tier as the Sennheiser MX980.
 
I haven't heard the Hisoundaudio Paa1 Pro, but I've go the Live and they are pretty good. However, compared to the TM7 they sound harsh and thin.
 
PK3 are perfectly good earbuds, but once you start upgrading you will notice a difference. If that is worth the money that you spend is only for you to answer, though...

 

[Wyatta4]

I thought I'd share my photo of my PK3 setup.
 

 

[MDub]

^ Nice! I love my PK3s. I listen to them in the office every day. I've tried the PK2, own PK1s, tried OK3 and OK1. PK3s just do something special that no other earbud does. It's something about how they present strings and female vocals.
 

 

[todd92371]

I have been listening to these guys for years now and am constantly blown away by these little guys. I listen to them everyday while at work straight out of a Sansa Clip. They are amazing with Classical and Jazz.
 

 

[Rodpad]

Hello! Long time PK3 user here.
 
My third (yes third!) pair of PK3 headphones conked out last month. The usual story - one channel becomes mute, unless you wiggle the connector. We've all been there.
 
I didn't want to get a different pair of headphones, but I was sick and tired of the flimsy 3.5mm connector. I had a look on eBay and there's a chap from China that customises them
 

 
It has a shielded Teflon cable, PK2 earbud housing and most importantly, a Pailiccs 3.5mm jack.
 
The sound is even better than vanilla PK3 headphones. Bass is deeper and you can punch more volume through it before things start clipping. For instance I can put my Fiio E5 on 100% volume, with the bass boost on, then my Samsung Galaxy S2 with equaliser set to high bass and treble at about 80% volume - no clipping. Thundering bass at very high volumes.
 
Took about 3 weeks to arrive but was definitely worth it. It also cost less than vanilla PK3's at around £18.50 delivered. Bonus.
 
If anyone's interested you can buy one from here -http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIY-YUIN-PK3-Hi-Fi-Earphones-FURUKAWA-Shielded-Cable-PAILICCS-3-5mm-Plug-/221044301164#vi-content

 

[dragonfly50]

Hey! Very interesting - I just wonder, are those new cables kind of stiff? They look less supple than the stock wiring.

 

[Rodpad]

They are a bit stiff and can knock the earbud out of your ear if not careful. I don't really find it an issue when listening to music on the train, nor when walking with the cable hidden under my shirt.

 

[todd92371]

Wow! So, is the new cabling supposed to also create a more solid foundation to alleviate the one channel loss? Or, is it mainly a sound improvement thing?
 
Thanks.
 

 

[Rodpad]

I'd say both, but I wonder if the improved sound is more due to using the PK2 earbud housing rather than the cabling.

 

[ext23]

Quote:

Hello! Long time PK3 user here.
 
My third (yes third!) pair of PK3 headphones conked out last month. The usual story - one channel becomes mute, unless you wiggle the connector. We've all been there.
 
I didn't want to get a different pair of headphones, but I was sick and tired of the flimsy 3.5mm connector. I had a look on eBay and there's a chap from China that customises them
 

 
It has a shielded Teflon cable, PK2 earbud housing and most importantly, a Pailiccs 3.5mm jack.
 
The sound is even better than vanilla PK3 headphones. Bass is deeper and you can punch more volume through it before things start clipping. For instance I can put my Fiio E5 on 100% volume, with the bass boost on, then my Samsung Galaxy S2 with equaliser set to high bass and treble at about 80% volume - no clipping. Thundering bass at very high volumes.
 
Took about 3 weeks to arrive but was definitely worth it. It also cost less than vanilla PK3's at around £18.50 delivered. Bonus.
 
If anyone's interested you can buy one from here -http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIY-YUIN-PK3-Hi-Fi-Earphones-FURUKAWA-Shielded-Cable-PAILICCS-3-5mm-Plug-/221044301164#vi-content

 
I've been looking at these too. I've had 3 pairs of PK3s crap out on me over the past two years. In every case one of the ears started buzzing as if some dirt etc was trapped in there, then the bass died out and eventually the whole earphone. I love the way they sound but they are just SO FLIMSY. If these are any better I would definitely love to try them. 

 

[brad90y]

Quote:

Hello! Long time PK3 user here.
 
My third (yes third!) pair of PK3 headphones conked out last month. The usual story - one channel becomes mute, unless you wiggle the connector. We've all been there.
 
I didn't want to get a different pair of headphones, but I was sick and tired of the flimsy 3.5mm connector. I had a look on eBay and there's a chap from China that customises them
 

 
It has a shielded Teflon cable, PK2 earbud housing and most importantly, a Pailiccs 3.5mm jack.
 
The sound is even better than vanilla PK3 headphones. Bass is deeper and you can punch more volume through it before things start clipping. For instance I can put my Fiio E5 on 100% volume, with the bass boost on, then my Samsung Galaxy S2 with equaliser set to high bass and treble at about 80% volume - no clipping. Thundering bass at very high volumes.
 
Took about 3 weeks to arrive but was definitely worth it. It also cost less than vanilla PK3's at around £18.50 delivered. Bonus.
 
If anyone's interested you can buy one from here -http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIY-YUIN-PK3-Hi-Fi-Earphones-FURUKAWA-Shielded-Cable-PAILICCS-3-5mm-Plug-/221044301164#vi-content

 
Does this mean they'lll last longer and the right/left wont go out? Is the DIY thing the guy fixed prevent them from being useless after a few months?
 
From what I've heard, these things are suppose to sound amazing, I just dont have $30 to shell out every 2 months. This will prevent that ,right? I'm not much of an audiophile.