Wikipedia has informed me, that there is a difference between buds and in-ear or canal phones. The in-ear monitors, or IEMs, actually sit in the ear canal which deliver sound directly to the ear drum, where as the earbuds sit outside the canal. Because of this, you will more often hear ambient noise with buds, even though earbuds typically output at higher volumes, which increase the risk of ear drum damage and hearing loss.
These days, even more so than headphones, you can get the perfect pair to fit your apperience/ lifestyle/ musical needs, in tons of shapes, sizes, colors, & designs. I saw a little girl rockin' these the other day...
Like I was saying, there's a company out there that absolutely makes a pair that fit you and your style sense (or lack there of...) like these jeweled, Lady Gaga designed, earbuds...
But back to the task at hand. I'm going to give you a quick run-down of the buds I've know, have tried, and heard good and bad things about.
(Sony MDR-J10)
($8-15)
Chances are you've run across something like these before. They were hugely popular to bundle with portable music players (mostly pre-mp3) back in the day, and they're still around and kickin'. Well, they never really kicked anything, they were mostly terrible quality, and if you had weirdly shaped ears like me, the loops were uncomfortable, and they never stayed on right. Best suggestion, leave those to the past...
(Apple iPod earbuds)
1st Gen.
2nd Gen.
3rd Gen.($10-20; but mostly, free with purchase of iPod)
Another pair of earbuds you're probably familiar with...the iconic iPod buds. I remember the 1st gens I got with the very first iPod (THE BRICK!) weren't bad...except for the fact they would literally shock my inner ear whenever I would listen too loud, which was...always. That and the quality wasn't too great, but I didn't care, cause the iPod was so awesome back then. The 2nd gens were more of the same, except they didn't shock me, which was nice. They also fell apart on me pretty quick. I probably went through 3 or 4 pairs in a year. The 3rd gens were solid, but the quality was still never there. Same with these:
The "upgraded" iPod earbuds, despite being like 40 bucks more than the originals, I never thought were much of an upgrade. A little better quality was a good step, but they never liked to stay in my ears. Not cool.
But despite all the negatives, we dealt with them...why? Mostly cause they were solid white and really cool looking...and we wanted to look like the guy/girls in the iPod commercials. (If only I looked like my shadow, and my background was always brightly mono-colored)
(iLuv i301)
($5...ish)
I had to pick up a pair of these during an airport layover in South Carolina a few years ago. You know how they like to charge whateverinthehell they want at airports...ya, payed $25 for these crappy buds. Very pissed when I came home and saw them for 10, and now online for 5. What can I say...I packed my good ones away, and I was dyin' for some tunes. General rule; Off brand = terrible.
(Skull Candy inked)
($15-20)
These are the "back-up" pair I currently have. For 15 bucks, these things are awesome! They have really great quality, though you might have to mess with your EQ on your music player to get them to sound just right (I find them to be a bit bass heavy, which is really weird for me to say) This, plus for an extra 5 spot, you can get the inked earbuds with an in-line mic for use with your smartphone. And a always, they're Skull Candys, so they come in more flavors than skittles (who I'm sure make earbuds too, judging by the M&M ones above.)
(Sony MDR-EX56LP)
($40)
These Sony's are really really good. They've been coming out with these (or a model just like them) for at least 7 years now. They are constantly one of my favorite buds out there due to they're sleek minimal design, durability, and great quality. I had a pair very recently which I gave to Jr, cause his pair that he had had for over 6 years were falling apart (but they were still working!) If you feel like having great sounding buds, but don't have too much cash to drop on a pair...these are one of your best bets.
(Bose In-ear buds)
($70)
These are my primary pair of buds, and they are awesome! This is the second generation of these that I've owned. My one big problem with the original was fixed with this new version, which was that the interchangeable clear buds would fall off at the slightest touch (and being clear, would be super hard to find.) They're extra comfy, sound brilliant, and now that they've dropped considerably in price ($125 when I got them), I would highly recommend these to anyone. There's also an even newer version out with these weird looking buds that hold themselves against the structures of your ear to make sure they stay in place. Sounds weird, looks cool, and it's Bose, so I trust they know what they're doing...
(Skull Candy FMJ)
($70)
I've heard nothing but good things for these Candy's. One would assume that the FMJ stands for "Full Metal Jackets"due to they're solid metal casings. I've been told they have super clear sound, and they are without a doubt...Blingtastic. I've had my eye on these for a while...
(iBeats by Dr. Dre)
($100)
The iBeats, are the "into level" Beats earbuds. I really liked the sound out of these, even better than out of the "intro level" Beats headphones that cost 70 or 80 bucks more. These will certainly make your tunes sound proper...properly loud too. These things bump!
(Skull Candy Holua)
($100)
I don't know terribly much about these Skull Candy Holuas, except their housings are made of wood. Wood! How cool is that? And they make them in different types of wood too. Probably don't sound too bad either...but who really cares? Who else do you know is going to have wooden earbuds? Got major cool points from me on that one SK.
(Harman Kardon 730)
($125)
Harman Kardon earbuds are great. HK sound in general is great. Not really in love with the style of these, but the performance is undeniable. The triple silcon bud design makes sure no other sound is going to interrupt your musical experience, while they inject the music straight into your brain case. Good stuff. I approve.
(Monster "Diddy Beats")
($150)
These P. Diddy (a.k.a. Diddy/Puff Daddy/Shawn Combs/Puffy the Vampire Slayer) designed earbuds by Monster are, I'm sure, really awesome sounding. But like the Gaga ones above, the issue I have with these is not the sound. It's simply, how is someone who sees you wearing these on the street going to know they are "Diddy Beats"? Oh! The giant DB on the side you say? Oh ya! I'm not going to immediately think, "Wow, even that guy's headphones think he's a douche bag!"Look, I'm just saying, if I want something on my head to say, "Douche Bag"I'm not going to spend 150 bucks on it...I'll just wear a Kanye West hat! Ohhhh!
(Monster Turbine)
($150)
Instead of spending 150 bucks on Monster douche bag earbuds, why don't you spend 150 bucks on some other Monster buds, like these ones. And these ones look like jet turbines! (hence the name I guess.) I've read outstanding reviews of these, calling them, "almost perfect" The only negative feedback I've heard is a slight lack of definition in the highs. Nothing spending more money won't solve. If these are too cheap for you, you can always opt for the Pro model, that start at $280 for the Pro gold turbines.
(Turbine Pro Gold)
(Turbine Pro Copper)
(Turbine Pro Mile Davis)It keeps on going too, with the Pro copper signature model going for $380 and the Miles Davis signature model going for $400! At least with the Miles edition ones you get 3 CDs of Mr. Davis to listen to, since you'll most likely be too broke to afford any music for a while...
(Beats Pro)
($170)
More of the same from the Beats. The Pro model are stunning quality, and are the bud equivalent of the Studio Pro headphones. For...you know...mixing your next platinum selling on your iPad while on the road. Or something like that. I don't claim to know what you do on tour...
(Shure SE530PTH)
($450)
Shure makes some awesome sound happen. I've heard good things from this model, and in particular, it's "Push-To-Hear" control. This feature, that is exclusive to Shure (as far as I know) is a button on the back of one of the buds, that when pushed, lowers the volume of your music and activates the tiny microphones on the outside. These allows you to hear everything around you in crystal clarity without having to take your earbuds out. Really cool stuff Shure...450 bucks tho?!? I'll wait for that feature to come out on other models, thanks.
(Sony MDR_EX1000)
($500)
These are apparently the ultimate Sony in-ear monitors. So futuristic, that they're not even out yet. Literally, from the future! No one but Sony R&D know how these sound, but from all the space-age magnets and composite materials that they were talking about using on they're site, I'm sure it'll sound like the future. So if you have the extra half grand to drop on earbuds, and don't mind waiting till they come out, you'll literally be the only kid on your block with them. Sony's currently taking pre-orders...for the future.
I hope this was informative...or at the very least, minimally entertaining. Gotta go gear up for ANOTHER snow storm. Catch you tomorrow people. Peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment