Another pair bites the dust…what’s the sweetspot in terms of sounding OK, lasting reasonably long, and not costing too much, say <£20?

Sennheiser CX300-II

The sound quality is amazing, and that’s not just taking into account the price. I get about a year out of them before the jack breaks. I have to find a set that last last longer than that.

I don’t recommend A-Jays. The flat cable does mean they don’t tangle up. But it does mean they keep falling out or catch the wind (and fall out). The sound quality is average too.

Skull Candy ones from TKMaxx, about a tenner.

Where have they broken?

Without being a snob about it, I did tend to find the cheaper ones (<£20) went rather quickly – a year a pair was about my average. That said, some brands of more expensive ones (£100+) also only lasted that long.

Would second Sennheisers; I also quite liked Sony’s EX in-ear line

all of mine die just above the jack. i’m lucky if i get 10 weeks out of them.

Soundmagic E10 – bit over-budget but bloody awesome.

What are you lot doing with them!?

What are you lot doing with them!?

😀

Skullcandys from TKmaxximus over 5 yrs,worn most working days on the commute.

I got through ~5 pairs of CX-300s over a few years. Not sure if they were fake (had heard stories of fakes floating around the internet) but had enough and got a pair of these Denons. Had no trouble since, can’t say they’re any better or worse than the Sennheisers soundwise, I’m happy.

It’s better to spend a bit more, and get some with replaceable cables, like the Shure SE215’s. these are the cheapest with replaceable cables, and are around the £100 mark. Not cheap, but break several pairs at £20-25 a throw, and the Shure’s become good value. The other thing is the standard cables are pretty heavy-duty, and the plug is angled, so that there’s less pressure on the joint when in your pocket. Sound-wise they’re outstanding, if you use the triple-flange eartips, and very comfortable. They sit right in your ears, so don’t catch on things like beany hats, either.
I’ve yet to see a good review of the Skull Candy ‘phones, practically every review of them have been pretty dismissive.
There are better cheap ‘phones around. Mee Electronics M6 Sports are very good, especially if you get one of their holiday special offers, and very occasionally they do a BOGOF deal too. I’ve got a couple of pairs, which I got on a deal, cost me £11/pair! Dead comfy, sit right in the ear, don’t get caught on clothing like hats, etc.
http://www.meelec.com/MEElectronics_M6P_Stylish_Earphones_p/earphone-m6p-mee.htm
Currently on sale at $34.99
http://www.meelec.com/M6_Series_earphones_s/246.htm
Or $29.99 for the clear and coloured ones. I’ve been using mine for nearly three years, so I have good experience with these.

Ta CZ, I may try those 215s.

Are these for running al or just general mincing around?

I have tried earbuds for running, but they always fall out of my weird shaped ears. 😡 For running, I went to these badgers. Nothing amazing sound-wise but great for running. I’ve never “felt” them on the back of my head/neck.

General listening DD, 215’s now bought!

Bought the those shure 215’s at the airport for a recent trip. Really happy with the sound, and the “insurance” from being able to replace the cables.

Enjoy!

I have tried earbuds for running, but they always fall out of my weird shaped ears.

That’s where the Mee M6 Sports win, they come with triple-flange eartips, which fit into the ear canal, and don’t dislodge easily, in fact you’re more likely to rip the cable off than pull them out of your ears!
As I’ve found, catching the cable on a door handle; I came to a very abrupt stop!
The Shure’s come with triple-flange eartips, and Mee Electronics sell their eartips as kits, or as sets of large or small triple-flange, which will fit earphones with large diameter acoustic tubes, and Shure sell Triple-flange tips which fit small diameter acoustic tubes. Really worth investing in, they make a huge difference in both comfort, and particularly the sound quality. They seal the ear canal, cutting background noise drastically, and improve bass response.
The only better mod is a pair of custom-fit silicon eartips, but those’ll cost £112, against about a tenner or so.

Wow, talk about upselling!
When you listen to the Shures you won’t regret upgrading to them. You may feel that you need to upgrade your other audio elements though: home hifi, quality of MP3 encoding etc.. 😉

Earbuds?

Don’t be such a tosser. 😀

They do not work.
They sound awful.

Just buy some decent headphones.
Seriously – a pointless concept sold to the commercially vulnerable.

nick – cheers, I’m happy to invest in them as long as they dno’t break.

Rusty, don’t be a fool.

Seriously – a pointless concept sold to the commercially vulnerable.

I question your use of the word “concept” there. I’m not buying a concept, I’m buying headphones. Also, I have NFI what “commercially vulnerable” means.

I had loads, up to about £30 each. I use them at the gym. Always playing up after a while, got really fed up buying new ones. Now using some in ear ones from aldi, these have been great! Longest lasting so far and about £3.99. Bought a few spare sets, but have not used them yet.

Hth Simone