Zardon

Read The Review here
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Today we will take a look at a set of In ear headphones which have been receiving critical acclaim since they were released. Are these rather expensive phones set to redefine expectations of in ear entertainment?

comp_ali

Good performance ans sounds cool apart from price.

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Zardon

How much would you be willing to spend on headphones?

comp_ali

Not more than 100$ I would spend more on high-end speakers system.

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lepel

I'd spend max 40 euro for earbuds, and that's pushing it. I think 60 euro for headphones and 150-200 euro for a speaker system.

clanman

you can't get good phones for 40 bucks, you might think you can, but you can't

I heard the lower end versions of these, the 420 is it ? and they were awesome, I can only imagine what these must sound like. Hell of a setup.

ChaosMinionX

Great review as always Allan

I have a pair of Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10's, and only got them based on my previous pair of UE SuperFi 5PRO were so exceptional when it came to upgrading the Ipod listening experience... I probably could have saved some money had this review been our before I made that purchase

Highly recommend any triple Driver in ear buds over a dual driver (Shure, Ultimate Ears are the only I would use), the dual driver are nice, but triple driver makes the dual sound like the stock ipod buds with high bitrate music

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Mac Daddy

Great review Allan and on price ... well if you enjoy music as we do there is no set limit

I am back into the studio in April and am up for testing anything including mics

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"My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

geraldmango

wicked review ! might pick a set of these up im constantly disappointed with the headphones I get.

swimtech

Wow - great review Allan - presented with a refreshing blend of enthusiasm for how the superb Shure earphones can deliver the media to your senses, and technical objectivity so that others can make an informed comparison with other similar devices should they choose to buy a device like this. The MP3 bitrate quality comparison tells me a lot about how good these earphones are, and only someone who knows and cares about the quality of both the material and devices in the chain of reproduction would think to comment on that - thank you!

You didn't say so, but I can almost see the goosebumps you got listening through these earphones! Time to get out the Sarah McLaughlin recently remastered and pressed to 180G virgin vinyl for a little spin, and zone for a while. Sounds like these phones would do her justice... I'd like to get out my pressing of Linda Ronstadt when she sang with the Nelson Riddle orchestra years ago - gorgeous stuff!

You really have been an audio "nut" for a long time (a Krell amp! I have a laserdisc pressing of Forbidden Planet - hah!) the river of your knowledge in A/V and computers truly runs very deep, and out of a love for using them to experience the material that the artists and programmers would like for us to enjoy.

Thanks for sharing this experience with us all - made my week!

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dj_stick

i really need to consider getting a set of those, one question, what's the quality of the cable itself like?

I ask because the amount of high-end earbuds and IEM's i've seen with cables that are easily damaged worries me - though I can't speak for any Shure sets


The price is a little too much for me to bear atm, but they're only a little more expensive than my sennheiser headphones, so a few months of saving should get me there (government stimulus package should help there)

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Zardon

They are very strong, yet flexible. There are also nice little touches like bound plastic seals between the cables and the joining sockets to ensure they don't get pulled.

I haven't had them long enough to say how they will last over years, but I think if you treat them reasonably well they should be fine. They are certainly not made like the £35 Sony buds I bought last year which basically fell apart. You can immediately tell the difference with the cabling.

Zardon

Yeah vinyl is great but I think purists would probably opt for over the ear headphones rather than in ear. Not saying they don't do the job mind you but they are obviously made for more on the move people than those sitting in an armchair at home. I actually listened to a few great albums after the review was published which really have blown me away. Mike Oldfields 3 Lunas is stunning as it seems to incorporate a huge diversity of ranges and tonal frequencies which the headphones reproduce very well.

Academy of St Martin In the Fields: Vivaldi Guitar Concerto gives a great impression of the environment it was recorded in with all the instruments seperating well in the sound stage. Al Di Meola's Consequence Of Chaos is also very impressive with the level of detail passed between the buds and the ear drums !

Alex

Interesting review guys. Nicely detailed and hope to see some more on DH !

EDIT: bit out of my price range but I wouldnt mind seeing some grado headphones being reviewed on DH at some stage.

IvanV

Your enthusiasm is really contagious! If I knew where to find them around here, there's a good chance I'd be half the way there already. Really, by the time I finished reading, even the price came as a pleasant surprise.

I was told by a friend that buying good earphones means entering a never ending spiral. One buys a new set and likes the sound. Then, as the time passes, some flaws become apparent and when the time comes to buy a new pair, one goes for something more expensive and the next cycle begins. He may well be right, so beware everyone.

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Zardon

Yes, I think the same principle works with audiophile equipment also. I dread to think what I paid over the years to constantly improve my own setup.