I just thought I’d share this with you all, I’ve been using Creative EP-480 in ear headphones for over a year now, and they are the best headphones I’ve ever had. They are conventional in ear phones (not earbud type) and thus go in instantly without any fiddling, but the bass is fantastic, as is the entire rest of the audio range.
And guess how much they cost? £3.00! On Ebay.
I’ve used umpteen other types of in ear phones and found almost all of them to be completely lacking in bass. The only other ones I have that are good are some dirt cheap Aiwa ones that came with a personal stereo (yes, cassette!) that I bought about twenty years ago, Koss ‘The Plug’, which also give great sound, but are a real pain to put in, plus the foam will eventually need replacing (I use orange 3M earplugs that I cut to shape myself). And finally, a pair of Philips in ear phones that have a soft rubbery circle that fits into your ear, these also go in easily and give a good fit. (Sorry, can’t remember the model number).
I’ve looked all over the internet for some decent reviews of in ear phones, but all I can find are ones about ‘audiophile’ ones that cost a bomb, but none (of course) that would dare compare them to £3.00 ones like these…
Has anybody else tried the EP-480s? Or any of the other Creative ones?
I wonder what the pro’s have to tell about such earwarmers…
I have Sennheiser HD560 Ovation for over 15 years now The only thing i had to replace was a cup so far… (that and that the plugs got broken so i had to hardwire the lines to the cups with soldering, which was very hard to get this done).
Talking about being attached to a brand and model.
Great forum for headphones btw. I just ordered some Sennheiser CX-300s for my iPod (they’re great for noisy train rides etc). They are the best value in the 40 euro range. However, I don’t think I’ll ever use them for production; don’t expect them to sound as good as full size cans unless you go in the multiple hundred euro/dollar range.
Also, about the quality vs. price. Sure those 3 quid phones may sound awesome compared to earbuds coming free with devices, but IEMs are inherently never as good a value for money as bigger phones. For example a cheap Sennheiser PX100 (open, midsize) will blow almost everything away in its price range.
i use Etymotic Research ER-6 in-ear monitors. they cancel out up to 36dbs of surrounding noise and get a flat bass frequency response down to about 20hz. they cost about $100 on ebay, but for earphones you can use to track on stage next to a drummer going bernserk and also on an airplane during transatlantic flight, they can’t be beat.
I’m happy with them, but they do tire my ears fast, as opposed to the regular cans (I have a Sennheiser PX 100 very good and cheap and an Audio-Technica ATH-M40fs, last one I use for production when not using my monitors)
I don’t think they’re fakes. I’ve bought some from several different suppliers on Ebay, all for £3.00 or thereabouts, and they’re all fantastic earphones.
Would any of you consider buying a pair so you can compare them for yourself? They sound incredible to me, better than any of the other ones I’ve tried. I’ve tried loads of £15 - £20 ones from various ‘big’ makes (all in ear types) and apart from the ones I’ve already mentioned, which I still own, I took all the rest back and got refunds.
I’ve had the same problem with in ear phones that actually go into the ear canal, they feel a bit like they’re stretching your ear canal after an hour or two. The EP-480s don’t have that problem, as they just sit in the ear, but still give perfect bass.
I’ll get a pair of PX100s to have a listen, I only wear headphones in the house. (I wouldn’t personally ever wear headphones out of doors - it pays to be able to hear what’s happening around you - it could save your life, even on a train!)
The only thing i had to replace was a cup so far… (that and that the plugs got broken so i had to hardwire the lines to the cups with soldering, which was very hard to get this done).