Sound Advice IV

As I mentioned in my last review, the Incase ear plugs tend to pop off and get lost pretty easily. I started off wearing the M sized plugs, and when I lost those, I managed ok with the large plugs. However, when I eventually had to resort to the small plugs, they were just too small and wouldn't stay in my ear. I liked the Incase ear buds a lot, but without any extra ear plug replacements, it was time to try another pair.

My friend at Apple hooked me up with a set of Earpods (thanks BBL!) to hold me over for a while. For US$30 stock headphones, I was pleasantly surprised! They are a HUGE improvement over the old Apple headphones (which sounded like what you'd expect cheap stock headphones to sound like). The new Earpods have a clear, dynamic range, with well-balanced bass. Really impressed.

HOWEVER.. the big fail is the fit, or lack of. The Earpods are a one-size-fits-all deal. Now, I don't think I have abnormally shaped ears, but as soon as I even moved around a little, the buds would fall out. Apart from walking around with my index fingers stuck in my ears, there was no way for the Earpods to stay put. Every few steps, I'd have to readjust them, forget about even trying to go for a run wearing them. I wondered if it could just be me, so I did a quick search online, and found that this is one of the major complaints. That smooth, white plastic and slightly oversized casing do not make for a snug fit. If these Earpods had come with some sort of thin rubber cover, I would be sold on these. But if they can't even stay in my ear, what good are they? Too bad, because the sound quality is great. For me at least, these Earpods are a definite NO!

Sound Advice III

One side of my Philips ear buds stopped working, so it was time for a new pair (which was fine, because I didn't like them anyway)*.  I decided on these mid-priced (US$60) Incase Capsule ear buds.

The sound is clean and well balanced, but the bass seems a little tight. Hopefully it will loosen up after a bit more use. On first listen though, I like them a lot.

It comes with 3 sizes of ear plugs, allowing for a comfortable fit with good sound isolation. However, I found the plugs pull off relatively easily (like when taking them out of my pocket), making them easy to lose if you're not careful.

***

Follow up:

After letting them wear in for a couple of months, the bass and overall dynamics do get better, producing a more natural sound. For the above average audio quality at this reasonable price point, these are a solid choice.

*You can read my review of the Philips here.

Sound Advice II

I accidentally stepped on one of my Nakamichi earbuds while getting out of a taxi, instantly disintegrating it to dust.

Needing a quick replacement, I picked up an inexpensive (around US$20) pair of Philips O'Neill SHO9950 Specked buds. The main selling point is it's tangle free nylon cord. Though it's a collaboration with O'Neill, these ear buds are not waterproof, so I'm not exactly sure how they link to surf..

After having the super bass-heavy Nakamichi's*, these sounded like I was listening to music through tin cans - flat and hollow, and not a lot of punch. But for 20 bucks, you can't expect too much and it's not really fair to compare them with a $100 pair.

The tangle free cord actually worked, which is great because I'm normally trying to pull a tangled mess of wires out of my pocket. But the problem with the textured cord is when you're moving around and it rubs against something, the sound travels up to your ear, which is really distracting. For that reason alone, I wouldn't recommend these.

*You can read my review of the Nakamichi's here.

Sound Advice

My Bose ear buds just broke (again), so I thought I'd try a different pair this time and give a comparison. I ended up picking the Nakamichi MPE-550, which are in the same price range as the Bose (around US$100).

The Bose are clear and crisp, with nice bass response and great dynamic range. The only reason I am switching is because the wire connection has broken twice during the year and a half that I've had them.

I chose the Nakamichis because they claimed great bass response. However, on first listen, they sound really muffled and muddy. While the bass is in fact pretty solid, the mids aren't clear, and the highs are not bright at all. It sounds like I'm listening to music through a pillow..

****

Follow up:

After letting them wear in for a couple of weeks and letting my ears get accustomed to them, I have to say, the bass of the Nakamichis is pretty incredible for ear buds. The sub 150Hz range is really clearly defined and never distorts, no matter how loud I turn up the volume. However, the mid-range and highs are still pretty crap.

Bottom line, if you only listen to music with a lot of bass, like rap and hip-hop, you'll get your boom for the buck. But if you want all around quality audio reproduction, Bose wins hands down.