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stevo

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morning. the gammy phones that came with my n505 have finally packed in so im on the market for a new pair - basically i will have to get a pair this weekend. I use the MC11EL remote with the portable - does anyone have any suggestions for good earphones? - buds i suppose.

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Hi, yes, well they fit very comfortably in my ears, though some people have said they don't like the fit. They're a bit smaller I'd say than the Sony stock buds. I use the foam pads that come with them, and they help keep them in place. I get replacement foamies from HMV.

Over here, MX300 = £10, MX400 = £15, MX500 = £20 in the shops, EX71 = £35, but all probably cheaper if you can get them online.

By the way, Sharp portables get the MX300 as their bundled earphones...

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We had richer sounds here up until quite recently but they have left the republic now. don't know why - it was a great shop - bought all my MD/Home Theatre stuff there. I'm sure I'll find those earbuds somewhere here though. thanks very much. :grin:

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Hmmm. Well I personally HATE the Sennheiser MX series, I had the MX500's and they fit really loosely in my ears and always fell out . I also found the sound to be extremely bright and fatiguing. They provide zero isolation so they're pretty useless in noisy enviroments if you just want to hear the music and they leak a hell of a lot. I'd personally choose the something from the Sennheiser PX range, the PX100's are excellent for portable use but I'd recommend the PX200's as they provide a little isolation for times when you want to block out some of the loud outside noise and they also sound pretty great providing you get the seal over your ears right. They're also very compact (they fold up into a glasses case style box) and they're durable.

However, you may still like the MX's as it seems a few people do, but I personally don't recommend them at all.

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yikes - very conflicting opinions. i cant use the px's as i use my md a lot when driving my motorbike. no comments please on road safety/the law - I KNOW. so i need the buds as they are the only type of earphones that allow a helmet. i have senn hd's for home use cant remember which model but mid range ones - about €60 and the produce great sound - terrific bass - so i might try the mx500's - is the bass good with these ones.

by bright do you mean tinkery and not enough bass?

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TBH, I'm finding I do not really care for *any* buds as time goes by. My latest purchase in this area, the EX71's, sound pretty decent, are comfortable and are ideal for certain types of music with 'slam.' Their isolation is so-so, better than any other bud I've tried, but still not enough for anything except inside auditioning. The EX71's stay reasonably secure in the ear for things like riding a stationary bike, but can fall out like any other bud.

I do own the ER-4P's and those babies are perfect for blocking out the world and have FAR more detail. Maybe too much isolation for walking, though, and not good for workouts.

I'd like to try the PX200's, but my weedy Sony headphone amps will probably not do them justice.

I have a set of MX400's but can't recall the last time I used them. I also have the E888's, which work well with classical and jazz. From a bass standpoint, the EX71's are clearly the best of the bunch.

So many opinions about buds, eh? Can someone lend me their Auvi unit to see how well the PX200's work out?

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If you pop over to London, SBG, I'll give you a demo. :smile:

I actually prefer the MX300/400 style 4 pole buds that you get with the DR420 for listening on that machine. I've tried a few standard 3 poles with it, including the PX100, PX200 and PortaPros, and felt there was something lacking. Maybe Sharp have something in their claim about separation/clarity with these 1-bitters.

Stevo. If you can afford a tenner (or whatever it is in Euros), I'd say give the MX300 a try, you won't be losing much. True, they don't give much isolation, but if you must use them while motorcycling that's surely not a bad thing for you and other road-users (OK, lecture over :wacky: ). And they're much better than any Sony stock buds. Use the foam-pads (and get some spares) and they'll fit snugly and not fall out. I believe the foam pads help bring the bass out too, but then I'm not much of bass fiend..

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Kevin,

Sounds like you're gravitating towards the Auvi camp. I suppose an 8 mW amp does make a lot of difference with certain headphones. I do like the EX71's for riding my bike exerciser, but, as is the case with all buds, they do tend to slip out of my ear for any other type of activity, although they are more secure than any other bud I've tried.

The PX200's are the most intriguing cans I don't have, and the curiosity may get the best of me and I might get them, at least to use with my PC.

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SBG, I'd say at the moment I'm most impressed by Auvi of all the recent sonic developments for immediacy through headphones. Maybe Sony's HD digital amp will prove even better.

I'm still a Sony man at heart basically though - the flat line-out of the higher end models is the purest I've heard, and ultimately more satisfying IMO, than Sharps slightly bass-heavy approach.

Do try the PX200 though, they're cute and comfortable. Probably good on a flight or train if you need a bit of isolation. The PX100 beat them for overall clarity, but aren't so comfy to wear I find.

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  • 4 weeks later...

kjpalmer - i took your advice - last Saturday i was in HMV in Dublin and I bought the sennheiser mx400's - the mx500's were there aswell but it looked like they were the same except for volume control on the 500's which I don't need as i have a remote anyway.

They were 25 euro - i suppose about 17 sterling. I was sort of disappointed at first but i stuck the foam pads on them and maybe they needed a wear in or something but they are great. Nice bass - not tremendous but nice, and good clear sound. Isolation is good - I have bowie blaring on them now - and no one in work is complaining so presumably they can't hear anything. The fit was only okay but with the pads on they fit perfectly.

So I'm happy with them anyway - thanks. They are my main phones now for work- motorbike etc.

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Glad you like them Stevo, yep they have exactly the same spec as the MX500.

And yes, like any decent headphones, they needed a little "burn-in" time to loosen up the coils. They don't leak much sound unlike many buds, I've always found them a nice tight fit with the foam pads, and so are quite safe to enjoy on the train, etc.

Cheers!

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  • 4 weeks later...

If you want isolation from outside noise, i'd recommend Koss' The Plug v.2. They aren't as costy as sony's EX-71 and in my opinion isolates better. I often take the train to go to school and i needed something to cut out the noise. I tried The Plug and i could take the volume down two notches than i would normally have it with normal buds. But i wanted more isolation and i bought EX-71 thinking it'd be better. I was wrong! 40$ (canadian) over Koss', i think it's not worth it. The EX-71 does isolate somewhat, somewhat less than Koss's The Plug, and on top of that i think it's less powerful. To have my EX-71 as loud as my The Plug, i needed to put it one or two volume notch above. EX-71's bass is more solid and dense, The Plug was a bit mudy but in all it doesn't really matter since i listen in the train and The Plug gives a more powerful bass.

On another note, the Plug's foam isn't very durable, after i while it'll crack and split and they are a bit too big for my ears. I heard over the net that there was a crack for The Plug's foam, you could replace it with some other stuff that would make the bass response incredible. I never tried though. The EX-71 has smaller more confortable foams (they're not really foam either). I imported mine from japan and they had three bud size, but i think the north american version only has two (the two bigger size). Perhaps i'm wrong. If you want to get the EX-71, get the japanese version, it's SL and wouldn't be excessively long for those who has a remote on their MD.

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