Shure SE315
£194, shure.co.uk
Shure's reputation comes from its heritage in microphones. It makes great headphones too. These feature optimised bass to improve the low definition sounds of MP3s.
Shure has been churning out impressive-sounding in-ear headphones for consumers for more than 15 years, and any new models from the company have featured mainly evolutionary changes from their predecessors. The latest update to the Shure consumer line is no exception, with the new SE models featuring a few fairly minor--but mostly welcome--tweaks.
We first checked out the Shure SE425 earphones, a $299 set that impressed us with a durable design and excellent sound quality. Now, we have our ears on the SE315, which is Shure's single-driver offering. At $199, this set falls in the middle of the SE line in terms of pricing. The SE315 is a follow-up to the SE310, and its earpieces feature a noticeable design shift from those of its predecessor. Rather than the bulbous teardrop shape that tends to stick out of the ear, Shure has moved to a contoured mold that's meant to sit inside the outer ear. We saw this originally with the Shure SE530, and--for most users--this design means a more ergonomic fit.
Skullcandy fix
£59.99, skullcandy.co.uk
At the (slightly) cheaper end of a pricey gadget sector, Skullcandy earphones fit well with the extreme-sports audience. They offer heavy bass and a hard trebly noise.
From a distance, the FIX In-Ear’s design could seem subtle, but up close, the silver skull logo stands out against the black background of the earpieces—at least it did on our review unit, which was black and silver (the other options are silver or red with silver). It’s hard to explain why the FIX fits so well—a quick glance reveals nothing out of the ordinary in terms of earphone design; the silicon eartips do not look or feel unique, and there’s no obvious piece that secures them in place, like the stabilizing cable loop on the B&W C5. Regardless, they don’t move much, making them ideal for workouts.
The strong bass performance is purportedly aided by a bass port (which helps move air and create stronger low-end response) on the earphones, but it is hidden from view. The FIX In-Ear comes with three sizes of ear tips and a small black protective case which, of course, features the sinister skull logo.
Philips Earhook
£40.85, philips.co.uk
Having to grab hold of a bouncing earbud on a morning run is annoying. Philips' Earhooks are customisable to the shape of your ear and feature comfy silicone caps.
Hands up how many of you have ever killed an electronic device through trial by water? That's one, two… several of you then - thought so. Us too - it's all too easily done. Invest in a pair of the Philips SHQ3000 earphones, however, and you'll find yourself able to worry about one less piece of kit drowning to death. Because, you see, the SHQ3000s are waterproof.
The main touted benefit of this water resistance is that the SQH3000 earphones make a good companion to sporting types, as waterproof also means sweat-proof. Even the most intense workout session shouldn't produce enough perspiration to kill these 'phones, but even lesser evils than exercise, such as rain or even just extreme humidity will be thwarted by the SHQ3000s.
The design is geared towards use in conjunction with physical activity, with the earloops providing a secure fit that stops tugs on the cable from pulling the earpieces from their nestling place. The rubberised coating on the wiring does mean it can catch a little, but not frequently enough to be annoying and, thanks to the secure ear-hooks, this snagging never pulls the SHQ3000 'phones from your ears.
The main touted benefit of this water resistance is that the SQH3000 earphones make a good companion to sporting types, as waterproof also means sweat-proof. Even the most intense workout session shouldn't produce enough perspiration to kill these 'phones, but even lesser evils than exercise, such as rain or even just extreme humidity will be thwarted by the SHQ3000s.
The design is geared towards use in conjunction with physical activity, with the earloops providing a secure fit that stops tugs on the cable from pulling the earpieces from their nestling place. The rubberised coating on the wiring does mean it can catch a little, but not frequently enough to be annoying and, thanks to the secure ear-hooks, this snagging never pulls the SHQ3000 'phones from your ears.
Atomic Floyd Superdarts
£199, atomicfloyd.com
SuperDarts have had rave reviews, and with good reason. They feature a beautiful stainless-steel remote and noise-isolation. Their USP is two dual speakers in each earphone.
Before the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Remote have a chance to wow us with their dual-driver sound, the design had us rapt. They are unusual in more than one sense.
Like all of Atomic Floyd's earphones, the SuperDarts are made primarily out of metal. The ear of each earpiece is finished in embossed diamonds, giving them the feel of - you guessed it - a dart's grip. If you don't mind your earphones looking a little "out there", they're pretty attractive earphones. The mix of silver, red and black is loud, but not to the point of embarrassment, and they feel as well-built as earphones come.First, it looks rather ridiculous as the cables still point out of your lug 'oles further than normal - and it's not like we need any help looking uncool as it is - unless you ram them far enough into your ears to risk irritation/infection. Second, adding superfluous weight is never a good idea in earphones. While it's not quite as bad as lugging around a dead albatross about your neck (the SuperDarts don't smell of rotting carcass, for one), it is a noticeable weight.
You will undoubtedly get used to it, but these are not the most comfortable earphones around. And while some people complain about the size of the Shure SE535 and the odd fit of the Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10, we'd take wearing them over the SuperDarts any day of the week. And it's all so unnecessary - for the sake of aesthetics and not a great deal else as far as we can tell.
However, the design isn't all bad by any means. The cable switches from rubberised plastic up top near the buds to a fabric-braided finish further below, and it's some of the best braiding we've seen recently in an earphone cable. There's not a sign of it unravelling, no odd kinks, and it does seem to have a slight tangle-reducing effect. The 3.5mm jack plug is also impressively hardy, featuring the same sort of dart grip-like texture to help you pull the thing out.
Before the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Remote have a chance to wow us with their dual-driver sound, the design had us rapt. They are unusual in more than one sense.
Like all of Atomic Floyd's earphones, the SuperDarts are made primarily out of metal. The ear of each earpiece is finished in embossed diamonds, giving them the feel of - you guessed it - a dart's grip. If you don't mind your earphones looking a little "out there", they're pretty attractive earphones. The mix of silver, red and black is loud, but not to the point of embarrassment, and they feel as well-built as earphones come.First, it looks rather ridiculous as the cables still point out of your lug 'oles further than normal - and it's not like we need any help looking uncool as it is - unless you ram them far enough into your ears to risk irritation/infection. Second, adding superfluous weight is never a good idea in earphones. While it's not quite as bad as lugging around a dead albatross about your neck (the SuperDarts don't smell of rotting carcass, for one), it is a noticeable weight.
You will undoubtedly get used to it, but these are not the most comfortable earphones around. And while some people complain about the size of the Shure SE535 and the odd fit of the Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10, we'd take wearing them over the SuperDarts any day of the week. And it's all so unnecessary - for the sake of aesthetics and not a great deal else as far as we can tell.
However, the design isn't all bad by any means. The cable switches from rubberised plastic up top near the buds to a fabric-braided finish further below, and it's some of the best braiding we've seen recently in an earphone cable. There's not a sign of it unravelling, no odd kinks, and it does seem to have a slight tangle-reducing effect. The 3.5mm jack plug is also impressively hardy, featuring the same sort of dart grip-like texture to help you pull the thing out.
BEATS TOUR
£139.99, store.universal-music.co.uk
Beats are big in the headphone market but they can compete in-ear too. The Beats Tour feature the bass-heavy sound
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The Beats by Dr Dre Tours offer great sound quality for the price, and are definitely worth a look if you're a fan of bassy sound. In many ways the design is excellent -- the ribboned cable and remote are thoughtful additions, and aesthetically we're fans of the bold, bright style. Still, the curiously long earbuds mean you should definitely try before you buy.
Similarly great-sounding yet slightly oddly shaped are the Diddybeats, which are also worth a butcher's. If you want something that definitely won't slip from your noggin, examine the Sennheiser OCX 880s.
BOSE
As the name implies, the Bose's IE2 earphones are the second-generation of Bose's in-ear headphones. Truth be told, we weren't impressed with the first iteration of this model, which some users complained didn't fit securely in their ears and caused Bose to issue newly designed silicon earpieces to help rectify the problem. But the company has made some tweaks to the design and we generally like the results, though not everything is rosy.There are actually three versions of Bose's latest in-ear headphones:
Bose IE2 ($99.95): This is the base model, which is a standard pair of in-ear headphones.
Bose MIE2 ($129.95): Identical to the IE2, but adds a built-in microphone for cellphones and VOIP devices.
Bose MIE2i ($129.95): Identical to the MIE2, but with compatibility for iPod/iPhone controls.
Despite the feature differences, the sound--and design--of the earphones themselves are the same for all three models, so they should all exhibit identical sound quality.
The first thing you should know is that these aren't noise-isolating earphones. You don't jam a foam or rubber tip into your ear, effectively cutting off much of the sound from the outside world. Instead, these earphones sit slightly on top of the ear, similar the way hard earbuds do. A silicon cover directs the sound into your ear canal but the tip isn't pushed all the way inside. As a result, you don't get the tight seal like you do with a noise-isolating earphone but the upside is your ear canal gets some breathing room. This design will appeal more to some people than others, but it's also important to highlight the fact that this reviewer didn't have any trouble getting the IE2s to fit both securely and comfortable in his ears.
Tekfusion twinwoofers
the first thing you’ll notice is they are light-weight but pretty tough. They are made from metal, and have partial gloss and partial matte finish – which gives them a very premium look . The twin-woofer logo adorns the back of the drum and overall the headphone is very well crafted. The earphones come with a 3.5 mm gold plated jack.
The initial impression of the headphones was that they perform really well at low volume but a slight clipping can be noticed at high-volume bass. We will take a look into this once we come out with our full in-depth review but for now, for a price tag of INR 1000-1200 these are definitely one of the best earphones in the market.
Klipsch
The Klipsch Image S4 earpieces do not feel as high-end as those of its sibling, the X5, but then the S4 only costs one-third as much, so we won't knock them for that. More important is the fact that the 'buds are ultrasmall and offer a tapered, bent shape that fit our ears perfectly. This combined with the soft, oval eartips gave us a supercomfortable fit that sealed out external noise. Klipsch includes two sizes of standard tips and one double-flanged model, but all of them are on the small side, so those with larger ears may have some fit issues. The package also contains a metal box for storing the earphones and an earwax cleaning tool.
Our only real design concern about the Image S4 earphones is the cable. It's very thin, from the Y section descending from each earpiece to the gold-plated 3.5mm plug at the end. This raises some concern for durability, though this is allayed slightly by Klipsch's inclusion of a two-year warranty. Also, the reinforced L-plug should help prevent breakage that typically happens where the wire connects to the plug. The thinness also makes the cable quite tangle prone, though a slider at the Y helps this a bit.
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