When the left side of my original iphone 3G earbuds started buzzing the other month, I got a tip that sounded pretty weird. A collegue told me to wrap my lips around the buzzing bud and suck and blow a few times. Mmmmmm. Kinky! And bizarrely enough it worked. For a few days. So I started looking for a cheap replacement that hopefully also would sound good.
I’ve never really had a problem with the original apple earbuds – they fit my ears well and never fall out. The sound quality is decent, with little bass but clearly defined mids and highs. They don’t block outside noise though, so you often end up pushing the volume up a bit which of course won’t make your precious epithelium happy.
For me, the biggest drawback of in-ears is the thumping noise of my body resonating inside my head when walking, and microphonics – the sound of the cord rubbing against my jacket or other stuff
So I wanted to try the in-ear versions, both to get back the bass I was missing out on, and also blocking out the annoying sound of public transport. I also wanted to pay as little as possible because I didn’t know if I would enjoy in-ears and to avoid the customs tax when importing to Norway (less than 200 NOK). And I wanted the mic and skip buttons of the original buds. So I started crawling ebay for earbuds and read lots of reviews. The first buy was the classic V-MODA vibe duo.
The Vibe Duo has been very successful since the first version came out, and I’ve wanted to try them for quite some time. They originally cost around $100, so when I found them on ebay at less than $30 I had to buy. I like them, though they are very, very bass heavy. I ended up using them with the smallest silicon fittings so they wouldn’t totally block my ears. The result is a flatter but less heavy sound and they fit comfortably. With the medium silicon buds they are just to deep and overpowering and not suited for the guitar based music I usually listen to. They look and feel great though. A great step up from the original apples.
PROS:
+ Great textile-covered cable, 45 degree angle minijack
+ Came with pouch, silicon fittings, jacket clamp
+ Metal, looks great
+ Comfortable
CONS:
- Overpowering bass that drowns the mids and highs
- Difficult to press skip button, cylindrical design
- Needs more volume from iphone
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4vi
These are a discontinued pair made from the pro sound company Ultimate Ears that I found on ebay in bulk for less than 30 bucks. They originally cost four times that, so I hoped they would offer great sound quality. They are very simple and elegant, with a rounded design that won’t get caught in anything. The cable is a bit thin and cheap looking but the skipbutton is easy to press. Soundwise they are very detailed and crisp. Definately a huge step up from original earbuds, and close to my sony mdr-7506 headset in transparency. They do lack heavy bass, but it’s still there. Overall a very nice pair of in-ears!
PROS:
+ Simple, elegant design
+ Easily driven, requires low volume
+ Very crisp and detailed mids and highs
+ Easy click button
CONS:
- Slightly lacking bass
- Flimsier cord and straight minijack plug
Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds for iphone
I bought these just because they were so extremely cheap. They were around $15 including shipping, so I couldn’t pass them up. They look good, with a distinct shape and slightly harder silicon buds than the other I tried. The cord is flimsy and cheap feeling but the clicker is great. Easy to reach, easy to click. Best so far. The sound is decent with slightly bass-heavy, midrangy feel. They aren’t totally different from the original apple earphones but with more bass and lower mids.
PROS:
+ Great price!
+ The best clicker of the three, easy to reach even with gloves
+ Decent sound quality
CONS:
- Flimsy, cheap feeling cord and straight minijack
- A bit long too
- Lacks crispiness (but the bass is not as overwhelming as with the V-modas)
UPDATE:
- After more listening time with these, I find these lacking crispness and high mids. They sound muffled, especially compared to the extremely detailed Super.fi 4vi’s.
Conclusion
After trying all of these for some time and comparing them to each other and the original earbuds, I must say that soundwise there is one pair really standing out: The ultimate ears. They are very detailed (almost a little to crisp) but they work with all kinds of music without really hiding or overexposing anything. The V-modas are more comfortable but the booming bass makes them difficult for me to use. The Skullcandy pair is good without really any high or low points. They’re not exciting or detailed, but will make a nice backup pair.
For me, the biggest drawback of in-ears is the thumping noise of my body resonating inside my head when walking, and microphonics – the sound of the cord rubbing against my jacket or other stuff. That makes in-ears best for listening when sitting down. I love the passive noise-cancelling they give on the subway, but then again a good pair of headphones would probably be even better. Luckily I have a pair of Panasonic RP-HTX7 in the mail for me!
UPDATE: The RP-HTX7 sound pretty decent with very punchy bass and crisp highs. They are lacking some mids though, but work great on the subway. Pity they don’t have the skip buttons and mic though.