Overview of five great in-ear headphones
We independently test the products and technologies that we recommend.
The device of these miniature acoustic systems is elementary at first glance. Almost all of them are based on the use of dynamic type emitters. The speakers have minimal dimensions, sometimes slightly larger than the in-channel models. The speakers are made on the basis of neodymium or ordinary ferrite magnets. The membrane is usually plastic — there is practically no alternative. But the shape, thickness and other characteristics of the membrane, the speaker design itself, acoustic design — the nature of the sound depends on all this, and above all, the ratio of the upper and lower regions of the sound frequency range.
The main "disease" of earbuds is the reliability of fixing headphones in the ear. If you are lucky and you have ears whose shell shape is adapted to hold the earbuds — there are no problems. Otherwise, the earbud that is too big for you will become an unpleasant foreign object, and too small will simply fall out of the ear.
As for the technical characteristics of the sound, when purchasing earbuds, you need to pay attention to the sensitivity indicator. Such headphones are usually designed to work with mobile audio sources, so in-ear headphones have a low resistance — no higher than 32 ohms. But at the same time, loud, confident and high-quality sound can be provided only with a sensitivity of approximately not less than 100 decibels. This is quite an important parameter. It is worth noting that in such peculiar products, often a low-cost model by the nature of the sound or for other, most unexpected reasons, may be preferable to the flagship of a new line of a respected brand. It is important to have a choice. That's why we offer you our review.
 Price from 589 up to 1 799 ₴
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Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic Price from 589 up to 1 799 ₴ → Let's try to understand why we need these headphones. First of all, it's Apple! Then, in principle, you can not tell anything at all. The first of their advantages the brand itself calls "Apple design" — that is, they are white and smooth. Their design is truly perfect, although in it, according to the reviews of the slanderers, there is something sanitary and hygienic… In the case of each of the headphones there are more than four holes for various acoustic purposes, which the manufacturer noted as bass (near the cable outlet), front and rear (on the earphone itself), as well as the primary acoustic output. Since the technical specifications are probably even more complicated, Apple does not report them. Instead, we can say that the model gives the wave an adequate sound, although it is still worth listening and checking before purchasing. And do not forget that in addition to the sound, there is also a compatibility problem with the hands free functions (by the way, Apple EarPods work, for example, with HTC and other models of third-party mobile gadgets). But the main compatibility problem is the compatibility of these earbuds with the shape of the auricles. In terms of the comfort of socks for Apple EarPods, there are certain questions — the slightly elongated shape of the cups ending with the "Primary acoustic outlet" opening may correspond to the maximum number of average ears, but each user is only interested in his specific case. Separately, it is worth evaluating the headphone cable. According to the brand's long—established concept, the cable is soft and moderately elastic — it is much less prone to "memorizing" bends, which means it gets much less tangled and, anyway, it will be easier to untangle it. The model comes in a transparent plastic case — with a certain skill, it can also be used for storage and carrying. |
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Let's start with the design. It is extremely simple, the only "trick" is an asymmetrical arrangement on the cup of the body outlet with cable outlet. This feature strictly divides the headphones into "right" and "left", although the location of the emitter itself in relation to the ear canal remains unchanged, even if the cups (stereo channels) are confused in places. The speaker diaphragm is protected by a perforated plastic lid — the most technologically advanced option. On top of all this, if desired, you can put on a so—called ear cushion made of black foam rubber — a proven solution that allows the design to adapt to the shape of the auricle. A continuation of the examples of simplicity is a standard cable, 1.2 m long, with a standard L-shaped connector — and no hands free or playback controls. The use of the Sennheiser MX 365 as part of hands free is, of course, possible — but only if hands free itself is available with a standard headphone jack. All these simplifications serve, of course, to reduce the cost of the model (and it certainly won't work to attribute the Sennheiser MX 365 to expensive headphones). But at the same time, let's not forget that before us is a product of a respected brand, for which headphones are one of the main areas of activity. The manufacturer claims the sensitivity of the model is 110 dB in the classical frequency range of 20 Hz — 20 kHz. Moreover, there is no reason to doubt the above parameters. Separately, the manufacturer notes outstanding bass abilities — this is an undoubted plus, especially in the street conditions of a large city, the noise of which masks precisely the low-frequency part of the sound spectrum. At a very humane price, in terms of sound quality, these headphones are able to approach the overhead models, providing a fairly clean and accurate sound, in particular, due to the correct positioning of the membrane relative to the ear canal. Obviously, the Sennheiser MX 365 can rightfully be called a classic model — both in design and in sound parameters. At the same time, there are all possible disadvantages of classic earbuds — there may be compatibility problems with the auricle. However, if there were no problems with another similar model, there will not be this time. |
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This model has another name — JBL Tempo. Classic symmetrical drop housings allow us to classify this model of inserts as a classic. In addition, over its much more than half a century of history, the truly sonic JBL brand has become truly experienced and authoritative in the field of real American sound. The model reproduces the entire audible range from 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz, while the claimed sensitivity index is 113 dB. That's why the sound is good here — light, precise, with articulated "bottoms". Of course, it is very good that "... for greater comfort and longer listening time, a pair of foam pads is included in the JBL Tempo headphone set." That's just one pair — this, usually, is not enough, and the pads tend to get lost. And caution will not help here, because most of the time the earbuds travel in the darkness of a pocket or a woman's purse, where anything can happen, especially when removing the headphones from there. But standard foam pads (ear pads) that fit on the cup are quite suitable for these inserts. However, in this case, the size of the inserts increases. The model is equipped with a standard length cable — 1.2 m, but according to many users, the cable is too thin. This option has its advantages — compactness and invisibility, for example. On the other hand, there have been cases of cutting the cable simply with a zipper from the jacket. The tensile strength or compression was also low. And if in some hands such a cable can still serve for a long time, then in others ... here everyone evaluates himself. By the way, the cable itself is equipped not with an L-shaped, but with a direct connector (plug). In some variants and habits of using a mobile gadget, such a difference may be preferable, although practice has shown that in most cases it is not. In this version, the plug has a shortened body protruding above the socket of the device — this is an undoubted plus. |
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Another "earphone" brand with its own version of "earbuds". These headphones can already be classified as a sports type. The fact is that they received additional and effective protection from falling out of the ears — the arches covering the ears, approximately as it happens when wearing glasses. The device really gives "confidence in the future" — with no shaking or tilting, there is not even a feeling that the headphones are ready to fall out. The effect is enhanced due to the fact that the shackles themselves are able to bend and maintain the resulting shape with a certain margin of elasticity — there is a very useful opportunity to "mold" the shape of the attachment exactly under their ears. The cable output is carried out not from the headphone housings, but from the tips of the shackles. That is, even the standard situation of "pulling the cable" does not mean that the earbud falls out of the ear. In principle, you can even forget about headphones with such a "fit" for a while — soon after putting them on, they become simply imperceptible. The effect is enhanced by the minimum weight of the product — there are not even five grams in it. To this, you can add a fairly strong cable with an audiophile conductor made of oxygen-free copper, on which an Apple-compatible razem and a remote control with a hands free microphone are located. The cable is equipped with a straight plug that many dislike. Headphones are available in several colour combinations, complete foam ear pads are painted accordingly, which, in principle, can not be used — a round rubber case with a metal grille protecting the diaphragm is inserted into the ear. For easy storage and carrying, the AKG K326 kit has a high-quality hard case with a zipper. If we talk about the sensitivity indicator, the model demonstrates a record 126 decibels, working in an extended range — from 17 to 23000 Hz, which even with not the highest power of 15 MW gives a sound with a large margin in volume. The headphones are capable of producing a natural, lively sound with a well-balanced tonal balance for their class. The model is quite universal in all the genre diversity of modern music. Combined with the convenience of wearing, we have a good universal option for all occasions of mobile life. |
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Another variant of inserts that have received an unrecognized classifier of "pressure-type inserts". At the beginning of the second decade of the two thousandth, the world-famous, iconic American brand of guitar amplifiers and concert acoustics Marshall suddenly "lit up" at several major consumer electronics exhibitions with several verified models of headphones. Contrary to expectations, there were practically no products of the upper price segment or professional orientation among them — the emphasis was on headphones for mobile devices. If we talk about this particular model, then the image component is stronger here than anywhere else. Agree: wearing something in your ears that is almost indistinguishable from the volume control of the famous Marshall guitar amplifiers is cool! Well, at least for a fairly large number of our contemporaries. Turning to a serious tone, it is worth noting that the model is made qualitatively, thoroughly and inventively. The so-called "spacer" can be equipped with four options of rubber (rather, latex) tips, providing a tight, reliable fixation in the ear with the maximum degree of comfort. A uniform and tight fit of the gilded grill (a perforated metal mesh covering the speaker) to the ear canal is ensured. The cable ends with a straight classical guitar jack. That's just three-millimetre and four-pin (two contacts are enough for an electric guitar, and the jack itself is twice as thick). To protect the cable from breaking, it is equipped with a spring, in addition, there is a fixing clothespin on the cable, there is a gold—plated nameplate with the famous text logo of the brand stamped on it. The cable itself is enclosed in a woven "stocking" of black colour — a reliable and stylish solution. With standard indicators of resistance, sensitivity and reproducible frequency range (32 ohms, 115 dB, 20 — 20000 Hz), Marshall Minor is able to create a good sound stage, with a fairly accurate reproduction of the entire audible range. Their sound and landing do not tyre, and the sound has a large volume margin, traditional for the brand. |
We have selected 5 models that can serve as an excellent solution for a noisy street. But in vain.
Many contemptuously call them "plugs" and treat them as something obviously of low quality. But in vain.
We have selected 5 headphones that can turn listening to music into a real pleasure.
It is convenient to take any of these models with one hand, put them in a laptop bag and go anywhere.
In this article we will briefly tell you about the 5 most interesting shelf-type speakers.
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