Dpgriff
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 12, 2011
- Posts
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I wanted to share my thoughts on the earphones I just picked up. I have been looking for a cheap pair of earphones to use while exercising. The earphones I was previously using were the ones that came with my zune a few years back. Doing some research I came across the Yurbuds active headphone brand by JBL. The reviews I saw were generally positive with the occasional review criticizing the sound quality but I figured they were just being audio snobbish. I was most interested in the fitment since I have never been able to to get the common seal forming rubbery tip phones to work with my ears. Some people claimed the Yurbuds didn't fit their ears well so I did not want to shell out a bunch of money on them. I stopped by best buy and picked up the Yurbuds Inspire 200s for $30. As far as I know the the inspire and focus series are almost identical but the focus have the hook that goes behind the ear to hold them in place. The 200 series have magnets in the back of the earphones to keep them together, the 300 series has a microphone and the 400 series offers volume control on top of the previously listed features but drivers should be the same.
I used them for the first time a couple days ago and I must say that I am impressed with fit. The phones came with one pair of soft tips that can be rotated and funnel the sound into the ear. The twistlock technology seems to work very well with my ears. The phones are put into the ear pointed downwards then rotated upwards into place. The earphones did not fall out once during the workout which usually happens a few times with the other earbuds i've used. The sound however left a lot to be desired. I was very dissapointed upon first listen and thought maybe I had put them in wrong but that didn't seem to be the case. My first impression was that the music sounded distant and lacked clarity. The bass was adequate and better than your average earphone but the mids and highs were lacking. I was expecting the sound quality to at least be on par with the standard zune and apple earphones from a few years ago. I would compare the sound to full range music playing through a subwoofer without a crossover. I haven't used them since mainly because the distant sound doesn't keep me amped up enough while working out. I want it to sound the like music is in my head and not coming from another room. Maybe the sound quality seems decent to the average person but not to someone who knows better. I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile but I do own a pair of ultrasone hfi-580s which may not be ultra top of top of line but definitely a step up from the average headphone. I would even consider the sound quality of the older apple earphones to be acceptable for gym use. Overall I think JBL did a great job with the fitment and creating earphones that will stay in place during physical activity but the audio quality could be improved significantly. Although $30 is not a lot of money, I still feel as though it was a waste since I don't know if I will ever find myself using them again. I would have happily paid $20 or $30 better sound quality. Their other lines seem to offer additional features like wireless and additional ruggedness but I haven't seen anything about noticeably improved sound. The function of earphones is primarily to play music and not serve as good fitting earplugs. If you're in the market for sport earphones and evenly remotely appreciate sound quality (which presumably is everyone on this forum) look elsewhere. I'm interested to see if anyone else has had a similar experience.
I used them for the first time a couple days ago and I must say that I am impressed with fit. The phones came with one pair of soft tips that can be rotated and funnel the sound into the ear. The twistlock technology seems to work very well with my ears. The phones are put into the ear pointed downwards then rotated upwards into place. The earphones did not fall out once during the workout which usually happens a few times with the other earbuds i've used. The sound however left a lot to be desired. I was very dissapointed upon first listen and thought maybe I had put them in wrong but that didn't seem to be the case. My first impression was that the music sounded distant and lacked clarity. The bass was adequate and better than your average earphone but the mids and highs were lacking. I was expecting the sound quality to at least be on par with the standard zune and apple earphones from a few years ago. I would compare the sound to full range music playing through a subwoofer without a crossover. I haven't used them since mainly because the distant sound doesn't keep me amped up enough while working out. I want it to sound the like music is in my head and not coming from another room. Maybe the sound quality seems decent to the average person but not to someone who knows better. I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile but I do own a pair of ultrasone hfi-580s which may not be ultra top of top of line but definitely a step up from the average headphone. I would even consider the sound quality of the older apple earphones to be acceptable for gym use. Overall I think JBL did a great job with the fitment and creating earphones that will stay in place during physical activity but the audio quality could be improved significantly. Although $30 is not a lot of money, I still feel as though it was a waste since I don't know if I will ever find myself using them again. I would have happily paid $20 or $30 better sound quality. Their other lines seem to offer additional features like wireless and additional ruggedness but I haven't seen anything about noticeably improved sound. The function of earphones is primarily to play music and not serve as good fitting earplugs. If you're in the market for sport earphones and evenly remotely appreciate sound quality (which presumably is everyone on this forum) look elsewhere. I'm interested to see if anyone else has had a similar experience.
