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back to article Ten... in-ear headphones

It's time for another headphone roundup and considering we've already covered the bulkier over-ear and on-ear models, it was inevitable that in-ears would follow. After all, not everyone likes walking the streets, turning heads with a pair of oversized Mickey Mousers on. The market is inundated with hundreds of in-ear monitors …

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      @Tom

      I've gone through a couple pairs of those Sony in-ear headphones in my life and I found the biggest problem is that they tended to die within a year or two for me. So, while they were cheap and the sound was decent, they never lasted long. So, lately I've taken to buying midrange stuff ($50-$100) and I've found that the sound is better. I've also found that they last a lot longer--about 4-5 years for me. So replacing a pair of $100 headphones every 5 years is just as cheap as replacing a pair of $20 headphones once a year.

      I too would love to try a pair of £500 headphones--and the author does only includes one pair for us to drool at--but I'm glad most of the headphones were in the £50-£150 range since this seems to be about the point where the manufacturers start producing quality work. And to be fair, there were a pair of £30 and £35 included in the article.

      Note: So far my Shure SE115s have lasted about 2 years and they cost about $100. I'll keep them until the cable does fray, which it will eventually--or until I get rich and can afford the £500 headphones.

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    2. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Pretty poor selection

      "doesn't make you sad when the cable frays and you have to replace them (as has happened to many of my Shure owning friends)."

      Your friends need to learn to solder!

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  2. Morteus
    Coat

    Wot no SkullCandy?

    I'm not a number cruncher, nor audiophiliac. I wedge 'em in my ear and if they sound good I use 'em. I tried Sony and two different sennheiser sets (one pair packed up after 3 days) but neither sounded as good as the SKs - alot cheaper too. Yes They were only about £20 (sennheisers were more than double that) but the bottom line for me is the sound, comfort and quality of build - and I don't mean because it has gold plated, angel dust coated *&%!£! super woofer/ driver/ tachyon driven/quantum doobries.

    ...er, mine's the one with the buckles up the back.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Thumb Up

      Agree

      I've seen a lot of SkullCandy headphones around the last couple years and was wondering if they were actually any good or if they were just painted to appeal to the modern counter-culture groups. So, I too would've liked to have seen at least one of them in there.

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  3. Jim Barry

    Re: You missed a big one...

    Yes, the Westone 4 sounds fantastic. However, I completely disagree with the statement about the cable being "crappy". On the contrary, it is probably the best cable on the market. Thin, light and flexible, but at the same time very sturdy.

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  4. Mark Aggleton
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    RHA

    As one of the winners of the RHA 'phones I can confirm the sound quality is excellent for the price-point. Definitely better than the Sennheisers I was using (CX400s)

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  5. peyton?

    Nice roundup

    But one thing I'm always a bit curious about his how a model ranks against its predecessor (when there is one). Like the IE8s vs IE7s? Is it worth the price to get the latest etc etc?

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    You forgot...

    Dr Dre Beats brah.. what the fuck?

    Seriously, handy article as I have just trashed my in ear Ultimate Ears tonight. I was looking into the Shure 215's. Anyone have any comments on those? Especially the cable which I have a tendency to break around the jack and the actual phones.

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  7. Mark2410
    FAIL

    erm what now?

    oh my god, there are a whole heap of mistakes in the article. for starters erm how old is the IE8?

    oh and Comply is a particular brand of foam ear tips not some generic term for all foam tips.

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  8. Rick Brasche

    no skullcandy offerings?

    bought the Skullcandy Asyms last year for fitting under a motorcycle helmet during a 14 hour (one way) ride. Still use 'em as my primary listening set for the mp3 player. Plenty of clear bass and under $40.

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  9. Rattus Rattus

    ATH-CKS90

    "which makes listening to gritty dubstep and raw hiphop an absolute pleasure"

    This has got to be the most magical pair of headphones ever if it can make that shite sound good.

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  10. Cyclist

    RHA Winner here too

    I was chuffed to bits when I found out I'd won these. They've replaced a pair of similar-priced Sony in-ear phones, and they are a smidge better than the Sonys There's not much in it - bass is a bit tighter, there's more space around the sound (it's the best way I can describe it), and the cord is much less prone to tangling than any other phones I've used. So a neat cost-effective upgrade, esp when someone just gives them to you. Nice.

    I'm more interested in the higher-spec ones tbh. I wouldn't mind a pair of the £500 jobbies for a prize. How about it El Reg?

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  11. jim parker

    my favourite

    denon ah-c710 excellent sound

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  12. symbol_soup
    FAIL

    Shure cables crack

    I have had three replacements for my Shures. The cables crack over about a year of normal use. That said, they have amazing sound but the def needs toget the cables sorted.

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    1. ttuk
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      likewise

      Have also had cables go. My first set, and then the warranty replacement. Seems a very common problem. Untill the design changes I am avoiding shure

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  13. Tom Chiverton 1

    what would be nice

    A summary table of them all would be good !

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  14. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    sonys...

    I have a cheap pair of sony buds... (20 quid from asda)

    I use them for watching movies on my laptop at night so I don't wake the missus us...

    they do an awesome job at cutting out background noise and they don't leak sound out all over the place (waking the missus up)...the cable rub noise is non existent and the frequency response is plenty good enough.

    there is no way I would pay several hundred quid, or even 100 quid for a set of ear buds or even 50 quid.. I hit the limit at the £20 i paid for the sony ones I got !!

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