Typically, we tend to use the earphones that comes along the purchase of a new phone. But, more often than not – they are of mediocre quality. Most recent example being the Sony Xperia Z2 (in India). Below are short reviews of a few popular earphones –
Apple EarPods – Apple gave their earbuds an all new design and launched it alongside the iPhone 5. These earphones claim to be designed such a way that its fits more securely into your ear. The design is good, fits in quite comfortably and sound is pretty decent — Apple hasn’t really been associated with exceptional sound. But noise isolation is really bad for the price.
Sennheiser CX680 – These earphones are a part of the Sennheiser and Adidas alliance. Hence, quite obviously they are made for sports use. Unboxing this one was a pain as there were so many attachments and then that huge pouch to keep the earphones in is a total put off. The color is funky (neon) and the sound quality is pretty good but it refuses to stay in your ear while running on the treadmill.
Monster iSport Strive – So this earphone was raved about so much that I had to get it (after my second Klipsch S3 broke). Bought for a $120, the fit was horrible. Forget running, they barely stay in your ear while walking. So much for their “breakthrough” (read weird) design. And, the less talk about its noise isolation the better.
Klipsch S3 – Very very good earphones for their price. Almost tangle free. Great sound, excellent noise isolation and great for running too. It comes with 3 different size earbuds and a easy to carry case. Infact, I liked them so much that I bought them twice (sadly, both broke)
Klipsch R6i – So finally I went back to Klipsch after the iSport disaster. Bored of the S3 and with the want to try something new, I finally settled for the Klipsch R6i (the rest were way out of my budget). And, as expected they are GOOD. Similar quality of the S3, just a thicker cord and a tad better sound. Probably I expected more for $160 but still quite happy with them.
