In Ear Headphones Advice Needed! - HiFi Headphones Forum - online headphone & earphone community forums

sendparamedics · 12-20-2009, 11:28 PM

I'm looking to move away from the bog standard iPhone headphones and move to something a bit more high end, or as high end as I can get for the price.

I'm looking to try Sennheiser, as it's what everybody seems to bang on about but i've never had the pleasure of trying them but it doesn't -have- to be Sennheiser. Sennheiser reviews tend to conflict themselfs in places so really any personal experience with them I'd be interested to hear if it comes close to the price range.

In an ideal world it'd have a control button on the headphone cord to pause/play a track but not essential. Budget is around £50 so i'm basically looking for the best available at that price range. Any help/recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks.

taotau77 · 01-31-2010, 01:07 PM

I think SoundMagic PL50 is a good choice for the price around 50 pounds. I've just bought one and was satisfied with what it brought to me.

Napoleon · 05-19-2010, 02:09 PM

Here are the three I've tried: Klipsch S4i, Creative HS-930i, SoundMagic MP21 - the first two about £90 and the SM MP21s are £27. Don't be fooled into thinking the more you pay the more you get. Here's my take on these three (and you didn't specify taste, and as I like a strong bass this influenced me, all these three being quite bassy):

Build quality and appearance:
1. Creative (really tops, polished aluminium etc)
2. SoundMagic (good)
3. Klipsch (plasticky, look cheaper than the SMs despite being x3 in price)

Accessories you get out of the box:
1. SoundMagic (all the bits AND comply foam tips)
2. Klipsch (standard but no laptop converter)
3. Creative (crappiest carry case ever)

Quality of the mic (important for iPhone):
1. SoundMagic (reasonable)
2. Klipsch (okay)
3. Creative (my wife constantly couldn't hear me)

Sound quality of the buds:
1. Creative (excellent bass with clarity across the range)
2. SoundMagic (almost identical to the Creatives, but just miss 5% of their clarity)
3. Klipsch (bright and clear, weakest bass and too harsh for me - a road to tinnitus).

I think you have my verdict - there is NO need to spend £90 when the SoundMagic MP21s do it for £27! These IEMs are a bargain, and either WAY under-priced or the others are way over-priced (that's probably nearer the mark, though to be fair the Creatives do look a £90 pair).

12-20-2009, 11:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
sendparamedics Headphone Newbie Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	In Ear Headphones Advice Needed! I'm looking to move away from the bog standard iPhone headphones and move to something a bit more high end, or as high end as I can get for the price. I'm looking to try Sennheiser, as it's what everybody seems to bang on about but i've never had the pleasure of trying them but it doesn't -have- to be Sennheiser. Sennheiser reviews tend to conflict themselfs in places so really any personal experience with them I'd be interested to hear if it comes close to the price range. In an ideal world it'd have a control button on the headphone cord to pause/play a track but not essential. Budget is around £50 so i'm basically looking for the best available at that price range. Any help/recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks. Last edited by sendparamedics; 12-20-2009 at 11:31 PM.

01-31-2010, 01:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
taotau77 Headphone Newbie Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Pl50 I think SoundMagic PL50 is a good choice for the price around 50 pounds. I've just bought one and was satisfied with what it brought to me.

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05-19-2010, 02:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
Napoleon Headphone Newbie Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Here are the three I've tried: Klipsch S4i, Creative HS-930i, SoundMagic MP21 - the first two about £90 and the SM MP21s are £27. Don't be fooled into thinking the more you pay the more you get. Here's my take on these three (and you didn't specify taste, and as I like a strong bass this influenced me, all these three being quite bassy): Build quality and appearance: 1. Creative (really tops, polished aluminium etc) 2. SoundMagic (good) 3. Klipsch (plasticky, look cheaper than the SMs despite being x3 in price) Accessories you get out of the box: 1. SoundMagic (all the bits AND comply foam tips) 2. Klipsch (standard but no laptop converter) 3. Creative (crappiest carry case ever) Quality of the mic (important for iPhone): 1. SoundMagic (reasonable) 2. Klipsch (okay) 3. Creative (my wife constantly couldn't hear me) Sound quality of the buds: 1. Creative (excellent bass with clarity across the range) 2. SoundMagic (almost identical to the Creatives, but just miss 5% of their clarity) 3. Klipsch (bright and clear, weakest bass and too harsh for me - a road to tinnitus). I think you have my verdict - there is NO need to spend £90 when the SoundMagic MP21s do it for £27! These IEMs are a bargain, and either WAY under-priced or the others are way over-priced (that's probably nearer the mark, though to be fair the Creatives do look a £90 pair).