Earphone Review: Battle of sub $80 in-ears earphones plus others!

radish

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ah yes guru

heard a lot of gd things abt 888 but is it a pair of open phones?
i think i need isolation esp travelling in mrt... X_x

i no $ to try uncharted waters...
u r guru i follow u
wat u say gd i will go buy

hahhahahahhahahhhahaha

anyway i m a v confused audio noob
sometimes i want deep bass
but sometimes i want the crisp clarity
depending genre of music

btw i listen v widely from metal, smooth jazz, classical music, opera,
and yes i am ashame to say...sometimes jay chou pop music
 
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afbug1

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radish said:
ah yes guru

heard a lot of gd things abt 888 but is it a pair of open phones?
i think i need isolation esp travelling in mrt... X_x

i no $ to try uncharted waters...
u r guru i follow u
wat u say gd i will go buy

hahhahahahhahahhhahaha

anyway i m a v confused audio noob
sometimes i want deep bass
but sometimes i want the crisp clarity
depending genre of music

btw i listen v widely from metal, smooth jazz, classical music, opera,
and yes i am ashame to say...sometimes jay chou pop music

lol. Not guru la. I only familar with these models and said what my ears told me. Everyone got different taste.

Ya, E888 is a normal open earbud. What happen to your HD25? :D It can isolate quite well rite? Ever considering selling your HD25 and get a HD555/595 for home listening after getting some in-ears? :s13:

CK7 first impressions! Full review in a few days.
More pics
edit:
I forgot to add that it is MADE IN JAPAN!

kazuki666 said:
Still within sls. I think someone just posted abt this a few posts ago.
(Just gimme 2more days!!!! :s12: )

Whats your budget? Go for a CK7 if possible. A class above the rest.
 
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radish

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sigh... hd25 is v gd but its bloody warm to bring a pair of closed headphone ard esp in sg bloody weather....think i need a pair of iem for commuting ard sg is a more practical choice and
better still if it can give me the high.. like those deep jazz bass so thick u feel u r "swimming in it" type...sigh

was i thinking of selling off hd25 and get a e3c but then heard so much "weak" bass tat i m having cold feets liao.. BUT if u know of anyone who wants to get a hd25 let me know ok!!! :)

ck7 mmm.... interesting...strong bass? i m looking forward w great anticipation to yr detailed review!!!!!!!!
 

rockstarz

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After reading thru the whole thread, i think i will split the thread again as quite a number of post is just about cresyn , pls look out for the thread abt Cresyn and continue the relevant post there rather than here, thks for your kind understanding ;) Also pls use the PM function if u wanna ask someone personally, remember to keep this a good sticky it wld require everyone's co-operation
 
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afbug1

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gaoxing84 said:
better den cresyn?

Yes but they're in different price brackets. Cresyn is certainly not the best earphone you can buy but it is still the best in my opinon in the $30-$80 category.

radish said:
sigh... hd25 is v gd but its bloody warm to bring a pair of closed headphone ard esp in sg bloody weather....think i need a pair of iem for commuting ard sg is a more practical choice and
better still if it can give me the high.. like those deep jazz bass so thick u feel u r "swimming in it" type...sigh

was i thinking of selling off hd25 and get a e3c but then heard so much "weak" bass tat i m having cold feets liao.. BUT if u know of anyone who wants to get a hd25 let me know ok!!! :)

ck7 mmm.... interesting...strong bass? i m looking forward w great anticipation to yr detailed review!!!!!!!!

Wah HD25.....yours is the full version? Not the strip down SP rite? A bit tough to find a buyer for this as it is a premium can with a premium price. :o

If you're considering the E3, go for the UM1. They sound similar but the UM1 have stronger bass and is cheaper. I will not say that the CK7 have strong bass but it will satisfy most people. They seem to have bass stored somewhere in reserve. They dun respond as well as other earphones when the bass bosst on the discman is swtiched on. Can tell the difference but the jump is not as great as other earphones. Why in reserve then? Because when the song demands strong bass, (eg rap/hip-hop) it delievers.

rockstarz said:
After reading thru the whole thread, i think i will split the thread again as quite a number of post is just about cresyn , pls look out for the thread abt Cresyn and continue the relevant post there rather than here, thks for your kind understanding ;) Also pls use the PM function if u wanna ask someone personally, remember to keep this a good sticky it wld require everyone's co-operation

Wah wait they bomb my pm. :o

Pls continue all discussions in the thread below:
http://forums.hardwarezone.com/showthread.php?t=1176673

vittel said:
afbug1, how much are the CK7s?

$160 MSRP. It is not out in the stores in SG yet. I got them from Bluetin. This is a very new earphone. Released in JP only end of last month. I am probably the 1st in head-fi to receive it and maybe the 1st (Besides bluetin) in SG to own it. lol. It is a risk to plunge into uncharted waters.
 
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radish

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yes i got the full hd25 not sp :)
its a wondrous piece of bloody gd cans :)

and i have sucumbed to yr temptations and gone to simlim apple to get a set of cresyn :)
and yes the gal quite cute lah

i must say its a decent piece of sub $100 phone, definitely better in quality than ex71
i still fiddling w it, will share w the rest of u abt it :)
 

afbug1

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[highlight]Ok guys, anymore questions, please post them at this thread. I will reply over there. You're welcome to post your comments/reviews of earphones here but keep it clean so that rockstarz will have an easier time.[/highlight]
 

rockstarz

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afbug1 said:
[highlight]Ok guys, anymore questions, please post them at this thread. I will reply over there. You're welcome to post your comments/reviews of earphones here but keep it clean so that rockstarz will have an easier time.[/highlight]


Thanks alot :D
 

Jazzbie

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Panasonic HJE-50 is good for its price range but selling it cos can't my ears can't get used to in ear plugs. check sig out! :)
 

EEXOOO

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1) When you say the Panasonic earphone has a 'harsh' treble what do you actually mean ? Is it uncomfortable?

2) Does the Cresyn eaphone comes with white color ? Wanna use it with my psp remote.

3) Are the Panansonic and Cresyn earphones available in Best Denki ? If so by any chance do you know of the price ?
 

cavemanng

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To purchase Cresyn earphones online, you can go to the following link: -

http://page.auctions.yahoo.com/sg/a...28?aucview=0x30

http://page.auctions.yahoo.com/sg/auction/94982885

To purchase from shops:

At sim lim square (Michael Multimedia, Apple @ Sim Lim - XIT system, Agenuine, Farlen - Inbox)

At funan IT mall (Apple @ funan, Farlen - Inbox)

At Bukit Timah (Apple @ Bukit Timah - Comit Communication)

Some information about the different Cresyn Earphones: -

1) E630DL - Black earphone with 1.2m black cord length (Unbalance cord design)

2) E630RL - Red earphone with 1.2m black cord length (Unbalance cord design)

3) E630DS - Black earphone with 0.5m black cord length for usage with remote control (Not available in Singsapore unless pre-order)

4) E630RS - Red earphone with 0.5m black cord length for usage with remote control (Not available in Singsapore unless pre-order)

5) E630SN - Silver earphones with 0.8m white cord length (Necklace design which can be interchange to Y cord)

Sound quality for the above 5 types of Cresyn earphones are the same.
 

meet_nanda

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afbug1 said:
Sony MDR-E888 mod

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I prefer this:
1. take your e888 earbuds and remove the foamies.
2. remove the rubber ring around the earbuds.
3. remove the metal grills off the drivers.
4. if there is a paper filter over the drivers, remove that too.
5. I do not want the metal drivers to be exposed to dirt, so i replaced the metal grills.
6. fit the rubber ring back to hold them together.
7. put a pair of modded foamies back on.
8. enjoy!

Effect is almost the same as the first mod.
_____________________________________________________________________________________


I tried this yesterday night.

1. I removed the foamies.
2. I removed the rubber rings.
3. I tried to remove the metal grills out. But, it seems that it has been sticked using some adhesive paste. I tried to remove forcing it, but no luck. Then I was afraid that I may break it.
4. Then I put back the rubber rings and foamies.

After doing this, the treble has been reduced drastically and I seem to hear more bass now. I want some more treble back. How do I bring it back? I guess I did not put back the rubber rings in the same orientation as it was. Does that make any difference? Can I go ahead and try to break the metal grills? Please advise, Thanks.
 

afbug1

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meet_nanda said:
I tried this yesterday night.

1. I removed the foamies.
2. I removed the rubber rings.
3. I tried to remove the metal grills out. But, it seems that it has been sticked using some adhesive paste. I tried to remove forcing it, but no luck. Then I was afraid that I may break it.
4. Then I put back the rubber rings and foamies.

After doing this, the treble has been reduced drastically and I seem to hear more bass now. I want some more treble back. How do I bring it back? I guess I did not put back the rubber rings in the same orientation as it was. Does that make any difference? Can I go ahead and try to break the metal grills? Please advise, Thanks.

The rubber ring's orientation is very impt. You got to replace them back in the same position. Regarding the metal grills, yes they are hold together by glue. Try to gently remove. Slowly pull them apart and maybe use a penknift to slowly prise them aprat and cut the glue away.

The is a very delicate mod. Do it slowly and carefully. Anymore questions, pls post at the other thread. :)
 
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Snoweagle

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For me i still LOVE my Sony MDR-EX71SL, bought to replace my aging EX70s as well. From the very first thread i agree that white earphones used over a long period will gradually turn yellow (happens to me EX70 after 3 years of use but not so bad condition like the first thread). But on the other hand, i disagree that the sound quality is bad. Yes the bass may be strong but not to that extend where it spoils the treble. Overall the sound quality is awesome but i've not tried Etymotics ER-6i (S$280). I'd give a 4 rating for the sound.
 

Zephyron

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^To above user.

Actually, you should tried out different earphones rather than shelling out 79.90 for the Sony MDR-EX71SL. I wouldn't recommend the er6i (?) because of its extremely steep price, and its targeted performance level surpasses that of the EX71s (from what I make out from the review).

I agree on what afbug1 said about the MDR-EX71, especially after replacing my 1 1/2 year old EX71s with a pair of Audio Technica ATH-CK5s, which IMO perform with much better balance than the MDR-EX71.

However, after reading afbug1's review, I rushed out to get myself a pair of Cresyn LMX-E630DL, and burnt it in for 6 hours. No regrets. This pair of 49.90 earphones outperform the EX71 in every aspect possible, even the bass!

Here's what I think of each of the individual earphone's performances (done on my Creative MuVo TX FM 256MB model, Jazz and Normal EQ, 1 year 2 months old, no problems faced at all):

Sony MDR-EX71SL (1st in-ears, current status: Damaged):
-These are my first pair of in-ear earphones, bought back in 2004 in the Sony Year End sale for $64.00.
-At first, I was wowed by the earphones very strong bass reproduction, and was satisfied using it for a very long time because of its comfort and very good isolation levels.
-Gotta admit that somehow, its volume is softer than the pair of Audio Technica earbuds that I replaced with it, but it mostly sounds the same but with stronger bass.
-After using the ATH CK-5 for a while, I borrowed another pair of MDR-EX71s from a friend of mine, and I kinda like the CK5's over the EX71's, it really makes the EX71's treble sound VERY scratchy, and from what I can hear, the EX71's midrange was literaly almost non-existent when compared to the EX71.
-After listening o the $30.00 cheaper Cresyn LMX-E630, I'm disappointed by the EX71's strong but (ironically) very muddy, boomy (With distortion at volumes above 37 out of the 40 step scale) bass (Music in use was Gran Turismo 4's Arcade Selection music, MP3 256kbps format).

Note: The Silver parts of the earphone will wear out after a while, becoming completely black, and yes, I had a black pair)

Audio Technica ATH-CK5 (OK performer, bass is lacking, comfortable):
-1 1/2 years later, I bought these to replace my damaged MDR-EX71, the right side has failed and couldn't give out any sound.
-It' bass sounded pretty flat when compared to the MDR-EX71 when out of the box, but after I burnt it in for 48 hours, its bass started to liven up, but is still weak however.
-Its clarity levels are decent, mid-range is its strength, while trebles are reproduced quite faithfully.
-Volume level is similar to that of the MDR-EX71.
-Performance wise, its much better balanced as compared to the EX71.
-Its just me, but because of the earclips that protrude out of the earphones, the ATH-CK5 was the most comfortable and fitting for my ears out of the 3 earphones.
-Isolation is a notch above the EX71, but just barely.

Note: I would prefer if earphones were as comfortable as this one.

Cresyn LMX-E630(DL, black 1.2m);
-Bought it after reading afbug1's review.
-Excellent lows and mids, piano keys and guitar riffs are reproduced very faithfully, and the qualty of the sound from Jay Chou's (Ye Qu and Qi Li Xiang, 224 and 256kbps respectively) left me literaly astounded, and the playback from my Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Orchestrated Sountrack was simply astounding, with the flutes, bass, trambolines, cymbals... basically all the musical instruments all complimenting each other so impeccably!
-On the contrary to afbug1's review, I find the bass of the earphones to be very strong, on par with the EX71, but much, much cleaner. It also seems to have much bass in reserve, because where heavy bass is concerned, the LMX-E630 literaly punched my ears!
-Not as comfortable as the EX71 or the CK5, but that problem is easily fixed by replacing its default earbuds with the EX71 buds that I have and still use (bass quality further enhanced and marginally deepened).
-Isolations are just below that of the EX71, marginally.
-Volume level surpasses that of the EX71 an CK5 easily. I was very shaken when I just plugged it in the first time and listened to it on the volume levels I listen to the EX71 and CK5, and had to reduce the volume level from 30 to 25.

Final impressions:
-Sony MDR-EX71 = For its hefty sub $80 price tag, you'd expect Sony to come up with something better, but they failed to deliver. Scratchy treble, non-existent mid-range and dirty/muddy bass (avoid the MDR-EX51 as well).

-Audio Technica ATH-CK5 = Quite a decent performer (but weak bass) once you get used to it, but for its price range, there are better phones like the Cresyn.

-Cresyn LMX-E630 = A very well balanced earphone, definitely loving it until I decide to upgrade to the Audio Technica ATH-CK7ti in the future (also because of afbug1's review). For $45-49.90, this thing's a steal!

Now, I'm gonna wait for tomorrow and go down to Sim Lim to purchase me the iAudio U3 to pair with my LMX-E630! *is a happy man*

Oh, and pics taken from my handphone on the 3 in-ear-earphones (left to right: ATH-CK5 black, MDR-EX71 black, LMX-E630 black (DL)):
Earphones.jpg


EDIT (IMO, price to performance score out of 5.0)
$79.90 MDR-EX71: 1.0
$45.00 ATH-CK5: 2.5
$49.90 LMX-E630: 4.0 (would be 5.0 if not for the default earbuds, which are kinda crappy IMO)
 
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Snoweagle

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Zephyron said:
^To above user.

Actually, you should tried out different earphones rather than shelling out 79.90 for the Sony MDR-EX71SL. I wouldn't recommend the er6i (?) because of its extremely steep price, and its targeted performance level surpasses that of the EX71s (from what I make out from the review).

I agree on what afbug1 said about the MDR-EX71, especially after replacing my 1 1/2 year old EX71s with a pair of Audio Technica ATH-CK5s, which IMO perform with much better balance than the MDR-EX71.

However, after reading afbug1's review, I rushed out to get myself a pair of Cresyn LMX-E630DL, and burnt it in for 6 hours. No regrets. This pair of 49.90 earphones outperform the EX71 in every aspect possible, even the bass!

Here's what I think of each of the individual earphone's performances (done on my Creative MuVo TX FM 256MB model, Jazz and Normal EQ, 1 year 2 months old, no problems faced at all):

Sony MDR-EX71SL (1st in-ears, current status: Damaged):
-These are my first pair of in-ear earphones, bought back in 2004 in the Sony Year End sale for $64.00.
-At first, I was wowed by the earphones very strong bass reproduction, and was satisfied using it for a very long time because of its comfort and very good isolation levels.
-Gotta admit that somehow, its volume is softer than the pair of Audio Technica earbuds that I replaced with it, but it mostly sounds the same but with stronger bass.
-After using the ATH CK-5 for a while, I borrowed another pair of MDR-EX71s from a friend of mine, and I kinda like the CK5's over the EX71's, it really makes the EX71's treble sound VERY scratchy, and from what I can hear, the EX71's midrange was literaly almost non-existent when compared to the EX71.
-After listening o the $30.00 cheaper Cresyn LMX-E630, I'm disappointed by the EX71's strong but (ironically) very muddy, boomy (With distortion at volumes above 37 out of the 40 step scale) bass (Music in use was Gran Turismo 4's Arcade Selection music, MP3 256kbps format).

Note: The Silver parts of the earphone will wear out after a while, becoming completely black, and yes, I had a black pair)

Audio Technica ATH-CK5 (OK performer, bass is lacking, comfortable):
-1 1/2 years later, I bought these to replace my damaged MDR-EX71, the right side has failed and couldn't give out any sound.
-It' bass sounded pretty flat when compared to the MDR-EX71 when out of the box, but after I burnt it in for 48 hours, its bass started to liven up, but is still weak however.
-Its clarity levels are decent, mid-range is its strength, while trebles are reproduced quite faithfully.
-Volume level is similar to that of the MDR-EX71.
-Performance wise, its much better balanced as compared to the EX71.
-Its just me, but because of the earclips that protrude out of the earphones, the ATH-CK5 was the most comfortable and fitting for my ears out of the 3 earphones.
-Isolation is a notch above the EX71, but just barely.

Note: I would prefer if earphones were as comfortable as this one.

Cresyn LMX-E630(DL, black 1.2m);
-Bought it after reading afbug1's review.
-Excellent lows and mids, piano keys and guitar riffs are reproduced very faithfully, and the qualty of the sound from Jay Chou's (Ye Qu and Qi Li Xiang, 224 and 256kbps respectively) left me literaly astounded, and the playback from my Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Orchestrated Sountrack was simply astounding, with the flutes, bass, trambolines, cymbals... basically all the musical instruments all complimenting each other so impeccably!
-On the contrary to afbug1's review, I find the bass of the earphones to be very strong, on par with the EX71, but much, much cleaner. It also seems to have much bass in reserve, because where heavy bass is concerned, the LMX-E630 literaly punched my ears!
-Not as comfortable as the EX71 or the CK5, but that problem is easily fixed by replacing its default earbuds with the EX71 buds that I have and still use (bass quality further enhanced and marginally deepened).
-Isolations are just below that of the EX71, marginally.
-Volume level surpasses that of the EX71 an CK5 easily. I was very shaken when I just plugged it in the first time and listened to it on the volume levels I listen to the EX71 and CK5, and had to reduce the volume level from 30 to 25.

Final impressions:
-Sony MDR-EX71 = For its hefty sub $80 price tag, you'd expect Sony to come up with something better, but they failed to deliver. Scratchy treble, non-existent mid-range and dirty/muddy bass (avoid the MDR-EX51 as well).

-Audio Technica ATH-CK5 = Quite a decent performer (but weak bass) once you get used to it, but for its price range, there are better phones like the Cresyn.

-Cresyn LMX-E630 = A very well balanced earphone, definitely loving it until I decide to upgrade to the Audio Technica ATH-CK7ti in the future (also because of afbug1's review). For $45-49.90, this thing's a steal!

Now, I'm gonna wait for tomorrow and go down to Sim Lim to purchase me the iAudio U3 to pair with my LMX-E630! *is a happy man*

Oh, and pics taken from my handphone on the 3 in-ear-earphones (left to right: ATH-CK5 black, MDR-EX71 black, LMX-E630 black (DL)):
Earphones.jpg


EDIT (IMO, price to performance score out of 5.0)
$79.90 MDR-EX71: 1.0
$45.00 ATH-CK5: 2.5
$49.90 LMX-E630: 4.0 (would be 5.0 if not for the default earbuds, which are kinda crappy IMO)

Perhaps diff users have diff opinions...IMO i think the EX71s still perform swell. If really want best sounds but too expensive to buy, the ultimate ears UE-10 Pro is worth a look.
 

afbug1

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vittel said:
hey afbug1 i have a suggestion. how about doing a eartips faq? battle of the foams, complys and rubber flanges.

How to FAQ eartips? What is there to FAQ? Give me suggestions? Besides, eartips are very subjective as different ears have different fit.

Snoweagle said:
Perhaps diff users have diff opinions...IMO i think the EX71s still perform swell. If really want best sounds but too expensive to buy, the ultimate ears UE-10 Pro is worth a look.

Ya that true, different ears, different strokes. If you like EX71, then good for you. I also liked the EX71 but it was before all the others made their appearence in the market.
 
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Snoweagle

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I never regretted buying the EX71....perhaps when the new EX90s are here, i might consider changing.
 

Zephyron

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Perhaps so, but you should give other brands a test as well.

Who knows, you might like them better =)
 
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