New in-ear earbuds

Dear community, I’d like to have your sincere and unbiased opinion regarding this matter. I’ve been rocking for many years the Sennheiser CX300 Precision II. The sound was really satifying for me, balanced and maybe a bit biased towards highs but not too much. What I really didn’t like was the fit, one earbud was not sealing properly (asimmetric ears). Also I sent back a pair because the left bud failed and it failed again on this pair. I listen to many different genres but mostly metal so I can spot a muddy sounding device from a mile away once I put it through it’s paces. The price range would be 30-35€ at max since I’m not asking for the world and I’ll be using them during commutes so if I accidentally break them I’ll not commit seppuku.

Browsing the Amazon forest of junk three pairs caught my eyes:

  • Sennheiser CX 3.00
    [revisited design compared to the CX 300, should fit better and sound the same]

  • Sony MDR-XB50AP
    [I’ve had a pair of Sony buds in the past, I like them but now I’m scared that they’d sound way too basy for me]

  • Pioneer SE-CH3T
    [same price as the ones above, look like they’ll fit me well and they’re hi-res which really intrigues me but can’t find any comment about it]

If you have any other suggestion I’ll be happy to hear back from you. I’m not really sold on buying again a pair of CX300 because of the reliability not being too high and the funky fit with my right ear but they’re a last resort for sure. Thanks!

Soundmagic E10C’s is what I upgraded to from my CX300 II’s.

The E10C’s are much better sounding IMO. Really impressive for the price.

1 Like

I’m a Sony shill. I don’t think I would go for the xb50s simply because their cheaper ones are really good. My favorite so far of all the cheap sonys are the mdr ex110ap. I have several pairs and these hit the spot for me. Only downside is they are discontinued. The mdr ex155ap is their replacement as far as I can tell but they aren’t as comfortable for me.

Also consider KZ ZST. They don’t come with great tips but they are pretty ergonomic, sound pretty good, and the cable is replaceable. I put the Sony tips on them and they are my close second. The replaceable cable is maybe worth it for you.

The KZ lineup is nice but avoid anything but the ZST and the ZS3 imo. I’ve tried a bunch of theirs but those are the most comfortable and good sound for the money.

1 Like

I’ve seen them around but people say that are overrated and whathifi reviewed them too well for what they are. Unfortunately they’re 45€ so outside my budget. Thanks for the suggestion.

@Adubs The Sony you mentioned are not avalable unfortunately. How would you say those KZ ZST sound?

That sucks. I thought that might be the case. I can still get them on Amazon but they’ve gone up in price.

The KZ are warm, not too bassy, they roll off on the highs and mids but not bad. They are certainly eq-able to your sound preference and mostly flat. You will need your own tips as I mentioned. The Sony tips worked great for me and you can buy those separate, or you can find your own option.

Don’t just take my word, check Amazon reviews, check headphone review sites. A lot of people love these for their price. I think they’re great but l preferred the sound profile of the sony I mentioned.

1 Like

I got the TRN V80 from aliexpress for about $25 I had to wait about a month to get them though. I heard good things about the TIN Audio T2 also if you like a neutral sound you can get them for 30 on aliexpress.

1 Like

I personally avoid sennheiser earbuds like the plague. I think I have never had a pair last more than a few months. I am currently using the AKG earbuds that come free with the Galaxy S9 and they are the best earbuds I have ever used by a huge margin (never got any above £30).

1 Like

I’ve looked around and everyone stands by your words, they sound good for the price. But I’ve heard once too many times people lamenting about the cables just not securely fit into the earbud.

@pancake To be honest I avoid buying things off of chinese sites because it takes way too long for those things to arrive and the wait it’s not worth the saving in my opinion. Also, if I have any problems, I’m stuck. Thanks for taking time to answer me, I appreciate it!

@FrogE To each his own, I happened to like how they sound. Unfortunately they’re not available for me on Amazon. Thanks for the suggestion.

Ive tried the ZST, ZS3, ZS5, and ZS6 all with removable cable (also had the ATE but its non removable). This was never an issue for me and I question what cable they are using. Not all of them are compatible with eachother. They will fit but not engage fully. If anything I’ve had them too tight and it requires more force than most people would probably think is necessary to get them to seat fully and I wonder if thats where the problem lies. :man_shrugging:

1 Like

Don’t get me wrong I loved the sound, I just disliked that they stopped working after a short period of time.

2 Likes

I guess you’re probably right. Sometimes people just do dumb things and review bad a product because they do something wrong. I think many of the bad reviews IEMs get are based on people not sitting them properly which means a bad seal in the ear canal and a really tiny sound.

1 Like

Yep either that or tip the wrong size for their ear.