Earbuds recommendations

[RedMatterCrafter]

Hi, I have a weird problem. I can't use inear's that have those silicone tips at the end (those that about 99% of earbuds have). I used a bunch of different earbuds, that are like that, but they hurt my ears, or fall out. (And i tried different types of those tips and everything)
So i have to use earbuds, that sit in front of the ear like the airpods (not the pro's). I know that i can wear them no problem, they also don't tend to fall out that easily. But nearly all earbuds that are like this (in front of the ear) are just cheap knock off's of the airpods. I would really like some good ones that are this style. (I would like them to be under ~ 150$, or 150€ (as i am in germany))
I already tried the samsung beans, but they were to big for my ears and started to hurt after about 20 min. I know that i could just get the airpods 2, but i don't use any apple devices and would like something with usb-c and not overpriced from apple.

I would really appreciate your recommendations.

[GorujoCY]

It's really hard to decide as there are many different ones, you can try JBL ones but i dont gurantee you'll have the best audio experience.

[Chris Pratt]

I'm not sure if what you're looking for exists. Earbuds have poor sound profiles to begin with, because they're so small (tiny drivers). In order to have a modicum of good sound quality, they need to create a seal, which is what the tips are for. Earbuds without tips are bottom of the barrel devices to begin with, so companies don't really invest in making high priced "good" ones. That's why there's so many cheap ones of this style out there.

 

If you can't deal with the tips, I'd suggest just getting a pair of on ears, honestly.

[RedMatterCrafter]

2 minutes ago, Chris Pratt said:

I'm not sure if what you're looking for exists. Earbuds have poor sound profiles to begin with, because they're so small (tiny drivers). In order to have a modicum of good sound quality, they need to create a seal, which is what the tips are for. Earbuds without tips are bottom of the barrel devices to begin with, so companies don't really invest in making high priced "good" ones. That's why there's so many cheap ones of this style out there.

 

If you can't deal with the tips, I'd suggest just getting a pair of on ears, honestly.

Yeah, i know, that's why i didn't find any really good ones. That's a shame. I already own sony mdr-xb950n1's, but i would really liked to have some small earbuds.

[CTR640]

Airpods 2 can be used with any BT devices, not just only Apple products.

I bought my Airpods 2 new and sealed for €70 on marketplace and no counterfeit. Other earbuds I have is the Sony MDR E818LP but they have been discontinued. These are the only ones that doesn'r hurt my ears.

[Chris Pratt]

3 minutes ago, RedMatterCrafter said:

Yeah, i know, that's why i didn't find any really good ones. That's a shame. I already own sony mdr-xb950n1's, but i would really liked to have some small earbuds.

Well, it's a physics thing. It's just not possible to reproduce high quality sound with tiny drivers and no seal. If there were $150 earbuds without tips promising great sound, they'd just be ripping you off.

[RedMatterCrafter]

2 minutes ago, CTR640 said:

Airpods 2 can be used with any BT devices, not just only Apple products.

I bought my Airpods 2 new and sealed for €70 on marketplace and no counterfeit. Other earbuds I have is the Sony MDR E818LP but they have been discontinued. These are the only ones that doesn'r hurt my ears.

You got them for 70€ new? Where? For 70€ i would buy them as well and would live with the old lightning port and the limited features on non apple devices, but I cant find them new for under 120€.

[CTR640]

2 minutes ago, RedMatterCrafter said:

You got them for 70€ new? Where? For 70€ i would buy them as well and would live with the old lightning port and the limited features on non apple devices, but I cant find them new for under 120€.

I think I got extremely lucky and got it right on time before someone got them. It's on a Dutch marketplace website though where people can 2nd hand and new stuff, it's like eBay but within the Netherlands. Don't Germany have some marketplace like that? The €40 versions are counterfeits.

 

I can tell the Airpods 2 are the best wireless earbuds I ever have because I can use them in my ears lying on my side in bed watching tv shows without any pain, you know the feeling when your side of the head on cushion? Yeah that. And I use foam so they won't fall out that easily:

[RedMatterCrafter]

1 minute ago, CTR640 said:

I think I got extremely lucky and got it right on time before someone got them. It's on a Dutch marketplace website though where people can 2nd hand and new stuff, it's like eBay but within the Netherlands. Don't Germany have some marketplace like that? The €40 versions are counterfeits.

 

I can tell the Airpods 2 are the best wireless earbuds I ever have because I can use them in my ears lying on my side in bed watching tv shows without any pain, you know the feeling when your side of the head on cushion? Yeah that. And I use foam so they won't fall out that easily:

Ok, i found some on ebay for ~ 60€, but the auction still lasts for 1,5 days. And I'm not aware of a marketplace like this (or something like craigslist in the us), that is available in germany. Maybe i get lucky with an ebay auction. 

[CTR640]

6 minutes ago, RedMatterCrafter said:

Ok, i found some on ebay for ~ 60€, but the auction still lasts for 1,5 days. And I'm not aware of a marketplace like this (or something like craigslist in the us), that is available in germany. Maybe i get lucky with an ebay auction. 

Probably under €120 hopefully. 80-90 are good prices too considering they are still €146 and above here. Are the prices the same in Germany?

[RedMatterCrafter]

2 minutes ago, CTR640 said:

Probably under €120 hopefully. 80-90 are good prices too considering they are still €146 and above here. Are the prices the same in Germany?

Yeah, not far off. On amazon they are 124€ new.

[CTR640]

Ah I see. Set a limit on the bidding. The Netherlands surely likes it a lot to sell stuff more expensive...

 

Either way, the Airpods 2 are the best wireless earbuds and you high likely will love them too. At first I wasn't interested them but when I saw the product page totally accidentally, I couldn't resist to get it for cheaper. In the end, they are very usefull when lying on my side in bed and cables are no more there. I know it's very difficult to find better earbuds that doesn't fall out or hurt too.

[H713]

I would be VERY wary of buying something like that on eBay or Amazon, especially if they're priced lower than the MSRP. In fact, I'd be wary of buying them from anyone other than Apple or one of their authorized distributors. It's a very high-demand product, and there are a lot of counterfeit devices on the market.

 

eBay is fantastic, and I probably spend more money there than anywhere else, but there are some things that I would never even consider buying on eBay. Airpods, expensive semiconductors (so anything that says Analog Devices, SanKen or Toshiba on it) and lithium polymer batteries are all things that should be purchased from a known source. 

[CTR640]

If you can, try asking the seller for photos of the serial number to verify if it's OEM or counterfeit.

 

I hate in-ears too but there is one I made an exception and that's the Sony WF-1000XM3. I'm surpised it doesn't fall out of my ear and yesterday I used the included foams and holy shit, they can get stuck in my ears it's very difficult for them to fall out lol.

 

And what @H713said, the lithium polymer batteries is one of the main reason why I'll never buy counterfeits. Only God knows if that shit will up your ears and not to mention the lengt of battery life when it's fully charged.

 

Make sure to pay with PayPal and try to gather informations wether the object you bought is OEM or fake.

 

https://checkcoverage.apple.com/de/de/

[H713]

A serial number is a good start, but I've even seen counterfeiters use a real serial number on their fakes.

 

A while back I bought a bunch of MJ21194s on eBay, paying about $5 each. That's less expensive than from Digi-Key, but not by a huge amount. In testing, they all broke down at about 80 volts. They were fakes- run of the mill 2N3055s (just about the most common transistor ever) that were relabeled. They looked, on the outside, EXACTLY the same as a genuine part. The seller had 99.5% positive feedback, and they happily refunded me, but if I'd put those in an amplifier it could have caused some serious damage.

 

Was the seller dishonest? Probably not. They probably were told that the stock was genuine, and in all likelihood, most of the stuff they got from that source was just fine. The problem is that in some industries, counterfeit parts are so rampant that they end up all over the place. Counterfeiters aren't stupid- they work really hard to replicate the exact look and feel of the original, and they often do a seriously good job. Inside? They're as cheap as they can possibly make them. The only way to know that you're getting the real deal is to get it right from the horse's mouth. Amazon is just as bad as eBay with this problem.

 

The moral of the story: If you're buying new stuff that is commonly counterfeited, just buy from a distributor. It's the only way you can be sure that you're getting what you think you are.

[CTR640]

On 3/29/2021 at 8:04 AM, H713 said:

A serial number is a good start, but I've even seen counterfeiters use a real serial number on their fakes.

 

A while back I bought a bunch of MJ21194s on eBay, paying about $5 each. That's less expensive than from Digi-Key, but not by a huge amount. In testing, they all broke down at about 80 volts. They were fakes- run of the mill 2N3055s (just about the most common transistor ever) that were relabeled. They looked, on the outside, EXACTLY the same as a genuine part. The seller had 99.5% positive feedback, and they happily refunded me, but if I'd put those in an amplifier it could have caused some serious damage.

 

Was the seller dishonest? Probably not. They probably were told that the stock was genuine, and in all likelihood, most of the stuff they got from that source was just fine. The problem is that in some industries, counterfeit parts are so rampant that they end up all over the place. Counterfeiters aren't stupid- they work really hard to replicate the exact look and feel of the original, and they often do a seriously good job. Inside? They're as cheap as they can possibly make them. The only way to know that you're getting the real deal is to get it right from the horse's mouth. Amazon is just as bad as eBay with this problem.

 

The moral of the story: If you're buying new stuff that is commonly counterfeited, just buy from a distributor. It's the only way you can be sure that you're getting what you think you are.

An update. I can confirm the serial number check means jack. I have no idea how the hell they did but the serial numbers were probably stolen.

Mine's fake after I watched a video. Then another video shows us how to check 100% wether it's fake or not. My sister has an iPhone so the phone can truely check. If in 'General - Info' and you don't see your Airpods, then it means fake. Two days ago I ordered the Airpods 2 from a distributor and yesterday got them and the charging case is heavier than the counterfeit one. And my sister her iPhone showed the Airpods information which it's an OEM genuine product. The hinge is also a good indicator.

 

I don't have problems with counterfeits and or cheap stuff I usually from Aliexpress but when it comes to shit like this, with lithium batteries and non-certificated electrical stuff, then fuck it. I don't want a fire.

 

The videos: