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Anyone using an aftermarket headset with the phone? I've been using the phone as my sole music player (sorry cowon d2+) and i want to get a bit more sound quality out of them. IEM that comes with the phone is not bad but i keep reaching over for my over the ear headphones and that also means i have to use the phone for conversation instead of leaving it in the pocket
I was thinking of giving the phonak PFE 022 a try. Any suggestions?
I've been using the UE TripleFi 10vi, they work just fine.
Until I recently got my BT headphones, I was using the motorola EH20's. They're inexpensive (<20$), hit like a train ,they sound 10x better than the ones that come with the captivate, literally, I put those ones in once and after that they stayed in the box lol, and theyre really good at noise cancelling. More than I expected for what I paid. and for being headphones, if you put them in correctly, they wont come out. Ive ran with them many times and not once did they fall out.
I was using my Shure 115's ....till I lost them in my gf's messy ass room. So I got a pair of "Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's" coming in tomorrow for $60 on sale at buy.com. I'll give a review tomorrow.
mikeypopps said:
I was using my Shure 115's ....till I lost them in my gf's messy ass room. So I got a pair of "Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's" coming in tomorrow for $60 on sale at buy.com. I'll give a review tomorrow.
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Click to collapse
I look forward to the review
mesasone said:
I've been using the UE TripleFi 10vi, they work just fine.
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Click to collapse
I haven't personally experienced the UE TripleFI 10/10vi but from what i hear from the price point which it's in ($300+ range), i've seen a bit of mix reviews on the unit. I frequent head-fi.org and those guys are very picky.
If you don't mind, do you mind providing a bit more review on the headset? UE Triple FI 10 is definitely on the top of my list but i don't want to make too much compromises just for the mic capability
Hey Guys. I was using my old iPhone earbuds that came with my old iPhone 3G until they broke. My wife has a HTC Aria and the earbuds that came with them have 3 controls on them plus the mic. Any idea if you can get something with more than just the one control on the wire to work with the Captivate?
compared to the 115s
So the Ultimate Ears came in today - Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's
Come with two sizes of memory foam earbuds and 4 sizes of silicon.
The port on the Shure's is much smaller allowing you to compress the memory foam a good bit smaller before insertion.
As well at Shure's foam is black and slick coated allowing for easier insertion and wont get earwax colored.
Click to control works just as a pause and play button for music no track skipping.
The mic is still well placed when you use the phones in the over the ear configuration. Landing somewhere mid jaw.
Plugging them into our 3.5 port is very snug almost worrying that you might be making it to loose for other plugs. But at least you wont pull these out by accident.
The mic pick up is very good even in loud environments.
Sound clarity is great I tested them with some Lady Gaga, Simon & Garfunkel, R Kelly, Kesha, and Big Boi. All in flac format, I love that our phones can play flac. Sound were very crisp and tight. Older songs like Simon & Garfunkel sounded better with our 5.1 on but others like Big Boi Shutter Bug are muddled by it.
Bass production is good and more than suffice for my music , but then again that could be the flac helping a lot. I like clean bass its bad if it distorts the other channels. I only expect the bass to get better once they get some more time on them and open up.
Now as for as construction compared to Shure's. Nothing can top Shures they just feel solid. And their customer service is bar none. But if I never have to call Ultimate Ears about these it would be an even better testimony.
The biggest difference sound wise compared to shure 115's is the hi's sound punchier more tuned with the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's not better but different, I think better for classical music would be the best way to describe it. Better for Lady Gaga too with all the crazy sounds in the background coming out more. The choice and ears are yours. Obviously the 115's dont have an inline mic so nothing to mention there.
mikeypopps said:
So the Ultimate Ears came in today - Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's
Come with two sizes of memory foam earbuds and 4 sizes of silicon.
The port on the Shure's is much smaller allowing you to compress the memory foam a good bit smaller before insertion.
As well at Shure's foam is black and slick coated allowing for easier insertion and wont get earwax colored.
Click to control works just as a pause and play button for music no track skipping.
The mic is still well placed when you use the phones in the over the ear configuration. Landing somewhere mid jaw.
Plugging them into our 3.5 port is very snug almost worrying that you might be making it to loose for other plugs. But at least you wont pull these out by accident.
The mic pick up is very good even in loud environments.
Sound clarity is great I tested them with some Lady Gaga, Simon & Garfunkel, R Kelly, Kesha, and Big Boi. All in flac format, I love that our phones can play flac. Sound were very crisp and tight. Older songs like Simon & Garfunkel sounded better with our 5.1 on but others like Big Boi Shutter Bug are muddled by it.
Bass production is good and more than suffice for my music , but then again that could be the flac helping a lot. I like clean bass its bad if it distorts the other channels. I only expect the bass to get better once they get some more time on them and open up.
Now as for as construction compared to Shure's. Nothing can top Shures they just feel solid. And their customer service is bar none. But if I never have to call Ultimate Ears about these it would be an even better testimony.
The biggest difference sound wise compared to shure 115's is the hi's sound punchier more tuned with the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's not better but different, I think better for classical music would be the best way to describe it. Better for Lady Gaga too with all the crazy sounds in the background coming out more. The choice and ears are yours. Obviously the 115's dont have an inline mic so nothing to mention there.
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Click to collapse
How's the battery life with Flac? I tried the same buds and hated them b/c of the lack of bass reproduction, even in 320kbps variable.
Wow - finally a post I can offer some real assistance.
I'm a musician, and I have the Shure E2 and the UE Superfi.5 (the originals, which they don't sell anymore) for my wireless monitoring on stage. Both are excellent phones, although I think the quality of the UEs are better and the sound is a bit cleaner through all the frequencies.
My best advice is to replace the foam on either with Comply tips, they are tons more comfortable and mold much better to the ear. You'll notice a difference immediately, but a huge difference after an hour.
Thanks for the replies everyone.
Here is my last question. Can i buy UE TripleFi 10 and replace the wire with TripleFi 10vi? i think i've heard that they're compatible but i wasn't exactly sure
60hzrumble said:
Wow - finally a post I can offer some real assistance.
I'm a musician, and I have the Shure E2 and the UE Superfi.5 (the originals, which they don't sell anymore) for my wireless monitoring on stage. Both are excellent phones, although I think the quality of the UEs are better and the sound is a bit cleaner through all the frequencies.
My best advice is to replace the foam on either with Comply tips, they are tons more comfortable and mold much better to the ear. You'll notice a difference immediately, but a huge difference after an hour.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@60hzrumble
Thanks. I play bass and like bass in my rock music. For instance, take the song Airbag from Radiohead's OK Computer. great bass in a non-funky/r&b song. On my old Sony X Walkman this sounded awesome. The bass sounds great on the Captivate using Rock On (cubed) with my Skullcandy Heavy Metals, but there is not enough at the high-end. The 5vi's are awesome on the high-end. Any recommendations for good overall reproduction?
You might be heading to dual driver land aka $200+ phones land.
60hzrumble said:
My best advice is to replace the foam on either with Comply tips, they are tons more comfortable and mold much better to the ear. You'll notice a difference immediately, but a huge difference after an hour.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the foam on comply tips slick coated like Shure's are. I knew its brody licking them before compressing and inserting but the Shures just slide right in when you do that.
What are some good ones? And best file to play music in?
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.
Thread moved to accessories. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.
Thanks
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vote for seinhesser ...
syaugi said:
vote for seinhesser ...
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Click to collapse
Thanks
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alexisrobbinson said:
you need good cheap earphone. I know where you can get such an eraphone. I just get one from this shop:
http://www.awholesalecompany.com/earphones-for-all-ipod-models-and-other-device.html
it is comfortable to wear them on and the voice is quite clear. are you attracted by it?
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Thanks dude
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What is your price range? I mean at a certain price you can only sound so good. If you are willing to up your price I can find you a deal that offers a lot of 'bang for your buck' as they say haha
Drzfr3shboialex said:
What are some good ones? And best file to play music in?
Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a pair of jvc marshmallows. They are really good quality. Maybe the best quality ive seen for under $20 in-ear headphones.
Now I also got a pair of Sony MDR-XB500's. The best headphones I've experienced so far! The Sony's are around $45-$50, maybe cheaper now, since I bought mine over a year ago. They arent in-ear, they are actually very big, but lightweight and comfortable. Just a rant about my favorite headphones =-]
But ya, You should try DBPoweramp. It has alot of support for audio types, like mp3,mp4,m4a,flac etc...
You should also try using lossless audio music, it takes up more space but is definitely worth it if you want the best audio experience.
System of a Down in .FLAC is the most amazing audio experience i've had in my short 19 years (well 20 now, since todays my bday)
sparkplug619 said:
I got a pair of jvc marshmallows. They are really good quality. Maybe the best quality ive seen for under $20 in-ear headphones.
Now I also got a pair of Sony MDR-XB500's. The best headphones I've experienced so far! The Sony's are around $45-$50, maybe cheaper now, since I bought mine over a year ago. They arent in-ear, they are actually very big, but lightweight and comfortable. Just a rant about my favorite headphones =-]
But ya, You should try DBPoweramp. It has alot of support for audio types, like mp3,mp4,m4a,flac etc...
You should also try using lossless audio music, it takes up more space but is definitely worth it if you want the best audio experience.
System of a Down in .FLAC is the most amazing audio experience i've had in my short 19 years (well 20 now, since todays my bday)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to the JVC marshmallows, i found i got better sound and they were a bit more comfortable when i switched the marshmallows to the tips from my old apple IEMs, you can get the tips online pretty cheap.
sparkplug619 said:
I got a pair of jvc marshmallows. They are really good quality. Maybe the best quality ive seen for under $20 in-ear headphones.
Now I also got a pair of Sony MDR-XB500's. The best headphones I've experienced so far! The Sony's are around $45-$50, maybe cheaper now, since I bought mine over a year ago. They arent in-ear, they are actually very big, but lightweight and comfortable. Just a rant about my favorite headphones =-]
But ya, You should try DBPoweramp. It has alot of support for audio types, like mp3,mp4,m4a,flac etc...
You should also try using lossless audio music, it takes up more space but is definitely worth it if you want the best audio experience.
System of a Down in .FLAC is the most amazing audio experience i've had in my short 19 years (well 20 now, since todays my bday)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, and happy birthday : D
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xiaosha said:
cheap doesn't means bad
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Click to collapse
I dont think anyone said that yet.
sparkplug619 said:
I dont think anyone said that yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one has yet I but I will kind of say it now...
Almost no reason to waste space with flac files if you are going to use 20 dollar headphones. Not saying it's bad to buy cheaper head phones. We all have a budget but if you truly want to get an amazing audio experience these are really goo in terms of price and sound:
http://www.audeoworld.com/en/US/Products/PFE/AudeoPFE11.htm
And they are having a promotion where they give you a free pair of 99 dollar headphones with it. Insanely good deal for amazing IEMs
I know these aren't IEMs but the Grado sr60 headphones are incredible for the money. You will hear stuff you've never heard in recordings before.
Wow, I've been waiting for a thread like this. I'm a headphone addict, and have several different sets of IEM's, over the ear, on the ear, buds, etc. I've got cheap dinky ones and ones that were over $100. It all depends on what you want to get out of the music. This is vital, and if you have any headphone afficiando friends, they will be able to help you out. Also, as with any headphones, please break them in for 12 - 36 hours of constant music so that they can loosen up.
If you're talking about IEM's, the first and most basic thing to understand is that you get a good seal. Without that, every pair of IEM's you audition will sound like a box of crap. There will be no low-end bass, you'll have noise bleeding in from the outside world, and your view of IEM's will quickly get ugly. Try different tips, although I'm a big fan of foam tips, even though they have to be thrown away after a while. However, I've found that if you put them in warm (not hot, this will melt the glue that holds them in place) water for a few minutes, give them a good shaking, this will break up the earwax that builds up on them. Squeeze them dry with a towel, give them another couple hours to completely dry out, and BOOM, you doubled the life of that set of foam ear tips. I've had some last 3 or 4 times as long as they should have this way before they finally began to fall apart.
That being said, I'd start with something around $40 - $50. Altec-Lansing makes a model called the UHP-336. These Altec's are not bad at all, and are a good introduction into IEM's. I'm also a fan of Maximo IM-590's. I don't understand a lot of the bad reviews for them, I found them great for occasional listening.
Once you get used to them, and want to move up (you probably will), look at something like Etymotic er-6 series. I've got a pair of the ER-6i headpohones, and they are very good mid-range cans. Very nice step-up from the Altecs and the Maximos.
I finally splurged years ago and got a set of Shure e3c's, which aren't even made anymore. However, these IEM's are hands down my favorite headphones ever made. They cost me $110 second hand, and I use foam tips for mine. They've lasted me for over 8 years, although I wasn't using them for two or three of those years while I was trying out others. However, these IEM's have some of the best clarity I've ever heard out of any headphone I've ever owned. I hear nuances of music I didn't know existed. I've put thousands of hours of music and audio through them, and they sound absolutely breathtaking. It will be a very, very sad day for me when they finally die.
I hope I haven't given you information overload. This is something I am nuts about, although I don't really delve too deeply into the specifics and technical details of what each IEM can do. I only know what my ears like. =)
I travel a lot and lose earbuds frequently. So I try and get the most performance for the least amount of money. That being said I am currently using JVC Xtreme Xplosives and I am very happy with the price point and sound quality at what I consider a very low price point.
I've probably had over 30 different pairs of earbuds going back 10 years, and the Bose ones I have now are by far the best.
Maybe they are over priced, but the small plastic attachment that slips into the top part of your ear makes them well worth it. I use them while I workout and it helps a lot.
The sound is also very decent.
The price is anywhere from $69-$99/pair, which is probably extremely expensive to some people, and a bargain to others.
I have yet to find out whether they offer lifetime warranty, but a friend of mine sent his back and received a brand new pair. Do that once and you've made back your $100 instantly.
Because we all know that cheap earbuds go kaput quite often.
Soundmagic pl series any day. I got a pl11 for £20 and tbh it was better than my £50 seinheiser cc 300 ii.
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I bought a pair of klipsch S4 last year for $80 (most i've ever spent). The oval shaped buds create a real nice seal, and they produce nice lows.
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solarpolitiks said:
No one has yet I but I will kind of say it now...
Almost no reason to waste space with flac files if you are going to use 20 dollar headphones. Not saying it's bad to buy cheaper head phones. We all have a budget but if you truly want to get an amazing audio experience these are really goo in terms of price and sound:
http://www.audeoworld.com/en/US/Products/PFE/AudeoPFE11.htm
And they are having a promotion where they give you a free pair of 99 dollar headphones with it. Insanely good deal for amazing IEMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, so flac is the best for audio files? And what do you guys think of beats my dad is going to buy me the solos
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blitzfire said:
Wow, I've been waiting for a thread like this. I'm a headphone addict, and have several different sets of IEM's, over the ear, on the ear, buds, etc. I've got cheap dinky ones and ones that were over $100. It all depends on what you want to get out of the music. This is vital, and if you have any headphone afficiando friends, they will be able to help you out. Also, as with any headphones, please break them in for 12 - 36 hours of constant music so that they can loosen up.
If you're talking about IEM's, the first and most basic thing to understand is that you get a good seal. Without that, every pair of IEM's you audition will sound like a box of crap. There will be no low-end bass, you'll have noise bleeding in from the outside world, and your view of IEM's will quickly get ugly. Try different tips, although I'm a big fan of foam tips, even though they have to be thrown away after a while. However, I've found that if you put them in warm (not hot, this will melt the glue that holds them in place) water for a few minutes, give them a good shaking, this will break up the earwax that builds up on them. Squeeze them dry with a towel, give them another couple hours to completely dry out, and BOOM, you doubled the life of that set of foam ear tips. I've had some last 3 or 4 times as long as they should have this way before they finally began to fall apart.
That being said, I'd start with something around $40 - $50. Altec-Lansing makes a model called the UHP-336. These Altec's are not bad at all, and are a good introduction into IEM's. I'm also a fan of Maximo IM-590's. I don't understand a lot of the bad reviews for them, I found them great for occasional listening.
Once you get used to them, and want to move up (you probably will), look at something like Etymotic er-6 series. I've got a pair of the ER-6i headpohones, and they are very good mid-range cans. Very nice step-up from the Altecs and the Maximos.
I finally splurged years ago and got a set of Shure e3c's, which aren't even made anymore. However, these IEM's are hands down my favorite headphones ever made. They cost me $110 second hand, and I use foam tips for mine. They've lasted me for over 8 years, although I wasn't using them for two or three of those years while I was trying out others. However, these IEM's have some of the best clarity I've ever heard out of any headphone I've ever owned. I hear nuances of music I didn't know existed. I've put thousands of hours of music and audio through them, and they sound absolutely breathtaking. It will be a very, very sad day for me when they finally die.
I hope I haven't given you information overload. This is something I am nuts about, although I don't really delve too deeply into the specifics and technical details of what each IEM can do. I only know what my ears like. =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a lot lol thanks.
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Hi all! I apologize if there is another thread like this, did a search and didn't turn up anything useful.
I'm looking for a headset that you can't tell that is being worn. I'm talking like spy style, in the ear, no flashing lights, etc. Idealy able to play music through and use voice dialing. I have seen a few out there which appear to plug into the headphone jack with a wired mic that slips under the collar of a shirt and uses bluetooth to the in the ear, ear buds. These have all been in online spy shops, and the like. Does anyone have any recommendations on something like this? I'd hate to drop $150+ on junk.
Thanks!
Jayson
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You've watched too many spy movies.
I'm sure there are Headphones like that but they will definitely cost more than $150 and they probably won't be available on Amazon or the likes.
Batterylife will be dismal on a headphone that is small enough to fit into your earchannel and have a BT receiver aswell as good sound for music. You have to fit the battery the receiver and a large enough good quality loudspeaker into a very small room. One of the components will have to stand back.
Information about such things probably is hard to find but you can search the internet for inear hearing aids. There are several that are small enough to vanish in your earchannel and barely can be seen from outside. You'll see the prices and you will find tests about batterylife. The custommold of your earchannel will almost eat up your $150, no tech included.
Edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid
If you get one of the itc or cic ones with bluetooth you only have to find a bt mic that can be used with a smartphone. I'm pretty sure those exist but again, the cost will by far exceed your expectations.
Yeah I know it's not gonna be cheap lol. About $150 is the cheapest I have seen, but have seen in excess of $500. I'd just hate to spend the money for something that isn't going function the way I would like was my main concern.
Just stumbled upon this. http://www.spycheatstuff.com/index....l&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=55&lang=
This appears to be like your suggestions of the cic hearing aid, modified bluetooth headset with an external mic all wrapped up in a clunky box lol. Might not be too terribly difficult to fabricate something similar, but cost to purchase or make might wind up being close to the same. ... Uh oh... The wheel is turning now, but the hamster is dead lol.
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That's a weird device. The earpieces don't have a battery. That neckloop probably is a induction coil. I wonder if and how that works.
Even if it does, I can't believe the sound will be anything else than tinny. For that price they just can't use a balanced armature driver which would fit the earpieces size and is also used in hearing aids an high end in-ear monitors.
If they use a cheaper moving coil driver, the diaphragm has to be really small and therefore sound probably won't be good enough to listen to music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphones#Ear-fitting_headphones
Getting them in and out of your ear canal most likely will be a real *****. Keeping them in for longer periods of time will lead to all kinds of problems, like sweating, itching, increased production of ear wax. And they act as hearing protection, blocking sound from your environment which may be dangerous.
Granted, all in ear headsets do that to some extent but you can easily flip them out when you don't use them and put them back in in a heartbeat.
Do you actually need a device like that or is it just something geeky you would like to have?
Do you mainly want to listen to music or to make phone calls?
For really good sound I'd suggest custom molded in-ear monitors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-ear_monitors
You can get them in any color, different tones of skin color included. The wire is worn over the ear, and usually behind your back aswell. So no cables dangling around. They are not invisible but way less visible than ordinary ear buds.
They deliver amazing sound quality and the fit just can't be beat.
I have custom molded ear protection and custom molded headsets although not with the more expensive balanced armature drivers of the high end models. Once you get used to putting them in your ear you can do it very fast. There is only one position for them and that is sitting perfectly in you ear. They won't ever come loose accidentally, they won't fall out, they won't break the seal to you ear, so they will never have diminished sound. You can barely feel they are there. You have to try it before you can appreciate how much better they are compared to non-custom in-ears.
If that's too expensive for you, you could get something like that and give it a new paint job.
Cheap, sound not bad at all.
I have a pair of those, too and although they are not custom molded they fit very well. They don't stick out of the concha, giving them a very low profile. Because of the wire worn over the ear they won't come loose or even fall out at the slightest tuck at the cable, like many other in-ears. They aren't as comfortable as my custom molded earphones but I have no problem wearing them over longer periods of time.
Combined with a wired microphone that offers a 3.5mm headphone jack, you'll have a wired headset that offers good sound is not very visible and doesn't use up battery for bluetooth.
Or you get something like this.
That is similar to what you can often see agents and security details use in movies. They usually have those coiled wires/tubes that are quite visible and always make me wonder why they would compromise the low visibility of their headsets with them. Maybe because the tubes without coils aren't good for headmovement. I don't know.
Maybe the absolute invisibility part is important to you. Then my alternatives won't be of much use. But if you want good sound, which is more important to me, those alternatives are the better solution. Still kind of geek devices not many people have but at a more affordable price as long as you don't get professional IEMs.
I'm really more concerned with the voice aspect and the invisibility than the music quality. The music would be nice but not a necessary thing. I see 100% how more likely than not the sound would be very tinny. Thank you, I greatly appreciate the education and help with all of this.
Upon searching ebay I turned up tons of similar items priced from $35 on up, (mostly made in China ) , but if nothing else I think I'm going to pick up a set and if the quality is too crappy I can attempt to modify them to suit my liking. Or possibly ideas for another project. And at the prices they are offered at I'm not out much if I trash it in the process.
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Let me know how it turns out.
I'd find the neck loop annoying but it's a rather ingenious idea when it comes to battery life. You can wear a battery pack of any size anywhere on your body.
I'm pretty sure you won't get stereo sound with that setup, only mono but that's ok for voice only use.
That neck loop creates a magnetic field and your wearing it close to your head. I'd have slight concerns about that and I wouldn't be surprised if that thing would interfere with other technical devices like TVs and radios.
But it's hard to say for sure without ever having seen one of those kits in the wild and not much to be found on the internet. Maybe I'm completely wrong and they offer great sound and are absolutely harmless.
Covert acoustic tube earphones
Hi. I am interested in the same exact thing, just for recreational purposes.
i own the iphone version and can attest to it's clarity and comfort.. but i posted a samsung version i'm getting soon too.
hope this helps
i am so sorry, i am not able to post links as yet.
but if you search google for
Covert Acoustic Tube Earpiece / Headset for Samsung Phone: Galaxy S2, S3 etc
and also for
FBI Style Covert Acoustic Tube Headphone / Earpiece For Apple iPhone 3G 3GS 4 4S
i'm sure the first ebay links will lead you right to them. Both are under $20.
And finally, this one is absolutely tiny and hidden in your ear with no exposed wires. Here you go
wireless invisible gsm earpiece for test
you will find that on amazon. But if you do choose to try it please let me know how it goes
This is a review of Ultimate Ears UE Boom wireless bluetooth speaker: http://www.ultimateears.com/en-us/boom
I have been around the block testing and reviewing various Android gadgets and accessories. Honestly, there is not much that makes go Wow! The concept of external compact bluetooth speaker is not new, and some of you might be familiar with another similar product which has been dominating this category. I think introduction of UE Boom is going to change this!!! I want to mention this ahead of time, we are talking about Premium Product at a Premium Price. Yes, it will not be everyone's cup of tea in terms of being able to justify $199. But if you are willing to invest money into a high quality product with sound and sex appeal of EU Boom - I guarantee you will get every penny worth.
I have to first start with a package of this speaker, something that became a trend of premium priced products. You might be looking for a minute or two at this black cylinder before you realize it opens in the middle, flips open revealing the speaker itself and accessories in the separate compartments. Just the presentation of this package by itself is super cool and makes a very nice storage box for it. So beside the speaker you get this yellowish-greenish neon color travel wall adapter (rated at 2A) and flat noodle usb to micro-usb cable. In the middle of this cylinder box is the jewel itself, the UE Boom. First impression once you pick it up is the weight of the speaker which is going to tip scale at 536g (1lb 3oz). Yes, we are talking about a cool little cylinder that fits comfortable in your hand and weight over a pound. So what does the weight means? It means quality driver components packed inside of this external speaker unit. With measurement of 180mm x 65mm, it stands 7" tall with 2.5" diameter. The speaker grill goes all the way around, interrupted by a rubber strip with two big "+" and "-" touch controls (for volume up/down). The grill itself is made of some dense interweaving material, described as acoustic skin with plasma coating for water and stain resistance. I have seen YT demo of someone pouring water over it while playing the music, and it didn't even skip the beat. The speaker is intended for indoor/outdoor use, and with water resistance keeping it close to a pool will not be a problem. The speaker itself can be positioned vertically or horizontally, whatever is your preference. The rubber control strip should prevent it from rolling.
Beside volume up/down control, which also could be used simultaneously for UE Boom to announce it's battery capacity percentage, one side of the end cap has a power and bluetooth pair button, and the other side has 3.5mm auxiliary input, micro-usb charging cable, and a detachable loop/tab that will enable your clipping Boom to your backpack or maybe hanging it down from some hook. Speaking of charging, at full charge the speaker is rated for 15 hours of use!!! Once you power it up, you have a pleasant drum tone and it goes into a pair mode (the first time use). Within seconds you are paired up and ready to use it. At that point, better sit down and hit play. This is the most impressive sound I ever heard coming out of such a small speaker system. It fills up the room or any outdoor area with full deep non-distorted sound even at highest volume level. The sound is very crisp and clear, very loud (without distortion as I mentioned), and has enough of bass tone suitable for bigger speaker. Of course, don't expect deep bass of a subwoofer, but for this size it was very impressive. The sound radiates 360 degrees, so no need to turn it or to position it in certain direction. Apparently there is a way you can use 2 EU Boom from the same paired up source to extend this sound to a wider stereo spectrum. For that, you need to use a free app downloaded from Google Play. The app itself is very simple and self explanatory. What is super impressive is when you start it - it goes through a palette of available Boom colors (the speaker comes in different skins) and picks the right one you have. In there you have an option to run double pair up, Setting, and General on-line help with "getting to know" info. In Setting you have a choice to rename your UE Boom, obtain the battery level charge (also you can do that by holding + and - together), alert language, EQ setting (currently only 3 available), enabling alert sound, and also app and fw versions.
For audio playback it supports A2DP bt audio profile, in addition to direct 3.5mm cable input, and it can also pickup calls working as a speaker phone. It's minimalistic design didn't include call pick up button, which would have been a nice feature. Also, very common to other premium bt speakers - is lack of any audio playback controls. If you want to pause the sound, you have to go back to remote use with a phone. It's not a show stopper since I was able to use my portable external bluetooth receiver unit connected to 3.5mm port of UE Boom and paired up instead of the speaker itself. That allowed me to play/pause and skip the track. Also today after playing with MetaWatch smart watch - I also discovered that I can control phone audio right from my watch without even a need for bt remote receiver. Also another comment, for such a price I was surprised they didn't include 3.5mm audio cable piece. Although not intended for most of the uses, I think it would have been a nice accessory to include.
But in general all I can say is the second you hear the full loud sound of this speaker, your jaw drops. Yes, its an expensive accessory and will not be everyone's cup of tea because of the price. I also hope that after awhile (since it was just introduced), the price will drop making it more affordable. But even at $199 - you are paying for a high quality design and premium quality top notch sound, something you would expect from Ultimate Ears! My recommendation - if you can afford it, get it! Just in time for the summer, for your outdoor party - you will not be disappointed!. And with 2 year warranty, you know UE truly believes in it's quality.
Here are some pictures:
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How does it sound compared to the Big Jambox. I love my BJB but would love something to use near the pool.
earled said:
How does it sound compared to the Big Jambox. I love my BJB but would love something to use near the pool.
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I knew this question would come up I don't have any Jawbone products, but have done a lot of search and reading on the net and watched a number of YT reviews, everybody confirms that UE Boom blows jawbone out of the water, not to mention that you can't even keep jawbone anywhere near the water This speaker definitely has Ultimate Ears sound quality.
vectron said:
I knew this question would come up I don't have any Jawbone products, but have done a lot of search and reading on the net and watched a number of YT reviews, everybody confirms that UE Boom blows jawbone out of the water, not to mention that you can't even keep jawbone anywhere near the water This speaker definitely has Ultimate Ears sound quality.
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Thanks. The lack of waterproofness(word?) is my biggest gripe with the BJB. Might have to get one cor the outside. I'mm very happy with my JamBox sound quality.
earled said:
Thanks. The lack of waterproofness(word?) is my biggest gripe with the BJB. Might have to get one cor the outside. I'mm very happy with my JamBox sound quality.
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Well, waterproof and water resistant are two different things. I'm sure if you drop Boom into a pool of water where its going to be submerged for awhile - it will damage it. But if you are outside and get splattered by water, Boom can take it like a champ. I have two little kids and outside they constantly run around with water guns or splatter in our above the ground pool. I wouldn't have to worry about speaker getting wet in this situation or of it starts raining before I get a chance to bring it inside.
I was trying to get a review sample from JB, but their replies take forever and I'm still waiting to hear back from them on confirmation. In a meantime, I can only judge the comparison by listening to other people reviews (lots of the professional reviews are on-line now with a recent introduction of Boom).
... EDIT... never mind about 40% coupon, it was just my misunderstanding
Thanks a lot for the info. I have 2 boys myself. They would almost rather run around squirting me and mom than swim in the pool. :laugh:
vectron said:
I knew this question would come up I don't have any Jawbone products, but have done a lot of search and reading on the net and watched a number of YT reviews, everybody confirms that UE Boom blows jawbone out of the water, not to mention that you can't even keep jawbone anywhere near the water This speaker definitely has Ultimate Ears sound quality.
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Wow, I find it hard to believe the this UE Boom will "blow Jawbone out of the water"!! It may be very similar in sound quality and loudness to the original Jawbone Jambox, because the Boom and OG Jambox are similar in size. The Big Jambox is about twice as big as the Boom. I could be totally wrong though, and this Boom may destroy the Big Jambox. I have a Big Jambox and absolutely LOVE IT!! I am very impressed with the sound quality and how loud this speaker gets! Hopefully an XDA member who has the Big Jambox will get a Boom and let us know how the 2 compare.
Either way, OP, thanks for sharing the info with us! If Best Buy does carry these in the future then I'll probably go ahead buy one myself! Not sure that I'll keep it, but that way I can at least compare the Boom and Big Jambox side by side at my house. I'll let you all know if I get a Boom. If anyone here has them both, please let us know how the 2 compare.
SwiftKey'ed from my White Sprint Note 2 using XDA Premium
Awesome review as always Vectron. I've been looking for a bluetooth portable speaker and I was about 99% sold on the jbl flip. For the money ($99) most reviews say it blows away most other comparable devices which cost 2 and 3 times as much. Now I'll have to look into this product to see if it's worth the extra $.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
Shoot, I might end up going to Verizon store myself just to pick up Jawbone for comparison this weekend. Now, I'm really curious myself. I read reviews from zdnet and cnet and other places and they're showing arsenal of their portable speakers in the background saying this one sounds the best.
I can only judge relative to what I hear, not as a/b comparison. I'm also thinking that UE guys had to think hard to come up with a price point to justify their advantage over the competition which cost less. Also, competition is a little dated now. This unit has 15hr battery, and water splatter protection, and covers a range of 50 feet. But I'm surprised there is no Call Button. I really wish instead of talking battery percentage they would implement a programmable feature for "+" and "-" buttons pushed together to either mute the sound if music is playing or pickup the call when it's incoming. It should be handled through BT protocol and everything is under app control to assign different functionality - so why not? I will make sure to suggest it to them with my feedback.
But other then that, I'm very impressed!!!
That's for bringing The Boom Vectron. Your reviews have become a valuable source when making a purchase decision. Keep up the good work Mr. Gadget hero.
All - I have the Big Jambox and compared it side by side with the UE Boom.
My perspective - while for its size the UE Boom sounded very good, the BJB was clearly better sounding and larger. Obviously the amount of portability you want/need can impact your decision as on this point they are very different, but if the BJB's form factor works for you and you are basing the decision primarily on sound, I think you will find the BJB to be a better choice,
Best buy does carry this product now. Just found it there by surprise this weekend. They didn't have a display model out or anything so I almost missed it. So far the sound is great and it does get really loud for a small speaker. I can compare the sound to a Bose SoundLink and it is comparable to it IMO. I don't know about the Jawbone Big Jambox so can't give any input on that one.
stanglifemike said:
Wow, I find it hard to believe the this UE Boom will "blow Jawbone out if the water"!! It may be very similar in sound quality and loudness to the original Jawbone Jambox, because the Boom and OG Jambox are similar in size. The Big Jambox is about twice as big as the Boom. I could be totally wrong though, and this Boom may destroy the Big Jambox. I have a Big Jambox and absolutely LOVE IT!! I am very impressed with the sound quality and how loud this speaker gets! Hopefully an XDA member who has the Big Jambox will get a Boom and let us know how the 2 compare.
Either way, OP, thanks for sharing the info with us! If Best Buy does carry these in the future then I'll probably go ahead buy one myself! Not sure that I'll keep it, but that way I can at least compare the Boom and Big Jambox side by side at my house. I'll let you all know if I get a Boom. If anyone here has them both, please let us know how the 2 compare.
SwiftKey'ed from my White Sprint Note 2 using XDA Premium
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lirong said:
All - I have the Big Jambox and compared it side by side with the UE Boom.
My perspective - while for its size the UE Boom sounded very good, the BJB was clearly better sounding and larger. Obviously the amount of portability you want/need can impact your decision as on this point they are very different, but if the BJB's form factor works for you and you are basing the decision primarily on sound, I think you will find the BJB to be a better choice,
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Awesome! Thank you for your input and comparison!! That's exactly what I had expected, as I found it VERY hard to believe that the Boom was louder an sounded better (much less that it could "blow the Big Jambox out of the water", lol!). I figured that the Boom was more like the original Jawbone Jambox, and not the Jawbone Big Jambox! The original Jambox and the Boom are very similar in size and price. Now that you have compared the two, I won't have to purchase the Boom just to compare it to the Big Jambox! Again, thank you very much for your comparison!!
The Big Jambox isn't too large for me to make the portability impractical. On the contrary actually. I often take my Big Jambox outside with me in the evenings. I spend a good part of my time at home sitting outside. The weather is nice and I don't smoke inside the house, so I like to sit outside and smoke while I drink beer. I use the Big Jambox for listening to music and for playing games on my phone or tablet. I even use it for a speaker phone occasionally and love that it's capable of that! Callers in the other end never know I'm not talking directly in to the phone unless I tell them I'm using my Big Jambox, and then they are shocked at how clear the sound quality is.
Bgrover said:
Best buy does carry this product now. Just found it there by surprise this weekend. They didn't have a display model out or anything so I almost missed it. So far the sound is great and it does get really loud for a small speaker. I can compare the sound to a Bose SoundLink and it is comparable to it IMO. I don't know about the Jawbone Big Jambox so can't give any input on that one.
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Thanks for the info!! If it wasn't for LIRONG then I would definitely be purchasing one of these from Best Buy. Thanks to his comparison though, I no longer need to!
Sent from my White Sprint Note 2 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
True, I can't comment on comparison to Big JamBox. But I absolutely love UE Boom. I had it setup this weekend: phone at home, Boom on a hook hanging of outside, and I'm in our above-the-ground pool with MetaWatch under water controlling music. Sounds is not just loud, but also very rich and deep. Started to drizzle, we got out of the pool, and only later I realized while I was bringing stuff into the house - the speaker was still hanging on the hook. I'm still hoping to get around to check out Jambox, but I'm afraid my opinion might be on a biased side For sure, Big Jambox sounds like it will be louder because of the size of the speaker/driver/amp so if that's your priority, then its a perfect choice! For something very small and compact (Boom is small round cylinder, smaller than original jambox) and rugged with splash protection when you go to the beach, I think Boom is a great choice.
BUT still, I wish either Boom or Jambox would have play/pause/skip track controls. Why wouldn't they add it to these bt speakers?!? The protocol supports it. It's just a matter of 3 extra buttons. I have no idea why it's not part of the design...
Glad it was helpful.
I agree with all of the above...The Boom was a very nice speaker, especially for its size, and if you need more portability its a great choice.
I happen to like the look and form factor of the BJB better, and for use around the yard, etc. I think its a better choice.
these sound awesome
Haven't messed with many of the bigger bt units, but I can imagine this sounds pretty good. I have the small UE boombox and it's pretty impressive for it's size/price. Super crisp and clear even when played really loud, but to be honest, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, the Beats Pill is probably the best portable bt speaker I've heard. And this is coming from a Beats headphones hater. It sounds much better than the boombox and jambox imo, and when I played with the bjb, aside from the volume, I felt like the Pill sounded better. Flame away lol
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
lhkjohn said:
Haven't messed with many of the bigger bt units, but I can imagine this sounds pretty good. I have the small UE boombox and it's pretty impressive for it's size/price. Super crisp and clear even when played really loud, but to be honest, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, the Beats Pill is probably the best portable bt speaker I've heard. And this is coming from a Beats headphones hater. It sounds much better than the boombox and jambox imo, and when I played with the bjb, aside from the volume, I felt like the Pill sounded better. Flame away lol
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
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flame? why? is beats an apple product lol... i was wondering how this stacks up vs the pill.. thanks for the input.. I think imma go w a dock over these
Note Duece
lhkjohn said:
Haven't messed with many of the bigger bt units, but I can imagine this sounds pretty good. I have the small UE boombox and it's pretty impressive for it's size/price. Super crisp and clear even when played really loud, but to be honest, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, the Beats Pill is probably the best portable bt speaker I've heard. And this is coming from a Beats headphones hater. It sounds much better than the boombox and jambox imo, and when I played with the bjb, aside from the volume, I felt like the Pill sounded better. Flame away lol
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
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Never tried the Pill. I read a bunch of mixed reviews on it, including a couple that cited frequent bluetooth connection issues, so based on all the research I knocked them off my list.
I tried the new Bose, the Big Jambox, the UE Boom and the JBL Charge. The JBL Charge and UE Boom were both nice form factors and decent sound and volume. The Bose and BJB both (in my opinion) clearly sound better. I was mixed between the two...both sound good but very different sounds. Ultimately I liked the form factor, longer battery and ability for web updates on the BJB.
In the end I think it comes down to price (although the gap isnt that big) and how much portability you need. I think Bose and BJB are very portable - certainly around the house and yard, throw in a car, throw in a suitcase. But if you want something really portable that you can put in a knapsack, briefcase, etc. and carry around all day, then you are likely to be better off with the JBL or UE.
Btw, I have been using our Boom for 2 weeks since the last charge. Not everyday or hours in a row, but I probably accumulated close to 3-4 hours. The battery is still at 90%. Probably rounded off since it reports in increments of 10, but still pretty good.
I wish I can find some time to compare it to other speakers. Thus can't chime into discussion above, but I do really appreciate all the replies!!!
Also, hope that maybe after initial introduction and considering you can pair up two Boom into a stereo config - they will offer some discount if you buy a pair of these.
Regarding last comment about traveling, Boom is very compact and heavy duty built. Definitely no worries throwing it in a packed suitcase.
removed.
Great review, thanks. One thing I'm wondering for you or anyone who owns these or an older version is how well they stay in-ear. I've been hearing these are great budget headphones and your review attests to that fact, but I'm always in the market for a good pair of earbuds that have good sound quality, not TOO expensive, and stay in my ears when running/exercising. Any guess on how they'd hold up in that respect?
For running/exercising you will need something more durable with in-ear stabilizers. Otherwise, you need to use Comply Foam tips. They will be wedged in your ears and create a perfect seal which enhances the bass.
For the one with stabilizers, these one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2673036 were great and also these one http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2581215 - CKX9 sounded great.
hi, thanks for this review.. how's the microphonics? Thanks
chonghua said:
hi, thanks for this review.. how's the microphonics? Thanks
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No microphonics effect with these headphones.
I have these but I can't find a pair of comfy eartips. I tried them all that was included, and the ones that came with my Xperia Z ultra. And I ended up taking the old eartips from my Sony MW600 bluetooth headset. Still I'm not fully satisfied..I get the feeling that they are not getting squeezed in there like they should. Its like I can still hear outside noise from the street and people talking and cars driving by.
These pair of in-ears might not be right right for my ears so I ordered the "TTPOD T1E". Hopefully they might fit my ears and isolate outside noise better.
But other than that the sound is outstanding for the price I paid for these!
I just bought this today. it sounds amazing, but you need to use the right eartips that fits your ears, i found this troublesome for me at first, because with the wrong eartips, you wouldn't like how it sounds.
I also have SM MP21 [so now i own two SoundMagic products ], the sound quality of E10S is way better and accurate. The bass is not overwhelming like MP21, it's just right. The MP21 have higher sensitivity than E10 & E10S, so with the same volume MP21 will sound louder. For ergonomics, i feel that MP21 is more comfort in my ear than E10S.
E10S is an amazing product for the price, i hope it will sound better after break in.
I also tried the older E10 and E30 at the store, i think there's a difference between E10 and E10S, i feel the bass is louder on E10, E10S overall sounds smoother. E30 i don't like the way you have to attach them to your ears, the sound of E30 is more similiar with MP21 but with more controlled bass. E10 & E10S sound brighter and detailed, you could say that they are airy.
I could be wrong with E10 and E30, because i'm testing them at the shop i bought the 10S, i don't have lots of time to tinker with them and the shop surrounding is noisy.
hey... I am a bass head.... how is the bass of these earphones.... also are they comfortable and stable while doing mild exercise?
HiatiX said:
hey... I am a bass head.... how is the bass of these earphones.... also are they comfortable and stable while doing mild exercise?
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Bass is ok, but not the strongest. Staying in your ears will depend on eartip fitment. But, these are definitely not a basshead headphones.
I have the e10m and I'm using them with the g3 they sounds really great beyond the price also it has very quality aluminum earpiece design.. But unfortunately i can't say the same for the cables and control unit they both very poor quality cheap plastik you have to take care of it so gentle.
It damages so quickly and easily, i start to use them since almost 1 month ago in the gym and now controls doesn't work anymore but, there is more it randomly turns down the volume or does the opposite it turns up all the way up on its own and blow your earphones of course your ears too.. Also sometimes it activates the stupid google search and stops the music.
As you can image it's so much annoying you want to throw them away when these things happens. Other than that they sounds really awesome the bass is solid and it doesn't really overcome the mids and highs.
I'm open to earphone advices btw, which is kind of the e10. Basses can be even more powerful i don't care but it shouldn't be less than e10's i'm a little bass head i think.
Note: Sorry for the possible grammar fails and corrupt sentences I'm not using this language often.
In person it takes like 5 min from me to say someone hello .
I have the e10s to use it with htc m9 & i've only used it for a couple of time & it damaged like you described already.
I googled "soundMagic e10s volume issue & found your post.
cant believe this product has such crappy quality !!!
Deagles said:
I have the e10m and I'm using them with the g3 they sounds really great beyond the price also very quality aluminum earpiece design... But the cable and control unit they both very poor quality you have to take care of it so gentle.
It damages so quickly and easily, i start to use them since almost 1 month in the gym and now controls doesn't work anymore but, the worse thing is it turn down the sound or opposite it turns up the full volume and blow your earphones and of course your ears randomly on its own and sometimes it's activating the google search and making the music stop.
As you can image it's so much annoying you want to throw them away when these things happens. Other than that they sounds really awesome the bass is solid and it doesn't overcome the mids and highs.
I'm open to earphone advices by the way, which is kind of the e10. Basses can be more powerful i don't care but it shouldn't be less than e10's I'm a little bass head i think.
Note: Sorry for the possible grammer fails and corrupt sentences I'm not using this language very often in person it takes 5 min from me to say a hello really.
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dsymbol said:
I have the e10s to use it with htc m9 & i've only used it for a couple of time & it damaged like you described already.
I googled "soundMagic e10s volume issue & found your post.
cant believe this product has such crappy quality !!!
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Hey i have updates a few months ago the earphone jack just broke.. So i had to change it and i did but, im not happy with the sounds quality anymore it can be psychological or a real thing i dont know anyways...
Now I'm thinking to give a try the new Piston 3.0.
i'm getting a factory replacement.
So, i'll see how this Chinese quality earphones hold up...
Deagles said:
Hey i have updates a few months ago the earphone jack just broke.. So i had to change it and i did but, im not happy with the sounds quality anymore it can be psychological or a real thing i dont know anyways...
Now I'm thinking to give a try the new Piston 3.0.
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