Tuesday 28 February 2017

Best earphones under 1000 $20





                   
  1.        SoundMAGIC ES18S
  2.      Cowon EM1
  3.      Sennheiser CX 180
  4.      Sony MDR-EX15AP Earphone
  5.      JBL T100A Wired Headphones
  6.      Panasonic RP-TCM125E 
  7.      Philips SHE3205







Cowon EM1:


But my pick was Cowon EM1 I am using it for the last 3 years best in that range of earphones. 

One of the noticeable features of the EM1 is the flat cable. The 1.2 m Y-cable features a flat, flexible construction found usually on premium earphones. 10 mm dynamic drivers housed in a well-crafted plastic/rubber composite enclosure that looks gorgeous to boot An inline microphone located behind a solidly-built Play/Pause cum Call Answer button. The tangle-free cord has just the right length to reach your phone The assortment of silicone ear tips provided in small, medium and large sizes ensure a good enough seal for tight bass reproduction. these earphones are extremely comfortable and can be worn for hours without any signs of discomfort.

As is expected of good quality audio equipment, the 3.5 mm jack is gold-plated to minimise noise and to establish better electrical contact with the audio source.There is nothing to complain about the soundstage performance, as the earphones are able to precisely reproduce locations of various musical instruments. But the Bass was little bit on the lower side. Definitely not for Bass heads but you can able to hear every instruments on the background. But the bass was not poor we can adjust it with equalizer. Worth every penny we spend.It also had mic version works with all kinds of phones.

Pros: 
Comfortable; Tangle-free flat cable; Handsfree functionality.

Cons: 
Audio appears to be held back in bass and mid-range; No volume control.

Verdict.

         Whether you come from the low or mid end IEMs, the EMI should definitely impress the pants off you. Everything about Cowon's performance, from accuracy of soundstage and imaging. I have also used Sannheiser cx 180 trust me EM1 is as good as cx 180.


Cowon EM1 In-Ear Headphone with Mic and Remote Amazon.


Sennheiser CX 180:


Contemporary design and high performance audio is what defines the Sennheiser CX 180 headphone head set. Its pair of high performing, noise-isolating ear-canal buds deliver an audio reproduction that is balanced, precise, and true-to-life. these headphones offer a frequency response of 40-18000 Hz to truly broaden your sound experiences. And now you can boost up your street style with its stylish and funky design, which is just what you need to stand out from the crowd. Compatible with all the popular music devices, these headphones will fit so snugly that you might even forget you’re wearing them. So take this travel-friendly companion for richer bass and improved audio reproduction wherever you go.

The Sennheiser CX180 has a lot going for it. It's inexpensive, well designed for the price, and has a sonic signature that appeals to the masses. If you are looking for a simple, comfortable and bass-driven pair of in-ear headphones, consider the Sennheiser CX180. These earphones with their solid sturdy housing and ear tips that fit closely into your ear canal, ensure perfect noise isolation by cutting out external noise and delivering to you uncorrupted music. These earphones come with a 3.5mm jack which optimises them to be compatible with all phones and music players, including other portable devices.

Pros :
  • Good design and comfort 
  • Bass-driven sound 
Cons: 
  • Mids and highs are muted 
  • No microphone and in-line remote
Verdict:

     IF you looking for earphone with extra bass under 1000 than surely sennheiser CX 180 was the best. Surely it will not hurt you have more than an hour in ears.

Sennheiser CX 180  AMAZON


SoundMagic ES18S:

We all know SoundMagic as one of the strongest budget player in the market. They make some of the best sounding budget earphones and have many to choose from. PL11, PL21 were their best budget earphones a few years ago, since then they have had many earphones but none of the excelled like ES18, I think SoundMagic E10 is the only earphone that could have sold more units than ES18.

I personally love this earphone, one that is easy on our pocket and big on sound, comes with a MIC version too named ES18s. I have this particular MIC version for review here, priced close to $18(1099rs), retails for something like $11(689rs), hard to beat for that price. 

Accessories: 

It’s standard as always, like every SoundMagic earphone this too comes with a draw string carry pouch which has been a standard act since this brands inception I think, which is a really nice thing for budget earphones. Have a pc adaptor and standard 3 pairs of eartips, nothing fancy there. I am using stock single flange tips for this review, nice tips, wide bore too. It would have been nice if this had a cable clip but its okay. This has a different cable than the vanilla version, better thankfully, not as bouncy or rigid looking. It’s suppler and doesn’t have much memory thankfully. Microphonics is low but still annoying when you run with this. Thankfully you can wear these over your ear. Y splitter is the best you will find on an earphone, barely there, helps to keep the weight low, there is a cable slider too. Nice 3.5mm plug, on the bigger side but 90 degree angle means it’s not a problem. 

It is still not easy to see the L/R marking but this time around you can simply put the side with MIC in your LEFT and other in your right.Build is all plastic still good. Nice stress relievers all around, at the earpiece end, MIC, jack end, all have enough protection. There are two vents, one at the back and one under the nozzle.I am using stock tips, decent sounding one, burned for over 70hrs. This earphones sound sig is V shaped, highs had some spikes and elevation before burning but after that, it’s smoother, not as smooth as E10 but less spiky for sure. ES18s doesn’t need an amp to sound best and can be easily powered by our everyday Smart phones. Just plug in and enjoy. 

Audio Quality: 

The audio quality is not something that will bedazzle you but yeah they provide sufficient bass. Especially considering the price bracket I purchased it for, it’s definitely a deal breaker. I own a Samsung Galaxy S2, while using it in position A the audio works perfectly fine, but if you switch it to position B you get a sound as if the the earphones which are not connected properly. Even at higher volumes the ES18S will not shriek. The Bass and Treble levels are mixed in, but you always have the option of adjusting the output Equalizer through your phone’s settings or music player.



Pros:

Very balanced sound, Good bundled accessories, Very easy to drive, Excellent VFM, Very comfortable
drive, Excellent VFM, Very comfortable

Cons:

Build quality is a bit on the lower side, The earphone nozzle is not standard and some aftermarket ear tips won't fit these earphoness not stand
Conclusion:

The quality of the pouch is also not that great, but the adapter provided, which splits the single 3.5 mm jack into two separate elements one for the microphone while the other for the earphones, is pretty useful for those who using a computer. This is once gain gold plated, but no diagram or indicator stating which goes in their respective ports. You will have to figure that through the color or bands around the 3.5 mm jacks.

Considering the price at which I purchased this set, it’s definitely worth the buy. There is this peculiar thing I noticed, this model, ES18S the ones with microphone is exclusively only available on flipkart, I have not seen it on any other e-commerce website, whereas the ES18, the standard model without the microphones is available on other sites. Flipkart had some offer through which I purchased this particular ear set for 611 Indian Rupees, but normally you will find this for 849 Rupees.

Sony MDR-EX15AP:

The black MDR-EX15AP EX Monitor Headphones from Sony allows you to play back music and take calls from your portable device. Its in-line mic and remote are compatible with Sony's Smart Key app for Android devices which allows you to customize control of your Android phone. The headphones have 9mm drivers with Neodymium magnets, and include 3 pairs of silicone ear buds to provide a comfortable fit. The integrated microphone and multi-function control button make the MDR-EX15AP a companion for your smartphone. Android users can also use the Smart Key app for added control functionality directly from your smartphone. Hybrid silicone earbuds provide comfort; small, medium and large ear buds are included to fine tune your fitment. 9 mm dome type driver units coupled with high-energy neodymium magnets produce treble and mid range with powerful bass response. The Y-type cord with cord-slider prevents tangles on the go

Pros:
  • Powerful audio performance with rich lows and strong clarity in the highs
  • Can be used passively with included audio cable
  • Functional, comfortable design
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Noise cancellation is good, but not great
  • Included audio cable lacks inline remote
JBL T100A:
  • Driver – 8mm
  • Impedance – 16ohms
  • Sensitivity – 100dBSPL
  • Cable Length – 1.1m
  • Single Button to receive calls.
  • Mic in built.
The earphone is designed for cellphones so it also has mic and the best part, it is positioned perfectly, which assists you to make calls easily and person on the other side of call can hear you clearly. It’s not like other earphones which comes with cellphone because in most of the bundled earphones, mic is placed on the distant part of the headphone wire hence it becomes struggling for the person on other side of the call to hear the voice clearly. I’ve seen lots of people holding earphone’s mic near their mouth by using their hand struggling to talk. So this is the first thing I noticed in this earphone after unboxing.

The build quality is not premium but its good enough based on what you should expect in this price range.
Now coming to a very important part that is sound quality, I want to say that the customer feedbacks that I read about it was right. Yes it has very good sound quality. I don’t think I’ll get better sound quality in Rs 700/- whereas mic is an added advantage. The bass is bit weak but it can be managed via customizing equalizer settings. There are two things I would like to add, that everyone has their own choice of music and sound and other is sound quality which also depends on the audio output of devices. For example if I’m using it with Nexus 4 and One Plus One and I’m getting pretty much good sound quality on One Plus One including the bass.
Another thing I want to mention is, JBL T100 manages to deliver detail in its sound output. You can hear clarity in sound and you will feel every part of music very clearly. But on full volume it sounds bit noisy which can be managed by equalizer settings.
So overall this product is value for money and you can buy it if you are looking for earphone around Rs 700/-. On the contrary, if you can stretch your budget a bit more than you should go with Xiomi Piston or One Plus One Silver Bullet.
Single button remote/mic

PureBass performance
  • High sensitivity, extended frequency response
  • Silicone sleeves: small, medium and large
  • Enjoy heavyweight sound in lightweight headphones. 
Drawing on expertise learned from building some of the finest loudspeakers in the world, JBL engineers created lightweight, comfortable headphones that deliver signature JBL sound. The T100A’s 8mm drivers generate high sensitivity, extended frequency response and PureBass performance that is deep, powerful and accurate. So you hear the truth from your favorite music. And because we know headphones, like the music they deliver, are an extension of your personal style, JBL T100A’s are available in white, black or red and come with a durable cord for stress-free sound enjoyment. In addition, there’s an in-line microphone that lets you take calls without taking the headphones off. 

Performance:

On tracks with tremendous sub-bass content, like the Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the T100A does not distort, even at maximum volumes—although it produces vibrations at maximum volumes that seem to imply the drivers are awfully close to getting fuzzy. At reasonable listening levels, however, the T100A packs some serious bass thump, and the vibrations disappear. This is a pair of earphones for big bass lovers, pure and simple. The T100’s A bass-heavy mix has just enough high-mid and high frequency presence to keep things clear, but if you favor a bright sound, or crisp vocals, these earphones might not do it for you.  Instead, the loop here seems to exist mainly in the mids and lows, with a focus on its sustain rather than the attack of the beat. Meanwhile, the sub-bass synth hits that occur every so often beneath the beat are given some serious boosting. Even at moderate levels, the T100A sounds like it’s packing a subwoofer inside. You can still hear the vocals on this track just fine, but they do battle with the massive low-end thump on this track the whole time.

For the price, the JBL T100A is a bargain for bass lovers—you get an inline remote and mic for mobile devices, and you get distortion-free, deep low-end.

PROS:
  • Booming sub-bass response without distortion. Inline three-button remote and
  • microphone for mobile devices. Reasonably-priced for its performance level.
CONS:

Not for purists seeking flat response or crisp highs. Can be difficult to get a

secure fit.

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