As a regular I-Pod user, I've never been that unhappy with the standard Apple I-Pod earbuds -- they don't sit terribly well in the ear, but I find the sound and design to be adequate. I've wondered if there is a low-cost alternative, and my wife doesn't like them because they are too big and uncomfortable.
Here is a review of five low-priced alternatives bought on Amazon in March 2010. The story in a nutshell -- all the - earbuds are a slight step up from the Apple buds, all the earbuds are a big step down.
JBuds Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing Ear Buds (Black) (paid ten dollars) (Four stars)
Positives: Good sound, decent comfort, long cord
Negatives: Too long cord, no "slider"
A very solid sound -- much like the Apple buds. These are a great low-cost in-ear alternative to the Apple buds. The sound balance is similar to the Apple's, but a bit crisper and clearer, perhaps due more to the in-ear design than the actual technology. The JBuds ship with three sizes of silicone ear-inserts for different size ears, though I personally find the fit to be awkward and a bit slippery (see SkullCandy review below). A 54" cord was the longest of the ones I tested, and arguably too long. Also, there is no "slider" on the cord to hold the buds together when you are storing them (A very nice feature of the standard Apple buds and others).
Skullcandy INK'D Earbuds (White) (paid ten dollars) (Four stars)
Positives: Great bass, very comfortable, long cord
Negatives: Too much bass, line-rustle noise in cord
How it is possible to get so much bass into a tiny and cheap earbud I cannot imagine, but there it is. Really impressive, but it's actually a bit too much bass -- the balance is off. If you are listening to bass heavy music, it's overwhelming -- I had to try to adjust the EQ on the I-Pod to bring it down, and even then a bit too heavy. The sound is not mushy or distorted, just like the equalizer is shifted too much. These in-ears come with three sizes of silicone ear-inserts for different size ears, and I find the fit to be great. A long 52" cord, with a "slider" to hold the buds together when storing. A BIG concern -- there's a fair amount of cord-noise that rides in the line -- if the cord is brushing against your shirt or jacket when moving, you hear the rustling right in your ear. I've had worse cases of this in the past, but it is very noticeable in these, and makes them less ideal for walking or moving situations. (Is this a problem with all in-ear buds that have a snug fit?)
Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit (paid eight dollars) (Three stars)
Positives: Good sound
Negatives: Even bigger than Apple buds, poor packaging, short cord
To my ear, the Sony's had the best sound of the five low-cost buds I tried -- a solid step up from the Apple buds, for people who don't like the in-ear style of bud. But a note of caution -- these are slightly *bigger* than Apple earbuds, even without the foam covering. In my ear, the foam cover makes them comfortable enough, but they are rather large. At the same time, the Sony Fontopia has an unusually short 40" cord (even shorter than the Apple 45" that bothers some people), but it's plenty long for typical uses (walking, etc.). There is no "slider" to hold the earbuds together when storing, which is a feature I like on the Apple buds. I have one big beef with these though -- the earbuds have a thin foam cover over the speaker that helps it hold in your ear more firmly and comfortably. I have no problem with that, but you have to put the foam pads on yourself, and it's very difficult. I ended up tearing one of them before I could even try them out. It's very frustrating to buy a new product that breaks before you can even use it. These deserve four start on performance, but gotta ding them on the design and packaging.
Panasonic RP-HV21Portable EarDrops Earbud Headphones (Black) (paid six-dollars) (one star)
Positives: None
Negatives: Huge earbud, terrible sound
I liked the look of these when I got them out of the package, but they are a bigger and worse alternative to the standard Apple earbuds. A very "tinny" and shallow sound compared with others at the same price point. They're too big for comfort in my ear, though that's always a personal consideration -- these Panasonics are larger than the Apple buds and equally hard surface.These Panasonics are about the same size as the Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia earbuds, but those have a foam pad that helps hold them in and provide a little comfort. the "Clip" feature on these (the two buds can clip together, or clip to clothing or cords when not in use) is nice, but doesn't override all the performance downsides. I'm tossing them -- way worse than the basic Apple buds.
Coby CVE92 Isolation Stereo Earphones (paid six dollars) (one-star)
Positives: None
Negatives: terrible sound
These are cheap and I like the packaging (just in a plastic ziplock, not clamshells and fluff), but the performance is simply substandard for the pricerange, These Coby's have a very muffled sound, and don't come with different size silicone ear inserts (most people know these really aren't one-size-fits-all). I'm tossing them -- way worse than the basic Apple buds.
Average Rating:
Brand: Skull Candy
Color: Yellow
Model: SC-INK'D/Yel/2
Product Description:
Anything you wear on your head affects your appearance. As an interim step toward face tattoo, consider grooving to the beat of your own drum with Skullcandy INK'D Earbuds. They combine stylish good looks with great sound--all at a great value. The 1.3-meter cord gives you the freedom you need without becoming cumbersome, and the high quality 3.5mm plug is gold plated to resist corrosion. Skullcandy INK'D Earbuds also include 3 different sizes of silicone ear tips to customize your listening experience.
Features:
- 11mm speaker diameter
- 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz frequency range
- 1.3-meter cable with 3.5mm gold plated plug
- Stylish in-ear design blocks outside noise
- Includes 3 different sizes of silicone ear tips
Available at Amazon
List Price: USD 19.95
Lowest New Price: USD 16.95
Customer Reviews
Really nice for the price
You really can't beat the price for these headphones. I really like to look of them and the changeable ear buds really make for a perfect fit. These are definitely the most comfortable ear phones I've owned. Like some other reviewers have said, noise does transfer through the wire when you're moving around. Other than that, the sound quality is great and I don't use these while I'm jogging anyways. Would definitely recommend.
For what its worth...
1st and formost,I'm a huge Sony fan but I was turned on to Skull Candy by ironic intervention. My daughters bofriend was taking us shopping but I refused to go anywhere without my music/headphones because I dont like listening to thier music. Having just broken my good pair of Sony's I required the first stop be to replace the set, then I'd be content (as the saying goes "If MAMA ain't happy-then NOBODY'S happy!!!) and they could do whatever they wished for the rest of the day. So there we are in the electronics store and I'm browising trying to make my chioce, when he (the boyfriend) casually looks over to me and says "Get these.." then looks away. I pick up the Skullcandy earbuds. First impressions being everything, I scoff at the look, the feel, the price, the size and the fact that they couldnt possibly be anywhere near the quality of my precious Sony's with a hideous name like Skullcandy! All he said was "Trust me..." I complained all the way to the checkout lane and into the parking lot. Once I plugged them in and turned my player on I WAS SPEECHLESS!!!!
Let me just say I still love my Sony, BUT for what its worth, Skullcandy can hold their own with no problem. The sound is rich and I can hear the cymbals playing, the piano accompanyment, the high hat, the small and subtle nuances of the singers voice and every little trill. Even the bass is whole and adds to the sound instead of just being part of it. I love them and would suggest them to anyone. Who'd have thought that an inexpensive pair of earbuds could do the job of semi-noise cancelling D.J. headphones. For me they're great. I could probably use the foam inserts as my ear canals seem to be different sizes and when I chew (yes I even eat with them on...) chewing seems to displace them a bit. Otherwise, wonderful. Side comment to Skullcandy manufactuers- You may want to think about making some with a longer cord. I tend to lay my Ipod down while I'm doing other things such as cooking, cleaning, generally moving about and a longer range of distance would be nice. I had that with my Sony's. Anyway, I have enjoyed them, I think u will too. (Oh yea, I think one reviewer said get the 11mm. Yea do that. Read the specifications and go with the 11's they tend to sound better. Nuff said)
These earbuds will take time to get used to, but very nice when you do.
I had tried these earbuds when borrowing them from a friend, and I found them very uncomftorable. While looking for a new pair, I decided to give Skullcandy a second chance based on the reviews other people had. After using them for awhile, I started to like these earbuds... a lot.
Design: As you can tell, the earbuds look very nice visually. The blue in my opinon looked best, so I went with that, and let me tell you they look even better in person. However, the design has some flaws around how the earbuds feel in your ear. These earbuds feel very tight in your ear, which blocks out noise very well, but they are uncomftorable at first. The earbuds come with 3 sets rubber pads I guess you could call them, that go over the earbuds, these are all different sizes and can be a little irritating to figure out which size is best for your ears. Also, due to the size and shape of the earbuds, these earbuds will hurt a little pulling them out of your ears, and will hurt after wearing them for around 30 mins. The bottom line is, they look cool, but will take time to get used to.
Sound: This is where these earbuds shine, the sound quality. It litteraly made me smile when I started listening to Disturbed (a metal band) with these earbuds becasue the quality of the sound was so nice and crisp. I should also mention these earbuds can go very loud, and they aren't heard easily by people around you, unlike what I experienced with previous headphones.
Verdict: These earbuds are reccomendable to almost anyobody who wants the best earbuds in this price range. They are very loud, and appealing to listem with. Skullcandy could have done a better job with how these earbuds feel in your ears, but that isnt a big enough reason to avoid buying these headphones.
Good for the price
This is one of the best earbuds you can buy for . Note that the product that came was FULL white, not with the black tips as in the picture, but I don't care. These are an ugrade from the standard Sansa earbuds on my Sans Fuze 8 GB, so obviously there was a pretty good increase in sound quality. I would definitely recommend buying this if you want good earbuds under 15-20$
