DigitalHermit's Under20 Roundup: Earphones

[DigitalHermit]

I had fun writing that last review I did on... Here's a first impressions/partial review roundup of some earphones under 20USD (approx 1000PhP) and in-ears I managed to do without spending a single cent (on the items, all hail in-shop trials)...

 

Preface:

Since we're talking earphones here, I'll give you first a rundown of my preferences... I like earphones with a noticeable bass, not too sharp treble, and slightly subdued mids... I'm no audiophile, but I know when something sounds good and when something sounds like crap (relatively)...

 

I tested using a single song (since the shopkeep was breathing down my neck and this song was the one that pretty much covered a large part of the frequency spectrum) played from my Walkman NWZ-B173F with the equalizer set to:

100Hz    +2315Hz    +11kHz     +03.15kHz  +110kHz    +2

Scoring will take into consideration the build quality, looks, sound, and cost of the device with cost skewing the scores heavily... The Philips SHE 1350/00 setting the benchmark...

 

First up:

 

First Impressions:

It's Philips' cheapest contender in the market... Cheap plastic with thin wire in a blister pack... No warranty... The unit costs 259PhP normally at all shops... I went through three pairs of these over a period of five years with each serving daily use...

 

Build Quality:

It's cheap plastic with very little quality control... In shop testing and inspection is needed to make sure you don't get a bad pair... Wire is thin and the plastic feels cheap...

 

Sound:

Thanks to the vents, it's a nice sounding pair for its price... Bass is there and noticeable... It's a bright pair with slightly piercing highs... Add foam and you've got a decent pair of earbuds for cheap...

 

Score:8.5/10

For its price it's a very durable (with proper care) and nice sounding pair... Having gone with cheap stuff for a long time, this pair stood out as something to start with when it comes to cheap audio...

 

Amazon

 

First Impressions:

It's the cheapest Sennheiser available (550PhP)... I tried this one in EggHead Audio Robinson's Galeria... It's not even listed on Sennheiser's official site... It's like they're ashamed of making and selling this pair... Warranty is a year long covering non-visible damage only...

 

Build Quality:

It's a cheap pair so expect cheap-feeling plastic on the earbuds themselves... Wire gauge is around 20 (I think)... It's rounded wire so there will be tangling...

 

Sound:

It's a really bright pair... The bass is there but barely noticeable... Mids and highs are pretty well balanced... Overall they sound like my old Philips SHE1360/97 without foam...  It could use a good pair of foam buds to make it sound better...

 

Score: 7/10

It has a lot of potential but there are cheaper options... By cheaper, I mean half its price... The warranty is something to look at but it's not that important at this price point...

 

Amazon

 

Barely making the cut is the MX360's more expensive brother, the MX365

First Impressions:

Same with the MX 360... It costs double though at 1100PhP...

 

Build Quality:

Other than the higher quality plastic and slightly better wire, there's not much difference...

 

Sound:

It sounds almost the same as the MX360 with slightly better bass...

 

Score: 6/10

I needed to pull points on this because of the cost... It costs almost double for very little gain over the cheaper MX360...

 

Amazon Link:http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MX-365-Earphones-Blue/dp/B005920DVA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1414496154&sr=1-1&keywords=MX365

 

First Impressions:

Coming it at a higher price point of 549PhP, this colorful pair from Philips is another strong contender in this price point...

 

Build Quality:

It has nice rubbery earbuds and the wire is around 20 gauge... It looks and feels like it can withstand some punishment but it's another cheap pair so don't expect much...

 

Sound:

Like the SHE1360, it has a noticeable bass although more subued... HIghs are not that piercing compared to the SHE 1360...

 

Score: 7.5/10

It's a looker with decent sound... Add foam and you're good to go...

 

Amazon

 

First Impressions:

This is a unique looking pair from Philips which they advertise as something with more bass... You may see a "for PSP" version of these but they're the same model with a different packaging...

 

Build Quality:

Cheap-ish plastic with thin 20gauge wire... The metal accents on the earbuds look nice...

 

Sound:

They sound very similar to the SHE1360 with slightly less bass and more piercing highs... Otherwise, they're pretty much the same... For something advertised as having more bass, I wonder why it has less bass than the SHE1360... Foam buds would make them sound better, but only by so much...

 

Score: 4.5/10

At around 400PhP, these are something to consider, but the SHE1360 is still the better buy imo...

 

Amazon

 

First Impressions:

Another colorful model from Philips... Plastic feels a little better now and this pair of in-ears are something to look at... It comes with small, medium, and large silicone tips...

 

Build Quality:

Again, plastic, silicone, thin wires... The wires are still way better than anything you can find from CDR-King (review at the end)...

 

Sound:

I'm a bit off here since the silicone tips did not fit my ears that well (I need large tips, the tips on them were medium)... There's a lot of potential for the lower end of the spectrum, but the highs are piercing...

 

Score: 5/10

I'd like to score them a bit higher (around 7) but I was not able to experience them fully... The piercing highs is the major factor for the low score... They might sound good with the large silicone tips for all I know about pairs from Philips...

 

Amazon

 

Final pair from Philips

First Impressions:

This beautiful pair of in-ears come in at around 600PhP... They come in the standard Philips packaging with SML silicone tips...

 

Build Quality:

The build quality is pretty nice for something at this price point... Almost the same with the lower end offerings with better plastic at the earbuds themselves...

 

Sound:

Once again, I may be slightly off here due to the improperly fitted silicone tips... They sound bright with less piercing highs than the SHE3590... Bass is there even if the tips are not fitted... Maybe if the tips were fitted I'd like them way more...

 

Score: 6/10

The build quality is pretty nice for something at this price point... The sound has a lot of potential too...

 

Amazon

 

First Impressions:

I came across this pair looking for something under 500PhP... Lo and behold, they were on sale for 395PhP from the regular price of 795PhP...

 

Build Quality:

Wires are thin, the plastic feels cheap, and the silicone tips are slightly uncomfortable with visible imperfections in the molding...

 

Sound:

Bass is very pronounced with the highs slightly diminished... The mids are a bit muddy at first but even out after a few listens... I did not expect this from TDK who, I thought, was not a legitimate contender in the audio market...

 

Score: 8.5/10

Other than the slight discomfort and the slightly muddy mids, I've got no complaints on this pair...

 

Amazon (not exactly under 20USD, but it is under 1000PhP locally)

 

First Impressions:

Another sub-1kPhP pair from TDK... After experiencing the EB300 from them, I was looking for something similar in this pair... This one comes with an inline mic and controls...

 

Build Quality:

Plastic... Thin-ish wire... Silicone tips... Same deal with the EB300
 

Sound:

These sound awesome imo... Bass is good, slightly subdued mids, and not so piercing highs... There's a lot of emphasis in the low mids and bass...

 

Score: 7.5/10

It fits my preferences almost exactly... Same with the EB300 this pair has the same slight discomfort in the ear tips...

 

Amazon (not exactly sub 20USD but it's sub 1kPhP locally)

 

First Impressions:

Anothe sub-1kPhP pair from TDK... This one has

 

Build Quality:

Flat cable! No tangles!! The earbuds themselves are plastic, but they feel very nice... Same with the silicon tips...

 

Sound:

I might be off by a bit here since the tips did not fit my ears properly... The highs are piercing, and the sound is bright overall... Bass is slightly subdued with mids being just right...

 

Score: 6/10

Coming from the EB300 put me in high expectations from this... Piercing highs are not very nice to listen to...

 

Amazon (a cent short of 20USD... It's still under 1kPhP here)

 

First Impressions:

A nice looking pair of in-ears from Pioneer... Once again we have something with an inline mic and controls...

 

Build Quality:

Flat cable, nice feeling plastic and silicone... A pleasant experience to touch...

 

Sound:

The buds did not fit me so I may be off with this pair... Bass is lacking, highs are piercing, mids are almost nonexistent... I pushed the BASS BOOST on my player and only then did the bass and mids appear...

 

Score: 4/10

I expected more from Pioneer... It might just be the tips or the sample pair was damaged... I might never know...

 

Amazon (WTF is with Amazon and its pricing... These cost under 20USD (post conversion) locally...)

 

First Impressions:

Another sub 1kPhP from Pioneer... Like the SE-CL711, this pair has an inline mic and control...

 

Build Quality:

No flat cable on this one... Same with the other non-flat-cable pairs the wires are a bit thin...

 

Sound:

Same with the SE-CL711, I may be off since the tips did not fit me... The highs are a bit better on this one with the bass having some potential (with proper tips)...

 

Score: 5/10

I'd score it higher but the earbuds themselves feel undersized for me...

 

 Amazon   (WTF Amazon... These cost under 20USD locally when I checked them...)

 

First Impressions:

It's a bright looking pair from JVC with different bright colors available... Oh boy...

 

Build Quality:

Cheap-ish plastic... The wire feels very nice...

 

Sound:

NO! MY EARS!!! AAAAAAAGHHH!! Bass where? Piercing highs, pronounced high-mids... Not even aftermarket foam can save these...

 

Score: 2/10

I don't even want to talk about it... At least the wires feel nice and the pairs themselves look nice (if you're into bright colors)...

 

Amazon

 

First Impressions:

Another brightly colored pair comes from JVC.... After that terrible experience with the Gumy, I don't know what to expect with this one...

 

Build Quality:

Same deal with the Gumy... now with silicone earbud tips...

 

Sound:

These sound slightly better... Bass is still lacking imo with the mids and highs making the overall sound signature too bright for my tastes...

 

Score: 5/10

Once again the bright colors threw me off... They're a nice entry pair, but there are better options for the price...

 

Amazon

 

First Impressions:

This is the only Sony that was under 1kPhP that I can find or try... They skimped on packaging with the documentation taped onto the outside of the pack... But who cares... It's a Sony!

 

Build Quality:

Par for the course for something that costs 500PhP... The insulation is a bit thicker than the Philips SHE 1360...

 

Sound:

They sound close to the SHE1360 with a more pronounced bass...  For earbuds, they sound really nice...

 

Score: 8/10

They sound nice and are well built for something so cheap... I'd take them over the cheapest Sennheisers any day...

 

Amazon

 

First Impressions:

For 990PhP, this is the entry-level Audio Technicas that I managed to sample...

 

Build Quality:

They used pretty nice plastic here... The wires are a bit thin but they feel sturdier than the standard...

 

Sound:

They sound quite nice too... Well balanced throughout the spectrum with slight emphasis on bass...

 

Score: 9/10

For something under 1kPhP, I'd get these for myself if I didn't want to get a Superlux HD660 at the same time...

 

Amazon (another case of WTF Amazon...)

 

 

Now for something completely no competition for any of the above...

First Impressions:

This 20PhP (~0.50USD) pair comes in a cheap zip-seal bag with the labels on cheap glossy stickers... That screams of quality right there... I think the packaging alone costs around 8PhP which leaves 12PhP for the earphones itself... Oh boy...

 

Build quality:

Cheap plastic, thin wires that I can break with my bare hands... I'm even afraid that the earbuds will break when I drop them... or put them in my pocket...

 

Sound:

Worse than the JVC Gumy for one... No bass, piercing highs, overemphasized mids... At least they're not overly loud... Oh wait... I think I damaged the drivers by going full volume...

 

Score: 1/10

I see this as a case of you get what you pay for... If I were you, I'd stay clear of CDR-King if I was looking for quality...

 

http://www.cdrking.com/?mod=products&type=view&sid=19052&main=34

 

Conclusion:

There are very few brands you can trust when it comes to cheap audio... I personally recommend Philips, TDK, and Sony if you're looking in the 5-30USD (converted) range...

[Tech_Dreamer]

Very cool , Well organised review, i like it.. conclusion could've been more elaborated but it's enough..

 

Good review ,Keep it up.. B)

[DigitalHermit]

Very cool , Well organised review, i like it.. conclusion could've been more elaborated but it's enough..

 

Good review ,Keep it up.. B)

 

Thanks...

 

I'd have gone more in-depth, but I'm no audiophile and the testing conditions were less-than-ideal...

 

I'd go do more Under20 roundups when I find interesting products...

[Tech_Dreamer]

Thanks...

 

I'd have gone more in-depth, but I'm no audiophile and the testing conditions were less-than-ideal...

 

I'd go do more Under20 roundups when I find interesting products...

Hey man, that's where all the professionals start at , a lotta folks don't look at quality of audio when it comes to low budget buy, they just buy whatever the hell they want & tell you they all sound the same, i personally know a couple, actually scratch that i know a lot of em who do that,

That's where this kinda review have value in my mind , Just keep on dancing.. that's all i'm saying B)

[DigitalHermit]

Hey man, that's where all the professionals start at , a lotta folks don't look at quality of audio when it comes to low budget buy, they just buy whatever the hell they want & tell you they all sound the same, i personally know a couple, actually scratch that i know a lot of em who do that,

That's where this kinda review have value in my mind , Just keep on dancing.. that's all i'm saying B)

 

I know, right? There are too few people looking at cheap audio and writing about it... I'd write more in-depth reviews in better conditions, but that requires me to buy the product (which I have no money for)...

[shadowblitz3]

finally a cdr-king product on ltt

[EarthboundHero]

I really like this idea, of only products that are around a price range. Very cool.

[A.D.A.M]

Oh i have the Phillips SHE 8000. One of the driver's casing glue failed so it can get torn out. Almost did in fact though thankfully it didn't and the driver still works

[DigitalHermit]

Oh i have the Phillips SHE 8000. One of the driver's casing glue failed so it can get torn out. Almost did in fact though thankfully it didn't and the driver still works

 

Scratch one for Philips quality control...

 

My second SHE 1350/00 had a bad bend in the cable and some wiggle in the right earbud... It's life was shorter than the others at 1 1/2 years... It broke after a dog pounced me and snagged the cable, effectively breaking the driver in the right earbud...

[oldaccount117]

There is easier way to do this under $20 = crap. Please don't punish your ears

[DigitalHermit]

There is easier way to do this under $20 = crap. Please don't punish your ears

 

It's a necessary sacrifice for finding the ultimate Under 20USD gear... A sacrifice I'm willing to make...

 

Edit: If you're someone who's never tried anything under 20, you need to try some stuff... There are some very interesting stuff out there... Like the fun-sounding TDK EB300...

[oldaccount117]

It's a necessary sacrifice for finding the ultimate Under 20USD gear... A sacrifice I'm willing to make...

 

Edit: If you're someone who's never tried anything under 20, you need to try some stuff... There are some very interesting stuff out there... Like the fun-sounding TDK EB300...

Your doing good work then son, so what higher-end headphones do you use, i have the m50s

[A.D.A.M]

Scratch one for Philips quality control...

 

My second SHE 1350/00 had a bad bend in the cable and some wiggle in the right earbud... It's life was shorter than the others at 1 1/2 years... It broke after a dog pounced me and snagged the cable, effectively breaking the driver in the right earfbud...

for me the driver that almost got torn was also the the right one. Some food for though.

[DigitalHermit]

Your doing good work then son, so what higher-end headphones do you use, i have the m50s

 

The highest-end I've got right is a Philips SHL3100... I'm planning on getting a Superlux HD660 later this year (or an ATH M50 if I miss the target savings for a G3258 build I have planned)... I used to own an ANC pair from Philips (I forgot the model number), a Philips Air Wear (something that sounds surprisingly good for a pair of extremely lightweight on-ears), and the earphones that came with my Walkman...

 

I did have the honor of trying out some high-end stuff like the ATH PRO500MK2, Beats Solo HD II, ATH M50, something from AKG whose model number I can't remember, a bunch of headphones from Sennheiser ranging from their cheapest ones to Momentums, something from Bose, and a triple balanced armature IEM whose manufacturer and model number I can't remember...

 

I'd like to try out more stuff to have some point of reference... I will then use that reference to find something cheap that sounds close enough to something high end...

[A.D.A.M]

The highest-end I've got right is a Philips SHL3100... I'm planning on getting a Superlux HD660 later this year (or an ATH M50 if I miss the target savings for a G3258 build I have planned)... I used to own an ANC pair from Philips (I forgot the model number), a Philips Air Wear (something that sounds surprisingly good for a pair of extremely lightweight on-ears), and the earphones that came with my Walkman...

 

I did have the honor of trying out some high-end stuff like the ATH PRO500MK2, Beats Solo HD II, ATH M50, something from AKG whose model number I can't remember, a bunch of headphones from Sennheiser ranging from their cheapest ones to Momentums, something from Bose, and a triple balanced armature IEM whose manufacturer and model number I can't remember...

 

I'd like to try out more stuff to have some point of reference... I will then use that reference to find something cheap that sounds close enough to something high end...

where I live there's barely any audiophile headphones. If there is I haven't found any shop selling them